Collect for 27th Sunday of Yr B

COLLECT SERIES

COLLECT

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

The Collect for the 27th Sunday of Year B reads as follows:

Almighty ever-living God,

who in the abundance of Your kindness 

surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you,

pour out Your mercy upon us

to pardon what conscience dreads

and to give what prayer does not dare to ask.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

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

1. How has God shown you the abundance of His kindness in my life?

2. How will i show God gratitude for His kindness in my life (past) and this coming
    week?

3. How do I recognise God's abundant kindness?

4. In what areas of my life do I need His mercy?

5. Name specifically what my conscience dreads (from the past) and presently?

6.  What do I hope God will give me, which I have not dared to ask in prayer?

GOSPEL REFLECTION

In today's Gospel, Jesus provides His teaching on marriage. God's plan is for a man or woman to marry for life as He quotes the book of Genesis (1:27,2:24).  Jesus provides His disciples who follow ''His way'' a clear ideal of marriage as a lifelong commitment to each other. Lifelong fidelity to each other in marriage by disciples becomes part their response in faith to God's powerful action in the world.  Living as disciples, trying like Jesus to walk His 'walk' as little one before God's power, can be the source of a fidelity in marriage that will last.

The Catholic teaching on marriage is that it is covenant between the 2 people- a man and a woman since both sexes complement each other and have an important role to play in bringing up children from the marriage.

Unfortunately, many marriages (including Catholic) end up in divorce.  This can be for a whole range of reasons including infidelity from one or both partners, abusive relationships.  lack of communication skills which causes many misinterpretations and understanding.

This does not mean that the Sacrament of Marriage in the Church should be changed or watered down. After all, Jesus in this scripture is actually raising the topic of respect of women.  In those times adultery was an injustice which a woman committed against her husband or a man committed against another man through that other man's wife.

For Jesus divorce and remarriage among His disciples by either a man or woman, points to a lack of faith in God, an evil like the infidelity of adultery itself.

Psalm 127 response: May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives also fits in well with the certainty of God's ever loving care for us and consolidates this from the Collect.  It also acts as a prayer for us during the week, especially when we need extra assurance that God will is with us.

A beautiful piece of music "The Lord Bless you and keep you" by Rutter  is  provided to add to your reflective thoughts this week.