Readings and Themes for the Week of September 27, 2009

Readings for Faith Sharing
Week of September 27, 2009,
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading I Numbers 11:25-29

Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!

Psalm 19

“The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.”

Reading II James 5:1-6

The cries of those unjustly treated have reached the Lord.

Gospel: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Whatever causes you to sin, cut it away.

THEME:
God wants us to be just and right

Today’s scriptures challenge us to re-examine our behaviors, attitudes, and priorities. The words of Saint James in today’s second reading are enough to make anyone shudder. The Lord Jesus is straightforward with his followers when he tells them, “Whatever causes sin, cut it away”. As the word is proclaimed this day, let us be open to its challenges to become more and more like Christ.

Question for Children:

In what specific ways do you share with the poor from what you have been given?

Question for Youth:

Who are the people you have met who are against you?

Are there people who persecute you because of your faith?

How do you treat these people?

Question for Adults:

In today's worldwide community, who are the rich and what does God want of them?