August2015
Dear Friends,
Thank you for being a part of the Lectionary Based Small Christian
Community (SCC) program at Holy Family Catholic Community.
Your participation in this program is a model for Christian prayer in a small group,
with scriptures; integrated into the larger pulse of the church community as it
focuses on the scriptures that we listen to on the weekends.
We recently finished the Bread of Life Discourse cementing our belief in the Lord’s real presence in The Eucharist. Vacations are finished, summer will be coming to an end, and our school children have returned to our Academy. The community will once again begin its flurry of programs for the entire community.
This LBSCC guide takes us from the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time on August 30th through the end of the church/liturgical year, Sunday, November 22 for the Feast of Christ the King. As you gather to reflect on these scripture passages, enjoy the end of summer and the beauty of fall as it approaches. Please remember that our Sunday evening Mass will return to 4 pm starting with the weekend after Labor Day. It’s a great opportunity to pray with the teens of our community.
We are pleased to have so many of you involved in reflecting on the scriptures and thus deepening your faith. It is a pleasure for me to join you in this important formation experience.
We are pleased to offer a variety of materials to nourish the process of growth and bonding. Please join me in thanking those who lead the SCC efforts, Pat and Charlie Lynch, who consistently provide high quality materials, suggestions and support in our shared mission statement of “…life-long learning”.
On behalf of Holy Family’s pastoral leadership and staff, may God continue to bless you and walk with you in this important journey of faith sharing and community building.
I close with the following words from Paul to the Romans (Romans 1:11-12) that I believe captures SCC:
“For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
Peace,
Fr. Terry Keehan
Lectionary Based Small Christian Community Guide
24th Edition
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Our Lord Jesus Christ,
King of the Universe
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time . . . . . 6AUGUST 30, 2015 / 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time . . . 20
OCTOBER 18, 2015
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time ...... 8
SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 / 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time . . . . . 22
OCTOBER 25, 2015
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time . .. 10
SEPTEMBER 13, 2015 / Feast of All Saints ...... 24
NOVEMBER 1, 2015
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time . .. . . 12
SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 / 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time . . . 26
NOVEMBER 8, 2015
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time . . . . . 14
SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 / 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time . . . . 28
NOVEMBER 15, 2015
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time . . . . . 16
OCTOBER 4, 2015
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time . . . . . 18
OCTOBER 11, 2015 / Our Lord Jesus Christ,
King of theUniverse ...... 30
NOVEMBER 22, 2015
Gathering of the Small Christian Community
Fostering a Prayerful Environment
- Lighting the Candle
- Music, Silent Prayer
- Praying the Covenant Prayer
God Sightings
- How has anyone experienced God’s presence or the movement or will of God in the events of your life or our world since the last time we met?
Breaking Open the Sacred Scripture
- Readings
- DVD Reflection
- Faith Sharing Questions
Responding to God’s Word
- What am I going to do, concretely, to live the message of the Gospel this week?
- What can we do, as a small Christian community, short-range or long-term, to transform society in light of the Scriptures we have heard proclaimed?
- What outreach or social justice mission should we embrace as a group?
Closing Prayer
- Petitions
- Our Father
22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME August 30, 20125
FIRST READINGDeuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy
Moses said to the people:
"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in
and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers,
is giving you.
In your observance of the commandments
of the LORD, your God,
which I enjoin upon you,
you shall not add to what I command you
nor subtract from it.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
'This great nation is truly a wise
and intelligent people.'
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it
as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today?" / SECOND READING
James 1:17-18, 21b-22,27
A reading from the Letter of Saint James
Dearest brothers and sisters:
All good giving and every perfect gift
is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow
caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of
firstfruits of his creatures.
Humbly welcome the word
that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
Be doers of the word and not hearers only,
deluding yourselves.
Religion that is pure and undefiled
before God and the Father is this:
to care for orphans
and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time •August 30, 2015
GOSPELMark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
A reading from the holy Gospel
according to Mark
When the Pharisees with some scribes
who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples
ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
―For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing
their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have
traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles
and beds.―
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
"Why do your disciples not follow
the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
He responded,
"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God's commandment
but cling to human tradition."
He summoned the crowd again and said to them,
"Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside
can defile that person;
but the things that come out
from within are what defile.
/ "From within people, from their hearts,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy,
arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile."
FAITH SHARING QUESTIONS
- Moses speaks of the law as gift, not burden. Is this the way you view God’s law? Give examples
- Do you think that people today see those who observe God’s commands as wise and intelligent? If yes, give examples. If no, why do you think they don’t?
- James defines religion in the last two lines of the 2nd reading. Is this your experience of religion? If yes, give examples. If not, should it be? Why?
- What are the “things within” that can defile a person?
- How might “religious practices” become routine? Give examples of some that may have become routine for you or for the church in general. How could they be revived to truly express praise and gratitude toward God?
There are many evils and injustices that come from within that defile our world today. Discuss one issue that arose in the news recently. What can you do to address that issue in a Christian manner?
23rdSUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME September 6, 2015
FIRST READINGIsaiah 35:4-7a
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water. / SECOND READING
James 2:1-5
A reading from the Letter of Saint James
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith
in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person in shabby clothes
also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one
wearing the fine clothes
and say, "Sit here, please,"
while you say to the poor one, "Stand there,"
or "Sit at my feet,"
have you not made distinctions
among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?
Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor
in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time • September 6, 2015
GOSPELMark 7:31-37
A reading from the holy Gospel
according to Mark
Again Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man
who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man's ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven
and groaned, and said to him,
"Ephphatha!"― that is, "Be opened!" ―
And immediately the man's ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
"He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." / FAITH SHARING QUESTIONS
- Isaiah’s message is one of hope and encouragement. What message of hope would you deliver in our day? To whom would you deliver it?
- What are the distinctions that still divide us as the Church of Christ?
- What do you think the word “poor” means in the 2nd reading?
- What are you deaf to that you need God’s power to overcome? What holds you mute that keeps you from proclaiming God’s kingdom?
- Jack Shea suggests that Jesus’ command “Be opened” is directed more to the heart than to the ears and tongue. Why would this be?
- Talk about a time when you felt that you were healed, either physically or spiritually. What was the impact of the healing on your faith?
What must “be opened” within us so that we see others that are in need of our attention?
What prejudices keep our eyes, ears and mouth closed?
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 13, 2015
FIRST READINGIsaiah 50:4c-9a
A reading from
the Book ofthe Prophet Isaiah
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong? / SECOND READING
James 2:14-18
A reading from
the second Letter ofSaint James
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith
but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,"
but you do not give them
the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you
from my works.
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time •September 13, 2015
GOSPELMark 8:27-35
A reading from the holy Gospel
according to Mark
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that I am?"
They said in reply,
"John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets."
And he asked them,
"But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said to him in reply,
"You are the Christ."
Then he warned them
not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests,
and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside
and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and,
looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said,
"Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does,
but as human beings do."
He summoned the crowd with his disciples
and said to them,
"Whoever wishes to come after me
must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it."
/ FAITH SHARING QUESTIONS
- All of us, at some point, suffer indignities and hardships. How do you rely on God’s strength in the midst of the challenges/trials you experience?
- What is your understanding of suffering? Do you feel it is or can be a punishment? Do you think it is a part of life? If it is, is it a necessary or unnecessary part of life?
- How alive do you feel that your faith is? How could it be more alive?
- Who do you say Jesus is?
- Even though Peter is quick to proclaim Jesus as Messiah he could not yet see all the implications of this. What have some of the implications been for you as you have tried to live out the faith you profess?
What cross are you bearing in order to lose your life for Jesus’ sake?
In what way will new life grow that benefits others, especially those in need?
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 20, 2015
FIRST READINGWisdom 2:12, 17-20
A reading from theBook of Wisdom
The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one,
because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us
with violations of our training.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God,
God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture
let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words,
God will take care of him. / SECOND READING
James 3:16―4:3
A reading from the Letter of Saint James
Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.
Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts
among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly,
to spend it on your passions.
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time• September 20, 2015