12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Discussion Questions for Reading 1: Reading Zec. 12:10-11; 13:1 - Where in the world is God's grace needed today? What difference can it make when people cooperate with God's grace? Where in your own life do you most need God's grace? What will it mean for you to cooperate with God's grace?
Discussion Questions for Reading 2: Galatians 2:16, 19-21 - If you were to name the divisions that exist today what would they be? (e.g. rich and poor) What injustices do you see in your own community? What have you done or can you do to right those injustices?
Discussion Questions for Gospel: Luke 9:18-24 - Discipleship means continually answering the question that Jesus asks, "Who do you say that I am?" We can answer in many ways: in prayer, in our words, in our decisions, in our participation in the community of faith, in our efforts to share his Good News with others. Who do you think answers Jesus' question effectively today? Name one way in which your life answers who you believe Jesus to be.

http://www.webelieveweb.com/home_proclaiming_faith.cfm?reading_id=412&language=eng&book=0

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 - 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13: How hard is it for you ot forgive wrongs done to you?  How hard is it for God to forgive?
Reading 2 - Galatians 2:16, 19-21: Who or what has helped your faith to grow? Who are the people you admire because their faith is so evident? What are the signs of their strong faith? Are people drawn to you because they can see your faith? Or have you made that precious gift of faith pointless, like David and many others?  St. Paul says, "I live by faith in the Sond of God who has loved me & given himself up for me."  Why do you think Jesus gave himself up for us?  Why would he want to live in you?
Gospel - Luke 7:36--8:3 OR 7:36-50: How do we treat one another? Do we treat friends and strangers as if we are all equal? Or do we allow skin color, gender, cultural, economic, or even petty differences stand in the way. Do we sometimes discriminate because someone is different? What if God acted that way toward us?
What is your love barometer? Where do you stand on the scale for accepting all people? Do you make distinctions, like Simon, saying "this person is not good enough?" When someone slights you, are you able to forgive them or do you hold a grudge? How can you show a greater acceptance of others? What can you do to encourage your friends to have a forgiving attitude?

http://www.webelieveweb.com/home_proclaiming_faith.cfm?reading_id=86&language=eng&book=0 and http://liturgy.slu.edu/11OrdC061310/reflections_osdieck.html

Solemnity of the Body & Blood of Christ

Discussion Questions for Reading 1 - Genesis 14:18-20: Eucharistic Prayer I mentions both Abraham and Melchizedek, soon after our offering of bread and wine has become the "the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation."

Look with favor on these offerings

and accept them as once you accepted

the gifts of your servant Abel,

the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith,

and the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchizedek.

(Sacramentary, Eucharistic Prayer I)

Now we are offering Jesus back to the Father?and ourselves in him! After all these centuries of offerings, it is your turn to give yourself to God. How can you do this today, in your life?
Discussion Questions for Reading 2 - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: There are four important actions in every account of the first Eucharist: takes, gives thanks (or blesses), breaks, and shares. These four actions are present in our Eucharist today. In our Eucharist, this does not happen all at once. First, the priest repeats the words of Scripture as he does what Jesus did. When does the priest take and give thanks (or bless, or consecrate) the bread and wine? When does he break the bread, now the Body of Christ? When does he share the Body and Blood of Christ with us? Watch for these words and actions the next time you celebrate the Eucharist. How does it feel to know that you are participating in the action of Jesus that began at the Last Supper and still continues today?
Discussion Questions for Gospel - Luke 9:11b-17: What four actions of Jesus make this event similar to the event of the Last Supper? This story shows Jesus taking ordinary food and asking that his disciples share it. How can we share ordinary food with the hungry today? 
Consider this contradiction: I always share the Body and Blood of Christ at the Eucharist. I never share ordinary food with the hungry. It seems from this event that Jesus would want us to do both.
How can we match up our willingness to share food with the hungry with our willingness to share Jesus in the Eucharist? How can we show our gratitude for the eucharistic meal Jesus shares with us and with our parishes? Can we accept the challenge to share with others in need, even if what we have to share seems small and insignificant?

http://www.webelieveweb.com/home_proclaiming_faith.cfm?reading_id=85&language=eng&book=0