“Do whatever he tells you.”

There are several unusual features about this story in today's gospel. First of all, it is not customary for Jesus to perform a miracle merely to help friends avoid embarrassment. Secondly, this is the only time in John's gospel that we see the mother of Jesus intervene to ask a favor of her Son. Finally, Jesus addresses his mother as "woman," which is not the way one addresses one's mother, then or now.


Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jan. 20, 2013 (2C)
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: Is Jesus and God the same?

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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
Isaiah 62:1-5

1. Why does Isaiah use intimate marital imagery when explaining the relationship between God and the people? Does love between human beings help you understand how much God loves people?

2. The Lord gives new names to Israel in this First Reading (“a glorious crown in the Lord’s hand,” “A Royal Diadem [crown],” “My Delight,” and “Espoused”). How would you interpret these loving names in light of the New Testament?

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 96: 1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10

1. Our psalmist encourages us to 'Sing to the Lord a new song." What is it about your faith that makes you want to sing praise to the Lord?

2. The Psalm urges us to 'Proclaim His marvelous deeds to all the nations.' How will you go about proclaiming the Gospel to those around you in your family and your community?

Second Reading
Reading II: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

1. Why do you think people are given talents like Van Gogh’s and Bach’s or spiritual gifts like the ones mentioned in the reading? Should everyone have the same talents? Are you using the talents God gave you?

2. Paul mentions the gifts of faith, healing, mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment of spirits, varieties of tongues and interpretations of tongues. Are such gifts needed in your community? Where do they come from?

Gospel
John 2:1-11

1. Surprisingly, when his own mother said, “They have no wine.” Jesus replied, “How does your concern affect me?” Wasn’t this a rude answer? Why did he say it? In spite of his response, Mary trusted that he would somehow solve the problem. If this trust rates a 10, where would you put your trust when you go to God with your concerns?

2. This Sunday, together with the previous two (i.e., Epiphany, the Lord’s Baptism, and now the miracle at Cana), prepare for Jesus’ public ministry (he denies that it has begun yet in today’s reading). Compare and contrast these three events.

Sunday Bible Study Group
Please share your thoughts on these Sunday Readings. And please do use these questions for your own Bible study sessions with family and friends.

"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

When Jesus is baptized, the voice from heaven booms out and names him: "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." This affirmation is the defining moment for the prophet from Nazareth. It is God's declaration of love to God's new Israel; it is God's naming to supreme accountability; it is God's surprise for the world of the proud and powerful.


Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord , Jan. 13, 2013 (BaptismLordC)
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: Why must Catholic parents to baptize their babies?

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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
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 or Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

1. In this reading (Isaiah 42), God says to the suffering servant, "Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased." Then in the Gospel a voice comes from heaven, saying to Jesus, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." What are the implications?

2. Wastelands, deserts, rugged land and rough country (Isaiah 40). Could these words describe the world today? The Church? Your spiritual life? Does this reading suggest that there is help in fixing these or do you have to do it all yourself?

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 29: 1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10

1. The Psalm's verses speak of the power and splendor of the voice of the Lord, thundering over the waters. Have you heard God's powerful voice
speaking to you, anointing you as one of His chosen ones?

2. Our psalmist encourages us to give God the glory due His holy name. Tell of how you give God the glory in your activities and your everyday life.

Second Reading
Reading II: Acts 10:34-38 or
Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7

1. Did we do anything to earn salvation? Why does God give it to us? What does St. Paul in his letter to Titus say about the extravagance of God's gift to us?

2. In the reading from Acts, Peter is quoted as saying about Jesus: "He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil." Compare this with Isaiah in the First Reading: "I formed you…to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness."

Gospel
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

1. John the Baptist was the middleman. He pointed back to Isaiah and forward to Jesus, connecting the whole plan. What or who are the "middlemen or women" who connect you with God? In what way are you a middle person?

2. Jesus stood in line with everyone else to be baptized. What does this tell you about him? Can you think of anything that God asks you to do that Jesus didn't experience in some way?

Sunday Bible Study Group
Please share your thoughts on these Sunday Readings. And please do use these questions for your own Bible study sessions with family and friends.

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?"

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany: The visit of the Magi to Jesus. And what a story. Wise Men following their strange star. And this child they seek, the newborn King of the Jews, is in Bethlehem.


Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6, 2013 (EpiphanyC)
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: Is it ever permitted to lie?

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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
Isaiah 60:1-6

1. Though darkness covered the earth, light and glory had come to Jerusalem, says the First Reading. Are you always aware of God's light and glory in your life?

2. Did Jerusalem have any light of her own? Were nations coming to her or to the light? What do you think draws people to the Church today?

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

1. Our psalmist describes a powerful king who will rule from sea to sea. Yet this king stoops to rescue the afflicted and has pity on the lowly and the poor. In what way do these verses speak to you about the coming of our Savior.

2. The psalm mentions that all the kings of the civilized world shall offer gifts to this newly endowed king. Are you also inspired to bring tribute to our
newborn Savior, and what sort of gift will you offer?

Second Reading
Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6

1. Just what was this mystery that brightened the whole world? Was a star an integral part of the story?

2. A revelation was given to Paul by the Spirit, he says. It told him that Christ's life was too great to be limited to its starting place. Not only the Jews but the Gentiles as well are "coheirs, members of the same body." Have Christians always treated the Jewish peoples in the way Paul describes?

Gospel
Matthew 2:1-12


1. God sent the Magi a message that caused them to ride camels half way across the known world. What would motivate you to put in this kind of effort? What was worth this kind of search for them?

2. What is the main contrast between Jerusalem and Bethlehem? Between Herod and the Magi? What does this tell you about places and people God chooses?

Sunday Bible Study Group

Please share your thoughts on these Sunday Readings. And please do use these questions for your own Bible study sessions with family and friends.
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This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. This feast has tremendous meaning for the Catholic family. Our call to holiness, to be separate for the Lord, forms our families into little Churches.


Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Dec. 30, 2012 (HolyFamilyC)
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: Why was Jesus born in a manger?

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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
1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28
Sirach 3:2-7, 12-14

1. Which Holy Family does this feast celebrate, Jesus, Mary and Joseph? Or the Christmas family of God that we all became? Explain.

2. God units each of us to each other by uniting us to the Trinity. Discuss. Does God’s love for someone help you to love that person?

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 84: 2-3, 5-6, 9-10

1. Our psalmist speaks of a pilgrimage for those who seek to dwell in the house of the Lord. Tell of how your journey is going and how far along you are in seeking the Lord.

2. The psalm tells of a soul that is yearning for the Lord. In what way do you also cry out for the living God?

Second Reading
1 John 3:1-2, 21-24
Colossians 3:12-21

1. What does the term “children of God” imply about God? St. John says we can have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask. What kinds of things do you ask for?

2. In Sunday’s reading from Colossians, St. Paul mentions ways that we can love each other and live together: compassion, kindness, humility, patience, bearing with one another, forgiving each other…Is this easy? How are you doing with it in your life? How are we as Church doing with this assignment?

Gospel
Luke 2:41-52

1. The Gospel tells us that even the holy family had some rough spots. Separation is part of these, but also part of life. Talk about the lesson for you in all the various kinds of families you are a part.

2. Imagine Mary’s and Joseph’s unease when they were looking for Jesus for three whole days. And imagine the long-term anxiety his answer gave them: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” How do you think Mary reacted? Have you ever had problems of this nature? How did you handle them?

Sunday Bible Study Group

Please share your thoughts on these Sunday Readings. And please do use these questions for your own Bible study sessions with family and friends.
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"Blessed are you among women"

This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Advent - the final Sunday before Christmas. With this Fourth Sunday, we change our focus. The past two Sundays have centered on the ascetic, somewhat fierce figure of John the Baptist. Today we focus on a young, gentle woman, who is about to give birth to a child. Her name is Mary.


Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 23, 2012 (4AdvC)
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: Do Catholics "worship" Mary?

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Questions on Sunday's Readings for use by discussion groups,
prayer groups, or for individual prayer.
--------------------------------------------

First Reading
Micah 5:1-4a

1. With “embracing the majestic ruler” at one end of the continuum and “embracing poverty” at the other, where do you think the Church falls? Why? Where would you like to see it fall? Explain.

2. If you were expecting a majestic ruler how would you have felt about the stable and manger? When you experience poverty in your life, do you accept it as a meeting place with God or do you run from it?

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19

1. The Psalm says, 'Lord, make us turn to you ....' Have you noticed at times when we stray off His path how the Lord tugs at each of us so that we return to His ways. Give an example from your own experience.

2. Our psalmist is writing about the scattered people of Israel, but his words may apply to each of us in our separation from God. In what way are you inspired by the Psalm's verses to repent and seek renewal, especially during this season of Advent?

Second Reading
Hebrews 10:5-10

1. Why do you think this reading about the “offering of the body of Christ” was chosen for the fourth Sunday of Advent?

2. St. Paul said “by this ‘will’ we have been consecrated,” once for all. That means we have been made holy (by association with Christ), have been set aside. Why is Christ’s sacrifice infinitely effective?

Gospel
Luke 1:39-45

1. The infant “leaped for joy” in his mother’s womb at the recognition of the savior. Discuss this moment as humankind’s welcome to the savior. How close do you come to “leaping for joy” when you recognize God’s presence in your life?

2. Where does Mary’s greatness lie in salvation history? For her part Elizabeth was given an insight when the babe in her womb leapt. How did Mary know about her own child? When the Holy Spirit gives you insights, do you always believe them and perhaps even act on them?

Sunday Bible Study Group
Please share your thoughts on these Sunday Readings. And please do use these questions for your own Bible study sessions with family and friends.
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"But one mightier than I is coming."

We will celebrate with gratitude the Lord's coming among us in the past on Christmas. Advent, however, is a time to affirm our faith that the Lord's coming is also a present and future reality for which we must prepare. We too ask, "What should we do?"


Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Third Sunday of Advent, Dec. 16, 2012 (3AdvC)
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: What is the Old Testament root of Baptism?

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Questions on Sunday's Readings for use by discussion groups,
prayer groups, or for individual prayer.
--------------------------------------------

First Reading
Zephaniah 3:14-18a

1 ”He will sing joyfully because of you.” This sentence paints a picture. What are some examples in the world about which you might say, “Listen! God is singing!”?

2. “Be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst.” This reading says it twice. Have you ever remembered the presence of God in everyday life? In the middle of a crisis? What effect did it

Responsorial Psalm
Isaiah 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6

1. Our Response this Sunday is, 'Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.' Describe how you prepare to receive Jesus inside your heart during this season of Advent.

2. Isaiah says, 'My strength and my courage is the Lord.' Explain what this verse means to you, especially at this time of the year.

Second Reading
Philippians 4:4-7

1. St. Paul says we must rejoice in the Lord always, be kind to all, lose anxiety, make our requests known to God, and thank God as though he has already granted the requests. This is a long list. Are you better at some than others? Which ones need improvement?

2. Maybe you rejoice when you are singing at Mass on Sunday. Are there other times during the week that you experience the same kind of joy? What makes you happy in the Lord?

Gospel
Luke 3:10-18

1. What kind of people went to hear John and repent? Would you show up to hear someone like John today? What would you want to see and hear? Can people be prophets even though their looks or behavior is a departure from the norm? Do you know any prophets? Discuss.

2. The tax collectors, soldiers and others asked John what they should do to be forgiven and prepare to start a new life. He told them to share their food and clothing with the poor, and to be honest and just with their neighbors. How do you think he would answer if you asked him that question today?

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.

"And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

The theme of all the readings for this Sunday is salvation. Luke’s gospel (Luke 3:1-6) and the first two readings (Baruch 5:1-9 and Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11) speak about it in different ways. Salvation is God’s free gift. He saves us out of His love and from him alone can our salvation come. The Responsorial Psalm describes it very well with this phrase: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”

Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Second Sunday of Advent, Dec. 9, 2012 (2AdvC)
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: Can non-Catholic people go to heaven?

--------------------------------------------
Questions on Sunday's Readings for use by discussion groups,
prayer groups, or for individual prayer.
--------------------------------------------

First Reading
Baruch 5:1-9

1. In the First Reading, Baruch wrote a message of hope for the People of God, suffering in exile. Where are the valleys in the life of the People of God today? Where are mountains? What about your personal life?

2. God gave Jerusalem the name “the Peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship.” Does this name fit us today? What would you like God to rename your parish, your community, you?

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

1. Our psalmist reminds us, 'We are filled with joy,' because the Lord has done great things for us! Tell of how these verses speak to you during this Advent season of the arrival of our incarnate Lord.

2. The Psalm says, 'Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.' Describe how repentance has led to salvation in your spiritual life.

Second Reading
Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11

1. Discernment is listening to the Spirit in a given human situation. A discerning person celebrates Advent (watches for God’s coming) all year round. Discuss.

2. “The one who began a good work in you will complete it” if you remain on the path or The Way, St. Paul says. Who is the instigator of the good work in you? Does this imply that you trust yourself or trust God to complete these works?

Gospel
Luke 3:1-6


1. Why does Luke belabor all the historical references in the beginning of this reading? Would we find those names in history books?

2. What is the significance of the sentence, “All flesh shall see the salvation of God”? What are the implications for the Church if the entire world is included in this plan? What are the implications for you?

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.
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