<TW>Weekend of 22 and 23 July 2006
- From: "Fr. Pat Umberger" <frpat@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Fr. Pat Umberger" <frpat@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2006 18:20:08 -0500
.=: T H I S W E E K E N D :=.
from Father Pat Umberger
___________________________________________________
Fatima / Lourdes/ Spain /France 2006
October 2-13, 2006. Several seats may still be available.
As always, the Pilgrimage Brochure, map of our travels, links to our Hotels
and much more are available at my Web Site. Just click the link from:
www.frpat.com
_________________________________________________
.=: V O L U M E 2 0 0 6 , Number 07-23 :=.
.=: T H I S W E E K E N D ' S S C R I P T U R E S :=.
The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B.
Weekend of 22 and 23 July 2006
Follow this link for this weekend's Scriptures:
www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
.=: R E F L E C T I O N Q U E S T I O N S :=.
"I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need
no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the LORD." When
have we been under the power of someone who caused us to fear and tremble?
Would we ever cause that reaction in another? How could we become better
"shepherds?"
"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want." If the Lord is
truly our shepherd is there anything we should want? How can we trust more
fully in the Lord's providence?
"Brothers and sisters: In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become
near by the blood of Christ." Is this true for us? Who might be the ones
who feel far off today, the ones we might bring nearer to the Lord?
"He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who
were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."
How do all of us have access to the Father these days?
How could we act as "shepherds" to make the Spirit more accessible to those
who are far off?
He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a
while." When do we need to get away and rest awhile? Can we truly be
effective in our work and ministry if we don't take time for rest, for
prayer and for communion with God?
"When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity
for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach
them many things." When have we felt overwhelmed by our responsibilities,
yet responsible for expending even more energy? Does it help us to know that
Jesus found himself in the same position? Where can we get more strength
when we find ourselves in that situation?
How are these Scriptures comforting? Challenging?
(c)MMVI Fr. Pat Umberger. These Reflection Questions are found each week at
the Web Site www.frpat.com. Feel free to link to this page or reproduce
them for parish use as long as this credit remains.
.=: S P I R I T U A L R E F L E C T I O N :=.
Jesus said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a
while." It's Summertime! Some of us will have the luxury of spending some
time away by ourselves. Perhaps we have scheduled a vacation. We might be
able to spend some time fishing. The weather is conducive to enjoying God's
gift of nature. We can relish this time away.
Our lives need to be balanced. We can't rest all the time any more than we
can work all the time. We need both, no doubt about it. We needn't feel
guilty about taking time for ourselves. Still, we have responsibilities.
It might seem that every time we think we'll have some time something comes
up and demands that time. That can be very frustrating. Families are
challenged by games, lessons and all kinds of things. Sometimes it can seem
like Summer is even busier than winter.
It helps to know we are being taken care of by God. We can remember that
when the "Lord is our shepherd, there is nothing we shall want."
As we relax in God's care we can receive all we need. On the other hand we
need to be good shepherds to others as well. Our first reading talks about
shepherds who engender fear and trembling. We may have been in the presence
of someone who brought about those feelings in us. Sometimes it's even
those closest to us. We need to be sure to be good shepherds, leading
patiently mostly by our example.
"Brothers and sisters: In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have
become near by the blood of Christ." We need to be close to the
Lord. We gain this closeness through our times of prayer and thankfulness.
When we feel far off it's often because we're not devoting that kind of time
to God. We need to be on the lookout for others who are far from God as
well. Summer can be a good time to invite them closer again. We might
invite them to Church with us before a special brunch or picnic. We might
be sure to pray before the meals we share with them. We might share with
them the strength we receive through practicing our faith.
"When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity
for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach
them many things." Jesus found himself with more demands just as he and his
disciples were nearly overwhelmed with busyness and responsibility. Jesus
allowed his disciples to spend some time by himself while he himself
continued to lead those who were like sheep without a shepherd. God gave
him the grace and energy to continue. When we seem overwhelmed even as
others rest, God will provide the same for us.
This week we can consider those who might be far from the Lord and how we
might help them draw closer again. We can take a look at our lives and make
sure we're scheduling leisure and prayer as well as work. We can consider
too, how we are shepherds to those around us. We can resolve not to elicit
fear and trembling, but faith and safety. Have a good week!
__________________________________________________
<TW>This Weekend is free, and comes from:
Father Pat Umberger, a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse
in Wisconsin U.S.A.
Web Site: www.frpat.com
Evangelization (reaching out): www.cmonback.com
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