Sunday 2nd July 2023(’02) : 13thSUNinORDINARY : A
1. 2K4:8-11, 14-16 (What about vv12-13?)
* Read 4:1-44! Some wonder-stories involving the prophet Elisha!
* What are The5PrincipalConcerns expressed in these stories?
* In what ways is this an exploration of childlessness, its causes, &its remedies?
* How did TheShunamitess ‘know’ that Elisha was a ‘holy man of god’?
* In 20words, what is the origin of Elisha’s ‘power’? (Read 2K2!)
* What is happening in my local church about hunger death poverty &other dangers?
* Who would be reckoned a ‘holy man or woman of God’?
2. THE PSALM : 88:2-3, 16-19 (So meagre!)
* Read 88(89):1-52! Prayer of&for the king, for Yahweh’s covenant-support!
* This style of enthusiastic affirmation, how does it affect the day-to-day?
* In which 7Ways does Yahweh offer a response to a psalm like this?
* In 15words, how would I express ‘Yahweh’sTruth’?
* What is the relation between ‘HisTruth’ & ‘HisLove’? &Which is more significant?
3. ROM6:3-4, 8-11
* In what 5Ways have I been ‘plunged-into-Christ’? Have these involved ‘death’?
* Is there a hint here that ‘Baptism’ in Paul’s time consisted in a ‘drowning’?
* How did TheChurch become satisfied with a ‘sprinkling-of-water’ for this ritual?
* How is ‘rising-from-the-tomb’ symbolised in our modern baptismal ceremony?
* if Christ died once-for-to-sin, why does this not seem to happen for us?
* Should there be a second baptismal ritual, at Easter, for every adult Christian?
* Has the ‘washing’ symbolism of Baptism ousted the ‘dying&being-raised’ aspect?
4. MT10:37-42
* Can I tentatively name 20Factors I prefer, at least occasionally,
or at least unconsciously, to Jesus (the puny Jesus of actual discipleship)?
* What criteria have I got, to know am I ‘worthy of Jesus’?
* In what ways is my local church ‘worthy of Jesus’? Or not?
* How adequate is our current presentation&inculcation of Jesus?
Vis-à-vis the narrative-model portrayed in each gospel?
Vis-à-vis the dogmatic elaboration of the early Councils?
Vis-à-vis His embodiment by such as Francis Teresa Romero?
5. The presence&action of the BlessedOne, is it like this?
As usual, the family called into the café for ice-cream & coffee after the Sunday Mass! There were Bridie&Patsy, &the three kids, Rebecca, Celia, &Siobhán, aged between 5&9years! ‘Well’, said Bridie, when everyone was fixed up, ‘What did we hear this morning?’ ‘Very little!’, retorted Siobhán, the eldest, as she spooned coffee onto her ice-cream, ‘they all rattled on too quick for me! the only word I heard was “cold water”!’ ‘Yes’, said Rebecca, ‘I heard “a cup of cold water”, yuk! Cappuccino for me any day!!’ ‘But back in OurLord’s day…’, said Patsy! ‘Well, they should change it, so that kids now won’t yuk when they hear these things!’ ‘And you, Celia?’ said Bridie! ‘I just sat there thinking, “Gosh, I’d love to be eating scoops an’ scoops of honeycomb ice-cream!’ ‘So was I!!’ said her two sisters, as one voice! Patsy winked at his wife & laffed, ‘Well, a mhilis! I guess Jesus looks at the five of us, &says, “There’s TheHendersons! One family at least who always have a new angle on things…!”…’
6. RIDDLE Who best represents Jesus?
One who fully experienced & lives her adult initiation?
One who officially rules TheChristianChurch?
One who models the struggle-for-truth of the narrative Jesus?
Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie