Gospel Reading from Mass: September 27, 2009

Mark 9:38-48 -- 38"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." 39"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40for whoever is not against us is for us. 41I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. 42"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. 43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48where `their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

Observation:

• What did John tell Jesus about? What was Jesus’ response?
• What did Jesus tell the disciples about serving others and about personal responsibility with children?
• What did Jesus tell them about sinning?

Application:

• What does the phrase “for whoever is not against us is for us” mean?
• Does Jesus really want you to cut off your hand or foot or to pluck out your eye? What is the principle he is trying to teach us?
• What do we learn here about heaven and hell?
• Who is heaven for? Hell?
• Is it possible for a person to know whether they will be in heaven or hell before they die? Explain your answer?

Gospel Reading from Mass: September 20, 2009

Mark 9:30-37 -- 30They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." 32But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. 33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 34But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." 36He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

Observation:

• Why didn’t Jesus want anyone to know where he and disciples were?
• What did he teach them? What prophesies did he share with them?
• Did the disciples understand Jesus’ teaching? Why didn’t they ask him for further explanation?
• What happened when they got to Capernaum? What were the disciples arguing about?
• What did Jesus teach them about being first? About children?

Application:

• Why do you think Jesus wanted the disciples to understand what was going to happen to him? Why didn’t they understand?
• Why do you think the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest?
• What principles did Jesus teach the disciples about being first and about children?

Gospel Reading from Mass: September 13, 2009

Mark 8:27-35 -- 27Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." 30Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." 34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.

Observation:

• Where were Jesus and his disciples?
• What question did Jesus ask his disciples? How did he answer?
• How did Peter answer Jesus’ question? What did Jesus say in response to his answer?
• What did Jesus warn the disciples about? What did he teach them?
• What did Peter say in response to Jesus’ teaching? How did Jesus respond?
• What did Jesus tell the crowd?

Application:

• What does it mean when Peter said that Jesus was “the Christ”?
• Why do you think rebuked Jesus? How did Christ respond?
• What did Jesus prophesy about himself in verses 31 and 32?
• What did Jesus mean when he rebuked Peter and said “Get behind me, Satan!”?
• What does it mean for a person to deny himself? To take up his cross? To follow Jesus?
• What does it mean to lose your life for Christ and the gospel? How will this save you? What will you be saved from?

Gospel Reading from Mass: September 6, 2009

Mark 7:31-37 -- 31Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. 33After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. 34He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!"). 35At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

Observation:

• Where did Jesus travel?
• Who did the people bring to Jesus?
• What did Jesus do next? What happened to the man?
• What did Jesus command the people to do?
• What did the people say about Jesus?

Application:

• Why do you think Jesus healed the man in this way?
• Why do you think Jesus commanded the people not to tell anyone what happened to the man?
• Why is it significant that Jesus has the power to heal people?

Gospel Reading from Mass: August 30, 2009

Mk 7:1-8; 14-15; 21-23 -- 1The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. 3(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) 5So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with `unclean' hands?" 6He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." …. 14Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15Nothing outside a man can make him `unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him `unclean.' " …. 21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man `unclean.' "

Observation:

• Who gathered around Jesus?
• What were Jesus’ disciples doing?
• What did the Pharisees and the teachers of the law ask Jesus? How did he answer them?
• What makes person unclean?

Application:

• Why were the Pharisees and the teachers of the law concerned with cleanliness?
• What does it mean to be unclean?
• Where does uncleanliness come from?
• What kind of cleanliness is Jesus concerned with?
• How can we be clean?

Gospel Reading from Mass: August 23, 2009

John 6:54; 60-69 -- 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. …. 60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" 61Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? 62What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." 66From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. 68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Observation:

• What about the teaching was hard to accept?
• What did Jesus know about the disciples?
• Who can come to the Son? In what way?
• When did some disciples leave Jesus?
• What did Jesus ask his 12 disciples when many followers turned away? What was their response?

Application:

• Why do you think that the disciples grumbling?
• What did Jesus mean when he said the words he was speaking were spirit and life?
• Did Jesus mean that a person should actually eat his flesh and drink his blood?
• Why did many of Jesus’ followers stop following him?
• Why did Peter say Jesus has the words of eternal life? What does that mean?

Gospel Reading from Mass: August 16, 2009

John 6:51-58 -- 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." 52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

Observation:

• What did Jesus say about himself?
• Why were the Jews confused?
• What did Jesus say about himself?
• Who sent Jesus to the world?
• What kind of bread was Jesus talking about?

Application:

• What did Jesus mean when he said that he would give his flesh for the life of the world?
• What does the term “the last day” mean to you?
• What kind of life is Jesus talking about in verse 53?
• How can a person eat and drink Jesus? What did he mean when he said this?