23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A

Twenty-third Ordinary Sunday

Images

I am my brother’s keeper

Points to note

Last week, we dealt with how Jesus reacted to Peter who made a mistake.  This Sunday, we deal with a central theme in our everyday life:  What do we do when someone else makes a mistake?

Care must be taken to ensure that the discussion does not centre on the mistake that the someone else did, but rather on our reaction to that mistake.  Some children are notorious as ‘tell-tales’ and intervention is often required to keep the discussion on track.

Liturgy

Acclamation before the Gospel

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord,

consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Gospel

This passage takes place after the Transfiguration, and Jesus was discussing with his disciples about the Church.

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

(Mt 18: 15-20)

Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves.  If he listens to you, he has won back your brother.  If he does not listen, take one or two others with you:  the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge.  But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; or if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a leper or a tax collector.

“I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you considered loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.

“I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Discussion

Have you heard of the saying ‘I am not my brother’s keeper’?  It was Cain’s response when God asked him where Abel was (Gn 4:9).  What kind of person was Cain?  He murdered his brother, Abel.  You may wish to go through the story of why Cain killed Abel - because Cain got jealous when God liked Abel’s sacrifice more than Cain’s.  Discuss the type of person who would use the saying - someone who is afraid or not bothered about his brother.  Explain that ‘brother’ in this context, does not just refer to a member of the family, but to any member of the community.

Have you ever seen your brother or sister in the family done something wrong?  Careful here, we do not want a long diatribe of dirty linen being washed in public!!  Damper it down if necessary and move on.  Note that this does not refer to wrongdoing done by the child, but by others

Point out that even if it were a wrongdoing where no one gets hurt, Mom and Dad would still be angry.  Discuss what the child would do if Mom and Dad still haven't found out.  Would they tell at the first instance, or would they remonstrate with the wrongful sibling?  If the sibling were still unrepentant, would the child then inform the parents?  I find that in many circumstances, there is no right and wrong answer to this question.  Even for us as adults, or maybe, especially for us as adults (would you turn in your own child if he/she commits a crime?  A small crime?  A big crime?).  So, don’t be dogmatic with the answer.

If there is time, expand the discussion to brothers and sisters in the community.

Explain to the children that as the Church is one family, it also has a head like our parents at home.  As head of the Church, God would not like it if somebody in the family sins.  As a member of the family, we have a responsibility to do for a fellow member of our community what we should do for our sibling at home who has done any wrongdoing.

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A

Twenty second Ordinary Sunday

Images

Being told off and making up

Points to note

Although this passage has much for an adult to dwell upon, there may be little for children, if careful linking is not made with other passages.  If last Sunday’s reading was read, there is an opportunity to place this week’s reading in that context.  To have read of the rebuke to Peter without the preceding investiture as Pope loses some of its sting.

Children love a good story.  The story of the confession of Peter, Jesus handling of the keys to him and the subsequent rebuke should be read with the drama it deserves.  Care should be taken if role playing is to be attempted as a rebuke is involved.  Neither child playing Jesus nor Peter should be allowed to take the rebuke too seriously to avoid anyone getting hurt.

Ultimately, the message driven home is that, no matter how bad of foolish we have been, Jesus continues to call us to be his followers.

Liturgy

Acclamation before the Gospel

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

May the father of our Lord Jesus Christ

enlighten the eyes of our mind,

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

Gospel

Peter has just been made the first Pope by Jesus after correctly identifying Jesus as the Son of God.

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

 (Mt 16: 21-27)

Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was supposed to go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the Jews, to be put to death and to be raised on the third day.  Then, taking him aside, Peter started to plead with him.  “Heaven preserve you, Lord,” he said, “This must not happen to you.”  But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!  You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to be a follow me, let him give up everything 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 me will find it.  So what will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life?  Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life? 

“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Discussion

Retell the story to include Peter’s profession of faith.  If possible, make it as dramatic as possible as it must have been a dramatic event!

How did you think Peter reacted when Jesus called him Satan.  Explain carefully what Jesus meant when he called Peter Satan (refer to adult’s guide).  Discuss what Peter must have felt when he was told off by Jesus.  Remember that Peter has just been consecrated as Pope by Jesus and couldn’t have felt any prouder in his whole life.  He must have felt very let down by himself.

Discuss also what the other disciples felt when seeing their leader rebuked by Jesus.  Some may even have felt that no one will ever make the standards that Jesus has set if even Peter couldn’t meet it.

Have you ever felt like what Peter has felt?  You feel useless and everyone else is despairing of you if you will ever be good enough.  Try drawing out the experiences from the children.

What did Jesus actually say to Peter?  Note that Jesus asked Peter to stand behind him.  Now, only followers would stand behind a leader.  If you don’t want someone to be near you, you tell them to get lost!!  So, in the same remark, Jesus followed up the rebuke with a reconciliation.  This reminds us that he will stand by us and help us even if we fail again and again.  Are there any other stories about Peter not doing things right but Jesus gave him another chance?  Peter walking on water; Peter denying Jesus three times.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

LSW children

Year A

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Images

Trust in Jesus

Points to note

This is another vivid account of the powers of Jesus and of faith in him.  As such, there are many images that can be drawn from this passage.  One could also concentrate on the powers of Jesus to calm the sea.  If you choose to concentrate on this image, though, it is recommended that the demonstration of his powers by Jesus should not be taken only as such but the powers are demonstrated to illustrate a requirement of Christian living: that Jesus’ powers are available to us if we but trust in him.

Liturgy

Acclamation before the Gospel

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in the heaven and glory in the highest heavens!

Alleluia!

Gospel

Jesus was tired after teaching people.  However, as we have seen last week, people did not leave him alone, and he had to feed five thousand of them.  Now, he is left even more tired and wishes to go away with his friends for some rest.

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

(Mt 14:22-33)

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away.  After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray.  When evening came he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a headwind.  In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified.  “It is a ghost,” they cried out in fear.  But at once, Jesus called out to them, saying, “Courage!  It is I!  Do no be afraid!”  It was Peter who answered, “Lord”, he said, “if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.”  “Come,” said Jesus.  Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink.  “Lord!  Save me!” he cried.  Jesus put out his hands at once and held him.  “Man of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”  And as they got out of the boat the wind dropped.  The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

This is the Word of the Lord

Dialogue

Have you ever seen when a baby plays with his parents?  Can you see the baby’s face when his father tosses him up in the air and then catches him again?  Is there any fear?  Discuss how the baby feels safe because he knows that his father will catch him before he falls.  Note the fact that the thought that his father will not catch him does not even cross the baby’s mind.

Discuss how we may have such a personal experience ourselves.  Ever gone into a big crowd like at a football game?  Discuss how the children would hold the hands of the parents tightly so that they will not get lost.  Ever been frightened when going camping?  Discuss how we keep closely to the adults to be safe.  There may be other examples.

Go through the reading and discuss the salient points, bringing out how the various peoples felt at the following points:

·       When Jesus and the disciples went out onto the boat to rest and instead, a storm broke out, were the disciples exasperated at losing their rest in addition to being frightened?  Sometimes, we worry instead of praying.

·       When Jesus decided to go for a walk, were the disciples frightened to see Jesus walking on water?  Who else would walk on water?  Ghosts?  Sometimes, we see the worst in all good things.

·       When Peter wanted to join Jesus walking on water, what was he anticipating (walking on water – come on??!!) and why did you think he wanted to walk on water as well?  Sometimes, we think that faith is easy, and we don’t prepare & pray about the hard part – keeping going with Jesus.

·       When Peter began walking on water, what did he begin to see?  The winds and the waters would seem frightening and he probably began to wonder what he was doing, walking on water!  Sometimes, we get easily distracted when ‘reality’ sets in.

·       When Peter began to sink: why did he sink?  Where do you think he should have kept his eyes if not on the wind and the water?  What was his reaction?  Sometimes, we only reach out to Jesus after we get into trouble.

·       When Jesus hauled him back into the boat, what did Peter think?  What did the other disciples think of Jesus and Peter?  Sometimes, we wonder what could have been if we had that little more courage.

  

Discuss the lessons of this reading: that to do anything, we must keep our faith in Jesus, keep our eyes on him at all times and do everything that he wants us to do, the way he wants us to do it.

 

A little story

A man went mountain climbing.  As he climbed, suddenly he slipped and fell down a very steep cliff.  With no other hope, he closed his eyes, called out, “God, help me!” held out his hand and grabbed the only branch growing out of the face of the cliff.  As he was hanging there by that one little branch, he looked down the cliff and saw the bottom a long way off.  So, he looked up and shouted, “Anyone up there?”  A booming voice replied, “Yes.”  With relief, the climber shouted, “Can you help me?”  The booming voice replied, “Yes, I can help you but you must trust me.  Do you trust me?”  The climber shouted, “Of course I trust you!”  The booming voice continued, “If you trust me, you must do everything I tell you to do.”  Exasperated, the climber shouted, “Of course I trust you and I will do whatever you want me to do: just get me out of here!”  The booming voice said, “Let go of that branch!”  The climber looked down and then looked up and then shouted, “Anyone else up there?”

You may laugh, but what would you have said?