Reflection Questions and Schedule for A Lenten Reading Group

Reading Guide for
Radical Compassion: Finding Christ in the Heart of the Poor

The First Week of Lent:
Read Chapters 1 - 2, pp. 1-26

The Second Week of Lent:
Read Chapters 3-4, pp. 27-59

"I write this book so that the reader will have a better understanding of the poor."
- Gary Smith, S.J.

Reflect: As we read these first chapters, we can each ask ourselves:
How does this help me better understand the poor?
Is there a particular person who touches me or teaches me something?

The Third Week of Lent:
Read Chapters 5-6, pp. 61-89

The Fourth Week of Lent:
Read Chapters 7-8, pp. 91-117

"The poor teach me that serving them is not just some sort of Christian imperative.  Rather, it is in serving them that I discover, like the Church, what is best in my own heart."
- Gary Smith, S.J.

Reflect: As we read the rest of the book, we can each ask ourselves:
In what ways am I experiencing a solidarity with the people I am meeting in Fr. Gary's stories?  What am I learning from them about my own heart?

The Fifth Week of Lent:
Read Chapters 9-11, pp. 119-153

Holy Week:
Read Chapters 12-13, pp. 155-191