The point we must consider from this Sunday's Gospel is that Jesus did not send out His apostles individually. He sent them in pairs. This means our religious lives are both individual and communal at the same time.
Sunday Readings' Discussion Questions
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 15, 2012 (15B)
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 don't Catholics evangelize door-to-door?
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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
Amos 7:12-15
1. How do you feel about rejection? Can you think of any prophet who
didn’t experience rejection? They chased Amos out of Bethel. What do you
do when you think something needs to be done that makes everyone
uncomfortable?
2. Amos points out to Amaziah that he was a shepherd and it wasn’t his
idea to be a prophet anyway. Are education, occupation, eloquence,
talent or intelligence prerequisites for a prophet? Then what is
necessary? If you were called to be a prophet, would you be as reluctant
as Amos was?
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 85: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14
1. Our psalmist speaks of, 'Glory dwelling in our land;' and says that
the Lord's salvation is 'near indeed' to those who fear him. These
verses suggest that our Savior is close at hand and accessible to all of
us who fear Him. Describe how our Savior is present to you.
2. The Psalm says, 'The Lord himself will give His benefits.' Tell of the benefits you are receiving from the Lord.
Second Reading
Ephesians 1:3-14 or Ephesians 1:3-10
1. How has God lavished his grace on you this year? This week? Today?
2. Think of ways the Holy Spirit is active in your life, guiding,
fixing, enlightening, giving courage. The Holy Spirit is the “first
installment of our inheritance,” Saint Paul says. When you make the
first payment on your mortgage, do you own a small part of your house?
How might this idea relate to St. Paul’s statement about the Holy Spirit
being the first installment on our inheritance?
Gospel
Mark 6:7-13
1. Evangelizing means bringing the Good News to all humanity and through
its influence to make humanity new, to transform it from within. How
can you transform humanity around you in your daily life?
2. Jesus instructs his disciples to be unencumbered. Why is detachment
(“no food, no sack, no money….”) so important to evangelization? How
cluttered are your heart and mind? If the clutter limits God’s space in
your life, what can you dispose of? Do you think the Twelve were given
what they needed?
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.
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“I will hear what God proclaims …
ReplyDeleteglory dwelling in our land.”
Our psalmist knows the importance of
listening carefully for the voice of the Lord.
We too must listen attentively for the voice
of the Lord and be careful not to miss
His presence among us.
“I will listen for what God, the Lord, has to say.”
How do we seek Him out?
Where do we find the Lord?
We find Him when we read and study
His Word, His living Word,
as fresh now as it was thousands
of years ago. For His Word is
as penetrating as a two edged sword,
able to separate bone from marrow;
convicting us; pointing the way to salvation;
and providing us with
an instruction manual for life.
All we have to do is follow it.
As our psalmist cries out,
“Near indeed is His salvation
to those who fear Him.”
For us Christians the Psalm is more than a cry.
It is a promise of salvation --
the psalmist prepares the way of the Lord.
The psalmist promises that the Lord
himself will give us His benefits.
And what should we expect?
Nothing less than the coming
of the Messiah himself.
That’s what happens when
“Kindness and truth shall meet;”
when “Justice and peace shall kiss;”
when “Truth shall spring from the earth”
(when the Messiah is born).
The goodness and blessings that
the psalmist speaks of
are fulfilled in Christ.
Where else would we turn
to receive real spiritual abundance.?
For our Savior is truly
“Glory dwelling in our land.”
Amen