Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year B

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Images

Calling people by their names

Points to note

For this reading, I have chosen the first reading instead of the Gospel reading of John’s account of the calling of the two disciples.  For one thing, Mark’s account of the calling of disciples next Sunday is probably easier to follow.  More so, I find that the story of the calling of Samuel has a certain appeal to children.  First, it is a story of a child.  Secondly, there is the drama of the narrative, which if told well, can be very effective.

There is also the calling of Samuel by name.  If we did not get to discuss about baptism and the names we were called at baptism in LSW at the Baptism of the Lord, we can start off the year with names being called in LSW.  So, facilitators will get to know the names of all the children.

Also, I have always been fascinated by names and they are fun.  So, for this session, it will be good to delve into a book of names and understand the meanings and the stories behind some names you will encounter in the session.

Liturgy

As the reading is not taken from the Gospel reading, there is no acclamation before the Gospel.  Explain that this reading is about the prophet Samuel when he was a little boy.  Samuel was one of the greatest prophets of Israel and was the one who made David the king – on God’s instructions, of course.

Reading

A Reading from the First Book of Samuel

(Sm 3: 3-10,19)

Samuel was lying in the sanctuary of the Lord where the ark of God was, when the Lord called, “Samuel!  Samuel!”  He answered, “Here I am.”  Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, since you called me.”  He said, “I did not call.  Go back and lie down.”  So he went and lay down.  Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!  Samuel!”  Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, since you called me.”  He replied, “I did not call, my son; go back and lie down.”  Samuel at that age did not yet understand the ways of the Lord as he has not yet learned the scriptures.  Once again the Lord called, the third time.  He got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, since you called me.”  Eli then knew that it was the Lord who was calling the boy, and he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if someone calls say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’  So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Then the Lord came and stood by, calling as he had done before, “Samuel!  Samuel!”  Samuel answered,  ”Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him and he became a prophet everyone listened to.

This is the Word of the Lord

Discussion

Go through the story again.  How did God call Samuel?  By his name.  Discuss how it would be if Samuel didn’t have a name – God would have to call him ‘Oi!’ or something like that!!  Is it important that we all have names? Why?

When were we given our names?  At our baptism.  The baby is brought to church with the family.  The priest asks the parents what name they wish to give the child.  That is the first time your names are heard in the church and the whole community of God now know your names.

You could take this opportunity to ask the children what their parents replied.  Go round and ask the children one by one - that’s one way of finding out the children’s name.  It will be a good start to the year to find out all the children’s name since all family members know each other’s name and shouldn’t we too as God’s family?

Do we know how we got our names?  Some could have been named after a relative or after someone famous.  Or there could some interesting story to it.  The Guinness Book of Names record a boy named ‘Bill’ because he came at the end of the month! 

Do your names have meanings?  It may also be handy to have a book of names so that you could give the meaning of the names of children.  But don’t do too many as there may not be enough time.  It is also interesting to see variation of names.  John, for example, can also be Ian (Scottish); Uwen (Welsh); Sean (Irish); Jean (French); Johannes (Dutch); Juan (Spanish); Joao (Portuguese); Hans (German); Jon (Scandinavian); Jan (Polish); Ivan (Russian); and most unusually, Giovanni (Italian).

Sometimes we were given names so that we can take on the virtues of the name.  For example, the parents of a girl called Faith may want her to grow up faithful.  Or the parents of a boy named Francis may want him to grow up to be like St Francis.  In the olden days, people believe that you take on the virtues and attributes of the name that you were given or the virtues of the person you were named after.  That is why names are so important in those days.

How many names do we have?  We can have Christian names, Chinese/Indian names, surnames, nicknames, etc.  All of us got an extra name at our baptism.  We were all given the same name:  Christians.  After our baptism, people call us Christians.  Whose name did that take on?  Does it mean we should take on the attributes of Christ and be like him if we were to retain the name Christian and have people to continue to call us that?

Baptism of the Lord

Year B

Baptism of the Lord

Images

Baptism

Joining a family

Being a new person

Points to note

Baptism is a sacrament of initiation.  It is important to remember that a sacrament of initiation initiates a person into a community.  Baptism is not merely a personal journey to meet God, but is also a person journey to meet a community.  The baptism of Jesus was his way of meeting the community he was called to minister, the entire human race. 

Emphasis should therefore be placed on the family and the Church when someone is baptised.  Nobody goes alone to church to get baptised.  We are brought there by our families.  After baptism, we then become members of the family of the Church.

Note that as not all the children may have been baptised, discussions and activities must cater for them.  Perhaps, they may be asked to share their experience of what they see when someone is baptised.

Liturgy

 

Acclamation

Alleluia! Alleluia!

John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said:

This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Alleluia!

 

Gospel

The Lord be with you

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark

(Mk 1: 7-11)

In the course of his preaching John the Baptist said, “Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals.  I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”

It was at this time that Jesus came from Nazareth from Galilee and was baptised in the Jordan by John.  No sooner had he come out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him.  And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rest on you.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Discussion

How many families do we belong to?  Two: the family at home and the family of the Church

How do we join the family at home?  At birth

How do we join the family of the Church?  At baptism

What happens at a baptism?  Go through the various parts of the baptism.  The baby is brought to church with the family.  The priest asks the parents what name they wish to give the child.  The priest then asks if the parents would help the baby grow in faith and love God and neighbours.  The priest them baptises the child using the formulation “With this water, I baptise you [name] in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”   The family then returns home with a child who is now a member of God’s family.

Do only babies get baptised?  Bigger children and adults get baptised as well.  So did Jesus.  It was at his baptism that Jesus met his family of the Church, the one that God had entrusted to him to love and minister to.

Draw parallels between the family at home and the family of the Church:

·       families love one another;

·       know each other’s name (note that when the priest asked the parents the name of the child at baptism and the parents reply, that was the first time the name of the baby was heard in the Church);

·       share with one another;

·       have meals together; etc..

Epiphany of the Lord

Year A, B, C

The Epiphany of the Lord

Images

Going home a different way

Points to note

This is a very rich reading and the chosen theme is broad enough to accommodate sub-themes you could use.  Select one that you are comfortable with and in keeping with the age group of the children. 

The younger ones may be asked to present gifts to Jesus, with the discussion leading on from the Christmas presents that they have received.  Older children could be asked to look at the reactions of the different people to the coming of Jesus in the story: Herod reacting with fear for his position; the priests reacting with indifference; the wise men reacting with worship.

Ultimately, the session must end with a realisation that, having met Jesus, the wise men went home by a different way.  Likewise, our routes and actions must lead us down different paths after meeting Jesus.  Otherwise the epiphany has been in vain.

Epiphany is late this year and this means the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the following Monday and not the following Sunday.  If you would like to have the sharing of names of the children that is normally done on the Baptism of the Lord, you can insert it in for this Sunday.  I have included the leaflet for the Baptism of the Lord so that you can insert it in accordingly.

Liturgy

Christmas is not a single day but a season that lasts for twelve days.  It is the second season of the Christian year, following on from Advent and ends on Epiphany.  Epiphany is a Greek word that means the appearance of a god.  Where the initial is capitalised, it refers to the appearance of Jesus to the wise men.  As this is the last day of Christmas, ask the children to give one last Christmas greeting to each other.

Acclamation before the Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia!

We saw his star as it rose

And has come to do the Lord homage

Alleluia!

Gospel

Explain to the children who the wise men were.  They were people who study the stars.  No, the Gospel accounts did not report them as kings or that there were three in number.  These and their names were later additions.

Explain that Herod was a cruel king who was always afraid that somebody would take his throne away.  This Herod, called the Great because he rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem, was a different Herod from the one who ruled when Jesus was crucified.

The Lord be with you.

All:   And also with you.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew

(Mt 2: 1-12)

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea when Herod was king, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. “Where is the infant king of the Jews?” they asked.  “We saw his star as it rose and have come to worship him.”  When Herod heard this, he was worried, and so was the whole of Jerusalem.  He called together the chief priests, and asked them where the Christ was to be born.  “At Bethlehem in Judaea,” they told him, “for this was what the prophet wrote in the Scriptures:

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah

you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,

for out of you will come a leader

who will be a shepherd of my people Israel.”

Then Herod called the wise men to see him privately.  He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem.  “Go and find out all about the child,” he said, “and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.”  Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out.  And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward and halted over the place where the child was.  The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they paid him their respect.  Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.  But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

This is the Word of the Lord

Dialogue

There being a wealth of discussion points, I have outlined some that can be linked and organised along a unifying sub-theme. All discussions should be personalised within the context of each person's contribution according to each person's experience and age.  Ultimately, the children must identify how their lives can change after having met Jesus, in big ways as in small.  Just as the wise men did not take the same route to return home after meeting Jesus, neither should we return to our more questionable sides after meeting Jesus, in spirit, in prayer, in the mass, or in works of charity.

For older children

How did Herod react when he heard about the king just been born?  Herod was always afraid that someone would be king instead of him.  In fact, he killed his wife, her mother and three of his sons because he thought they were threats to his throne.  The emperor Augustus commented that it was safer to be Herod’s pig than to be Herod’s sons.

How did the priests react when they were asked?  They couldn’t care less.  With all their wisdom that told them where to find the infant king, they did not bother to search him out to worship him.  They seem to be too contented where they were.

How did the wise men react?  They were worshipful.

How would you react?   Get them to examine themselves.  How can they be sure?  Would they follow anybody who claims to be the Christ?  What are their criteria? 

For all children

They wise men brought gifts for the infant Jesus: 

©    Gold, usually given for a king, for Jesus was the infant King;

©   Frankincense, a kind of incense used during worship, for Jesus is the highest of all priests; 

©    Myrrh, used to embalm dead bodies, for Jesus will one day die on the cross.

What gifts will you bring for the infant king?  Gifts could be simple (eg, milk for a baby), or personal (eg, my favourite teddy bear), or symbolic (like those gifts the wise men brought), or intangible (eg, acts of worship or charity).

When the wise men saw Jesus they were filled with delight and approached him with great respect.  How would you approach Jesus to show that you truly respect, worship and love him?  Extend the discussion to include how we are to approach Jesus in the liturgy.  There is a lovely insight told by a Christian about his approach to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.  Beneath the altar of the church is a cave, which is said to be the cave where Jesus was born.  He noticed that the doorway to the church was low, so low that anybody approaching has to stoop to enter.  Isn’t it fitting that any pilgrim wishing to see his king has to approach on bended knees?

Fourth Sunday in Advent

Year B

Fourth Sunday in Advent

Images

A Message of Joy

Points to note

Some say that the waiting time of Advent is a bit like the expectations one encounter at the time of pregnancy, just that it is four weeks rather than nine months.  Today, we hear of the story of how the pregnancy of all pregnancies started.

There have been depictions of the Annunciation by many artists but most are set in a ornate room with tiled floors and paintings on the wall.  One must remember that most of these paintings were commissioned by rich patrons and those paintings on the wall were probably the artist’s advertisement billboards.

  

I always, though, imagine the event to take place in a small humble house with mud floors and barren walls.  The virgin is unassumingly dressed in house clothes rather than in an embroidered dress.  Jesus was the message but it was not a message of liberation for the wealthy and powerful but for the poor and the burdened in society.

In this time of celebrations, it has always been customary in the Church to turn her prayers and attention to those who has not been fortunate to revel in festivities that many of us have been used to.

Liturgy

Acclamation before the Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the handmaid of the Lord:

let what you have said be done to me. Alleluia!

Gospel

This is the final Sunday of Advent, the last before Christmas.  Remind the children that there are four Sundays in Advent and that Christmas is round the corner.  The last of the Advent wreath candles will be lit today.

The Lord be with you.

All:   And also with your spirit.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew

All:   Glory to you O Lord

(Lk 1:26-38)

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

This is the Good News of the Lord

Dialogue

What was the story about?  It is a well-known story with which most children with basic catechism should be familiar.  Take them through the story and what happened.  Focus on the message of the angel and that it was a message of joy.  Discuss how they would have felt if they have been told that the Saviour of the World is to be born.  Discuss why.  What does it mean that a Saviour is coming?  Leave it at conceptual level if the children are unable to translate it into real terms.

Imagine the scene.  Ask the children to use their imagination to see how the scene looked like.  Do they imagine a room like the one they have at home?  Discuss the reality of the room that Mary was in – it was the home of a poor carpenter.  Was it a rich man’s house?  Ask the children to describe a poor man’s house.  It will be interesting to see if any of them have ever been in a poor person’s house.

What would the message of the coming of a Saviour mean to poor people?  Explore what poorer people would be expecting from a Saviour.  Would it include freedom from physical hunger as well as spiritual ones?

Explain to the children that we call Christmas the season of peace and goodwill and that it should also include

·     freedom from wars that is faced by many Christians who are fleeing their homes in some countries

·   freedom to pray and celebrate Christmas the way they want to but are stopped by various people & governments

·     freedom from hunger and malnutrition that plagues many people even in rich countries

·     freedom to pursue education and opportunities for life, especially for girls in some places

·     freedom to travel wherever they want to be and be with their loved ones this Christmas

While the children may not be able to do much with the above problems, they would be able to stay with these people in their prayers, just as Jesus will be with them in their longing.

Third Sunday in Advent

Year B

Third Sunday in Advent

Images

Spreading the joyful message

Points to note

This Sunday is Gaudete Sunday, or Joyful Sunday. Instead of the purple that has been used in all the previous Sundays, this colour for this Sunday is pink.  This is thus scheduled by the Church as a respite from the more sombre penitence of the long season of reflection.

We move on from last week’s theme of our mission of having been anointed as a prophet to the message of joy that we are to bring to the world.  In this discussion, the joyous nature of the message is more important than the details of the message.

Liturgy

Acclamation before the Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia!

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me.

He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor. Alleluia!

Gospel

The Lord be with you.

All:   And also with your spirit.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew

All:   Glory to you O Lord

(Jn 1:6-8, 19-28)

A man came, sent by God.

His name was John.

He came as a witness,

as a witness to speak for the light,

so that everyone might believe through him.

He was not the light,

only a witness to speak for the light.

This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said,

‘I am, as Isaiah prophesied:

a voice that cries in the wilderness:

Make a straight way for the Lord.’

Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.’ This happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.

This is the Good News of the Lord

Dialogue

How are your Christmas preparations coming along?  Get the children to discuss the plans.  Lead the discussions to a sense of anticipation of the event.  Note that preparations, while tiring, can also be fun.  Some people say that the preparation is more fun than the event itself.  I think they could be right.

What is a message?  Discuss the nature of a message.  It

·       Given by a person

·       Comes from a person

·       About something that has happened or about to happen

Discuss who was the one bringing the message in today’s reading – John the Baptist.  Explain who was John the Baptist – a cousin of Jesus, older by just a few months.  He was sometimes called the last of the prophets.

Who did the message come from – from God. Messages carried by prophets all come from God.  That is their job, their role.

What was the message about – the coming of Jesus.  Explain that John the Baptist was sometimes called the forerunner of Jesus.  That he was the one who went ahead of Jesus to tell them of his coming.

Notice that the message of one of expectation.  In those days, the people were oppressed under the rule of the Romans and the cruel King Herod.  There were looking for someone to take away their problems.  Nobody knew who Jesus was but there was something there in what John said that made it worthwhile to look forward to it.  They knew something wonderful was about to happen.

Discuss when someone was going to have a surprise birthday, whether the birthday child was told about it or not.  Think of the anticipation and how much they were looking forward to it – wasn’t it fun to look forward to something wonderful.  Explain that for the people who heard John the Baptist, it must have been the same sense of expectation.

Discuss how we could bring the same sense of joyful message to people today.  Remember the message was for the people who were oppressed and needy.