Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
July 9, 2017
Gospel: Mt 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to
you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things from the
wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such
has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my
Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father
except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
"Come to me, all you who labor (1) and are
burdened (2), and I will give you rest. Take my yoke (3) upon you and learn
from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for
yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
http://www.usccb.org
The difficult words
(1)To labor means
to work very hard.
(2)Burdened
means overworked and tired.
(3)A yoke is
a harness for an animal that works on a farm.
This week’s spotlight
The King of peace
The first reading from the prophet Zechariah foretells
the coming of a great king who will put an end to wars and rule peacefully over
the whole world. This prophecy is fulfilled when Jesus enters Jerusalem riding
on a donkey on Palm Sunday. Through his Passion and death, Jesus makes an
unbreakable peace between God and the human race. He will come again at the end
of time to stop all war and violence forever.
Be a disciple of Jesus
The word "disciple" comes from a Latin word
that means student. In Jesus' time, men and women followed him. They were his
disciples, even if they didn't always Jesus; a disciple must be open to his
teachings. A Christian, no matter what age, is a disciple. He or she listens to
the word of God and puts it into practice. Being Jesus' disciple means
participating in the building of the Kingdom of God.
Reflection
Dive into the water!
So, it’s vacation time! Are you taking
swimming lessons this summer? Even if you aren’t, you’ll probably see a
swimming instructor at the pool. Swimming instructors teach the movements
necessary to stay afloat in the water and to move through the water. But, as
you know, you can’t learn to swim unless you get into the water and try it! The
same is true of following Christ. It’s not enough to have nice thoughts about
God and just stay at the side of the pool. To be a disciple means more than
just knowing things about God; it means praying, keeping the commandments, and
living like a true child of God. Do you know how to pray? It’s as easy as
talking to the Father. All you have to do is jump in! Jesus shows us how to
pray in today’s Gospel. He praises the Father for revealing his love to little
ones. He also invites us to come to him.Try using his words in your own prayer.
Discussion questions
1.How does Jesus show care for his friends?
2.What does Jesus tell the others about his relationship with God the
Father?
3.What comforting message does Jesus give his followers?
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. I want
to say "yes" to your call. May the Body and Blood of Jesus help me to
be a good disciple.
This week…
Read the Gospel every
day
Each day this week, take time to reread the Gospel out
loud.The first paragraph is a beautiful prayer to the Father; Pray this prayer
with Jesus each day!
Take a little time
out
Using a clock or timer; practice being very quiet and
still for three full minutes. The ability to keep still and be silent is
important for growing in prayer. Try it again, only this time use the three
minutes to pray, or just to thank God for the beauty of creation.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: usccb.org -
Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com –usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm