NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small Christian communities that gather in the home weekly to prayerfully discuss the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. It’s easy to form a community and you can find out more by searching “Christ in Our Neighborhood at the Diocese of Phoenix website, dphx.org.
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The question the Christ in Our Neighborhood commentary asks us is: How do I treat the people around me who are hungry for God’s love? Am I a Eucharistic person who allows my faith to result in compassion for others, especially those I am tempted to dismiss?
When the priest or deacon dismisses us at the end of Mass, the Roman Missal gives him four options. Two of them are, “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” and “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”
Do we ever let those words really sink in? At Mass, we’re given the precious Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and we’re sent forth to glorify the Lord by bringing that Eucharistic presence into the world. In fact, the word Mass comes from the Latin word meaning “sending.”
We who have received the love of God in the Eucharist are called to go forth and share that love with everyone we meet, particularly those who may be small, forgotten or marginalized.
If you haven’t joined a Christ in Our Neighborhood small group yet, perhaps you are being called to start one yourself. It’s easy! Check out our website today to find out more: dphx.org/Christ-in-our-neighborhood.
Watch the video of the weekly podcast segment featuring Christ in Our Neighborhood with Bishop Dolan by clicking HERE.
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
