Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Third Sunday of Lent, Mar. 11, 2012 (L3B)
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: What commandments require restitution?
--------------------------------------------
Questions on Sunday's Readings for use by discussion groups,
prayer groups, or for individual prayer.
--------------------------------------------
First Reading
Exodus 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17
1. Why do you think the Ten Commandments have survived all the way from
the time of Moses? Is there more in each one than we ordinarily see? For
instance, respect life could be extrapolated from “Thou shalt not
kill." Try some others.
2. If there were ten commandments, why would Jesus say that there were
only two? Which one do you say is most important? Do you follow it? What
about the others?
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 19: 8, 9, 10, 11
1. Our psalmist says that the ordinances of the Lord are 'sweeter than
honey.' How can it be that, instead of being harsh, the commandments
of the Lord are sweet to the taste? Explain.
2. Our psalmist
says that the commandments of the Lord are a source of joy -- they
'rejoice the heart.' Tell about how obeying the commandments can be a
source of joy in your life. .
Second Reading
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
1. After Jesus drives out the money changers in the Gospel, the people
ask this question: “What sign can you show us for doing this?” What did
Paul proclaim as the sign and the wisdom for those who are called?
2. To what do the “foolishness” and “weakness” of God refer? St. Paul
says the Jews had a problem accepting Christ crucified. What about you;
how do you accept him? And what about the crosses in your own life? Can
they be “stumbling blocks” for you too?
Gospel
Gospel: John 2:13-25
1. Jesus drove the salespeople out of the temple. Why did he do this?
And, if you are a “Temple of the Holy Spirit, what are the implications
for you? What needs to be driven out?
2. John says that “Jesus did not need anyone to testify about human
nature. He himself understood it well.” What does this tell you about
Jesus? Is it helpful to know this, or fearsome?
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.
--
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This Psalm celebrates the law of the Lord,
ReplyDeletefirst given to the Israelites that day on Mt. Sinai in the desert.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul;
his statutes are true, all of them just.”
But more than a set of rules that we cannot hope to follow,
God’s commandments give us wisdom; they ‘rejoice our hearts;
they are more ‘desirable than gold, sweeter also than honey.’
The Word is the same way;
even though we may be convicted by the Word,
our Savior Lord Jesus came to fulfill the law
and make us right with the Lord.
And just as the disciples came to believe in the scriptures
when Jesus was raised, we too know Him as the ‘Word made flesh,’
the one who perfected the ‘wisdom of God.’
Our Psalmist David shows us that obeying the law does not prevent us
from being happy. Instead, obeying the Law “brings much reward.”
We may think of statutes as something intended to control us or restrict us,
but as our psalmist explains, the law of the Lord
is in fact a source of joy, something to be desired,
because the law gives us wisdom and provides us with something
we can trust.
This Psalm tells us about the joy that is stirred up in our hearts
when we follow the Lord’s commands.
“The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.”
The Word and the statutes endure forever.
They are refreshing to the soul; they enlighten the eye.
It is through the Word that we know his commandments
and through this Psalm that we know His law is
a source of refreshment, a source of joy.
His statutes do not bind us, they set us free.
Amen