Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 29, 2012 (17B)
From the Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University
Sunday Readings
Podcast of the Readings
Video of Reflections on Readings
Lecturas y Comentarios
New American Bible
Prayer of the Hours
BQ: Eucharist? Communion? Which is it?
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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
2 Kings 4:42-44
1. Twenty loaves won’t be enough to feed the crowd. Elisha knows this. He has to trust God over his own logic. Is this leap-of-faith kind of trust ever required in your life? Discuss whether this kind of trust becomes easier with practice.
2. Both Elisha and the man from Baal-shalishah had to trust that a miracle would happen. Do you consider anything besides “something that breaks the laws of nature” a miracle? What are some everyday miracles in your life?
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145: 10-11, 15-16, 17-18
1. The Psalm Response this Sunday is, "The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs." Tell of the ways you are being fed by the Lord, spiritually, and physically.
2. Our psalmist says, "The Lord is near to all who call upon him ...." Explain how you have reached out to the Lord and how He is present to you.
Second Reading
Ephesians 4:1-6
1. Paul reminds the brothers and sisters to “strive to preserve unity.” Was this a directive only for the Ephesians? What do you do to preserve unity?
2. Which would be better, to preserve the peace by not talking to anyone with whom we disagree, or preserve the unity by staying at the table and talking it out?
Gospel
John 6:1-15
1. Perhaps Jesus’ sharing encouraged all the others to share their food…the first potluck. What negative qualities in human nature does sharing go against? Using this interpretation of the feeding of 5000, what are the implications regarding the inequality of resources and starvation all over the world?
2. What do you think God is more likely to do, miraculously drop food where there is starvation or inspire people to help their neighbors solve their problems? If the latter, how can you help (through the Holy Spirit) in third world countries, your city, diocese, parish, office, or neighborhood?
Sunday Bible Study Group
Please share your comments on the Sunday Readings. May we be blessed by God's words as reflected in your thoughts and experience-sharing.
“The eyes of all look hopefully to you;
ReplyDeleteyou give them their food in due season.”
Just as Elisha fed one hundred men
from a few barley loaves,
so Jesus feeds a multitude of us
even today. We too are among
the hopeful ones who look to the Lord
for our food in due season.
“The hand of the Lord feeds us.”
His presence is shown in the help,
nourishment, and salvation
that He shows to us.
We are dependent
on our Lord to feed us.
Just as Jesus fed five thousand men
from a few loaves and two fish,
so Jesus provides us
with spiritual nourishment even today.
“The Lord satisfies the desire
of every living thing,”
as our psalmist says.
He opens wide his hand for us.
All we have to do is call upon him.
Our psalmist says it right –
“You Lord are near to all
who call upon you.”
We are His faithful ones,
and we praise God and give Him thanks
because of His divine attributes
of compassion and love.
And we sing this psalm
in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who shares fully in the perfection of God,
and in the works of the Father.
Amen