Fifth Sunday of Easter - Year A
May 14, 2017
Gospel: Jn 14:1-12
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your
hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my
Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have
told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I
am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to
him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the
way?" Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know
my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to
him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus
said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not
know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say,
'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father
is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father
who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen,
I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do
greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."
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This week’s spotlight
The Father
Coming to Sunday Mass is like going home to our
Father’s house. God's family gathers to hear his word, to be fed at his table,
and to offer him praise and thanks. The
entire Mass directs us toward our Father. In union with Jesus in the
Eucharistic sacrifice, we offer our whole lives to him. We thank him for his
love for us, and we tell him how much we love him, too.
The Son
At Mass, we joyfully celebrate the paschal mystery:
the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In and through this mystery,
Jesus opened the way to the Father for us. God sent his Son into the world so
that we could become sons and daughters of God. Jesus himself is the way to the
Father. See what love the Father has bestowed on us by letting us be called
children of God (I John 3:1)! We participate in the paschal mystery of the Son
by offering our lives to our Father.
Reflection
In the Father's house!
Jesus has some good news for you: he is going to
prepare a place for you in his Father’s house. He will make everything just
right so that it feels like home. Just think: there is a place in heaven made
especially for you, and only you! Thankfully, God’s house is big enough for
everyone, and he invites all to come home to him. But how do we get there?
Jesus gives us the answer: “I am the way.” If you know Jesus, you know the way!
Through his death and Resurrection, he opened the gates of heaven, the doors to
his Father’s house. Heaven is our true home, a house full of joy and love.
Jesus is the way, and we begin to follow him now on the path to eternal life.
Alleluia!
Discussion questions
1.Why are the disciples concerned about Jesus leaving them?
2.How does Jesus comfort his friends?
3.What does Jesus tell his followers about his Father’s house?
4.Why does Jesus tell his friends to continue his work?
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. Heavenly
Father; by nourishing us with the Body of your Son Jesus, you allow us to share
your life, the life that we will have with you for ever. May this Communion
give me the strength to live as your child.
This week…
Thanking the Father
Make a list of the people and
things that are important to you. Take the time to thank God the Father for
these wonderful gifts.
Live as a child of God by contemplating his Son
Ask your parents to find a
picture of Jesus that they really like and you do the same (for example, from a
Bible). Then, show each other the pictures that you have chosen and explain
what you like about them. You can also try this with your brothers and sisters
or your friends.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm