“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The young man in this Sunday’s gospel narrative asks Jesus the most important and most fundamental question. Moreover, the young man is open. He sincerely seeks an answer from the Lord. “What must I do?"
Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Oct. 14, 2012 (28B)
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: Does God Want You to be Rich?
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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
Wisdom 7:7-11
1. Consider power, money, health, beauty and wisdom. Where does wisdom fall in your hierarchy of values? If you rank wisdom first, does it stay there? Which of the other values overpower wisdom most often in your life?
2. A law student decides to work for social justice instead of a wealthy law firm. How do “all good things come together” for him? How are “countless riches” given to him?
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 90: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17
1. The Psalm speaks about using our time wisely. Tell of how you set your priorities so that you are serving God and doing His will.
2. Our psalmist talks of how we may gain 'wisdom of heart.' Give an example of how you are receiving wisdom to discern a correct view of life so that you will not offend the Lord.
Second Reading
Hebrews 4:12-13
1. The Word “discerns reflections and thoughts of the heart.” How do you feel about the Word knowing you better than you know yourself? Do you trust God with such personal things? And would you like to know yourself better?
2. Do motives and attitude color your decision-making? Are your motives and attitudes in good order, or could they use a re-alignment?
Gospel
Mark 10:17-30 or 10:17-27
1. Think of people, ones that you know, who give all the time. What are they like? Do they receive the hundredfold Jesus promised to those who give? What happens to you when you give?
2. Are possessions themselves the difficulty, or is clinging to possessions the problem? Can they be a stumbling block to a poor person as well as to a wealthy person? Discuss whether you think possessions could be a stumbling block to the Church itself.
Sunday Bible Study Group
Please share your thoughts online on the Sunday Readings. And please do use these questions for your own Bible study sessions with family and friends
Reflections
ReplyDeletePsalm 90: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17
“Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.”
The Psalm reminds us that man’s
days are numbered, and that
we should use our time wisely,
making our days and our life
count for something. And how
do we do that? We do it by being
open to the wisdom of God.
Just as Solomon preferred the
gift of wisdom over material wealth
(Wisdom, 1st reading), so too
do we see the advantage of using
our time wisely by doing the Lord's will.
Although we may never receive
the wisdom of Solomon that
our 1st reading talks about,
we can hope for some ability
to be detached from worldly things,
which can separate us from God.
How do we do this? Where does
the ability come from, to cut through
all our present day concerns?
It comes from the Word –
“The Word of God is ... sharper
than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul
and spirit, joints and marrow ….”
(Hebrews, 2nd reading).
Scripture teaches us that the Word
will give us a correct view of life,
and this will allow us to have
a right relationship with the Lord.
Having got that right, we may
receive the favor of the Lord
and be counted among his sheep.
As the Psalm says, “May the favor
of the Lord our God be ours.”
How much better will our lives be
if we may sing for joy, as the psalmist
says, and be filled at daybreak
with the love of the Lord.
And having received God’s favor,
we will want to be His servants
and do His work. We will become
laborers in the field where the
harvest is plentiful. And as the
Psalm says, “The work of our hands
will prosper.”
Amen