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Pentecost Sunday - Year A

June 4, 2017

Gospel: Jn 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week (1), when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed (2) on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit (3). Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (4)."

http://www.usccb.org

The difficult words

(1)The first day of the week is Sunday, and in this case, Easter Sunday.

(2)To breathe on someone was a sign of sharing with them the spirit within you. Jesus thus gives the Apostles the Holy Spirit.

(3)The Holy Spirit empowers the Apostles to forgive sins. In the name of Jesus, they are given the power to forgive the bad things that someone has done.

(4)To retain means to keep or remember something. Hence, to retain a sin means not to forgive it.

This week’s spotlight

Pentecost

On the day of Pentecost, the Apostles received the Holy Spirit. He freed them from their fear and they were able to speak about Jesus. Some three thousand people gathered around them that day and were baptized. This first assembly of believers became the Church. Today, Christians celebrate Pentecost as the birth of the Church.

Prayer for the Holy Spirit

Twice during the Eucharistic Prayer, the Priest asks the Holy Spirit to intervene. The first time, he holds his hands over the bread and the wine and asks the Holy Spirit to make these offerings become the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ. A second time, he calls the Spirit upon the congregation so that the people become the Body of Christ. These two prayers are called epicleses. In Greek this word means to come down upon - it is the Holy Spirit who comes down upon us during Mass.

Reflection

So I send you

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives his Apostles a mission: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” God never gives a mission, however, without giving the power needed to fulfill that mission. That's why Jesus then says: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” We too have received a mission and the strength to fulfill it. At our baptism we too became Apostles, sent out into the world to proclaim the Good News and to live as the children of God. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift that empowers us to accomplish the mission entrusted to us. He is God’s love dwelling in our hearts and helping us to love one another. God’s love is so great that, even when we fail to love, his mercy and forgiveness are available through the ministry of the Church. Thank you, Father, for the Holy Spirit! Thank you, Jesus, for the forgiveness of sins!

Discussion questions

1.Why are the disciples behind locked doors?

2.How does Jesus give the Holy Spirit to his disciples?

3.What does the Holy Spirit help the disciples to do?

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, in communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of you faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Amen.

This week…

Calling upon the Spirit

Sit down comfortably in your prayer corner and say your morning and evening prayers to the Holy Spirit. Ask him to pour his love upon you. Also call upon the Spirit to help you share his love with all the people you meet.

Be a good observer

On a piece of paper that you will keep in your prayer corner, write down the names of five people (your parents, your brothers and sisters, your friends). This week, for each of these people, write down a quality or gift from God which makes them particularly special to you.

Crossword Puzzle

Source: usccb.org - Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com –usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm

The Ascension of the Lord - Year A

May 28, 2017

Gospel: Mt 28:16-20

The eleven disciples (1) went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe (2) all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age (3)."

http://www.usccb.org

The difficult words

(1)There are only eleven disciples at this time, because Judas was no longer with them, and they had not yet chosen his replacement.

(2)To observe means to obey.

(3)The end of the age means the end of history, for ever.

This week’s spotlight

The Ascension

Jesus taught us to pray saying, "Our Father, who art in heaven.''Today's feast celebrates the return of Jesus to his Father. We do not really know where heaven is, but we know that Jesus is there in body and soul. This doesn't mean that he lives in the clouds or in space, but that he does not live on earth as we do. We no longer see Jesus with our physical eyes; we see and know him by faith. He is with us always through his Spirit and he is preparing a place for us near the Father. This Ascension reminds us that we are called to join Jesus, body and soul, in heaven.

“I am with you always”

As Jesus ascended to his Father, he told his Apostles. "I am with you always." He truly leaves, in that he no longer walks the earth as we do, but he is with us too. Jesus is among us when we gather to celebrate the Mass and the other sacraments. In a special way, he is present in the Holy Eucharist, his Body and Blood. He is also present in his word, in his Priests, and in each of us by grace. He is also present wherever there is love, forgiveness, and true peace.

Reflection

Let’s all be his messengers!

On Easter morning, the Good News of the Resurrection of Jesus was spread among the Apostles. Jesus appeared to them several times during the forty days after his Resurrection. He taught them, shared their meals, and proved to them that he is alive...for ever! On the day of the Ascension, he leaves to return to his Father. Before leaving, he puts the Apostles in charge of a great mission—to go and proclaim the Good News to everyone, to baptize them, and encourage them in the faith by performing the signs that he himself performed. What a mission! Fortunately, the Lord works and acts with them. Have you ever thought how it is that you have come to know Jesus? It is because the Apostles and their successors have continued this mission throughout the centuries up to this very day. Today, Jesus works with us when we announce the Good News; he is with you, even if you can’t see him.

Discussion questions

1.Where do the disciples meet with Jesus?

2.What does Jesus tell his followers to go out and do?

3.How does Jesus help his friends understand that he will always be with them?

Praying after Communion

Father, through Jesus, in communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. As we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, we rejoice that he has opened the way that we all hope to follow. May this Communion in his Body and Blood help us to remember that he is with us always.

This week…

Discover the communion of the saints

This week, make a list of your favorite saints. Write down some of the ways in which each of them has continued the mission entrusted to them by Jesus.

Discover current witnesses

On a second piece of paper make another list of the witnesses of the faith that you know today; for example, your parents, your godfather and godmother, your catechism teachers...

Maze Puzzle

Source: usccb.org - Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com –usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm