IBED SPIRITUAL BONDING HOUR

(January 25, 2018

THEME: “GOD’S GIFTS ARE FOR CREATIVITY AND SERVICE”

I. INTRODUCTION:

God is so generous with each of his creatures, and especially with us, human beings. Even the
ones who seem to have received much less than others have surely received a lot. The secret to be
happy with what the Lord has given us is not to compare what He has given us with what He has given
to others, but to make the most of His gifts and opportunities, making them produce as much fruit as
they can.

God’s gifts, in fact, are like seeds bursting with potentials. It is for us to discover these potentials
and make them bear fruit by using them with gratitude, creativity and sense of responsibility, knowing
that one we will be asked to account for what we did with them.

II. LISTENING AND REFLECTION: (All stand)

 OPENING SONG: # 11 Hudyaka song book
 OPENING PRAYER: SPONTANEOUS PRAYER (TO BE ASSIGNED)
 GOSPEL READING: (Matthew 25:14 – 30) - SUNDAY GOSPEL: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.
RESPONSE: Glory to You, O Lord.

 REFLECTION:

All of God’s gifts are beautiful and precious. They are so many, far beyond our counting, for God is
always immensely generous in lavishing His blessings upon us. For our part, our first duty is to “count
them,” i.e./ to become aware of them.
On the other hand, once we become aware of the gifts we have received from the Lord, we should
not boast about them, as if they were our doing, nor should we take them for granted as something
that God “owed us”. We should not use God’s gifts to us in selfish manner. Rather, we are expected to
use these gifts/talents also for the good of our neighbor and growth of God’s Kingdom.

Guide Questions for the Sharing:

1. Which of the three servants in the parable represents you? Why?

2. What are the gifts/talents you received from God that was shared it to others?
3. How did you multiply these gifts/talents in God’s name?

 FAITH SHARING: (Based from the questions given or any reflection from the Gospel or striking
statements from the reflection provided.

 PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL

RESPONSE: LORD, BLESS US WITH YOUR ABUNDANT GIFTS
----- OUR FATHER… HAIL MARY… GLORY BE… -----

 CLOSING PRAYER: (TO BE ASSIGNED)

 CLOSING SONG: # 37 Hudyaka
 Sunday 22 July 2018
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Awareness of the Presence of God

If someone asked you to give them another word for 'God', you could use the word 'Presence', for that is
what God is. When Moses asked Yahweh his name, Yahweh replied, 'I am who am' and this means 'I am
present'. God is really saying, 'I shall be there for you.' God is intimately present to everything, and
especially to us. Jesus's name is Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us'. Matthew's Gospel ends with
the marvelous statement: Know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.
(from Finding God in All Things by Brian Grogan SJ)

Presence
Pause for a moment and think of the love
and the grace that God showers on me:
I am created in the image and likeness of God;
I am God's dwelling-place.


Body Exercise
Sit in your chair, upright but comfortable, with your back supported. Let your body relax (without
slouching), with your feet on the floor in front of you and your hands at rest on your thighs or joined in your
lap.
Close your eyes or fix them on some point in front of you. Now let your whole attention focus on what you
can feel in your body. You may start at your feet and work upwards, letting your attention dwell, perhaps
only for a few seconds, on whatever part of the body you can feel, shifting attention from one part of the
body to the other, although the longer you can hold attention on one part, the better. Your attention is on
what you are feeling, not on thoughts about feeling. If you are uncomfortable, or itch or want to move
position, just acknowledge the discomfort, assure yourself that it is all right and, without moving, continue
to focus attention on what you can feel in the body.
The mind rarely leaves us long in peace to do this, but begins to demand attention with comment and
questions: This is a waste of valuable time. What has this to do with prayer? Is this some kind of Hindu
thing? What is the point of it? Deal with the questions and comment as you dealt with the itch;
acknowledge them, then return to feeling the body.
You can, if you like, move into m

Breathing Exercise
This exercise involves concentrating all your attention on the physical feelings of breathing in and
breathing out, without deliberately changing the rhythm of your breathing.
Focus attention on feeling the cold air entering your nostrils and the warm air when you exhale. At first
you may become self conscious about your breathing and find it becomes irregular, but this does not, as a
rule, continue. If it were to do so, and you find yourself becoming breathless, then this exercise is not for
you at present.
Most people find that on doing this exercise the pattern of their breathing changes, the breath becoming
deeper and slower, and they begin to feel drowsy. In itself, it is a very good relaxation exercise, but if you
care to use it for more explicit prayer, then let the inbreathing express all that you long for in life, however
impossible it may seem in practice, and let the out-breath express your surrender of everything to God, all
of your life with its worries, sins, guilt and regrets.
It is important to do this without self-judgement, whether of approval or disapproval. Keep your attention
fixed on your desire to hand over all these worries about self, and do not clutch at them as if they were a
treasured possession.
(adapted from God of Surprises by Gerry W Hughes SJ)

Listening Exercise
Sit in your chair, upright but comfortable, with your back supported.
Now just notice the sounds that you can hear, sounds far away. Just hear them, don't even try to name
them.....
Notice fainter sounds, then sounds which are nearer. Just listen, become aware of them.....
And the sound of your own heartbeat, faint, but your own rhythm of life....
And the sound of silence in your place of prayer, the silence within yourself....
Listen like this for a few minutes.
(adapted from Praying in Lent by Donal Neary SJ)

God's Grandeur
The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs -
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
- Written by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Freedom
Lord I ask for the grace to know
That doing your will is a joy
Because your will is my deepest desire
And you are always willing what is best for me.
Consciousness
Where do I sense hope, encouragement, and growth areas in my life?
By looking back over the last few months, I may be able to see which activities and occasions have
produced rich fruit.
If I do notice such areas, I will determine to give those areas both time and space in the future.

The Word of God

Mark 6:30-34
The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them,
"Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going,
and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and
arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Conversation
Remembering that I am still in God's presence,
I imagine Jesus himself standing or sitting beside me,
and say whatever is on my mind, whatever is in my heart,
speaking as one friend to another.

Conclusion
I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been
given concerning the text.