Prayers of the People: O Mother Who Art Thou? 2nd Sunday of Pentecost Yr B
for Sunday, June 7, 2015, 2nd Sunday of Pentecost, Year B, Readings: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15), Ps 138, 2 Cor 4:13-5:1, Mark 3:20-35
All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel...and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations"... Samuel prayed to the LORD, and the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them...forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only-- you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." [1 Samuel 8:4-5,6b-7,8b-9]
Then [Jesus] went home, and the crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind."... A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." [Mark 3:20-21,32-35]
Dysfunctional families. Where would life's ever-unfolding drama be without them. Some children are their parents' treasure while others are their worst nightmare. Some children can do no wrong in their parents' sight, others can do nothing right. Samuel's sons are an embarrassment, a source of grief. While Mary, his mother, and the brothers of Jesus think he's crazy and needs to be physically restrained.
Just as Samuel might have wished his sons had behaved better, and the elders of Israel wanted a king to "be like other nations," so perhaps Mary and her other sons were upset or embarrassed by Jesus not "being like other" sons. It seems to come down to: how do we define "family?" Jesus looked around and defined family for himself as: "Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." Who is family for you?
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2015/06/prayers-of-people-o-mother-who-art-thou.htmlhttp://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2015/06/prayers-of-people-o-mother-who-art-thou.html
Thanks to Christina Brennan Lee
Thanks to Peoples Prayers, sidebar
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| Casa Convento Concepcion, Antiqua, Guatemala |
WELCOME to Saint Alban Episcopal Mission/English, Antigua, Guatemala - IARCA You are invited to join us for English services on a special Vacation schedule during June - July 2015 offering Morning Prayer June 14 at 10:00 A.M. (no service on June 7) in Antigua, Casa Convento Concepcion. Holy Eucharist will resume on June 21st and also will be celebrated on June 28 and July 5th at NOON. ALL are welcome. See welcome letter at the sidebar. St. Alban English Mission, Antigua, Guatemala is an outreach project of The St. James English parish, Cathedral of Santiago, Episcopal Diocese of Guatemala, IARCA
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| Bishop Armando Guerra Soria, Rector of St. Alban Mission, Bishop of Guatemala and Primate emeritus of Central America |
