7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

7^th Sunday in Ordinary time

 

Lev 19:1-2,17-18                  Be holy.  Love your neighbor.

 

1 Cor 3:16-23                       You are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.

 

Matt 5:38-48                         Be perfect.  Love your enemies.

                                            

Preparation for Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion

Next Sunday we will be going to present those seeking baptism/full communion in the Catholic Church to the Bishop.  Everyone receiving the Sacraments this Easter Vigil will sign their name in the Book of the Elect, which will be presented to the Bishop.  It is a pledge to live as a Catholic for the rest of your life.

 

Small group discussion:

We are all called to continuing conversion.  For those entering the Catholic Church, the commitment is to live with the teaching of the Church as our standard, and the life of Jesus as our model, with the example of Mary and all the Saints as models of how to imitate him.  Please prayerfully look into your heart and be sure that you are prepared to live as a Catholic.  In small groups, share which one of the following teachings of the Church are the hardest for you, and how you will reconcile this.  “Agreeing to disagree” is not an option for these teachings.  How will you come to accept them?

 

Precepts of the Church:

1.      Mass attendance every Sunday and holy days of obligation.

2.      You shall confess your grave sins at least once a year.

3.      Receive Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.

4.      Do no unnecessary work on Sundays and holy days.

5.      Observe the days of fasting and abstinence.

Also, the faithful are required to provide for the material needs of the Church, each according to their abilities.

Controversial “faith and morals” teachings:

·        Psychics, astrologers and horoscopes are not to be consulted.  We live by faith.

·        Artificial birth control is a sin.  Natural means requiring abstinence are permitted.

·        Modes of affection proper to marriage are a grave sin outside of it.

·        Remarriage after a divorce is adultery, a mortal sin.

·        All persons are to be loved, regardless of religion, race, wealth or nationality.

·        The Church knows of no other means of salvation but Christ.

·        The Pope has the power to “bind and loose.”  His decisions on matters of faith and morals are binding on all Catholics.