33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Daniel 12: 1-3
   
2. Psalms 16: 5, 8, 9-10, 11
3. Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18
4. Mark 13: 24-32
   

• Leading others to justice
  
• Injustices are all around us.  Sometimes it might seem as though they are too numerous, too complex, too entrenched to ever make a difference.
• Where do you feel called to bring about at least a measure of justice?
• How did you become aware of that opportunity?
• Are you trying to do that alone?
• Where do you hope to be in five years with that cause.
• Where is God in all of that?
  

• You are my inheritance
  
• The joy of the Lord flows from a deep-seated sense and understanding of the simple fact that we are in God and He is in us.
• What does that mutual indwelling between you & God mean for you?
• If God knows us that well, why do we have to pray?
• If you were to try to describe God to someone, how would you go about that?
• What would you base your description of God on?
• Do you ever describe God to God?  Some call such prayer "praise".
  

• Forgiven and transformed
  
• In the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius invites his retreatants to spend time meditating on the love of God for them, and God's faithfulness.  He then leads them through meditations on their own sinfullness, and how they have treated God, in spite of His mercy.  This sets the stage for deep repentance and renewal.
• If you were convinced that you had sinned so badly that God could never forgive you, what difference would that make in your life?
• How has knowing that you are forgiven changed you?
• Do you ever get a chance to meditate on that forgiveness?
• Why do you think that God doesn't just start over, rather than redeeming us, redeeming you?
  

• It's not the end of the world, or is it?
  
• There is very little about the world that we live in that has any permanence.  This house that I'm sitting in right now will one day be nothing but a memory.  But how I have welcomed others into this place, whether this home was a place for healing and growth, those things will remain.  That sort of puts things into perspective next time I see some peeling paint or hear a faucet dripping.
• We say "you can't take it with you."  But that's only partially true.  What are some things in this life that you hope to be able to take with you into Eternity?
• Do you ever have to consciously decide between something in the oh so urgent here and now, versus an eternal value?
• How do you strike the right balance?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
• Is God trying to bring an injustice to my attention and I don't want to hear about it?
  
• Can I meditate on how close God is to me today?
  
• How can I let God's forgiveness work in me?
  
• What have I done today that is going to last?
  

Shalom!