Collect for 6th Sunday of Year C and Gospel Reflection

COLLECT AND GOSPEL REFLECTION SERIES

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COLLECT  AND GOSPEL REFLECTION FOR 6TH SUNDAY OF YEAR.

COLLECT

The Collect for the 6^th Sunday of the Year reads as follows:

O God, who teach us that You abide 

in hearts that are just and true,

Grant that we may be so fashioned by Your grace 

as to become a dwelling pleasing to You.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, 

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

one God, for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

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

1.    How do I recognise God abiding in me?

2.    What is being just and true for God and for me?

3.    What are the areas that need God’s grace in my life?

4.    What would a dwelling pleasing to God be like?

5.    What do I need to do to provide that pleasing dwelling for God?

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Today’s Gospel from St Luke is an abbreviated form of the Sermon on the Mount taken from Matthew’s Gospel.   Want to understand more about the Beatitudes in Matthew's Gospel first.  I have written on this topic here. Click the link to read more.

Luke’s version is different because he

1.Has a focus on the need to be free from the tyranny of material possession.

2. Has written it with Jesus addressing His disciples not the crowd.

3. has a crowd that includes Gentiles from Tyre and Sidon.

4.has succinctly turned each beatitude to focus on socio-economic, poverty, hunger and sorrow. This is contrast to Matthew’s version where his focus is on spiritual and religious. Issues.

5.leaves no room for compromise in each of the beatitude statements. It is therefore briefer in length than Matthew’s passage. This brevity adds to the starkness and uncompromising style of the beatitude statements

GOSPEL IN ACTION

So, having listened to this Gospel today, how will be act upon this Gospel during the week?

Options might include:

1. Choose a beatitude to focus on for the rest of this month. Write it in conspicuous places throughout your house to remind you about it.

2.Think of one practical way to put this beatitude into action in your daily life each day. Ask Holy Spirit to enlighten you as to the appropriate course of action.

3. Read Both Matthew’s version and Luke’s version and compare how you feel about each one.  Do you feel more at home with one version over the other- if so why?

4.Singing the beatitudes aloud and in your heart throughout the day can be helpful.

 The beatitudes Song : 

  or another musical version of the Beatitudes;  

You might find reading this sermon by St Bernard helpful.