Readings for Sunday March 24, 2019

Hi Ladies!!
Again--I apologize for the lateness of this message (the musical was this weekend and it totally took over my life!).  Anyway, here are the readings for Sunday March 24, 2019, CYCLE C:

First Reading: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11
Second Reading: First Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

If you are looking through the USCCB site for the link to the readings, be sure to choose "cycle C" (not sure why they had the choice of "A" or "C" for that Sunday):

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032419-yearc.cfm

ok, as usual, PLEASE try to read them as well in your own bible --to get a feel for context and situation for deeper understanding of what's actually happening in these verses. If you can, read the verses before and after (and even fill in the in-between verses that are skipped in the lectionary), so that you can better know the context and intent of the readings.

Questions to ask ourselves as we are reading:

-What is the key concept/message of the day?

-How does the Gospel reading tie into that concept/message...ie. what could God be revealing to us about Christ...about the Father...about our relationship with and in Him...about WHO He is to and for us?

-How does this concept strengthen what we have already learned this past year about: Fear? Trust? Hope? Joy? Truth?

-And then, perhaps most importantly, What is the key message/pearl that the Holy Spirit desires to speak into me and my situation(s) through these verses? 

Just a heads' up for this Sunday's upcoming readings--these are some of the more difficult passages to read and understand. If we are not careful, they can easily lead us into a sense of impending inevitable doom without hope, and true despair in our well-deserved condemnation and judgment of our sin-filled state. So!! Our challenge over this week is to find the "hope" that the HolySpirit is trying to pour into us--through the Old Testament story of God's first introduction of His Name to His people, through Paul's exhortation in his epistle to the Corinthians, and finally, through Jesus' parable in the Gospel reading about the fig tree.

Think about it--pray constantly--and let's hear what the HolySpirit desires to speak into us!

Hope to see everyone on Wednesday!

love

maggie (and Lorraine)