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Saturday, June 25th, 2016, 7:00 AM
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"
In Deo Speramus
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(In God We Hope)
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Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Jesus said,
"No one who sets a hand to the plow
and
looks to what was left behind
is fit for the
kingdom of God." |
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Oremus pro invicem
(Let us pray for one another)
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Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests.
Jesus, when you say, "Follow me,"
you ask so much from us.
You ask us for
everything.
Please deepen our trust.
Let us
pack our bags lightly
then go where you call us.
Loosen our untold attachments,
and whatever fastens us
to our safe
spots.
There is
no fear when you are here.
Let us lay our heads
where you lay
yours.
Amen
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First Reading
The LORD said to Elijah:
"You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah,
as prophet to succeed you."
Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,
as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;
he was following the twelfth.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,
"Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,
and I will follow you."
Elijah answered, "Go back!
Have I done anything to you?"
Elisha left him, and taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;
he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,
and gave it to his people to eat.
Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1.
What was Elisha doing when he was called? Can you think of other bible stories where God called people from their jobs? Does God call you to make changes in your everyday life? Do you ask him to let you go back home?
2. Which does God call to be prophets, the highly educated or the socially elite? What are God's prerequisites for prophets? What would your issues be if you were called as a prophet today?
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Second Reading
Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.
But do not use this freedom
as an opportunity for the flesh;
rather, serve one another through love.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,
namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
But if you go on biting and devouring one another,
beware that you are not consumed by one another.
I say, then: live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other,
so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1.
"For you were called for freedom." What is the source of this freedom? Are you working on accepting yours? Is "going out of yourself" a freeing experience? What about the act of loving your neighbor?
2.
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself," St. Paul says. Do you love your neighbor? Do you have actual love for yourself? Do you ever find yourself "biting and devouring" yourself and others? Do you think you are ever guided by the Spirit?
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Alleluia
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1 Sm 3:9; Jn 6:68c
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Speak, Lord, your servant is listening;
you have the words of everlasting life.
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Alleluia, alleluia
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Gospel
When the days for Jesus' being taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
"Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?"
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him,
"I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
And to another he said, "Follow me."
But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
To him Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."
The Gospel of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1.
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." How can you be like Jesus and still live comfortably? Are material things very important to you? Somewhat important? What is it that you think Jesus wants from you in this regard?
2. Was Jesus homeless? What does Pope Francis name below as Jesus' house? In their total giving, the Pope mentions that both God the Father and Jesus step outside themselves. How does "coming out of ourselves" relate to "loving our neighbor" from the Second Reading?
Jesus lived the daily realities of most ordinary people: ... He cried in front of the suffering of Martha and Mary on the death of their brother Lazarus; he called a tax collector to be his disciple and also suffered the betrayal of a friend. In Christ, God has given us the assurance that he is with us, in our midst. "Foxes," Jesus said, "have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest His head"
(Mt 8:20). Jesus did not have a home because his house is the people-that is, us; his mission is to open all God's doors, to be the loving presence of God. ... He gives himself totally.
What does this mean for us? ... following Jesus means learning how to come out of ourselves-to reach out to others, ... to go to the outskirts of existence. ...
Remember well: stepping outside of ourselves, like Jesus, like God has stepped outside of himself in Jesus and Jesus stepped outside of himself for all of us
General Audience 3/ 27/2013
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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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