25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Amos 8: 4-7
   
2. Psalms 113: 1-2, 4-6, 7-8
   
3. 1 Timothy 2: 1-8
   
4. Luke 15: 1-13
   

• Showing mercy until it hurts
  
• These days, there seem to be an endless supply of justice issues demanding attention.  Doing the right thing always bears a cost.  Sometimes we pay it directly, sometimes its through a tax hike, or loss of some benefit that we are used to.
• Where are you showing mercy these days?
• How did you get involved?
• What keeps you doing that?
  

• Who is my neighbor/who are the poor?
  
• In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus answers the question of "who is my neighbor".
• Who are the poor?  Is it just those with nowhere to sleep at night, those who are marginalized and voiceless, those who are comfortable, yet underpaid, those exposed to unnecessary dangers on their job, ...?
• How is God going to lift them up?
• Why does He have to involve us?
  

• Jesus is my campaign manager
  
• All of us agree that politics is a dirty business.  Its easy to despair of anything really good coming out of government.  The separation between Church and State has come to mean that the Church can never influence the State.
  
• Do you think that God has a stake in our political process?
• If we pray to God for better government, better representatives, better political systems, How do you think that God will answer?
• How did governing get to be such a mess anyway?
  

• Return on investment
  
• The prudent among us are always looking towards the future.  Will I have enough money to retire on?  Once I retire, how long will I be able to live on my accumulated savings?  What sort of a legacy do I want to leave to my children?
• If you were attend your own funeral, what would you want to hear people say about you?  I know what I'd want to hear: "Look, he's moving!!!"
• How about in another ten years?
• What are you doing today to help make that happen?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Who might God be asking me to defend that I hardly recognize?
   
2. Who are the poor in my life?
3. Where is God moving in our city, state, country that He wants my help?
   
4. Where might God be calling me to greater/different generosity?

 Shalom!