Theme: Luke 17:510 Jesus teaches the apostles the importance of faith and service to God.

From the desk of Ms. Kathleen Cook, Director of Religious Education
Theme: Luke 17:510 Jesus teaches the apostles the importance of faith and service to God.
Summary: Jesus challenges his disciples to increase their faith. Imagining what they could do with faith the size of a mustard seed, Jesus speaks of incredible things. Then he describes the situation of a master and his servant. The master commands the servant to wait on him as he eats. The servant must serve and so it is with a disciple. To be a good disciple is to serve willingly and lovingly while expecting nothing in return. This may be difficult for us to understand because we have learned that, in polite society, it is necessary to say thank you in return for a kindness. The lesson here is not about thanking people but more about knowing that as a follower of Jesus, there must be an openness to doing the right thing without always being recognized for doing so. This is what is known as altruism, to do the good simply because it is the good and not in order to receive a reward for doing the good. Doing the good is its own reward.
Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3): Help younger children understand the parable of the mustard seed by showing them seeds and explaining that God does wondrous things through us when we have even a little faith.
                                                                                                         
Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6): The optimism of youth believes that small things can make a difference. This is an example of what it means to have faith the size of a mustard seed. We can nurture the faith of young people by showing how in small but real ways, we each can participate in the Kingdom of God.
 
Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8): Young people at this age are capable of participating in many types of service opportunities but may need to be challenged to be more generous with their time.
Scripture: The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you." Luke 17:5-6 
One day, Jesus was talking to his disciples when one of them turned to him and said, "Lord, increase our faith." Jesus answered and said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."
 What Jesus was trying to teach his disciples is that it doesn't take a great faith to produce great results. Because the results don't depend on us, they depend on God. If the results depended on the size of our faith.
Dear Father, we ask for a mustard seed sized faith. Help us to believe and never doubt your mighty power. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
 
My Promise to Jesus: Jesus, my love for you is great and I wish it to become ever greater. This week, I’ll ask my mom and dad to plant some flowers, so I can watch them grow as I think of you.
 
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.  Does your fear of failure ever stop from taking risks for your faith?
 
Suggested book that compliments today’s Gospel:
http://scu.edu/character/build-plant-grow/
Glenna’s Seeds
Written by Nancy Edwards
ISBN: 10:087-8687882
Ask God to help you always be a person of faith and to be with you in the midst of any doubts you have in life. Likewise pray that you may have the courage to gently share your faith in God with others.
 
Family Discussion: There is much in today's Gospel that resonates in family life. In our daily attempts as parents to live up to the confidence and trust that our children place in us, we come to know the wonders that God can do with just a little faith. In family life we also learn about obligations that are their own rewards. The daily tasks that family members do for one another and for the household are simply the manifestations of our responsibilities to one another.
Take a turn with each member of the family and identify some of the little things that each family member does that make a big difference in your family life.
Read today's Gospel, Luke 17:5-10. Talk about how each person is called upon by God to believe that God can work miracles in our lives, that God can use us to make a difference in our world.
Together as a family, pray Saint Ignatius of Loyola's Prayer of Generosity. Ask that God will work through your family to make a difference in the lives of those around you.