Collect for 26th Sunday Year B:

COLLECT SERIES

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

COLLECT

The Collect for the 26th Sunday of Year B reads as follows:

O God who manifest Your almighty power

above all by showing pardoning and mercy

bestow, we pray, your abundant grace upon us

and make those hastening to attain Your promise

heirs to the treasures of Heaven.

 REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged:

1.How has God shown to me His almighty power in my life? 

2. How might God manifest in my life this coming week?

3. What areas in my life do I need God's almighty power to manifest?

4. How has God shown me pardon and mercy and how might I show others this same pardon and mercy this coming week?

5. What would it mean to me to have abundance grace bestowed on me. What difference would it make to my life this coming week?

6. Am I hastening to attain God's promise of the treasures of Heaven?  

7. Am I proactive in my pursuit of it or do I expect that God will deliver and I do not need to do anything at all.

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Today's Gospel from Mark (9:38-48) is challenging on a number of fronts.  However, Jesus is really inviting His disciples (and us) to be proactive in our pursuit of the Kingdom.  Essentially, we cannot be fence sitters when it comes to the things of God and our relationship with Him.  If we are fence sitters, then we are backing ourselves (and fooling ourselves) to have a foot in both camps. When we fence sit, we do not make a decision either way and our behaviours become wishy-washy and indecisive and eventually fade into nothing.

What Jesus is insisting upon in this gospel with His disciples is that a clear commitment is made and that where there are trouble spots in their lives that they address it radically.  Jesus is not suggesting self-mutilation literally by plucking out our eyes or ripping off our hands but the imagery is very intense.  Jesus therefore in this gospel invites us to look at our lives and focus our attention to these areas which need His abundant grace, ask Him for this grace and be proactive in pursuing God's way in our lives.

The Responsorial Psalm response"the precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart''  provide also food for thought during the week.  How true is this response for us in our lives?  Perhaps, in times of temptation, this response could be used as a prayer and to help us focus our attention back to God.  Perhaps in times of worry and anxiety, we can use it prayerfully to give us courage.

 So as we attend Holy Mass this weekend, let us listen carefully to the readings. Let us be inspired and moved to put God first place in our lives in every way.  We may wish to consider a particular area which needs God's abundance grace and work with full commitment to change the attitude/behaviour or circumstance which is less than what God wants.  

God is inviting us this week to recommit fully to Him whatever it takes.  God is merciful and waiting for us to return to Him.  God is ready to pardon our sins and absolve us in the sacrament of Reconciliation and for us to receive His grace.  This can be a very good first step toward commitment to God fully. God loves us and is always waiting to give us His abundant grace.  Whether we have received the sacrament years ago or just last week, we can always receive God's pardon, absolution and abundant grace in this sacrament. The grace we receive each time we attend this sacrament helps us fight our weakness and gives us grace to choose God's way.  Why would we not accept this wonderful assistance that God provides for us through His Church.

With full commitment and focus, we will be able to truly say in our hearts" the precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart''. and we will be hastening to attain God’s promise heirs to the treasures of Heaven.

                                             May we pray for each other as