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

3.5.15 I am the true vine.

Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year B)

Welcome to the Fifth Sunday of Easter.  This week we explore another beautiful metaphor used by Jesus to help us understand our relationship with him and the Father: the vine.  I hope that a little liturgy will assist the process of pruning!  Check out some great artwork for this topic over at: the kids bulletin

Summary of Liturgy of the Word

First Reading
Acts of the Apostles 9:26-31
Barnabas stands up for Paul (who used to be called Saul) and says that although he used to persecute the Christians, he is now one of them and bravely teaches Christ's word.  Paul tried to explain himself to the Hellenists but they would not listen and started to plot to kill him.

Psalm 21
You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

Second reading
1John 3:18-24
St John says that we must show that we are Christians by our love and by keeping God's commandments.  These commandments are "that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ" and "that we love one another as he told us to".  

Gospel
John 15:1-8
Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine to describe our relationship with him:  "I am the vine, you are the branches".  If we stay attached to him we will bear fruit; if we leave his way we will be like withered branches that are collected and thrown on the fire.  He says that God the Father is like the vinedresser.


Discussion

Just as last week we explored the shepherd metaphor, this week we are asked to think about the vine. A key phrase to think about from the Gospel might be "A branch cannot bear fruit all by itself".  If we are the branches of the vine, we require the rest of the vine (Christ) to sustain ourselves and the Word of God to nourish and tend us.  It is also notable that vines begin to grow again after pruning and then produce grapes.  We should also think about the connection between Christ as the vine and the wine that we offer at Mass as a sacrifice which then becomes Christ's blood.  


Activity during Homily

1.  Draw a grape vine and label each branch with the name of someone you know who helps in your life.  Label the main stem as "Jesus".

2. Read the prayer below and listen out for it at Mass today.  You might like to wink discretely at who ever is with you when you hear it!

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you:
fruit of the vine and work of human hands,
it will become our spiritual drink.

3.  We also hear Jesus say:

"I am the light of the world"
"I am the bread of life"
"I am alpha and omega"
"I am the door"

For each of these symbols draw a picture and try to write one sentence to describe what this symbol is saying about Jesus.  


Other activities and resources

You might like to find out about different types of farming in Biblical times at:

Farming in Biblical times

Below is a beautifully illustrated hymn based on today's Gospel:

"I am the vine" youtube clip

I hope that a little liturgy has been fruitful for you this week!

Maria

I am the good shepherd.

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year B)

The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.

Welcome to a little liturgy.  If you haven't visited before, you might want to check out "introducing a little liturgy".  This week I am concentrating on the Gospel and will look at sheep and shepherd imagery.  

Summary of Liturgy of the Word


First Reading
Acts 4:8-12
Peter tells the people and their leaders that a man has been cured in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  He says that Jesus who was rejected and killed was the "keystone" or corner stone.

Psalm 117
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone

Second Reading
1 John 3:1-2
God loves us and we can be called God's children.  We cannot know what the future holds but we hope to see God as he really is.  

Gospel
John 10:11-18
Jesus refers to himself as the "Good Shepherd" who is prepared to die for his sheep.  A good shepherd knows his sheep and will not run away when his sheep are in danger.  He also refers to "other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and these I have to lead aswell".  However, there will only be one flock and one shepherd.  He tells us that he lays down his life at his own free will.  


Discussion

The readings today focus on our relationships with Jesus.  He is the corner stone - the most important stone in holding a building up and the Good Shepherd who looks after his flock and even endures death to save them.  St John reminds us that we are lucky to be able to call ourselves God's children.  These images all demonstrate how we rely on God to sustain us in our lives - we would crumble like an unsupported building or be eaten by wolves like unprotected sheep if we did not have Jesus.  It is easy to remember Jesus and ask him for help when we are in need.  However, we should remember that he is always with us to accompany us at every moment of our lives and helping us with the general business of living.

Activity during Homily

Today the Communion Antiphon reflects the Gospel:

"The Good Shepherd has risen, who laid down his life for his sheep and willingly died for his flock."

Why do sheep need a shepherd?

1)  to protect them from predators
2)  to lead them to new pastures
3)  to heal their injuries
4)  to make sure they have food and water
5)  to keep them free from dirt and disease
6)  to find them if they get lost
7)  to untangle them if they get stuck in a hedge
8)  to look after their young

Think about the Gospel stories below and see if you can link Jesus' actions to some of the activities above.  Put the numbers of the actions next to the story:

curing the man with leprosy

feeding the five thousand

raising Lazarus from the dead

eating at Zaccheus' house

turning over the stalls of the money lenders

talking to the Samaritan woman at the well

washing the disciples' feet

telling his disciples to allow the children to listen to him

giving a new commandment "love thy neighbour as thyself"

the Crucifixion

explaining the scriptures to the disciples

the Last Supper


Last week we said that God gave us the Church as a kind of map to help us with living.  One way the Church does this is by giving us the Seven Sacraments.  Think about how these link to the role of a shepherd.

Baptism
Reconciliation
Eucharist
Confirmation
Marriage
Holy Orders
Sacrament of the Sick

Every Bishop has a crozier which is like a shepherd's crook.  A crook was used to rescue sheep and herd them.  This is a symbol of his responsibility to look after his flock.


Other activities and resources



Pope Francis recently told priests and bishops to "be shepherds with the smell of sheep".  What do you think he meant by this?  You might like to see a picture of him doing just this!

Pope Francis the shepherd

Handel wrote a wonderful chorus about sheep going astray as part of "Messiah".  Listen and watch on the link below:

Handel chorus on youtube

Jesus calls  himself "the Good Shepherd" and we are therefore his flock.  However, we also call him the Lamb of God.  The Lamb was sacrificed for his flock.  What do you think about these connected but very different images of the role of Jesus in our lives?

Maria

He is the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

Third Sunday of Easter (Year B)

This week the emphasis in a little liturgy is the forgiveness of sins.  I have tried to point to the sacrifice of the Mass and the parts of the liturgy where we ask for forgiveness.    

Summary of Liturgy of the Word

First Reading
Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Peter tells the people that they disowned the Holy One and killed the Prince of Life.  God, however, raised him from the dead.  They did not know what they were doing but they must now repent and turn to God.

Psalm 4
Lift up the light of your face on us, O lord.

Second Reading
1 John 2:1-5
John says that we need to stop sinning but that if we do sin Jesus Christ is the sacrifice that takes our sins away.  He says not only our sins but "the whole world's".  We must keep God's commandments to show that we know him.

Gospel
Luke 24:35-48
Jesus appears to the disciples and tries to calm them.  He says "Peace be with you!"  and explains that he is not a ghost.  He shows them his hands and his feet and then eats a piece of fish.  He explains that the scriptures said that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. He also reminds them that the scriptures say that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached.  

Discussion

All three readings today stress Christ's role in the forgiveness of sin.  St Peter says we must repent, St John says that Christ's sacrifice was for the whole world and Christ himself explains that the scriptures say repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached.  St Peter refers specifically to the sin of rejecting the Messiah.  However, it is not just the people of Jesus' time who reject him.  We too reject him when we do not follow his teaching and when we fail to show love.  Fortunately, God gives us Jesus to make up for our failures and to show us that death does not need to be the end.

Activity during the homily

Jesus' sacrifice takes away our sins.  Every time we go to Mass we join him in that sacrifice and can share in the Resurrection.

After the consecration we say the Lamb of God.  Fill in the words below:

Lamb of _ _ _, you take _ _ _ _  the _ _ _ _ of the_ _ _ _ _ , have _ _ _ _ _  on us.

_ _ _ _  of God_ _ _  take away the sins of the world, _ _ _ _  mercy on _ _ .

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, _ _ _ _ _   us _ _ _ _ _ .  

There is another special prayer where we ask God to forgive our sins.  See if you can write it out here:

key word clues:  trespasses, temptation


Other activities and resources

The Jewish religion has a tradition of sacrificing animals for the forgiveness of sins.  Read more about one example on the link below:  

Scapegoat story

I have just come across a wonderful poem and blog entry that would have been perfect to link to for last week - so here it is.  Better late than never!

Doubting Thomas poem


Maria

My Lord and my God!

Second Sunday of Easter (Year B)

Last week in a little liturgy the activity involved writing "I do" to the questions asked in the baptismal rite.  In our discussions at home, we felt that for some answers we considered putting "not so sure".  Today we discover that Thomas also felt this way and that Christ was there to answer his doubts.  This week, I have tried to explore how Christ is also there to answer our doubts.  

Summary of Liturgy of the Word

First Reading
Acts 4:32-35
Everyone in the group of believers was united, heart and soul.  They shared everything they had so that no one went without.

Psalm 117
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

Second Reading
1 John 5:1-6
If we love God and follow his commandments, we can overcome the world.

Gospel
John 20:19-31
The disciples were hiding from the Jews in a locked room when Jesus came and stood among them.  He greeted them, saying, "Peace be with you".  Next he said:  "As the Father sent me, so I am sending you."
Thomas was not with the others when this happened and he did not believe that they had seen Jesus.  Eight days later, Jesus returned and spoke especially to Thomas.  He said that he could touch his wounds and then said "Doubt no longer but believe".  Thomas answered "My Lord and my God."  Then Jesus said "You believe because you can see me.  Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe."


Discussion

Thomas famously found it difficult to believe that Christ had risen so he earned the name "Doubting Thomas".  Jesus sought him out and helped him to believe.  We may think that it was easy for the disciples to believe because they "were there".  However, they did not have the benefit of the New Testament collected as a book, they were scared and often persecuted and they did not always have the support of their friends and families.  We can now look back over nearly 2,000 years of Christianity for inspiration and assistance.  Like us, the disciples were often puzzled by what Jesus taught and found things difficult.  Peter, himself, was often slow to understand things and indeed denied that he knew Jesus when he was scared.  We should take courage from this.

Activity during Mass

Listening to the scriptures is a bit like being with the disciples when Jesus spoke to them.  Today Jesus says:
 "_ _ _ _ _    _ _    longer  _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ".    After the Gospel, the priest gives a homily and then we say the Creed.  The word "Creed" comes from the Latin word "credo" meaning "I believe".

In today's Gospel, we see that Thomas had a hard time believing that Jesus was not still dead.  Look at some of our beliefs listed from the Creed below and underline the one that Thomas was finding difficult to believe:

I believe in one God
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ
I believe that Jesus came down from heaven
I believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary
I believe that Jesus suffered death and was buried
I believe that Jesus rose again on the third day
I believe that Jesus ascended into heaven
I believe that God's kingdom will have no end
I believe in the Holy Spirit
I believe in the life of the world to come

Now put a mark out of 10 by each statement.  Put 10 if you find it easy to believe and 1 if you find it difficult to believe.  Now add up to find your score out of 100.

Everybody finds believing difficult at times.  That is why Jesus gave us the Church.  The Church is a bit like a map to help us to follow Jesus.  It attempts to explain things and gives us company, help and energy on the way.   When Jesus says "Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe", he is talking about us.  He gave us the map so we can find him.

Other activities and resources

Look up some information about the early church and how they decided what to put in their creeds. The following link might be useful:

Information about Council of Nicaea

A famous painting may help you to explore today's Gospel:

Caravaggio's painting


I hope you have found something useful this week.

Maria