Readings and Themes for the Week of September 26, 2010

Readings for Faith Sharing
Week of September 26, 2010,
Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading I Amos 6:1a, 4-7

Woe to the complacent rich!

Psalm 146

"Praise the Lord, my soul!"

Reading II 1 Timothy 6:11-16

Seek after virtues with lasting value.

Gospel Luke 16:19-31

There once was a rich man, and at his gate lay the beggar Lazarus.

THEME:

God cares for the poor and the oppressed and we should too!

Once again we are about to listen to scriptures that challenge us to the core. If any parable is critical of a culture of consumerism and greed, it is today’s familiar story of the rich man and Lazarus. This parable has power to chill us to the bone, since it gets to the heart of what it means to be a true disciple. Let us open our hearts to these words and pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us on our journey of conversion.

Questions of the week

Question for Children:

Jesus teaches us to share what we have with others.

What do you have that you are able to share?

Question for Youth:

The Gospel story tells us that we are judged by what we do or don’t do for the poor and needy.

How are you currently reaching out to those in need?

What more could you do?

Question for Adults:

What choices can you or have you made to balance your own life with those who are homeless, poor and in need of assistance for daily living?

How does this Gospel reading inform you about that?

Bulletin Bites
"If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead."

The words of Jesus at the end of the story about the rich man who had more than he needed and Lazarus the beggar seem rather harsh. There is no gentle way to say that when we are dead it will be too late to do the good we should have done when we were alive. Unfortunately, when it comes to imitating Jesus we all have a little Scarlett O’Hara in us: “I’ll take care of that tomorrow!” We will get around to it. Try this exercise. Get a pencil or pen and a blank sheet of paper. Draw a circle. Take a pair of scissors and cut along the lines of the circle. Now write inside the circle the letters TOIT, You now have a ROUND TOIT. You no longer have any more excuses for not imitating Jesus. That is, of course, unless you do not know Jesus. And whose fault is that? Here is another exercise: Pick up the Bible!! Read it!! You will learn what Jesus promised and that He rose from the dead. With that knowledge and your ROUND TOIT, you should be all set. Get busy imitating Jesus by loving God and your neighbor as yourself.