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STUDENT STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Read the weekly scripture lesson at home before going to TNTT and/or church 2. Participate and share in the bible sharing session 3. Practice the virtue from the Live It! section daily

YOUTH PARENT LEADER PARENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES YOUTH-LEADER’S RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Read the weekly scripture lesson with 1. Prepare a weekly scripture lesson your child with prayer 2. Share and connect the Gospel to 2. Share and connect the Gospel to daily life family life 3. Encourage students to do homework and 3. Help, pray, and remind your child to practice the weekly virtue practice the virtue from the Live It! section Date/Page Week Lesson Virtue to Practice Assignments

August 2, 2020 Ord. A-18 Jesus’ Miracle with Five Loaves of Bread and Two Fishes Care Read the lesson Page 2 Do homework/Practice virtue August 9, 2020 Ord. A-19 Jesus Walks on the Water Trust Read the lesson Page 4 Do homework/Practice virtue August 16, 2020 Ord. A-20 Jesus Praises the Canaanite Woman’ Faith Perseverance Read the lesson Page 6 Do homework/Practice virtue August 23, 2020 Ord. A-21 Peter’s Confession About Jesus Sincerity Read the lesson Page 8 Do homework/Practice virtue August 30, 2020 Ord. A-22 The Conditions of Jesus’ Discipleship Detachment Read the lesson Page 10 Do homework/Practice virtue September 6, 2020 Ord. A-23 Jesus’ Teaching on Correction of a Brother Who Sins Harmony Read the lesson Page 12 Do homework/Practice virtue September 13, 2020 Ord. A-24 Jesus’ Parable of the Unforgiving Servant Forgiveness Read the lesson Page 14 Do homework/Practice virtue September 20, 2020 Ord. A-25 Jesus’ Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard Generosity Read the lesson Page 16 Do homework/Practice virtue September 27, 2020 Ord. A-26 Jesus’ Parable of the Two Sons Flexibility Read the lesson Page 18 Do homework/Practice virtue October 4, 2020 Ord. A-27 Jesus’ Parable of the Tenants Acceptance Read the lesson Page 20 Do homework/Practice virtue October 11, 2020 Ord. A-28 Jesus’ Parable of the Wedding Feast Consideration Read the lesson Page 22 Do homework/Practice virtue October 18, 2020 Ord. A-29 Jesus Teaches Us Giving God What Belongs to God Integrity Read the lesson Page 24 Do homework/Practice virtue October 25, 2020 Ord. A-30 Jesus’ Greatest Commandment Reverence Read the lesson Page 26 Do homework/Practice virtue November 1, 2020 Solemnity of All Jesus Teaches Us the Eight Beatitudes Happiness Read the lesson Page 28 Saints Do homework/Practice virtue November 8, 2020 Ord. A-32 Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Virgins Prudence Read the lesson Page 30 Do homework/Practice virtue November 15, 2020 Ord. A-33 Jesus’ Parable of the Talents Reliability Read the lesson Page 32 Do homework/Practice virtue November 22, 2020 Christ the King Jesus’ Judgment Compassion Read the lesson Page 34 Ord. A-34 Do homework/Practice virtue November 29, 2020 Advent B-1 Jesus Reminds Us to Be Prepared Preparedness Read the lesson Page 36 Do homework/Practice virtue December 6, 2020 Advent B-2 Jesus is the Good News Hope Read the lesson Page 38 Do homework/Practice virtue December 13, 2020 Advent B-3 Make Straight the Way for Jesus’ Coming Determination Read the lesson Page 40 Do homework/Practice virtue December 20, 2020 Advent B-4 Mother of Jesus Says Yes to God Obedience Read the lesson Page 42 Do homework/Practice virtue December 27, 2020 The Holy Family Jesus in Presented in the Temple Faithfulness Read the lesson Page 44 Do homework/Practice virtue January 3, 2021 Epiphany of the Jesus shows Himself to the Gentiles Sharing Read the lesson Page 46 Lord Do homework/Practice virtue Jesus’ Miracle with Five Loaves of Bread And Two Fishes Week A-18 Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

1. Explore It! 2. Connect It!

It is important to consider where this Gospel In your daily life are there moments where continues from. The story starts off with, “When Jesus you could have been there for someone? heard of it;” it being the death of His cousin, John the For example, when you’re walking down Baptist. Imagine what Jesus must have been going the hallway and you see a familiar face, through, having just received news that His cousin do you wait for them to greet you or do was just killed. Despite this, when the crowd came to you have the courage to say hi first? Or see Him, Jesus carried out His duties with grace. He when you see someone struggling with cared for the people and still healed them. When a their emotions, do you lend an ear and disciple approached Him to tell the crowds to let them talk it out? There are many disperse to find food, Jesus told them that it wasn’t opportunities in our lives where we can necessary, that they can stay and be fed. Think show that we care about someone. It is about how much Jesus cared about these people that important to show we care about them during His emotional turmoil. He still cured their sick through our actions rather than just saying and for the sake of keeping the community together how we feel. and fed them with what food they already have.

2 3. Reflect It! Are you still able to show that you care about another person? Do you wait for the right circumstances? Would you rather be like Jesus, where you are down and still show your love for another person?

4. Live It! [CARE]

The degree of intimacy with love is more evident in some virtues than in others. But with care, more than with any other virtue, its identification with love is unmistakable. When people care for one another, ministering to each other’s needs as a mother cares for her new baby, a doctor cares for a sick patient, or a teacher cares for a struggling student, the connection between love and virtue is evident. I encourage you during the next week to do one act of caring a day. Show someone new every day that you care about them. You can do this by asking how their day is going, offering to help a friend with homework, by being a good friend, or by being a good child to your parents.

5. Remember It!

“There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” (Matthew 14:16)

6. Pray It!

Dear Heavenly Father, allow us to be like Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please grant us the courage to express Your greatest gift, that of love, to all those around us. Keep us strong and diligent, and keep us safe from sloth and laziness, that we may stay fervent in living Your will. Amen.

3 Jesus Walks on the Water Week A-19 Matthew 14:22-23

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

1. Explore It!

Many times in the Bible, those who have followed Jesus have expressed doubt in him. This is shown when Sarah and Abraham fail to believe God will give them a son in their old age. When God made his covenant with the couple, He promised them a son and numerous descendants. The two did not believe in God’s promise initially, and God asked, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14) Thomas, one of the Lord’s Apostles, also demonstrated doubt. After the Resurrection of Jesus, the other Apostles came to Thomas to tell him that they had seen the Risen Lord. “So the other disciples said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe’ ” (John 20:25). However, when God showed His power to all of these individuals by giving Abraham and Sarah a son and allowing Thomas to touch His wounds, their faith grew tremendously. When Jesus walked on water, He was showing His great power, yet Peter still doubted. Only when Jesus saved him did Peter have true faith. Doubt in God is a normal experience, for even Biblical figures had their moments of doubt. The important thing is that all of those mentioned-Abraham, Sarah, Thomas, and Peter, all in the end had tremendous and unwavering faith in God despite their doubt.

4 2. Connect It!

Trust is one of the hardest things to develop in life for many of us. We’ve learned to trust God, our parents, our friends, and many people around us. Do we completely trust God in everything or have we failed to trust God at times? At first, Peter put his trust in God. He got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened. Have we ever behaved similar to Peter when we don’t completely trust God? We may have started to trust God at the beginning but when facing some trials on our life journey, we immediately give up our trust in God. Let us remind ourselves to cry out to God to save us when we’ve failed to trust Him, just like Saint Peter cried out to God to save him when he began to sink while walking toward Jesus. Do you have some U.S. coins with you right now? Take a look at one of them and what do you see? Do you see the words, “IN GOD WE TRUST” imprinted on the coin? Let us imprint the same words, “IN GOD WE TRUST” on our heart and practice that principle daily.

3. Reflect It!

All of us have faced hardships in 4. Live It! [ TRUST ] our lives. This may have caused us to question God and His plans for us. In times of trouble, or “Faith is the theological virtue by which we simply in distracted thought, have believe in God and believe all that he has we expressed doubt in our God? said and revealed to us, and that Holy Did we continue to hold onto this Church proposes for our belief, because he doubt? Have we actively tried to let is truth itself. For this reason the believer go of our doubt? Have we trusted seeks to know and do God's will” (CCC ourselves completely to God’s will? 1814). Faith, or trust in God, allows us to Whenever we have thoughts of participate in His divine nature. Whenever uncertainty about God, may we we feel doubt in God, let us remember that stay strong in our beliefs and only God will take care of us by saying a short allow these thoughts to help us prayer to give us the strength to trust in grow in our faith. Him.

6. Pray It! 5. Remember It! O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us “O you of the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust little faith, why in Your protecting love and strengthening did you doubt?” power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see Your (Matthew 14:31) hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things. Amen. (St. Ignatius of Loyola)

5 WEEK A-20 Jesus Praises the MATTHEW 15:21-28 Canaanite Woman’s Faith

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

2. Connect It!

1. Explore It! Have you ever imagined living without limbs? Nick Vujicic (pronounced VOO-yee-cheech) was born in 1982 in Melbourne, Australia without Jesus tells us to have a strong faith just arms and legs. Throughout his childhood, he like this Canaanite woman. This woman had to deal with physical challenges and knows that Jesus can heal her daughter struggled with depression and loneliness. Nick and she does not give up when asking did not give up and kept searching for the purpose in his life. Nick stated that through his Jesus to help her daughter, even when faith in God he found the meaning of his life others tell her to stop. Her faith is very and was able to overcome all of his challenges: strong, and nothing can stop her from physically, emotionally, and mentally. Nick has reaching out to ask Jesus for help. At now travelled around the world, speaking and first, Jesus does not help because He sharing his story and his faith since he was 19 wants to test her faith. But in the end, years old. He is an author, musician, actor, her faith saves her daughter. Jesus and his hobbies include fishing, painting, and teaches us to have strong faith like this swimming — all without arms or legs! If it was woman and to never stop trying not for faith in God and his perseverance, Nick whenever we ask God for help. would not have become who he is today.

6 3. Reflect It!

Do we have faith in God? Do we trust in God in all things we do? Do we have a strong faith just like this Canaanite woman? When we pray, do we expect to get an answer immediately regardless if our request is in God’s will? Have we tried to be patient when we pray or ask God for help?

4. Live It! [ PERSEVERANCE ]

Perseverance is continuing to do something 5. Remember It! despite difficulties or failures.

Have you ever practiced a musical instrument? Do you play any sports at “O woman, great is your school? Have you ever entered a contest faith! Let it be done for you or competed in a competition? If so, you as you wish.” And her might know that it takes practice and daughter was healed from perseverance to achieve greatness. that hour.” Likewise, we need to practice the virtue of (Matthew 15:28) perseverance in our prayer life, just as Jesus teaches us with the Canaanite woman.

6. Pray It!

Dear Lord, please help us to be strong in our faith. Please give us the strength to overcome our difficulties and accept our limitations. At the same time, please give us the virtue of perseverance so that we do not give up on our daily prayers when we don’t seem to have hope in God and ourselves. Give us the hope and perseverance to overcome our weaknesses. Amen.

PETER’S CONFESSION ABOUT JESUS

WEEK A-21 Matthew 16:13-20

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

1 EXPLORE IT!

Today’s Gospel reading establishes a couple big moments in the Church’s history. First, it shows that the Catholic Church was created by Jesus and entrusted to Peter to oversee. Here, Jesus clearly gives His authority to Peter, along with the future of the Church. The Catholic Church today can trace its line of priests back to this moment of the Gospel. Second, the words “bind and loose” establish the sacrament of Reconciliation. Peter and his successors were given the power to forgive sins in Jesus’ name. “Whoever is excluded from communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whoever is received anew into communion, God will welcome back into his” (CCC 1445). Jesus shows here that the Church and all of her priests on Earth are representatives of His voice in Heaven, and that reconciliation with the Church is the same as reconciliation with God.

2 CONNECT IT!

Have you ever wondered why we have so many Christian denominations and churches? Have you ever wondered which one is the “right” one? God is saying in this Gospel reading that the one true Church is the one that He founded and entrusted to Peter to oversee. God gave Peter and his successors the authority to guard His church on Earth, and all Catholic churches today can trace their heritage, priests, and traditions back to this moment. Other churches trace their origins to men like Luther, Calvin, or Henry VIII. The Catholic Church can trace our origins to Jesus and His rock, Peter.

8 3 REFLECT IT!

The world certainly has a lot of opinions of who Jesus is; however, who do you think Jesus is? It can be difficult to form our faith, especially among all the noises, distractions, and troubles we face. Even our sins can cloud the way of becoming stronger in faith. Fortunately, God gives us a beautiful sacrament to start fresh and come back to Him and His bride, the Church. What are other ways that we can come to know Jesus better?

4 LIVE IT! [ SINCERITY ]

Sincerity means being free from deceit or hypocrisy. God invites 5 us to be sincere in our faith and to practice what we preach. He also gives us the sacrament of Reconciliation when we aren’t being as sincere in our faith and daily lives.

Try to be more sincere in your actions and in your words. If you love someone, show them. Instead of being “nice,” try to take it another level and be “kind.” Being nice to someone 6 PRAY IT! may involve saying some sort of compliment, but being kind to Heavenly Father, help us to be more someone involves saying and sincere in our words and deeds. Please doing good acts. give us the grace to sincerely live a Catholic life and the maturity to recognize when we are not. Thank you for always loving us, and thank you for giving us the sacrament of Confession when we fail in loving You back. Amen.

Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

Jesus knows beforehand what He must suffer during His death and Passion in order to complete His mission on Earth. When Jesus shares with Peter and the disciples what He is required to do, they are aback and even and scold Jesus for saying such a terrible thing. They speak out of fear for their friend, sadness for what is to come, and selfishness for their own wants. Instead of helping Jesus fulfill His goal, they look for an easier way out from what they know must come true. Jesus then addresses all of His disciples and tells them all what is necessary to be a follower of Christ.

In this scenario, Jesus is not asking His disciples for their sympathy or advice; instead He is sharing with them what He must do in order to fulfill the will of the Lord. Jesus is using His situation as a way for the disciples to understand what is required of them to be His follower.

In your class at school, your teacher gives you a syllabus at the beginning of the year outlining what you need to do to succeed in the class. You may not always want to do your homework or study for your tests, but you know that your teacher “will repay all according to his conduct.” That is, based on the requirements your teacher has set for the class and how well you have met those requirements, you will be rewarded based on your efforts.

to unfasten and separate; Often, we are asked to do things that we do disengage not want to do such as taking out the trash or doing our homework over watching TV. But Jesus calls us to be His disciples asking us Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and follow Him, to deny ourselves and take up our cross. for “whoever loses his life for [His] sake will find He asks us to make sacrifices and be it.” selfless in our actions.

Why does Jesus ask us to be selfless? This week, we will live out the virtue of Why does he ask us to make sacrifices? detachment by spending less time on our phones, computers and video It is difficult for us to think about our needs games. We will deny these pleasures second to another person. But as we see in and instead focus on spending time this Gospel, Jesus says those who are willing to with our loved ones and even helping give up their selfish ways will be rewarded in them with a task such as washing the life and after death. dishes for your parents or helping a friend with homework.

“What profit would there be Dear Father, we thank you for the many blessings for one to gain the whole You have provided us. world and forfeit his life” Please give us the strength to live out Your Words (Mathew 16:26) and detach ourselves from these worldly possessions so that we may focus our time on You and those around us. May Your grace and mercy help lead us to becoming a better disciple. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

11 WEEK A-23 MATTHEW JESUS’ Teaching on Correction of a Brother Who Sins Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses’. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”

2. Connect It!

1. Explore It! On May 13, 1981, the beloved Pope John Paul II was entering St. Peter’s Square when he was Jesus tells his disciples to be patiently suddenly shot 4 times. He suffered severe blood helpful to our brothers and sisters who loss but was able to survive. The shooter, Mehmet sin against us. We are to go to work it Ali Ağca, was caught immediately and sentenced out - one on one - as opposed to to life behind bars. After recovering, the Pope trashing each other before everyone went to prison to confront his assassin face to else. We are to go first to the person face. What happened next was unbelievable — himself or herself. If that doesn't work, the Pope actually forgave Mehmet, asking the Jesus tells us to take two others, to still world to forgive and pray for his attacker, and try to build a bridge of healing. Finally, even working to have him released and Jesus says that if that doesn't work, we pardoned. should let this be a matter for the community. We should do our best to The Pope could have easily blamed him, shaming work things out in peace and love, him and his action for the world to see. Instead, he because in the end, we are visits Mehmet in prison and speaks with him. Simple connected to one another by the and powerful, Pope John Paul II exemplified the love of Jesus. “For where two or three first step taken to address a fault, speaking in are gathered together in my name, private. Clearly, the pontiff had harmony and there I am in the midst of them.” forgiveness for the assailant on his mind.

12 3. Reflect It!

How do you handle a disagreement with others? Does this Gospel reading challenge the way you handle conflicts? Do you address people who have faulted against you with the idea of harmony in mind, or do you look at it as a way for you to win an argument?

4. Live It! [ HARMONY ]

Harmony is defined as a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of 5. Remember It! parts. It is easy to see in this Gospel that Jesus’ message was to preserve the harmony of the community. Try this out for yourself. Whenever there is a fault or conflict, instead of talking about it behind that person’s back or shaming them, try talking to this person about it in private. Express your feelings and, in the name of harmony, allow him or her to express their feelings too. When 6. Pray It! we address problems with the health of our community as our goals, we can feel God’s presence in our Heavenly Father, we actions. thank you for granting us Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came down from heaven to prepare ourselves, not just physically, but spiritually. May You bless us, so that we can open our hearts and continue to live in Your abundant love. Amen!

13 WEEK A-24 MATTHEW 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.' Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.' Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you? Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart."

1. Explore It! 2. Connect It! In this passage, Jesus tells the disciples a When the son of Samereh parable in order to teach about forgiveness. Alinejad, an Iranian woman, In this story, the servant begs his master to was murdered, at first she forgive his debt, and his master has mercy sought revenge on his killer. on him, but then this same servant refuses to However, when her son’s killer forgive the debt someone else owes him. was about to be executed, The master then calls the servant on his she decided at the last hypocrisy. In our lives, although we are moment to pardon him. sinners and make mistakes, God has chosen This extraordinary act of to forgive us everything. Shouldn’t we in turn forgiveness should be an forgive others too? example for all of us.

14 3. Reflect It!

When someone wrongs us, do we try to be forgiving, or do we become angry and seek revenge? Do we hold grudges? When we do not forgive, do we remember the same forgiveness we seek from God when we wrong Him?

4. Live It! [ FORGIVENESS ]

Jesus tells us to forgive others seventy-seven times. When He said this, He did not mean we should only forgive literally seventy-seven times, but that the times we forgive should be unlimited. Forgiveness means not having ill feeling towards someone who has wronged us. When someone hurts us, we should pardon them, for that is what God asks of us. Anger at this person will not help us, but forgiveness will bring us peace. Remember, all of us have wronged God, and if we do not forgive others for wronging us, we might be hypocritical like the unforgiving servant in the passage. God will forgive us as we forgive others. This is what we mean when we say, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

5. Remember It! Matthew 18:33 “Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had on you?”

6. Pray It!

Lord, give us the strength to forgive those who have hurt us. Help us to remember that we are not perfect and that by forgiving others we will find peace. Strengthen us so that we may forgive others as well as asking for forgiveness from You. Amen.

15 WEEK A-25 MATTHEW 20:1-16

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us. ’He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Jesus tells us that God is merciful James Robertson is a 56-year-old Detroit resident who and generous. We need to practice walked 21 miles and took two bus rides every day to get becoming a better person by being to his factory job earning $10.55 an hour for years. merciful and generous to our That meant he had only two hours of sleep every night. brothers and sisters. It’s difficult to After hearing the story, a 19-year-old college student be generous at times because we started a crowdfunding project on GoFundMe.com to need to sacrifice time, energy, and help buy Robertson a car. Generous donors ended up resources to be generous. At the raising more than $350,000. Furthermore, a Ford same time, we need to understand dealership also gave him a new Taurus. Robertson said that whatever we have is from God he wanted the Taurus because "it's like me: simple on and we own nothing ourselves. the outside, strong on the inside." Therefore, being generous is our duty to the world, and as a Catholic, You can be generous at any age. In this real life story a we need to practice what have factory worker, a 19-year-old college student, and learned from Jesus. generous donors helped make a dream come true.

16  How many times in your life you have not given when you were supposed to give to the needy?  Have you ever saved money to buy a present for a poor kid during Christmas time?  Have you ever donated money to a charity organization?  Do you give gratitude for the gifts you’ve received from God daily?

Let’s practice what we’ve learned from Jesus today. First, say “thank you” whenever someone gives us something or does something nice for us, and remember that we can do the same for someone else. Second, make a self-assessment to explore our talents, gifts, and resources. Third, once we are aware of what we have been given by God (talents, gifts, resources), be conscious of sharing our talents, gifts, and resources each day. (Matthew 20:15)

Oh Lord, please help us to be generous in all aspects of our lives. Give us strength to follow Saint Francis’ generosity and remember to pray Saint Francis’ Prayer frequently:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy; O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

17 JESUS’ Parable of the Two Sons

WEEK A-26 Matthew 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: "What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' He said in reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."

1. EXPLORE IT!

“Jesus’ Parable of the Two Sons” calls to As Catholics, we are called to reject sin, mind two themes: conversion and seek truth, and live a life of conversion. openness to grace. First, Jesus shows us that Self-examination, frequent use of the all sinners are called to be saints. Even tax sacraments, and openness to grace can collectors and prostitutes, some of the worst help us on the way. sinners in Jesus’ time, were capable of repenting and seeking righteous lives. We see that in the examples of many of our Church’s saints.

Second, Jesus tells us that our sinful nature creates a lot of disorder. This makes it hard to seek truth and to do good acts. We can even be oblivious to beauty, truth, and goodness when it’s right in front of our eyes! It is hard to follow Jesus because we’re so used to our bad habits. No matter how much righteousness we see and how often we hear good advice, we usually find ourselves back in a state of continuous sin.

18 2. CONNECT IT!

Christ calls us to harden not our hearts Often times it is hard to keep a promise. and to be open to Him. Some of Jesus’ We always say we are going to do things first words in the Gospel of Mark were to we never end up doing. We always “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” keep putting things off until it’s too late, or we end up forgetting about it. The How often have you heard good Parable of the Two Sons shows us that advice, but not listened? How often it’s important to walk the walk. Indeed, have you given good advice, but not a faith lived without works is dead. followed it yourself? The Gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ and the salvation He obtained for us. Jesus gives us so much good advice to help us on our way to join Him in heaven. How often do we say that we’ll follow Him, Being flexible means that you are capable but end up coming short? How often of bending and not breaking. In the context does His message fall on deaf ears? of today’s Gospel reading, we are called to humbly bend to God’s will and to put aside our own sinful tendencies. In fact, the more we are able to bend to His will, the harder it is to break. We cannot break when we are “Yet even when you saw in communion with God. that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.” Dear Mother Mary, please intercede for (Matthew 21:32) us. Help us to listen to God’s will, as you did when the Angel Gabriel came to you. Please help us to say “yes” to Him more often, and please pray for us when we fail to do so. Amen.

19 WEEK A-27 MATTHEW 21:33-43 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

1. Explore it!

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of a In this parable, the landowner, the true parable in which a landowner is treated owner of the property, and the one who extremely unfairly by his tenants. The built it up from nothing is God. We, the unspeakable happens, in which the unruly people on Earth are merely the tenants, tenants murder each of the servants one who are just looking after it for Him. by one until they finally kill the landowner’s Sometimes we forget and think whatever son as well, all because they could not we have on Earth is ours, but it really belongs accept the truth of their message. The to God to being with. God then sends His tenants acted with no consequences as servants — priests, prophets, and saints, to if they were the masters of the land. Even once in awhile remind us of this, but we do though this story sounds absurd, the priest not accept their message and treat them and elders and people who heard it were with disrespect. Finally, like the parable, God doomed to follow in exactly the same sends His only son to collect what is His but footsteps. even so he is put to death by ignorance and hate.

20 2. Connect It! 3. Reflect It!

In this parable, Jesus wants the chief At the end of His parable, Jesus says, “the priests and elders to understand that the kingdom of God will be taken away from kingdom of God belongs to those who you and given to a people that will produce obey the word of the Lord and take it to its fruit.” Jesus gives us what we need to live heart. out His words and commands, but it is up to us to use these gifts and make something How are we called in our daily lives to meaningful of them. listen to the Lord and carry out His teachings?

Acceptance has many definitions, whether trouble? Our parents only want what is best it is a college acceptance or wanting to fit for us, which is why they advise us to do in with your peers. In this case, Jesus wants things such as homework or spend less time us to define acceptance as taking in the on our phones and social media. word of God and not rejecting it, as there will be consequences. This week, let us be more aware of our attitudes toward our parents. Let’s Similarly, our parents are always telling us challenge ourselves to be better listeners to do this and that. But how often do we and accept the words and advice given dismiss what they say, do what we were by our parents without talking back or not supposed to do, and find ourselves in complaining.

5. Remember it!

(Matthew 21:42)

6. Pray it! Heavenly Father, We thank you for gathering us here today in Your name and giving us the chance to focus on Your words and teachings. May we take Your message of acceptance with us wherever we go and use it as a way for us to continue growing in our faith. Amen.

21 Week A-28 MATTHEW 22:1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying,

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.

A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’

Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’

The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.

He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’

Many are invited, but few are chosen.” 1. Explore It!

Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to He then tells them to go out into the streets a king preparing a wedding feast for his son. and invite anyone they can find. However, It’s not so much the grandeur of the feast even though it is an open invitation, not all that is the focus but more importantly the are allowed to remain at the celebration. invitation process. The king tells his servants Only those who were considerate enough to to summon the invited guests, and many think about the wedding and the occasion refuse to come because they are too busy. and dress accordingly were welcomed in.

22 3. Reflect It!

This fellow of the Gospel was called 2. Connect It! and admitted into the banquet, but what he was not wearing were the By now, you may have been invited to at least deeds and attitudes appropriate to a few events in your life, whether it’s a friend’s the chosen. Believing is the beginning, birthday party or a relative’s Confirmation. the entrance to the dance, but living When you compare these events to the on the outside what is inside is the parable of the wedding, can you say that you ticket to stay. He might not have been were considerate of the situation? Were you at behaving like he was invited, but the party for the right reasons? How well did entitled. you treat the guests around you?

5. Remember It!

4. Live It! [ CONSIDERATION ] “MANY ARE INVITED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN.” (MATTHEW 22:14)

Consideration: thoughtful or sympathetic regard or respect; thoughtfulness for 6. Pray It! others. Dear Heavenly Father, At your next event, whether big or small, be a good guest. For example, at your We thank You for your Son Jesus Christ next meal with your friends or family, be and Your invitation the heavenly engaging and considerate to those banquet. May the Holy Spirit inspire us dining with you. to be kind in our words, considerate of feelings, and concerned for each other’s needs and wishes.

Bless us O God and make our love shine for Your glory and our joy both here and in eternity. Amen.

23 Jesus Teaches Us Giving God What Belongs to God

WEEK A–29 Matthew 22:15-21

The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

1. EXPLORE IT! In this passage, the Pharisees try to trick Jesus by asking Him whether they should pay the tax to Caesar, which was often regarded in their time as unjust. They believed this would trap Jesus, for if He said to pay the tax, He would possibly lose the support of His followers, but if He said not to pay the tax, He would be committing treason against the law. Jesus outsmarts the Pharisees, telling them to give to the Caesar what belongs to him and to give to God what belongs to Him.

2. CONNECT IT! We learn from this passage that we should never try to trick others. But most importantly, Jesus teaches us it is imperative to follow the laws given to us on earth. However, we must not forget to also follow the laws given to us by God. It is very easy to think that following earthly laws are enough, but to reach eternal life with God, we must do what He wants us to do in addition to following those laws.

24 3. REFLECT IT!

The Pharisees tried to trap Jesus, but He knew better and turned the situation into an opportunity to spread His message. Though we are asked to follow the law here on earth, we should ultimately focus our attention on God. Have you ever focused on earthly concerns over heavenly ones? Have you given all that belongs to God to Him, including yourself?

4. LIVE IT! [ INTEGRITY ] Integrity: the quality of being honest and adhering to sound morals.

Challenge yourself to never be dishonest and to never have the intent of tricking others. Instead, be sincere and kind with others. “Sound morality” in this case refers to morality with God at its center. Remember to keep the law, but do not forget to give yourself to God, for we belong to Him as well. Give him the prayer, worship, and praise that is duly His!

5. REMEMBER IT!

"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." (Matthew 22:21)

6. PRAY IT! Lord, help us to be honest in all of our dealings. Give us understanding and strength so that we may give to You all that is Yours. Help us to remember that our lives should be centered around You and not earthly concerns so that You may receive from us all that You deserve. Amen.

25 JESUS’ GREATEST COMMANDMENT

WEEK A-30 MATTHEW 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

1. EXPLORE IT!

The Pharisees in this passage attempt to test Jesus by asking Him which is God’s greatest commandment. They were expecting Jesus to tell them a specific act 3. REFLECT IT! God wishes us to do. Instead, Jesus gives the Pharisees the basis of all of His In response to the Pharisees, Jesus tells teachings: to love God above all things us the foundation of God’s message to and to love others as we love ourselves. us, to love God with all that we have, putting Him above everything else. The next commandment is to love our 2. CONNECT IT! neighbors as ourselves. Do we put God before everyone and everything? Do In our lives, we are too often distracted by we love Him with our hearts, souls, and things that do not involve God. We are minds? Do we love our neighbors as distracted by the things we want, whether ourselves? Do we treat them how we they be a new car or the latest electronics. want to be treated? We must keep in mind God’s greatest commandment to us. We are to love Him above all things, meaning we should love Him more than all the objects we have in our lives. In addition, we must not put ourselves before others. This means we are not to be selfish, but instead selfless. The needs of others should come before our own.

26 4. LIVE IT! [ REVERENCE ]

Reverence: deep respect; veneration

Jesus tells us to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds. This is an incredibly deep kind of love that should include serious respect. God’s name, image, and house are all sacred. Remember to behave during Mass, to give proper respect during prayer, and to use God’s name with care and not in vain.

5. REMEMBER IT!

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)

6. PRAY IT!

God, thank you for Your infinite and forgiving love. Help us to love You in the same way. Remind us that we should love You more than anything else. Remind us to not use Your name in vain and to give You our respect and all that is sacred. Amen.

27 Jesus Teaches Us the Eight Beatitudes

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

As Jesus was preaching to the crowds, He began The “Sermon on the Mountain” is more commonly to teach the people about how they are blessed. known to us as the 8 Beatitudes. The term Beatitude These are known to us as the 8 Beatitudes: is Latin for “an abundant happiness,” which allows you 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is to obtain a level of inner joy no matter what your life the Kingdom of heaven. circumstances are. It is human nature to crave 2. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be happiness, but through the Beatitudes, Jesus changes comforted. the perspective of the people to create a new measure 3. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit of love and acceptance. It starts with an attitude the land. adjustment, a change in mindset, and a different 4. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for perspective of happiness. No longer are the poor, the righteousness, for they will be satisfied. sad, the weak, the outsiders looked down upon, but 5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be they are instead seen as blessed in God’s eyes. shown mercy. Jesus teaches us of a spiritual character to all the 6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will circumstances in our lives that result in happiness that see God. persists beyond the world we live in now. The 7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will Beatitudes become a call of conversion of all peoples, be called children of God. to become someone who lives as Jesus does. Through 8. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to a way of living that sake of righteousness, for theirs is the brings about true happiness and both inward and Kingdom of heaven. outward peace.

28 Jesus gave us the Beatitudes as a way to be ENCOURAGEMENT happy on Earth and to live by His teachings. Let’s be honest, we all have struggles in our lives and some days are harder than others. Happiness is a sense of well-being, joy, or But if we can apply Jesus’ teachings to our contentment. struggles, we might be able to change our perspective in life. Look again at the It is the feeling that comes over you when you Beatitudes listed above; which do you feel is know life is good. As Catholics, it is not enough the most important to you right now? Why is to just be happy ourselves, but spread that that? sense of happiness to those around us as well! Choose another Beatitude from the 8. Can Through today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to a you think of someone who is an example of way of living that brings about true happiness living up to this Beatitude? Who comes to and both inward and outward peace. The mind, and why do you feel they are a good Beatitudes teach us to “Be-An-Attitude” of example of this happiness? How can you happiness to those around us! Take some learn to be more like this person? time this week to share a smile with someone else by doing something good for them! Circle the Beatitude that you think you have to work the hardest at right now. What can you do to achieve that ideal? Challenge yourself this week to work on this new attitude of happiness.

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” Lord Jesus, there is no greater (Matthew 5:12) joy than for us to be united with You! Though I may have struggles in my life, help me to find the blessings beyond my earthly circumstances. Teach me to follow You always, so that I may reap the greatest reward to be forever happy with You in heaven! Amen.

29 ’

WEEK A-32 MATTHEW 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

1. EXPLORE IT!

The Parable of the Ten Virgins speaks about how we must always be ready and prepared, for the Lord may come at any time just as how the bridegroom arrived in the middle of the night. However, the passage also mentions being prudent and having the wisdom to think and plan ahead of time. A simple lamp was all that was needed to greet the bridegroom. But, half of the virgins were wise, and knew that anything could happen and that they might need to stay out longer than expected. Planning ahead of time, five virgins had the foresight to also bring along extra oil. Therefore, they were already prepared when there was an unexpected delay. They were rewarded for their good judgement, whereas the other virgins were caught off guard and locked out of the wedding feast.

30 2. CONNECT IT!

In this parable, Jesus wants us to understand the importance of being prepared and vigilant. We do not know the certainty of tomorrow. Because of this we must always be ready for whatever comes our way. How are we going to prepare ourselves for the eventual coming of our Lord? What are we going to do to get ready?

3. REFLECT IT!

 What types of things do put a lot of time and effort into?  What types of things do you wait until the last minute to do?  Do you plan ahead to become successful in school and life?  Do you plan ahead in your spiritual life and relationship with God as well?

4. LIVE IT! [ PRUDENCE ] 5. REMEMBER IT! Being prudent relates to being wise, cautious, prepared for the future, and showing good judgement.

How many times have we heard our parents tell us to be careful and be prepared? Before (Matthew 25:13) leaving the house, we are always told to bring a jacket because we never know if we will get cold, which in turn can lead to getting 6. PRAY IT! sick. Before quizzes and tests we make sure to study. Before going to the movies we want to Lord Jesus, our hearts long for Your make sure the show isn’t sold out. But what perfection. Not only do You share do we do to prepare ourselves before Mass in our sufferings, but also voluntarily each week? This week, practice prudence accept them. Please give us the by reading the first and second readings as courage to share others’ sufferings. well as the Gospel before the weekend. Amen.

31 Jesus’ Parable of the Talents

WEEK A - 33 MATTHEW 25:14-30

Jesus told his disciples this parable: "A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.' His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

1. Explore It! 2. Connect This gospel is related closely to the Parable of the 10 Minas, The liturgical year begins with the First Sunday in both of which a man entrusts his servants each with a of Advent. It is similar to a year-long course of sum of money he expects them to invest. The ‘talent’ studies. We are in Exam Week, with the final mentioned in this gospel is large weight of silver worth a Sunday, the celebration of Christ the King, substantial amount. The master relies upon several different next week. The professor (in the parable the men to keep his fortune safe while he is away for a long “professor” goes on a long journey) returns time. However, the word ‘talent’ also takes on a second and tests his three students. Faith in Jesus was meaning, in which the master is secretly testing his workers entrusted to these three and he asks, “What to see which among them has the most “talent,” therefore have you been doing with all that I have given dividing up the sum according to ability. Being a shrewd you during these past three years of walking businessmen, the master normally would have invested with Me?” Just as we continue you on with our these amounts in order to make more. When leaving, he education, even when we and the teachers are wishes to see who among the servants is reliable to him gone from school, what have we retained? Ask and his goals. Doing nothing and simply keeping the yourselves, are you building on what you’ve money safe is unacceptable, as it is a wasted opportunity. learned? Are you sharing it?

32 3. Reflect It! 4. Live It! [ Reliability ] We are all gifted with talents. Reliability is the ability to be depended on for honesty or Some of us are born with it, achievement. while others of us need to explore a little bit before we Just as the master was able to rely on his first two servants, find it. Most of all, Jesus wants so can Jesus rely on you. Start with doing a chore consistently us to share it with the world. every day. This can be either making your bed or sweeping the house every day. It may be a small and humble act, but All of us share a unique gift, it’s small actions like this, small signs of competency, that can and that is of the Catholic faith. lead to bigger and better things. What do you do with your talents? How do you continue to express your faith and share it with the world?

5. Remember It! 6. Pray It! Dear Heavenly Father, we humbly thank you for Your lavish grace and mercy to us. We thank you (Matthew 25:20) for the abundance of the gifts, talents, resources, opportunities and time You have given us. Help us to receive them with gratitude and use them for Your glory. And so we pray that You will deepen our Catholic joy and assurance as we use what You have given us to extend your kingdom. In Your name we pray. Amen.

33 WEEK A-34 MATTHEW 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

1. EXPLORE IT!

In this Gospel, Jesus connects Himself to every person in the world. Jesus tells us to care for the people around us such as the poor, the lonely, and the unfortunate. We need to care for those who need our help, not just the people we like. We need to care for the people we like and especially those we don’t. Jesus is in each one of us. As He reminds us to treat everyone we see like how we would treat Him. Furthermore, besides just caring for one another with food, drink, and clothing, Jesus teaches us to show compassion to one another, to treat each other with the same love we have for God in everything we do.

34 2. CONNECT IT! 3. REFLECT IT!

The most famous person of the 20th century What would you do if you saw Jesus on the who has shown us how to have compassion for street? What would you say to him? How other people is Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She would you treat him? How would you feel is truly a woman of compassion. She founded if you met God face to face? What thoughts the “Society of the Missionaries of Charity,” and would be going through your mind? How this order has thousands of members around would you feel towards the one who the world living and helping the poorest of the created the entire universe? poor. According to the mission of this order, members’ duties are to show compassion for Though we may not have a chance to see the poorest, the abandoned, the sick, the God on Earth with our own eyes, Jesus tells infirm, leprosy patients, the dying, the us that He is in every person that we meet, desperate, the lost, and the outcasts. and they we should treat them like so.

4. LIVE IT! [ COMPASSION ]

Starting today, be aware of your surroundings of the poor, the lonely, and the heart-broken. You can share your time as well as your love to the people around you. If you don’t know where to start, start by showing love to your family, your neighbors or start to volunteer at charity organizations.

Throughout this week, reflect on Mother Teresa’s wise advice, “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”

5. REMEMBER IT!

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

6. PRAY IT! Dear Lord, as Mother Teresa said, the most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved. More and more people are lost in this world because they do not have love and do not have direction in their life. Please lead them and show them Your love through us, as Your witnesses. Please help us to learn to have compassion toward one another each day. Amen.

35 WEEK B-A1 MARK 13:33-37 Jesus Reminds Us To Be Prepared

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

1. Explore It!

In this passage, Jesus tells us to be prepared to live a righteous life each moment. Like the gatekeeper, we need to be prepared for each moment because we do not know when the master will come home. Likewise, we need to live according to God’s principles and laws because we do not know when God calls us home. Be prepared, so no matter when God calls us home, we are prepared ourselves with a clean, spiritual soul, without mortal sin. Take care of our souls because God can call us home unexpectedly. God will reward us in our next life when we come home to him with a beautiful soul without committing mortal sins.

2. Connect It!

In 2014, NBC news announced a People can die unexpectedly at any headline, “Freshman football player at age and with all kinds of causes of Saint Augustine’s dies unexpectedly.” death. For example, there are 6,000 The news described a young football deaths in the U.S. alone caused by player who got sick on campus around texting while driving. There are even 11:00 am and was taken to a nearby 450 people that die per year falling hospital, and he passed away at out of bed. Be prepared because 2:00 pm on the same day. Ronald God can call us home anytime! Cunningham was only 19 years old.

36 3. Reflect It!

Have you ever wondered why God called some unexpectedly? To us, it’s unexpected because we don’t expect a healthy, young person could die. We don’t imagine such thing could happen. When we think about dying, we think of someone who has been sick for a while or who has lived a long time and it’s time for him or her to go. Often times, this is not the case. In fact, people of all ages, even infants, die unexpectedly. It’s time to live each day at a time and do good things in our daily lives. By doing so, we can keep ourselves from committing mortal sins.

4. Live It! [ PREPAREDNESS ]

Preparedness - the state of being prepared; readiness

God loves us very much and that’s why He tells us, through many parables in the Gospel, to prepare ourselves to live a righteous life each day.

Starting today, count your blessings each day. Then, practice self-examination to reflect on what you have done well and what you have failed to do as a Catholic. Next, ask for forgiveness from God and those you hurt.

5. Remember It!

“Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:33) 6. Pray It!

Loving God of the universe, please help us to live according to Your teachings and do good for the people around us. Help us to overcome our temptations, so that we can stay away from committing mortal sin. We are helpless at times because we have failed to ask You for help to live according to Your teaching daily. We’re helpless at times when we have pride in ourselves and do not want to admit our short-comings or do wrong to other people. Please give us the grace to ask for forgiveness and to prepare ourselves daily to live a righteous life according to Your teaching. Amen.

JESUS IS THE GOOD NEWS

WEEK B-A2 MARK 1:1-8

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

1. Explore It!

The Gospel of Mark explains to us that God has prepared for us to welcome the Son of God, Jesus, to the world. Jesus is mightier than Saint John the Baptist. The baptisms of John the Baptist are not the same as what we receive now as infants in the Church. John only baptized with water, for people to acknowledge their sins and their need for repentance. According to the Gospel, Jesus will come and baptize us with the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, each of us becomes the children of God and the Holy Spirit washes away our original sin. God loves us and He sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus to come and save us.

2. Connect It!

John the Baptist came at a time when greater to come. For many, John the there was much poverty, sinfulness, and Baptist’s message of forgiveness was the hypocrisy in the world. There had not answer they were looking for, an escape been any prophets to guide the people in from a life of sin. He gave them hope that hundreds of years. Yet, the people were they could change for the better. Yet, not content with this life, and wished to John the Baptist’s message had more — become better people and for a better that he was merely leading the way for world. They had hope in something something even greater to come.

38 3. Reflect It!

Are you happy with who you are? In what ways are you in need of change in your life? What more can you hope for? No matter where we are in our lives, we can always have hope that God has a greater plan and purpose for us, and that he will always accept us out of His infinite and endless love.

4. Live It! [ HOPE ] than patients who do not have hope nor To live is to hope and to hope is to live. think positively. Thus, always have hope Hope carries us through our trying times because hope helps us to move on with and unfortunate incidents in our life. our life when things are not going our When we have hope, it is easier to live way. Most importantly, always have through a difficult time. When we have hope that God will help us and have hope, we tend to look at a bleak picture mercy on us although we are sinners; in a more positive way. Research after and even when we failed to have hope research has found that cancer patients, in Him. God never gives up on us, so who have hope and think positively don’t give up on Him. Always have hope about their outcome, tend to live longer in Him.

5. Remember It! “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals” (Mark 1:7)

6. Pray It!

Dear Lord, thank You God for giving us everything we have in our lives. You have given us everything we need. We tend to forget that everything we have comes from Your generous heart. We receive many gifts from You daily; yet, we tend to get frustrated easily and don’t have the hope to overcome our difficulties. Please give us the grace to always have hope amidst our difficulties. Amen.

WEEK B-A3 JOHN 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites [to him] to ask him, “Who are you?” he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Messiah.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

1. Explore It! 2. Connect It!

John the Baptist is introduced as a witness Though many people at the time to God sent from God. John was asked by wished him to be, John the Baptist the priests and Levites if he was the Messiah, is not the Messiah. He must define and John told them no. They then asked if himself and his beliefs to these he was Elijah or a prophet and John people who continue to press him. responded that no, he was neither of the But he does this with patience and two. John tells them that he is a person humility, which is difficult for us to do sharing the good news of salvation. The at times when we are tried with the Pharisees asked John why he baptized same questions repeatedly. people if he was not of any authority. In Because John is a follower of God reply, John told them of a person who is and firmly believes in his mission and indeed all of the things these people have goal, he is able to face his critics in asked John about, and this person would a respectful manner. be great.

40 3. Reflect It!

John the Baptist is constantly being asked to defend himself. He is being badgered about who he is and what he’s doing while being humble and acknowledging a greater one is coming soon. How can we respond to those who keep questioning us? About our faith? About our culture?

4. Live It! [ DETERMINATION ]

Determination is a great virtue to have accomplished important milestones in because all successful events in life your life? Have you ever felt like giving up begin our determination. Starting today, on things right now because you have become determined to pray for failed in a similar situations in the past? someone, possibly your family members, Remember that you can learn from past more often this week. Take a moment mistakes but you need to develop the and reflect on things that you have virtue of determination to succeed accomplished in your life. Do you see because without determination, it’s hard that your determination has helped you to accomplish anything. overcome many struggles and

5. Remember It!

“Make straight the way of the Lord”. (John 1:23) 6. Pray It!

Lord, sometimes we are faced with difficult questions about ourselves, our lives, and our faith. May we remember this passage about John the Baptist’s testimony if we ever find ourselves in doubt. May we remember to be patient and humble, knowing that through You all things are possible. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

41 WEEK B-A4 LUKE 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

1. EXPLORE IT!

Mary, our Virgin Mother, is the most blessed woman, and God has chosen her to give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. Mary completely trusts in God and says “yes” to God when the angel appears to her and announces the message from God. At that time, Mary did not know how could this happen but she says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). From that moment on, her life changes forever.

42 2. CONNECT IT! Our Virgin Mother is chosen by God to be the mother of His Son because of her virtuous life, her trust, and her love for God. Mary teaches us how to be humble and how to obey God even during uncertainties. Mary does not question God when the angel appears to her and gives her the message from God. She does not pause for a moment to question God or try to understand the duty she will soon be carrying out. Yet, without hesitating, she says “yes” to God.

3. REFLECT IT! 4. LIVE IT! [ OBEDIENCE ] Have you ever said “yes” to God without questioning when God is calling to do something? Have you ever wondered Obedience is doing, or willing to do, what how Mary could do what she has done in you have been told to do by someone. her life? She and Saint Joseph had to flee from Nazareth to protect baby Jesus. Then Living a true Christian life is not easy. when Jesus was a teenager, He went to We face many distractions from this the temple to do God’s will without letting materialistic world. The temptations Mary and Joseph know. Imagine how surrounding us daily are enormous. How Mary and Saint Joseph must have felt at can we live an obedient life towards God that moment? Can you imagine your and our family? How can we do it easily parents’ feelings at the thought of you when some of our friends do not do so? missing from the family forever? Still, the How can we overcome peer pressure most painful moment for Mary was to see and follow God’s teaching and obey her son being nailed to the cross while God’s principles and our parents’ receiving insults from all kind of people. guidance? First, pray daily for the virtue of obedience. Secondly, get to know friends and talk to adults who have this virtue. 5. REMEMBER IT! Third, promise yourself to obey God’s “BEHOLD, I AM THE teaching and parents’ rules at least once HANDMAID OF THE LORD. a day. Keep a journal about your progress MAY IT BE DONE TO ME and it will help you remember what to do ACCORDING TO YOUR in the future when you have temptations WORD” of not following God’s teaching or (LUKE 1:38) listening to your parents.

6. PRAY IT! My loving God, we are sinners and have many temptations surrounding us each day. We are human beings with faults and short-comings; we ask You to help us to overcome our temptations and to follow Your teachings. We ask You to forgive us for our shortcomings and give us the grace to obey You completely in our daily life. Amen.

43 JESUS IS PRESENTED AT THE HOLY FAMILY WEEK B - C1 THE TEMPLE LUKE 2:22-40

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When Jesus was of age, His parents brought Him to the temple to be purified. Upon entering the temple, the family was greeted by Simeon, a prophet, who gave praise to Jesus and blessed them all. Later in the temple, the family was approached by the prophetess Anna, who worshiped in the temple day and night with fasting and prayer. Anna gave thanks to God and spoke about Jesus, who was to redeem Jerusalem. After the purification, according to the law of Moses, the family returned to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, becoming strong, filled with wisdom, and found favor with God. 44 2 | CONNECT IT!

Simeon was an older man, righteous and devout to God, with a great desire to serve God. He was so favored by God that the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon he would be lucky 3 | REFLECT IT! enough to see Christ before his death. Simeon trusted God, and trusted the Spirit that led God was faithful in His promise to Simeon him to the Temple that day, the day the Holy and to Anna. He promised both the chance to Family came to the Temple in Jerusalem for meet the Messiah before their deaths. Just as the Purification Ceremony. God is faithful in keeping His promises, we should be faithful in keeping our own What are some things in your life that you are promises! With New Year’s Day coming up, excited for, or anticipating to happen? Maybe many of you may be making New Year’s it’s a school event like Prom, or the next big Resolutions. What are your resolutions for Taylor Swift Concert, or a movie you’ve been this coming year? Do you have any spiritual dying to see. Simeon and Anna waited many, resolutions? What can you do to improve your many years to finally see God’s salvation. spirituality and faith for this coming year, and Sometimes we have to be patient for God’s what can you do to stay committed to this perfect timing to be blessed by something improvement? beautiful. More importantly, we must trust in God’s providence and remain faithful to Him throughout our lives. We must trust in God and allow His Spirit to guide us in our daily lives. If we are faithful to God during our life like Simeon, we too can have the promise of seeing Christ!

5 | REMEMBER IT!

4 | LIVE IT! [ FAITHFUL ] “for my eyes have Faithfulness is loyalty to our beliefs, seen your salvation,” regardless of the circumstances in our lives. (Luke 2:30) Simeon showed great faithfulness to God, waiting patiently for the Messiah to come into the world. Simeon’s example reminds us that if we believe in God and live according to this belief, our lives become a living testimony to God’s love. What are some things you can do to stay even more faithful? This week, challenge yourself to be more faithful to God by visiting the Tabernacle at church to fix your eyes on the Salvation of the world! 6 | PRAY IT! Dear Jesus,

Help me to live faithfully to You! Let my life be a beacon of Your love to those around me. Continue to grow my faith in You and help me to live my life in such a way that brings You glory! Amen.

45 WEEK B-C2 Jesus’ Shows Himself to the Gentiles MATTHEW 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”

After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

1. Explore It! 2. Connect It!

The magi have meticulously studied the stars, Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. probably for many years. When they saw the new The word “epiphany” means manifestation or Bethlehem star, they knew something important revealing of something. Jesus’ manifestation to was happening. Just as God used the magi’s the three magi, who were foreigners from afar, familiarity with the stars to bring them to baby symbolizes His manifestation to the whole Jesus, God will also use something we are familiar world—Jesus came not only for the Jewish with to call us to Him. God can be calling us people but also for non-Jewish Gentiles, for all through our daily experiences or even through our people, including us. In today’s Gospel, notice struggles. Be open to seeing the “star” that God is how King Herod and the magi respond using to call you—it may be closer than you think. differently to the news about the Messiah. While Herod was worried about his political power and Bethlehem was a small, insignificant town, but the potential threat of the newborn King, the God chose this little town to be the birthplace of magi sought to follow the bright star that led Jesus. Bethlehem means “house of bread,” a fitting them to the Messiah in order to worship Him. name as Jesus shares Himself with us as simple After encountering the newborn King, the magi bread: the Eucharist. In the words of Venerable returned to their homes by a different way. This Archbishop Fulton Sheen, “the greatest love story symbolizes that they were changed. The magi’s of all time is contained in a tiny white Host.” The lives have been transformed with Jesus as their Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian God and King. life, the greatest gift of all.

46 3. Reflect It!

Just as the magi sought out the Christ, we are also called to seek God. How are you growing in your faith to seek to know God more? How is God 4. Live It! [ Sharing ] calling you to Himself?

The magi humbly worshipped the newborn King, while Herod selfishly thought of baby Jesus as a threat to his power. How can we put aside our Sharing - to partake in selfishness and make Jesus the King of our hearts? something with another or give Jesus revealed Himself to the world, sharing His a part of something to another light to all peoples. How can you see everyone you meet, even if they are different than you, with the same Love God has for us? How can you share the light of God’s Love to others? When you hear a good song or find a new tasty snack, you usually want to tell someone about it or share this with others. God is the greatest God, so we should always seek to share Him with others. Sharing God’s love can be as simple as smiling to the person you pass by or sharing a beautiful or uplifting Bible or saint quote on social media. Think of something you can do every 5. Remember It! day this week to share God’s love with others.

“And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah.”

(Matthew 2:6) 6. Pray It!

Dear Jesus, I love You and adore You. Thank You for the gift of Yourself. Thank You for sharing the gift of Your Love to all of us. You are my King, my Savior, my God. Please help me to love and adore You always and to share Your abounding and selfless Love to all those around me. Amen.

47 Acknowledgements

Noteworthy are the contributions of Tiberia IX training camp participants who prepared the lessons within this booklet. Their work along with other Youth-Leaders provided the content, which made it possible to move this booklet to completion. Special recognition is extended to the dedicated core members of various committees and teams who work tirelessly to ensure this booklet receives the highest possible level of quality. Team Leads are designated with the asterisk symbol. • Seedling Team: Khanh Nguyen*, Tu-Anh Nguyen, Ngoc-Hieu Ngo, Lam Vu, Mandy Pham • Search Team: John Vu*, Teresa Tran, Montana Pham, Vy Tran, Jimmy Lam-My, David Vu, Christina Tran • Companion Team: Kieu-Thu Nguyen*, Anton Nguyen, Le Doan, Mimi Phan, • Knights of Eucharist Team: Khanh-Trang Vu*, Phuong Nguyen, Br. Vincent Nguyen, Tami Nguyen • Layout Team: Nhung Nguyen*, Tami Nguyen, Christine Chau Le • Cover Art Designer: Quynh Truong • Cover Designer: Johnny Pham

References

1. Bible Studies, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church http://www.scborromeo.org/biblestudies.htm 2. Daily Reflection Archives, Creighton University http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Archive/ 3. Daily Reading, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/ 4. MagnifiKid!, Magnificat Online http://us.magnificat.net/home/magnifikid 5. Lectio Divina, Order of Carmelites http://ocarm.org/en/lectio-divina

Publisher Distributor Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (VEYM) VEYM Headquarters Office National Academic Committee 1811 E Center St, Anaheim, CA 92805 [email protected] (714) 603-7586 - [email protected]

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