COVID-19 Vaccines & Catholic Morality

5/28/23 - Pentecost Sunday - Cycle A

Dear Families,

This Sunday, Easter ends with the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples and the story of Pentecost is in today’s first reading in the Acts of the Apostles. The Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles to guide, teach and be with them when Jesus was gone. In the Gospel of John, Jesus greets his disciples with the gift of peace. He tells them “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” and he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Jesus gave the apostles the ability to forgive sins and bring peace to the world.

Jesus gave the disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit to help them spread his message of love, peace and forgiveness. This same Holy Spirit is still with us today. With the Holy Spirit let us bring peace to our home, family, friends, and the world.

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other this question.
How does the Holy Spirit work in our family to bring us the gift of forgiveness, peace and love?

Family Prayer: Holy Spirit, help our family receive your gift of peace, so that with your love and forgiveness we are present in your name to each other. Amen.

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(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

6/18/23 - Jesus Calls Us to Bring in the Harvest - Cycle A

Dear Families,

In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus chooses twelve apostles to continue his ministry. He explains that there is a big harvest and few laborers. Jesus is not speaking about fruits or vegetables; he was sending them out to bring his ministry of love and healing to people.

Many laborers are needed out in the field. Jesus calls all of us to bring his love to our families, neighbors, schools, and work. We need to understand that there are still many people suffering and need healing. Don’t be scared to do Jesus’ work. When you are a good example to others, and show kindness, you are doing his work.

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other this question.
How can you bring Jesus’ healing love to others?

Family Prayer: Jesus, help us be faithful workers by sharing with others your healing love. Amen.

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(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

7/2/23 - Jesus Our Priority - Cycle A

Dear Families,

This Sunday’s Gospel of Matthew sounds confusing. We are to love Jesus more than our parents, and children or else we are not worthy of his love. The word to look at is more, Jesus is asking us to place our love for him above all others, not instead of others. Remember that our families are gifts from God. God gave our families to us because he is the giver of every good gift. Jesus knows that it is not easy to follow him, he tells us that we are to give his love to others without expecting anything in return. The way to do this is by putting his love in our hearts first and follow him.

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other these questions.
Do we love someone more than Jesus, and choose not to follow Jesus? Are we dead to sins and alive with God?

Family Prayer: God, thank you for the gift of family. Help us choose you first so that we may receive the grace to share your love, peace and kindness with one another. Amen.

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(La versión en español sigue al inglés)

7/16/23 - God's Word Grows in Good Soil - Cycle A

Dear Families,

In this week’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the sower and the seeds. He teaches about the different types of soils the seeds fall on and compares them to how we listen to the Word of God. The seeds are all the same, but depending on how each person receives the message it grows different. Jesus wants us to be like good soil so the seeds of God’s Word can grow strong.

When we open our hearts to the Word of God, our faith grows. Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of heaven is like seed that has been sown on good soil.

As a family watch video in its entirety and then ask each other this question.
What are some things we can do so that we are like good soil, and grow in God’s Word?

Family Prayer: Jesus, we pray that we will become the good soil needed for God’s Word to take deep root in our hearts. 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.