tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69922170757586575172024-03-14T07:38:30.697-07:00Children Living the Sunday WordSharing of material for facilitating discussions with children during Liturgy of the Word in Catholic churches every Sunday.Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-29569616989805567322018-12-02T16:58:00.000-08:002018-12-22T05:17:13.263-08:00Fourth Sunday in Advent<div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Fourth Sunday in Advent<b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></h3>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is the final Sunday of Advent. And after all the exciting anticipation from John the Baptist, we take time out to praise the Lord and His Mother as we draw closer to his coming on Christmas Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The session then can end on a bit of a devotional note if you can get the children to calmly and solemnly recite the Hail Mary. If you do, draw attention to the words said by Elizabeth in the prayer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">If you are able to, prepare the Magnificat on a board so that the children can also say the prayer together. It is the song of praise that follows on from this reading. The Magnificat is also said in the Evening Prayer, recited by every priest and religious as well as many devout lay Catholics every evening throughout the world. If you think about it, somewhere in the world it would be evening at any one time. So, somewhere in the world there would be Catholics saying the Evening Prayer. So, remind the children before they say the Magnificat that they are accompanying someone somewhere in the world in their Evening Prayer when they say the Magnificat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Acclamation before the Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">let what you have said be done to me</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Glory to you O Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Go through the story again but this time, explain who each person is. I would expect everyone to know how Mary is but explain that this story is when she is already pregnant with the Baby Jesus for two months. (Well, we don’t really know how many months pregnant is really was but we celebrate the Annunciation (when Jesus was conceived) 25 March and the Visitation (this story) 31 May.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Elizabeth is a cousin of Mary but she was very old when she became pregnant with a baby, by the blessing of God. The baby is actually John the Baptist, the same one we read about in the previous two Sundays. So, Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins because their mothers were cousins.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Discuss the point of the reading when Mary met Elizabeth. The angel Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth in her old age is pregnant with child and so Mary went over to visit her even though she was pregnant herself. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When Elizabeth saw Mary, she greeted Mary. Note the words that she used. It is the second line of the Hail Mary prayer. (The first line is the words that the angel Gabriel used to greet Mary during the Annunciation). So, her way of greeting Mary is deemed to be as good as the angel Gabriel’s until generations of Catholics since then have been echoing them when we wish to praise the Mother of God.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Also, note that at the same time the baby leapt in the womb. Ask the children what do they think the baby was doing jumping about in the womb. Likely it was in happiness. Do you think it was happiness on meeting Mother Mary or Baby Jesus? I think it was the latter. So, even before he was born, John the Baptist has been heralding the coming of Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So, paint the scene well: Mother-to-be greets and praises Mother-to-be. Baby-in-the-womb meets and praises Baby-in-the–womb. Quite a scene, isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Discuss with the children, how they would greet Jesus if they meet him coming. After all, Advent is the time we all think about how we wish to greet Jesus as we await his coming. How we greet Jesus is not just what and how we say but also how we prepare our hearts to receive him when he comes into our hearts. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Prayer<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Pray the Hail Mary but for today, ask the children to emphasise the words of Elizabeth in the second line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">If you have time and you have prepared the words, pray the Magnificat. Explain to the children that the Magnificat is the song that Mary sang to praise God after she was praised by Elizabeth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-12168970436189946932018-12-02T16:53:00.000-08:002018-12-11T02:23:38.196-08:00Third Sunday in Advent<div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Year C<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Third Sunday in Advent<b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></h3>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Images</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This story follows on from last week’s reading. We take the theme of waiting just that one step further.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The concept of repentance that forms the basis of this reading is not easy to explain. As adults, we too may end up grappling with the idea and it really is part of a very personalised life-long journey. Mine started as a child and I believe if done right, the children is then started off on their own life long journey starting with the first steps that we help them along today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Again, we focus on drawing parallels with the aspects of life for the children. From ideas that they are familiar with, we move to concepts that they would understand but may not appreciate the depth of meaning. In years to come, we hope they will return in their mind to what we discuss today and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the treasures of Jesus’ teachings to be opened to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Acclamation before the Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The spirit of the Lord has been given to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Glory to you O Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When all the people asked John, ‘What must we do?’ he answered, ‘If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.’ There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, ‘Master, what must we do?’ He said to them, ‘Exact no more than your rate.’ Some soldiers asked him in their turn, ‘What about us? What must we do?’ He said to them, ‘No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’ As well as this, there were many other things he said to exhort the people and to announce the Good News to them.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Have you ever have someone from far away coming over to your house to stay? What preparation did you do?<i>Discuss the coming of a favourite aunt or grandparents. Focus the discussion on the preparation of the guest bedroom and the cleaning of the house. I am sure Mom and Dad wouldn’t want grandpa and grandma to see how messy the house is.<o:p></o:p></i></span></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Discuss the anticipation the children feel when preparing the house. Isn’t it fun to do all that cleaning when someone is going to be coming? Somehow, cleaning the house without anyone coming doesn’t seem to be so fun, does it?<o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Explain someone is coming soon and we in the Church are preparing for that someone to come. Discuss the preparation we do for Christmas but do not spend too much time on it. You can discuss instead what the children will do if Jesus would be coming to stay in their house – what preparation would they make to clean out the house.<o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Explain that when we invite Jesus to come on Christmas Day, we are really inviting Jesus to come into our hearts. Discuss how we make our hearts ready to meet Jesus. Discuss how we clean out our hearts if we were to invite Jesus in there just as we clean the house if we were to invite Jesus into our house. <o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">If Jesus were to come into our hearts, our hearts must be made pure. Discuss how to purify our hearts. Be sorry for the wrongs we have done and for those old enough they can go for confessions. More importantly, we do not repeat our wrongdoings if we were to keep our hearts clean.<o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">If you have time, discuss how we prepare for Jesus coming in light of John the Baptist’s answer to the first question in the reading. What is the children’s equivalent of giving up one of two tunics? Discuss how they can welcome the Jesus who is in those who are less fortunate than we are?<o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-49335029576206128722018-12-02T16:50:00.000-08:002018-12-02T16:50:00.388-08:00Second Sunday in Advent<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Year C<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Second Sunday in Advent<b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></h3>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Images</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Emerging from the dessert with a message of hope<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is the season of Advent, which is technically a penitential season. In times past, as it still is among Eastern Christians (including Eastern Catholics), Advent is treated as a 40-day long Nativity Fast. In the Western Catholic church, this penitential nature present in the other preparatory season in the liturgical calendar, Lent, but is now replaced for Advent, by the crass commercialisation of shopping for Christmas revelry and binge of gift-anticipation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">While it is likely asking too much for this session to expect the children to associate Advent with penitence as readily as they would for Lent, perhaps we can make a start for them (and for us) to start to think about it. What does it mean to say we are preparing for the coming of Jesus and who is this Jesus we are inviting to our homes and into our hearts?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Acclamation before the Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Prepare a way for the Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">make his paths straight,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">The Lord be with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Glory to you O Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"> (Lk 3:1-6</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the lands of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrach of Abilene, during the pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas the word of God came to John son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. He went through the whole Jordan district proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaiah:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A voice cries in the wilderness:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Prepare a way for the Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">make his paths straight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Every valley will be filled in,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">every mountain and hill be laid low,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">winding ways will be straightened<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">and rough roads made smooth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And all mankind shall see the salvation of God.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Who is this person in this reading? <i>John the Baptist. </i>Where did he lived? <i>In the desert. Discuss what the desert is and whether it is a place anyone would like to live. Discuss how John the Baptist lived in the desert – he was dressed in clothes made from camel hair and ate locusts & raw honey (Mt 3:4).<o:p></o:p></i></span></h6>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">What other stories in the Bible is there about a desert? <i>There are two stories: the people of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years and Jesus withdrawing into the desert after his baptism for 40 days to be tempted by the devil<o:p></o:p></i></span></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Explain that the people of Israel wandered about the desert for 40 years because they were not faithful to God. So, John the Baptist came out of the desert to offer the people God’s forgiveness for their sins. Isn’t that great that John’s baptism can help people clear out the sins for which their ancestors wandered about in the desert for 40 years. So, John the Baptist’s message was one of hope because people thirst for forgiveness<o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Explain also the Jesus went into the desert to pray, the same desert that John the Baptist emerged. Jesus went in there to pray. In very much the same way many people go into a kind of desert when they are troubled. It is not a real desert but a kind of retreat where they withdraw from the world for a short time to think about what troubles them. It could be just a simple locking themselves away for an hour in their room or some people may go away somewhere for a few days.<o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Link it up with what we discuss last week about Advent being a time of waiting and preparation.<o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Explain that Advent is a time for us for us to wait for Jesus. Waiting for Jesus means to wait in hope – without hope why would you wait? So, Advent is a time we repent and wait for our forgiveness, which Jesus will give us when he comes. In the meantime, we may need to think a little bit about what troubles us so that we can lift up our being sorry to Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-47053099679869694942018-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:002018-12-01T07:30:12.053-08:00First Sunday in Advent<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Year C<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">First Sunday in Advent<b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></h3>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Images</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Jesus is coming<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For this reading, I have chosen the first reading of Jeremiah instead of the Gospel reading for two reasons. First, the Gospel reading for the First Sunday in Advent last year in Year B is a parallel to this one and is therefore very similar. Secondly, the reading this year from Luke is more difficult than the reading from Mark last year. As it is, this passage is considered rather difficult, but this year’s reading is even darker and even more troubling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The reading from Jeremiah is simpler and return to a simpler theme that Jesus is from the house of King David, and how the children to prepare to greet the coming of the king. Also, don’t forget that as you will be taking some time out before the reading to explain about Advent and the start of the liturgical calendar, there may be rather less time for the discussions itself after the reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As the Gospel is not read, the Acclamation is not sung.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Reading<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Discuss with the children about the new season of the liturgical calendar that we are entering. This is available in the end panel of this leaflet & for a more complete explanation, at <span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://childrenlivingthesundayword.blogspot.com/2013/09/soundbites-about-advent-christmas.html" style="color: purple;"><span style="font-style: normal;">http://childrenlivingthesundayword.blogspot.com/2013/09/soundbites-about-advent-christmas.html</span></a></span>.</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the book of Jeremiah<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I am going to fulfil the promise I made to the House of Israel and the House of Judah:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">‘In those days and at that time,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">who shall practise honesty and integrity in the land.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In those days Judah shall be saved<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">and Israel shall dwell in confidence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And this is the name the city will be called:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The-Lord-our-integrity.’</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This discussion should be kept short as the bulk of the discussion takes place before the reading. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Have anyone ever met a king or a prince? <i>It is unlikely they have but get them to imagine it. If they were to be invited to the birthday party of a young prince of their age, what would they do. Discuss the preparations. How would they dress up and what gifts would they bring. If they were to meet the parents of the birthday boy (the king and queen), what would they say – would they be practising what they say? And their table manners – would they be going through all their lessons on table manners again? <o:p></o:p></i></span></h6>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">In the reading, it refers to someone from the family of King David whom God will send to save his people. Who do you think that will be? <i>Explain that Jesus is a descendent of King David and is therefore a king himself. God sent him to save us and his birthday will be soon. Help the children to count the days.<o:p></o:p></i></span></h6>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">How would you prepare for this birthday party? <i>Do not confuse this birthday party with Christmas itself. We are not discussing about preparing for Christmas but preparing to greet Jesus. Focus on how they will put on their best for Jesus. <o:p></o:p></i></span></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">When you go to a party you put on clothes and behaviour that your host would like. For instance, a suit would be nice but not appropriate for a birthday party would it? So, what kind of clothes and behaviour that the children think Jesus would like to see the children put on? This would be clothes that are decent but not showy – Jesus doesn’t like people to show off their wealth. Behaviour should be polite but do not deferential – Jesus is a king who comes to serve but not to be served (see last week’s reading). <o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Most of all, Jesus wants us to do good to everyone – he likes honest people and he doesn’t like us to be nice in front of us but be nasty to our friends & family when he is not around.<o:p></o:p></span></i></h6>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Discuss how the children could do all these things between now and Christmas and whether they can keep this up after Christmas? </span></i><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Algerian; font-size: 16pt;">BEING IN ADVENT<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">This is the period of preparation for the arrival of Jesus at Christmas. The word <i>Advent</i> comes from the Latin for <i>coming.</i> It means a period of prayer and penitence before we are allowed to celebrate the birth of Christ. Advent is also the new year for the church calendar and the First Sunday in Advent is our New Year's Day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Being a preparation season, the liturgical colour is purple, meaning the priest wears purple vestments at mass - only the stole (piece of cloth around his neck and down his chest), chasuble (the robe on the outside) or any other decor; the basic vestments underneath remain white. The church may also be decorated with purple flowers, purple buntings and the like. Purple is deemed the colour of penitence (It is also the colour of mourning - which is why the priest wears purple at funerals). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">There is an exception, though: the colour for the third Sunday of Advent is pink (or rose). That Sunday is called Gaudate Sunday (Latin for <i>Rejoice</i>): to give us a little break after we pass the mid-point of a penitential season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">It runs for the four Sundays before Christmas day and so the last day is always Christmas eve. It can be as long as a full four weeks starting from Nov 27 (if Christmas Day is a Sunday) or as short as three weeks and one day starting from Dec 3 (if Christmas Day is a Monday).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The Advent Wreath, with its four candles fixed on a circle of evergreens, has its roots in pagan northern Europe, which the Lutherans first adopted as a Christian symbol. The circle represents the never-ending cycle of seasons while the evergreens symbolise the persistence of life even during winter. Christian symbolism differ slightly: the circle represents the the eternity of God while the evergreens tells of Jesus, who death could not conquer. The four candles are lit one every Sunday, causing all candles to be of different heights by the end of the season. There are three purple candles and a pink/rose one for the Third Sunday of Advent. Sometimes, there is a fifth white candle in the middle to symbolise Christ, and is lit on Christmas Day or Christmas eve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The Advent Calendar that we have today seems to be a combination of two separate customs. The original advent calendar notes the goals for personal prayer and penitence for the different days in this period of penitence. This calendar is now merged with the Jesse Tree, named after King David's father and unfortunately a dying custom. Symbols of saints and Old Testament prophets & patriarchs are hung on the Jesse Tree, one on each day of Advent.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-68499957191710097132018-11-10T15:56:00.000-08:002018-11-17T17:45:54.486-08:00Solemnity of Christ the King<div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">LSW</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 22pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "latinwidd";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 12pt;">Solemnity of Christ the King<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">A different type of king<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">The Solemnity of Christ the King, which falls on the last Sunday of the liturgical year (the following Sunday starts off the season of Advent), is a rather recent feastday, having been instituted in 1925. Pope Benedict XVI wanted to remind Italians that their allegiance was not to the dictator Benito Mussolini, who was in power at that time, but to Jesus. He drew contrast between Mussolini and Jesus in the way they exercised their kingship: Mussolini by violence and Jesus by love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Actually, kings are getting to be a rather rare breed. There are 42 reigning monarchs in the world today, of whom 8 are Christian kings (excluding the Pope), all in Europe. There are two Queens, the Pope, two Africans, four Buddhists, and the rest Muslims. So really, only eight men in the world today fit our conventional image of a king. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Liturgy</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’ ‘So you are a king then?’ said Pilate. ‘It is you who say it’ answered Jesus. ‘Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">This is the Gospel of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Discussion</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Have you ever met a king before? <i>Very few of us have ever met kings. So, you can always extend it to queens and presidents. But, best to keep to kings and queens because children like the pomp and ceremony.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Discuss how the kings, queens and presidents are welcomed when we meet them. They come in a big huge limousine. There are lots of people around them, to serve them. They don’t have to lift a finger to do anything and I bet they do not have a wallet. The Queen of England may go around with a lovely handbag but it probably doesn’t have any money in it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Discuss how you are supposed to behave when you meet kings, queens and presidents. There are certain protocols when meeting royalty. You address them as Your Highness or Mr/Mrs President or Your Excellency. You know, you are not supposed to touch the Queen: you bow (for boys) or curtsy (if girl) instead. You speak politely and cannot munch your food loudly. Later, someone will come and usher you away.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">They also have security guards around them because of the danger that someone could shoot them. After all four American presidents have been shot and many kings of England murdered (ok, the last one was beheaded in 1649).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Contrast it with Jesus. How did Jesus get around? How did he enter Jerusalem? Ask the children to imagine, their king, queen or president arriving to visit them on a donkey.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Discuss how people treated him when he visited. They were respectful but not overly deferential – nobody bowed or curtsied to him. In fact they expected him to do work: heal them, feed them, teach them. At times, he had to show people where to fish, he washed their feet. Also, he had no bodyguards because he ruled by love and not in fear. If anyone wanted to kill him, he would have let them do it willingly. Which he did.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Explain that nobody was deferential to him and he didn’t expect anyone to be. This is because he was a king who came to serve. A Christian king is not supposed to be lording over everyone else. Christian kings and Christian leaders are expected to be humble and help anyone who need help in any way.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Explain that when we were baptised, we were anointed priest, prophet and king. The role of the king that we take on is the kingship of Jesus, the kingship of service. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Today is the feast of Christ the King. It is the feast day of all of us as kings together with Jesus. But it is not a day when we show our power to everyone. It is a day to remember to serve in humility everyone who needs help.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">If you have time, link it up last year’s reading of the Last Judgement and who Jesus is whom we see around us.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-47250789753196252982018-11-10T15:50:00.000-08:002018-11-10T15:50:24.221-08:00Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 12pt;">Thirty-third Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">We do not know the hour<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This reading is rather topical, coming just two weeks before the start of Advent. However, in order not to anticipate the theme waiting of Advent too much, we focus on what it is that we are not aware of - the time of Jesus’ coming. In a way, this runs well into the theme of Advent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">There are many sects around who claim they know when is Jesus’ second coming. They get their adherents to sell all they have and wait – typically at hill where Jesus will appear, conveniently nearby. They are called </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">millenarianists</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">, meaning those who focuses on the thousand years that they will reign with Christ. Not all </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">millenarianists claim they know the timing though and many are rather moderates in their views even as they wait for Jesus. Some are considered mainstream Christians (Seventh Day Adventists) while others are not accepted by mainstream Christians as Christians (Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons). The rest are sects, Christian & otherwise.</span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Catholic teaching is that while we wait for the second coming of Jesus but we do not know the hour nor do we attempt to find out. The hour is not important in our faith – we just prepare ourselves whatever the hour. I once asked a group of children how long the season of Advent last. One seven-year old child enthusiastically and definitively said “Forever!” You know, she is right – it lasts forever because we do not know the hour and so, we wait forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Acclamation before the Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Stay awake and stand ready,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">because you do not know the hour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">when the Son of Man is coming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Mk</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">13: 24-32)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus said, ‘In those days, after the time of distress, the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory; then too he will send the angels to gather his chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">‘Take the fig tree as a parable: as soon as its twigs grow supple and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that he is near, at the very gates. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">‘But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son; no one but the Father.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discussion</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Have you ever waited for anyone or anything? <i>Discuss about waiting for Christmas to come, or a birthday or a visit of a favourite relative from overseas. Take the example of Christmas and what they do to prepare. Do not dwell on it as you will be discussing it in greater detail next month. You can even talk about children being good waiting for Santa Claus to come. Ignore those older killjoys among the children trying to tell the younger ones there is no Santa Claus.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What if you were asked to prepare for Christmas but nobody knows the date?<i> I love the pause as the concept sink into the children. Some may even question the point of waiting if that something may not even happen. Keep it warm as it is a good question.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What if you had a favourite relative who says that he/she will be coming for a visit but will not tell you the date? He/she tells you to get everything ready because he/she will be taking you on a journey. <i>Discuss what the children will do. Some will be sceptical and I think it is healthy to be sceptical like this in today’s world.</i><i> Ask how do they feel if days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years as they wait?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Explain the church teaching on the Second Coming. That Jesus will come again. It will be preceded by great suffering and persecution of the Church but we do not know the details. Jesus will come in triumph to defeat evil and usher in a period of paradise on earth where we will reign with him in glory. He will also raise up all who are dead (suggest you pass this part quickly if you are not prepared for awkward questions – like what age will they be, etc – for which the Church do not have definitive answers). That Jesus will judge all the living and the dead.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Discuss that we wait for the coming of Jesus by doing good and being prepared for that judgement. And as we do not know when that judgement will be, it means we will continue to </span></i><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">do good until the end of our lives. Whether the Second Coming happens in our lifetimes or not, it is not important. What is important that we are always prepared for it. That on the day we die, we can say we have done all that we can do in our lives to get a good judgement on the day of the Second Coming – by being true to Jesus and his teachings.</span></i><br />
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Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-23974863553059995282018-11-03T18:40:00.000-07:002018-11-03T18:40:05.062-07:00Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 12pt;">Thirty-second Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Images<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Giving everything<b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This Sunday’s reading actually comprise two sections, but I have taken up the option in the Missal to drop the first section. This will enable us to concentrate this Sunday’s message on something that is closer to the children. You may, however, wish to include the first section.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The story of the widow’s mite, though short, is a very powerful one. Very much like the two coins which contained everything the widow had, the whole of the attitude of a Christian can be conveyed in this story: whatever we do or give to God, give our all. The point is not just to give our excess, but to give our all. The widow could have held back one coin, and still could be praised for giving half of all she owned, but she did not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The story examines our own attitudes. Jesus was not just contrasting the two coins of the widow with the many gifts of the rich, but also with us. The holding back of one coin is something we have always had to face from childhood. It is very much a story of each of our faith journey: from sharing of toys to sharing our life with God. There is much, therefore, we can discuss on this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">I have started the discussion for today with a joke. It is important that if we were to start any discussion with a story, we should try to return to it at the end of the discussion. I have provided an idea for doing just that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><br clear="all" style="break-before: page;" /></span></b>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Liturgy</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Acclamation before the Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Happy are the poor in spirit;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">theirs is the kingdom of heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">The Lord be with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Mk</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">12: 41-44)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting in money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they had put in all the money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discussion</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Three men won money at the races. They all agreed that they should give some of the money to God but could not decide how much. The first said, “I will draw a circle in the sand and throw the money up in the air. Whatever money that fall outside the circle belong to God and whatever that fall inside the circle belong to me.” He did, collected his money and gave the rest to the poor. The second man said, I would do the same. I will draw a circle in the sand and throw the money up in the air. Whatever money that fall outside the circle belong to me and whatever that fall inside the circle belong to God.” He did, collected his money and gave the rest to the poor. The third man said, I would do the same. I will draw a circle in the sand and throw the money up in the air. Whatever money that go up to heaven belong to God and whatever that fall on the earth belong to me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Which of these three persons are you like? <i>This isn’t meant to be a serious question but to lead the children to talk about how much they would give to God if they have enough money. Begin by discussing amounts: one million? two? You can then lead on to discuss fractions: half? quarter?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">For younger children who may not yet fully appreciate the idea of money, we could discuss the idea of possessions: toys, cookies, favourite books. Young children are by nature sharers. But we are talking about more than sharing here; we are talking about giving, and never seeing what they gave away again. So, will they give a cookie, or a toy no longer needed or some outgrown clothes? But what if it is their last cookie, the teddy they had from baby, or their favourite dress?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Explain that in the story (the Gospel story, not the joke), the widow gave everything she had. And Jesus said that she has given more than anyone else because she gave everything. Explain that it is not the amount she gave that is important, it is that she gave everything.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">When Jesus said that, did he only meant only money gifts? <i>Explain that we can also give everything when we do things as well. Discuss examples: when Mom ask us to help, we do it wholeheartedly; when someone wants to talk to us when he or she is sad, we listen intently and not let our eyes wander everywhere; when a teacher teaches, we pay full attention; when we pray or say thank you, we really mean what we say. Anyone else have any other examples?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Sometimes, we fall short. We may be selfish and perhaps, refused to share what we have. We may not pay attention when listening to a teacher or to someone we don’t like. Sometimes, we bargain or we make compromises. We tell </span></i><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Mom that we will help her for half an hour, which we say is better than nothing. They are not alone: all of us are guilty of it. But the widow gave two coins. She did not give one and say that was good enough. She gave two coins; she gave everything she had.</span></i><br />
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Ultimately, some people give their all: they give their lives. There are, of course, people like Jesus and St Maximilian Kolbe. There are also more ordinary people like the priests and sisters, who gave up their lives to serve God. Explain that the priests took a vow of poverty and they do not own anything of themselves. The Church owns everything.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Return to the joke at the beginning of this discussion. Perhaps, there should be a fourth way: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> I will draw a circle in the sand and throw the money up in the air. Whatever money that goes up to heaven belong to me and whatever that fall on the earth belong to God</span>Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-42303757295798998212018-10-29T05:06:00.000-07:002018-10-29T05:06:10.350-07:00Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time<div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">LSW</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 22pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Footlight MT Light";">children</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 12pt;">Thirty-first Ordinary Sunday<span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Commandments<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Promises<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This passage is one that children can easily identify with. To take the idea further, we should attempt to concentrate on the concept of commandments and covenants. You may wish to look at the first reading for the covenant that God made with the people of Israel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Liturgy</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Acclamation before the Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">you have the message of eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord your God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.” Jesus, seeing how wisely he has spoken said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to question him anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discussion</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What are laws? What kind of laws are there? Who makes them? What happens when you break a law? <i>Explain that laws are things that we have to do or to follow. Get the children to discuss in practical terms about the laws they have encountered: those in school and those at home.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Explain that sometimes we have to do things not because there is a law that says we have to do it but because of a promise we made. Discuss about promises and how they work. Introduce the idea of a contract or a covenant. A covenant is just a fancy way of saying a contract. A contract or a covenant is where two persons promise to do certain things for each other.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">God made a covenant with the people of Israel. Do you know where was that covenant made? <i>In the wilderness of Sinai. The covenant that God made was not just with Moses but with the whole people of Israel and in a way, with us as well. </i>What were the promises that God and the people of Israel made to each other? <i>The people of Israel promised to keep God’s laws and God promised to keep the people of Israel as his people.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What were the laws that God wanted the people of Israel to keep?<i>Keep in mind that although we think largely of the Ten Commandments, the laws that the people of Israel were to keep can be found in the second to the fifth book of the Old Testament. These laws cover a wide range of areas and involve the whole of the people’s daily lives.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Do you know that someone has counted all the laws that God all? Do you think anyone can remember all 613? That is why the laws were summarised into the simple Ten Commandments. <i>Discuss what a commandment is.</i> Can anyone tell us what all the Ten Commandments were?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Summarising into the Ten Commandments was still not enough for some people, and there were people who tried to summarise them into one commandment. If Jesus had to have only one commandment, which would he have picked? <i>You may wish to discuss how the Ten Commandments can be summarised into the commandment of love.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Who would you love?<i> You can put everyone into two categories: (i) God; and (ii) people around us. The Ten Commandments, for instance, can be split accordingly: the first three deals with (i) and the others deal with (ii). <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Some people say that the cross symbolise this idea as well: the vertical line (loving God) and the horizontal line (loving each other). We should always be reminded that the two directions of love must always go together, otherwise there is no cross!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Is it possible to love God without loving the people around you? Is it possible to love people around you without loving God? Why do you say that? <i>While it is clear from 1Jn that ‘whoever who says he loves God but does not love his brother is a liar’, you may get very interesting ideas from the children. You could expand on it by discussing God being upset at how we fight each other and being mean to one another, very much like how Mom gets angry when we fight.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss the practical ways of how we love God by loving one another. How does it make God happy that we love one another.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-982784035149801842018-10-21T06:25:00.001-07:002018-10-21T06:25:23.713-07:00Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Thirtieth Ordinary Sunday <b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Helplessness of a blind man<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Here is another vivid story told by Mark. This is one of the few stories that centres so much on the person who was healed instead of on Jesus. Much has been said about the response of Bartimaeus on hearing that Jesus was to come into Jericho.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">It may therefore be an idea to centre the session around Bartimaeus. For starters, a variant of the game of blind man’s buff could be fun, especially for the younger ones: Get a volunteer, preferably one who is not told what will happen next. Have him or her blindfolded. Turn the volunteer round several times to disorientate him or her. Rearrange the room to place as many obstacles as possible. Then, the volunteer is to make his or her own way to the door. No one is allowed to give instructions. Watch the fun. Try it again a second time. This time, the other children are, then, to guide the volunteer to the door or some other object.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The point of this little game is to bring out the idea of helplessness and the availability of some one to help and guide. This will link up with the idea of being poor in the spirit and being totally reliant on God. This is the situation that God wants us to be in, and this is the situation that Bartimaeus was in. God is a little bit of a jealous kind. He wants us to be like a new-born babe and to be the only one we can turn to in our helplessness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">I am the light of the world, says the Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">anyone who follows me will have the light of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, “Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.” And many of them scolded him. And told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, “Son of David, have pity on me” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man. “Courage,” they said, “get up; he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Master,” the blind man said to him, “let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has saved you.” And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">(Assuming that you have played the game above) <i>Get the volunteer to describe how he or she feels about volunteering or being volunteered. What did the other children feel about this one child volunteering/being volunteered?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Get the volunteer to describe how he or she feels when blindfolded, and then turned around several times, had the room rearranged and then told to make his or her way to the door? Was it easy to find the door the first time? Was it frustrating? How did the other children feel when they could see him or her heading the wrong way but could not give any guidance? What about the second time? How did the volunteer feel about getting all these guidance? Was it easier? What did the others feel?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Explain that the whole idea of this little game is to show what is meant by being poor in the spirit. Being poor in the spirit, as the Beatitudes had wanted us to be, means that we are so totally helpless that we have no one to rely on. When we are poor in the spirit, we therefore have to rely on no one but God and God alone. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">(If you did not play the game, take the children through the scene from Bartimaeus’ point of view: the dust in the hot sun, the noise, the crowds, lots of movement)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Back to Bartimaeus: put ourselves in his shoes, if he had any, that is. Discus how helpless he was in his blindness. Discuss how he felt when he heard that Jesus the master healer was coming to town. He decided that he would ask Jesus to heal him. Discuss what else he could have done instead: he could have felt that his problem wasn’t big enough to bother Jesus with. He could have felt that he wasn’t important enough to get Jesus’ attention. He could have felt that there are others who may also need to ask Jesus. He could have felt embarrassed to ask Jesus in front of so many people. He could have felt that other people may not like him to cause a commotion in public.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">But Bartimaeus did not do any of these things and he was healed. Discuss how Bartimaeus must have felt after he was healed. Parallel all these discussions with how the volunteer in the earlier game felt.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Discuss how we should be praying to God in our nightly prayers tonight. How could we be poor in the spirit like Bartimaeus and yet, persistent like he was? Surely we must </span></i><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">have things that we would like to ask Jesus for.</span></i>Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-74161830529201695682018-10-21T06:19:00.000-07:002018-10-21T06:19:17.070-07:00Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "latinwidd";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Twenty-ninth Ordinary Sunday <b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></h3>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Imagery</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Humility<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Being a leader<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Points to note</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">According to the Missal, the first paragraph of this reading is optional. I would feel that the first paragraph is essential for us for several reasons. One, it is a narrative and narratives go down well with children. Narratives also help give background to the discourses. This particular paragraph echoes another reading about humility a few weeks back (cf. Sunday 25). You may wish to revisit this reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">This Sunday’s reading takes the concept a little further in that it applies the ideas of humility to leadership. Some of the older children may have had some position of responsibility, either in school activities or over younger brothers and sisters at home. This will provide some material for you to work on during the sessions as you draw out of these children their idea of leadership.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Acclamation before the Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">no one can come to the Father except through me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Mk</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">10: 35-45)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus, “Master,” they said to him, “we want you to do us a favour.” He said to them, “What is it that you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Allow us to sit one at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup that I must drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I must be baptised?” They replied, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I must drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I must be baptised you shall be baptised, but as for the seats at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">What we discussed in Sunday 25</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">At our baptism, we are anointed priest, prophet and king. <i>Discuss each of the three anointing in turn. Discuss briefly what we should be doing in our three roles. Our anointing as priest calls us to prayers. Our anointing as prophet calls us to be teachers and proclaimers of the Word. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Our anointing as king calls us to be servants. Explain that the structure of Jesus’ kingdom is such that the least will be greatest and whoever wants to be a leader has to be servant to all. Note the washing of the feet at the Last Supper.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">When the other ten heard this, they began to feel indignant with James and John, so Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that among the pagans their so called rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">This is the Gospel of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Do you have prefects and monitors in school? What are their jobs? <i>To get everyone to keep the school rules. </i>Have you noticed that different prefects and monitors have different ways of doing their jobs? <i>Discuss how monitors and prefects carry out their tasks as monitors and prefects. BE CAREFUL!! Some of the children could be monitors and prefects themselves. You don’t really want a slanging match in the middle of your session.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Discuss the different styles of leadership. Some people are strict. Some people use reason. Some people use charm. Get the children to talk about the teachers they like. Each would have a different style of leadership. Which type of teacher would they like? The one who bosses everyone about because he is the teacher or the one who is willing to do things with the children? Extend the discussion to the monitors and prefects that the children like. Extend the discussion to how they would like to be a monitor or prefect if they were appointed one and still keep the rules.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Jesus expects his disciples to be leaders in the Church. But he expects them to be a different type of leader. Discuss the concept of the inverted pyramid of the Christian hierarchy (one of the titles of the Pope is ‘servant of the servants of God’ – the idea that he is at the bottom of the hierarchy as servant to all). You may want to bring in what we discussed four weeks ago about our anointing as a king at our baptism<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">With this in mind, how do the children think Jesus would like them to be if they were to be a monitor or a prefect? Discuss also broadly how we should act when we meet people less fortunate than us or weaker than us. We should remember that these people may be closer to the kingdom of God than us if they approached their misfortune and their weakness in the Christian spirit. Therefore we should not lord over them.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-32604120738210662032018-10-06T17:24:00.000-07:002018-10-06T17:24:20.495-07:00Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span lang="EN-GB">Twenty-eighth Ordinary Sunday <b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></h3>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Imagery</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Sacrifice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Although this may seem quite a vivid narrative, the concepts that underlie it are a little advanced. They revolve around the idea of possessions. Some younger children have very weak grasp of the concepts of personal possessions. They tend to be the ones who would be more willing to share rather than hoard. As such, care may need to be taken to avoid introducing an alien concept to them, especially one that may weaken the sharing instincts. Facilitators would need to be alert to such situations and adapt the session accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Acclamation before the Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Blessed are you, Father. Lord of heaven and earth,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus has just welcomed the little children into the kingdom of God while he was on the way to Jerusalem, as we saw in last Sunday’s reading.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, “Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must lie; You must not cheat; Honour your mother and father.” And he said to him, “Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.” Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, “There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, “My children,” he said to them, “how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” They were more astonished than ever. “In that case,” they said to one another, “who can be saved?” Jesus gazed at them. “For men,” he said, “it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discussions</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What is your most prized possession? <i>Get each child to describe the most valuable thing that they have. Try to limit them to more tangible possessions and leave out the intangibles like love, etc. They can include people as the most valuable thing that they have, such as parents and families.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Does anyone have the right to ask you to give up your most prized possession? Would you? <i>Discuss what the children would do if they were asked to do this, extending the discussion to whatever will make them give up the most prized possession. Maybe, that depends on:<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">how they were asked: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">nicely; not given a choice?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">for what it would be used: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">given to one more in need than them?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">what the most prized possession was:</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">can they get a replacement?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss the idea of sacrifice that Jesus wanted in the reading. What does sacrifice mean? Basically, a sacrifice would be something you give up. Describe various types of sacrifices - fasting, etc. Would it be a sacrifice if you were to give up something you didn’t like? Would it be a bigger sacrifice to give up something you cherish very much, like your most prized possession?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Why did Jesus wanted his disciples to give up so much? Was it easy to give up their possessions and families to follow him? Do people still do such things today? Discuss about the priests and religious who have given up things. For instance, Jesuit fathers (or any other religious groups, monks and sisters) do not own anything by themselves. Everything they have is in the name of their Order or Congregation (that is the group or society that they belong to). If they were to earn anything, say by teaching, they would need to give everything they earn to the Jesuit community. They would of course get some pocket money to spend each month.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">We do not all of course need to make such a sacrifice. Discuss the little sacrifices that we can make.</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-15929362371454452392018-09-30T16:56:00.000-07:002018-09-30T16:56:07.913-07:00Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time<div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Twenty-seventh Ordinary Sunday <b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></h3>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Images</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Points to note</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-GB">This week’s reading has two parts. As the first part (vv 2-12) deal with divorce, you may wish to leave it out and just have the second part read. The second part (vv13-16) is the favourite children’s story of Jesus blessing the little children. </span><span lang="EN-GB">In a way we can interpret a common strand through both seemingly different parts: the family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The focus on this reading is welcoming a member of the family, like a new baby. Which raises a question: when does a baby become a member of the family? The ancients believe that the soul of a baby waits at the opening of the womb to inhabit the baby at birth, and there is a supply of souls waiting for babies to be born.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Scripture, however, tells us that we are made in the image of God and that God is love. We are, therefore, created out of love. I believe that a baby’s soul is created out of two persons' love, when they started to love each other and to prepare for the coming of the baby. That will be before the baby is born and may even be before the baby is conceived.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">So, we existed when we were first loved. We joined our family at home when our parents made a place in their hearts for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<u><span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel Acclamation</span></u><span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Your word is truth, O Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">make us holy with the truth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, which is a long way from Galilee. He stops along the way every now and then to rest.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Mk</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">10: 2-16)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">People were bringing little children to him, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Dialogue<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">How many of us have younger brothers or sisters? <i>Those who have none, may think about how their older brothers and sisters related to them. Or younger cousins or friends.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What did your parents do to prepare for the baby’s coming? Did you get involved in the preparations? <i>I always find the reaction of older children to the coming of younger ones interesting to observe: the uncertainty, the jealousy; the fascination; the ‘now I am a big boy/girl’ syndrome. You may get some of that in your discussions.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Those without younger siblings may talk about the preparations that their parents or elder siblings did for them. Sometimes, parents or older siblings may tell them about it. Those who are an only child may talk about preparations for the coming of younger cousins.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss about the fact that we belong to two families: God’s family and our family at home. </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">How does somebody join God’s family? <i>Baptism.</i> <i>Discuss what happened when someone is baptised. Draw out from those who remembered their baptism or those who remembered witnessing someone’s baptism.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">When people are baptised, they are welcomed into the Church. The welcoming is done by the community at large. So, it is not just the parties and the family and friends at home.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What do we need to do to prepare for a baptism? How do we welcome a new member of the Church? <i>Explain that there are classes to go to. Get children who have attended any Rite of Initiation of Children, or RCIC, to share what they have attended. At the RCIC and the corresponding RCIA for adults, the beliefs and the practices of the Church are explained to the children. They are also introduced to other Church members, especially those in their communities and BECs so that they can join in the life of the community.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Also important in welcoming is the role of the godparents. Get the children to talk about their godparents. Even people who are baptised as adults have godparents. Officially, in the Church, they are called </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">sponsors<i>. Their role is twofold: (i) they stand in for the parents if anything happens to the parents; and (ii) they ensure that their godchildren are brought up well in the faith and are faithful to God. Sponsors of adults who are baptised also introduce them to other Catholics and ensure that they are happy, comfortable and faithful in their Catholic lives.<b><o:p></o:p></b></i></span></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-29353240609850546732018-09-30T16:54:00.001-07:002018-09-30T16:54:10.204-07:00Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Year B<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Twenty-sixth Ordinary Sunday <b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></h3>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Images<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Tolerance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Different people<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Points to note</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">The word <i>Catholic </i>means universal. It refers to the Church that is the Church of all peoples and in all nations. It refers to a Church where people could speak different languages and be of different races but bound together by a common faith. The most evident expression of this catholicity is seen in the masses held in international conferences of Catholic bishops or leaders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In many countries. Catholic masses are often in many different languages to cater for different language communities or migrants. Sometimes, you get many languages in a single mass as different communities attend that same mass. Masses like that remind me of the catholicity of the Church.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Our expression of catholicity is more than just in language, but also in our tolerance of different ways of praying. Greek Catholics in Eastern Europe and Maronite Catholics in Lebanon, for instance, owe the same allegiance to the Pope but have masses that are very different. Even within Roman Catholicism, there are very different ways of prayer: a Charismatic renewal prayer session and a Latin language Tridetine mass are poles apart in atmosphere but neither can deny the Catholicism of the other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Liturgy</span></b><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial";">Gospel Acclamation</span></u><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial";">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Your words are truth, O Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">consecrate us in the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Gospel</span></u><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Last Sunday, we saw how Jesus dealt with those who were arguing about who was the greatest of the disciples, while they were on the way to Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Mk</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">9: 38-43, 45, 47-48)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw a man who was not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us, we tried to stop him.” But Jesus said, “You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">“If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">“But if anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fires go out.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">This is the Gospel of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Discussion</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">What languages do we speak at home? <i>List the languages used. Highlight especially the more unusual languages encountered. </i>Are we able to say that just because some people do not speak the same language that we speak, God does not listen to them? <i>Discuss if God is limited to one language or one race.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Emphasise that most of us are different in one respect or another. Some of us are quiet and some of us are exuberant. Discuss if God prefers one type of people to another. Discuss the difference between the apostles. See if any of the children can identify the type of persons they are. There is no right or wrong answer to this one but draw out the impression the children have of the personalities of the apostles from the stories they know. For instance, I think Peter is brash, John is young, Thomas is tough, Andrew is trusting. Discuss if God loves any of them more than others.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Go through the first part of the reading again and discuss the impressions of the apostles: they went to another town and found other people casting out devils, when they thought that they and only they, being the friends of Jesus are able to do that. Did Jesus think that they were right to think in that way?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Discuss the implications of what Jesus said. Are we able to say that just because some other people are different from us, God loves them less? What about different ways of praying? Discuss the different ways of praying that we encounter in the church: youth masses, prayer meetings, rosaries, charismatic, etc. Can we say that any of them is better than the others?<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss also people who do not belong to our church. Are those people in Assumption parish any better than us or any worse than us? We all still belong to the Catholic Church worldwide. Explain the meaning of the word Catholic.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What about those Christians who are not Catholics? Are they any less Christian than we are just because they are not Catholics? What about those who are not Christians? Are non-Christians bad people just because they are not baptised?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In this age of Ecumenism, we have to redefine the limits of tolerance. It will be too advanced for the children to go into the intricacies of it all, but we aim to impart on the children that they are other ways of being praying to our God, and for Christians, many ways of expressing our Christianity. That God loves us all even if we are different.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Say Amen</span></u></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">When you go up for communion, the communion minister says "Body of Christ" and you say "Amen" (which means 'I agree', not 'I believe'), have you ever thought about what exactly it is that you are agreeing to? Yes, at one level, we are agreeing that the piece of bread is now the body of Christ. But at another level, we are also agreeing to the two of us in that dialogue are in the same Body of Christ. And for me something magical happens: two persons who never met and didn't know each other suddenly becomes one family, bound in the same faith by Jesus Christ, in whose body they were part of. And so, I know wherever I am in the world, I say Amen and I know I am home.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-85633886879226866472018-09-08T19:01:00.000-07:002018-09-08T19:01:06.965-07:00Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Twenty-fourth Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The Pope and his election<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">There is a board inside the Westminster Catholic Cathedral in London, which lists down the names of all the Popes and next to them, the list of the leading bishops in England at that time. There are two ideas here that are important. Each bishop is consecrated a bishop by another bishop, who has been consecrated by another bishop, who has been consecrated by another bishop, and so on, until you reach a bishop, who has been consecrated by one of the Apostles. This is known as the Apostolic Succession, the principle that every Catholic bishop traces his lineage back to the Apostles and we have the list of bishops to prove it. Every diocese in the world keeps such a list of its own line of bishops. This list that traces back to the Apostles is our proof that what our bishops teach is the same as what the Apostles, and Jesus, taught.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The other is one of communion. Every Catholic owes allegiance to his or her local bishop. We are said to be in communion with our bishop. Each bishop is in turn in communion with the Pope. Therefore, each Catholic is communion with each other through his or her communion with the local bishop who is in communion with other bishops through his communion with the Pope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In Year A, we discuss the structure of the Church while, in Year B, we explain how the Pope is elected and, in Year C, we discuss the Apostolic Succession. You can refer to the leaflet for Sunday 21 Year A for the structure of the Church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">no one can come to the Father except through me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel</span></u><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Explain that Jesus is travelling around some areas outside of Israel on the way to Jerusalem and has reached a place where people there worship many other gods. So, with so many gods around, Jesus wants to know who his disciples think he is.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus and his disciples left for the village round Caesarea Philippi. On the way he put this question to his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” And they told him. “John the Baptist.” They said, “others Elijah; others again, one of the prophets.” But you, “he asked, “who do you say I am?” Peter spoke up and said to him, “You are the Christ.” And he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">And he began to teach them that the Son of Man was destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again; and he said all this quite openly. Then taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. But, turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">He called the people and his disciples to him and said, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Who is the head of the Church? <i>Jesus. Explain that Jesus does not want to take care of the entire Church by himself and so he has a lot of people to help him. He has the Pope to help him. The Pope helps Jesus to take care of all Catholics throughout the world, all 1.1 billion of us. The Pope wears white and lives in Rome. He has a huge church called St Peter’s Basilica. This is because the first Pope was St Peter.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The Pope could not possibly take care </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>of all Catholics, too. So he has over 3,000 bishops to help him. Most of these bishops take care of an area called a diocese. Some dioceses are larger than others and are called archdioceses. Bishops wear purple. </i>Find out which areas/regions/districts your diocese covers and how many Catholics are there in it. Ask the children if they know the name fo the bishop and where his church is (ie., the cathedral).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>Even our bishop needs help to take care of so many Catholics. So, there are over [</i>find out how many priests there are in your diocese]<i> priests to help him. There are 400,000 priests helping bishops throughout the world. Many of these priests help take care of a parish. Priests normally wear black except in hot countries. </i>Introduce the name of your parish and how many parishioners there are. All these information can be obtained from your church office and diocesan directory.</span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Sometimes, priests may have religious brothers and sisters (not siblings at home) to help them do God’s work. These brothers and sisters run schools, orphanages and hospitals or they may do other work like praying for us in monasteries. There are about one million of them throughout the world.</span></i><br />
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Explain how the Pope is elected. When a Pope dies, cardinals from all over the world meet in St Peter’s Basilica within three weeks to vote for the next Pope. Cardinals are very important bishops who represent almost every country in the world. Many of the cardinals run dioceses all over the world while others act like ministers in the Vatican government. Only cardinals below the age of 80 may vote and there can only be a maximum of 120 of such voting cardinals at any one time. Cardinals wear red.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">When a Pope dies, the cardinal who heads the Pope’s household staff, known as the camerlengo, calls out the Pope’s baptismal name three times. He also taps the forehead of the dead Pope with a silver hammer. This will confirm the Pope’s death. The body of the Pope is taken away to be embalmed so that it could last until the funeral and the dead Pope’s apartment is sealed up. The ring of the Pope will be smashed up to prevent anyone using the ring as a seal for any official documents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The eligible cardinals are locked up (literally!!) in the Vatican for duration of the conclave to elect the Pope. No one or any communication is allowed in or out and the cardinals are only allowed doctors for those who need one. Food goes in and out through a window. They will hold voting sessions twice a day with very strict rules as to how the voting should be conducted. If no candidate gets a majority, the voting papers are burnt with powder to give black smoke. If the voting is successful, the papers are burnt to give white smoke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><i>The new Pope will be asked if he consent to be Pope and then asked what name he will adopt as Pope. He will then put on one of the three sets of new papal vestments (S/M/L) and is introduced to the world. He will also be given a new papal ring with the insignia of a fisherman as he is now a successor of St Peter, who was a fisherman.</i></span>Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-24448657680200648912018-09-02T18:19:00.000-07:002018-09-02T18:19:16.106-07:00Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Twenty-third Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">People of impaired abilities<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">To be politically correct, we talk of people with impaired abilities instead of handicapped. Whatever label we apply, however, we seem sadly to be faced with a potential embarrassing situation: we have to deal with and embrace them in the name of Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">We now live in a world where it is possible for everyone to be beautiful and successful. We propagate such ideas that it is a virtue to achieve beauty and success while those who do not achieve them are losers. As such, we have largely been taught to avoid such losers in fear that we may be end up likewise. It is possible therefore we may have children today who may not have met anyone who is handicapped. If they have, it is very likely that the experience has not been presented to the child as a positive one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">We may not be able to reverse the years and the all-pervasive nature of society’s and perhaps, even the family’s conditioning of the child but if we can introduce the idea that there is an alternative view towards viewing the handicapped as undesired, I think we have succeeded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">and cured all kinds of sickness among the people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus has just left Galilee and is travelling through some places outside of Israel on his way to Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">The Lord be with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crows, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed; and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. “He has done all things well,” they said, “he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal;">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Who are the key people in the story? <i>Jesus; the deaf man; and the bunch of people who brought the deaf man to Jesus, (the ‘They’). Discuss how they felt: the </i>They<i>, Jesus and the deaf man. Why did </i>They<i>bring the deaf man to Jesus? Maybe it is to make fun of him, maybe it is to sincerely help him. But notice that Jesus took him aside in private: maybe Jesus knows the intentions of </i>They<i>and wanted to spare the deaf man from </i>Them<i>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss how do the children feel when they meet a deaf man? It is good to just let the discussion flow. Do not be judgemental about their responses, whether we view their responses as positive or not. Let Jesus be the judge.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">How did the deaf man react?<i> We don’t really know how did the deaf man react? How would you think a deaf man would react if there is such a crowd? Remember that many may have been taught to stay out of society’s way. Wouldn’t they be fearful, embarrassed over the commotion, intimidated by other people’s initiatives? Ask the children how they would feel if they are the deaf man in such a situation. Again, do not be judgemental about what we view to be positive or negative responses.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">How did Jesus react to the deaf man? <i>It is hard to tell from the reading how Jesus felt. Maybe, he felt pity, maybe he felt that there was something that needs to be done. Maybe, he felt that </i>They <i>need to be taught the right way to treating deaf people. Whatever it is, we know what he did: he healed the deaf man.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss how the children think Jesus wanted </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">They <i>to handle the deaf man. Discuss how Jesus would want the children to deal with deaf and other handicapped people. Contrast this with what the children’s responses were earlier. While we should encourage the positive responses, do not shame the negative ones. Explain that society does not generally treat handicapped people well and Jesus may want us, as Christians, to teach society how he wants handicapped people to be treated.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Are handicapped people helpless people who need our help all the time? Look at the list of handicapped people below and I think we need their help to inspire our lives more than they need our help:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The world’s leading percussionist, Evelyn Glennie is deaf! She attends concerts, plays in orchestra and as soloist, gives interviews without hearing a sound!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Helen Keller was born blind and deaf. She eventually learned to talk and use a typewriter. Try to imagine how it is like to learn if you can’t hear or see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alexander Graham Bell thought his telephone invention was not good enough and would never have released it if it wasn’t for his wife, who though deaf, insisted that he did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Have you noticed things that we take for granted:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">When you meet a blind person for a second time, he or she would know how high to put out his or her hand to shake yours?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-16091124429342942432018-08-26T06:23:00.000-07:002018-08-26T06:23:46.472-07:00Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Twenty-second Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Images<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Washing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">We have just finished the series on the Eucharist that ran for the last five Sundays. While this reading is not about the Eucharist, it is related in the sense that we need to wash up before a meal and the Eucharist is a meal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">We can therefore begin the session with a throwback on what we did the last five Sundays. If there has been a break, you may need to amend your introduction accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">you have the message of eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Explain that Jesus is completing his journey through his home region of Galilee after having just completed many miracles and teaching many people.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">The Lord be with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">All: </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> And also with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning to the marketplace they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So the Pharisees and scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?” He answered, “It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This people honours me only with lip-service, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">while their hearts are far from me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The worship they offer me is worthless, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">He called the people to him again and said, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; font-style: normal;">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">You may wish to introduce by referring to the discussions on the Eucharist we had the last few Sundays.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">What is the one thing that you must do before you eat? <i>Well, there is saying grace and washing your hands. Put the saying grace aside for a while.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Why do you need to wash your hands? <i>Highlight </i><i>that other then the obvious hygiene reason, there is also the emotional and social element. Many people feel better if we were to sit at the dining table when we are clean. That is why people ‘freshen up’ before dinner. Some people even prefer to bathe before a proper dinner. There is also the social angle: would you like to sit to eat with somebody whose hands have not been cleaned, or who stinks badly because he has not washed after a football game?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Explain that saying grace, is also a way of cleaning: just as we wash to clean our hands before eating we also clean our souls by saying grace. But because it is a physical meal, we do more physical washing than spiritual washing to prepare for it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">If the Eucharist is a meal like we have been talking about these last few weeks, do we also need to wash up for mass? <i>Well, there is the </i><i>physical side: we do try our best to arrive at church clean on Sundays. Some people even dress up well for mass. Hence the term, Sunday best, which has largely fallen into disuse of late (please don’t look at me when you say that to the kids).</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">But just as we do more physical washing than spiritual washing before a physical meal, we do more spiritual washing than physical washing before the spiritual meal, the Eucharist. How do we do spiritual washing? Noticed the <i></i>little tiny containers of water at the church entrances? Well, that is holy water that we bless and cleanse ourselves with before we enter the spiritually clean place for the spiritual meal. This holy water has been blessed at the Easter midnight mass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Explain that that is the public aspect of the cleansing that we share with everyone else. Ask the children what else we could do. There is a private and (partly) private aspect to the cleansing. The private aspect is when we<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">say our prayers before mass, either at home or after we turn up at church; and<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">read the readings in the missal at home so we understand the mass when we attend it, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">And just like there is a social angle to washing up at home before the meal, there is social angle to washing up before mass. Would we be clean when we arrive at mass if we have been fighting with our brothers and sisters, or we have been naughty or disobedient, etc?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">That is why we have the confessions before the mass. <i>This is the (partly) private cleansing we do before mass. In this, we confess our serious wrongs that we have done and ask God for forgiveness and the priest will give us the sign that God has forgiven us.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;"><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">If there is time, you can also note that just as those at home washes their hands before preparing our food, those at church also cleanse themselves before assisting as mass. They have a group prayer and will also do their own prayer at home.</span></i> </span></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-7153104711640973992018-08-19T02:38:00.000-07:002018-08-19T02:38:14.127-07:00Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Twenty-first Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Food and sustenance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This week’s reading is the last of a series of readings centred around the account of the feeding of the five thousand in Jn. For the five weeks, the readings will be laden with theological themes of: the feeding (Sunday 17); true bread (Sunday 18); the person of Jesus (Sunday 19); Jesus as bread (Sunday 20); and accepting Jesus (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">While it makes sense to present them in such a cycle to adults, it is very difficult for children. I have therefore interpreted it as: preparing the meal (Sunday 17); what we eat (Sunday 18); who we eat with (Sunday 19); the wider church who shares the bread (Sunday 20); and what to do after the meal (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In all instances, it is important to emphasise the personal and the everyday occurrences that children encounter at meals and parallel them with the meal for their spiritual world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">you have the message of eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Explain that Jesus has just told the Jews that he is the Bread of Life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St John<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Jn</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">6: 60-69)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">After hearing his doctrine many followers of Jesus said, “This is difficult to believe. How could anyone accept it?” Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, “Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">“It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">“But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. He went on, “This is why I have told you that no one can come to me unless the Father allows him.” After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Then Jesus said to the Twelve, “What about you, do you want to go away too?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; font-style: normal;">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">What do you do when you finish a meal? <i>The children better be those who will be helping Mom and Dad to clear up the dishes and put out the garbage. If there are guests at the dinner, we entertain the guests. We definitely do not rush off and lock ourselves into our bedroom with the Playstation!!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Likewise, discuss what we do when we finish the mass. Some of us stay back to chat with our friends over coffee morning. Some of us go to Sunday School. Some help to put away the chairs. There are also others who attend other meetings and activities and choir practices, youth meetings, St Vincent de Paul meetings. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Get the children to come up with any other post-mass activities. Take time to explain what these groups and activities do. Not very nice is it if everyone rushes off home straight after mass? Get the children to imagine how such a church would look like and whether they would feel welcomed in such a church.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">It is a bit like some of the people in the reading who could not accept the food that Jesus is to give and left, leaving Jesus all alone with his disciples.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">By the way, you may wish to take the opportunity to remind children not to run off from mass too early. After all, somebody left the first mass (the Last Supper) early too and we don’t want to be like him, do we?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">As we have discussed a few weeks ago, the physical food we eat gives us physical strength to do physical work. What kind of physical work do we do? <i>Homework, housework, play, etc. </i>What happens to the food, though, if we were to eat it all that food and do not do any work? <i>Well, take this politely: it comes out in the toilet and is useless to anybody.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Likewise, the spiritual food we eat at mass gives us spiritual strength to do spiritual work. What kind of spiritual work do we do? <i>Love, pray and do good deeds.</i>What happens to the spiritual food, though, if we were to eat it all that spiritual food and do not do any spiritual work? <i>Well, take this politely: it probably comes out in a spiritual toilet and is useless to God. We wouldn’t want that to happen, do we? Discuss specific things we could do to avoid such a situation, <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-82912602208849228052018-08-16T18:44:00.002-07:002018-08-16T18:44:58.910-07:00Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Twentieth Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Feast for a world-wide family<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This week’s reading is the fourth of a series of readings centred around the account of the feeding of the five thousand in Jn. For the five weeks, the readings will be laden with theological themes of: the feeding (Sunday 17); true bread (Sunday 18); the person of Jesus (Sunday 19); Jesus as bread (Sunday 20); and accepting Jesus (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">While it makes sense to present them in such a cycle to adults, it is very difficult for children. I have therefore interpreted it as: preparing the meal (Sunday 17); what we eat (Sunday 18); who we eat with (Sunday 19); the wider church who shares the bread (Sunday 20); and what to do after the meal (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In all instances, it is important to emphasise the personal and the everyday occurrences that children encounter at meals and parallel them with the meal for their spiritual world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">and I live in him, says the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Explain that Jesus was explaining to the people his miracle of the loaves and the significance of him feeding 5000 men plus the women and children.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St John<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Jn</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">6: 51-58)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Jesus said to the crowd:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">“I am the bread of life which has come down from heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">for the life of the world.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Then the Jews started arguing with one another: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they said. Jesus replied:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">“I tell you most solemnly,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">if you do not eat of the flesh of the Son of Man <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">and drink his blood,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">you will not have life in you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">and I shall raise him up on the last day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">and I live in him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Just as I, sent by the living Father,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">myself get life from the Father,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">so whoever eats me will get life from me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">This is the bread that come down from heaven; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">not like the bread our ancestors ate ;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">they are dead, but whoever eats this bread will live for ever.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; font-style: normal;">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Just as the family at home have meals together, the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">family of God also have a meal together. The mass. <i>Draw parallels between the family at home and the family of God. There is a dining table (the altar table) with a table-cloth over it (the altar cloth). There is food on the table (the bread and wine) and lots of diners (the congregation). </i></span><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Imagine a big party to be held. <i>Get the children to think in terms of a big party. </i>Can you think of a place big enough to hold a very, very big party. Your church? No bigger! The Stadium? No, bigger! Imagine a party so big that it needed 12,000 Stadiums to hold all the people invited. That is what happens every Sunday. Every Sunday, over 4,000 bishops and 400,000 priests celebrate mass for one billion Catholics in 900,000 churches throughout the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Get the children to stretch their imagination and imagine millions of people attending mass at the same time. Imagine that at the same minute that you are taking communion, maybe one million other Catholics are taking it with you. Emphasise that it is one big family meal for a family so big that we need to hold the meal at the same time in different places all over the world.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Explain that it is the same mass that is celebrated throughout the world. Jesus promised that he is the bread of life that is given to all people who believes in him. And everyone who believes in him will be coming for mass every Sunday. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Explain that the mass is organised so that every church will be using the same readings and will be saying the same prayers the same way. We all use the same mass books drawn up by the bishops in Rome. We all also use the same Missal, which dictates which reading is to be used for every Sunday of the year. Praying from the same mass book and reading form the same Missal is our way of saying we are family. We also learn the same faith from the same Catechism and the same Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">How many of us have been overseas? How many of us have attended mass overseas? How many of us have attended mass overseas in another language? <i>Explain that there is no difference in the mass here and overseas and whatever language it is. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Actually you don’t need to go overseas to attend mass in another language. <i>Check out the different </i></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>languages at masses in the local nearby parishes and share that with the children. Ask them how many different language masses they have been to. We don't know how many language the mass has been celebrated all over the world. The complete Bible can be found in over two thousand languages and I am sure masses are celebrated at least in part in many more languages than that.</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"> It makes me proud to be a Catholic.</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">You see: ask the children what does Catholic mean? It means universal. It means that people who are in all countries in the world speaking different languages, practicing different customs but bound by the same faith. The Malaysian Church is probably more Catholic than most.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Explain that we are sometimes called the Body of Christ because St Paul taught us that we are all like different parts of the same body with Jesus as the head. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">So, when we say ‘Amen’ to the Eucharistic Minister’s ‘Body of Christ’, we are not just agreeing (remember, ‘Amen’ means ‘to agree’) that the piece of bread has now become the body of Christ, but also we are all part of the one Body of Christ, we believe in the same God and we belong to the same family.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">And you know at that point, something special happens.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">Two persons who have never met become one family, one in the same church, one in the same Body of Christ.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;">And wherever that you take communion in the world, you are at home.</span><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span></i></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-79629132419587727602018-08-05T01:57:00.000-07:002018-08-16T18:45:42.662-07:00Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "latinwidd";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Nineteenth Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Images<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Welcoming Jesus to our mass<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">This week’s reading is the third of a series of readings centred around the account of the feeding of the five thousand in Jn in Sunday 17. For the five weeks, the readings will be laden with theological themes of: the feeding (Sunday 17); true bread (Sunday 18); the person of Jesus (Sunday 19); Jesus as bread (Sunday 20); and accepting Jesus (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">While it makes sense to present them in such a cycle to adults, it is very difficult for children. I have therefore interpreted it as: preparing the meal (Sunday 17); what we eat (Sunday 18); who we eat with (Sunday 19); the wider church who shares the bread (Sunday 20); and what to do after the meal (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">In all instances, it is important to emphasise the personal and the everyday occurrences that children encounter at meals and parallel them with the meal for their spiritual world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Acclamation<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">I am the living bread which has come down from heaven, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">says the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Remind the children that Jesus has just fed the five thousand men, with the women and children.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St John<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">The Jews were complaining to each other about Jesus, because he had said, “I am the bread that comes down from heaven.” “Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph,” they said. “We know his father and mother, how can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus said in reply, “Stop complaining to each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">No one can come to me <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">and I will raise him up at the last day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">It is written in the prophets:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">They will all be taught by God, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">and to hear the teaching of the Father, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">and learn from it, is to come to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Not that anybody has seen the Father, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">except the one who comes from God: he has seen the Father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">I tell you most solemnly, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">everybody who believes has eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">I am the bread of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Your fathers ate the manna in the desert and they are dead; but this bread that comes down from heaven, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">so that a man may eat it and not die. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">and the bread that I shall give <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">is my flesh, for the life of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Just as the family at home have meals together, the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">family of God also have a meal together. The mass. <i>Draw parallels between the family at home and the family of God. There is a dining table (the altar table) with a table-cloth over it (the altar cloth). There is food on the table (the bread and wine) and lots of diners (the congregation). </i></span><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Discuss when Mom or Dad has an important guest for dinner. Dad’s boss at work, the parish priest, or even more important, your schoolteacher. Would the table be set even more special? Discuss how. The guest will have the most important seat that the table and will have the first serving of the food. Everything will be done to get the guest as comfortable as possible. And if this is the first visit, the guest may even get a tour of the house. We will all also have to be on our best behaviour and will not be allowed to say any nasty remarks about our guest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Parallel this with the mass. Who are the people at our mass? There are Catholics as well those who are interested in our church. There are the priests. Discuss when we have a special guest at our church: say, the bishop or a visiting priest. Won’t we make an extra effort to make sure that he is welcomed and he knows where everything is for him to say mass? Also, in some churches, we ask people who are attending our church for the first time to stand up so that we can welcome them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal;">What about Jesus? Is he a guest at our mass too?</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"> This is an interesting question: is a member of the family also a guest? Discuss how Jesus is present at our mass: (i) in the Eucharist in the form of bread and wine; (ii) in the reading, since Jesus is also the Word of God; and (iii) in the gathering of the people, because Jesus said, where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";">Discuss how we make Jesus welcome in the mass: (i) we kneel when the bread is broken and prepared for us as our way of treating the Eucharist with respect; (ii) we stand when the Gospel is read, because we recognise that these are the words of Jesus; and (iii) we greet the people around us in the sign of peace, and in doing so, we also greet Jesus.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-38130652592375402322018-08-04T15:48:00.000-07:002018-08-04T15:48:08.838-07:00Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span lang="EN-GB">LSW</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 22pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Footlight MT Light";">children</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Eighteenth Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Images<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Bread and wine at mass<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This week’s reading is the second of a series of readings centred around the account of the feeding of the five thousand in Jn in Sunday 17. For the five weeks, the readings will be laden with theological themes of: the feeding (Sunday 17); true bread (Sunday 18); the person of Jesus (Sunday 19); Jesus as bread (Sunday 20); and accepting Jesus (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">While it makes sense to present them in such a cycle to adults, it is very difficult for children. I have therefore interpreted it as: preparing the meal (Sunday 17); what we eat (Sunday 18); who we eat with (Sunday 19); the wider church who shares the bread (Sunday 20); and what to do after the meal (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In all instances, it is important to emphasise the personal and the everyday occurrences that children encounter at meals and parallel them with the meal for their spiritual world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Man does not live on bread alone, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Remind the children that Jesus has just fed the five thousand men, with the women and children.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St John<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Jn</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">6: 24-35)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">“I tell you most solemnly, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">you are not looking for me because you have seen miracles but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Do not work for food that cannot last, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">but work for food that last forever, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">for on him the Father, God himself has set his approval.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Then they said to him, “What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?” Jesus gave them this answer, “This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.” So they said, ”What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scriptures says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus answered: “I tell you must solemnly, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">the true bread; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">for the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread always.” Jesus answered:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">“I am the bread of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">He who comes to me will never be hungry; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">he who believes in me will never thirst.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal;">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Just as the family at home have meals together, the family of God also have a meal together. The mass. <i>Draw parallels between the family at home and the family of God. There is a dining table (the altar table) with a table-cloth over it (the altar cloth). There is food on the table (the bread and wine) and lots of diners (the congregation). Discuss why the bread at mass looks the way it does. There is no yeast in it. This is because when the Jews left Egypt, they left in a hurry and had no time to wait for the dough to rise. Our mass is a successor to the Jewish Passover meal, which celebrated the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss what bread represents to most people. It is important especially in places where bread is eaten everyday. Discuss where there are places with famine, etc. How important do the people there think bread is?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;">Discuss what is meant by eating the flesh of Jesus. Remember it is not just that our body is eating the physical flesh of Jesus, but rather our spirit eating the spiritual flesh of Jesus. Explain that by eating him spiritually, we bring the spirit of Jesus into us. Wouldn’t we all like that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">If asked, explain that the wine that is used must be alcoholic, but there are set rules as to how alcoholic. There is a maximum level for obvious reasons. There is also a set minimum so that the wine will keep. Also, the wine must be a fruit of the grape. So, no cider. The rules do not say that the wine must be red to symbolise blood. I have taken white wine at mass before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss what the wine means to people. In countries where wine is drunk a lot, it is normally drunk at dinner time. It is the kind of dinner where people are relaxed and the meal could take quite a long time because people chat a lot over the meal. So, wine represents fellowship to these people.<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss what is meant when we say we drink the blood of Jesus. Jews and Muslims do not eat meat with blood in it. Halal & kosher therefore doesn’t just mean no pork, but also that the animal is slaughtered in such a way that all the blood is drained out. This is because they believe that blood contains life and life can only belong to God. Going by that therefore, we can say that the blood of Jesus is his life. When we drink the wine, we are drinking the life of Jesus into us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Therefore, at the end of mass, we are all filled with the spirit and the life of Jesus after partaking of the bread and wine at mass. With the spirit and life of Jesus in us we can go out and be better Christians. That is the meaning of spiritual sustenance given to us at mass.<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-78084763673756989492018-07-25T18:49:00.001-07:002018-07-25T18:49:38.473-07:00Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Seventeenth Ordinary Sunday<o:p></o:p></span></h5>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Images</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Helping at mass<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This week’s reading starts off a series of readings centred around the account of the feeding of the five thousand in Jn. <span> </span>For the next five weeks, the readings will be laden with theological themes of: the feeding (Sunday 17); true bread (Sunday 18); the person of Jesus (Sunday 19); Jesus as bread (Sunday 20); and accepting Jesus (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">While it makes sense to present them in such a cycle to adults, it is very difficult for children.<span> </span>I have therefore interpreted it as: preparing the meal (Sunday 17); what we eat (Sunday 18); who we eat with (Sunday 19); the wider church who shares the bread (Sunday 20); and what to do after the meal (Sunday 21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In all instances, it is important to emphasise the personal and the everyday occurrences that children encounter at meals and parallel them with the meal for their spiritual world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel Acclamation<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<span> </span>Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Your words are spirit, Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">and they are life;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">you have the message of eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St John<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Jn</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">6: 1-15)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick.<span> </span>Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples, it was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, “Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?”<span> </span>He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew what he was going to do.<span> </span>Philip answered, “Two thousand ringgit would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.”<span> </span>One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, “There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?”<span> </span>Jesus said to them, “Make the people sit down.”<span> </span>There were plenty of grass there and as many as five thousand men sat down.<span> </span>Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted.<span> </span>When they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, “Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted.”<span> </span>So they picked them up, and filled twelve baskets with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves.<span> </span>The people, seeing the signs that he had given, said, “This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.”<span> </span>Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back into the hills by himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></h6>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Has anyone helped prepare a meal before?<span> </span><i>Get everyone into the preparation of a meal, even if they have never helped in one.<span> </span>What would they have expected if someone else had prepared a meal:<span> </span>table set, food cooked, plates cleaned, etc.<span> </span>Do a list of what needs to be done to prepare if necessary.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Who helps with preparing the meal?<span> </span>Do you?<span> </span><i>Talk about situations where the meal is to celebrate someone’s birthday or to welcome someone from far away.<span> </span>Are they more likely to help?<span> </span>Are they more likely to help if it is a birthday for someone they like?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Doesn’t the family of God also have a meal together?<span> </span>Yes, the mass.<span> </span><i>Draw parallels between the family at home and the family of God.<span> </span>There is a dining table (the altar table) with a table-cloth over it (the altar cloth).<span> </span>There is food on the table (the bread and wine) and lots of diners (the congregation).<span> </span>There are also people who have helped in preparing the mass just like people who helped prepare the meal at home.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss the people who help prepare the mass:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The cleaning lady cleans up the church.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">There are altar ladies who arrange flowers at the altar.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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</style><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">What about us? How do we prepare for mass?<i> We make sure we have been good and have made peace with the people around us before we approach God’s altar; we say our prayers </i></span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">before mass; we read the readings before mass to familiarise ourselves with the mass before it starts.</span></i><br />
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Most importantly, we make sure that we come to the meal clean and as this is a spiritual meal, we have to be spiritually clean. Discuss how we do that.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-68764219951416891702018-07-16T03:55:00.000-07:002018-07-16T03:55:52.914-07:00Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;">LSW</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 22pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Footlight MT Light";">children</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Sixteenth Ordinary Sunday<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Resting<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Protection<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This reading is specifically the introduction to the miracle of the loaves from Mk. This miracle is important in the Catholic Church as it forms the base to our sacrament to the Eucharist. The Missal, therefore, takes time out in the Ordinary Sunday cycle of readings to deal with this a little more in depth. As the doctrinal explanation of this miracle in Mk, however, is rather skimpy, the readings from Jn are used from next week onwards to explain the significance of this miracle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">I have, consequently, decided to decouple this introduction from the miracle of the loaves. It can, fortunately, stand by itself in that the concern that Jesus has for his sheep is highlighted, and thus, continue the theme of protection and Jesus’ help that runs through the last two Sundays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Acclamation before the Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In last week’s reading, Jesus just sent out the disciples to preach in the towns around Galilee.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Mk</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">6: 30-34)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, “You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while”; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people saw them going and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place and reached it before them. So, as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What does a shepherd do? <i>Discuss specifically what a shepherd does for the sheep. Let them graze and rest; make them comfortable, including taking them into shelter at night; protect them.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What qualities should a shepherd have?<i> Being sensitive to the needs of the sheep; courage when needed to protect the sheep. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss how Jesus was sensitive to the apostles in the reading. What did he think they needed? Rest, a little food, some place to be alone. Did he provide them with it? Discuss stories in the Bible where God was sensitive to the needs of his people and provided for them: feeding with manna, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss how Jesus was sensitive to the people in the reading. What did he think they needed? A little bit of direction, a bit of leadership, a bit of comfort, a lot of teaching. Did he provide them with it? Discuss times when God promised to care for us. (Is 49:15-16 I have carved you on the palms of my hands; Ps 23 the Lord is my Shepherd)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss how we can be like Jesus by being sensitive to others, care for others and see to it that they are comfortable. Give concrete examples. Start with the family and go on to school situations. For older children, discuss where people stand up and argue for the poor and the underprivileged.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Lead on to discuss how the shepherd leads the sheep to food. </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">What happens during winter when it is too cold for the sheep to graze outside?<i>The shepherd prepares hay for them. </i>What happens when there is a famine and there is not much grass on the ground?<i> The shepherd leads the sheep further away to find better grazing ground.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">You can then discuss how just as the shepherd leads the flock to sustenance, Jesus also leads us to sustenance at mass. This anticipates next week reading so you can leave more of it to the next few weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-52519473334289942642018-07-08T19:26:00.001-07:002018-07-08T19:26:19.385-07:00Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Fifteenth Ordinary Sunday <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"></span></b></span></h3>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Images</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Out on a journey
with Jesus</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This Sunday’s reading deal with the aspect of
missionary work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The perception of
missionaries is typified by the story of the old Jesuit who never had his
belongings in more than one suitcase, in order to be ready for any call to go
anywhere anytime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, a missionary
travels light and his direction is that given by the Spirit.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">We should be drawing parallels between
this and travelling done by us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
younger children, lead this to the awareness that Jesus and his disciples too
have been travelling a lot themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Older children should be led to discuss a metaphorical travelling with
Jesus: we never travel on our faith journey alone; Jesus is always with us.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant: small-caps;">Liturgy</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant: small-caps;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alleluia!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">May the Father of
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">so that we can
see what hope his call holds for us.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Remind the children that Jesus was rejected by the
people in his hometown in last Sunday’s reading.</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant: small-caps;">A
Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant: small-caps;">(Mk</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"> 6: 7-13)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out
in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he instructed them to take nothing for
the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their
purses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were to wear sandals but,
he added, “Do not take a spare tunic.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And he said to them, “If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until
you leave the district.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if any place
does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake
off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they set off to preach repentance; and
they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured
them.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discussions</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Has anyone gone out traveling before?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which ways of traveling do you prefer:
plane, ships, car, bus, trains, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Get the children to discuss from their own
experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss how people of Jesus’
days traveled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would the children be
comfortable with that way of traveling?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If they were to travel like that, would they be able to carry a lot of
things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That may be why in the reading,
Jesus told his disciples not to carry too many things with them when they
travel.</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Many of the disciples traveled a lot to bring the
Gospel to many people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who are
they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Paul made four journeys throughout the Mediterranean while Peter went
to Rome, Thomas to India, Andrew to Greece, Matthew to Ethiopia, James to
Spain, Jude and Simon to Persia, Philip in Turkey and Bartholomew to
Armenia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Discuss why they went to these
faraway places.</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">The disciples often had very difficult times when
they traveled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of them were
persecuted, faced arrest, ridiculed and insulted. Some were even killed for the
faith they tried to preach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet even
when they were thrown into prison, they were not alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Explain
how Jesus said that he would be with them always.</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Go on to the story of the
footprints in the sand:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a man dreamt one
night that Jesus showed him how they have walked together during his life story
along a sandy beach. The man found that during most of his life, there were two
sets of footprints on the sand, but on the more difficult times, there was only
one set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He turned and asked Jesus why
he had to walk alone during those difficult times and Jesus answered, “During
those most difficult times, you see only one set of footprints because I
carried you.”</span></i></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">For older children</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss the idea of
spiritually traveling light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should
not have too many temptations with us on our spiritual journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Discuss the temptations that Jesus would not
like us to carry with us when we travel with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use examples from the children’s everyday
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would a priest be a good priest
if he was more concerned about playing computer games?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can we be good Christians if we are more
concerned about our possessions not to share them with others?</span></i><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></u></div>
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</style>Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-53673699208412217692018-07-02T18:10:00.000-07:002018-07-02T18:14:23.552-07:00Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div>Year B</div><div>Fourteenth Ordinary Sunday </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Images</div><div><br></div><div>Speaking up</div><div>Rejection</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Points to note</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Liturgy</div><div><br></div><div>Acclamation before the Gospel</div><div>Alleluia! Alleluia!</div><div>The Word was made flesh and lived among us;</div><div>to all who accept him</div><div>he gave power to become children of God.</div><div>Alleluia!</div><div><br></div><div>Gospel</div><div>Explain that Jesus has just started teaching in the area around his home region.</div><div><br></div><div>A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark</div><div>(Mk 6: 1-6)</div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>This is the Gospel of the Lord.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Discussions</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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 LSW facilitators, etc.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>For older children</div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>Scripture note</div><div>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.</div><div><br></div>Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992217075758657517.post-80088792199629759402018-06-24T22:50:00.001-07:002018-06-24T22:50:03.558-07:00Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time<div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;">LSW</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 22pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Footlight MT Light";">children</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Year B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: LatinWidD;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Thirteenth Ordinary Sunday<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Images<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">God helps us if we help ourselves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Having faith<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Points to note<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Liturgy<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Acclamation before the Gospel</span></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia! Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Our Saviour Christ Jesus banished death,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Alleluia!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Gospel</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">In last Sunday’s reading, we saw how the disciples depended on Jesus for help when they were frightened.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">(Mk</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">5: 21-43)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">This is the Gospel of the Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal;">Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Have you ever asked anyone for help before?<i> 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.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">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 iPad ban if you promise not be naughty again. Do you have any other examples? <i>If possible, lead the children to the examples of helping that they mentioned just now. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">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? <i>Let’s hope the children are not such nasty brats themselves!! Take care though that this does not become a gripe session.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">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? <i>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.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
Jim Khong doing some thinking - reflections accumulated from everything I learnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950040174002163949noreply@blogger.com0