First Sunday of Lent

First Sunday of Lent, Year B

Feb 22, 2015

 

Gospel Mk 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted (1) by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered (2) to him.
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment (3). The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent (4), and believe in the gospel.”

The difficult words

(1)  Tempted means tested.

(2)  To minister to someone is to serve and care for him.

(3) The time of fulfillment is the time that God promised would come, the time that he would send the Messiah.

(4)  We repent when we feel regret or sorrow about something that we have done or have failed to do.

This week spotlight

The covenant

After saving Noah and his family from the flood, God made a covenant with him: he promised to always love Noah's descendants (the human race), and they promised in turn to love God and keep his commands. God created the rainbow so that people would have a reminder of this agreement. But people found it hard to be faithful to the covenant. Through the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, God creates a new, living, and eternal covenant with the human family. He places his Spirit within us.

No “Glory to God” or “Alleluia”

During Lent, we remember the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert. In our lives, we also try to live this time in the desert by adopting a more simple life and turning ourselves toward God. Some parts of the Mass are changed in order to better reflect our preparation for the Resurrection of Jesus. We refrain from singing or showing our joy at Mass as we wait for Easter day.The "Glory to God" is not sung, and the joyful “Alleluia” is replaced by a simple phrase from the Scriptures.

Reflection

This past week, the Church marked the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. One of the phrases used in the signing with ashes is "Repent, and believe in the Gospel." Today's readings remind us that even though humans continue to turn away from God, God continues to keep the covenant, the promise that he will always be faithful to us. No matter what by sending his Son, God lets us know that he will not destroy us. He is a loving and forgiving God, and when we do lose our way he is ready to receive us back. God keeps his promises. Lent is a time for us to think about how we are keeping our baptismal promise to reject sin so as to live in the freedom of God's children, and to reject Satan and the glamour of evil.

After his baptism, Jesus goes off to the desert. The desert is a vast, hot, and dry region of sand and stones. The Holy Spirit pushes Jesus to this place because there he can be alone with God in silence. Jesus begins to pray to God his Father and does so for forty days. Being alone to pray for such a long time is not easy, even for Jesus. He faced the same temptations that we would feel. He was tempted to interrupt his fasting, stop his prayers, and worship someone other than his Father. However, Jesus resisted these temptations because he knew, as a son does, that he could trust in his Father. During the forty days of Lent, the Lord invites each one of us to place our trust in him. If we listen to him and believe what he says to us in prayer, we can become workers who help to build his kingdom: a kingdom of peace and love where we respect one another, help each other, and live according to God’s rules.

Discussion questions

1.  Who drove Jesus to the desert?

2.  How long did Jesus stay there?

3.  What was Jesus tempted by?

4.  Where did Jesus proclaim the Gospel after John had been arrested?

5.  What did Jesus call people to do?

6.  Why do you think the Spirit drove Jesus to the desert but not somewhere else?

Praying after Communion

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 Christ, in union with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Thank you for reaching out to your people throughout history, and for saving us through the Body and Blood of your Son. May this Communion strengthen me to face my temptations with faith and courage.

Crossword Puzzle

Source: http://www.usccb.org -  Magnifikid - Children's Liturgy of the Word

Feb 15, 2015 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Gospel Mk 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean (1).”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy (*)  left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly (2), he dismissed him at once.

He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest (3)
and offer for your cleansing (4) what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad (5)
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

The difficult words

(1)   To make clean here means to heal someone of leprosy.

(2)   Sternly means strictly and harshly.

(3)   The priest was the Jewish leader who offered sacrifices. Only the priest could say that someone was clean.

(4)   To offer something for your cleansing was the practice of making a gift or sacrifice of thanksgiving required by the law of Moses. This was a sign of gratitude to God for the miracle of being healed.

(5)   Abroad means wide and far away.

(*) Leprosy: During the time when Jesus lived upon the earth, leprosy was very wide-spread and was a dreaded disease. When someone had leprosy, they were covered with sores all over their bodies. Unlike chicken pox, these sores didn't just go away. When someone had leprosy, it was hopeless, because there was no cure. To make matters worse, other people considered them to be unclean and were not allowed to touch them. Many people believed that people who had leprosy got the disease because of some terrible sin they had committed.

This week spotlight

Healing

There are many Gospel stories in which Jesus cures people, such as the healing of the leper that we read about today. These cures are very amazing, showing us God's power. They are also reminders that God wants to heal our souls as well as our bodies. Jesus invites the people he cures to turn toward God and discover his great love for them. Sick people don't always recover from their illnesses, but God always wants them to repent of their sins, so that they will be happy for ever in heaven.

“Only say the word and my soul shall be healed”

At every Mass, we pray these words right before Communion. They come from the centurion in the Gospel (see Matthew 8: 5-13), who came to Jesus to ask for the healing of his servant. Since he didn’t feel worthy to have Jesus visit his house, he simply asked Jesus to command it. He believed in the power of Jesus to heal, and at Jesus' command, his servant got better. By praying these words at Mass, you are admitting that you are not worthy to have Jesus "enter under your roof," that is, come to you in Holy Communion. At the same time, you are professing your faith in Jesus' power to heal your soul and make it worthy of his presence.

Reflection

Leprosy is a sickness caused by very contagious bacteria. People used to be so afraid of lepers that they made them live far away from others. The leper in today’s Gospel is suffering not only from this terrible disease that makes him smell and look bad, but also from being cut off from his family and friends. Some people say that he has leprosy because he is a sinner. It is against the law for him even to go near other people. He feels unloved and shut out. Still, he believes that Jesus can help him.

He dares to find Jesus and begs to be cured. Jesus reaches out to touch him, without fear of catching leprosy, and heals him. Today, even though they don’t have leprosy, many people are unloved and shut out. Other people have bad attitudes, and no one wants to hang around them. Jesus wants to heal us too. Will you pray for his help? Will you love those who feel unloved?

>Pray for those who are isolated

There are always people who are isolated or left out, at school and in the street. They feel excluded. Keep your eyes wide open, and if you see someone who seems excluded, young or old, go toward him or her and give them a smile, say something nice, and then entrust him or her to the Lord in your evening prayers.

>Single out your bad habits

We all have a few bad habits. This week, figure out what keeps you from living in harmony with others, with yourself, and with God. Here are some questions to help you: Do I cut in front of others? Do I lie? Do I interrupt others? Do I take what I want before thinking of others? Ask Jesus to purify you. He wants to help you heal yourself!

Discussion questions

1.   Who was the patient that Jesus healed today?

2.   What did he say to Jesus?

3.   How long did it take for him to be clean?

4.   Who did the leper need to see after he was clean?

5.   What did Jesus ask him to do next?

6.   Did the man say anything about his matter?

7.   Was it good for Jesus?

8.   What can we learn from the Gospel of this Sunday?

Praying after communion

After receiving 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 union with the whole Church,  I thank you for coming into my heart. Your Son healed the sick who came to him,to show his love for the human family. May our Communion with Jesus help us to show kindness to the sick and to those who are left out and unloved.

Crossword Puzzle 

Source: http://www.usccb.org - http://www.sermons4kids.com - Magnifikid

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time , Year B

Feb 8, 2015

Gospel Mk 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue (1)
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons (2).
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

The difficult words

(1)   The synagogue is the place in a village where the Jewish people met to pray.

(2)   demons are evil spirits.

Reflection

Mark describes for us how Jesus' day begins and ends with taking care of others. He heals Simon's mother-in-law, he cures others who are sick, he drives out demons from those who are possessed. He comforts the downhearted and discouraged. The crowds follow him wherever he goes. Even when he goes off to a lonely place to pray and be renewed, Jesus is tracked down by his disciples who say, "Everybody is looking for you!" Without complaint, Jesus responds at once by heading for the nearby villages to heal and preach and comfort.

If we could go back in time and follow Jesus around for a few days, we would be exhausted in a hurry. Though Jesus always took time for prayer, he was busy all day teaching, healing, and loving others. People came to him constantly, leaving him with barely enough time to eat. Can you imagine the love with which he looked at people? Or the hope he brought to those who were suffering? This Sunday’s Gospel describes Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. Jesus' love made her so grateful and joyful that she immediately got up and began to wait on them. God’s love for us in Jesus is the Good News! Even though life can be very sad and painful sometimes, even though we get sick and suffer, we believe that God is with us through it all. The Good News is needed just as much today in our world.

As believers in Jesus, we are called today to be good news for everyone, reaching out and helping them as Jesus did. Practice this throughout the week by noticing the needs of others and offering to help them.

Discussion

1.      Where did Jesus go after he left the synagogue?

2.      Who was sick?

3.      What did Jesus do for her?

4.      What happened after sunset?

5.      What was Jesus doing when Simon found him the next early morning?

6.      Where did Jesus pray?

7.      How often do you pray?

8.      Where and when do you often pray?

Praying after communion

After receiving 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 Christ, in communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to remind us how much you love us. Through this communion, help us all to live as your children and together bring the Good News to the world.


Crossword Puzzle

Source: http://www.sadlierreligion.com - http://www.sermons4kids.com/ - http://www.usccb.org - Magnifikid

  

For further reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap7QYWwS-bU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaBYU53e0_k