Lesson 2

1. Zacchaeus meets Jesus – Gospel of Luke – Chapter 19 2. Prayers to learn: Confiteor. 3. Mass Part: Confiteor & Kyrie.

Zacchaeus

Jesus went into Jericho and was passing through. There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd. So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to that place he looked up and said to Zacchaeus, ‘hurry down Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.’ Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with great joy. All the people who saw it started grumbling, ‘this man has gone as a guest to the house of a sinner!’ At dinner, Zacchaeus stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Listen, sir! I will give half of my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone I will pay back four times as much.

1. Can you describe Zacchaeus before he met Jesus? 2. What Zacchaeus promised to do after he met Jesus?

Zacchaeus was a tax collector who took people’s money to make himself rich. Jesus showed him love, and it changed his life. When Zacchaeus realized that Jesus loved him even though he had messed up, he wanted to show that kind of love to others.

Listen to the story of Zacchaeus by downloading the song provided at this link.

The story of Zacchaeus helps us to see how we are always loved and forgiven by God.

The Confiteor

I confess to almighty God,

and to you, my brothers and sisters,

that I have greatly sinned

in my thoughts and in my words,

in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

through my fault, through my fault through my most grievous fault;

therefore I ask blessed Mary, ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints,

and you, my brothers and sisters,

to pray for me to the Lord, our God.

The Confiteor or ‘I Confess’ is one of the prayers that can be said at the beginning of Mass.

In this prayer we recognize in faith not just our own sins and failings, but also our total trust in God’s abundant and ever loving mercy and forgiveness.

Mass Part: Confiteor & Kyrie

At the beginning of Mass, after the opening blessing and greeting, the priest tells us to remember our sins, saying something like:

To prepare ourselves to celebrate these sacred mysteries, let us acknowledge our sins and ask the Lord for pardon and strength.

After we remember our sins for a while, the priest leads the Confiteor and everyone in the church follow.

Priest: I confess…

All: …to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary, ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord, our God.

After the Confiteor the priest finishes with the following words: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

The people respond: Amen.

Kyrie

The Confiteor (Latin word) is followed by Kyrie (Greek word). This can be sung.

Priest: Lord, we have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: Christ, we have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy.

Priest: Lord, we have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy.