15 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2007 Cycle C

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 9, 2007

I OPENING PRAYER (QUEST) LEADER: I dreamed death came the other night and Heaven’s gate swung open wide. An angel with a halo bright ushered me inside, and there to my astonishment, stood folks I’d judged and labeled as quite unfit, of little worth, and spiritually disabled. Indignant words rose to my lips, but never were set free, for every face showed stunned surprise. Not one of them expected me. All: God, our Creator, help us to love as you love. Teach us that there is no difference between white or black, Jew or Gentile, male or female. We are all brothers and sisters in your sight. Move our hearts to reach out to all. Give us hearts like yours to embrace those who seem to be different. Help us realize that some day we shall all be together with you in eternity. Grant us this grace in the name of your son, Jesus. Amen.

II REVIEW OF LIFE : Rosemarie & Ann, Theresa & Noranne, Fran & Jane, Judy & Pam. 1. Have I been able to find time each day for some prayer and reflection? If not, what are the barriers? 2. Name an experience of the Lord- or of his absence- in these last two weeks. What did I hear? 3.What do I need most to persevere? 4. What challenges am I experiencing in carrying my prayer/reflection into my family, work, society? 5. How is my attitude changing toward the most forgotten people in our society? What am I doing about them? 6. In what ways am I growing closer to church, the Body of Christ? 7. For the next 2wks, what will be my clear-cut, simple plan or resolve? Who will I ask to pray for me in this regard? 8. How have you seen God in your life since we last met?

III READING 1: Deuteronomy 30:10-14 Colossians 1:15-20 Luke 10:25-37

VI TIME FOR QUIET REFLECTION ON THE READINGS AND QUESTIONS

VII COMMENTARY: Bringing the Word to Life pg 87-88 WHO Is MY NEIGHBOR? We begin this reflection with a bit of imagination. What might happen if we were on a plane, a thousand miles from nowhere, and we suddenly turned blue in the face and passed out? What if the flight attendant called for a doctor on board, but he refused to come because he was "on vacation"? What if we were being robbed in a mall parking lot, in full view of a policeman, but he refused to come to our assistance because he was "off duty"? What if a son or a daughter needed a little extra help after school but the teacher refused because "overtime is not in our contract"? How would we feel in these circumstances? In the gospel narrative of Luke, we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan. The bite in this parable is not simply people's apathy, but that the people, who by calling and profession should have helped the stricken man, were precisely the ones who passed him by. This parable is an indictment against parents who don't parent, teachers who don't teach, students who don't study, doctors who don't heal, ministers who don't minister, repairmen who don't repair, and politicians who don't work for the common good. It is also an indictment against Christians who don't perform the work of Christ in loving our neighbor as ourselves. "And who is my neighbor?" To whom do we offer our love and care? This question is valid because most of us believe that love must be selective and carefully parceled out—after all, we have only so much to give. Furthermore, it is easy to confess love for "mankind" in general—no difficulty in that— but not so easy to love individuals, specifically. "And who is my neighbor?" The gospel provides a clear answer. Our "neighbor" is not necessarily the person next door, or people we like, or people who are fun to be with, or people listed in a parish visitation list. Love is a condition of soul; it is not selective and cannot be "parceled out." Our neighbor is anyone who needs us. It may be a son who is in particular need of encouragement, a studa who is falling behind in lessons, a little girl lost in a store, a elderly lady across the street who cannot cut her grass, a era mother-in-law who has never heard a word of kindness, i uncle who has no one to talk to, the prostitute, the homosexuei the mentally disturbed, the criminal. The lesson the Lord i teaching us is that we must examine our role as Christians < be willing to perform wherever we are needed. As Christia we are never "off duty." Whenever someone is in need of at vice we can offer, we are there to provide it—no one gets pass by. Reflect deeply on this parable of the Good Samaritan. It has a powerful lesson for Christian living. How are you "on call" as a Christian? Do you believe love has its limits? Think of the times you may have been in need and others passed you by. How did it feel? Consider the times you passed by others because of your fear, or reluctance to get involved. Love is an attitude of heart; as such, it has no limits. How loving, therefore, are you? You are not being asked to become a missionary or to search out people to serve. The people who need you are all around you every day, in your home, at work, on the streets, in your neighborhood. You will know when you are needed, so at least be willing to be of help whenever a need arises. Be who you are: a Christian in fact, as well as in name.

VIII REFLECTION QUESTIONS- 1. How does the word, phrase or image that struck you from this week's scriptures speak to your life or the life of the community, your family or your world these days?

2.Where do you see the “beaten ones” in your neighborhood, city or world? Who are the Samaritans that are enabling these defenseless ones to live a fuller life. 3. Whom do you identify with in the story: the beaten one, the Levite, the priest, the Samaritan or the lawyer? 4. How do you hear the Lord speaking to you through this reading? 5. Tell of a time you were a good neighbor to a stranger.

IX LG GROUP INSIGHTS on Sm Group Sharing:(What have I discovered that I can bring back to my life?) X RESPONSE IN ACTION - Click on http://www.thehungersite.com * The next time you are going to jump into your car to run a quick errand, reflect on the natural resources that you will use and the pollution this will cause and choose to wait and combine it with doing another errand. * Make a sacrificial gift of yourself for the sake of others. Call the Red Cross at (800) GIVE- LIFE and arrange to donate blood. * Read about Catholic teachings on social justice from the U.S. Catholic Bishops website: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/. XI SHARED PRAYER Letters from an Understanding Friend by Isaias Powers ( pg 22-23) Close to the Jericho Road, Judea After supper, May 9 Dear Disciple, my Friend, I don't want you to think that I'm always having heavy thoughts. (I do write, as a rule, about what I suffer because I want you to learn from my example how to handle your own trials. But even on this last journey, there are events that have something upbeat to them. I want to share these, too. All in all, it's been a good week. I already wrote you about the happy reunion of my disciples. They forgot their gloom of a few weeks back. They could only think of the praise due to the Father and the power of my name. And something good happened today, too, and I'm really relishing it. On the surface, it may not seem like much of an experience. After all, I've preached the good news under heavy opposition before. But this was different. This afternoon my enemies sent one of their brilliant prosecuting attorneys to test me. He didn't want to learn the truth; he only wanted to trap me or to make a statement to convince ordinary people I was a fake. For a moment, he made me very angry and very hurt. All I want to do is to teach God's truth and do my work of love. Why can't they leave me alone? Why can't they wait and see what I produce in the long run.. .without putting pressure on me with their caustic questions and their hate-burning eyes? You know how it feels. Maybe you don't have enemies as relentless as mine, but you have some. They take away your composure. You feel them ready to pounce on you as soon as you make a mistake. It's so frustrating at times; you feel like screaming. That's how I felt at first. Then I thought, "Wait a second! This is a great opportunity." The best way to get people's attention is to let them eavesdrop on a conversation that doesn't directly involve them. This is especially true if the conversation is a battle of wits. I talked about love and the sacrifice that love demands. I told the parable of the Good Samaritan, which is one of my best! As I think about it, the story just seemed to pour out of me. My adrenaline was really flowing. Not only were the senses of my disciples perked up; mine were, too. Think of these things, my disciple, my friend, when you get stuck in similar circumstances. Be flexible. Much good can come out of a bad situation. Love can happen in the midst of hatred and enmity, if you are prepared for the possibilities. Don't just grouse and get grumpy. Turn the situation around. Use your wits and let the Spirit guide you. Don't worry. My prayers—now, and when I get to heaven— will be with you. Prayers like this: Lord God, my Father...look with love upon my disciples, my friends. Help them when enemies gang up on them, or when co-workers start checking up on them. These things hurt. I know; I hurt from the same things. But this is what I ask you, Father: help them not to resort to angry outbursts or moodiness. Help them use these occasions profitably, as challenges to test their love and as opportunities to show love to others. Let them come alive to the possibilities for growth. Don't let them go dead on us...or others...or on themselves. Amen.

XII BUSINESS: Meetings: 7/9 Theresa, 8/13 Assemble Bookbags, 8/20 Meeting 1. Do we want to buy a 300 Ticket as a group? 2. Remember to bring the school supplies to the 8/13 meeting. * Birthdays: Frances Feb 17 Theresa Feb 18 Jane April 1 Ann June 1 Eileen July 25 MASSES FOR EILEEN Rosemarie Nov 30 Pam Dec 28. Noranne April 17 Judy 7/15 Theresa: [email protected] Rosemarie:[email protected] Pam:[email protected] Ann: [email protected] Noranne: [email protected] Judy:[email protected] Ann’s cell: 275-7587

XIII CLOSING :WE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING: Church Good Shepherd Eileen Chang All of Our Small Church Pam Joyce(MS) Jeanine & Darren Jodi (prison) Mike Latore (backpain, cancer) All those on our internet prayer request list Dolores Madigan Suzanne (Hodgekins) Debbie (thyroid) Pat (thyroid) Nancy C(esophegus cancer), Ted, Violet S Marcy W Louis C Antoinette P Mary G Margie, Janes daughter Frankie (drugs) , Dee (cancer) Donna (schizophrenia) Bernie (cancer) Aiden (2yr old borderline autism), Jordon (ADD), Leah (uncontrolled Lupus), Jess (brain cancer), Carol Gamba (cancer) , Liz Brown (lungs), Suzanne (operation) Theresa (lymes disease) Annemarie (uterine cancer), Virginia (mini strokes), Joe Stallone, Joe?

SENDING FORTH AND CLOSING PRAYER: All: Thank you Lord, for this season of sun and slow motion, of games and porch sitting, of picnics and light green fireflies on heavy purple evenings. And praise for light breezes. It’s good, God, as the first long days of your creation. Let this season be for me a time of gathering together the pieces into which my busyness has broken me. O God, enable me now to grow wise through reflect on, peaceful through the song of the cricket, recreated through the laughter of play. Most of all, Lord, let me live easily and grace-fully for a spell, so that I may see other souls deeply, share in a silence unhurried, listen to the sound of sunlight and shadows, explore barefoot the land of forgotten dreams and shy hopes, and find the right words to tell another who I am. Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Dt 30:10-14 Moses said to the people: “If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul. “For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, ‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.”

Reading II Col 1:15-20 Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Gospel Lk 10:25-37 There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”