The season after Epiphany has a unity and theme in the various "epiphanies" found in the gospels: the baptism of Jesus, the healing miracles, and ultimately in the transfiguration of Jesus on the final Sunday after Epiphany. The baptism (on the first Sunday of the season) and the transfiguration (on the last) form a sort of "frame" for our celebrations. Here are some of the "through-lines" that inform the season:
- the manifestation (revelation) of Christ to the whole world. When we see Christ, we are seeing God
- recognition Jesus as God by many people, among them the magi, John the Baptist, Jesus' disciples, and Christians in every age, including our own
- rededicating ourselves to our own ministries and our missionary task - to continue to spread the light of Christ in our world
- remembering that just as Jesus first disciples were called to follow him, we, too, have received a similar call, which we recognize in the sacrament of baptism
- remembering the many signs of Jesus that reveal his presence to people throughout the world as he tended to basic human needs.
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Scroll down this page to the current Sunday
to find resources and suggestions for each week byb using the links at right. Since you know your family's needs better than anyone, you will be able to use these resources and suggestions in ways uniquely appropriate to your family. |
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The Second Sunday after Epiphany - January 16
iHospitality plays a vital role in the BIble. A wedding was often a measure of a family’s hospitality. If something necessary for the celebration was in short supply, it brought disgrace on the host family. Today's gospel lesson tells us that Jesus’ uses his gracious gesture of turning water into wine demonstrates “his glory” and is the first of seven “signs” or great works that the gospeler John records.
Readings for this SundayThe readings for The Second Sunday after Epiphany are:
(Click here for the texts the readings for this Sunday.) |
Godly Play online!The Stories of Jesus
Rose Brown leads us in exploring The Parable of the Good Shepherd |
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First Reading
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Resource CornerAsked to do something to address the awkward situation that the absence of wine at a wedding feast would create, Jesus' miracle produces vast quantities of wine—six jars holding thirty gallons each are filled to overflowing with choice wine. This video tells the story.
While on Earth, Jesus did a lot of amazing miracles. The first one we read of in the gospels was a transformative act that kept a party going! In the story of the wedding at Cana, we notice that Jesus cares about all things, even our own human enjoyment of life. We also recognize that Jesus continues to work miracles in our lives, in ways large and small. This lesson uses a simple drink mix illustration to introduce children to the power of our Savior.
For kids in Grades 1, 2, or 3
At the wedding at Cana, Mary saw a need and asked Jesus for help. As younger children become less self-focused, they are able to notice the needs of others. Support them in knowing that they can help others and ask God to care for the needs of all people. Materials Needed
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Family Activity
Weddings are wonderful family celebrations. We go out of our way to make the occasion festive and extraordinary. People work hard to please one another. What better image of the Kingdom of God! Not every day is a wedding celebration, but we can anticipate the Kingdom of God each day in our attentiveness to one another's needs. If your family has attended a wedding celebration together, talk about the experience and the planning and cooperation that made the celebration memorable. Talk about how weddings and feasts are images in Scripture for the Kingdom of God. Consider how these festive occasions are images of God's tremendous love for us and examples of how we can show our love for one another. Then read together today's Gospel, John 2:1-11. Talk about Mary's attentiveness to the needs of the hosts and about Jesus' response. What could your family learn from this story? Consider ways that you might show these values in your family's daily life. For kids in Grades 4, 5, and 6
At the wedding feast at Cana, Mary observed the needs of the hosts and brought the concern to Jesus, confident that Jesus would respond. Older children are becoming more articulate about their own needs and the needs of others. We follow Mary's example when we observe and present these needs to God in prayer, confident that God answers our prayers in extraordinary ways. Materials Needed
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Facebook discussion group
Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]
Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]
The Third sunday after Epiphany - January 23
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As Jesus stands in the synagogue, he reads from the scroll handed to him that contains the words of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus announces that his mission in continuity as part of Israel's prophetic tradition. We will find more evidence of this as we continue to read from Luke's Gospel throughout the year. Jesus' ministry will include bringing glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, healing to the sick, freedom to the oppressed, and proclaiming a year acceptable to the Lord.
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Readings for this SundayThe readings for The Third Sunday after Epiphany are:
(Click on the link for the text of the readings for this Sunday.)
Ezra reads from the book of the Law and interprets it for all to understand.
Paul explains that all were baptized into the one body of Christ.
In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus reads aloud from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and announces that this Scripture is now fulfilled. Resource CornerIn this Bible blocks video we see Jesus in the early days of His public ministry. This story is recorded immediately after Jesus is tempted in the wilderness and He is becoming famous in Galilee, teaching in the synagogues. It is while He is in the Synagogue in Nazareth, His home town, that Jesus stands up and reads a prophecy by the prophet Isaiah that speaks about Him. Jesus declares that "This day this scripture is fulfilled in your ears." The hearers are horrified and attempt to kill Him.
Jesus came as our savior, fulfilling all prophesies about who the Messiah would be. He proclaimed Himself as that fulfillment, though not everyone who heard understood. We can recognize who He is, and share that good news with others. These crafts encourage children to know and share the Gospel. A "proclaiming puppet" allows for creativity while remembering to proclaim Jesus. A "prophetic scroll" recounts the story and the reading of the scroll in the temple.
Family Activity
Jesus was the one sent by God to bring salvation to the world. Jesus announced that mission using the framework we hear in today's Gospel from the prophet Isaiah: glad tidings will be brought to the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight for the blind, and freedom for the oppressed. Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom of God in his person—through his life, death, and Resurrection. We are given the task of continuing the mission that Jesus began. Jesus set the framework for all of us when he announced his ministry in today's Gospel. Jesus also gave us the helper we would need to enable us to participate in his mission. The Holy Spirit has been given to us so that we, the Church, might serve the Kingdom of God.
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Godly Play Online!Another parable
Jesus was often asked, "What is the Kingdom of heaven like?" Once he told them a story about how a person planted a tiny, tiny seed and something quite wonderful grew from it. Beth Yocum helps us understand how Jesus answered the question. Activities for Children
For kids in Grades 1, 2, and 3
At the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus announced his mission and proclaimed that God’s promise of salvation was now fulfilled. Help younger children see that they are part of a community of God’s People who continue Jesus’ mission in the world today. Materials Needed
For kids in Grades 4, 5, and 6
When Jesus announced his mission at the synagogue at Nazareth, he drew from Israel's prophetic tradition to announce that God's promised salvation was now fulfilled. Older children can be led to see that the needs of our world today are included in the framework of the good news of the Kingdom that Jesus announced. Materials Needed
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Facebook discussion group
Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]
Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]
THE Fourth SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY - JANUARY 30
Luke has witnessed the acceptance of the gospel message among many Gentiles. He tries to explain why the Good News of Jesus has not been as well-received by his Jesus' own people but well-received by Gentiles outside the Holy Land. So, Luke interprets the cause of Jesus' rejection at Nazareth in the context of this situation. Just as the people at Nazareth did not welcome the Good News that Jesus announced, so too many among the people of Israel will not accept the preaching of the gospel.
Readings for this SundayThe readings for The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany are:
(Click on the link for the text of the readings for this Sunday.) |
GODLY PLAY ONLINE!The people ask Jesus again, "What is the kingdom of heaven like?" In this Godly Play video, we hear how Jesus tells them a story about a valuable treasure. What would you do in order to gain such a wonderful thing?
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The Lord assures Jeremiah that he will deliver him from all who fight against him.
Paul describes love as the greatest of virtues.
Jesus is rejected in his hometown of Nazareth. RESOURCE CORNERIn this Bible blocks video we see Jesus in the early days of His public ministry. This story is recorded immediately after Jesus is tempted in the wilderness and He is becoming famous in Galilee, teaching in the synagogues. It is while He is in the Synagogue in Nazareth, His home town, that Jesus stands up and reads a prophecy by the prophet Isaiah that speaks about Him. Jesus declares that "This day this scripture is fulfilled in your ears." The hearers are horrified and attempt to kill Him.
Here is another film based interpretation of the gospel passage.
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Activities for Children
For kids in Grades 1, 2, and 3 Younger children depend on the adults who care for them to guide them as they grow and learn. Teach them that Jesus is our greatest teacher, who shows us how to live as God wants us to live. Materials Needed
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For kids in Grades 4, 5, and 6
Older children are just beginning to discriminate between the messages that they hear from others. We can teach them to rely upon the message of Jesus and to live their lives by his Word.
Materials Needed
Older children are just beginning to discriminate between the messages that they hear from others. We can teach them to rely upon the message of Jesus and to live their lives by his Word.
Materials Needed
- None
- Observe that the same statement can sound different to us depending on who is speaking. Say: Sometimes we are more likely to listen to an outside expert than we are to a person who knows us well. For example, we might be more likely to follow our coach's suggestion about soccer than a suggestion from our parents. Why? (We might think that our coach knows more about soccer.) Can you think of any other examples? (Allow volunteers to share examples.)
- Introduce today's Gospel: Jesus said some challenging words to the people in his hometown of Nazareth. Let's see how they received his words.
- Read aloud today's Gospel, Luke 4:21-30.
- Ask: What was the first response of the people of Nazareth to Jesus' words? (Their first response was favorable. They spoke highly of Jesus, and they were amazed. They also discussed Jesus' identity.) What do they want to do to Jesus at the end of the Gospel? (drive him out of town; kill him) What happened in between? (Jesus challenged them to respond to him differently than their ancestors responded to the prophets)
- Observe that the people who knew Jesus best did not accept his words to them; they were not persuaded by him. Ask: Why not? (He challenged them to act in a different way.) Say: Jesus spoke challenging words to the people of Nazareth. He wanted them to respond to him differently from the ways others had responded to the prophets. But they wouldn't let his words lead them to change, or even to see a different perspective.
- Say: Sometimes we can be like the people of Nazareth; we don't want to trust Jesus' message because we find his words challenging. We don't want to do what he says. But we can trust his words to us and can rely on his guidance in our lives.
- Encourage the children to pray for guidance when deciding how to act. Conclude in prayer together by praying the Prayer to the Holy Spirit.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Facebook discussion group
Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]
Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]
THE Fifth SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY - February 6
In today's gospel lesson, Simon is about to become a different kind of fisherman. No longer will he catch fish; instead he will catch people. In these words, we hear about just how Jesus' closest disciples will be part of his mission and ministry - and how we participate, too. Peter was chosen for this role. Our role is to bring others to Jesus.
In today's gospel lesson, Simon is about to become a different kind of fisherman. No longer will he catch fish; instead he will catch people. In these words, we hear about just how Jesus' closest disciples will be part of his mission and ministry - and how we participate, too. Peter was chosen for this role. Our role is to bring others to Jesus.
READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAYThe readings for The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany are:
(Click on the link for the text of the readings for this Sunday.)
Isaiah describes his vision and call from the Lord.
Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel that he announced to them.
The fishermen (Simon, James, and John) leave their fishing boats and follow Jesus. |
GODLY PLAY ONLINE!The people who followed Jesus heard him talk about the Kingdom of God, so they asked him again, "Tell us about this Kingdom." They must have been surprised when he began by saying, "The Kingdom of God is like leaven." Leaven?
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RESOURCE CORNER
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A Bible story told using LEGO. From Luke 5:1-11. Simon Peter had been trying all night to catch fish but had not caught anything. All that changed when Simon met Jesus and Jesus encouraged him to try again.
This video is a more cinematic presentation of the gospel lesson - Jesus Call the First Disciples.
Family Activities
In the people whom Jesus chose to be his closest friends—his disciples—we see many of the characteristic foibles of ordinary human beings. We also see the ways that God uses the gifts he gave us to transform us into new people, the agents through whom God will lead others to Jesus and to his kingdom. Let's consider the person Jesus chose to be a leader among the disciples and whom he sent to “catch people.” Based on the evidence found in Scripture, we can imagine what Peter must have been like: Peter seems unafraid to speak his mind, yet he is also able to take direction. In today's Gospel, Simon Peter lowers his nets as Jesus commands, but not before reminding Jesus that he and his partners have been fishing all night and haven't caught anything.
Consider the following:
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Activities for Children
For kids in Grades 1, 2, and 3 Younger children love to hear and tell stories. Learning and retelling stories about Jesus’ life is a way for children to joyfully share the Good News. Materials Needed
For kids in Grades 4, 5, and 6
At Baptism, even as infants, we were given a share in the mission of the Church: to lead others to Jesus. We can invite children to begin to reflect on this mission and to participate in appropriate ways. Materials Needed
Dear Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance everywhere I go; Flood my soul with your spirit and life; Penetrate and possess my whole being so completely That all my life may be only a radiance of yours; Shine through me and be so in me That everyone with whom I come into contact May feel your presence within me. Let them look up and see no longer me—but only Jesus. Amen. |
Facebook discussion group
Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]
Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]
THE Sixth SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY - FEBRUARY 13
The Beatitudes are often described as a framework for Christian living. Our vocation as Christians is not to be first in this world, but rather to be first in the eyes of God. We are challenged to examine our present situation in the context of our ultimate horizon, the Kingdom of God
READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAYThe readings for The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany are:
(Click on the link for the text of the readings for this Sunday.
Put trust and hope in the Lord, not in human beings.
Our hope for resurrection is sure because Christ has been raised from the dead.
Jesus teaches the crowd the way to happiness. RESOURCE CORNERThis video is a cinematic presentation of Matthew's version of the Beatitudes. It differs from Luke's version, but the ideas are the same.
Family Activities
Today's Gospel offers a contrast to many of the messages we hear in our society today. If we were to accept uncritically the “get ahead” messages of our culture, we would think that happiness means having money, being successful, and having many possessions. In this way, we are not unlike the people who heard Jesus teach on the day that he taught the Beatitudes. They too associated happiness with possessions and success. The report of the Beatitudes in Luke's Gospel, however, takes things one step further. Not only will we not find happiness through the “get ahead” messages of the world, but relying upon these messages will cause us harm. The warnings spoken are particularly challenging because they suggest that our way of life must change if we are to gain the lasting happiness of eternal life.
Prayer of St. Francis [BCP, p.810]
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. Facebook discussion group
Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected] |
GODLY PLAY ONLINE!Once someone asked Jesus, "What must I do to inherit the kingdom of God?" Jesus said, "Love God, love your neighbor." They asked, "Who is my neighbor?" And Jesus told them this story, about a man, some robbers, and an unexpected helper.
Activities for Children
For kids Grades 1, 2, and 3 Even very young children may be exposed to commercials and other messages suggesting that happiness can be found in acquiring material goods and focusing on oneself at the expense of others. Help children learn that our faith in God and the actions we take to help build up his kingdom are the sources of true, lasting happiness. Materials Needed
Activities for Children
For kids Grades 4, 6, and 6 Older children are heavily influenced by our culture's vision of success. In the Beatitudes, we are asked to look critically at our culture's definition of success based on an alternative vision, the values of the Kingdom of God. Materials Needed
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THE Seventh SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY - FEBRUARY 13
The words of Jesus' teaching are familiar to us. They constitute the crux and the challenge of what it means to be a disciple: Love your enemies, turn the other cheek, give to those who ask, do unto others, lend without expecting repayment, judge not lest you be judged. Jesus' words challenge those who would follow him to be more like God. God loves us beyond our expectations, beyond anything we can possibly imagine. In response to God's love, we are to love as God loves, beyond expectations and with a depth beyond imagining
READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAYThe readings for The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany are:
(Click on the link for the text of the readings for this Sunday.
David does not kill Saul.
As we bear the image of Adam, so we will bear the image of the one from heaven.
Jesus teaches his disciples to be merciful as God is merciful. |
GODLY PLAY ONLINE!Once when the people said to Jesus, "Tell us about the kingdom of God," he told them a story about a sower of seeds. But this sower was different. Why did the seeds go everywhere? Watch the "Parable of the Sower" to find out!
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The Last Sunday after Epiphany - Transfiguration Sunday
The starting point of the Christian life is nearness to God. It is the necessary and defining first step. It is this nearness that enables us to embody and radiate God’s love in the world. It is the closeness that calls us and sustains us—especially when our work is no longer popular or personally advantageous. Today, in our presence and in the presence of one who represents an unbroken tradition from the time of those first disciples of Jesus, some among or own number give witness to their personal commitment to remain close to God. We rejoice in them!
Readings for this Sunday |
Godly Play online! |
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The readings for The Last Sunday after Epiphany are:
(Click on the link for the text of the readings for this Sunday.
Moses' face glows after he has seen the LORD.
We see God unveiled because of Jesus.
The story of the Transfiguration of Jesus RESOURCE CORNERIs our trust in the right thing?
The Transfiguration is a remarkable Biblical event, and one that can be emphasized for various reasons. In this message, focus on the importance of how Jesus revealed to His disciples who He was, as they heard God's voice affirm Him. Through that, discuss with children how we can have faith to know that Jesus is Lord, and we can hope in Him with all our hearts. |
We begin a new set of stories, The Faces of Easter.
Baby Jesus begins life with Mother Mary and Father Joseph. In their faces he sees love, and something else. Is this a hint about the future? "Jesus takes John, James and Peter up a hill to pray. Jesus walks apart from them, covering His head to pray. But when He does, His appearance changes. His face changes. His clothes become pure white. He starts talking to two men who seem to be with Him. Moses and Elijah speak to Him. One says Jesus will fulfill God's purpose. The other says He will die in Jerusalem. Peter slowly wakes up. He's the first to see Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. He wakes James and John. They see it too.
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