Third Sunday in Lent

Year B

Concepts

The Ten Commandments

Points to note

An interesting salient feature of the Ten Commandments, which every Christian learns from childhood, is the many injunctions against doing things.  There were speculations, probably unsubstantiated, that the original commandments were positive in nature and not negative.  Whatever the scholastic proof, it is recommended that the commandments be presented as a positive action, and not a negative prohibition.

In going through the commandments, it is important to emphasise the fact that the factor underlying the commandments is love.  Commentators have often noted that commandments 1-3 refer to love for God while commandments 4-10 refer to love for neighbours.

Liturgy

The Alleluia is not sung during the season of Lent.  This week, there is no Praise and Glory to God, the Gospel Acclamation used during Lent, as the Gospel is not read.  For the same reason, there is no opening dialogue.

A Reading from the Book of Exodus

(Ex 20: 1-17)

God spoke all these words.  He said, “I am the Lord, your God who brought out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

1.     You shall have no gods except me.  You shall not make yourselves an idol of God.

2.     You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

3.     Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.  For six days you shall your work, but the seventh day is a holy day for the Lord your God.

4.     Honour your father and your mother

5.     You shall not kill.

6.     You shall not commit adultery.

7.     You shall not steal.

8.     You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

9.     You shall not desire your neighbour’s house. 

10.   You shall not desire your neighbour’s wife, or his servant, man or woman, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is his.

This is the Word of the Lord

Discussion

What is a covenant?  An agreement.  We often refer to a covenant as an agreement between God and his people.  God first made an agreement with Noah: remember the story of the rainbow?  Then, there was later an agreement between God and Abraham:  remember the story from last Sunday?  Then, other people wanted to know how to worship God.  God then handed down the Ten Commandments through Moses as an example on how to live their lives and become people of God.

You may want to go through the Ten Commandments one by one.  Encourage the children to give an example for each of the commandments as to how they could keep them.

Discuss why we should keep the commandments.  Is it because we want to avoid being punished?  Is it because we want to be obedient to God?  It is because it is a good thing to do?  Is it because we love God?  Is it because we love our friends and family?  In many ways, this is not a question that has a right or wrong answer.  Be sensitive to what the children are saying.

Without being dogmatic, refer to Lk10:25-28, where Jesus was asked as to which was the greatest of the commandments and he replied that it was to love God and neighbour.

Third Sunday in Lent

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.  You may wish to refer to the adults leaflet for further guidance.

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.

BAPTISMAL PROMISES

Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?

I do.

Do you reject the glamour of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?

I do.

Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?

I do.

Do you believe in God, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?

I do.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?

I do.

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

I do.

---

[1] Massah   trial

[2] Meribah   contention

Third Sunday in Lent

Year C

Third Sunday in Lent

Images

Baptism and repentance

Points to note

The reading for the Third Sunday in Lent in Year A dwelt on the idea of water as the life-giver.  We expanded that discussion to that of the use of water in baptism.  This Sunday, we take it further to discuss the baptism that Jesus gives that is more than mere baptism by water.  We will need to touch on the use of water in baptism, of course, but briefly, before going onto to the baptism of repentance.  Be careful when talking about repentance:  this is not a guilt trip for the children. 

For better focus, I have selected the first half of the second reading from the Missal reading.  The Gospel reading is particularly difficult to follow for the children.

Liturgy

Acclamation before the Gospel

As the reading is not from the Gospel today, we do not sing the acclamation before the Gospel.

Gospel

The Lord be with you.

All:   And also with you.

A Reading from the letter of St Paul to the Church in Corinth

 (1 Cor:10:1-6)

I want to remind you, brothers, how our fathers were all guided by a cloud above them and how they all passed through the sea. They were all baptised into Moses in this cloud and in this sea; all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink, since they all drank from the spiritual rock that followed them as they went, and that rock was Christ. In spite of this, most of them failed to please God and their corpses littered the desert.

This is the Word of the Lord

All:    Thanks be to God

Discussion

Do you remember your baptism?  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!  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.

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. 

Who was the first person we heard in the Gospel who was baptising people with water?  John the Baptist.  Who was he?  The cousin of Jesus, elder by some six months.  He was known as the precursor, which means the one who comes before.  In this case, the one who came before Jesus to introduce Jesus to the world.  John started telling people about the Good News before Jesus started teaching.  John wanted the people to prepare for Jesus’ coming by cleansing themselves as part of their repentance.  When John baptised, he wanted the people that he baptised to repent. 

Explain repentance.  This is where we do something wrong.  People get upset with us.  We get miserable when people get upset with us.  Use everyday examples.  Discuss when we did something wrong at home, like taking the cookies when Mom said not to: Mom gets upset and we get punished and we get miserable.  Discuss what we do about it:  We feel sorry and apologise for it.

The concept of repentance 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 idea of forgiveness.

Penitential

If there is time, you may want to pray the I confess together.

 

I confess I confess to almighty God, and you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God Amen.

 

Time out 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. 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 and as holy water during the year.