28.6.15 On this rock I will build my church.

Monastery at Skellig Michael ?6th-8th Century

Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

As this week's readings are so rich, I have used a slightly different format for a little liturgy, to encourage us to think about them in a more focussed way.  
This week's picture is of a monk's cell on Skellig Michael.  I often  think of this when I hear the words, "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church."  
As always, if you are new, do click on "Introducing a little liturgy" and feel free to copy and use anything you like.

Summary of the Liturgy of the Word

First Reading  
Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11
King Herod decided to arrest Peter and put him in prison.  He was guarded by soldiers and locked up with chains.
During the night an angel came to rescue Peter and he was able to get free from the chains and walk past two sets of guards and out of the prison door without being discovered.
At first Peter thought it was all a dream but then he realised that he had been rescued by God.

Psalm 33
From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
or 
The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.  

Second Reading - 
Second Letter of St Paul to Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
St Paul tells Timothy that he has done all that he can do to spread the word about Jesus.  He says he has "fought the good fight" and "run the race until the finish".  He is certain that God will look after him after he dies.

Gospel  
Matthew 16: 13-19
Jesus was talking to his disciples and asked them who they thought he was.  He called himself "the Son of Man".
His disciples told him that many people had different opinions about who he was.  Some thought he was John the Baptist, some said Jeremiah and some said Elijah.
When Jesus asked the disciples what they thought, Peter spoke up and said "You are the Christ, Son of the living God".
Jesus knew that Peter had been inspired by God in this answer and replied "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church."

Discussion and Activities 

First Reading:
What happens in our own time when religious messages come into conflict with the government of a country?  Do people go to prison because of their beliefs?
Where else do angels appear in the Bible and what is their purpose?

Second Reading:
Consider what participating in a fight and a race is like and how we feel when it is over.
Think about how fighting and running might be similar to following Jesus.  
Why might many people choose this passage as a reading for a funeral?

Gospel:
Who were John the Baptist, Jeremiah and Elijah?
Why might people have given these names as answers to Jesus question?
Consider how our church today is similar and different to the church that St Peter would have known.



Other Activities and Resources

1)  St Peter said to Jesus, "You are the Christ, Son of the living God". What do we call Jesus today?

Look at the text of the Mass which can be found below:

Liturgy Office

If possible, print it out and use a highlighter to mark all the different names we use for God. Below are some to look for:

Lord Jesus Christ
Holy Spirit
God the Father
Almighty God
Lamb of God
Heavenly King
The Holy One
Lord God
Son of God


2)  Listen to:

Handel's Messiah excerpt

In this piece of music, known as "For unto us a son is born", God is called:

Wonderful
Counsellor
The Mighty God
The Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace

Consider why we have all these different names for God and what they might mean.

3) You can find out more about Skellig Michael here.  

I hope you have enjoyed a little liturgy this week.  

Maria

21.6.15 Even the wind and the sea obey him.

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Hello again form a little liturgy.  This week I have taken the opportunity to focus on the environment and the papal encyclical "Laudato Si".  Just as Christ calmed the storm for the disciples, Pope Francis is attempting to calm the troubled waters of environmental damage and make us aware of our responsibility as stewards of nature. The name of the encyclical is taken from the start of a canticle written by St Francis in the 13th century.   

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading
Job 38: 1, 8-11
The Lord asks Job who it was that made the sea and created its limits.  

Psalm 106
O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures for ever.

Second Reading
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
St Paul tells us that Christ's love for us is overwhelming.  Christ makes us see the world differently.

Gospel
Mark 4:35-41
Mark tells us the story of the calming of the storm.  Jesus was asleep in the boat when a storm blew up and the disciples woke him as they were terrified.  Jesus spoke to the wind saying "Quiet now!  Be calm!" and the wind died down.  Afterwards the disciples were filled with awe, saying to each other "Who can this be?  Even the wind and the sea obey him."

Discussion

The sea and the wind are aspects of the natural world that humans find very difficult to control.  They can be very helpful to us but also very harmful and cause great damage.  Today there are many challenges facing us and our relationship with the environment.  
This week the Pope issued a special letter to the whole world (an encyclical).  It asked us to change the way we treat the natural world.  

Here is a passage that he wrote on global warming:

"Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. Its worst impact will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades. Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry."

Activities

Asnwer the questions below and consider our relationship with the sea and the wind.  



Make a list of all the positive ways we use the sea:



Now make a list of what humans do to abuse this resource:



How can the sea be dangerous?



How do humans benefit from the power of the wind?



How can the wind be dangerous?




Extra Resources

There is a good summary of the encyclical below:

5 key points

Or click for a more detailed analysis:

fuller discussion

You can listen to the canticle written by St Francis here:

Canticle of the Sun



Image courtesy of "foto 76" at "freedigitalphotos.net"

14.6.15 The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time  (Year B)

This week a little liturgy looks at imagery used to talk about the Kingdom of God and our lives as Christians.  We are reminded that small things grow into great things.  I hope you find something useful this week.

First Reading
Ezekiel 17:22-24
Ezeikiel says that the Lord says he will take a branch from the top of the cedar tree and plant it on the high mountain of Israel where it will become a tree for birds to shelter in.  The Lord has the power to determine which trees wither and which thrive.

Psalm 91
It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

Second Reading
2 Corinthians 5:6-10
St Paul reminds us that when we live in this life we are not fully with Christ and rely on faith because we cannot see God.   Although we look forward to being completely with God, even in this life we are keen to please him.

Gospel
Mark 4:26-34
Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is a bit like the experience of growing a crop.  The seed is sown then the crop grows and the sower turns into a reaper at harvest time.  He also compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed which is one of the smallest seeds but grows into one of the biggest shrubs.
St Mark tells us that Jesus used many parables to explain things to his disciples.

Activities

In the first reading we see a cedar tree growing that will allow the birds of the air to shelter in its shade.  
Draw a cedar tree with some birds sheltering in its shade: 








In the Gospel we hear about a sower sewing seed then watching the crop grow. 
Draw a seed then an ear of grain:








We also hear about a tiny mustard seed growing into a big tree.  
Draw a mustard seed then a big tree:






Fill in the gaps in the passage below:

Jesus used ____________________ to help explain things to his _________________________ .  Today we can read two of these stories in the Gospel written by _____________________.  Jesus uses imagery from the natural world because it is familiar to everyone.  He often chooses to focus on things that grow like seeds growing into grain.  Today we heard the story of a tiny _______________ seed that grows into one of the biggest trees.  Jesus could be saying that we should not judge the importance or power of things by their appearance but by the things that they can achieve.  This parable could also suggest that even if our faith starts off as a small thing it has the potential to become great.  

Make a list of some tiny things that turn out to be very important in our world today:






Other resources and activities

Fr George Smiga's thoughts


I hope you enjoyed the activities today!
Maria

7.6.15 The Perfect Sacrifice

Feast Of Corpus Christi  (Year B)

Welcome to a little liturgy!  It's a little brief this week and I should apologise for last week's lapse.  Hoping to be back on form in the coming weeks but for now I wish you all a happy and holy Corpus Christi.

First reading
Exodus 24:3-8
Moses writes down God's law and says to the people "We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey".  Moses then took some animal blood saying "This is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you" and he threw the blood towards the people.

Psalm 115
The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the Lord's name.

Second Reading
Hebrews 9:11-15
St Paul tells us that Christ offered himself as the perfect sacrifice "to purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God".  Christ brings us a new covenant.

Gospel
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
Mark tells us the story of the Last Supper when the disciples celebrate the Passover with Christ.  The words said are those of the consecration at Mass.  Jesus tells us that he is making a covenant with us.

Discussion

The readings today remind us of Christianity's roots in the Jewish Religion and the place of sacrifice and covenant.  The new covenant depends on Christ taking the place of the animal as a sacrifice and giving up his life so that we can gain eternal life.  We join with this sacrifice at Mass.  

Activity during homily

Draw two sequences of pictures to illustrate how bread and wine are made.  You may find it helpful to use the prompts below:

BREAD
sowing seed
growing ears of wheat 
ripening grain
harvesting
threshing
grinding
kneading 
baking
EATING

WINE
sewing seed
growing vine
producing grapes
ripening
harvesting
pressing
fermenting
DRINKING

Both of these natural products require significant human involvement to turn into the substances that we are familiar with.  Why do you think Jesus chose these particular items?

Other Activities and Resources

The links below might be of interest:

Winemaking in Biblical times

Making altar bread

Have a good week!

Maria

24.5.15 They were amazed and astonished.

Pentecost Sunday (Year B)

Welcome, once more, to a little liturgy.  This week we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, one of the occasions when the apostles experience the presence of God in a very powerful and public way.  

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading
Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11
The apostles were gathered in one room to celebrate a feast day when they heard a loud wind and saw tongues of fire.  They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages and started to preach about the marvels of God.  Everyone was amazed!  There were many people in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast and they all spoke different languages but everyone could understand what the apostles said.  

Psalm 103
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.  

Second Reading
Letter to the Galatians 5:16-25
St Paul tells us to be guided by the Spirit and to avoid self-indulgence which, he says, leads to all sorts of bad results.  The Spirit gives us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control.  

Gospel
John 15:26-27; 16:12-15
Jesus tells the disciples that he will send the Advocate (Spirit) to help them be his witnesses.  The Sprit will lead them to the complete truth.  

Discussion

The readings this week are all about the Spirit.  After the Ascension, the apostles found it difficult to continue preaching without Jesus to advise and support them.  They were in much the same position as we are today.  However, God sent his Spirit to them to encourage them and give them strength.  This is demonstrated with the imagery of wind and fire.  The senses of hearing, touch and sight were all involved in this experience.  The apostles found strength and new talents and were able to preach to people and make them understand the marvels of God, even though they did not speak the same language.  
We can sometimes find it difficult to be Christians and communicate our faith to others.  However, we too have been given the Spirit to encourage and support us.  It does not always appear quite so dramatically as it did to the apostles; it could come as a kind word or thought from somebody or an idea that suddenly comes to us.  Many people speak of being "moved by the Spirit" or having a sense of what they should do that they cannot explain.  It is important that we are open to these experiences and think carefully about how we can live lives that are guided by the Spirit.  

Activity during Homily

The Church suggests that we can express God's love in us if we demonstrate certain qualities, traditionally known as the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit.   They are based on what St Paul says in the reading we heard today.  Some have been jumbled up; try to work them out.  You can check with St Paul's list in the Second Reading if you are struggling!

voel
yjo
ecpae
ianeeptc
nknseids
goodness
generosity
stelgnesen
faithfulness (trustfulness)
modesty 
flse - ncotlor
chastity 

The Church also recognises the  7 gifts of the Holy Spirit.  They are based on a list from Isaiah 11, which describes these qualities as being the qualities of the Messiah.   Jesus made it possible for us to share these gifts when he gave us his Spirit.  They are:

wisdom
understanding
counsel (good advice)
fortitude (strength)
knowledge
piety (treating religion carefully and with respect)
fear of the Lord  (being amazed and awestruck by God)

Think about the people in your life.  Do they have these qualities? 

Other activities and resources

1.  As well as a list of positive qualities, St Paul gives us a list of negatives; many of these are the opposite of the positives and he explains them to be the result of "self indulgence".  They are:

fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility
idolatry and sorcery
feuds and wrangling
jealousy, bad temper and quarrels
disagreements, factions, envy
drunkenness, orgies

You may need to ask for some help to understand these.  Many of them are the opposite of modesty and chastity which appear in the Church's list of fruits of the Holy Spirit.  

2.  Investigate the Jewish feast that the apostles had gathered to celebrate called "Shavuot".  Some information can be found on the link below:

info about Shavuot

3.  You might also like to read the Old Testament story about how people came to speak different languages in the first place:

You tube Bible extract

4.  Click below to see map of countries represented in Pentecost account:

map

Have a good week!

Maria

Picture courtesy of fotographic1980 at free digital photos.net

17.5.15 Proclaim the Good News to all creation

The Ascension of the Lord (Year B)

Welcome again to a little liturgy.  This Sunday we celebrate one of the most important feasts of the church year - the Ascension.  It is as difficult for us to comprehend now as it was for the apostles who were left looking up into heaven.  I hope this week's activity will raise as many questions as answers!

Discussion

Since the time of Jesus, we have made scientific discoveries that prove that heaven is not just beyond the clouds.  We know that God is not looking down on us in a literal sense from a place up in the sky. We do not understand exactly where Jesus went on the day of the Ascension but we can say that he went to be with the Father.  We also know that he intended for us to receive the Holy Spirit as a guide and inspiration when he had returned to the Father.  

In today's readings, we see that the apostles were still expecting that Jesus was going to "restore the kingdom to Israel".  However, he is "lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight".  Imagine how amazed and frightened they must have been.  It may be helpful for us to consider their confused expectations of Jesus.  We too have expectations of what God is like and sometimes of how he should behave.  However, we cannot create an accurate image of him because he is beyond our understanding.  When he does not conform to our expectations or behave in the way we would like or agree with, we are left much like the apostles; confused and frightened.  The best definition of God to turn to at these moments is that God is love.  

Activity

Find the lines in the Creed that state our belief in the Ascension.  Write them here:



Now consider the line, near the start of the creed, that states that we believe that God is maker of all things "visible and invisible'.  

We say both of these phrases in the Creed and therefore state our belief that things exist that we cannot see.  Jesus frequently refers to a place that we cannot see.  For example:

1.  Jesus says "my kingdom is not of this world" (to Pilate).

2.  Jesus says (to the good thief) "today you will be with me in paradise".

3.  Jesus says "my Father's house has many rooms".  

Try to write a sentence for each of these statements to explain what you think he meant.  Then write a sentence explaining what you mean when you use the word "heaven".  

1.   

2.  

3.   

For me heaven is .........

The idea of heaven is certainly very difficult to understand and many people struggle to believe that there is such a place.  As Christians, we believe that Jesus shows us that our earthly death is not a final end but a beginning of a new life with him and the Father.  He also shows us that we can share in some of that new life here and now by loving God and loving our neighbour.  

Finally, reflect on the first lines of the "Our Father" written out below:

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  

When you pray these words how do imagine God in heaven?  


I hope you have found something thought-provoking this week.  

Maria

Picture courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at Freedigitalphotos.net

10.5.15 Remain in my love

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Welcome back to a little liturgy.

In a departure from the normal structure, we are looking at things Marian this week in order to celebrate the month of May.  

Discussion

The readings this week are all focussed on LOVE.  St Peter tells us that "God does not have favourites" and we hear that the Holy Spirit is "poured out on the pagans too."  John tells us that "anyone who fails to love can never have known God".  In the Gospel Jesus commands "Love one another as I have loved you."  

If we look at the life of Mary we see that it is a good example of loving God.  Throughout her life she accepted the events in Jesus' life and did her best to support him even though it was often difficult and she did not fully understand his ways.  

Activity

One of the most famous Catholic prayers is the Rosary.  The traditional form groups prayers into three "Mysteries".

The Joyful Mysteries

The Sorrowful Mysteries

The Glorious Mysteries

The Joyful Mysteries trace the early life of Jesus and celebrate Mary's role as his mother.  

1.  The Annunciation

2.  The Visitation

3.  The Nativity

4.  The Presentation
5.  Finding the child Jesus in the Temple.  

Write a number between each of the statements below to show which of the Joyful mysteries of the rosary they are associated with.   

Mary visited her cousin.
Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to be counted for the census.  
Jesus was interpreting the scriptures at the temple.
Mary spoke with Simeon.  
Mary accepted her role as mother according to God's will.  
Joseph and Mary took an offering of doves to the temple.  
John the Baptist jumped in his mother's womb when she met Mary.  
Mary and Joseph took shelter in a stable.
Mary was greeted by an angel.  
Mary and Joseph were worried that Jesus was lost.  

Think about how each of these five mysteries might be joyful for Mary.  


Extra resources and activities

Find a rosary and sit down with someone who can explain it to you.  Try praying one decade of the Joyful Mysteries with them.  

Below is a useful link to help you understand and remember how to pray the rosary.

Explanation of the rosary

Many people suggest that it was St Dominic who first started praying with a rosary.  You may like to find out more about this.


I hope you find something helpful this week.  

Maria