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Why does Jesus offers the Parable of the Sower?

Because He is determined to sow the seed of His Word into every heart—no matter how hard the soil may be.

Reflect today on of your own heart. Are you truly open to the deeper truths of God? Do you seek to understand, or are you content merely to hear? Ask the Lord to lift the sacred veil from your eyes and ears so that you may behold the mysteries of His Kingdom with clarity and awe. Let His Word penetrate your soul like seed falling on rich soil.

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17 Jan - 'Look: there is the Lamb of God'

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17 Jan - 'Look: there is the Lamb of God'

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Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

How can we recognise Jesus as the lamb of God in our lives? OR How can we like John the Baptist point others to Jesus?

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How has serving in the ministry mould me? What area do I grow in next year?

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How has serving in the ministry mould me? What area do I grow in next year?

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Week of Christ the King. Think of the time you exercise kingship for growth in your faith/ to chose your faith over wordly temptation?

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Week of Christ the King. Think of the time you exercise kingship for growth in your faith/ to chose your faith over wordly temptation?

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15 Nov - The destruction of the Temple foretold

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15 Nov - The destruction of the Temple foretold

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When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’

What are things we admire or rely on too much? OR Why do people want to know “when” things will happen?

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8 Nov - Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up

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8 Nov - Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up

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Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.

Why did Jesus drive out the merchants and money changers? OR What does this gospel teach us about worship?

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Share your favourite saint for All Saints Day :)

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1 Nov - How happy are the poor in spirit 

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1 Nov - How happy are the poor in spirit 

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Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

What are beatitudes? OR How do beatitudes apply in our daily lives?

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25 Oct - The tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified.

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25 Oct - The tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified.

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Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

What did the tax collector do in his prayer? OR What lesson did Jesus teach through this parable?

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18 Oct - The parable of the unjust judge 

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18 Oct - The parable of the unjust judge 

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Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’

And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’

What is the main message of the parable? OR What does Jesus want us to learn from this parable?

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11 Oct -  No-one has come back to praise God, only this foreigner

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11 Oct -  No-one has come back to praise God, only this foreigner

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On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’

What did the lepers ask Jesus to do? OR How did Jesus respond to them?

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Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

Why do you think Jesus chose a rich man and a poor man for this story? OR How do you feel when you hear that Lazarus was ignored while the rich man feasted?

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20 Sept - You cannot be a slave of both God and money

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20 Sept - You cannot be a slave of both God and money

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Jesus said to his disciples:

‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”

What does God want us to do with what He gives us? OR How did the steward feel after he lost his job?

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13 Sept - God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved

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13 Sept - God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved

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Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who came down from heaven,

the Son of Man who is in heaven;

and the Son of Man must be lifted up

as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost

but may have eternal life.

For God sent his Son into the world

not to condemn the world,

but so that through him the world.

How should we live with wisdom in our daily lives? OR How does false wisdom affect our choices?

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6 Sep - Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple

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6 Sep - Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple

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Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

‘And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, the onlookers would all start making fun of him and saying, “Here is a man who started to build and was unable to finish.” Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who advanced against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’

What does "carry the cross" mean? OR Why does Jesus talk about building a tower?

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30 Aug - Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled

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30 Aug - Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled

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On a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. He said this, ‘When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, “Give up your place to this man.” And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

What is the main lesson from Jesus about seating at a banquet? OR What promise does Jesus give to those who show such generous hospitality?

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23 Aug - The last shall be the first and the first last

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23 Aug - The last shall be the first and the first last

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Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.

‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”

‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’

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16 Aug - How I wish it were blazing already!

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16 Aug - How I wish it were blazing already!

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Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!

‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’

What does the “fire” represent here? OR What baptism is Jesus speaking about?

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Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.

‘Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What possessions should be let go of to follow Jesus better? OR How are we called to give generously?

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2 Aug - Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you

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2 Aug - Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you

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A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’

Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’

What was the mistake? OR What does "rich toward God" mean?

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Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’

He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray:

‘“Father, may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come;

give us each day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test.”’

What did Jesus teach about prayer OR Why did he give us the Lord’s Prayer?

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Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’

What did Mary choose to do instead of helping with serving? OR What did Jesus say about Mary's choice?

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There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’

How can we be more like the good samaritan? OR What does this parable teach us?

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5 July - Your peace will rest on that man

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5 July - Your peace will rest on that man

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The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road.

What is Jesus asking the 72 people to do? OR What does "the harvest is rich but the labourers are few" mean?

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24 May - A peace the world cannot give is my gift to you

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24 May - A peace the world cannot give is my gift to you

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Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him and make our home with him.

Those who do not love me do not keep my words.

And my word is not my own:

it is the word of the one who sent me.

What does Jesus say is the sign that someone loves Him? OR What does Jesus promise to those who keep His word?

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17 May - In the Son of Man, God has been glorified

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17 May - In the Son of Man, God has been glorified

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When Judas had gone Jesus said:

‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified,

and in him God has been glorified.

If God has been glorified in him,

God will in turn glorify him in himself,

and will glorify him very soon.

‘My little children,

I shall not be with you much longer.

I give you a new commandment:

love one another;

just as I have loved you,

you also must love one another.

By this love you have for one another,

everyone will know that you are my disciples.’

What do you think Jesus meant when He said He was being glorified? OR How can people tell we are followers of Jesus by the way we love?

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10 May - I know my sheep and they follow me

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10 May - I know my sheep and they follow me

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Jesus said:

‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;

I know them and they follow me.

I give them eternal life;

they will never be lost

and no one will ever steal them from me.

The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,

and no one can steal from the Father.

The Father and I are one.’

What does it mean to "listen to the voice" of Jesus? OR What ways can you follow Jesus closely in your daily life?

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3 May - Jesus stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish

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3 May - Jesus stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish

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Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

What can we learn from the disciples in this story? OR Why do you think they didn’t recognize Jesus at first?

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12 April - Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord.

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12 April - Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord.

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Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany,

at the mount that is called Olivet,

he sent two disciples,

saying, ‘Go into the village opposite,

where on entering you will find a colt tied,

on which no one has ever yet sat;

untie it and bring it here.

If any one asks you,

“Why are you untying it?”

you shall say this,

“The Lord has need of it.”’

Would I be willing to follow Jesus’ instructions without hesitation just like the disciples? OR The colt was tied up what in your life needs to be "untied" for God's use?

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5 April - 'Let the one among you who has not sinned be the first to throw a stone'

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5 April - 'Let the one among you who has not sinned be the first to throw a stone'

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Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them.

Why do you think Jesus went to the Mount of Olives before returning to the Temple? OR What might the people have learned from Jesus' teachings that day?

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The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained.

Why do you think the tax collectors and the sinners were seeking Jesus OR Why do you think the Pharisees and scribes complained?

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22 Mar - 'Leave the fig tree one more year'

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22 Mar - 'Leave the fig tree one more year'

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Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans?

What message do you think Jesus was trying to convey about sin and suffering? OR Why does Jesus ask if the Galileans were greater sinners?

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15 Mar - Jesus is transfigured before them

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15 Mar - Jesus is transfigured before them

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Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning.

Why did Jesus choose the mountain to pray? OR Why did His clothing became brilliant as lightning?

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8 Mar - The temptation in the wilderness

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8 Mar - The temptation in the wilderness

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Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days.

How do we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit? OR What are ways to avoid temptation?

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"Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit?" What does it mean to "see clearly" when it comes to our own faults? OR How can prayer or meditation help us in seeing our own faults?

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Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. How did Jesus show love to His enemies? OR What can we learn from Him?

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Blessed are we who invites Him to our hearts. Which beatitude touches you most?