THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE > LEADER GUIDE

Me First

When we think about how we think the world should be, many of us start focusing on what other people need to fix.  It seems like it's the other people who always need the fixing.

But Jesus always seems to be reminding us to start with ourselves. As Christians, we should continually be experiencing conversion: letting God's love break open our hearts and turning our lives completely around to seek the Kingdom. How can we break through our own resistance to the Good News and let Christ rule in our own lives?

Lectionary Readings

Reading texts: U.S. Bishops website
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
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First Reading

Second Reading

Gospel

Reflections

Overview
  • The Kingdom was Jesus' big idea and the focus of all his ministry.
  • As Christians, we are called to understand the Kingdom and let God work through us to create it "on earth as it is in heaven."
Motivation & Reluctance (understanding & engaging skeptics)
  • Almost everyone wants the world to be a better place, and believes they should take some role in it.
  • Skeptics may not believe Scripture or the Church can help them make a difference.
  • The term "kingdom" can sound archaic or even sexist.
Gospel
  • In the Parable of the Seed, we learn that when the Word of the Kingdom actually takes root in good soil and is nurtured, it bears a huge (and normally impossible yield).
  • Jesus says the Word must be heard, understood, received with joy, have deep roots with staying power, and avoid "worldly anxiety and the lure of riches".
  • We are not only called to nurture the Word in ourselves, but also to scatter seed (broadly, with risk).
Other Readings
  • As Isaiah attests, the Kingdom is not just a concept from the Christian scriptures but a strand woven through the whole Bible. The Word is doing God's will and creating a new reality.
  • In Romans, Paul speaks to suffering in our current world and how incredible the coming Kingdom will be. But it is not an easy process, as creation is groaning in labor pains as this new reality is born.
The World As It Should Be
  • Does anyone believe the world is a perfect place?
  • If everyone wants the world to be a better place, why are we still so far from that ideal?
  • In this series, we will explore the Kingdom--Jesus' vision for what the world should be--and what we should do about it.
View the introduction public page and week 1 public page for more ideas.

Public Link

Direct parishioners to: http://gospel.link/shouldbe1

Handouts / Inserts

Single Page
The PDF file is the best quality and smaller file size.  Use it for printing or emailing:
should_be_-_week_1.pdf
File Size: 219 kb
File Type: pdf
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The JPG file can be used to paste it directly in another file, such as for your parish bulletin:
should_be_-_week_1.jpg
File Size: 1306 kb
File Type: jpg
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