4th Sunday of Lent (Year B)
Welcome to another little liturgy. Today there is a little relief from Lent as it is Laetare Sunday and also Mother's Day. I hope all the mothers out there have a peaceful day.
Summary of Liturgy of the Word
First Reading
Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23
The priests and people of God did not listen to his word and laughed at his prophets. Their enemies destroyed the temple and took them in exile to Babylon. After many years, king Cyrus of Persia was encouraged by God to have the temple rebuilt.
Psalm 136
O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!
Second Reading
Ephesians 2:4-10
St Paul tells us that God loves us so much that, even though we are sinners, we are brought to life in Christ.
Gospel
John 3:14-21
Jesus says that God loved the world so much that he gave his only son to bring light into the world. When we do wrong we are still living in darkness but if we live by the truth we live in the light.
Activity during Mass
Today the Gospel talks about people who do evil things living in darkness and other people hating darkness and choosing to live in the light. Jesus came so that we could choose the light. Draw a cartoon of people in darkness meeting Jesus and then moving into the light. List down some of the things that you imagine people of light doing.
Today the priest's vestments are rose or pink. Normally in Lent they are violet or purple. At other times they can be white, green, gold or in some traditions even black. Draw out a vestment shape for each of these colours and colour it in. Write down when you think that colour is used and why.
Other activities and useful resources
You might want to research more about Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus mentioned in the Old Testament reading today.
Maria
Third Sunday of Lent (Year B)
Today we encounter the Ten Commandments and I have tried to explore the notion of conscience. A couple of phrases really stood out for me from today's Gospel: "He (Jesus) never needed evidence about any man; he could tell what a man had in him." I hope you find something interesting in this week's a little liturgy.
First Reading
Exodus 20:1-17
God gave Moses the Ten Commandments:
1. I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
4. Honour your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
9. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbour's goods.
Psalm
Ps 18
You, Lord, have the message of eternal life.
Second Reading
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
St Paul says that Christ is the power and the wisdom of God. He tells us that "God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength."
Gospel
John 2:13-25
Before the Passover, Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem. There he found people who were selling things and trading. He made a whip and drove them out of the temple saying, "Take all this out of here and stop turning my father's house into a market."
He then said that if the sanctuary were destroyed he would raise it up again in three days. (The disciples understood that he was talking about himself after they witnessed the resurrection.)
Discussion
The Ten Commandments form the basis of all Christian morality. They can be divided into two sections: one concerning God and one concerning your neighbour. However, rules can only take us so fa, and sometimes we must consider other ways of helping us to live good lives, such as listening to the Gospels and praying. The Church teaches that we must also use our conscience to decide what is right and wrong. "Conscience" could be described as a mixture of feeling, knowledge and experience. We have a responsibility to think about what is right, not according to selfish desires but according to respect for God and our neighbour.
Today's Gospel reminds us that we should have respect for holy places and behave appropriately; it is not acceptable to make money out of religious things and places. Interestingly, this was one of the criticisms levelled at the Catholic Church during the Reformation; priests were selling indulgences and relics. This is not strictly against the commandments but is obviously not respecting God or your neighbour.
Activity at Mass
Imagine that you are shipwrecked on a desert island. You are part of a group of twenty people and you need to make up some rules to help you all get along together. List down five rules that you would choose:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
In the psalm today the psalmist praises God and his rules. He uses five different words to refer to God's rules. They all appear in the phrase "the ................. of the Lord". List them here:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Other activities and useful resources.
The Ten Commandments are written in the Old Testament. In the New Testament we hear a story about these rules. Jesus says: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.... You must love your neighbour as yourself." (Luke 10: 27-28)
Look up this reference and read the next section about how to look after your neighbour.
Have a good week!
Maria
Second Sunday of Lent (Year B)
This week a little liturgy follows the Mass prayers closely to cover the notion of sacrifice. It is a difficult topic even for adults! I have included a link to "One Bread One Body" to help us reflect on this.
Summary of Liturgy of the Word
First Reading
Genesis 22:1-2,9-13,15-18
God asks Abraham to kill his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. Just as he takes the knife to do this, God stops him and says that he has proved his loyalty by agreeing to do it. Instead, Abraham finds a ram for the burnt offering. God is pleased and says "I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and grains of sand on the seashore".
Psalm 115
I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living
Second Reading
Romans 8:31-34
St Paul asks: "With God on our side who can be against us?" He says that God gave us the amazing gift of his son, so he will not refuse anything he can give us. Jesus died and rose from the dead for us and stands at God's right hand.
Gospel
Mark 9:2-10
Jesus went up a high mountain with James and John. When they were there his clothes became a bright white and Elijah and Moses appeared next to him and spoke with him. The apostles were frightened. A voice from a cloud said "This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him." Then suddenly everything was back to normal. Jesus told them not to tell anyone about this until he had risen from the dead. They were not sure what "rising from the dead" could mean.
Discussion
As we move towards Easter, the readings concentrate increasingly on the Easter mysteries of sacrifice and resurrection. As is often the case, the Old Testament reading about Abraham and Isaac foreshadows the sacrifice made by Christ on the cross. Abraham demonstrates his devotion to God by being willing to give up his only son. We really feel for Abraham at this point and are relieved when God intervenes at the last moment. However, for Christ there is no reprieve, even though he express his humanity with the words, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless let your will be done, not mine." He is loyal and obedient as Abraham was but also fulfils the role destined for Isaac who was replaced by the ram. As St Paul remarks, if God will do this for us, who can be against us?
The Gospel shows a privileged insight into the world beyond our usual experience. This event is usually known as the "Transfiguration" and helps us, and the apostles, to place Jesus with the holy men revered in the Jewish tradition. It is also a moment in the Gospel where we witness God the Father and Son together. The apostles are puzzled at the thought of Jesus rising from the dead and confused by their strange experiences. Sometimes, as Christians, we too are puzzled and confused. We should note here that they "talk amongst themselves" to try to understand things.
Activity for Mass
Every week the priest says a a special prayer over the offerings. This week's prayer is below:
May this sacrifice, O Lord, we pray, cleanse us of our faults and sanctify your faithful in body and mind for the celebration of the pascal festivities. Through Christ our Lord.
Also, at the start of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the priests says:
Pray, brethren that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
and we reply:
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.
After the consecration the priest says:
Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is yours,
for ever and ever.
and we answer a resounding: Amen
sacrifice here refers to:
God giving his son to us
Christ giving himself to God
Christ giving himself to us
Us giving ourselves to God
The Mass is a memorial of the sacrifice on the cross and when we hear Mass we join with Christ in his sacrifice. So when we offer bread and wine it represents us offering ourselves to God in unity with Christ. These are all very difficult ideas to understand and no one, not even the Pope, could claim to understand completely! However, we should try to improve our understanding by experiencing the Mass and studying it.
Read all these prayers again carefully and listen out for them at Mass today. Draw some pictures or a diagram to represent these aspects of sacrifice.
Imagine what the Apostles were saying to each other when they were walking down the mountain after the Transfiguration. Write down a few of ideas or questions that you have:
Other activities and useful resources
Youtube clip - One Bread One Body
Teaching document form Bishops of England and Wales
Diocese of East Anglia page
I hope you have a good week!
Maria
