Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Feb. 5, 2012 (5B)
From the Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University
Sunday Mass Readings
Podcast of the Readings
Video of Reflections on Readings
Lecturas y Comentarios
New American Bible
Prayer of the Hours
BQ: Is it a sin to believe in horoscopes?
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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
Job, Chapter 7, Verses 1-4, 6-7
1.
Do you feel like Job sometimes? Do you understand the purpose of
suffering? Give some reasons why you think God allows suffering. Can you
still have faith in God even if you don't understand why God allows
people to suffer?
2. Could God have redeemed the world by saying a
word, breathing on it, or sending his Son merely to be with us? Why do
you think God chose a suffering Messiah to redeem humankind?
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 147: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
1. Our Psalm response this Sunday is, 'Praise the Lord, who heals the
brokenhearted.' Explain how the verses of the Psalm give you hope that
the Lord will 'bind up your wounds.'
2. Our psalmist says that
the Lord 'calls each of the stars by name.' Does this verse give you
comfort that our Creator also knows your name and seeks you out despite
the infinite size of the universe? What does this verse mean to you?
Second Reading
1Corinthians, Chapter 9, Verses 16-19, 22-23
1. What drove Paul to the point that he would do anything for the sake of the Gospel?
What passion drives you to do the things that you do?
2.
St. Paul said, “I have made myself a slave to all….To the weak I became
weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at
least some.” Explain what Paul meant by these words. How far would you
go to become a “slave.., servant… or become whatever people need” in
order to bring the good news to them? What might you have to sacrifice
to do that?
Gospel
Mark, Chapter 1, Verses 29-39
1.
Do you think this Gospel text was written to tell people about Jesus,
the miracle worker? Could the miracles be a confirmation of Jesus’
message of salvation? What did he say was the “purpose for which he
came”?
2. Jesus as a person used every bit of energy he possessed
to carry out his mission. Find examples in this Gospel for this
reality. How does “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off
to a deserted place, where he prayed” fit in with his tireless effort to
carry out his ministry? How close are you to Jesus in using all your
energy for some purpose? What is that purpose?
Sunday Bible Study Group
Please comment on the Sunday Readings. May we be blessed by God's words as reflected in your thoughts and experience-sharing.
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The Psalm says that the Lord “rebuilds Jerusalem”
ReplyDeleteand “heals the brokenhearted, binds up our wounds.”
There is comfort in these words for all of us.
The Psalm points to the healing power of Jesus,
our Lord and Savior,
which is displayed in this week’s Gospel.
We too can be rebuilt from the inside out
by the promise of salvation.
It is surely by the grace of God
that we are made well.
It is God's grace
that drives the demons out of us;
there is no room in our hearts
for both the holy Spirit and the demons.
We get his grace from the sacrament of reconciliation.
We are empowered by the sacraments
to bear good fruit.
“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power.”
There is even hope for Job in his drudgery
that we read about in our 1st reading.
Like Job we may be poor in spirit,
but it is at our moment of greatest weakness
that the Lord will call us by name –
“He numbers all the stars , calls each of them by name.”
Having put our trust in the Lord, he will sustain us,
“The Lord sustains the lowly.”
Once we realize that the Lord takes pleasure
in the lowly (for we are his sheep),
then as St. Paul says in our 2nd reading,
we can not help but praise God,
preach the Gospel ,and boast in our faith.
The Psalmist says it well –
“How good to celebrate our God in song;
how sweet to give fitting praise.”
Amen