(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

5/22/22 - Jesus Promises to Send the Holy Spirit - Cycle C

Dear Families,

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus promises his disciples that he will send the Holy Spirit after he was gone.  They would never be alone; the Holy Spirit would teach them.  God the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, would come to them and guide them in what they needed to do to continue his teachings.

Jesus’ promise is still with us today.  The Holy Spirit is always working with us.  He inspires all of us to do what is right, learn the truth, and share our faith.  He is the perfect teacher and knows what we need to learn and the best way to teach it to us.

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other these questions.
What is the Holy Spirit teaching you?  How does the Holy Spirit teach you?

Family Prayer:  Come Holy Spirit, help us to learn what God needs us to know.  Amen.

 

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 (La versión en español sigue al inglés)

Dear Families,

In this Sunday’s Gospel the people follow Jesus because He had given them bread.  Jesus teaches them that what they really needed was not just food, but the food that God would give them.  That food is Jesus Himself, the Bread of Life!  When we celebrate Holy Communion, we receive Jesus Himself.  Let’s remember that He is the Bread of Life.  God provides for all our physical and spiritual needs.

As a family watch video in its entirety and ask each other these questions.

Why does Jesus tell us that if we eat the bread he gives us, we will never be hungry?  What does this mean?

Family Prayer:  Lord, you gave us everything you had:  Your life, your Body and your Blood.  Teach us to give everything we have to you.  Amen

 

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 Watch video as a family.

 


(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

2/13/22 - Jesus teaches the Beatitudes - Cycle C

Dear Families,

Jesus tells us, blessed are the poor, hungry, sad, and excluded, but woe to those who are rich, fed, laugh, and are famous.  This Sunday’s Gospel turns people’s ideas about being happy upside down, it disrupts our ideas of success.  We may think that being rich and full are signs of happiness and success, but they are not.  Happiness comes from sharing what we have, comforting people who are sad and laughing with people not at them. 

Jesus gives us a list of attitudes and actions that help people find real happiness, called the Beatitudes.  He teaches us we are all God’s children, called to belong to God’s family and to care for each other.  We are called to welcome and care for the poor, share what we have with them, and comfort people who are sad.  These actions that bring people together are important in God’s kingdom. 

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other these questions.
What is Idolatry?  How is the way Jesus teaches us to live different from the way the world often tells us to live?

Family Prayer:  Lord, help us to desire things that are holy and good.  Help us to resist valuing things only because our culture tells us they are important.  Amen

 

 

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(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

9/4/22 - Family, Friends or God - Cycle C

Dear Families,

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus talks about hating our families.  You are probably thinking, but I thought Jesus didn’t want us to hate anyone?  He does not want us to hate.  What Jesus is telling us is that we should love God more than we love the people closest to us.  God wants us to stay close to the people we love, but Jesus is telling us that to follow God we need to put him first.  This means that we should be ready to do what God wants even if it means losing our family or best friends.

It can be very difficult and require sacrifice to do what is right, and to choose between doing what Jesus teaches us or keeping friends.  People might make fun of us and reject us.  We are so blessed that Jesus is so honest with us, and teaches us how to be ready to give up anything or anyone that would stop us from following him.

As a family, watch video in its entirety and then ask each other these questions.
Why do you think it would be difficult to follow what Jesus teaches?  What sacrifices would you make to follow Jesus?

Family Prayer:  Jesus, when it is difficult to follow you, help us to remember what you sacrificed to save us.  Amen

 

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 (La versión en español sigue al inglés)

Dear Families,

The rich man in this Sunday’s Gospel wants to follow Jesus, but when Jesus tells him he must give up all he owns, he feels sad.  It is hard to give up the things we have.  Jesus doesn’t want us to hold too tightly to things of the world, but rather desire eternal life with Him in Heaven.

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other this question.

What things do you hold onto that might keep you from following Jesus?

Family Prayer:  Jesus, help us to follow you no matter what we must leave behind.

inherit en

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 Watch video as a family.