1. Naaman faced a series of humiliations: listening to a slave, being rebuffed by a king, and receiving strange instructions from a prophet's messenger. Which of these steps would have been most difficult for your own pride to accept?
2. Bishop Barron notes that Naaman could have stormed off in anger at several points but chose humility instead. When have you felt the urge to react with pride to an embarrassing situation? What helps you choose a humbler path?
3. The instructions for Naaman's healing were simple and strange, not grand and impressive. Why do we often expect God's interventions to be dramatic rather than working through simple, everyday means?

1. After being healed, Naaman's focus shifted from his cure to worshipping God. When your prayers are answered, how can you ensure your response moves beyond simple relief and toward deeper, more intentional praise?
2. The homily connects the Samaritan leper's gratitude with Naaman's response. Why is giving thanks a "further stance of humility"? How does a lack of gratitude reveal a hidden pride or sense of entitlement?
3. Bishop Barron concludes by asking us to name our "leprosy" and dig there. What is one concrete step you can take this week to approach your personal weakness with humility, seeing it as a potential path to spiritual healing?

Discussion Questions:

From Abstract to Concrete: Bishop Barron challenges listeners to move beyond simply agreeing with "social justice" and to engage in the concrete Corporal Works of Mercy.

• (Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead.)
• Looking at this list, which of these works seems most challenging for you to engage in personally? Why?
• Which one feels most achievable for you to act on this week, even in a small but meaningful way?

A Change of Heart: The ultimate goal of these readings is not to make us feel guilty, but to invite us into a deeper relationship with God through our actions.

• How does shifting our focus from our own comfort and self-indulgence to the needs of the poor change our perspective on what truly matters in life?
• How can serving "Lazarus" help us better understand the heart of God?

Discussion Questions:

1. The other nine lepers were simply obeying Jesus’ command to go to the priests. Were their actions wrong, or just incomplete? What is the difference between simple obedience and the faith that leads to true salvation?
2. The homily draws a sharp distinction between being “cleansed” (having a problem fixed) and being “saved” (being made spiritually whole). Can you think of a time in your life when you prayed only to be cleansed of a problem? What would it have looked like to "return" and seek salvation in that moment?
3. Both Naaman and the Samaritan were foreigners who received a gift they knew they had no right to expect. How did their status as “outsiders” give them a clearer perspective on God’s grace than the nine who were “insiders”?

Discussion Questions:

1. Fr. Plant shares the story of St. Francis of Assisi, for whom the "bitter" experience of seeing lepers was changed into "sweetness of soul and body." Who are the modern "lepers" in our society that we might feel a natural aversion or bitterness towards?
2. What does it mean for us, as a parish community, to be a “field hospital”? What practical steps could we take to prioritize healing the most immediate wounds of those who come to us?
3. Cardinal O’Connor was not interested in how the AIDS patients he served contracted their disease, only that they needed care. How can we better practice this form of unconditional mercy, looking past the "why" of someone's suffering to address the "what" of their immediate need?

Discussion Questions:

1. The homily states that the KKK's mentality of fear and bigotry has "existed in every nation and in every age." Besides the examples given, where else in history or current events do you see this "smallness of mind" at work?
2. Social media is mentioned as a tool that can feed hate. In your experience, how does online interaction either encourage the "monster" of hate or help to defeat it?
3. Fr. Rettig asks why "otherwise decent human beings" can fill their hearts with fear. What societal pressures or personal insecurities do you think make people vulnerable to this kind of thinking?

Discussion Questions:

1. Jesus consistently praised the Samaritans, the "hated dirty foreigners" of his day. Who are the "Samaritans" in our society today—the groups that are often despised or viewed with suspicion?
2. How do Jesus's actions (speaking to the woman at the well, the parable of the Good Samaritan) provide a direct challenge to a worldview of "us vs. them"?
3. The homily concludes that we were "wonderfully made different in order to learn to love what is not ourselves." What is one practical step you can take to better understand and embrace someone who is different from you?

Discussion Questions:

The homily defines the Rich Man's sin not as being wealthy or mean, but as the "crime of not noticing."

• Do you agree with this interpretation? Why is simply "not noticing" a serious sin?
• Fr. Rettig contrasts Jesus' morality of compassion with a morality of law (obeying a list of "thou shalt nots"). He says the morality of law "costs us nothing," while the morality of compassion "costs us a lot." What does he mean by this? What is the "cost" of compassion?

Discussion Questions:

Fr. Rettig identifies the "two screens" (television and computer) as the primary tools that put blinders on us, monopolizing our attention and fostering a culture of not noticing.

• In what specific ways do our screens (phones, computers, TVs) prevent us from noticing the people and world around us?
• The homily suggests the person we fail to notice might even be "in your own house." How can we be more present and attentive to our own family members and loved ones?

Discussion Questions:

The homily states, "Sin is not necessarily doing something bad. Sin is far more often not doing something good." This refers to sins of omission, which are included in the Mass when we pray, "...in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do."

• Why do you think it's often easier to avoid doing wrong than it is to actively do good?
• What is one practical, concrete step you can take this week to "look up from your screen" and notice someone who might need "an understanding word, a smile, or an ear to listen"?

The homily concludes with a powerful promise: "If we begin to notice one another, at the end of our life we can be sure that God will notice us."

• What does this final thought mean to you? How does our compassion for others relate to how we are received by God?

Discussion Questions:

1. The homily mentions that coming to Mass can feel "ordinary or routine." Have you ever felt this way? What helps you reawaken a sense of awe and awareness during the Eucharist?
2. How does the idea that God wants to "transform us" in communion change your perspective on receiving the Eucharist? Is it just a ritual, or is it an active moment of change?
3. The priest emphasizes being "united to Christ" in the Eucharist. What does this union mean to you personally, and how can awareness of it affect your life outside of Mass?

Discussion Questions:

1. How are awareness and gratitude linked in your own spiritual life? Can you have one without the other?
2. St. Paul says, "if we persevere we shall also reign with him." How does this promise of salvation and eternal glory—the ultimate gift—put our daily struggles and blessings into perspective?
3. The homily encourages us to "always with great joy thank and praise God." What is one specific thing you can do this week to cultivate a greater awareness of God's gifts, leading to more joyful gratitude?

Discussion Questions:

1. The homily emphasizes that the rich man's sin was a failure to notice. Why is this type of indifference, born from being overly comfortable, so spiritually dangerous? Who is the "Lazarus" at the gate of our society (or our own lives) that we might fail to notice?
2. Abraham says the brothers have "the benefits of all the law and the prophets." What are the "prophetic voices" God gives us today to warn us against complacency (e.g., Scripture, Church teaching, the words of the Pope, our conscience)?
3. Msgr. Hahn connects Abraham’s final words directly to us: "Someone has risen from the dead... and yet how do we respond?" If the Resurrection is the ultimate sign, why do we still fall into the trap of complacency? What does this say about the stubbornness of the human heart?

Discussion Questions:

1. The homily presents two modern forms of complacency: hiding our faith to fit in, and failing to share our resources. Which of these two temptations do you find more challenging in your own life? Why?
2. Discuss the concept of being "stewards" rather than "owners" of God's gifts. How does this shift in perspective change your view of your time, talents, and money?
3. The readings are meant to give us a "sense of urgency." What is one practical area of your life (e.g., prayer, a specific sin, a relationship, an act of charity) where you feel God is calling you to move from complacency to urgent action?
4. The homily concludes by calling us to "follow him more closely each day." What is one concrete step you can take this week to respond to that call and break out of a comfortable spiritual routine?

Discussion Questions:

1. The reflection lists several groups Jesus sought out (tax collectors, children, foreigners, etc.). Why do you think he so consistently went against the social norms of his time to engage with these people?
2. St. Paul's declaration was revolutionary. In what areas of life do we still struggle to live up to this ideal of being "all one in Christ Jesus," creating our own distinctions?
3. How does the concept of "equal human dignity" challenge the way we interact with people who have different beliefs, backgrounds, or social statuses than our own?

Discussion Questions:

1. The reflection applies St. Paul's words to the unborn, saying "There is neither born nor unborn." How does this parallel the other distinctions (Jew/Greek, slave/free) that Christ and the apostles erased?
2. In what ways can the unborn be considered "ostracized" or treated as outcasts by our modern culture and laws?
3. If Christ consistently sought out the rejected and oppressed, how does this principle guide a Christian response to the issue of abortion today?