Wednesday

"Stop making my Father's house a marketplace."

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?

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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
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. 
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1 comment:

  1. Barry Lamont3:11 PM

    This Psalm celebrates the law of the Lord,
    first 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

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