First Reading
Jeremiah 20:10-13

1. Do we now find “terror on every side,” with racial, pandemic and environmental evils? Since suffering can lead to resentment, bitterness, and anger, what do you think enabled Jeremiah to not only endure his but also get beyond it and all the negative emotions that we presume came with it?

2. How is your trust? Can you increase the amount you have? How can trust help you handle difficult situations? Should you wait for “terror” to arrive before you start trusting? 

Second Reading
Romans 5:12-15

1. Paul tells us in this reading that “the gift is not like the transgression” [of Adam and Eve]. According to Pope Francis, does God’s mercy wipe out or destroy sin and go far beyond the forgiveness that we need?

 … God did not wish to leave humanity alone in the throes of evil. And so he turned his gaze to Mary, holy and immaculate in love (cf. Eph 1:4), choosing her to be the Mother of man’s Redeemer. When faced with the gravity of sin, God responds with the fullness of mercy. Mercy will always be greater than any sin, and no one can place limits on the love of God who is ever ready to forgive.

Pope Francis: Declaration of the Jubilee of Mercy, paragraph 3
April 11, 2015

Gospel
Matthew 10:26-33

1.  When Christ says to “speak in the light” that which he has said in darkness, is such speaking meant to dispel the darkness? Can you “proclaim” the Good News today “from the housetops”? What does that mean in terms of ending racial bias?

2. “These prophets were the sirens in the night, the sowers of far-flung seeds, the eternal agitators in the soul of the people, of the nations, torches in the murk of confusion” (Joan Chittister, The Time Is Now, 17). Is it time for prophets now in the midst of the racial turmoil? Is there a risk involved in proclaiming the Word? How many times does Jesus tell you not to fear in this reading? What does he say about the hairs on your head, reinforcing the “no fear” concept?