Here is your St. Francis Bulletin: The Readings for the Sunday Mass are on pages 4 (English) and 5(Espanol)
Please share this precious video to your children
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remember to bring RECEIVING JESUS: My Guide to the Mass to help you follow along.
LITURGICAL COLOR
The priest is wearing GREEN which means hope, growth, and life.
(Always bring a bag with drawing paper and crayons to Mass for your children to draw what they hear and see at Mass. e.g. After the psalm is read have them draw a beautiful tree with lots of fruit near fresh running water.....)
Write:
PSALM:
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE GOSPEL: Luke 6:17, 20-26
Jesus Teaches and Heals
17 When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples. A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coast cities of Tyre and Sidon;
Happiness and Sorrow
20 Jesus looked at his disciples and said,
“Happy are you poor; the Kingdom of God is yours!
21 “Happy are you who are hungry now; you will be filled!“Happy are you who weep now; you will laugh!
22 “Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man!
23 Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets.
24 “But how terrible for you who are rich now; you have had your easy life!
25 “How terrible for you who are full now; you will go hungry! “How terrible for you who laugh now; you will mourn and weep!
26 “How terrible when all people speak well of you; their ancestors said the very same things about the false prophets.
REFLECTION:
Younger Children:
Everyone wants to be happy. But what the world thinks will make us happy is different from true happiness. In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus teaches us the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes tell us how to be holy and happy now so we can one day be happy in Heaven forever with God.
God wants us:
to be POOR or without lots of things aroung us that take us AWAY from making God #1 in our lives.
to be HUNGRY for the good and healthy life God gives us and not filled up on junk food for our souls.
to be WEEPING because of SIN and not laugh when we are sinning against God
to be happy when others are mean to us because we stand up for God and our friendship with Jesus. We know that He has a greater reward for us in His Kingdom.
Going Deeper for Confirmands
Treasure in Heaven
Directions: Read the Scripture passage from the bulletin and then answer the questions.
Every human being on earth desires to be happy. But there is a great difference between what the world thinks happiness is and what happiness really is.
In the Gospel reading from this Sunday Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Plain, which is very similar to Matthew 5:3–12, in which Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Mount. In both sermons, Jesus teaches us variations on the Beatitudes.
It is thought that these two teachings were two separate events in which Jesus delivered a very similar message to two separate crowds of people. That fact tells us today that the Beatitudes are an essential part of Jesus’ teaching of how to follow Him, how to be holy, and ultimately, how to be truly happy.
And, in the teaching of the Beatitudes, Jesus makes it clear that true happiness is not the same thing as the temporary happiness our world offers. True happiness involves suffering, serving others, and enduring persecution in order to do what is right and holy.
True happiness leads to fulfillment, starting here on earth, but ultimately and eternally, one day in Heaven with God. The Beatitudes are not the only time Jesus speaks of the difference between worldly happiness and the ultimate happiness of Heaven. Here is a passage from the Bible that we always read during LENT as we prepare for Easter.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. Matthew 6:19-21
1. When Jesus refers to “treasures on earth,” what types of things does He mean?
Material things.
2. Why is it vain, or fruitless, to store up “treasures” on earth?
Because they are temporary: even the nicest and most valuable things will eventually decay, fade, break, and so forth.
3. Where does Jesus tell us we should store up treasures? In Heaven.
4. What kind of treasures do we store up in Heaven? How are these things different from earthly treasures? PRAYERS, sacrifices, good works, virtues, anything that helps us grow closer to Christ and leads us to His Kingdom..
5. What reason does Jesus give for this teaching? Our heart will be wherever our treasure is. If we care most about worldly things, our heart will be in the world. If we care most about God and being with Him in Heaven, our heart will be with God.
6. Think honestly about your own life. Where is your treasure? If most of your “treasure” is earthly, how can you begin to “store up treasure” in Heaven? If you have stored your treasure in Heaven, how can you continue to do so?
CLOSING PRAYER
(In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit , AMEN)
Blessed are we when we want to follow God's will and follow his command to love each other with all our hearts.
We will be like a healthy green tree planted near running water that grows a lot of fruit
We will be successful in all we do because the Lord watches over us. AMEN
(Pray the OUR FATHER with your prayer beads:
Comments