1. A leader shepherds his flock in the majestic name of the Lord, but coms from Bethlehem, too small to be among the clans of Judah. With “majesty” at one end of the continuum and “poverty” at the other, where do you think today’s Church falls?

2. If you were expecting a majestic ruler how would you have felt about the stable and manger? When you experience poverty in your life, do you accept it as a meeting place with God or do you run from it?  

Second Reading
Hebrews 10:5-10

1. What does “once and for all” mean? Could it mean that Jesus’ coming to do his Father’s will completes the New Covenant and sanctifies us all?

2. What is the mission of the Messiah? Why is Christ’s offering shown as effective whereas the “sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings” of the Old Covenant can seem less so?

Gospel
Luke 1:39-45

1. The infant “leaped for joy” in Elizabeth’s womb at the recognition of the soon-to-be-born savior. Discuss this moment as humankind’s welcome to the savior. How close do you come to “leaping for joy” when you recognize God’s presence in your life?

2. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb.” What does the experience of faith elicit in us?

Brothers and sisters, let us ask ourselves honestly, from the heart: Do we believe that God is at work in our lives? Do we believe that the Lord, in hidden and often unpredictable ways, acts in history, performs wonders, and is working even in our societies that are marked by worldly secularism and a certain religious indifference?

There is a way to discern whether or not we have this trust in the Lord. What is the way? The Gospel says that “as soon as Elizabeth had heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb” (v. 41). This is the sign: to leap for joy. Whoever believes, whoever prays, whoever welcomes the Lord leaps in the Spirit, and feels that something is moving within, and “dances” with joy. I would like to dwell on this: the leap of faith.

The experience of faith, first and foremost, elicits a certain leaping in the face of life. To leap means to be “touched inside,” to have an interior quiver, to feel that something is moving in our heart. …

Pope Francis journey to Marseille
Sept 23, 2023