14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Zechariah 9: 9-10
   
2. Psalms 145: 1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
   
3. Romans 8: 9, 11-13
   
4. Matthew 11: 25-30
   

• Finding your inner mighty
  
• The world that we live in is a dangerous place.  Enemies seeking to undo us seem to be everywhere, and it seems that the only way to achieve safety and security is to properly protect ourselves, no matter what the cost of that protection might be.
• Who do you feel threatened by?
• What makes you feel that they are a danger to you, your family, your various communities?
• Is there a true defense against the dangers that these enemies present?
• Who's job is it to provide that defense?
  

• Learning mercy
  
• Mercy and compassion are rich themes throughout God's word to us through the centuries.  The amazing thing is that God, who is so far above us, is still able to feel compassion for His children, no matter the extent to which they fail to live to their potential.
• Have you ever found real compassion for someone?
• How did that come about?
• Was it a process, or an event?
• How could you become more compassionate, exercise your compassion muscle more often?
  

• Doing the deeds of the Spirit
  
• I suspect that we are, to a large extent, defined by the really tough decisions that we have had to make in life.  Perhaps in equal measure not only by the decision itself and how it affected our lives, but the process that we went through to make that decision.
• What was a really hard decision that you have had to make?
• How did you come to the conclusion that you did?
• If you had to make that decision all over again, would it go differently?
• Why is that?
• Where was prayer in that decision?
  

• The little among us
  
• There are lots of reasons that someone might get noticed: exceptional looks, youth, talent, wealth, education, position, charisma, and so forth.  If someone has none of these things, do they have the same capacity to love God?
• Who are some folks in your experience who are easily missed or ignored in our society?
• How do they/can they experience God in their lives?
• Do you think that their perceptions of God might speak to us who are more fortunate?
• How can we be more hospitable to such folks?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to rely more on Him to defend me?
2. How is God drawing me into greater compassion?
3. Where is God calling me to be more open to His guidance?
   
4. Where is God revealing Himself to me through someone who is all but invisible?
   

Shalom!