Sunday 19 September 2021 (’00): 25thSUNin ORDINARY : B
1.WIS2;12, 17-20
- Read 1·1 – 2:24! Measured thoughts from the moral heights! But do they convince?
- Can I name I0VirtuousWomen&Men in IrishSociety?
In what ways are they being opposed&stalked&ambushed by TheGodless’?
In what ways are they being rescued&looked–after by ‘God’?
In what ways are they being realistically supported by ‘adultChristians’?
- Is the veneration of ‘martyrs’ partly an admission that ‘God couldn’t save them’?
- Is the paucity of ‘virtuous speaking-out’ a hint that ‘support is not anticipated’?
2. THE PSALM : 53:3–6, 8 ·
- Read S3(54):1-7(8)! A very familiar formula of ‘wishful thinking” &Will it always be so, as long as ‘divine power’ is thought of as ‘out-there’, not ‘in-here’?
- If someone is imbued with one of ‘TheOther-Gods’, say Dionysus or Hermes or Artemis, how would such a one perceive any need to ‘have regard for God’?
- Especially if ‘God’ is inculcated in casual, even unworthy, ways!
- For ‘adultChristians’ nowadays, what is the equivalent of ‘adultJews’ sacefice?
- What rituals have I & others found to be most supportive?
3. JAM3:16– 4:3
- Read 3.1 – 4:17! Who could tolerate such gadfly! So many stings near the bone!
- What excuses will I find, to shred&scatter these strangely-contemporarybarbs?
- What attitudes&skills are being offered in my local church. first to recognise &deal-with our own bigotry&conflict&power–hunger! Then those of others!
- What if ‘bleating prayer’ is being substituted for ‘christian initiative’?
4. MK9:30-37
- Did the ‘disciples’, even ‘TheTwelve’, ever transcend their confused impotence?
- What important clues here, to the huge Potentials&Pitfalls&Fears of ‘disciples’?
- Will ‘ adultChristians’ negotiate the seductiveness–cum–innocence of ‘TheChild’?
- If Christians in Northern Ireland are secretly&selfrighteously arguing about ‘who is the greatest?’, but unable to acknowledge this, how can there ever be ‘true peace’?
- Is that about ‘TheSonOfMan’ (oneself?) ‘GoodNews’ or ‘RottenNews’?
- ‘ First&Last‘. But what price ‘christian humility in our own ‘celtic tigger’?
- Currently, who is able&courageous&indiscreet-enuff to ‘instruct-disciples’?
5. The presence&action of the BlessedOne, is it like this?
‘Gertie, y’know, th’ way everyone thought th’ disciples was men… ‘ ‘Who?’ ‘Well, our curate, th’ fella wi’ th’ stack a’ waterford cryst’I, started up again about it, can’t lave well–enuff alone, “Our Lord pickt on‘y men for t’ be His disciples, that’s –that, end of story!’“ Then some bitta Hewbrew, “roamila cootila cowsila feetila!” I wanted t‘ go up an scratch ‘is eyes.. . ‘ ‘Cissie!’ ‘God’s truth, Gertie! or shout o ut, “What about OurDivineMother? Wasn’t She ordained by HerSon at th’ marriage feast a’ Cana?”‘ ‘Oh ..?’ ‘But, as my aunt Doris usedta say, I refrained for thiS bout! Anyway ‘ ‘Your aunt Doris knew ‘er onions!’ ‘ … I wouldn’t want t’ gave my fella th’ suck! I c’n imagine ‘ is oul’ whine, “God y’ll want t’ be Pope a’ Rome next, an’ rune us altogether!”‘ ‘Y’re right, Cissie that’s tactics! let’s bade our time! Th’ way things is goin’, th’ll be comm’ before long on their bended knees, you’ll see!!’
6. RIDDLE Which ‘discipleship’ have I actually chosen?
Dynamic, titular, rhetorical, ha-ha, or twist-my–a rm?
Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie