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Posts Tagged ‘Jerusalem’
Download 13th Sunday Reflection Document
Reflection Questions
- Elijah is one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. But even he gets tired. God tells him to find his successor to continue the prophetʼs work. In your ministry and service of God are you ʻfinding a successorʼ to share the load and replace you? Have a conversation with God about this.
- Elijah is very wealthy. Most families would own only 1 Oxen. He kills the 12 Oxen and uses the farming tools to create a fire. He destroys everything so as to not be attracted back to his old life. He makes a decision that Godʼs work has primacy of place and is the first calling upon his life. Imagine living these actions within your own life and circumstances. What attracts you? In what areas of your life are you not ʻfreeʼ?
- St Paul continues to teach the Galatian community about the true nature of freedom. Freedom is really being ʻfree for othersʼ. To not be attached or enslaved to material possessions and self indulging desires (flesh) requires discipline and effort. In what area of your life could you make a daily prayer this week for God to help you? Is there an action you could do to enter this particular journey of ʻfreedomʼ this week?
- From Luke 9,51 we meet a tougher Jesus. Some texts have Jesus ʻset his face like flintʼ toward Jerusalem. He is determined and makes large demands of his disciples. Going to Jerusalem represents Jesusʼ obedience to God to do ʻhis willʼ. Is there anything you have heard God ask you to do? What will it involve for you to ʻset your faceʼ resolutely toward doing it?
- Three unknown people have questions about discipleship in the Gospel. We are invited to hear their questions echo in our own hearts, enter the conversation, respond to Jesusʼ challenge. Jesus has nowhere to lay his head. Are you free enough to leave home, security, comfort?
- Care for and burial of oneʼs parents was a top social and cultural priority for Jewish people. Allegiance to parents and duties as a child is replaced by Jesus with ʻproclaiming the kingdom of Godʼ. What pressures or expectations does society or your family place upon you? Do these ʻlimitʼ your freedom to respond to God by living the values and lifestyle of Jesus? How? What will you now do?
- Jesus takes disciples on a special journey toward Jerusalem from this point in the Gospel. There is no turning back. The joy and success of ministry in Galilee changes to resistance by religious people and civil authorities. Jesus urgently teaches his disciples about mission and the Kingdom of God. Imagine a fire is burning and many peopleʼs lives are in danger. Would you let go of your ʻworkʼ to ʻsaveʼ these people? Such is the call of the Kingdom of God. How will you respond?
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?
Download 2nd Sunday Advent Yr C
Reflection Questions
- The Prophet Baruch shares a beautiful image for Advent. Have you noticed when you take off ‘old clothes’ and put on ‘new clothes’ there is a sense of joy and a new ‘attitude’. In ancient times, when a significant transformation happened a ‘new name’ was also given. Like last week, Jerusalem – which is us in the Church today – is invited to prepare by shaking off the old and putting on ‘the cloak of justice’. And, our new name is to be ‘Peace of Justice’. What old ways of mourning and misery would you like to leave behind this advent season? How could your life reflect Gods hope for you of ‘peace’ and ‘justice’, ‘glory’ and ‘worship’?
- The city of Jerusalem is on a hill. The view from the top of the Temple could see all people’s coming from every direction. Can you glimpse God’s hope wanting us to stand up and invite everyone ‘home’ to Church this Christmas? Through us, mountains and gorges – difficult pathways – will be made ‘level ground so people can return easily. Mercy and justice will be our story and song. Do you know anyone who is experiencing an obstacle to returning to God? The Church? What earthmoving help could you offer personally to them?
- Paul had a special place in his heart for the Community at Philippi. Paul wrote this letter to them while in prison, facing a death sentence. They had provided financial assistance for his missionary journeys and now supported him in prison. He invites them to discern what is of value in their lives. At the end of the year consider evaluating your life positively: what has helped you in purity? What areas of your life are blameless? How have you shown righteousness? How could you develop these experiences and practices more?
- Righteousness is an interesting word. In the Old Testament it was a title that was given by the poor to those who ‘lifted up the poor’. A rich person could not give this title to themselves. Reflecting upon the year, would the ‘poor’ give you the title ‘righteous’? In what ways have you lifted them up? Was it charity or justice?
- Luke, like St Paul, is aware of a claim by courts and rulers that these christian disciples are ‘mad’. Making up strange stories! Luke insists the evidence and life of Jesus is historical. Christianity started in a particular place and time in history. In the 15th year… etc. With a great twist Luke lines up the different rulers of the time. Traditionally when rulers returned victorious from battle, people would line the streets and shout triumphantly: ‘Lord, Saviour!’ Luke is turning attention to the true Saviour – Jesus – whose preparation victory voice is John the Baptist. How would you personally describe Jesus as ‘saviour’?
- Celebrating the advent practice of reconciliation (confession) encourages us to ‘prepare our hearts’. When a great King visited a city, workers were sent to straighten pathways, cut into mountains, level valleys. Consider the effort involved to welcome the King! Reflect on this image and the famous words of John. What needs to be straightened out and filled in? How much effort will you put into Advent?
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?
Download 5th Sunday Easter Yr B
Reflection Questions
- God is a God of surprises but the disciples were afraid of Saul. They could not imagine the greatest source of persecution could ‘turn-around’. The situation required someone courageous like Barnabas. He had the knickname ‘son of encouragement’. He had witnessed Saul in Damascus and stepped up to being a mentor. A link. Introduced Paul to the Apostles. Imagine the loss for the Church if Barnabas hadn’t ‘taken charge of him’? Who is on the ‘outside’ of your group, community, workplace whom you could include?
- Barnabas and Paul show us the cost of the committed christian life. They are ‘radicals’. They go a bit further. Without people like Barnabas and Paul the Church is stagnant. Paul’s first preaching experiences to the Hellenists (Greeks) in Damascus and Jerusalem ended with attempts to ‘kill him’. And yet both Paul and Barnabas did not stop. Have you met resistance in preaching the message of life and peace of Jesus? Do you have a safe place like Paul’s home in Tarsus to retreat to when necessary?
- LOVE is lived. It looks like something. Too easily love can stay in ‘word or speech’ and not make it to ‘deed and truth’. What love action could you commit to this week that you have struggled with for a while? What words or promises have you made but you have failed to back up with action?
- The image of the Gospel this Sunday is of life flowing through the vine into the branches. ‘Remain in me’ repeats itself 6 times! Remain in me is different from remain close to me or read my book. How could you go 1 step further in praying with scripture, celebrating the sacraments, living christian community?
- The intimacy of the ‘vine’ image for John’s gospel is a description of the church and the individual disciple. In baptism we were truly joined to Jesus’ mystical body the Church. In the eucharistic union of our lives with the body and blood of Jesus in ‘holy communion’ we are called to bear the ‘fruit’ of replicating the life of Jesus in the world. Pray with the idea of being ‘fruitful’ and bringing ‘glory’ to the Father. What do you begin to think about?
- Jesus shares that the experience of praying with his Word is like being ‘pruned’. Have you experienced the scriptures ‘cutting’ and bringing you pain? Yet also directing you to what is life-giving?
- What is one action that you will do to be ‘livingtheword’ this week?
Download: 21st Sunday Yr C
Reflection Question 5: Jewish people understood they had a special status of ‘chosen’ by God. They presumed this also meant they had a special entry permit ‘through the door’. ‘We ate and drank with you, you taught us!’ They are absolutely surprised with the possibility that other people, ‘sinners’, could get into heaven before them. ‘But I have listened to the Gospel stories on Sunday and have shared in the Eucharist’ could be a modern Catholic response. It is not enough to ‘be there’ on Sunday, we are called to ‘do something’ on Monday… to be a ‘sign’ of God’s forgiveness, welcome, shaping the world into becoming one family. What would you consider the Church needs to ‘do more of’? How could you be involved?
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