Ss Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Lord is a great king: come, let us adore him.\u2019 (Invitatory antiphon)<\/p>\n
Parents\/ guardians sometimes experience their children testing their patience, by being manipulative, demanding, nagging, confronting and putting them and their authority to the test. Some succeed in pushing their parents\/guardians to the limit.\u00a0 This type of behaviour can happen in other relationships between people also, from time to time.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s Gospel (Mark 12:13-17), may be heard proclaimed via webcam or read from the New Testament.<\/p>\n
There is a confrontation between the Jews and the authorities. The Pharisees and the Herodians put Jesus to the test hoping to catch him out. They place him in an awkward situation by asking questions about whether taxes should be paid to the Romans. The enemies of Jesus are trying to start a fight with him. They want to show Jesus up in front of the crowd. So their tactic is to ask two loaded questions, \u2018is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not? Should we pay them, or should we not? If Jesus says \u2018yes\u2019 he is observed as being on the side of the Romans. If Jesus says \u2018no\u2019 he could be accused of being insubordinate to them. Jesus doesn\u2019t enter into a discussion but asks for a coin. In asking a question, he let them know they were putting him to the test. Jesus then asked, \u2018Whose head is this, and whose title?\u2019 They answered him. Jesus told them to pay. However, Jesus was more interested in telling them, \u2018to give to God the things that are God\u2019s.\u2019 He was telling them to act with justice, integrity and honesty.<\/p>\n
SEEK GOD IN THE GROW IN LOVE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMME<\/p>\n
In the Grow in Love programme, the children will not read this Gospel (Mk 12:13-17,) but they will notice from time to time as Jesus relates with people, and in his ministry that he is put to the test. They will chat about Jesus\u2019 answer to the crowd, \u2018Give to God the things that are God\u2019s.\u2019 They chat about \u2018what does belong\/ does not belong to God in my life?\u2019\u00a0 In the \u2018Our Father\u2019 children pray, \u2018Thy will be done\u2019, \u2018Lead us not into temptation\u2019, and Deliver us from evil\u2019. They chat about what this means in their personal life.<\/p>\n
Children also reflect on times that they too have been tempted and put to the test to choose the right thing to do in life circumstances. They pray to choose God\u2019s way of love. They recognise Jesus\u2019 teaching on love and his witness to love.<\/p>\n
In Sacred Scripture they read how Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert and tempted by the devil (Mt 4:1-11). Jesus too felt weakness but he never gave into temptation. He made sacrifices by giving up his own will and trusted his Father. He invites his disciples to do the same. He will help them along the way of love. Jesus understands our weakness and the times when we fall. He is always ready to forgive and wants us to start anew by his grace.<\/p>\n
Children reflect on the prayers they say and their personal communication with God.\u00a0 Sometimes we too, put God to the test by making demands or manipulating God.\u00a0 People recognise God as all powerful but they belittle God by saying, \u2018why did God let this happen?\u2019 That has been said in this time of Covid-19. Acting in this way, we are setting down conditions for our way of being a disciple. We want to control God; to play according to our rules.<\/p>\n
Pope Benedict reminds us that when we do this we are \u2018placing ourselves above God.\u2019 Children are taught to recognise this attitude as they explore the story of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:4-3:24).\u00a0 This is how the devil tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. The devil said, \u2018Eat this apple, and you will be like God.\u2019<\/p>\n
In prayer, children learn at their appropriate level, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit that Jesus was true to himself right to the end of his life. He was single-minded in doing God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n
Building sound and healthy relationships are key to a person\u2019s life. God desires that we grow in love with God, God\u2019s people, ourselves and with the environment. This is life-long learning and God plants seeds in hearts that are open and free.<\/p>\n
Resources are available on the VERITAS Grow in Love website to help children and families deepen their knowledge of Jesus and the call and challenges to discipleship.<\/p>\n
Logon: www.veritas.ie<\/p>\n
Email: trial@growinlove.ie<\/p>\n
Password: growinlove<\/p>\n
INVITATION TO:<\/p>\n
SING: \u2018Jesus Remember Me When You Come into Your Kingdom\u2019, \u2018O Lord hear my Prayer\u2019, ‘The Summons’.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
READ: \u2018The Temptation of Jesus (Luke 4: 1-13).<\/p>\n
PRAY with Grow in Love\/I nGr\u00e1 D\u00e9<\/p>\n
ACT OF FAITH<\/p>\n
O my God, I believe in you<\/p>\n
and in all that your holy Church teaches<\/p>\n
because you have said it<\/p>\n
and your Word is true.<\/p>\n
You are the Christ,<\/p>\n
the Son of the living God.<\/p>\n
Lord, I believe; increase my faith. Amen.<\/p>\n
ACT OF HOPE<\/p>\n
O my God, I put my hope in you<\/p>\n
because I am sure of your promises.<\/p>\n
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil and<\/p>\n
grant us peace in our day,<\/p>\n
as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour,<\/p>\n
Jesus Christ, Amen.<\/p>\n
ACT OF LOVE<\/p>\n
O my God,<\/p>\n
I love you with all my heart,<\/p>\n
with all my soul, and with all my strength.<\/p>\n
Lord, increase our love.<\/p>\n
Help us to love one another. Amen.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Lord has raised up a mighty saviour for us, as he promised through the lips of his prophets.\u2019 (Benedictus antiphon)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2018My spirit exalts in the Lord God, my Saviour.\u2019 (Magnificat antiphon).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2018Lord, you have been our refuge through all generations.\u2019 (Psalm 89:1).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2018 The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth\u2026 beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish.\u2019 \u2018These problems are closely linked to a throwaway culture which affects the excluded just as it quickly reduces things to rubbish.\u2019(Laudato Si\u2019, no. 21-2).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ss Marcellinus and Peter, please pray for us.<\/p>\n
Sr Anne Neylon<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ss Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs. \u2018The Lord is a great king: come, let us adore him.\u2019 (Invitatory antiphon) Parents\/ guardians sometimes experience their children testing their patience, by being manipulative, demanding, nagging, confronting and putting them and their authority to the test. Some succeed in pushing their parents\/guardians to the limit.\u00a0 This type of behaviour […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5218\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}