NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small groups that gather in the home weekly to discuss and pray through the upcoming Sunday Mass readings.
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection asks us is: When you begin your service to God in the Church each day, do you invite Jesus to guide you?
You have to love the premise of this question: It presupposes that each of us is serving God in the Church each day. But are we really?
Serving God in the Church isn’t just about being a lector, singing in the choir or teaching vacation Bible school. Every single baptized and confirmed Catholic has been commissioned to serve the Church, the Body of Christ. Sometimes that looks like being an usher or running the parish festival, but often it means changing diapers, filling out spreadsheets or fixing a broken air conditioner.
Whatever work it is that occupies our days, when we do it with love and unite it to the Cross, we are serving God. One good way to do that is by praying the Morning Offering each day as we’re getting out of bed. Another way to sanctify the day is to spend at least 10 minutes praying through the day’s Gospel reading using a method the Church calls Lectio Divina. There are many prayer apps to help with this, but essentially, it goes like this:
Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what He wants to say to you through that particular Gospel selection. Then, prayerfully and slowly, read through the passage. Pause and then read through it again, looking for any word or phrase that sticks out. Spend some time in silence, seeking God’s wisdom and direction. Then take additional time to rest in God’s peace and offer Him your heart and your day.
Beginning our day by uniting it to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the suffering of Christ on the Cross and the Word of God, we can serve the Lord and the Church with gladness.
Be sure to join us for our Saturday, August 17, Morning of Reflection! This free, half-day retreat is an opportunity to meet other Christ in Our Neighborhood participants from around the Diocese of Phoenix. With an exciting array of speakers, this morning packed with inspiration, fun and a free gift. You can sign up to attend here: Christ in Our Neighborhood Aug. 17 Retreat/Cristo en Nuestro Barrio retiro de 17 de agosto (jotform.com)
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
