From the desk of Ms. Kathleen Cook, Director of Religious Education Theme: Matthew 4:12-23 Jesus begins to preach in Galilee and calls his first disciples.
Summary
: Transformation is the theme, yet again, as we look at the words and movement of Jesus in today’s gospel selection. Jesus is inviting people to move from darkness to light. Jesus identifies with the servant, Isaiah in calling the people out of their gloom, and is in fact in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. The preaching of Jesus, the prophets of old and the present day prophets, if authentic, call and lead people to understand that
transformation of heart and mind is what our God seeks in each person and community.
Scripture: Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and went with him. Matthew 4:19-20
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Our Bible lesson today has something to do with fishing. One day, Jesus was walking along the seashore when he saw two brothers named Peter and Andrew. Jesus knew they made their living by fishing, so He called out to them, "Follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" They laid down their fishing nets and followed Jesus.
Jesus wants you and me to fish for people, too. That means that Jesus wants us to tell others about what He has done for us and what He wants to do for them. We need to know what the Bible teaches and learn how to share it with others. Next, we go out where the people are and tell them about Jesus. Finally, we must be patient. If we will do these things, we can really become fishers of people like Jesus wants us to be. If you think there is a great feeling of excitement in catching a fish, just imagine how exciting it must be to bring someone to Jesus!
Dear Jesus, help us become fishers of people. Help us tell others what You have done for us and what you want to do for them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Key Words in Today’s Readings:
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First Reading: Isaiah 8:23-9:3
When Isaiah mentions
Zebulun and
Naphtall, his listeners remember towns where God had shown his anger because the people did not heed his words. God promises to send the Messiah who will bring freedom and joy to God’s people.
People, families, or even nations can
walk in darkness when they feel lost and do not know where to turn. They need God’s light to show them the way.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
Saul was a man who bullied and terrorized the first Christians. One day, he had a vision of the risen Jesus and the experience changed his whole life. When he was baptized he changed his name to
Paul and became a great apostle, traveling to cities all around the Mediterranean Sea to tell people about the love of Jesus. Several letters he wrote are now in the Bible.
Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23
The
Gospel of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament. This gospel tells us about the life of Jesus. It points out that he is the promised Messiah, and that the Church is the chosen people, the new Israel.
To
repent means to be sorry for doing something wrong, and to change your way of thinking and living for the better.
In the
Kingdom of heaven, all people will be brought together in God. We will all live like brothers and sisters, sharing in God’s abundant love and mercy.
My Promise to Jesus: This week, I will help Mom and Dad as soon as they ask me to do something. https://us.magnificat.net/my-sunday-gospel-coloring-book-2020.html
Reflect: If a word or phrase from the Gospel captures your heart, sit quietly for several minutes, repeating it to yourself and asking God to show you how it applies to your life. In what specific ways could teens let God help them through tragedy? Do you know people who have responded to tragedy by using their experiences to help others? www.smp.org
Pray that you will always be open to the movement of God in your life. Know that in your prayer it is God alone that is always trustworthy and will see you through any difficulty or change in your life. Make your mantra prayer one that speaks over and over again: Almighty I trust that you will always see to my greatest good and that alone is enough for me.
Family Discussion: Today’s Gospel tells us little about the background of these fishermen, their work, and their families. In today’s Gospel, we are simply told that James and John left their father, Zebedee, in the boat and followed Jesus.
Some details about the families of these first followers of Jesus are found later in Matthew’s Gospel, however. In
Matthew 8:14-15 for example, Jesus goes to the home of Peter and heals his mother-in-law of a fever.
Matthew 20:20-28 relates how the mother of the sons of Zebedee (James and John) approaches Jesus with the request that her sons be given places of honor in Jesus’ kingdom. These brief references suggest that the first disciples’ separation from their families may not have been as complete as the verses in today’s Gospel might lead us to believe. Matthew points out the separation because he wants to show that Christian discipleship can require a change in our lives and even our family relationships.
Perhaps the message for us today is to balance the radical call to be a follower of Jesus with the challenge to be “fishers of men” even within our own families. Creating this balance may require that we change some of the priorities of our own family life.
As a family, detail the activities of a typical day. Discuss together what priorities are reflected in this daily schedule. How does your family respond when your daily plans are interrupted or must be changed? Together read today’s Gospel, Matthew 4:12-23. Reflect together on the example of the first disciples who dropped everything to follow Jesus. Ask: Does our family schedule give evidence that we put God first in our family life? What might we do to better reflect that God is our priority?
Pray together that your family will always give evidence that God comes first in your family life. Pray today’s Psalm or the Lord’s Prayer..
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