Sixth Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 6th Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17
   
2. Psalms 66: 1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
   
3. 1 Peter 3: 15-18
   
4. John 14:15-21
   

• Signs of Presence
  
• When Jesus called people, He didn't tell them to subscribe to an orthodox theology, He simply said "follow me".  In last Sunday's Gospel (John 14: 1-12) Jesus tells His disciples "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."
• What are some of those works that the Church is doing today?
• Do you think that those works are what is bringing in new people?
• The Mormons are amazingly organized about their service to the community.  Are we any better, different?
• Do we have to be?
  

• Singing a new psalm
  
• In Protestant circles, they witness to each other, to unbelievers, anyone who will listen basically (sometimes even folks who won't listen) about the greatness of God.  On the whole, Catholics tend to be a bit more reserved in that regard.
• Telling the Good News from a street corner isn't really our style.  What might be a better way to witness of the goodness and greatness of God within our communities?
• How about our own family?
  

• What do you worship?
  
• Matthew Kelly once wrote to the effect that we can tell what we worship in our lives.  That will often be the first thing that we think of when we get up in the morning, the last thing that we think about when we go to bed at night, what we speak of first when we introduce ourselves to a stranger, what we spend the most time on during the day, what we spend the most money on.
• Given those indicators, what is it that you worship?
• Why is that?
• What could you do to change that (assuming that you want to change)?
  

• The Spirit of Truth
  
• In the wake of the death of Floyd George, my son Justin called me.  He was trying to discern whether to join in a protest march on Lakewood city hall, and he asked me a question that still haunts me: How are we to know the truth?  There are so many voices today, some saying this, some saying that, some saying we ought to respond one way, some calling for another response.  I'd like to say that I had a insightful answer for him.
• How is God revealing His truth today?
• Does that revelation shed light on every aspect of our lives?
• How much of this are we supposed to figure out for ourselves?
• How much do we figure out together as a community?
• Have you ever seen the sensus fidelium at work?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Is my life a beacon of hope to others?
2. Where might I thank God more?
   
3. Whom do I really worship and why?
   
4. Am I honestly listening to God's call in my life?

Shalom!