The readings for Lent this year are the oldest set of
readings in the Christian church. It was
used in the days of old to prepare catechumens for baptism. In those days, it takes two years before a
catechumen could be baptised and the liturgy for Lent includes scrutinies of
catechumens.
The readings for Lent are structured as a journey, a journey
of faith not just for the catechumens but for all the faithful as we prepare to
renew our baptismal cleansing at Easter.
The journey begins with the testing of Jesus in the desert
on the first Sunday of Lent. On the
second Sunday, we see the desired goal of our Lenten journey. The readings used for the third to fifth
Sundays focus on baptismal themes: water, light and life.
We end our Lenten series with the telling of the Passion
story on Palm Sunday.
Year A
Third Sunday in Lent
Images
Water
Life
Points to note
The
imagery used for the next three Sundays centres around the baptism. For this Sunday, the imagery is that of
water. You may wish to have a bowl of
water as the centrepiece in the room but make sure you have a very efficient
mop handy. The reading used is vivid but
very intricately related to the Gospel reading.
Liturgy
Acclamation before the Gospel
There is no acclamation
as the Gospel is not read.
Reading
Explain that the people
of Israel have left Egypt and are wandering around in the desert. They have just been fed by God using the
manna bread and quails but they are still not satisfied.
As the
Gospel is not read, the sign of the cross is omitted but the introductory
dialogue (i.e., the Lord be with you...) may be used.
The
Lord be with you.
All: And also with
you.
A Reading
from the Book of Exodus
(Ex 17:
3-7)
The
people were thirsty and complained against Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt?” they
asked, “Was it so that I and my children and cattle should die of thirst?” Moses appealed to the Lord. “How am I to deal with this people?” he said
“A little more and they will stone me!”
The Lord said to Moses, “Take with you some of the elders of Israel and
move on to the front of the people; take in your hand the staff with which you
struck the river, and go. I shall be
standing there before you on the rock, at Horeb. You must strike the rock, and water will flow
from it for the people to drink.” This
is what Moses did, seen by the elders of Israel. The place was named Massah[1]
and Meribah[2]
because of the grumbling of the people of Israel and because they doubted the
Lord by asking, “Is the Lord with us, or not?”
This
is the Word of the Lord
Dialogue
What
do we use water for? For drinking and for cleaning. Discuss what would happen if we have no
water. Discuss what happens if there is
too much water.
What
does the priest pour over the head of a person during a baptism? Why does he use water? Why not something like sand? Be
prepared for some really silly answers!
Can
you remember two stories in the Bible where there was lots of water? The
crossing of the Red Sea and the Flood.
In each, take the children through the story, emphasising that in each
case, the water drowned the baddies and saved the good people.
Likewise when we are baptised with water,
the water kills the sinner in us and the Christian is born. You may need to use concepts like the naughty
child disappearing and the good child replaces the bad. The concept of death and rebirth in the
waters of baptism is very apparent in the practice of baptism by immersion by
the Orthodox, some Protestant and some Catholic churches. When a person is submerged below the water,
he or she is said to have drowned and a new person, a Christian emerges from the waters.
Another symbolic significance in the
use of water in baptism is the Church rule that only moving water may be used
for baptism. Water that is moving is
said to be alive. Ideally we would all
be baptised in a flowing river as Jesus was.
You may
now bring the discussion back round to the uses of water that we started the
session with. Water gives us life in
Jesus. Water also cleanses us of our
sins. That is why we use water for
baptism. During the Easter midnight
mass, part of the beginning of the mass is devoted to the blessing of the
water. The priest dips the newly lit
Easter candle into the baptismal water (not fully, of course) and blesses
it. The water is then used for baptism
during the year.
The concept of water cleansing and
giving life isn’t all that difficult to impart to the children if you parallel
it with simple everyday examples. Take
your time to explain if necessary, as understanding this will help them grasp
next week’s imagery of light.
If you have the time, you may wish to
discuss other uses of holy water in the Church.
We use it to bless ourselves when we enter the church. Sometimes, people may take some holy water
home as a way of taking a bit of the holiness of the church home with them.
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