Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8; Psalm 15:2-5; James 1:17-18,21-22,27; Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23) Allowing the Word of God to Transform Our Lives “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22) Words, words, words! We live in a very verbal world. Televisions, radios, iPods, tablet computers, newspapers, billboards, books, magazines—they […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Joshua 24:1-2,15-18; Psalm 34:2-3,16-21; Ephesians 5:21-32; John 6:60-69) Letting Go and Receiving from God “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” (John 6:60) What was “this saying” that the people could not accept? It was Jesus’ words that we needed to eat his flesh and drink […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34:2-7; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58) Opening Ourselves to God’s Heavenly Food Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 34:9) We can all relate to eating. We all know what hunger feels like. We all need to eat in order to survive. But […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Exodus 16:2-4,12-15; Psalm 78:3-4,23-25,54; Ephesians 4:17,20-24; John 6:24-35) Spending Time with Jesus, The Bread of Life “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.” (John 6:32) After another long day of traveling in the desert, you and your fellow Israelites are tired, hungry, and discouraged. “Is […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Saying Yes to God’s Call and Promptings “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish.” (John 6:9) Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you bring your gifts to Jesus as this young boy did, nothing much seems to happen? They just […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Being Open to the Promptings of the Holy Spirit His heart was moved.” (Mark 6:34) In today’s Gospel, Jesus was encouraged because the apostles had just returned from a very successful missionary trip. They had healed some people, delivered others from demons, and brought many to conversion. […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Opening Ourselves to Receiving God’s Divine Graces “In him we have redemption … in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.” (Ephesians 1:7-8) Imagine you have just arrived home after a long day and you fumble to unlock the door. When you […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Ezekiel 2:2-5; Psalm 123:1-4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6) Allowing the Holy Spirit to Speak Through Us “They shall know that a prophet has been among them.” (Ezekiel 2:5) We tend to think of a “prophet” as someone who forecasts the future. Of course, some Old Testament […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24; Psalm 30:2,4-6,11-13; 2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15; Mark 5:21-43) Prayer, A Time for a Personal Encounter with the Lord “He looked around to see who had done it.” (Mark 5:32) Sometimes our prayer life can feel a little like a gumball dispenser. We put a […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 139:1-3,13-15; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66,80) Being Filled with the Joy of the Lord The Lord called me from birth. (Isaiah 49:1) What do you think is the most amazing thing about John the Baptist? His zeal for the Lord? His passionate preaching? Maybe his […]
Reflections for Sunday, June 17, 2012 Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Mark 4;26-34; Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92:2-3,13-16 2; Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34) Trusting in the Lord’s Work in Our Lives “The seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.” (Mark 4:27) When you were a child, you may have been given […]
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Exodus 24:3-8: Psalm 116:12-13,15-18; Hebrews 9:11-15; Mark 14:12-16,22-26) Being Transformed by the Eucharist “Take; this is my body.” (Mark 14:22). Have you ever had the experience of recalling a past event, or a person […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40; Romans 8:14-17; Psalm 33:4-6,9,18-20,22; Matthew 28:16-20) Immersing Ourselves in the Truths of the Trinity and Proclaiming it to Others Go, therefore… (Matthew 28:19) Have you ever started to leave a friend’s house, but then turned turn back to say: “Oh, and one more thing… .” […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104:1,24,29-31,34; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23) Pentecost, A Time to Say Yes to the Work of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives Scholars tell us that the first Pentecost took place during the Jewish Feast of Weeks. This was a festival at which the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3,6-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Mark 16:15-20) Saying Yes to Jesus’ Call to Proclaim the Gospel to Others Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel. (Mark 16:15) What a simple, but immense, charge Jesus gave to his disciples! He even told them that […]
Sixth Sunday of Easter Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; Psalm 98:1-4; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17) Growing in Hope and Joy during this Grace-filled Easter Season “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) It […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; Psalm 98:1-4; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17) Growing in Hope and Joy during this Grace-filled Easter Season “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) It was one o’clock in the morning […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-28,30-32; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8) Allowing Ourselves to be Pruned by God, To Bear Fruit for his Kingdom “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.” (John 15:5) How comforting it is to know that we do not walk […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 4:8-12; Psalm 118:1,8-9,21-23,26,29; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18) Knowing and Experiencing the Love of Our Heavenly Father “We are God’s children.” (1 John 3:2) What a radical statement! How awesome it is that we mere mortals are children of the eternal, almighty God! What could be […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 3:13-15,17-19; Psalm 4:2,4,7-9; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48) Opening Our Minds and Hearts to Jesus and the Scriptures “He opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” (Luke 24:45) We all love to have our minds stretched in new directions. There is nothing more exciting than listening […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 118:2-4,13-15,22-24; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31) Opening Ourselves to Receiving God’s Divine Mercy This is the one who came through water and blood. (1 John 5:6) “Throughout the world the Second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 10:34,37-43; Psalm 118:1-2,16-17,22-23; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9) Allowing the Resurrection of Jesus to Strengthen Our Faith They did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. (John 20:9) What a humble statement! Here is John, the beloved apostle, admitting that he […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9,17-20,23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1–15:47) Opening Ourselves to God as We Contemplate Jesus’ Passion Crucify him! (Mark 15:13) St. Francis de Sales once wrote: “I especially commend earnest mental prayer . . . upon the life and Passion of our Lord. If you contemplate […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:3-4,12-15; Hebrews 5:7-9; John 12:20-33) Bearing Much Fruit for the Kingdom of God “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (John 12:24) Have you ever […]
