14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year B

Fourteenth Ordinary Sunday

Images

Speaking up

Rejection

Points to note

This reading tries to bring across the idea that, as Christians, we have a duty to stand up for what is right.  That is our calling to be prophets.  Highlight the point that all of us are called to be prophets and therefore we are all called to this responsibility.

Liturgy

Acclamation before the Gospel

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

The Word was made flesh and lived among us;

to all who accept him

he gave power to become children of God.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Explain that Jesus has just started teaching in the area around his home region.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark

(Mk 6: 1-6)

Jesus went to his hometown and his disciples accompanied him.  With the coming of the Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him.  They said, “Where did the man get all these?  What is the wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that has been worked through him?  This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon?  His sisters, too, are they not here with us?”  And they would not accept him.  And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is only despised in his own country among his own relations and in his own house”; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them.  He was amazed at their lack of faith.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Discussions

What is a prophet?  Can you give examples of prophets of the old days?  In the Old Testament, there are four major prophets:  Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.  They are so called because their books in the Old Testament are the longest. There are also twelve minor prophets, because their books are shorter:  Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.  In addition, there are prophets who did not write any of the Old Testament books such as Samuel, Elijah, Eli, Nathan and so on.  People like Moses and Abraham are not prophets:  they are called patriarchs.

Discuss the fact that Jesus was anointed priest, prophet and king.  Similarly, at our baptism, we are all called to be priests, prophets and kings (or queens?).  For us Christians, we see our role as priests to be that of praying, prophets to be that of proclaiming and kings to be that of servants.

What does a prophet do? Discuss what we expect a prophet to be.  A prophet is not someone who predicts the future:  that is a fortune teller.  A prophet calls people to be true to God’s teachings.  In many ways, a prophet is a teacher.  Discuss people who we could consider prophets in this sense: Sunday school teachers, priests, your friendly CLOW facilitators, etc.

A prophet also has to proclaim God’s law and point out where people have not followed God’s commandments.  Examples of people who are prophets in this sense are those who speak up for the poor, those involved in social justice, etc.

What qualities do you think a prophet should have?  Courage, a strong faith, a clear voice.   A prophet should also be one who can withstand rejection because many people would not want to listen to them.  Discuss the types of people who would have been rejected for their message.

For older children

Discuss with the children the times when they have made themselves unpopular when they have pointed out something that is right and should be done.  At times, they have incurred someone’s anger when they refused to take part in an unkind act, a dishonest act or a disobedient act.  Discuss how it hurts and ask them to share their experience.

Scripture note

In the reading, Jesus was referred to as the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon.  Catholic teaching on this point is that brother here is used in the same sense as cousin, which is the meaning still commonly encountered in Middle Eastern languages.  There is an interesting minority view that Jesus has half brothers, sons of Joseph from a previous marriage.  This retains the belief that Mary herself has no other children.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

LSW children

Year B

Thirteenth Ordinary Sunday

Images

God helps us if we help ourselves

Having faith

Points to note

The reading is part of a much longer reading, long enough as it is.  In the longer version, Jesus had a detour: he met the woman with a haemorrhage, who believed that if she could just touch the hem of his cloak, she will be well again.  The point here is the same:  trust in Jesus and you will be healed.  As such, I have opted for the shorter version, which has the same point in it.

Liturgy

Acclamation before the Gospel

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Our Saviour Christ Jesus banished death,

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

Gospel

In last Sunday’s reading, we saw how the disciples depended on Jesus for help when they were frightened.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark

(Mk 5: 21-43)

When Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered round him and he stayed by the lakeside.  Then one of the synagogue officials came up, Jairus by name, and seeing him, fell at his feet, and pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is desperately sick.  Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.”  Jesus went with him and a large crowd followed him.

While he was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say,” Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble?  But Jesus had overhead this remark of theirs and he said to the official, “Do not be afraid; only have faith.”  And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.  So they came to the official’s house and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly.  He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and crying?  The child is not dead but asleep.”  But they laughed at him.  So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions, we went into the place where the child lay.  And taking the child by the hand he said to her, “Talitha, kum!”  which means ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’  The little girl got up at once and began to walk about for she was twelve years old.  At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Discussion

Have you ever asked anyone for help before?  Get the children to talk about specific situations and what happened during these situations.  Focus on the people who helped them and how those people did it.

Sometimes, when people help you, there are conditions: you must do something for them to help you.  For example, Daddy is not going to help you with your homework if you are not going to do any of it.  Mommy will lift the computer ban if you promise not be naughty again.  Do you have any other examples?  If possible, lead the children to the examples of helping that they mentioned just now. 

Are there any examples where you are helping someone and they do not say thank you or show appreciation even as you do it (imagine if you are helping someone with drawing a picture and they keep telling you are doing a lousy job); or where the person you are helping is not helping themselves (imagine you offer to help someone with carrying things and they leave it all to you to do all the carrying while they relax), would you like it?  Let’s hope the children are not such nasty brats themselves!!  Take care though that this does not become a gripe session.

The idea here is to get the children to understand that it is common for us to do something so that others would help us.  It is not that the person helping us is not sincere; or that the person helping us is taking advantage of us; or that they do not love us.  This is just good manners as part of being good people and it also helps us learn to do the things that we currently need help to do.

It is very much the same with God: He expects us to do certain things when he helps us.  What do you think they are?  He expects us to help ourselves; he expects us to say thank you and he expects us to have faith in him that he could help us.  Link the last part back to the reading:  the father of Jairus had faith in Jesus unlike those who laughed at him.  Despite this, Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter because Jairus believed that Jesus will really help him.

  

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year B

Twelfth Ordinary Sunday

 

Images

Being afraid

Being protected

Points to note

While our children, by and large, grow up in safe, stable and loving environments, the discussion on fears and being afraid may need to be taken sensitively.  Talking from a safe position as they would be in church on Sunday, I expect the children to be free to talk openly as the fearful situation would have been in the past.  Be alert, however, for any child who seems to be talking as if the fearful situation is still continuing.  A bit of assurance is called for.

While you may wish to use such a situation as material for discussion, take care you do not push the child to talk more than what he or she is ready to share.  If you are confident enough for this, though, it will make for a powerful testimony and discussion.

Liturgy

Acclamation before the Gospel

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

May the father of our Lord Jesus Christ

enlighten the eyes of our mind,

so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Explain that Jesus has just been round Galilee, preaching to the people.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark

(Mk 4: 35-41)

With the coming of evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side.”  And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.  Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped.  But he was in the back of the boat, his head on the cushion, asleep.  They woke him and said to him,”Master, do you not care?  We are going to drown!”  And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Quiet now!  Be calm!”  And the wind dropped, and all was calm again.  Then he said to them, “Why are you so frightened?  How is it that you have no faith?”  They were filled with awe and said to one another, “Who can this be?  Even the wind and the sea obey him.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Discussion

Does any one like to be afraid?  Limit the discussion to fears that the children do not like:  we are not talking about horror movies here.  

What makes you afraid?  Why?  We normally do not like to be alone, abandoned, scolded or in danger

How do you react when you are frightened?  You can broaden out the discussion to people in general.  Some children may suck their thumbs while others cling to their parents or older siblings.

Would you like someone to help you when you are frightened?  Who normally helps you?  Our parents, teachers, older brother, sister or friend.  What do they do?  They protect us, make the frightening thing go away or sometimes, a few comforting words or a cuddle is enough.

Would you seek help from someone strong or weak; someone who knows what he is doing or someone daft; someone comforting or someone threatening?  Why?

Explain that, in the reading, the disciples in the boat with Jesus were likely to be fishermen.  Fishermen are frightened of the sea and they often say special prayers before going out to sea, whatever their religion is.  In this story, the disciples were afraid when a storm blew.  The person they turned to was Jesus, who seems pretty cool about it:  he was fast asleep while everyone else was panicking over the storm!!

Wouldn’t we too want to turn to Jesus when we are frightened?  Discuss why: he is someone who is strong, who knows what he is doing, and who is comforting.  How do we call on Jesus for help?  Discuss the various ways of praying and how to compose a prayer to ask Jesus for help.

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

LSW children

Year B

Eleventh Ordinary Sunday

Images

Sower sowing, not knowing when the seed will sprout

Mustard seed

Points to note

 

The passage this Sunday revolves around two images: (i) that of the sower sowing the seed and (ii) the mustard seed.  You may choose to use both or concentrate on only one.

Liturgy

Acclamation

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;

whoever finds the seed will remain for ever.

Alleluia!

 

 

Gospel

Explain that Jesus is telling a parable in this reading.  Explain what a parable is and that some parables area allegories – where each action or person in the story could be representing something in real life.  Get the children to try to identify what is what or who is whom in the reading. 

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark

(Mk 4: 26-34)

Jesus said to the crowds: “This is what the kingdom of God is like.  A man throws seed on the land.  Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know.  Of its own accord, the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, the full grain in the ear.  And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.”

He also said: “What can we say the kingdom of God is like?  What parable can we find for it?  It is like a mustard seed which at the time if its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds in the earth; yet once it is sown, it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.”

Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it.  He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Discussion

The sower

Discuss with the children how wheat is grown and harvested.  Point out the stages of the growth of the wheat: (i) the planting; (ii) the shoot; (iii) the budding of the ear; (iv) the maturity of the ear; (v) ready for harvesting. 

Point out also the time of waiting the sower has to wait for the wheat to be harvested.  He will never know for sure when the harvest will come because it may change with the weather.  Also the fact that all the seed the sower sows are good seed.  No sower will ever sow bad seed.

Liken the parable to God.  Get the children to identify what represents what in the parable.  There are alternatives: 

(i)              God is the sower and we are the seed.  God never sow bad seeds:  God made only good people;  Are we the good people that God sowed?

(ii)            We are the sower and goodness and love in the world is the wheat we would like to get.  Discuss what is it the children would like to reap as a harvest?  How willing are they to put in the effort to make sure that their efforts will bear fruit?

Mustard seed

You may wish to use mustard seeds for this session.  The mustard seed could be shown to the children in the course of the discussion but not given out.  Otherwise, you will have mustard seeds all over the place.  If you wish to say a prayer, though, each child could be given one seed to hold while the final prayer is being said.

You may discuss about what such a little mustard seed could be thinking about when it is growing up?  How big will I grow?  Being so small, can I be as big as the other trees?  Link it back to the children.  No matter how small we are today, and how little our knowledge, we can grow to be someone big and knowledgeable enough to serve God well.