CYCLE B
Advent—————————————–
First Sunday of Advent Mark 13:33-37
“Be constantly on the watch! Stay awake!”
1. What in my life can I change, or do, to become a healthier, freer person?
2. Who or what in my life requires forgiveness? How might I turn this situation around? Think for a while, pray for guidance, make a concrete resolution, act on it. Enjoy the coming of the Lord.
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Second Sunday of Advent Mark 1:1-8
“Thus it was that John the Baptizer appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance which led to the forgiveness of sins.”
1. Who are the John the Baptists in your life?
2. How have they led you to Jesus?
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Third Sunday of Advent John 1:6-8, 19-28
“I am a voice in the desert, crying out: Make straight the way of the Lord!”
1. John the Baptizer prepared the world for the coming of Jesus. How can you prepare for your meeting with Jesus?
2. In a world full of so many distractions, how will you make time to visit with Jesus?
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Fourth Sunday of Advent Luke 1: 26-38
“The angel answered Mary: ‘…nothing is impossible with God.’ Mary said, ‘…Let it be done to me as you say.’”
1. When was the last time that God surprised you?
2. How were you able to trust God enough to let the Lord’s surprising plan unfold?
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Feast of The Holy Family Luke 2: 22-40
“When Mary and Joseph had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee and their own town of Nazareth. The child grew in size and strength, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.”
1. What in your own family nurtures growth and wisdom?
2. When has there been a time in your life when Jesus’ message brought either turmoil or joy?
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Epiphany Matthew 2:1-12
“After Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod, astrologers from the east arrived one day in Jerusalem inquiring, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage’”
Where in your own life’s circumstance do you find Jesus present to you?
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The Baptism of the Lord Mark 1: 7-11
“You are my beloved Son. On you my favor rests.”
1. How do you feel, knowing that God is pleased with you?
2. Recall a time when you experienced the power of God’s Spirit at work in you. What was the experience like?
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Second Sunday in Ordinary Time John 1:35-42
“When Jesus turned around and noticed them following him, he asked them, ‘What are you looking for?’”
1. If Jesus asked you today, how would you answer his question, “What are you looking for?” — in your life, in your community, in your church, in your God?
2. Andrew went and got his brother. How are you at inviting others to follow?
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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1:14-20
“This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand!”
1. James and John left their comfortable surroundings and possessions to follow Jesus. Describe an experience in your life when you have felt compelled to make a significant change.
2. The Good News is for all of us to hear and share. In what ways can we be messengers on this mission?——————————————-
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1: 21-28
“There appeared in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit that shrieked: ‘What do you want of us, Jesus of Nazareth?’”
1. Relate an experience when God might be working to overcome an evil situation.
2. How do your actions affect the behavior of others?
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The Presentation of the Lord February 2
Luke 2:22-40
“When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.”
1. Who are the devout in your life? What have you learned from them?
2. Who has been prophetic in your life?3. Where have you recognized the hand of God in your life this past week?—————————————————-
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1: 29-39
“Let us move on to the neighboring villages so that I may proclaim the good news there also. That is what I have come to do.”
1. We are called to share our gifts and to proclaim the good news. How have you shared your gifts in the last two weeks?
2. We proclaim the good news by the way we live our life. How does your life bring healing, joy, and comfort to others?
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Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1: 40-45
“…Jesus stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said: ‘Be cured.’”
1. Describe a time when you recognized and accepted another person’s ability to help you.
2. Tell of a time when you were or were not able to keep good news to yourself.
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Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 2:1-12
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
1. Recall a time when you made a special effort to help someone in difficulty. How did you make “a hole in the roof” and bring that person healing?
2. What generally keeps you from forgetting a hurt even after you have forgiven the offender?
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Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 2:18-22
“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?” “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.”
1. God uses marriage to symbolize the new relationship between Jesus and ourselves. What are the qualities and responsibilities that marriage brings to mind for you and how can they be applied to your faith?
2. What in your life is new? Are there some “old wineskins” in your life that you need to change? What is the old that you have let go of?
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Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 2: 23- 3:6
“Then He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’”
1. How do you uphold the observance of the Sabbath with the emphasis today on the seven day shopping and work week?
2. Relate a time when your behavior was like the Pharisees: sticking to the “letter of the law” rather than considering the needs of others.
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LENT
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First Sunday of Lent Mark 1:12-15
“This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the good news!”
1. Describe a time when you were challenged to confront a weakness in your life.
2. Talk about an obstacle in the recent past that could be keeping you from becoming a better person. What might such an obstacle be in the weeks ahead?
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Second Sunday of Lent Mark 9:2-10
“Jesus was transfigured before their eyes and his clothes became dazzlingly white.”
1. Relate an experience when a person turned out to be much more than you expected.
2. Describe an experience of beauty or love that captured your attention
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Third Sunday of Lent John 2: 13-25
“Jesus told those who were selling doves: ‘Get them out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!'” 1. When have you felt so strongly about a person or cause that you acted on his/her/its behalf?
2. Relate a time when something you valued deeply was not respected, especially by members of your family or church. How did you deal with that?
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Fourth Sunday of Lent John 3: 14-21
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but have eternal life.”
1. Relate a recent experience when you felt light and/or love.
2. In the next two weeks, what would help you become more alive?
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Fifth Sunday of Lent John 12: 20-33
“Those who love their life, lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me.”
1. Relate a time when you lost out but later were strengthened by this experience.
2. Whose life and struggles encourage you?
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Passion Sunday Mark 14: 1-15:47
“Clearly this man was the Son of God!”
1. Recall a time when life didn’t make sense at all. What, if anything, kept you trusting?
2. Peter denied Jesus threefold. Recall a time when you found it hard to take a stand for the values of Christ.
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EASTER
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Easter Sunday John 20: 1-9
“Mary Magdalene told Simon Peter and the Beloved Disciple, “The Lord has been taken from the tomb!”
1. When were your first impressions of a person or a situation proved to be wrong?
2. Who are you more like: Mary Magdalene, Peter or the Beloved Disciple? Why?
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Second Sunday of Easter John 20: 19-31
“My Lord and my God!”
1. Relate an experience when you requested proof of something that you should not have doubted.
2. Describe an unexpected experience in your life that made you more aware of God’s presence.
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Third Sunday of Easter Luke 24: 35-48
“Peace to you.”
1. Relate an experience that brought peace to your live in the middle of difficulties.
2. Who do you know who lives and acts as if Christ is truly alive? How does this person affect you?
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Fourth Sunday of Easter John 10: 11-18
“I am the good shepherd.”
1. Have you allowed the people in your life to come to know you, as Jesus knows his sheep? What gets in the way?
2. Reflect on a life situation in which God may have been trying to get a message through to you.
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Fifth Sunday of Easter John 15: 1-8
“I am the vine, you are the branches.”
1. What do you need to prune in your life?
2. Reflect on a life situation in which God may have been trying to get a message through to you.
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Sixth Sunday of Easter John 15: 9-17
“Love on another as I have loved you.”
1. When in the last two weeks did you recognize God’s love in your life?
2. What does it mean in your life to love yourself? What things in you hinder you from loving yourself?
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Seventh Sunday of Easter John 17: 11-19 June 4, 2000
“Your word is truth.”
1. Reflect on a time when you found it easier to have a faith in God without seeking a commitment to the people of the Church.
2. What are some of the values of your faith community that you can show to the world? How can you do it this week?
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Pentecost John 20: 19-23
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”The Gifts of The Holy Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, right judgement, courage, reverence, and wonder and awe.
1. What gifts of the Spirit can you identify in yourself that could help transform the world?
2. What gifts of the Spirit can you identify in our community?
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Trinity Sunday Matthew 28: 16-20
“Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations.”
1. How are you answering Jesus’ call to be a disciple?
2. Christ sends us to all peoples. Where do you find yourself too narrow in your approach to people, too limited by your upbringing?
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ORDINARY TIME
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Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 3:20-35
“These are my mother and brothers. Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.”
1. In what way is your own life divided? How can you make it more whole?
2. Do you take responsibility for your own decisions, or are you influenced by someone else?
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Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 4:26-34
“The reign of God is like a mustard seed”
1. Tell a contemporary parable of the reign of God that speaks to people in today’s world.
2. In your personal life or your small church community, what small thing has become a big or important thing?
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Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 4:35-41 “Why are you so terrified? Why are you lacking in faith?”
1. How does Jesus “calm the storm” in your personal life or small church community?
2. Give an example of how you trusted others. How did it affect you?
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Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 5:21-43
“It is your faith that has cured you.”
1. Relate an experience when someone approached you in faith and asked for help.
2. What are the daily routines that drain you in your faith life?
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Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 6:1-6
“Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.”
1. When have you felt hurt when trying to do something good for another?
2. What keeps you going when you don’t feel support?
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Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 6:7-13
“Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving authority over unclean spirits.”
1. How did you feel when called away on an emergency, having to leave without any of the usual necessities?
2. Relate a time in your live when your attitude shifted from “No way, I can’t do it.” to “I certainly can.” What caused the shift?
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Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 6:30-34
“Come by yourselves to an out-of-the-way place and rest a little.”
1. Where is the “out-of-the-way place” that gives you peace? Why do you feel this way about this place?
2. When have you tried to escape the needs of others only to find that their needs for your attention were greater than your need to be away from it all? How did you feel about the demands placed on you?
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Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:1-5
“Jesus took the loaves of bread, gave thanks, and passed them around to those reclining there; he did the same with the dried fish, as much as they wanted.”
1. Describe a time when you were surprised that your limited resources were sufficient. 2. Relate a time in your life when you were refreshed by someone
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Transfiguration of Our Lord Mark 9: 2-10
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
1. Where have you experienced God in an unusual way? What happened?
2. When it comes to listening to Jesus, how hard of hearing are you right now?
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Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:24-35
“I myself am the bread of life. No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in me shall thirst again.”
1. Where have you seen Jesus this past week in your life? What message did he have for you, and how did you respond?
2. Most families bring their problems to the dinner table. When have you brought your problems to the Lord’s table?
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Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:41-51
“I myself am the living bread come down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.”
1. Where does your life need nourishing?
2. Describe a time when someone fulfilled a hunger or a need in your life
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Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:51-58
“Those who feed on my flesh and drink my blood remain in me and I in them.
“Describe an experience when you have been the “bread of life” for others.
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Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:60-69
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
1. Describe a struggle you had which led to a deeper faith.
2. Describe an experience when you have taken a risk without fully understanding the outcome. What effect did it have on your life?
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Twenty-second Sunday in Ord Time Mark 7:1-8, 14-15,21-23
“There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. Let anyone with ears to hear listen.”
1. Name an experience when “the way we (your church, society, your small church community, your personal life) do things” got in the way of what’s really important.
2. Relate a time when you judged a person unacceptable because of externals.
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Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 7:31-37 “Be opened!”
1. Describe a situation in your life when a gentle touch brought peace.
2. What do you need in order to hear life better?
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Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 8:27-35“Who do you say that I am?”
Describe an experience when you were willing to pay a price to follow the Lord.
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Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 9: 30-37
“Whoever wants to be first, must be last of all and servant of all.”
1. Why is it difficult or you to be last of all? Why is it worth it?
2. Relate a situation when you were tempted to try to control another’s life or situation
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Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 9: 38-43,47-48
“Anyone who is not against us is with us.”
1. Describe an experience in which a person was misjudged because he or she was not “one of us.”
2. Relate an experience when God’s power or love came to you through an unlikely person
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Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 10: 2-16 At the beginning of creation God made them male and female; for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become as one.”
1. How has a married couple contributed to your life?
2. How have you helped heal the hurt of someone who has divorced?
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Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10: 17-30
“For mortals it is impossible but not for God. With God all things are possible.”
1. When have you abandoned something or someone you valued in order to better follow the gospel?
2. What would you let go of right now to increase your trust in God?
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Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10: 35-45
“The Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve–to give his life in ransom for the many.”
1. Speak of a time when you took the rap for someone else or when someone took the rap for you.”
2. Describe an experience when you were required to do something you didn’t want to do?
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Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10: 46-52 “Your faith has healed you.”
1. What do you need to see in order to follow God better in your life?
2. When have you acted on blind faith?
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Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 12:28-34 “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
1. Speak of a surprising way someone touched you with concern recently.
2. When did you feel God was asking too much of you in loving your neighbor?
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Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 12:38-44 “They gave from their surplus wealth, but she gave from her want all that she had to live on.” 1. By giving from her ‘want’, the widow shows her trust in God. Can you recall an experience when you let go and put your trust in God? 2. From your experience, what are some practical ways you can contribute to the Church besides money?
———————————————————Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 13: 24-32
“The heavens and the earth will pass away, but my words will not.”
1. In tough times; what keeps you going?
2. If the world were ending tomorrow, how would you experience today differently? What would you do differently today?
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Christ The King John 18:33-37
“The reason I was born, the reason why I came into the world, is to testify to the truth. Anyone committed to the truth hears my voice.”
1. How have you recently experienced the conflict between the values of the kingdom and the values that modern society preaches?
2. Jesus testified to the truth. When have you been challenged to do the same?
———————————————CYCLE C Begins with Advent—————————————--
Feast Days
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The Body and Blood of Christ Mark 14: 12-16,22-26
“This is my body. This is my blood the blood of the covenant, to be poured out on behalf of many.”
1. Speak of an experience from your life when you were willing to sacrifice for others as Jesus did for us.
2. Identify something that you are not able to sacrifice willingly.
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Feast of St. Peter & St. Paul, Apostles Matthew 16: 13-19
“And you, who do you say that I am?”
1. Who is Jesus for you?
2. Share a time when you felt the presence of Jesus in the real events of daily life
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The Holy Cross John 3:13-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”
1. The cross is a symbol of God’s love for us. Where in your life do you see that love.
2. We all have our cross to bear. Share a time when good came from your burden.
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All Souls John 6:37-40
“…Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”
1. Recall one personal experience that reinforced your belief in life after death.
2. Confronting death helps one to live life fully. How true a statement is this in your experience?
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Dedication of the Lateran Basilica John 2:13-22
The observance of this feast is a token of our local church’s communion with the church of Rome and with all the other churches that hold fast to similar bonds of communion.
1. Speak of an experience when you felt deeply connected to the world-wide church.
2. Say something about some experiences of the church you may have had in other parts of the world.
3. We live in a broken world. How are you a healing presence to the body of Christ?
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Ascension of The Lord Mark 16: 15-20
“Jesus said to his disciples, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”
1. St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words.” Where/how do you preach the Gospel in the world, workplace, home, small church community?
2. When have you felt that God was working through you?
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MARY, MOTHER OF GOD January 1 Luke 2: 16-21
“…And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”
1. What “God moments” in your life do you keep and reflect upon in your heart?
2. What have you heard and seen that make you praise God?3. What amazes you? Where is God in your amazement?
Church of the Good Shepherd 1370 Grundy Avenue, Holbrook, N.Y.11741
Advent—————————————–
First Sunday of Advent Mark 13:33-37
“Be constantly on the watch! Stay awake!”
1. What in my life can I change, or do, to become a healthier, freer person?
2. Who or what in my life requires forgiveness? How might I turn this situation around? Think for a while, pray for guidance, make a concrete resolution, act on it. Enjoy the coming of the Lord.
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Second Sunday of Advent Mark 1:1-8
“Thus it was that John the Baptizer appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance which led to the forgiveness of sins.”
1. Who are the John the Baptists in your life?
2. How have they led you to Jesus?
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Third Sunday of Advent John 1:6-8, 19-28
“I am a voice in the desert, crying out: Make straight the way of the Lord!”
1. John the Baptizer prepared the world for the coming of Jesus. How can you prepare for your meeting with Jesus?
2. In a world full of so many distractions, how will you make time to visit with Jesus?
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Fourth Sunday of Advent Luke 1: 26-38
“The angel answered Mary: ‘…nothing is impossible with God.’ Mary said, ‘…Let it be done to me as you say.’”
1. When was the last time that God surprised you?
2. How were you able to trust God enough to let the Lord’s surprising plan unfold?
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Feast of The Holy Family Luke 2: 22-40
“When Mary and Joseph had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee and their own town of Nazareth. The child grew in size and strength, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.”
1. What in your own family nurtures growth and wisdom?
2. When has there been a time in your life when Jesus’ message brought either turmoil or joy?
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Epiphany Matthew 2:1-12
“After Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod, astrologers from the east arrived one day in Jerusalem inquiring, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage’”
Where in your own life’s circumstance do you find Jesus present to you?
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The Baptism of the Lord Mark 1: 7-11
“You are my beloved Son. On you my favor rests.”
1. How do you feel, knowing that God is pleased with you?
2. Recall a time when you experienced the power of God’s Spirit at work in you. What was the experience like?
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Second Sunday in Ordinary Time John 1:35-42
“When Jesus turned around and noticed them following him, he asked them, ‘What are you looking for?’”
1. If Jesus asked you today, how would you answer his question, “What are you looking for?” — in your life, in your community, in your church, in your God?
2. Andrew went and got his brother. How are you at inviting others to follow?
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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1:14-20
“This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand!”
1. James and John left their comfortable surroundings and possessions to follow Jesus. Describe an experience in your life when you have felt compelled to make a significant change.
2. The Good News is for all of us to hear and share. In what ways can we be messengers on this mission?——————————————-
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1: 21-28
“There appeared in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit that shrieked: ‘What do you want of us, Jesus of Nazareth?’”
1. Relate an experience when God might be working to overcome an evil situation.
2. How do your actions affect the behavior of others?
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The Presentation of the Lord February 2
Luke 2:22-40
“When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.”
1. Who are the devout in your life? What have you learned from them?
2. Who has been prophetic in your life?3. Where have you recognized the hand of God in your life this past week?—————————————————-
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1: 29-39
“Let us move on to the neighboring villages so that I may proclaim the good news there also. That is what I have come to do.”
1. We are called to share our gifts and to proclaim the good news. How have you shared your gifts in the last two weeks?
2. We proclaim the good news by the way we live our life. How does your life bring healing, joy, and comfort to others?
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Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1: 40-45
“…Jesus stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said: ‘Be cured.’”
1. Describe a time when you recognized and accepted another person’s ability to help you.
2. Tell of a time when you were or were not able to keep good news to yourself.
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Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 2:1-12
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
1. Recall a time when you made a special effort to help someone in difficulty. How did you make “a hole in the roof” and bring that person healing?
2. What generally keeps you from forgetting a hurt even after you have forgiven the offender?
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Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 2:18-22
“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?” “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.”
1. God uses marriage to symbolize the new relationship between Jesus and ourselves. What are the qualities and responsibilities that marriage brings to mind for you and how can they be applied to your faith?
2. What in your life is new? Are there some “old wineskins” in your life that you need to change? What is the old that you have let go of?
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Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 2: 23- 3:6
“Then He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’”
1. How do you uphold the observance of the Sabbath with the emphasis today on the seven day shopping and work week?
2. Relate a time when your behavior was like the Pharisees: sticking to the “letter of the law” rather than considering the needs of others.
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LENT
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First Sunday of Lent Mark 1:12-15
“This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the good news!”
1. Describe a time when you were challenged to confront a weakness in your life.
2. Talk about an obstacle in the recent past that could be keeping you from becoming a better person. What might such an obstacle be in the weeks ahead?
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Second Sunday of Lent Mark 9:2-10
“Jesus was transfigured before their eyes and his clothes became dazzlingly white.”
1. Relate an experience when a person turned out to be much more than you expected.
2. Describe an experience of beauty or love that captured your attention
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Third Sunday of Lent John 2: 13-25
“Jesus told those who were selling doves: ‘Get them out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!'” 1. When have you felt so strongly about a person or cause that you acted on his/her/its behalf?
2. Relate a time when something you valued deeply was not respected, especially by members of your family or church. How did you deal with that?
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Fourth Sunday of Lent John 3: 14-21
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but have eternal life.”
1. Relate a recent experience when you felt light and/or love.
2. In the next two weeks, what would help you become more alive?
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Fifth Sunday of Lent John 12: 20-33
“Those who love their life, lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me.”
1. Relate a time when you lost out but later were strengthened by this experience.
2. Whose life and struggles encourage you?
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Passion Sunday Mark 14: 1-15:47
“Clearly this man was the Son of God!”
1. Recall a time when life didn’t make sense at all. What, if anything, kept you trusting?
2. Peter denied Jesus threefold. Recall a time when you found it hard to take a stand for the values of Christ.
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EASTER
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Easter Sunday John 20: 1-9
“Mary Magdalene told Simon Peter and the Beloved Disciple, “The Lord has been taken from the tomb!”
1. When were your first impressions of a person or a situation proved to be wrong?
2. Who are you more like: Mary Magdalene, Peter or the Beloved Disciple? Why?
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Second Sunday of Easter John 20: 19-31
“My Lord and my God!”
1. Relate an experience when you requested proof of something that you should not have doubted.
2. Describe an unexpected experience in your life that made you more aware of God’s presence.
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Third Sunday of Easter Luke 24: 35-48
“Peace to you.”
1. Relate an experience that brought peace to your live in the middle of difficulties.
2. Who do you know who lives and acts as if Christ is truly alive? How does this person affect you?
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Fourth Sunday of Easter John 10: 11-18
“I am the good shepherd.”
1. Have you allowed the people in your life to come to know you, as Jesus knows his sheep? What gets in the way?
2. Reflect on a life situation in which God may have been trying to get a message through to you.
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Fifth Sunday of Easter John 15: 1-8
“I am the vine, you are the branches.”
1. What do you need to prune in your life?
2. Reflect on a life situation in which God may have been trying to get a message through to you.
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Sixth Sunday of Easter John 15: 9-17
“Love on another as I have loved you.”
1. When in the last two weeks did you recognize God’s love in your life?
2. What does it mean in your life to love yourself? What things in you hinder you from loving yourself?
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Seventh Sunday of Easter John 17: 11-19 June 4, 2000
“Your word is truth.”
1. Reflect on a time when you found it easier to have a faith in God without seeking a commitment to the people of the Church.
2. What are some of the values of your faith community that you can show to the world? How can you do it this week?
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Pentecost John 20: 19-23
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”The Gifts of The Holy Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, right judgement, courage, reverence, and wonder and awe.
1. What gifts of the Spirit can you identify in yourself that could help transform the world?
2. What gifts of the Spirit can you identify in our community?
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Trinity Sunday Matthew 28: 16-20
“Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations.”
1. How are you answering Jesus’ call to be a disciple?
2. Christ sends us to all peoples. Where do you find yourself too narrow in your approach to people, too limited by your upbringing?
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ORDINARY TIME
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Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 3:20-35
“These are my mother and brothers. Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.”
1. In what way is your own life divided? How can you make it more whole?
2. Do you take responsibility for your own decisions, or are you influenced by someone else?
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Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 4:26-34
“The reign of God is like a mustard seed”
1. Tell a contemporary parable of the reign of God that speaks to people in today’s world.
2. In your personal life or your small church community, what small thing has become a big or important thing?
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Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 4:35-41 “Why are you so terrified? Why are you lacking in faith?”
1. How does Jesus “calm the storm” in your personal life or small church community?
2. Give an example of how you trusted others. How did it affect you?
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Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 5:21-43
“It is your faith that has cured you.”
1. Relate an experience when someone approached you in faith and asked for help.
2. What are the daily routines that drain you in your faith life?
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Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 6:1-6
“Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.”
1. When have you felt hurt when trying to do something good for another?
2. What keeps you going when you don’t feel support?
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Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 6:7-13
“Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving authority over unclean spirits.”
1. How did you feel when called away on an emergency, having to leave without any of the usual necessities?
2. Relate a time in your live when your attitude shifted from “No way, I can’t do it.” to “I certainly can.” What caused the shift?
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Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 6:30-34
“Come by yourselves to an out-of-the-way place and rest a little.”
1. Where is the “out-of-the-way place” that gives you peace? Why do you feel this way about this place?
2. When have you tried to escape the needs of others only to find that their needs for your attention were greater than your need to be away from it all? How did you feel about the demands placed on you?
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Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:1-5
“Jesus took the loaves of bread, gave thanks, and passed them around to those reclining there; he did the same with the dried fish, as much as they wanted.”
1. Describe a time when you were surprised that your limited resources were sufficient. 2. Relate a time in your life when you were refreshed by someone
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Transfiguration of Our Lord Mark 9: 2-10
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
1. Where have you experienced God in an unusual way? What happened?
2. When it comes to listening to Jesus, how hard of hearing are you right now?
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Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:24-35
“I myself am the bread of life. No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in me shall thirst again.”
1. Where have you seen Jesus this past week in your life? What message did he have for you, and how did you respond?
2. Most families bring their problems to the dinner table. When have you brought your problems to the Lord’s table?
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Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:41-51
“I myself am the living bread come down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.”
1. Where does your life need nourishing?
2. Describe a time when someone fulfilled a hunger or a need in your life
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Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:51-58
“Those who feed on my flesh and drink my blood remain in me and I in them.
“Describe an experience when you have been the “bread of life” for others.
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Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:60-69
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
1. Describe a struggle you had which led to a deeper faith.
2. Describe an experience when you have taken a risk without fully understanding the outcome. What effect did it have on your life?
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Twenty-second Sunday in Ord Time Mark 7:1-8, 14-15,21-23
“There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. Let anyone with ears to hear listen.”
1. Name an experience when “the way we (your church, society, your small church community, your personal life) do things” got in the way of what’s really important.
2. Relate a time when you judged a person unacceptable because of externals.
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Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 7:31-37 “Be opened!”
1. Describe a situation in your life when a gentle touch brought peace.
2. What do you need in order to hear life better?
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Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 8:27-35“Who do you say that I am?”
Describe an experience when you were willing to pay a price to follow the Lord.
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Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 9: 30-37
“Whoever wants to be first, must be last of all and servant of all.”
1. Why is it difficult or you to be last of all? Why is it worth it?
2. Relate a situation when you were tempted to try to control another’s life or situation
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Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 9: 38-43,47-48
“Anyone who is not against us is with us.”
1. Describe an experience in which a person was misjudged because he or she was not “one of us.”
2. Relate an experience when God’s power or love came to you through an unlikely person
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Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 10: 2-16 At the beginning of creation God made them male and female; for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become as one.”
1. How has a married couple contributed to your life?
2. How have you helped heal the hurt of someone who has divorced?
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Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10: 17-30
“For mortals it is impossible but not for God. With God all things are possible.”
1. When have you abandoned something or someone you valued in order to better follow the gospel?
2. What would you let go of right now to increase your trust in God?
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Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10: 35-45
“The Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve–to give his life in ransom for the many.”
1. Speak of a time when you took the rap for someone else or when someone took the rap for you.”
2. Describe an experience when you were required to do something you didn’t want to do?
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Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10: 46-52 “Your faith has healed you.”
1. What do you need to see in order to follow God better in your life?
2. When have you acted on blind faith?
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Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 12:28-34 “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
1. Speak of a surprising way someone touched you with concern recently.
2. When did you feel God was asking too much of you in loving your neighbor?
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Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 12:38-44 “They gave from their surplus wealth, but she gave from her want all that she had to live on.” 1. By giving from her ‘want’, the widow shows her trust in God. Can you recall an experience when you let go and put your trust in God? 2. From your experience, what are some practical ways you can contribute to the Church besides money?
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“The heavens and the earth will pass away, but my words will not.”
1. In tough times; what keeps you going?
2. If the world were ending tomorrow, how would you experience today differently? What would you do differently today?
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Christ The King John 18:33-37
“The reason I was born, the reason why I came into the world, is to testify to the truth. Anyone committed to the truth hears my voice.”
1. How have you recently experienced the conflict between the values of the kingdom and the values that modern society preaches?
2. Jesus testified to the truth. When have you been challenged to do the same?
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Feast Days
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The Body and Blood of Christ Mark 14: 12-16,22-26
“This is my body. This is my blood the blood of the covenant, to be poured out on behalf of many.”
1. Speak of an experience from your life when you were willing to sacrifice for others as Jesus did for us.
2. Identify something that you are not able to sacrifice willingly.
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Feast of St. Peter & St. Paul, Apostles Matthew 16: 13-19
“And you, who do you say that I am?”
1. Who is Jesus for you?
2. Share a time when you felt the presence of Jesus in the real events of daily life
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The Holy Cross John 3:13-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”
1. The cross is a symbol of God’s love for us. Where in your life do you see that love.
2. We all have our cross to bear. Share a time when good came from your burden.
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All Souls John 6:37-40
“…Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”
1. Recall one personal experience that reinforced your belief in life after death.
2. Confronting death helps one to live life fully. How true a statement is this in your experience?
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Dedication of the Lateran Basilica John 2:13-22
The observance of this feast is a token of our local church’s communion with the church of Rome and with all the other churches that hold fast to similar bonds of communion.
1. Speak of an experience when you felt deeply connected to the world-wide church.
2. Say something about some experiences of the church you may have had in other parts of the world.
3. We live in a broken world. How are you a healing presence to the body of Christ?
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Ascension of The Lord Mark 16: 15-20
“Jesus said to his disciples, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”
1. St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words.” Where/how do you preach the Gospel in the world, workplace, home, small church community?
2. When have you felt that God was working through you?
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MARY, MOTHER OF GOD January 1 Luke 2: 16-21
“…And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”
1. What “God moments” in your life do you keep and reflect upon in your heart?
2. What have you heard and seen that make you praise God?3. What amazes you? Where is God in your amazement?
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