Opening Prayer Led by Group Facilitator

Psalm 60

Pray the Psalm together aloud, alternating verses between two sides.  When finished, share reflections on the Psalm as a group

1  O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us.

2  You have made the land to quake, you have torn it open. Repair its breaches, for it totters.

3  You have made your people suffer hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us reel.

4  You have set up a banner for those who fear you, to rally to it from the bow.

5  That your beloved may be delivered, give victory by your right hand and answer us.

6  God has spoken in his sanctuary: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth.

7  Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter.

8  Moab is my wash basin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

9  Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

10  Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.

11  O grant us help against the foe; for vain is the help of man!

12  With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Jacob's Daughter, Dinah

Genesis 34

1.       What was Dinah doing? What lesson is there for daughters who go out and “visit the women of the land”? What are effective ways for a Patriarch to guard his daughter? To give his daughter freedom?

2.       The text says Prince Shechem “seized her and lay with her.” It also says that Prince Schechem loved her and “spoke tenderly to her.” Are we to assume that this was rape or consensual? How does a Patriarch raise a daughter to rightly respond to a “Prince”?

3.       What is Jacob’s first reaction to their relationship? What are her brothers’ first reactions? What might explain the difference? How would a Patriarch rightly respond to a daughter’s rape? To a daughter’s voluntary sexual activity?

4.       What do Hamor and Shechem want in regard to Jacob’s daughter? Jacob’s property? Jacob’s future? How attractive might their proposals be to Jacob? How does a Patriarch measure a potential spouse for his daughter?

5.       Jacob has been a man of deception and opportunistic profits in the past. How do his sons deceive? How do his sons profit from this situation? How does a Patriarch raise just and virtuous sons?

Resolutions

Choose a resolution for this week from the suggestions below or make your own.  Tap on a resolution to email it to yourself:

1.    I will read Pope St. John Paul II’s letter on The Dignity and Vocation of Women and share a lesson from it with my daughter. 
2.    I will ask my wife to read Pope St. John Paul II’s Letter to Women with me.
3.    I will discuss with my wife a plan for when/how to teach our children lessons on chastity.
4.    I will ask my wife to discuss with our daughter how to be safe and alert when travelling by herself.
5.    I will take my daughter on a date and model for her how she deserves to be treated by men.
6.    I will review the measures my family takes to guard our children against influences of lust.
7.    I will train my children in freedom.
8.    I will speak with my son about his duty to guard his sister and to treat all women with respect.
9.    I will repent of a time I have deceived someone for profit by returning the profit and apologizing.

Previous Resolutions - Genesis 33

Prayer Partners

Discuss with your prayer partner the success/failure of your previous resolution & offer a vocal prayer for one another.