Our readings for the Feast of the Epiphany:
- Isaiah 60: 1-6
- Psalms 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
- Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6
- Matthew 2: 1-12
- Finding God in family
- Various members of our families become estranged for one reason or another. A bitter argument long ago caused wounds that don't seem to heal with time, one leaves the faith and they no longer feel welcome at family gatherings, tragedy strikes a member of the family and they are overwhelmed with isolation, or any number of causes.
- Do you think that God wants to heal such wounds (and doubtless many others) within our families?
- What do you think God needs to do to start a healing trend in your family?
- What do you think that you need to do to foster that trend?
- Do you think that such healing is even possible?
- Do you think that such healing is worth the effort?
- Is it worth trying, even if the attempt fails to bring healing?
- Walking by your shining radiance
- "Go in peace, glorifying God by your life" is one form of the Mass dismissal. It forms the link between our worship and our works in the larger community, calling us to bring that larger community into our worship by means of prayer and service, and convey the blessings and graces that we are given in our worship to those around us. Sounds easy.
- Who are some folks who are close to you who glorify God by their life?
- What inspires you about them?
- How have they inspired you to do the same?
- Do you think that you could inspire others as well?
- Does someone have to be Christian to be effective at the ministry that you're thinking about?
- Revelation for anyone with an ear to listen
- Revelation seems like something that has come and gone. And even when God was revealing Himself, He pretty much kept that to a very special few. God didn't just go around revealing willy nilly. Or did He?
- Have you ever had something come to you in prayer? Maybe it was a deep understanding of something about you that had puzzled you for years. Maybe the revelation was insight into why it is that your sibling drives you so crazy sometimes. Or maybe the revelation was a deepened sense of something that you've known forever, just not in this way.
- How has that revelation changed you, changed your perspective, changed your view of the world?
- How are you making yourself ready for God's next revelation to you?
- Discernment
- Ignatian spirituality teaches us now to make decisions in our lives, how to set aside or leave behind that which does not draw us closer to God, to our ultimate destiny, in favor of what will make us truly happy. A good introduction to that spirituality can be found here.
- Who is someone that you know who is generous towards God?
- How did that person get to be that way?
- What have you learned from them regarding your own generosity?
- How has that generosity on your part changed you?
- How do you think that your generosity has changed others?
- Preparation for Reconciliation
- Where is God offering me Himself in my family?
- How might I offer myself, my life more deeply to God?
- Am I humble enough to accept God's revelation in my life?
- How can I better serve with, in, through my community?
Shalom!
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