Passion (Palm) Sunday, Year B

Surrender to God’s will

Procession: Mark 11:1–10 (entry into Jerusalem) or John 12:12–16

Reading I: Isaiah 50:4–7 (salvation only through the Lord’s servant)
Reading II: Philippians 2:6–11 (imitating Christ’s humility)
Gospel: Mark 14:1—15:47 (the passion of Jesus)

Key Passage: Jesus said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” (Mark 14:36)

Adult: When have you found it hardest to accept God’s will? What enabled you to accept it?
Child: When is it hardest for you to obey?
(from PastoralPlanning.com)

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year B

The reward of faith

Reading I: Jeremiah 31:31–34 (the new covenant)
Reading II: Hebrews 5:7–9 (Jesus, compassionate high priest)
Gospel: John 12:20–33 (the coming of Jesus’ hour)

Key Passage: Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25)

Adult: When and in what way have you seen life come from death?
Child: When have you felt stronger because you sacrificed something for a friend or member of your family?
(PastoralPlanning.com)

Sunday Mass

Do you know that Sunday Mass is considered a Holy Day of Obligation? What is that you say? Well according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.” Which means we should be attending Mass each Sunday. This comes from the 3rd Commandment which tells us to keep holy the Sabbath. God rested on the 7th day in the story of creation, not because he was tired but because he wanted us to see that rest is important in our lives.

So why if we are to rest should be go to Mass? We can always pray at home or in the woods or in the car, the places are endless. When we pray in these places for the most part this is individual prayer one on one with God. When we pray in church with everyone we are praying with our entire being, using all of our senses and joining our prayer with those around us.

We are part of a community of believers and when we raise our voices together in prayer at Mass we are hearing each other. We see others praying as we do and we see the sacred objects in our church. The Crucifix is much larger in a Church than the small ones we may have hanging in our homes. If incense is used at Mass we smell the scent as it carries our prayers upward. Some of us can even smell the candles burning. Our sense of touch is used as we participate in greeting each other with a handshake at the sign of peace. We also can feel the Holy Water as we bless ourselves with it and feel the smoothness of the wood of the pews.

We do many things at a Mass when we pray that we don’t do when we pray privately, such as genuflecting or bowing before we enter the pew, we sit, stand and kneel. At home we most likely would be sitting as we pray or some of us might even pray in bed. We sing songs praising God. We here a homily that helps us to understand the Scripture readings. We are blessed by the priest before we leave and are sent forth to carry the Word of God to those we meet in our everyday lives.

Yes, we can pray anywhere at any time, but we also need to pray with one another, to connect as a community of faith. This allows us to know we are not alone in our beliefs. To take the time for one hour or so a week to come together is a benefit to everyone and we realize we are part of something bigger than we are.

Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year B

Through the eyes of faith

Reading I: 2 Chronicles 36:14–17, 19–23 (dissolution of Judah)
Reading II: Ephesians 2:4–10 (generosity of God’s plan)
Gospel: John 3:14–21 (Jesus’ teaching to Nicodemus)

Key Passage: Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17)

Adult: Do you see the world as basically evil, or as good? What difference does this make in the way you live?
Child: Where do you see goodness in God’s world?
(from PastoralPlanning.com)

Third Sunday of Lent, Year B

Trust and doubt

Reading I: Exodus 20:1–17 (the ten commandments)
Reading II: 1 Corinthians 1:22–25 (the wisdom and folly of the cross)
Gospel: John 2:13–25 (cleansing of the temple)

Key Passage: For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. (1 Corinthians 1:22–23)

Adult: When has the message of the cross seemed absurd to you, and when have you seen its wisdom?
Child: What puzzles you in the gospel stories? Which story makes you the most hopeful?
(from PastoralPlanning.com)

Gratitude

The definition of gratitude is: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Do we show gratitude to God for all that we have and who we are? I don’t mean when something wonderful happens or when a medical outcome is good, I mean do we thank God for our everyday lives? When we wake up in the morning do we whine and complain about having to get up too early or about what is in store for us throughout the day? And the same thing at night when we go to bed, are we thankful for all the day held for us? Even the time in between morning and night time we can be thankful.

Being thankful is part of being a prayerful person. Instead of thinking the worst when we wake up we should start the day with a quick prayer of thankfulness for the rest we just had. Then at night thank God for the day with all of its ups and downs. We take so many things for granted in our everyday lives that we sometimes forget to be grateful for those small things that make our days what they are.

During Lent in particular many of us vow to get into a more regular routine for prayer. Maybe as a family you could find time to pray together. I know a lot of parents pray with their children at bedtime, perhaps during Lent that prayer time could include all family members in one room. The rooms could be traded off so no one feels left out, or rather than praying in the bedroom maybe turn off all the daily living distractions and pray in your family room. Another routine you might start if you don’t already do it is to bless each other as you leave the house each day, maybe using your thumb and making a sign of the cross on your children’s or spouse’s forehead, saying a quick prayer of thanksgiving as you do so.

May this Lent result in gratitude becoming part of your everyday prayer rituals.