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Posts Tagged ‘bread of life discourse’
Download 21st Sunday Yr B
Reflection Questions:
- Joshua leads God’s people from their long journey in the desert (Exodus) into the ‘promised land’. Shechem (meaning ‘shoulder) is a very important geographical location and an ancient place of worship linked to Abraham. It is the entry point between two mountains. Today is truly a ‘crisis – a ‘decision’ time: will they worship the local gods or Yahweh their LORD? We all place our lives down in service of something. What ‘worship’ temptations do you struggle with? What. Where. How. Who…. do you worship?
- Have you experienced in your life journey being led ‘out of a state of slavery’? Being protected mysteriously along the entire journey of your life among many peoples…? What are some significant ‘God moments’ of your life journey. How might reflecting backward help you live forward?
- A warning. Today’s ‘Household code’ has been very misunderstood. So misunderstood one option today has the first 4 verses deleted to make a shortened reading. Greek philosophers wrote about the behaviour of a ‘home’. Jewish and Christian writers also used this idea but changed its meaning significantly. Notice a biblical rule of thumb, the bigger the problem, the more text. Men get 4x more!
- A basic starting principle is being ‘subordinate’ or ‘give way’ to one another because of our relationship with Jesus. A ‘give way’ sign stops crashes. This ‘code’ of behavior’ is seeking unity. If the wife is to be in imitation of the bride the ‘Church’ and the husband is to be in imitation of Christ, can you see how the typical cultural view of the time is being turned upside down? What challenges you personally in this new ‘family code’ of behavior?
- Paul places the relationship of marriage into the beautiful mystery of the marriage relationship between ‘Christ and the Church’. In the celebration of the Eucharist the bodily language of love is expressed with the gift of Jesus’ body and blood being received by the Church bringing a one-flesh Holy Communion. How could you make this reception special, more intimate, meaningful? Consider creating your own personal prayer to pray in silence after communion.
- Today is a crisis – decision time for disciples. Is Jesus a man with strange teaching or the “Holy One of God” teaching Truth? Accepting Jesus will give his Body and Blood is ‘hard’ for them. They are shocked. Their minds and expectations cannot grasp this large and challenging truth The mystery of God leading the heart and mind into belief is involved. Who and what has helped you in your journey of discovery of the Eucharist? Has your journey of faith reached a decision making step of belief in the real, true, substantial presence of Jesus in the Eucharist? Do you believe?
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?
Download 20th Sunday Yr B
Reflection Questions
- The Book of Proverbs shares many short wisdom sayings. Wisdom and Foolishness are two pathways we can walk. Two ‘women’, are presented as preparing a home and a banquet. A prostitute (foolishness) chapters 5-7. A Lady (wisdom) chapters 8-9. Stolen bread and water are contrasted with fine food. Which voice and house will you enter? Where do you go for ‘wisdom’ and ‘guidance’? What recent wisdom have you learnt from walking down wrong paths?
- Paul continues to explain the life-style of a baptised person in his letter to the Ephesians: ‘watch carefully how you live’. When was the last opportunity you took to have some time of reflection and review of your life….. asking for a clear vision and trying to understand ‘what is the will of the Lord’. Consider planning a few hours in the week to reflect on how you could live the life-style of Christ more deeply.
- We are at week 4 of 5 weeks sitting with the Gospel of John chapter 6. Jesus has challenged the Jewish understanding of Passover ‘bread from Heaven’ and insists he is the one sent from Heaven. He is ‘living bread’ and he goes even further to claim he will give his ‘flesh’ for the life of the world. Ponder what the symbol and experience of ‘bread’ means for you. How is Jesus’ life like ‘bread’ for you?
- The gospel of John invites us to make a significant transition from ‘bread’ [the Jewish Passover meal] to ‘flesh-and-blood’ – the whole person [Jesus’ replacement of the passover with the offering of his life on the cross]. The special Jewish celebration of God’s love and forgiveness is now replaced with the Cross – the sign of God’s love and forgiveness for the whole world. Unleavened Bread and Passover Lamb has now become a sacrificial meal transformed. Wine and Bread is now transformed to Blood and Flesh because Jesus has said it, promised it, given it. Enlightened or confused?
- The deep language and expression of love helps our heart seeking understanding. Love desires to ‘give’ and gift one’s ‘presence’ to the beloved. To resolve the human difficulty of not knowing how to come to God, we find God comes to us through the gift of the true presence of Jesus in the body and blood at Mass. We are seated at a God-given (wisdom) banquet. For John, it is not enough to ‘believe’ in Jesus, we are also called to ‘receive’ the physical gift and life-presence of Jesus into our physical bodies. Do you receive in ‘ignorance’ or with ‘knowledge’?
- True life, ‘eternal life’ is given and received. The life and spirit of Jesus is now present within the receiver of the Eucharist (good -gift). It is because of this truth we call the experience ‘Holy – Communion (many becoming one with the one who is Holy – God). After receiving communion how could you develop a greater appreciation of this physical intimacy with Jesus? Consider making up a personal prayer to pray at this time of silence after communion.
- St Thomas Aquinas offers two simple sentences for reflection. Where do these sentences lead you in reflection…..
- “What food is our bodies, the eucharist if for our souls”.
- “The proper effect of the Eucharist is to transform us into God”
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?
Download Reflection – 19th Sunday Yr B
Reflection Questions
- The continuing theme of being ‘fed by God’ is developed in the readings this week. Elijah sits exhausted under a tree in the desert. He is being hunted down by Princess Jezebel who was married to the King of Israel. She tried to replace all prophets and temples of Yahweh by importing 450 prophets and followers of B’aal from her homeland in Sidon. Elijah has just killed them all and is now on the run! (see 1Kings 18, 19-46). Have you ever got into difficulty as a result of obedience to God? Have you ever said to God: ‘this is enough’? Is there any painful purifying of the Church that you find particularly difficult to participate in and endure?
- God encourages Elijah not to focus upon his own pain and fear. God wants to offer food and strength for the “40 day” journey ahead. Do you tend to focus on your own pain and mumble and groan? How could you develop a habit of being open to help and ‘being fed’? God wishes us to move from simply ‘surviving’ to ‘thriving’. If you were to ask God or someone for help, what would be your question in one sentence? How could you grow your hunger so you experience being ‘fed’ with scripture and the eucharist?
- St Paul teaches that we were ‘sealed’ at our Baptism. A ‘seal’ was a special jewel or stone or metal cylinder marked with a ‘sign’ and pressed upon clay or wax or object. The ‘mark – seal’ indicated the owners signature, ownership, authority on a legal document or object. The link between the person and / or object was now displayed to the world. As ‘sealed’ people we are to witness to whom we belong. Paul inserts attributes displaying God; kindness, compassion, forgiveness. Are you conscious of being ‘sealed’? Is there any anger or bitterness the spirit would like you to let go of so as not to ‘grieve the spirit’ dwelling in you?
- Jewish people often referred to their ‘laws’ as ‘bread from heaven’. Their laws and teachings from Moses gave them life and revealed God to them. They grumble and ‘murmur’ at Jesus’ claim: I am the bread that comes down from Heaven. Hidden within this phrase Jesus is claiming the Divine Name ‘I AM’ and to replace the ‘law’. He teaches further that he is true life-giving ‘bread’ but that ‘bread’ will now be replaced with ‘flesh’. John presents clearly the levels of meaning: Bread. Jesus. Flesh. Can you see in this text of John 6 the threads of our belief that in the Eucharist / Mass it is truly the ‘flesh’ of Jesus we receive? Do you recognise the invitation following reception of Jesus to now become ‘life-for-the-world’?
- The only way God can be truly revealed is someone must come from God and live among us. This is indeed the great religious hope of the Jewish people. However they become satisfied with the laws of God and were not ready to accept the ‘person’ of God. Jesus claims he is this person truly ‘from’ God, has ‘seen’ God. This is the claim of Christianity that sets us apart from other world religions. Because Jesus is divine – God – among – us what he promises to give us – his flesh and blood – he can and will do. As we approach the end of 5 weeks of teaching on the Eucharist consider prayerfully reading John 6. How would you explain the Eucharist now in your own words?
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?