Theme:
The theme for this Sunday is about God's generosity and mercy.
Questions:
Day 1: In the first reading, God was speaking to his people. Some of them were complaining about God's injustice.
Can you give examples where God seems unjust?
God asked his people whether he was unjust or whether they were unjust. What do you think is the answer to this?
Is God unjust if a righteous person suffers because of their own fault?
If this is so, what is the purpose for doing good if one will have to suffer anyway?
Day 2: God continues to speak of his forgiveness to the wicked.
There are two things that has to be done to show true repentance: turn from the wickedness committed and doing what is lawful and right. What do each of these mean?
What happens if one turns from wickedness but does not do what is lawful and right?
Life or death depends on one's decision. This means taking responsibility for things that we do. Do you take responsibility for what you have done?
Why is taking responsibility needed before true repentance can happen?
Day 3: The psalm speaks of God's mercy and how he leads the humble.
The psalm opens with several petitions. What are these petitions and what do each mean?
What did the psalmist mean when he asked God to remember him according to God's steadfast love, for his goodness' sake? Was the psalmist appealing to God because of the good things that the psalmist did or was he appealing to God based on God's goodness? What does this mean?
God teaches the humble his way. What does it mean to be humble?
Day 4: The second reading is an encouragement from St. Paul to the church in Philippi. He was asking them to imitate Jesus.
St. Paul said that humility is to “regard others as being better than yourselves”. Does humility then mean that we should deny the gifts God has given us? Does it mean to degrade ourselves? What is humility?
St. Paul says that our minds should be the same as Jesus' mind. Jesus was God but St. Paul said that he did not regard that as something to be grasped. But he emptied himself to be a slave. How can you empty yourself like Jesus?
We continue to read that Jesus became obedient to the point of death – even to death on the cross. To whom was Jesus obedient? How is his humility related to his obedience?
Day 5: The second reading continues with a discussion of Jesus' resurrection.
St. Paul says that God highly exalted Jesus and gave “him the name above every name”. This means that Jesus has dominion over all creation. If Jesus has dominion over all creation, how is that relevant to your fears and difficulties? What will you tell Jesus with regards to your fears and difficulties?
Do you “bend your knee” to Jesus? Do you submit to Jesus?
St. Paul says that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord. What does it mean to call Jesus as Lord? Is Jesus your Lord?
How will you tell Jesus to be the Lord of your life?
Day 6: Jesus presents another parable in the gospel reading. He speaks of two sons, one was obedient and the other was not.
Jesus asked a question, “Which of the two did the father?” How is this related to repentance?
The second son spoke to his father with respect by calling him “sir”. The first son did not. Yet the first son was the one who obeyed his father. What does this say about obedience and saying the right things?
How is this parable relevant to you as a Christian? How will you be judged in the end, by what you say or by what you do?
Day 7: Jesus now relates the parable to his audience. Tax collectors and prostitutes were considered sinners and were therefore not accepted well in society. His audience were devout followers of the law and so, according to the law, they were sinless.
What did the sinners do that will make them enter the kingdom of God ahead of the more devout followers? How will you relate that to your faith?
The devout followers obeyed the law to the letter. They did the right things according to the Law. Yet, Jesus was not impressed with them. Why?
What is really needed to enter the kingdom of heaven? What will you tell Jesus?
