27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Habakkuk 1: 2-3; 2: 2-4
   
2. Psalms 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9
   
3. 2 Timothy 1: 6-8, 13-14
   
4. Luk3 17: 5-10

• Be the vision
  
• Martin Luther King had a dream.  I suspect that vision guided him, helped him prioritize his live, figure out what was important and what was not.
• What's your vision?
• If someone asked you to tell them what the world you live in really needs, what would you say?
• How committed are you to that vision?
• When was the last time you did anything to make that happen?
  

• The dangers of a soft heart
  
• I used to think that that hard-hearted folks were very removed from me.  Not so much anymore.  A soft heart is one that's open.
• How does God speak to you, Scripture, the testimony of a fellow journeyer, tragic life events, moments when you feel completely unable to carry on, ...?
• Is God speaking to you in more ways lately?
• Are you getting better at hearing His voice in familiar ways?
• Where do you think this process might be going?
  

• Come, sit down and have lunch with the gifted kids
  
• When I was in High School, there were lots of cliques on campus.  Some more obvious than others.  The gifted kids, the ones who took the AP and honors courses, were a rather subtle bunch.  They didn't have a team T-shirt or anything, but if you were in the know, you could spot them.
• Are you gifted?
• What are your gifts?
• How are you developing them?
• How did you know that you even had them?
  

• Just do it
  
• In the verses just ahead of this week's Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples essentially to forgive without limit.  That's what excited them to ask for more faith.  It sounds as though Jesus did not cut them a lot of slack at this point.
• Think of a time when you felt a tug, a nudge if you will from God to do something that looked as though it would be hard, awkward, uncomfortable, even foolhardy.
• How did you finally decide what to do?
• How did that turn out?
• Do you think your decision changed you?
• How?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where might God be calling me to be more aware, more focused on His vision in my life?
   
2. How can I be more soft-hearted?
3. Which graces is God calling me to pray for?
   
4. Where is God calling me past my comfort zone?

 Shalom!