Weekly Readings Reflections: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

Good hospitality has several facets: the host has to know what their guests need, and be able to provide that to them, the host needs to be generous, not just their provisions, but with their time, and most of all, the host must be humble.
Do you think that God ever comes to us in unexpected forms, unexpected places, even inconvenient times?
When might that have happened to you?
How did you respond?
How/when did you find God in that experience?
Do you think that you'll be better prepared for such an encounter the next time?

Sharing with others always carries a number of hidden costs that go beyond merely the time/talent/treasure given away. Sharing without reserve creates a bond with that other, a bond that might be exploited. Sharing leaves us more open, vulnerable not just to their needs, but the needs of others as our hearts are gradually opened up.
Your closest friends and relatives have gathered to compose your eulogy. You are otherwise detained during this meeting, so you won't be there to correct any misconceptions they might have about you. Do you think that any of them will describe you as generous?
If so, how have you been generous?
How has that generosity changed you?
How might you teach that sort of generosity to others?
If not, what scares you most about becoming generous in your giving?

Do you ever wonder what might be the origin of the joy of the Lord? Is it that everything goes your way, that every thing that you put your hand to prospers, that no harm ever befalls you, or is the joy of the Lord something more resilient, deeper, stronger than that?
Think of someone in your life that you would describe as joyful.
Where do you think that springs from?
Is that joy steady, or does it come and go?
What would you be willing to do to have such joy in your life?

We are left to imagine how the Holy Family treated each other at the end of a long day, how they managed to get by on meager income, how they treated their neighbors, the rest of the family, what stories they shared with each other and guests about their lives. I think all of us in families could learn a lot from that. Clearly Jesus learned a great deal from His family as He grew up.
What would you say that you have learned about God and how to serve Him from your young years?
If you are a parent, how much of that do you think you managed to pass along to your children?
They never stop being your children, what does change is what worries you about their lives, and what options you have for helping them.
All of us doubtless have children that we may know nothing of, those who look up to us for values, who look to us for the secret to the meaning of life. How well do you think you have served them?

Shalom!

Weekly Readings Reflections