Hello Beta leaders! By the time we get to Mass to hear this Gospel, Halloween will be but a memory… and in less than a month, we turn the page to a new Liturgical Year, and it’s full steam ahead to Christmas. This week’s Gospel is one you’ve doubtless heard before, but the background info gives us a whole new (to me, anyway) way of thinking about this familiar story. I hope you find great things to talk about in this reading! -Margo
Our Pastoral Associate, Margo Morin, is doing a 90-day tithing challenge and sharing her experience here. You can catch up by reading the other installments at https://mqoa.org/blog
We sometimes hear the phrase: “We are entering the home stretch.” It began as a racing reference, but it can be applied to many journeys in our lives, as a sign that something is coming to an end or conclusion. And so it is with this liturgical year, we enter these last few weeks—the home stretch—and we have a few things to keep in mind.
Over the past two weeks, Jesus has asked “what do you want me to do for you?” and in this Sunday’s Gospel, He asks, in essence, “what do you want to know?” There are great discussion points in today’s Gospel, around how we are called to live out the Commandments that Jesus highlights. I pray your conversations will be fruitful and your time together a blessing to each other!
Margo's doing a 90-day Tithing Challenge, giving 10% to charitable organizations and people in need, and sharing her experience with us here each week. This week, check out the orgs she's donated to. There are links for each one, so you can give too if you are inspired to do so.
I don’t know about you, but after the last several weeks of Gospel readings, I’m almost starting to think of the Gospel of Mark as the comedic one. These goofball disciples! Jesus’ (I assume) rolling eyes and patient teaching! This week, someone finally gets it, and it’s not any of the main characters we’ve met in the story so far. This week the questions are juicy and I pray you’ll have wonderful conversations around them. -Margo
Weekly column from our Pastoral Associate, Margo Morin. Margo's in the middle of a self-imposed 90-day Tithing Challenge, giving %10 of her income to charity each week for 90 days, and she's sharing her experience here. You can read the other entries in her series at our blog, at www.MQOA.org/blog.
We are halfway through this month of October’s celebrations and the arrival of many tourists, and I am very pleased that groups of parishioners have volunteered to welcome people at the doors of the church and offer them conversation, rosary beads, and an opportunity to sit in the church and pray or light a candle. These small acts of kindness and generosity over a long period of time are what we are trying to do to change the culture here at our parish.
Here’s this week’s Beta lesson, which includes the Apostles at the peak of their classic Gospel of Mark bone-headedness… If you’re curious to follow that lead, check out the chapters of Mark that lead up to this one. Jesus has been PRETTY CLEAR with them, and still somehow they don’t get it. I wonder what your group thinks is going on there! I pray you’ll have fruitful and fun conversations this week.
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Beta lesson for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Oh boy, these September Gospels have been tricky, haven't they? This one is one that can really hit hearers/readers in a sensitive place. We hope you have great conversations around it; it can be done!
Here’s this week’s Beta lesson, which includes the Apostles at the peak of their classic Gospel of Mark bone-headedness… If you’re curious to follow that lead, check out the chapters of Mark that lead up to this one. Jesus has been PRETTY CLEAR with them, and still somehow they don’t get it. I wonder what your group thinks is going on there! I pray you’ll have fruitful and fun conversations this week.
What's that you say? I paused my column last week so you'd pay more attention to Fr. Murray's Grand Annual letter, and then posted something else by mistake? Well then...
Our pastor's letter to the parishioners and friends of Mary, Queen of the Apostles Parish, as we begin what we intend to be our last Grand Annual fundraising campaign.
Oh boy, these September Gospels have been tricky, haven't they? This one is one that can really hit hearers/readers in a sensitive place. I hope you have great conversations around it; it can be done!
