Lectionary: 57 

Adults: What difference has it made in your life when you made a decision in accord with Jesus’ teaching?
Children: When will you have to make a decision this week? What will help you make a good decision? 

As finicky as they can be in certain moments, a GPS is a wonderful tool, one that has essentially given us a generation of people who would scratch their heads at the concept of an atlas. Simply plug in a destination address and begin driving. Helpful visual cues and a friendly voice guide us along the way. After following all the instructions point by point, we arrive at our destination. It pays to be a good listener!

There certainly is a leap of faith in allowing the GPS to guide us along our way since nothing manmade is ever perfect. Yet, we put our trust in the little device and follow the driving instructions. Rather than feeling limited by the exact instructions, we find comfort in believing that the GPS will lead us to our final destination.

In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, Jesus tells us that if we love him, we will obey his teaching. So often the biggest complaint about the faith is all the “rules” that need to be followed or that it requires a change in how we live our lives. Following the commandments and living a life of virtue are not meant to be constricting. They are meant to guide us along our way, similar to the GPS but better. God doesn’t make mistakes.

When we make decisions in accord with Jesus’ teaching, we are choosing to trust that these instructions for a life of holiness will get us to where we are going. Doing so is liberating because it helps us choose what is right. Choice is surely an aspect of freedom, but it is a double-edged sword. We can certainly choose the wrong way.  We are often faced with so many options that it can be hard to choose. But when we have the teachings of Jesus to help us in our life choices, we walk in freedom.

On our journeys, the GPS adds to our sense of freedom. When we follow the instructions, we gain peace of mind that we are heading in the right direction. We might sometimes take for granted the reward of arriving at our destination, but we are always happy with the directions so we can get there safely and easily.

So it is in our walk of faith. Being obedient to the Lord gives us a sense of peace that we are heading in the right direction. God ensured we have a choice. Are we going to steer off the road into a ditch, or are we going to remain on the Way?

Like many people, my morning ritual begins with a fresh pot of coffee. This morning, as I was pouring my first cup, I allowed myself to be distracted for a moment and soon there was a puddle on the counter. 

Looking down I exclaimed, “Yikes! My cup runneth over!” and proceeded to laugh hysterically at the situation and at my cornball response. (Thank goodness no one else was up yet!)

“If only I had a saucer under that mug,” I thought, but teacups and saucers seem to be a relic from the past. In this day and age, we need mugs – the bigger the better.
When I was growing up, we always used tea cups and saucers. My dad actually had a collection of them, picked up from garage sales, barns sales, or the local vintage wares store. When he died, I inherited his collection. The designs are unique and beautiful, but they remain on display behind glass doors, waiting for the day when I can arrange a lovely high tea for some of my tea-loving friends.

It seems drinking from a saucer is a custom of some cultures, but in my house, it was a definite no-no. I was taught it was bad manners to do so, but when no one was looking I was a brazen saucer drinker.

At some point during my faith journey, I began to think of drinking from my saucer as an experience of abundance and a reason for gratitude. No doubt I was influenced by the much-loved 23rd Psalm. My favorite version is the King James version, in which verse 5 reads, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”

Today, in a world filled with so much negativity, it is easy to forget just how often our cups runneth over with blessings. I am always grateful for a reminder, which I came across recently while doing some research.

The reminder came in the form of a poem entitled “Drinking from My Saucer,” written by John Paul Moore. I think it speaks to those who, like me, sometimes need to be reminded of blessings in the midst of hardships. 

I've never made a fortune and it's probably too late now.
But I don't worry about that much, I'm happy anyhow.
And as I go along life's way, I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer 'cause my cup has overflowed.

Haven't got a lot of riches, and sometimes the going's tough.
But I've got loving ones around me and that makes me rich enough.
I thank God for his blessings and the mercies He's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer 'cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong,
my faith wore somewhat thin.
But all at once the dark clouds broke,
And the sun peeped through again.
So Lord, help me not to gripe about the tough rows that I've hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer ‘cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage,
when the way grows steep and rough,
I'll not ask for other blessings, I'm already blessed enough.
And may I never be too busy to help others bear their loads.

by Mary Regina Morrell

Every spring, as my dad would make his eagerly planned trip to the garden and nursery center, he would share with me the story of a pastor who decided to hire an Irish gardener to spruce up the parish grounds which had been completely overtaken with weeds and vines. From spring to summer, the wiry old man worked diligently to restore the place to its original glory.

One fine day, the pastor strolled out into the flower garden with a fellow priest, anxious to show off the new creation. Gesturing toward the many neatly trimmed bushes and plants burgeoning with flowers, the pastor exclaimed, "I praise the good Lord for all of his handiwork!"

Immediately, the gardener stepped out from behind a bush with clippers in his hand, and chastised the pastor, saying, "Don't you go givin’ all the credit to God. Just remember what this place looked like before I got here and God had it all to himself!"

I recall the story with a smile every spring as my husband sets out his tomato plants, but, more than giving me a reason to smile, the story reminds me of what’s required of us as co-creators with God. A failed flower garden is one thing, but a failure to grow what is good, beautiful, and fruitful in our relationships is another.

We can’t rely on God to do all the relationship building for us. We must get our hands dirty, doing the planting, weeding, feeding and pruning ourselves. To help us, God provided the best relationship advice ever — the Ten Commandments.

While we may read these Commandments as a restrictive list of “thou shall nots,” some reflection on these gifts from God reveals them as steps to freedom, assurances that we will not damage our relationship with God or be the source of pain and doubt for others. 

In his catechesis on the Ten Commandments, Pope Francis explained that, in the light of Christ, “the Decalogue should be seen not as a series of rules, but rather the guide to an authentic human life that comes to fulfillment in the love, joy and peace born of obedience to the Father’s will . . .

“The Ten Commandments invite us first to enter into a faithful and loving relationship with God our Father, to reject every false idol that enslaves us, and to find our authentic rest in the freedom of Christ and the Holy Spirit. They then teach us how to live redeemed lives, marked by fidelity, integrity and honesty towards our neighbor.”

Consider making the Ten Commandments the focus of your prayer this week. You might be surprised what you find growing there.

Mary Regina Morrell is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.

Lectionary: 42

Adults: What change could the hope of the Resurrection of Christ inspire you to make?
Children: What bad habit would you like to “clear out” during the hopeful time of this Easter season? 

by Thomas Gette

The fire that engulfed the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris on Monday of Holy Week will forever be imprinted on our minds. The world watched in disbelief as this magnificent house of God that took nearly 200 years to build was being destroyed in a single day.
 
Believer and non-believer alike were struck speechless. Many expressed feelings as if the fire ominously symbolized that the Church and the world were on the eve of apocalyptic destruction. There was darkness, despair, fear, anger, and concern. The sight may have brought to mind the words from John 2:19: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

Now that we are on the other side of Holy Week, with the Alleluias of Easter echoing once again in the Church, we have entered the liturgical season that gives meaning to all the darkness: Jesus, the Light of the World, conquered death and darkness and is risen from the dead!

It was faith in the Resurrection of Christ that inspired the construction of Notre-Dame, and it is that same faith, strengthened and purified by the fire of the Holy Spirit, that will pull us through this dark moment in history. 

Even more importantly, it is that same faith that can pull us through the dark moments of our daily lives. Christ’s victory over death stands for us as the sign of God’s power over everything in our lives. Jesus is not just an inspirational historical figure; Jesus is the Son of the Living God who can bring life and meaning to anything and everything we are experiencing.

Lent and Holy Week are reminders that we will often go through times of struggle and suffering, but Easter gives us the hope that God will always overcome and always lead us to joy. 

Let us surrender the struggles and suffering to God, and pray with hope that Jesus will bring new life to whatever it is we are facing and give us the strength to embrace a change we may need to make in our lives.

Thomas Gette is a family man with a passion for the domestic Church. He holds master’s degrees from both Franciscan University and the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium.

Lectionary: 27 

Adults: How are your priorities affected by your faith in Jesus Christ?
Children: When you have important choices to make, do you and your family pray to make the right choice? 

This past week, LifeTeen (a worldwide Catholic youth ministry organization) shared an interesting thought on social media: “What you post on your feed should be evidence of your deep relationship with Jesus, not the extent of it.” In other words, we shouldn’t limit being a Christian to the one hour we go to church each week or to those times when we pray in private.

Reflecting on how faith affects our priorities reminds us that faith must be a part of our very being and not just a facet of who we are. When it comes to our goals and passions, we would never think to include “being alive” on such a list. Life is just assumed (maybe even taken for granted) as a prerequisite, a necessity, for everything. Our faith should be no different. Our faith should be the prerequisite for everything else.

Thus, we should ask ourselves: Is our faith simply an item on the list of many things that describe who we are and what we do? Or is faith the power that propels us off the page?

Faith is not intended to stifle us. On the contrary. In Galatians 5:1 we read: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Being a Christian is not some burdensome set of rules and regulations intended to zap all the joy out of life. No. Being a Christian helps us discover what it truly means to be alive, what it truly means to be human.

For example, we might be pulled between various commitments and find ourselves once in a while foregoing Mass on Sunday. But faith demands that nothing replace Mass and that all our plans be made around it. If we cut out the source of life of our faith—the Mass—everything else will, in a sense, be in vain. This is similar for family life. God created us for community, and if our job and other commitments (and phones) are causing us to not be present with our families building and strengthening quality relationships, then we need to reconsider how we are spending our time.

Stopping to consider life decisions and priorities in the light of faith might seem daunting, but the more we intentionally do this, the more it will become second nature. It won’t always be the easy thing to do, but it will always be the right and good thing to do. We will find no greater fulfillment.

Thomas Gette is a family man with a passion for the domestic Church. He holds master’s degrees from both Franciscan University and the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium.

Lectionary: 24 

Adults: How willing are you to profess your faith in Jesus Christ openly to others?
Children: Would you still be able to say that you believe in Jesus if others made fun of you for it? 

Have you ever had the experience of being out to eat and when you go to say grace since you are in public, you find yourself a bit hesitant to pray the Sign of the Cross? I know I have encountered this situation many times. “Are people going to judge me or think I am ‘showing off’ that I’m religious?” are some thoughts that might go through my mind. I have always wondered why this simple act can often be met with trepidation and hesitation. “I should be proud of my faith,” I tell myself. I might even add some guilt by reminding myself that Jesus said, “If you deny me, I will deny you before the Father.” Then, on another day, I will notice someone with a blue mohawk and tons of piercings and tattoos, and I wonder: “If that person is comfortable being in public like that, then I should have no issue praying a simple Sign of the Cross.” 

Imagine a married person going about his or her daily routine and being too sheepish to acknowledge his or her spouse to coworkers in a conversation. Any of us would feel deeply hurt if our spouses avoided talking about us with other people. Our faith in Jesus Christ really should be no different. Sharing our faith should come as naturally to us as sharing about our family or our favorite sports team. Having a saving faith in Jesus Christ is not something that we should keep to ourselves. The gift of faith is too precious not to share with others. The reality is that it is not always this easy. 

This is a serious call for all of us who believe to take some time to discern and understand what it is that makes it difficult for us to share our faith. Do we feel we are not knowledgeable enough? Not confident? Whatever it might be, this is a good time to explore it and find concrete ways to make some changes. Now that we are in the season of Lent, we can take this opportunity to focus on how we can grow in our faith so that sharing it comes more naturally. Jesus spent three years forming and “training” the apostles to be ready to give a reason for their hope (1 Peter 3:15), so it is good for us to become more deeply formed in the faith. 

We live in an age and culture that is becoming very hostile to Christianity, so it is understandable that we have reservations about how to express our faith publicly. However, it is of utmost importance that we walk as lights of Christ shining into our everyday lives at the watercooler, the hairdresser, the grocery store, or wherever we may go. Most importantly, this will come in the form of living a good life of virtue and integrity, but we also need to find ways to openly share this great treasure with those around us. Certainly, we begin by taking our faith more seriously in our private lives and at home, but then maybe the next small step is starting to say grace in public. Things will only grow from there. 

The Church’s liturgical year continues with the celebration of Lent and Holy Week, the time during which Catholics throughout the world honor the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and the giving of alms. Through the suggestions and resources listed below, RCL Benziger is pleased to partner with you in leading children, youth, and families to a prayerful, meaningful experience of the Lenten journey.

1. Remember to refer to the liturgical year section in the back of your religion textbooks for specific lessons on Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, and Holy Week. Remember, too, that your textbooks contain an outline of the Stations of the Cross and the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

2. Help your students continue to learn about and draw inspiration from the stories of the saints whose memorials the Church celebrates this Lenten season. Visit SaintsResource.com for information on these saints. Also included is a listing of where the stories of these saints are told in Be My Disciples and Blest Are We.

3. The Church will celebrate two solemnities during the season of Lent in 2019. They are the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.

March 19: The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Prepare ahead of time to celebrate on March 19 the tradition of the Blessing of Saint Joseph’s Table. This custom offers a wonderful opportunity for children and youth to offer gifts of food for the poor. The order of the blessing may be found in both Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers (revised edition, copyright 2007, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) and the Book of Blessings (prepared by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, and copyright 1989 by The Order of Saint Benedict, Inc.).
For a classroom-friendly reproducible outline of this blessing, go to Saint Joseph’s Table.

March 25: The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Take time today to proclaim all or part of Luke 1:26-38, the Gospel reading assigned to this solemnity. In addition, consider praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary (which include the Annunciation), the Angelus, the Litany of Loreto (or Litany of Mary) or the Hail Mary.

4. Your religion textbook contains chapter prayers and liturgical lessons focusing on Lent and its themes of mercy, forgiveness, the poor (almsgiving), and the Cross. Explore these prayers ahead of time as you prepare for Lent. In addition, incorporate the following classroom prayer celebrations.

Pre-Lent/All: Burying the Alleluia
Celebrate this prayer just before Ash Wednesday. Students will have the opportunity to say farewell to the Alleluia, highlighting for them that it will not be spoken or sung in the liturgies of the Church until we celebrate the joyful season of Easter. This prayer is appropriate for all grade levels, and would also be appropriate for an all-school or all-religious education class or family pre-Lent gathering.

Lent/Primary: I Will!
This prayer, adapted from a Be My Disciples classroom prayer suggestion, gives primary-grade students the opportunity to think about how they will work to better live as children of God during the Lenten season.

Lent/Upper Elementary and Junior High: Take Up Your Cross
This prayer is also adapted from a Be My Disciples classroom prayer, and will help students reflect on how they will follow Jesus more closely during the season of Lent.

Holy Week/All/Multicultural: Alfombras
Based on a Holy Week tradition celebrated in Guatemala, this prayer incorporates art, song, and procession. It may be prepared and celebrated in individual classrooms, or prepared in individual classrooms and celebrated as an all-school or all-religious education class or family Holy Week celebration.

5. There are many age- and grade-appropriate classroom activities available to highlight the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Click on the following four resources for downloadable activity pages for children and youth.

Lent: Praying and Repenting During Lent
This activity will help children reflect on their faith life and make a commitment to strengthen their faith life during Lent.

Lent: Make a Book to Help You Follow Jesus
Activities include a page for primary-age children (“Follow Jesus”) and an adaptation of the activity for upper-grade children (“Make a Discipleship Book for Lent”).

Lent: I Make a Forgiveness Card
In this activity, primary-age children will make a card to ask for forgiveness from someone in their family.

Lent: Exploring the Scrutinies
On the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent, the Church celebrates the Scrutinies with the elect, those to be baptized at the Easter Vigil.
This activity invites young people to read and reflect on the Gospel stories proclaimed on the Scrutiny Sundays: The Woman at the Well, The Man Born Blind, and The Raising of Lazarus.

Prayer, fasting, and the giving of alms—may the stories, songs, prayers, activities, and disciplines of Lent lead us ever closer to Christ, whose constant invitation is to Be My Disciples.

When I was a small child, I used an ink pen to write my name on the face of my sister’s doll. When my mother tells the story, she shares that I never denied the act. It was, after all, my name. A couple of hours passed, however, before I acknowledged my wrongdoing and asked for forgiveness. I remember crying during those hours, as I struggled with knowing I was wrong and not wanting to admit it.
 

I have often shared this story with children and families preparing for the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. My mother’s love and patience mirrored that of God. God lovingly and patiently waits for us to confess our shortcomings and be reconciled. Like most children, I received my first experiences of God’s love through my family. Today, this lesson of love and forgiveness may result from a child sneaking to play a video game for a few more minutes or an adolescent spending hundreds of dollars in the app store.

In Scripture, Jesus often used stories of daily living to reveal attributes of God. The parable that describes how a woman lights a lamp and sweeps the house to find a lost coin illustrates Jesus’ concern for those who are lost (see Luke 15:8-10). In liturgy, the ordinary items of bread and wine extraordinarily become the Body and Blood of Christ. Catechetical ministry often involves pointing to the ways in which the tasks and objects of daily living continue to reveal the divine reality.

The routines and challenges of family living have changed and continue to change rapidly. The ways in which Catholic communities support families must also adapt to these changes. How do our catechetical efforts assist families in recognizing and acknowledging God in the big and small moments of their daily lives? How can our resources and programs aid parents and grandparents in connecting discipline with discipleship, bath time with Baptism, and routine with ritual? The questions are not new, but the responses can be as diverse as the families being served. In my short time at RCL Benziger, I have seen the great care and consideration that is given to these questions as products and resources are developed.

Our Family Faith is RCL Benziger’s ongoing commitment to providing innovative and effective resources that recognize the diverse needs of families and Catholic communities, and are adaptable to faith formation models based in homes, parishes, or schools. These resources support both Christian communities and families in forming disciples by promoting faith formation within family living, revealing the ever-present divine reality through ever-changing daily living. Whether navigating the perils of a ballpoint pen or a mobile device, may we continue to accompany one another in growing in faith where we live, learn, and pray.

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From January 18 through January 25, Christians throughout the world will join in a very special week of prayer called the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This week of prayer was established in 1908, and the dates were chosen so that the week ends on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. The Week of Prayer actually consists of eight days—an octave—which always designates a very special time of prayer and celebration in the life of the Church.

In Companion to the Calendar (Liturgy Training Publications, 1993), Mary Ellen Hynes explains: “. . . Christians have sometimes forgotten that we are all one body with Christ as our head. We think of ourselves instead as Eastern or Western, Protestant or Catholic. . . . [P]rayer is still needed so that the body of Christ on earth can be strong and united. That will help the people of the world hear the voice of Christ speaking clearly. The church prays for Christian unity all during the year. But during [this] week we pray with special concern. We ask that all Christians might be able to work together.”

Each year, representatives of a council of churches from a particular region of the world—including Catholic bishops and leaders from that region–choose the Scripture focus and develop materials for worldwide use during the Week of Prayer. This year’s focus, “Justice and only justice you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:18-20), was chosen by the Christian churches in Indonesia. Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, is only 10% Christian. It is estimated that only 12% of Indonesian Christians are Catholic.

Indonesia itself is founded on five principles called Pancasilla. These principles are:

1. Belief in the one and only God
2. Just and civilized humanity
3. The unity of Indonesia
4. Democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations among representatives
5. Social justice for all people of Indonesia Indonesia’s motto is Bhinneka Tuggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).

Indonesians live by the principle of gotong royong, which means to live in solidarity and by collaboration—sharing in all aspects of life, work, grief and festivities, and regarding all Indonesians as their brothers and sisters.

Despite this, corruption and natural disaster have recently greatly impacted economic growth in Indonesia and harmony among its people. That is why the Indonesian Council of Churches chose the theme, “Justice and only justice you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:18-20).

This year, plan to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with your students and their families. Our body of resources for this special week of prayer include tips for celebrating the week in your classroom, an activity for families, a prayer card, and a prayer service that can be used in the classroom, in the school, or in the parish religious education program.

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Many years ago, I was asked to give a presentation on the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are so many ways one could talk about Mary— as our model of discipleship, as mother, as queen—but I chose as my focus “Mary was not a size two.” The title drew a crowd, and the crowd had a wonderful time thinking about who Mary was in history and who Mary is to us today.

My thoughts for the presentation came in part from what I continue to understand about our Blessed Mother: her image cannot be captured in a single statue, a single icon, a single picture, or a single holy card. Our images are formed as we read God’s Word, connect to Mary through prayer and devotion, and reflect on our shared experiences with her as parents, spouses, children, friends, and faith-filled disciples. We follow in Mary’s footsteps by paying attention to what is happening around us. We continue her work in the world as we keep our homes, teach our children, honor our parents, and love our spouses. And we learn from Mary to keep faith when we don’t have all the answers and when we find it hard to understand what is being asked of us and what is taking place in our lives.

During the season of Advent, the Church celebrates two feasts that provide us with different images of Mary and with different parts of her story. On December 8, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a holy day on which we remember that Mary was free from sin from the moment she was conceived. This was a unique grace given to Mary, who was to become the Vessel of selfless devotion and the Ark of the covenant (Litany of Loreto).

On December 12, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. When Juan Diego saw a vision of Mary, she appeared to him as an Aztec princess, with olive skin and black hair. This is also how she appeared in the image on the tilma, the cloak worn by Juan Diego. Mary’s appearance as an Aztec princess brought hope and a sense of dignity to the Aztec people, especially to the Aztec women.

Of the many different images of Mary, some of my personal favorites are: Our Lady of the Lake (Ireland); African Madonna and Child; A Comanche Virgin and Child (by Fr. John Guiliani); Mary, Seat of Wisdom (by Brother Michael O’Neill McGrath); and The Virgin Mary in the Rose Garden (by Albert Edelfelt). In the latter image, Mary is sitting in a garden and doing handwork.

As we prepare to celebrate the Advent Marian feasts, set aside time to think about and to draw your image of Mary. Place your image on your prayer table or tuck it into your Bible. Think about who you most need for Mary to be in your life right now, today— mother, sister, friend, model, cause of joy, comfort. Invite her to walk with you through Advent days to come.

Mary Sellars Malloy recently retired from her position as project manager for RCL Benziger. She continues giving presentations and leading parish missions and retreats throughout the country. Her hope is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their faith.