May 22,
2016
Gospel:
Jn 16:12-15
Jesus said to his disciples: "I have much more
to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all
truth. He will not speak on his
own, but he will speak what
he hears, and will declare (*) to you the things that
are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take
from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the
Father has is mine; for this reason I told
you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to
you."
(http://www.usccb.org)
The difficult words
(*)
To declare is to say something very important so that everyone can hear.
This
week’s spotlight
The
Trinity
The
mystery of the Trinity is one God and three divine Persons: Father; Son, and
Holy Spirit. At baptism, the priest (or deacon) washes us in the baptismal
water in the name of the Father; and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism gives us a share in the very life of God, who is Love. At Mass, the
prayers are addressed to the Father, in the name of Jesus, in union with the
Holy Spirit. The sign of the cross too begins and ends our prayers in the name
of our Triune God.
Final doxology
At
the end of the Eucharistic prayer, the priest raises the paten with the host
and the chalice. He pronounces the final doxology, or prayer of praise:
"Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory
and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.” When the priest says:
“Through him, with him, in him," it means that the Mass is celebrated
through Jesus, with Jesus, and in Jesus. The priest continues by honoring the
Father and the Holy Spirit in all their glory. With Jesus, we give praise to our
Father thanks to the Spirit. The whole congregation responds by saying
"Amen" to declare that they believe it is true.
Reflection
A
family of love
Today is Trinity Sunday! If you look
carefully at the word “Trinity,” you can see that it is made from two other
words: “Tri” meaning “three” (as in “tricycle” and “Triceratops”), and “unity”
which means “joined together as one.” That may not seem important to some
people, but it is a tremendous joy for us! God has shown to those who believe
in Jesus that he is Love! God is not a selfish, lonely King, but a family of
love. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three Persons of the Trinity are
a family - and through our baptism, God has made us members of this family. In
baptism, God gives us grace, which is a share in his very life. With this
grace, we find strength to love God and one another - in other words, to live
as members of God’s family. What a gift it is to be children of God!
Discussion
questions
1.What does Jesus
tell his disciples about the Holy Spirit?
2.Why is the Holy
Spirit described as the Spirit of Truth?
3.How will the Holy
Spirit help the disciples?
4.What does praying
the Sign of the Cross show us about God?
5.Who are the three
Persons in one God?
6.What is your
understanding of the Holy Trinity?
After receiving Holy Communion, you can
say this prayer
silently to yourself. If you have not yet received your First Communion, you
can still
say this prayer
because of your desire to receive Jesus.
Father,
through Jesus, in communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into
my heart. Thank you for this beautiful gift of Holy Communion, which brings us
all together as one Church and unites us in love. Help us all to be one as you are One in the Trinity: Father; Son and Holy
Spirit.
This week…
Love as God loves
This week, decide to be
particularly thoughtful toward people around you, without being noticed. You
can set the table even if it's not your turn, put away things that are lying
around your room, or offer your help at school.
Help love overflow
This week, you can suggest to
your family that they invite someone (a neighbor; a distant relative...) to
share a fun activity with you.
Crossword Puzzle
Source:
http://www.usccb.org - Magnifikid -
www.sermons4kids.com - http://www.loyolapress.com -
http://usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm