17th Sunday of the Year A

The following resources are in the form of a video presentation
  • The readings for the day
    (a useful commentary on these readings here    )
  • A Gospel Reflection by Fr Alex and Fr Mike
  • Prayers of Intercession
  • Final Blessing
  • Closing reflective music
After you have watched our Prayer Resources we would encourage you to sit and reflect quietly on what the Word of God is saying to you this weekend. The questions below are simply suggestions but if you find them helpful then use them.

If you are interested  in joining a small group to share your thoughts and feelings about God's Word from any of the resources you have watched please email us.         cluster.alpha@outlook.com

Questions for reflection (framed for a group discussion)
Write down ten(ish) people, places and situations which recall wonderfully pleasant memories from throughout your life. Look out old photos if it helps. These are your treasure/pearls hidden in your memory and the string running through them to make a necklace is God’s love.

 1.  Look carefully at your pearls of life and thank God for these freely offered gifts in spoken or written prayer
2.  If you are in a connect group, share parts of your “necklace” with them or phone someone and recall a “pearl” with them.
" ...a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old."
3. Reflecting on the gospel now as an adult and looking back on your faith life,  what are you afraid to let go of, or what are you afraid of that's new?
Preparing for next week
For those who would like to start reflecting on next week's gospel, the text can be found here - the feeding of the five thousand.
Here are some suggested questions you may find helpful.

We tend to think of the miraculous way that Jesus "multiplied" the loaves and fishes. We might miss that Jesus said to his apostles: "Feed them yourselves".
1. Thank God in prayer that, daily, He takes our fairly pathetic offerings and - in ways we shall never know - multiplies them and distributes them to others.
2. This parable brings Foodbanks into clear focus. In our neighbourhood, some people are needing fed - they have next to nothing for themselves or their children. See the Cluster News for details of our local foodbank and do what you can.

"The hungry child can only experience God through bread."
3. Recognise a basic need (physical, or emotional or spiritual) in someone this week and ask for guidance to help meet that need.
End of Prayer resource