Services

4/30/23 - Jesus is the Good Shepherd - Cycle A

Dear Families,

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that he is the Shepherd that opens the gate for his sheep, and he protects them from robbers who will climb over the fence. The sheep will be led by their Shepherd’s voice and only listen to it. They will run away from a stranger’s voice.

Jesus is our shepherd at the gate of the Church. When we celebrate as a community at Mass, we are there as his sheep. He gives us the grace to hear his voice, and not those voices that want to rob us of our faith and trust in him. He knows each one of us, wants to protect us, keep us safe, and give us eternal life with God.

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other these questions.
Who cares for you? Who has shown you how to help others? How does Jesus, the Good Shepherd, care for his sheep?

Family Prayer: Jesus, thank you for being our Good Shepherd. You know us by name, care for us, and love us. Help us take care of one another through loving thoughts and actions. Amen.

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(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

2/19/23 - Love Your Enemies - Cycle A

Dear Families,

Continuing with the Sermon on the Mount we have been hearing the last several weeks, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for them. By enemies, Jesus means people who don’t love us, who possibly hate us, hurt us, and who probably won’t love us back even though we love them.

Loving our enemies is hard. Jesus knows we are human and not perfect, but he asks us to treat others as we ourselves want to be treated. He teaches us to have mercy for others as he has mercy for us. As Jesus explained, if you love only those who love you, what is so special about that?

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other this question.
What is a loving way to respond to someone who upsets you?

Family Prayer: Jesus, help us to remember to love everyone as you do. Help us to stay calm when we are upset and to be kind when we are angry. Amen.

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(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

4/9/23 - Jesus is Risen - Cycle A

Dear Families,

Happy Easter. Alleluia, Jesus is Risen. This Sunday is a day when we rejoice, Jesus is alive!

In this Sunday’s Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene discovers that Jesus’ tomb is empty, she runs and tells Simon Peter and Jesus’ beloved disciple that Jesus is missing, where could they have put him? She does not consider that Jesus has been raised from the dead. The disciples are slow to recognize the significance of Jesus’ empty tomb. As we continue our 50-day Easter season, we will learn how they come to realize that Christ is still with them.

During this Easter season we learn more about how the disciples came to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead. In the days ahead let us reflect on Jesus’ empty tomb, and see the risen Christ in our lives. Remember every day “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other this question.
How do you share the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection with others?

Family Prayer: Alleluia! We are filled with joy that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Help us, God, to share our joy with others. Amen.

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(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

6/25/23 - Do Not Be Afraid - Cycle A

Dear Families,

In this Sunday’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his twelve apostles to not be afraid. Do not be worried. They would be challenged by the world because of their belief, but He assures them that God knows, loves, and protects them. God their Father even knows how many hairs they have on their heads.

What Jesus says to his Apostles reminds us that we should always remember how much God knows, loves, and protects us. He knows us and sees even little things we might fear or worry about. We don’t need to live in fear, because God our Father is always with us. Do not be afraid. Share God’s love and care with those around you.

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other these questions.
Do you share God’s love with others? What do you hear in this Gospel when you are afraid to share God’s love with others?

Family Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to not be afraid to spread the message of God’s love to others. Amen.

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(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

7/30/23 - The Kingdom of Heaven is Our Treasure - Cycle A

Dear Families,

In this week’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches us about the Kingdom of Heaven. He says the Kingdom of Heaven is like a buried treasure that a man finds and sells everything he has and buys the field where it is buried. He also says, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a rare pearl that costs a lot of money, and when a merchant finds it sells all he has and buys it. These parables can help us realize that Jesus gave up his life because we are his treasure.

Belonging to God’s Kingdom should be more important than anything else in our lives. The Kingdom of Heaven is our treasure. Listening to the first reading, like King Solomon, let’s ask God to give us the wisdom to have an understanding heart to know how to serve others, and to distinguish right from wrong.

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other this question.
How can we as a family help each other enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

Family Prayer: Jesus, help us never to lose sight that living with you in the Kingdom of Heaven is our real treasure. Amen.