Weekly Reflections
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 27, 2025
How and when to pray
Gospel: Luke 11: 1–13
How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy spirit to those who ask him?
How and when to pray
Luke 11: 1–13
He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”
Further Teachings on Prayer.
And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
The Answer to Prayer.
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Preparation / Centering
If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.
Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025
Presence of God:
Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you.
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Freedom:
Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love.
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Consciousness:
Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life.
[2-3 minutes of silence]
Opening Prayer
Lord, teach me to pray as you did, with utter trust in the father’s love and care. Help me to treat you, Lord, not as a dispenser of favors and punishments, but as a confidant and friend. Give me patience when the answers to my prayers are not what I expected. Help me to be open to messages I may not want to hear, but especially open to messages of concern and comfort. Please listen to my pleas on behalf of those who are suffering in any way. In short, Jesus, help me strengthen my relationship with you.
Companions for the Journey
From “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:
Today’s gospel has several segments, but they come under a general rubric: a teaching on prayer. What’s striking about the passage is something we might just take for granted—Jesus prayed. Jesus and his disciples are journeying to Jerusalem and he has told them that suffering awaits him and those who would follow him. Prayer is a major theme in Luke’s gospel and today we are reminded how important prayer was for Jesus. He was on familiar terms with God and the intimate way he spoke of God aroused the ire of his opponents. His disciples have heard how he has spoken about God, have seen him pray on numerous occasions and now ask him to teach them to pray. They must also have sensed how important prayer was in Jesus’ life.
They aren’t asking for a catalogue of prayers, an “approved list” of Jesus’ favorite prayers, or a list of required prayers that disciples should pray if they are to qualify being called Jesus’ disciples. They sense that the relationship Jesus has with God is unique and they want to learn about it and share in it. Jesus doesn’t disappoint them because the prayer he prescribes, “the Lord’s Prayer,” while exceptionally succinct, reveals the familial relationship he has with God. He wants to reveal and share this relationship with his followers.
First, he teaches them a prayer. It begins with Abba/Father. He is telling his disciples that for them, God is not a distant potentate, not a God on a smoking mountain somewhere. Rather, God is close, like a tender and loving parent. Jesus could have stopped right there, for he is not telling us some secret code name for God that, if we use it, will get us special favors. Rather, he is inviting his disciples to believe in the God he intimately knows, a God who is a close and loving parent, one who is bound to us and cares for us the way parents tend to and love a little child. What he revealed would have been enough for his disciples to learn and act upon. He has resealed the relationship we can have with God. He has opened a way for us to approach God in prayer with a sense of trust that, because of Christ, we too share in an intimate relationship with God. Jesus’ life was not without pain, disappointment and death; but he was sustained through it all by his faith in his Abba. That is what he is offering his disciples when he reveals his God to us. What follows is, as they say, “just a footnote,” to what he has just said.
The prayer Jesus teaches has brief statements that reflect what he has said about God: “When you pray, say Abba/Father, hallowed be your name.” So, believing what we do about God, we want God’s name to be hallowed. God is loving creator of us all and is holy. We want the rule of this loving God to be over all creation and all human affairs. May all life be guided by and obedient to God’s ways. Having praised and acknowledged the goodness and holiness of God, the prayer turns to naming our personal needs. What Jesus has told us about God enables us to pray with confidence that each day we will be given the bread we need—our “daily bread.” God is the One who can and will provide with what we truly need to live the life Jesus calls us to live.
Since we are still in the process of becoming disciples, we continue to fall short and so we pray for forgiveness for our sins. Because we have been forgiven we forgive those indebted to us. And, because we have not forgiven others we continue to ask for forgiveness. Followers of Christ who call upon God as he taught us to, are assured of forgiveness and there is no excuse for us not to do the same for those who have offended us. It is what God wants; it is what we pray to be able to do.
Along the way we notice that Jesus is teaching us to pray in the first person plural: “give us...forgive us...do not subject us....” The very prayer Jesus teaches us also reaffirms our unity with one another in Christ. Baptism has united us into a praying community and praying “the Lord’s Prayer” continues to strengthen the bonds that unite us. We pray as a community and at the Eucharist each member of the community is fed the same bread—the community’s daily bread.
The prayer ends with an acknowledgment. We know our fragility; we know how easily we give into daily temptation. How will we be sustained in both daily testing and “the final test”—at the end of time? The prayer Jesus teaches us in response to his disciples’ request, flows from what he says at the beginning, “When you pray, say Abba/Father.” It is as if he is saying, “Since your God is your loving parent, here is what you should pray about.” Notice how brief and general the prayer is? Even in the face of daily testing and “the final test,” we place our trust in the God Jesus has revealed to us. He encourages us to believe in our loving Parent. This God will not let us be swept away because of either small or ultimate testings.
The subsequent parable on prayer only reinforces what Jesus has already said—in case we didn’t get it! In the parable of the midnight visitor the peasant family has already retired for the night. The whole family would be asleep in one room and so they would have been disturbed by the inopportune knock on the door and the request for bread. The petitioner is shamelessly persistent and his needs are eventually met. Jesus is suggesting that since a neighbor would respond to a request for bread, even when asked at the wrong time and when the response would have been an inconvenience—how much more would “Abba” respond to the person who prays constantly? God will far exceed even what our “friend” and “neighbor” might do for us.
So we shouldn’t be ashamed to “ask,” “seek,” and “knock,” since we know the goodness of the One we asking, seeking and imploring. But Jesus isn’t teaching us how to pray for whatever we want. He continues his teaching, again reminding us of the One to whom we are praying. No loving parent would give a snake or a scorpion to a hungry child seeking a fish. Jesus’ example of a snake and scorpion is vivid, and we easily get the point. Our Parent knows what we need and will not give us anything that will harm us. Sometimes children reach out for what can hurt them, but a loving parent uses caution and wisdom to feed them what will truly nourish them. Jesus’ brief parables have driven home his teaching. Our God is not harsh or demanding, but is a loving Parent who gives us only what is good for us and is ready to respond when we ask: “How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?”
We are “seekers,” searching for God’s kingdom, yearning for it to come and hoping to recognize it when it comes into our daily lives. For that we need the Holy Spirit, for on our own we can readily miss what is of God. Luke’s gospel is a story about the Spirit: the Spirit brought Jesus into the world and filled him at his baptism. Jesus’ ministry demonstrated what a Spirit-filled and Spirit-directed life looks like. Jesus promises this same Spirit to his disciples and The Acts of the Apostles shows that when the Spirit descends on the community, they too begin to live the Spirit-filled life Jesus lived: the poor were cared for; the dead were raised; the blind and lame were healed; the crippled walked and three times, when the disciples were imprisoned, God opened their prison doors and set them free. The Spirit worked through the disciples to help them live Jesus’ life in the world. When the early church met opposition, it was the Spirit that sustained them and gave Paul and the other disciples the words to respond to their accusers.
Jesus ends his teaching on prayer by inviting us to ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is this Spirit who will enable us to pray in the confident and trusting manner Jesus has taught us. Judging from the subsequent account in Acts, of the community’s life after Pentecost, it is also the Spirit who will be an assuring presence, encouraging us to seek and find the divine in our lives and helping us to make the world a place of love and justice for all people. It is the Spirit who moves us to pray and acts to bring about this kind of world when we pray, “Your kingdom come.”
Weekly Memorization
Taken from the gospel for today’s session…
How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy spirit to those who ask him?
Living the Good News
What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?
Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:
Reflection Questions
- Do I think of prayer as a real conversation with God?
How do I address God when I pray? - Have I ever found it hard to pray?
Do I find prayer difficult or intimidating? - Do I think there is a “right” way and a ”wrong” way to pray?
- What do I expect when I pray?
- Have I ever had an experience of a meaningful connection with Jesus, His Abba, The Spirit, Mary, or another saint in any prayer experience?
- Credo is translated I believe, and I trust. Both are elements of faith. In my prayer do I really trust God?
- How often do I pray from a communal stance (we us our) as opposed to a singular stance?
Do I pray for myself and my loved ones communally?
Do I pray for myself and my Church communally?
Do I pray for my country any myself communally? - “Give us today our daily bread” may actually mean that we should ask for the bare minimum of what we need, and not hoard to ourselves excess food and wordly goods. Do I agree or disagree?
- What do I hunger for?
What do I think the world hungers for?
What do we as Church hunger for?
What do my relationships hunger for? - What do I have to let go of to make room for what I really hunger for?
- In this parable about the neighbor, we see that he finally gives in, not out of compassion but just to make the supplicant go away.
Do I see God in that way, as someone we can wear down by persistence?
Do I read further and see that Jesus is saying the God is quite different, more loving and more careful? - Have I ever asked God for something and later discovered that if I had gotten what I wanted it would have been very bad for me?
Have I seen the wisdom and providence of God in my life?
Meditations
A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:
"Entering into contemplative prayer is like entering into the Eucharistic liturgy: we "gather up" the heart, recollect our whole being under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, abide in the dwelling place of the Lord which we are, awaken our faith in order to enter into the presence of him who awaits us. We let our masks fall and turn our hearts back to the Lord who loves us." "Contemplative prayer is the prayer of the child of God, of the forgiven sinner who agrees to welcome the love by which he is loved and who wants to respond to it by loving even more." "Contemplative prayer is the simplest expression of the mystery of prayer. In it the Father strengthens our inner being with power through his Spirit "that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith" and we may be "grounded in love." "Contemplative prayer is hearing the Word of God. Far from being passive, such attentiveness is the obedience of faith, the unconditional acceptance of a servant, and the loving commitment of a child. It participates in the "Yes" of the Son becoming servant and the Fiat of God's lowly handmaid."(#2709-#2719 Catechism of the Catholic Church)
Centering Prayer is one method of prayer, which prepares us to receive the gift of God's presence, traditionally called contemplative prayer. (http://www.centeringprayer.com/) The Guidelines for Centering Prayer Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God's presence and action within. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.
(Submitted by Anne and Bill Werdel, from the parish bulletin of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh, NC)
A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:
Adapted from “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:
At this time, our national response to the poor who cry out for daily bread in not good. Benefits have been cut back, the number of homeless is on the rise. "Give us this day our daily bread." We hear the poor crying out to God for help that we as a nation and as a Christian community should do something about. While the economy is again thriving for part of our society, the bishops of North Carolina note that, “we are still haunted by how the least among us are faring. There is too much poverty and too little economic opportunity for all our citizens. Our faith tradition as Catholics calls us to put the needs of the poor and the vulnerable before all else. In our job-oriented economy, this tradition is expressed in the security of gainful employment.”
Jesus said in the gospels: “Feed them yourselves”. What is my church community doing to deal with the issues of hunger and homelessness? Am I part of this project? Should I be? What about hunger for learning? How does my local community serve those with special needs or who have issues at home that make it impossible for them to concentrate, or study, or stay in school?
Poetic Reflection:
An honest prayer from Father Ed Ingebretzen, S.J.:
Our Father, who art in heaven and who are possible deaf: You hear our prayers; you see how impossibly weak they are— these words strung together, woven, stitched , knotted into shapes of futility. If our words were threads We’d dream of gold gowns But wake up wearing burlap. Lord, give us this day our daily hope Do you see? these hands once dreamed; our words once clothed kings.
Poetic Reflection:
Stubborn Prayer
(17th Sunday, Ordinary time)Sometimes we hate To pray either because our Mood will not allow us or because We are angry with God and have Also witnessed too many people Claiming too much or too little For prayer and those that Sell it or demean it seem Almost terminally angry And judgmental **** There may also be A wee bit of guilt about not Praying when we promised we Would and maybe even a kind of Spiritual fraud when we recite Words we do not even mean and Even sometimes we pretend by Giving marvelous speeches to The Father while trying to Hide our true selves From Him as if He Did not know Everything Anyway **** But Luke takes Away any excuses we might Try to invoke when he has Jesus Remind us that prayer must be Honest and communal and asking Without guile that His will be Done but maybe just maybe The most vital aspect is That we keep at it for All requests of the Divine must always Be made by a Stubborn Pray-er
—Father Michael Kennedy, S.J.
Further reading:
There is great and readable book by James Martin, S.J., called Learning to Pray. It is readable and very encouraging as well as informative. Highly recommended!
Closing Prayer
Teach me to go to this country beyond words and beyond names.
Teach me to pray on this side of the frontier, here where these woods are.
I need to be led by you.
I need my heart to be moved by you.
I need my soul to be made clean by your prayer. I need my will to be made strong by you.
I need the world to be saved and changed by you.
I need you for all those who suffer, who are in prison, in danger, in sorrow.
I need you for all the crazy people.
I need your healing hand to work always in my life.
I need you to make me, as you made your Son, a healer, a comforter, a savior.
I need you to name the dead.
I need you to help the dying cross their particular rivers.
I need you for myself whether I live or die.
It is necessary.
Amen.
—Thomas Merton (from A Book of Hours, Ave Maria Press, p. 67)
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 20, 2025
The first step in following Jesus is to listen to His word
Gospel: Luke 10: 38–42
Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.
The first step in following Jesus is to listen to His word
Luke 10: 38–42
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
"Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me."
The Lord said to her in reply,
"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her."
Music Meditations
Preparation / Centering
If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.
Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025
Presence of God:
Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you.
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Freedom:
Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love.
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Consciousness:
Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life.
[2-3 minutes of silence]
Opening Prayer
Adapted from Sacred Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits:
Lord, I so often identify with Martha, because she is doing what needs to be done, and accomplishing good things. Help me, Lord, to see that sometimes it is better to be than to do. Keep me from settling for what satisfies me and makes me feel justified, and give me the grace to want only what You want.
Companions for the Journey
From “First Impressions” 2007,a service of the Southern Dominican Province,written by Father Jude Siciliano, O.P.:
Jesus and his disciples continue their journey to Jerusalem. Along the way with them we meet various groups of people: the crowds, who are drawn by their own desperate needs or are curious about the spectacle; the “teachers of the law,” who are growing more and more hostile; Jesus’ disciples, enthusiastic but confused because of Jesus’ talk of his coming passion. Just prior to today’s Martha and Mary story a lawyer “tested” Jesus about who constituted “neighbor,” and last week we heard Jesus’ response in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Have Jesus’ followers and antagonists really been listening to what he has been saying? Have we? Today we have a story of someone who shows respect for Jesus and sets an example for us by listening to his word.
The Martha and Mary account is only found in Luke and so we would expect to find in it and the surrounding accounts, typical Lucan touches. For example, typical of Luke, it features women ministering and listening to Jesus. Also, the story is situated between action and prayer: the preceding story of the Good Samaritan encapsulates the ideal of Christian love and service; while the following account after the Martha and Mary one, has some of Jesus’ teaching about prayer. Are we listening to the cumulated message of these narratives? Does it take prayer to help us discern and follow-through on our call to serve others in need? Will prayer help us recognize the needy so that we not “walk on by on the other side,” as the religious leaders did to the man who had been set upon by bandits? The stories of the Good Samaritan, Mary and Martha and the teaching on prayer are intimately related--- they are of a piece.
What a relief it must have been for Jesus to be “welcomed” by Martha. This is Martha’s only appearance in Luke. Martha’s sister Mary is also in the story and she sits at Jesus’ feet to hear him speak---literally, to “listen to his word.” To sit at someone’s feet was to acknowledge his or her authority. Thus, Mary treats Jesus as one sent with an authoritative word, a prophet. Martha is often described as “the heavy” in this story---the one who is fretting and bossy. But initially, at least, she is the hospitable one who welcomes Jesus and tries to do much to follow-up on her hospitality. Since Jesus is journeying to Jerusalem with his disciples, I wonder if they weren’t close by. If so, Martha had much to do and could be overwhelmed with work and feel abandoned by her sister.
Jesus tells Martha that she is “anxious and worried” about many things. Luke Timothy Johnson (SACRA PAGINA, page 174) says that in the original these terms suggest: being “anxious” about the entanglements of life in the world and “making an uproar.” Johnson goes on to say that Jesus’ response, “there is a need for only one thing,” had been variously interpreted. Some say Jesus is suggesting she could have served fewer dishes, just “one” of a “few.” But Johnson thinks Jesus is responding to the virtue of hospitality, that is, the importance of paying attention to the guest. That’s what’s important. Everything else is secondary. So, Mary made the right choice. Mary’s way of being hospitable was not only to welcome the Prophet in their home but to also listen to his words. She has done what people should do---listen to the one who speaks God’s word---”the one thing necessary.”
Which makes us ask ourselves: how do we offer hospitality to the prophets? How open are we to hearing from the “guests” among us, our God speaking to us? A guest comes from the outside world. They bring us a presence and a perspective we don’t ordinarily get because we are immersed in our daily routine, companions and usual thought patterns. When someone speaks from a different world view, or another perspective on daily life, our first response is to put up barriers; we feel our borders threatened. It is an act of faith and trust in the Spirit within us to pay attention to what we hear and see and to reflect on it. We can sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to his words just by being more attentive to those around us; especially those who are from the “outside,” who initially act and speak in ways foreign to us. Before we bolt the door of our minds and hearts, we might practice hospitality and openness. Who knows what we might hear? Who knows what riches we might experience? Who knows, we might even be welcoming the Prophet---the one sent by God with a word for us disciples.
Weekly Memorization
Taken from the gospel for today’s session…
Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.
Living the Good News
What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?
Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:
Reflection Questions
Meditations
A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:
A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:
Literary Reflection:
What does the Poet E. E. Cummings have to say about how we humans spend our time in this life, mostly to make “progress” of some sort?
pity this busy monster, manunkind, not. Progress is a comfortable disease: your victim (death and life safely beyond) plays with the bigness of his littleness --- electrons deify one razorblade into a mountainrange; lenses extend unwish through curving wherewhen till unwish returns on its unself. A world of made is not a world of born --- pity poor flesh and trees, poor stars and stones, but never this fine specimen of hypermagical ultraomnipotence. We doctors know a hopeless case if --- listen: there's a hell of a good universe next door; let's go
Poetic Reflection:
Father Michael Kennedy S.J., who has been a pastor at Mission Dolores Parish in Los Angeles, muses on what Martha actually did contribute to this story:
Martha Stalwart
(16th Sunday Ordinary time) The two sisters Martha and Mary are Examples used by Luke to Remind us that that the attitude Of Jesus toward women was truly Remarkable in the first century And even not common today Among our modern cavemen But there is more than one Point the author wants to Make so that the listener Or the reader will See a new side of The Master **** There is the lesson That this first century Woman was able to be at The feet of Jesus just Like any male disciple and This would be a great shock To all who heard the story But it clearly describes the View of Jesus toward women And which Luke more than any Other Gospel writer clearly Shows in the rest of his Work for it is at the Core of who Jesus Really is **** And the other point That is underlined by Jesus is That He listens to Mary’s sister And does not call her out about her Whining but rather points out that She and all disciples need to listen To the Word of Jesus and so Probably she got the message And gave her attention to Jesus so much that after This day perhaps she Was forever known As Martha Stalwart
Poetic Reflection:
Another amusing, but true, perspective from Father Michael Kennedy on Mary and Martha:
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happenstance
(16th Sunday Ordinary time) Just about everyone Has relatives or friends Who almost never help When real help is needed And use some partly true Allegation to worm their Way out of some task or To get out of doing jobs That are too hard for Their precious Hands or their Fragile egos **** But to see this In the Martha and Mary Story is reading back just From our own perspective as We see Martha as offended By the Master and Mary as The lazy sister who is Praised for her simple Adoration when the Truth of the story is Remarkably and Wonderfully Different **** The Lord would Never put down Martha For doing hospitality nor Over praise Mary for Focusing on him for The message is just That if he is at the Core then it makes Little difference Whether we serve like Martha or stare with Enchanted eyes we Still will be doing his Will and both will be Conscious decisions Not a loose pursuit Of life, liberty and The pursuit of Happenstance
Closing Prayer
Jesus, Did you ever feel the fierce force the push the pull of days and nights that were far too full of people and programs you thought willed by one whose way must be fulfilled? When at the end of a difficult day with barely time to pause and pray before the crowds began to press upon you did you also bless each God-given opportunity? If so, Jesus, remember me.
(Winter, Sister Miriam Therese, Womanword 126-127)
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 13, 2025
How can I be a better neighbor. and who exactly, is my neighbor?
Gospel: Luke 10: 25–37
Go and do likewise
How can I be a better neighbor. and who exactly, is my neighbor?
Luke 10: 1–12, 17–20
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?
How do you read it?"
He said in reply,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live."
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
'Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.'
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Music Meditations
You've Got a Friend—Judy Collins
The Summons
Love Goes On-- Bernadete Farrell
Whatsoever You Do
Preparation / Centering
If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.
Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025
Presence of God:
Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you.
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Freedom:
Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love.
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Consciousness:
Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life.
[2-3 minutes of silence]
Opening Prayer
Open my eyes, Lord, to the needs of those around me, to a world that is broken and in which the ‘unimportant” suffer. Give me courage to go beyond my discomfort and my fears to make someone’s life a little better, even if there is a cost. Give me compassion to see those with whom I disagree or whom I dislike as your children, beloved by you and hurting. Teach me to love my neighbor, in whatever guise I find “neighbor”.
Companions for the Journey
From a homily delivered at Memorial Church 2010:
Jesus' parable is not about the result, it's about human motivation and love. Which brings us to several questions we all face when confronted by the needs of others:
What is going to happen to me if I get involved?
To be honest, we learn early on is that being a "neighbor" might carry some risk. Risk of failure, risk of being misjudged, and worse, risk of being harmed. What's the payoff? Will I feel good for having done this? Will I be thanked, or even rewarded? Often we are prudent to the point of paralysis. The safest course of action is never to venture into the unknown, especially when it is to help someone who might be an unknown quantity. The gang member in the gutter could have been a decoy. The wounded man could have been lying in wait to rob a traveler who stopped to help We build walls between us: in our homes, neighborhoods, nation and in the world. Huge walls, whether physical, emotional, or simply metaphorical seem to be there to protect us, but in reality, they lock US into a world where our growth will be stunted and our generous impulses squelched, and our fear magnified.
Jesus wants to dismantle those walls, stone by stone. That's not an easy thing to do in a suspicious and selfish world.
What will happen to this person if I do not get involved
The reason the Samaritan stopped and helped is because he asked a totally different question: "What is going to happen to HIM if I DON"T get involved?".
What will happen to him if I don't get involved makes us realize that loving my neighbor is not optional. We are called to be neighbor to anyone who needs our help, whether they deserve it or not. (What exactly do we mean by the term "deserving poor?") Whether they were born here or not. Whether they are grateful or not. When another has need, Jesus teaches, then we are neighbors. There are no reserve clauses. The categories of family friend, stranger, enemy blur together when people are in need and I have the ability to respond. We don't even have to like the people who need our help, or agree with what they stand for. But what we can't do is turn our backs, ignore their desperation. Almost all of Jesus' actions of healing were responses to need, not rewards for good behavior. The first letter of John asks: "How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?"
Eli Weisel, the great Jewish writer said: "In the face of suffering, one has no right to turn away, not to see. In the face of injustice, one may not look the other way. When someone suffers, and it is not you, he comes first. His very suffering gives him priority".
What, possibly, can my involvement do to help?
When we talk about sin, we usually focus on bad things we have done, but the fact is that we commit way more sins of omission (inaction) than commission. There is nothing we can do to help, because the problem is so big. Overcoming hopelessness which leads to inertia is a big challenge. I am going to suggest that we can follow Blessed Teresa of Calcutta who said "If you can't feed a hundred hungry people, feed just one". We need to stop finding excuses for inaction, and pick something, anything, however small, and do it with great love: whether it is sending money to doctors without Borders working in Ukraine, campaigning for a candidate who is working for racial justice or for refugees, or the undocumented in this country. Anyone can do something.
And finally: Should I care?
Unfortunately, we have domesticated this parable into a pius platitude: "Love your neighbor," ignoring the real challenge Jesus puts to us: Just who is my neighbor, anyway? If the violence and anger that were on display this week is an indication of where we are as a country, we aren't feeling very "neighborly" right now. And that angry, judgmental feeling flies in the face of the hard message of this parable. Our neighbor is not just some who looks like us, speaks the same language, holds the same political opinions and prays in the same way we do. Our neighbor is often “the other": Our neighbors are refugees, immigrants, homeless people, people who are angry over the way those and others who look like them are treated, people who are in prison and people who put them there. Our neighbors are denizens of Main Street and denizens of Wall Street, citizens of this country and citizens of a country we are fighting with.
The major message of Jesus is hard to take: we cannot decide that certain people merit our concern and certain people are outside the pale. We have seen this week what comes of fear and hatred of "the other"--the "not-our-neighbor".
Who, exactly, is my neighbor?
Would not the Christian life look different if we spontaneously and unquestioningly heard "Save your soul" as "Save your neighbor"?
Christ has no body now but ours, so we are required to save one another in this lifeboat we call planet earth.
Who needs me to BE neighbor?
What will it cost me to make his life change for the better?
What will it cost her if I do nothing?
Weekly Memorization
Taken from the gospel for today's session….
Go and do likewise
Living the Good News
Reflection Questions:
From Sacred Space:
Who is my neighbor? Jesus seems to suggest that it is the person whom I view with suspicion and don't like, or who views me with suspicion and doesn't like me.
Do I have any neighbors in this challenging sense of the word?
What is Jesus trying to say to me?
Who is the modern day equivalent of a Samaritan for me—someone from a different country or culture, someone from a different religion, someone with political views I find repellent, someone from the wrong neighborhood?
Do I mistrust them?
Dislike them?
Do I care what happens to them?
Do I think they care what happens to me?
Is there a “pecking order” of obligations, starting with family and only reaching those not in my “circle” when—“oops!”-- my funds and compassion are depleted?
Has God ever put someone in my path whom I would prefer to avoid?
When has loving someone else been inconvenient, costly, or difficult?
Were my efforts appreciated?
What are my expectations when I go out of my way to help someone else?
What happens when these expectations are not met?
How do I define mercy
To whom do I own mercy?
After praying with this parable, do I see that there are any changes in my schedule or financial priorities that I need to make?
Specifically, where do the poor and the marginalized fit in?
How am I like the injured man?
Am I willing to admit that I need help?
Has Jesus been a source of that help for me?
Has another, maybe even someone I do not know or admire, been a source of that help to me?
What does : moved with pity” say to me?
Have I ever been ‘moved with pity “ for someone and did it affect my behavior towards that person?
Meditations
A Meditation in the Dominican Style: Asking Questions:
Father Patrick LaBelle, O.P. our first Dominican Campus Mininstry Chaplain, loved to preach on this parable. He said that the main lesson from this parable is that a lot of us, when faced with a need that is inconvenient, costly, or even dangerous, ask themselves the WRONG question. Our first question is very likely to be: “What will happen to me if I help this person?”. Father Patrick suggested that the question the Samaritan asked himself was the one we need to make our question: ”What will happen to this person or this situation if I do NOT intervene?” That is a difficult question to be asking ourselves sometimes and one we often fail to ask because the answer is not one we want to consider. Have you ever been in a situation where you were faced with someone else’s crisis and need to respond? What was your first question? Why is it sometimes a difficult thing to ask what might happen to this person if I do not help?
A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:
Set this scene in today’s Gaza. Who is the sick or wounded person needing your help? Imagine the situation more fully. Where is this person? where are you? What else is going on? Is it night or day? What kind of help might this person need? Who would be the equivalent of the priest in this story? The Levite ( someone charged with caring for holy places or perhaps places sacred to one group or another) Why do you think they pass this person by? Noe it is your turn. What if this person is a decoy and the whole situation is a trap? Is this person from a group you have been known to fear? What, exactly do you think is wrong with him? How might you be able to help? What if it is a woman in a culture tht has strict rules about touching someone you are not married to? What can you do? What will you do? What do you think Jesus asks you to do?
A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:
This parable makes us realize that loving our neighbor is not optional. We are called to be neighbor to anyone who needs our help, whether they deserve it or not. Whether they were born here or not. Whether we admire them or not. Whether they are grateful or not. Almost all of Jesus' actions of healing were responses to need, not rewards for good behavior
When another has need, Jesus teaches, then we are neighbors.
Jesus' command is very clear: "Go and do likewise".
This is the bottom line of this gospel.
We can't let ourselves off the hook.
You and I are to go and do likewise.
You and I are to go and do likewise
Go, and do likewise!
Poetic Reflection:
IN THE EVENING WE SHALL BE EXAMINED ON LOVE
-St. John Of the Cross
And it won't be multiple choice,
though some of us would prefer it that way.
Neither will it be essay, which tempts us to run on
when we should be sticking to the point, if not together.
In the evening there shall be implications
our fear will turn to complications. No cheating,
we'll be told and we'll try to figure the cost of being true
to ourselves. In the evening when the sky has turned
that certain blue, blue of exam books, blue of no more
daily evasions, we shall climb the hill as the light empties
and park our tired bodies on a bench above the city
and try to fill in the blanks. And we won't be tested
like defendants on trial, cross-examined
till one of us breaks down, guilty as charged. No,
in the evening, after the day has refused to testify,
we shall be examined on love like students
who don't even recall signing up for the course
and now must take their orals, forced to speak for once
from the heart and not off the top of their heads.
And when the evening is over and it's late,
the student body asleep, even the great teachers
retired for the night, we shall stay up
and run back over the questions, each in our own way:
what's true, what's false, what unknown quantity
will balance the equation, what it would mean years from now
to look back and know
we did not fail.
from Lights & Mysteries, by Thomas Centollela
Closing Prayer
Jesus, you have shown us how to live and how to love. Why do we sometimes find it so hard? Open our hearts, strengthen our resolve and give us your mercy. Accompany us on our journey ….
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 6, 2025
What might a call from Jesus to go out and preach the gospel look like?
Gospel: Luke 10: 1–12, 17–20
The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few
What might a call from Jesus to go out and preach the gospel look like?
Luke 10: 1–12, 17–20
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."
The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,
"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."
Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
Music Meditations
- The Summons
- Here I am, Lord
- Lead Me, Guide Me
- Servant Song
Preparation / Centering
If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.
Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025
Presence of God:
Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you.
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Freedom:
Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love.
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Consciousness:
Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life.
[2-3 minutes of silence]
Opening Prayer
From Sacred Space:
Jesus, you came as one bringing peace, and told us to greet people with a word of peace, not hostility, or judgment. May your blessing flow through me, so that when I leave people, they may feel approved of, contented and tranquil
Companions for the Journey
From Living Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits
In addition to the inner circle of the Twelve, we are told today that he appointed another 72 (12×6) and sent them two by two to the places he himself would be visiting (note that only Luke mentions this group). That is a good description of our Christian role. We are supposed to go first to prepare the ground, but then it is Jesus himself who comes to plant the seed of faith.
Jesus then goes on to give an instruction to his disciples. We, too, should be listening to his words.
First, he points out that the harvest is great and there are very few laborers—few who are willing to do the harvesting work with Jesus.
This is a text which is often thrown at us during “vocation” campaigns. We tend to hear it as a call for more priests, brothers and nuns. It is that, of course, but when Jesus spoke there were no priests, brothers or nuns. The challenge was being thrown out to all his followers to find more people to join in the harvesting work.
We have to be careful as we listen to these words not to exclude ourselves because we are middle-aged, or married, or already have a career. The words are addressed to all of us and call for some kind of response from every one of us. It is never too late to respond to the call.
Second, Jesus warns his followers that it may not be easy. “I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.”
In spite of the message of truth, love, compassion and justice that we bring, it does not mean that we will be received with open arms. On the contrary, we may meet with strong opposition and even persecution. Our message will be seen as threatening. It will be distorted and misunderstood.
Third, the disciples are called on to travel light. Jesus himself “had nowhere to lay his head” and he only had the clothes he wore.
So many of us are weighed down by the things we own. Some of us have to protect our property with the latest in security devices. In our search for prosperity and material security we have lost the more precious gift of freedom. The disciples are not to stop to greet people in the sense of carrying on lengthy conversations. Their mission was urgent—there are few laborers for a potentially huge harvest.
Fourth, they are to be bearers of peace. Peace, shalom, is much more than an absence of violence. It is a deep inner harmony with oneself, with others, with one’s environment, with God:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matt 5:9)
We could hardly bring a more precious gift to others than this inner peace. It is, in fact, the heart of our Christian message. Faith, hope and love are the keys to peace.
Fifth, the evangelizer is to stay in the first house that accepts him. He should not be going around looking for better accommodation. At the same time, he is to be provided with shelter and hospitality:
…for the laborer deserves to be paid.
This, it seems, was the way Jesus himself lived. And this was the overall ideal of the Christian community: a network of mutually supporting people sharing their resources with each other and with those in greater need than themselves.
Sixth, their work is primarily to heal the sick in the places they go to. ‘Healing’ should be taken in a wider sense of including body, feelings, mind and spirit. And ‘healing’ should also be seen not just as getting rid of a sickness, but of making a person whole again. Bringing healing and wholeness into the lives of individuals and communities is of the essence of the Kingdom and at the heart of Jesus’ work and that of his followers. The sign of that wholeness is inner peace. Today it is no different.
And they are to say:
…the kingdom of God has come near.
This is not just a statement they are to throw out. It is the core of Jesus’ message and an explanation of why people are experiencing healing and wholeness coming into their lives. This is the effect of the coming of the Kingdom; this is what the coming of the Kingdom means. God’s power is penetrating their lives, transforming them and making them whole again.
Luke mentions the kingdom of God more than 30 times; Matthew more than 50 times. Matthew’s is truly a Gospel of the Kingdom.
The term can have a number of meanings:
- the eternal Kingship (basileia) of God;
- the presence of the Kingdom in the person of Jesus; he is the embodiment, the incarnation of the rule of God in himself, an incarnation he wishes to be found in his disciples and the communities they establish;
- the future Kingdom in the life that is to come.
In short, the Kingdom—the rule of God—is intended to be both a present reality as well as a future hope.
And finally, seventh, if there is any place where they are not received, the disciples are to leave it to its own fate. Even then those people are to know that the Kingdom of God is near to them also. There is always the hope that the results of their very rejection of the Kingdom will lead to a deeper awareness later on. By rejecting the messengers of God, they have opened themselves to a fate worse than that of Sodom, a city utterly destroyed because of its shameful lack of hospitality to divine visitors. But those hearing the message of Jesus are even more accountable for hearing the message of the Kingdom proclaimed to them and turning their back on it.
Clearly, we cannot literally apply all of these points to our own work on behalf of the Gospel, but we need to make the underlying principles and values ours too. It will require some reflection on our part, both as individuals and as communities, on how we should effectively share the Gospel with those around us and be the harvesters that are so badly needed. Indeed, let us pray for vocations, but let us remember that every single one of us is being called to work in the harvest field and not just some chosen souls who are totally unknown to us.
Weekly Memorization
Taken from the gospel for today’s session…
The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few
Living the Good News
What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?
Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:
Reflection Questions
- Do I think of only ordained or consecrated individuals as the legitimate preachers of the gospel?
What, exactly IS my role in spreading the Good News of Jesus and the Kingdom?
Do I understand that I have a role and a mission?
Am I uncomfortable with that idea?
Why? - What might be the rewards of accepting this commission?
What might be the costs of accepting this commission? - What are some particular venues in which I might actually be a missionary of Jesus?
What are some particular strengths or talents I possess that can be used to help others, heal others? -
What if I encounter resistance or downright hostility?
What did Jesus tell the 72 to do? - As I travel through life, am I burdened with the weight of all the “stuff” I am carrying?
What material goods can I divest myself of?
What resentments can I let go of?
What guilt can I entrust to God? - What, to me, is the difference between “curing” and “healing”?
- Am I ready to go wherever God sends me, even if I do not know the outcome?
- What “baggage” would I have to leave behind to be a disciple of Jesus?
- What intimidates me about the task of spreading the good news of the gospel?
- Are there any lines in the gospel which give me courage for the task of being disciple?
- Are there any people in my life right now who are actively living out their call?
Meditations
A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/ Imagination:
A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:
Poetic Reflection:
Read the following poem from former Stegner Fellow Thomas Centollela, calling us to an active ministry of love. Resolve to pick one thing you can start to do this week that reaches out to others and brings the love and message of Jesus to them. Take the risk:
“At Big Rec”
A few hours spent in the dry rooms of the dying.
Then the walk home, and the sudden rain
comes hard, and you want it coming hard,
you want it hitting you in the forehead
like anointment, blessing all the days
that otherwise would be dismissed
as business as usual. Now you’re ready
to lean on the rail above the empty diamonds
where, in summer, the ballplayers wait patiently
for one true moment more alive than all the rest.
Now you’re ready for the ancient religion of dogs,
that unleashed romp through the wildness, responding
To no one’s liturgy but the field’s and the rain’s.
You’ve come this far, but you need to live further in.
You need to slip into the blind man for a while,
tap along with his cane past the market stalls
and take in, as if they were abandoned,
the little blue crabs which within an hour will be eaten.
You have to become large enough to accommodate
all the small lives that otherwise would be forgotten.
You have to raise yourself to the power of ten.
Love more, require less, love without regard
For form. You have to live further in.
Closing Prayer
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore, will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
—Thomas Merton
Saints Peter and Paul, June 29, 2025
Peter and Paul grew into their roles as disciples; so must we
Gospel: Matthew 16: 13–19
Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah.
Peter and Paul grew into their roles as disciples; so must we
Matthew 16: 13–19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Music Meditations
- Will You Come and Follow Me-William Bell
- All That I Am—Emmaus Music
- Here I am, Lord-St. Louis Jesuits
- More Love to Thee—Fernando Ortega
Preparation / Centering
If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.
Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025
Presence of God:
Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you.
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Freedom:
Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. Help me to learn from the saints Peter and Paul, who freed themselves fully to follow you
[1-2 minutes of silence]
Consciousness:
Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life.
[2-3 minutes of silence]
Opening Prayer
(from the Mass for Sunday, June 29)
Peter raised up the church from the faithful flock of Israel. Paul brought your call to the nations, and became the teacher of the world. Each in his chosen way gathered into unity the one family of Christ. Both shared a martyr’s death and are praised throughout the world.
Grant, we pray, O Lord our God, that we may be sustained by the intercession of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, that, as through them you gave your Church the foundations of her heavenly office, so through them you may help her to eternal salvation, and through her, we may attain eternal salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
Companions for the Journey
Commentary from “Living Space”, a Service of the Irish Jesuits:
Weekly Memorization
Taken from the gospel for today’s session…
Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah.
Living the Good News
What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?
Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:
Reflection Questions
Meditations
A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:
A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:
Poetic Reflection:
Poetic Reflection:
Poetic Reflection:
Closing Prayer
Litany Teach me to go to this country beyond words and beyond names. Teach me to pray on this side of the frontier, here where these woods are. I need to be led by you. I need my heart to be moved by you. I need my soul to be made clean by your prayer. I need my will to be made strong by you. I need the world to be saved and changed by you. I need you for all those who suffer, who are in prison, in danger, in sorrow. I need you for all the crazy people. I need your healing hand to work always in my life. I need you to make me, as you made your Son, a healer, a comforter, a savior. I need you to name the dead. I need you to help the dying cross their particular rivers. I need you for myself whether I live or die. It is necessary. Amen.
From Thomas Merton, A Book of Hours (p. 67). Ave Maria Press – A.