WEEK 1 - Forgiveness
Week of September 17th | Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel - Mt 18:21-35

Reflection Questions:

• How often do you ask forgiveness from others?  Why is it easy or difficult for you to say that you are sorry?  Why is it easy or difficult to say “I forgive you ”  

Small Group Discussions:

• Do you ask for forgiveness from others?  Is it easy or difficult for you to say you're sorry?

• Do you forgive people who have wronged you?  What gets in the way?

• Is it easy or difficult for you to forgive someone?  Why?

• Church:  Do you have something you want the Lord to forgive you for?

• Do you take the initiative to restore relationships?

• What differences do you see between “forgiveness,” “reconciliation,” and “healing”?

WEEK 2 - Mercy
Week of September 24th | Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel - Mt 20:1-16

 Small Group Discussions:

• How sensitive are you to the plight of the needy?

• Do you find it hard to ask for help?  How do you judge others?

• What would it feel like to know no one has invited you?  

• Do you resent the good fortunes of others?   Why?  Are you jealous of them?

• Is there an area of your life where you feel the Lord is asking you to trust that He knows how hard you’re working, even though you don’t feel as though you’re getting the recognition you deserve? If so, what area is that?

• Are we wrapped up in our efforts at making a good life for ourselves that we forget about those in desperate situations?

• Why did you come to labor in God’s vineyard? What do you expect?

• Does your life attract others to Christ’s side?

• What kind of radical love can you demonstrate in your life that imitates the kind of love and generosity we see in the Gospel message today?

• How do we reach out to the “late workers”? Is there more we can personally do or new ways we can reach out to the “late workers?

• How merciful are you to those that are needy?

• What kind of radical love and mercy can you demonstrate, reflecting that of God and Jesus Christ?

• Is there someone to whom you need to show God’s mercy, expressed by your love, your grace and your forgiveness?

• Think of how you can turn your merciful intentions into practical action.

WEEK 3 - Conversion
Week of October 1st | Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel - Mt 21:28-32

 Reflection Questions

• What would cause you to have a change of heart?

Small Group Discussions:

• What causes a person to undergo a change of heart? What causes a person to undergo a conversion?   

• Do you desire a conversion of heart? 

• Have you recently been pleasantly surprised by someone's unexpected kindness or actions?

• What can crowd out your perception of grace?

• In what surprising places have you found God at work? 

• Are good intentions enough in life? Do promises count if not lived up to?

• Do you seek to please God and respect his will and loving plan for your life?

• Are good intentions enough in life? Do promises count if not lived up to?

WEEK 4 - Salvation
Week of October 8th | Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel - Mt 21:33-43

Reflection Questions:

• When you are anxious, what have you found is helpful?  

Small Group Discussions:

• Do you follow and serve the Lord Jesus with joyful hope and confidence in the victory he has won for you and the gift of abundant new life in the Holy Spirit?

• What work has God called you to do in his vineyard? Who are God’s messengers right now?

• Who are God's messengers right now?

• How do we remember that the vineyard is God's, not ours?

• Have we ever been tempted to seize God's vineyard for one's own ends?

• What work has God called you to do in his vineyard? 

• How can someone be God’s envoy in your community, work, church, or the world?

WEEK 5 - God’s Invitation
Week of October 15th | Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel - Mt 22:1-14

Reflection Questions:

• In what ways has God invited you?

• How are you doing at working out wearing Christ’s wedding garment of surrender?

Small Group Discussions:

• Are we the guests or are we also the ones doing the inviting?

• How does this banquet not only sustain life but also transfigure it?

• In what ways has God invited you? How have you responded?

• Besides answering God’s invitation to the feast, what is expected for us?

• How do you understand Christ’s “wedding garment”?  Is it a garment of love? Is it a garment of surrender?  How are you doing at working out how to wear it?