Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mar. 6, 2011 (9A)
From the Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University
Sunday Mass Readings
Podcast of the Readings
Video of Reflections on Readings
Lecturas y Comentarios
Prayer of the Hours
BQ: "Is it Better to Pray or To Study the Faith?"
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Questions on Sunday's Readings for use by discussion groups,
prayer groups, or for individual prayer.
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First Reading
Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 11, Verses 18, 26-28, 32
1. Which of Christ’s words would you like to wear on your forehead, if you could? Which ones would you like to see and think about all day long and commit to your mind and heart?
2. Moses says where he wants his words to rest. Where is that? What does it have to do with binding them on your wrist and hanging them from your forehead?
Responsorial Psalms
Psalm 31: 2-4, 17, 25
1. Our psalmist asks the Lord to 'incline your ear to me.' How do we obtain the Lord's attention and be sure that He lifts us up from the pit that we have fallen into?
2. The Psalm calls out to God to lead us and guide us. What is the best way for us to find out where God is leading us?
Second Reading
Letter of St. Paul to the Romans, Chapter 3, Verses 21-25, 28
1. Where does St. Paul say the righteousness of God has been shown? Does the law help you to reach it? Is it given or do you have to struggle for it?
2. In this reading, Paul releases us from over-dependence on rules and regulations. How much do you rely on “the works of the law” to guide your life? What role do faith and love play?
Gospel
According to Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 21-27
1. What is the solid foundation that you build your life on? What happens when hardship comes along: “rain and floods, and buffeting by the wind”? Could your foundation-stone be the words of Christ?
2. Where does choice fit in? Don’t you have a choice to build either on rock or on sand? Would your decision be based on doing the will of Jesus’ Father in heaven?
Online Sunday Bible Study Group
Please share your reflections on the above Sunday Readings. May we be blessed by God's words as reflected in your thoughts and experience-sharing.
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Verse 4 of the Psalm says,
ReplyDelete“For your name's sake, you will lead and guide me.”
He really does lead us and guide us,
if we only listen to the words of His son
and be not a 'hearer who forgets.'
Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of my Father."
What better guidance is there than that?
Jesus also says in today's Gospel
that if we want to live our lives on
a solid foundation, then we need to listen to
His words and act on them. We need
to be a rock amidst the winds of the world
that threaten to knock us down.
Our psalmist David recognizes that the Lord
is our refuge, our 'rock of safety.' (Verse 3)
And how do we find that stronghold;
how do we build that fortress that is mentioned
in the psalm?
The key thing for us is
to do works which please the Lord, as Jesus
reminds us in today's Gospel.
We work for the Lord
because we want to please Him;
we want to give Him glory.
As the psalm says, He is
our source of courage;
He fills us with hope.
Where else would
we turn?
Amen