Collect for 23rd Sunday of Year A

 

COLLECT SERIES

 

The Mass:  Collect Series icon.

COLLECT

 

The Collect for the 23rd Sunday of Year reads as follows:

 

O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption,
Look graciously upon Your beloved sons and daughters,
that those who believe in Christ may receive true freedom
and an everlasting inheritance.

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 1. What is my attitude/views of adopting a baby? 

  2. How might these attitudes/views of adoption affect my response to being a child of God through adoption? 

3.  3  What is my attitude/response to Jesus died for me and redeemed me?

4.    What part of me do I need further spiritual growth/redemption?
5.    If I am to receive everlasting inheritance, then how is my spiritual life? 
6.    Take some time this week to consider my spiritual life- take a stock take and make a plan of what I need to change? 

 

 GOSPEL REFLECTION

 

Are we on fire for the Lord?  Is God our no 1 priority in every moment of every day?  If our answer is well sort of… or I am too busy… or God loves me so it does not matter or some other response that is not a definite yes then we need to examine our spiritual lives and make some changes. 

The other question that we need to consider from today’s Gospel is how much do I love my brother/sister/neighbour when you can clearly see that they are heading down an ungodly path?  Are we willing to love them enough to help them make a uturn towards God?

We can see that we are not our brother’s keeper or why should I point out a splinter in my neighbour’s eye when I still have a plank in my own.   If we truly are on fire for the Lord and want to live with Him in eternity, then we can start to live it now and encourage others to do the same.  It is their choice but as today’s Gospel points out that if we fail to assist our neighbour and help put them back on the right path, then God counts us accountable- it is a sin of omission.  We see our neighbour heading in the wrong direction and we say nothing out of fear/ ridicule/ rejection or for some other reason, then it shows that we are lukewarm in our faith- not fired up and obviously do not consider the things of God to be important enough to share with our neighbour.

 

Of course, the manner in which we approach our neighbour and have a conversation is vital.  We need to pray to the Holy Spirit to provide the words, the right setting for the person whom we wish to speak.  That is not to be a cop out either. We need to pray about it, but also act trusting that the Holy Spirit will bear fruit in the other person. It may not be immediate but we will have sown the seed and also shown that our faith is important enough and that we love them enough to want them to share eternity with God.

 

We need to examine our own spiritual life and take a stock take.  What do I need to change to be on fire for the Lord and to love God with my whole heart, body, mind soul?  What will I change this week?