Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
October 2, 2016
Gospel: Lk 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If
you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Who among you would say to your servant who has just
come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and
take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something
for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may
eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he
did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you
have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we
were obliged to do.’”
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This week’s spotlight
Be a guardian of the Gospel
The beautiful stories of the Bible are not
make-believe. this is called divine revelation. God speaks to us through his
holy word, and he gives us faith to understand what he is saying. He wants us
to treasure the Scriptures, and to share the message of the Gospel, and to
share the Good News of salvation with everyone in the world.
Stir into flame the gift of God
In today's second reading, Paul urges Timothy to stir
into flame the gift of God. The gift of God, above all, is the Holy Spirit who
dwells within us by grace. The Holy Spirit is poured upon our souls through the
sacraments, especially through baptism and confirmation. We stir into flame the
gift of God whenever we open our hearts to grow in faith, hope, and love. The
Holy Spirit gently invites us to notice his presence in our souls, and
strengthens us to practice the Christian life.
Reflection
The work of faith
In today’s Gospel, the disciples ask Jesus to give
them more faith. He explains that if they had a tiny bit of faith, even the
size of a mustard seed, that they could command a great big tree to move! Did
you know that a mustard seed is only I millimeter in size? That’s not much
bigger than a period at the end of a sentence. When God made you inside of your
mother you were smaller than a mustard seed; and look what happened! You! You
grew and were born into this great and beautiful world. By the gift of faith
and baptism you also became a child of God.
By faith, you will one day be born into everlasting
life in heaven. In the meantime, you still have to grow. Faith gives us the
power to say “yes” to God and to the truths he has revealed. Faith makes us
grow strong in love and in the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Discussion questions
1.How does Jesus teach his disciples about faith?
2.What does faith give people the ability to do?
3.How much faith does a person need to have?
4.Why does Jesus use the example of a mustard seed?
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. Through
this communion in the body and blood of your Son, stir into flame the gifts you
have given to my soul: Increase my faith, strengthen my hope, and fill me with
love for others.
This week…
Living faith as a
child
Ask your parents how God was part of their lives when
they were your age. In turn, you can tell them about how God helps you to grow
and learn.
Be thankful for the
faith you have
Draw a picture or write a poem as a thank-you for
someone who helps you to grow in faith. It could be for someone in your family,
or for someone in your catechism class who talks to you about God.
Word search
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm