28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Wisdom 7: 7-11
   
2. Psalms 90: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17
   
3. Hebrews 4: 12-13
   
4. Mark 10: 17-30
   

• Jacob the Baker
  
• Somewhere I ran into a short series of books by Noah Ben Shea about a humble wise man named Jacob.  Despite his humility, word of his wisdom quickly spread wherever he lived, and the local villagers would seek out his wisdom.  It seemed that everyone wanted his wisdom for a specific challenges, but only one person ever sought wisdom for its own sake.
• The world can never have too much wisdom.  What are you doing to gain in wisdom?
• How is that working for you?
• How/when do you get the chance to share the wisdom with others?
• Do they always appreciate your wisdom?
• Why do you think that is?
  

• Prosperity Gospel
  
• There are those who feel that you can tell God's chosen because they are prosperous.  At first, I thought that was pretty cool since I was convinced that I was chosen, so the prosperity was just around the corner.  Then I began to better understand God's call to humility in our lives.  Now I'm beginning to think maybe my problem was that I had a poor definition of prosperity.
• If you define prosperity as "success in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth," where have you prospered in your life?
• Where would have liked to prosper?
• What makes you think that you have not prospered in those areas?
• Do you think that it's possible to prosper in life without knowing the "big picture", God's ultimate plan in that area?
  

• Is all wisdom words?
• Ignatius of Loyola would sometimes receive revelations from God that were "beyond words", truths that were profound and real, just not something that he could articulate.
• Have you ever had a sense from God that He was communicating with you without words?
• What was that like?
• How did it happen?
• How have those events changed you?
  

• What are you rich in?
  
• Matthew 6:21: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also".  That goes both ways I suspect.  If you know where your heart is, that says what you treasure.
• What do you treasure in life?
• Why do you think that God brought those treasures into your life?
• How is that working out for God?
• Is there anything that you want to treasure, or wished that you treasured more?
• Can you pray for the desire for a blessing, even if you don't desire that blessing yet?
• What might these treasures cost?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
• Where is God calling me to greater wisdom?
• Where might God be calling me to greater prosperity?
  
• Am I open to God's unutterable truth as well as what He can say in words?
  
• What do my treasures say about me?

Longing Prayer

Lord, as I sit here, surrounded by all of your gifts to me:

Our home, pictures of the kids and grand kids,

My library accumulated over a lifetime,

Fond memories of those who have touched my life,

I long to ask with courage and boldness a simple question:

Have I been generous with all that you have showered upon me?

Or have I hugged it to myself, fearful of letting go,

Lacking the trust in you to know that you will always be there.

Grant me courage in the face of plenty.

Give me the trust to live with boldness.

Give me the desire to serve you above all else.

That I might be truly free.

Shalom!