| Saturday, August 22nd, 2015, 7:00 AM |
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Maranatha, Maranatha,
Come, Oh Lord.
And set us free!
"
In Deo Speramus
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(In God We Hope) |
| Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time |
Christ Preaching
1652, Rembrandt
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Simon Peter answered him,
"Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life." |
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First Reading
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,
summoning their elders, their leaders,
their judges, and their officers.
When they stood in ranks before God,
Joshua addressed all the people:
"If it does not please you to serve the LORD,
decide today whom you will serve,
the gods your fathers served beyond the River
or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling.
As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
But the people answered,
"Far be it from us to forsake the LORD
for the service of other gods.
For it was the LORD, our God,
who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,
out of a state of slavery.
He performed those great miracles before our very eyes
and protected us along our entire journey
and among the peoples through whom we passed.
Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1. Both the First Reading and the Gospel are concerned with choice. The Israelites gave reasons for choosing to serve the Lord. "For it was the Lord, our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, ... performed miracles ... and protected us." What is your reason for choosing God in your life?
2. Which do you prefer, a choice you made or a choice someone else made for you? Does your answer have implications for your family, church, job and community? In your opinion, why did God give you free will?
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Second Reading
Brothers and sisters:
Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is head of his wife
just as Christ is head of the church,
he himself the savior of the body.
As the church is subordinate to Christ,
so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it,
even as Christ does the church,
because we are members of his body.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1. Compare and contrast the bride who has a difficult childbirth and the Church with the birth of new ideas. An example of the latter would be some of the family problems addressed in the meetings of the Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
2. Paul compares husband and wife with Christ and the Church. What is his point?
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Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
Alleluia, alleluia.
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Gospel
Many of Jesus'disciples who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said,
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
The Gospel of the Lord
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Discussion Questions:
1.
Jesus asks, "Do you also want to leave?" If you were there at the time would you be one of the many disciples who returned to his/her former way of life or one that stayed with Jesus? Is there any middle ground here?
2.
According to Pope Francis how do we become inserted into Christ's immense work of salvation? When and how does Christ sharpen our spiritual vision with his love?
"Lord, to whom shall we go?" We too, who belong to the Church today, pose this question. Even if it is more hesitant on our lips than on Peter's, our answer, like that of the Apostle, can only be the person of Jesus. Yes, he lived 2000 years ago. But we can encounter him in our own time when we listen to his Word and are near to him in a special way in the Eucharist. ... May the Holy Mass never become a superficial routine for us! May we draw more and more from its profundity! It is precisely the Mass that inserts us in Christ's immense work of salvation, to sharpen our spiritual vision by his love: by his "prophecy in act" with which, at the Last Supper, he initiated the gift of self on the cross; by his irrevocable victory over sin and death, which we boldly and festively proclaim. "We need to learn how to live the Holy Mass."
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Oremus pro invicem
(Let us pray for one another)
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They
kept on
murmuring. Bread?
Down from heaven?
We know his mother and father.
They live down the street! Jesus replied,
It's not about knowing,
but believing, Believe
that I love you,
that I give my life for yours,
that I want you to be a part of me
forever. Jesus, we believe.
Oh, be our food
and drink.
Amen
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| For what are we born if not to aid one another? Ernest Hemingway "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then we'll have peace." By: Jimi Hendrix "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." Abraham Lincoln If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us.
1 John 4:12
Deus fit homo ut homo fieret Deus God became human so that humans might become God (Catholicism, Page 2 by Fr. Robert Barron) "The Glory of God is a human being fully alive." Meyers, Robin R. (2009-02-19). Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus (Kindle Location 639). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
God "dwells in us."
God's love is not meant for us alone;
we must give it away.
Do small things today and for many tomorrows,
with a generous heart.
Give God Away Today!
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Help us then, Lord,
to be so united with the paschal mystery of Jesus,
that through Him the world can become a better place to dwell.
You promise us much for this life
and for our eternal presence with You;
may we live into that promise
each day.
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An interesting thought:
The birth of St. John is celebrated on June 24th, in the moment of the summer solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to reduce. On the other hand, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated on December 25th, during the winter solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to grow, to get longer.
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