Corpus Christi Sunday

Our readings for Corpus Christi Sunday:

1. Genesis 14: 19-20
2. Psalms 110: 1, 2, 3, 4
3. I Corinthians 11: 23-26
4. Luke 9: 11b-17

• Exchange of gifts
• To be in right relationship with God entails an exchange of gifts, not to bribe God, but to celebrate that everything comes from and returns to God
• What do you think that God wants from you?
• What do you think that God wants for you?
• What do you really, deep down inside, want from God?
• What do you think God's chances are for getting what He wants?
• What do you think your chances are for getting what you want?
• Do you think that will make you happy? 

• Priesthood of believers
• Ordained or not, we are all called to be priests, it's a fundamental aspect of our identity.
• Define priest.  Get creative.
• Does anyone come to mind who has filled that role especially well in your life?
• What made them a good priest?
• Why do you think that all of us are called to be priests in one fashion or another? 

• A friend like no other
• It's hard to know how much Jesus knew about His passion going in.  My bet is that the revelation of just what was coming was gradual, and that Jesus had to process that revelation a piece at a time.  I also bet that He took a very bittersweet comfort from celebrating one last Passover with His friends, knowing that it was never going to be quite like this again.
• Who are some special friends that have been a support for you?
• Would you say that God had worked through them in your life?
• What is about one of those friends that you treasure the most?
• What do you think they might treasure about you? 

• Basket case
• Jesus never did tell His disciples what was coming, He just gave them the next thing that needed to be done.  In so doing, He invited them into a miracle.  In so doing He invited them into the fellowship of the Trinity, into the ongoing creation story that is still unfolding.
•  When is a time that you felt called of God to do something where you had no idea how it would turn out?
• How did you come to be certain of that direction, not knowing how it was to end?
• How did that turn out?
• How do you know that the effects of that act of faith are played out even today?
• How does that make you feel about God, about yourself? 

• Preparation for Reconciliation
• Where is God calling you into greater happiness?
• How is your priesthood progressing lately?
• Are your friendships making a better person of you?
• Where might God be calling you to reckless obedience?

Bread Unnoticed

Indeed, that was a day of miracles.

 

It started with Jesus' welcome of the crowds.
He had gone there to get some rest,

But still He welcomed the crowds when they gathered.
As though He somehow found a second wind.

Then, wave after wave of needy villagers came.

All of them touched, healed, loved.

Every one of them transformed in the encounter

No matter where they came from.

But the rest of us, we could tell that this could get ugly.

All of those folks far from home, kith and kin,

Transformed they may be, but soon, soon

They were going to need food and shelter.

 

Besides, all of us were nearing the end of our endurance.
Striving to find the inner reserves needed to meet the seemingly endless need.

But instead of sending them away, Jesus told us to "lean in" and meet the need -

Meet the needy.

The next miracle was that we somehow found the trust we needed.

The trust we needed to put one foot in front of the other one more time.

Get the people seated to receive, we knew not what.

We prayed with Him over a few loaves and fishes, to what purpose we knew not.

Then He asked us to give from our need, our lack, our fatigue.

After all, by then, those were the only gifts we had left.

The next miracle was that we found just enough strength and just enough courage

To distribute the little that we had to those massed there that day.

I wanted to apologize for such miserable offerings.

But I saw understanding in their eyes.  They knew.

And so we moved among them, as needy as they were.

And gave away all that we had, no longer caring whether it was enough.

 

Only, only desiring that we could see this last miracle through.

Some saw only bread and fish that day.

Some saw a divine gift-giver in full riot. 

I, I saw resurrection within my own poor heart.

 

Shalom!

Trinity Sunday

Our readings for Trinity Sunday:

1. Proverbs 8: 22-31
2. Psalms 8: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
3. Romans 5: 1-5
4. John 16: 12-15

• Playing before God
• We speak of attaining a good work/life balance.  Maybe we're going at this wrong.
• Is play mutually exclusive to work?
• Why can't work be holy, and fun at the same time?
• Have you ever experienced that?
• Did it pay the bills too?
• Does it have to? 

• The mind of God
• How do you learn what's on God's mind?
• Does nature help you in that regard?
• Does that revelation give you anything that you can put into words?
• Is it still valuable? 

• Forged in affliction
• The so-called prosperity gospel would have us believe that God shows his generosity to His elect in this life.  At the other end of the spectrum is the perspective that this life was meant to be short, brutish, and mean, and we should only expect happiness and fulfillment in the next life.  I think that God wants to offer us yet a third way.
• Do you think that God brings hard times into our lives on purpose?
• Or, do you think that God works to transform those hardships into opportunities?
•  If you feel that way, what sort of opportunities are we talking about here?
• Does that have to be in the context of affliction? 

• Triple colloquy 
• A painting The Two Trinities offers a different perspective on the place of Jesus as a member of the Holy Family a Jesus as a member of the Triune God at the same time.  This might offer a different take on how we can approach God in prayer.
• When you pray, do you ever pray to the Holy Spirit?
• How is that experience different from when you pray to God?
• Do you ever ask Jesus to intercede for you, get you an "in" with the Big Guy?
• Why or why not?
• How about Mary?
• Or Joseph for that matter? 

• Preparation for Reconciliation
• Where might God be calling you to play more, or differently?
• How is God revealing Himself to me today?
• How might the Trinity help me improve my prayer life?
• What is your image of God like these days?  

Shalom!

Pentecost Sunday

Our readings for Pentecost Sunday of Easter:

1. Acts 2: 1-11
2. Psalms 104: 1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
3. 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13
4. John 20: 19-23

• Getting the word out
• Its understandable to look back at those early days of the Church and feel some long-term nostalgia.  Those first disciples didn't have Jesus in bodily form anymore.  Threats of persecution from the Jews and the Romans were present.  Doctrinal differences from within were emerging.  Yet, in spite of those challenges, the early Church managed to not only survive but thrive.
• Do you think that our Church today is doing any better or worse at addressing the challenges before us?
• What do you think was the secret of those earliest Christians?
• Can we apply any of their approach to the challenges that we face today?
• Where can we start here, now? 

• The mind of God
• Unlike us, God is able to multi-task quite well.  We are individually and corporately in His thoughts every minute of every day.  We are each part of the ongoing miracle of the abundant life that He has in store for all of His creatures.
• If you could have a face to face with God, would you?
• Would you come with an agenda, things that you wanted to be sure came up in the conversation?
• How much would such an encounter be different from normal time that you spend in prayer?
• Why is that? 

• Finding your charism(s)
• A charism is a gift of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon a community (such as the teaching charism that the Sr.s of St. Louis share with their students) or an individual.  God gives charisms to build up His Kingdom.
• What do you think your charism(s) are?
• Do you think that your closest friends would agree?
• Do you think that you are making the best use of those gifts?
• How would you know? 
  

• Go, you are sent
• There are a number of things that Jesus didn't say in this passage.  He didn't say that there was no danger to His disciples.  He didn't say that everything was always going to go their way.  What He did do was to give them a mission, and that transformed them.
• Where have you seen the Presence of the Holy Spirit at work?
• What had to happen before the Holy Spirit could work in that situation?
• How can we as a community be more open to the Holy Spirit in our community?
• How do you think that you, as an individual could be more open to the Holy Spirit in your life? 
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
• What of your life in Christ would you most want to share?
• What is getting in the way of a better prayer life for you?
• Are you making full use of God's gifts to you?
• What in your life is robbing you of peace? 

 Peace Give I to Thee

Lo

I am with you always

Even unto the end of time.

 

Dangers,

Uncertainty,

And more will come your way.

 

But know that none of that -

In any way -

Changes your call, nor my promise.

 

 Lord, give me your peace and no other.

Help me to look to you above all else.

And in you, find the true meaning of all else.

 

That I might see the life that You have given -

In its proper light.

Your gift, to serve Your Kingdom.

 

I give up my claim to security, certainty, clarity.

None of them were mine to begin with.

Help me to know your great "I am" in all things.

 

And in giving up all to you, I find you in all. 

 

Shalom!