The Better Part

Matthew 14.22-33 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection We know so much about Jesus. We know he is the Good Shepherd who calls each of his sheep by name. We know they listen to his voice and follow him. We know that when a sheep is lost, he finds his sheep. How good it is to be a sheep of the Good Shepherd! He gives all that he has to those sheep. We wonder who those sheep might be... People love to hear Jesus talk about the Good Shepherd and the sheep. They love to hear hi

Matthew 14.13-21 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Over the past few weeks, we listened to Jesus teaching the people in parables so that we could think about what the Kingdom of God is like. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus is finished with teaching. Now he shows us what the Kingdom of God is like. At the beginning of the Gospel, Jesus rows away in a boat by himself. He wants some quiet time alone. But the people in the town figure out where he is going. They know

Matthew 13.44-52 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus again tells three parables, just like last week! He must really like telling parables. He knows that listening to parables helps us to think about the Kingdom of God. Last week, when there were three parables, we thought about the middle parable—the Parable of the Mustard Seed, that teeny-tiny seed that somehow grows and changes into a tree! This week, let's again look at the middle

Matthew 13.31-32 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection (Adults, the Gospel this week is quite long and considers three of Jesus' parables. This reflection focuses on the parable that is sandwiched in the middle: the Parable of the Mustard Seed—an essential parable regarding the mystery of life.) In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells three parables. We know that parables make us think. They are stories that Jesus tells to help us understand something very important. Th

Matthew 13.1-9 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection At the beginning of the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear Jesus head down to the lake near the house he is staying at. So many people come to hear him speak, they crowd the beach. Jesus really wants them to hear what he has to say, but he cannot see all of them when they crowd around, and they cannot all see him. What will he do? Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he g

Matthew 11.25-30 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday, we listened to Jesus tell his disciples how important children are, how people need children so that they can welcome Jesus, how God needs children so that God can feel comfortable in everyone's home. This Sunday, Jesus speaks about children again. Jesus says, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants'

Matthew 10.37-42 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday we heard Jesus tell the disciples that they are more special than sparrows. We remember that disciples are people who follow Jesus and learn from him. Jesus wants the disciples to go out to teach more people, so that those people can follow and learn, too. We wonder if the disciples feel uncomfortable about going out to teach, away from Jesus. They know people want Jesus, not them. In the Gospel reading for this

Matthew 10.26-33 (for the youngest children, simply verses 29-31) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that Jesus has many disciples. Disciples are people who follow Jesus and learn from him. Jesus teaches them, but he also sends them out with a buddy so that they can tell other people about the Kingdom of God. In the reading for this Sunday, Jesus prepares his disciples to go out. Some of them worry about going away from Jesus. Two times he tells them to have no fear—

Matthew 9.36 - 10.8 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Wherever Jesus goes, people follow—crowds of people, so many people! They want so much to be near him. They want to listen to what he says. In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear how Jesus feels about these crowds of people who come to him. “When he saw the crowds, Jesus had compassion for them…” Jesus has compassion for them… What does that mean? Compassion means Jesus knows how the crowds feel and he understands that f

John 6.51-59 (full reading). For the youngest child, we read only verse 51. Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd to help us understand who he is. But Jesus has other ways of helping us understand him. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells us a little more about who he is. We can put this new information beside what we already know about the Good Shepherd so that we understand even more. Listen: I am the living bread that cam

John 3.16-18 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear Jesus speaking to a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus seems to have a question deep in his heart: "Who are you, God?" Nicodemus knows Jesus, but he wants to know more. Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Jesus begins with God. God loves the world—the mountains, the oceans, the lakes

Acts 2.1-11 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday is a new feast. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. We call this feast Pentecost, and the colour of the feast is red. Last Sunday, we heard about Jesus returning to God in heaven. Before he goes, he asks his disciples to go and make new disciples in all countries of the earth. How can they do this, if they do not speak all the languages of the earth? This Sunday we find out what happens next. When the day of

Matthew 28.16-20 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that after Jesus dies and rises to new life, never to die again, he spends forty days appearing to his disciples. They talk with him, eat with him, and spend time rejoicing with him that his Risen life will never end. After forty days, Jesus returns to his Father in heaven. We call this the Ascension into heaven. "Ascend" means to rise from a lower level to a higher level. Jesus has already risen from ordinary life

John 14.15-21 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday we listened to Jesus remind the disciples that the Good Shepherd goes ahead of his sheep. Jesus tells them that he will go ahead to prepare a place in his Father's house so that they can be together. He says these things because the disciples are upset. They do not want him to leave them. Jesus knows this, and he knows that they are still worried. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus continues to reassure them--to

John 14:1-12 (read verses 1-4 for the 3-6 year old) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection The reading for this Sunday goes back to the moment of the Last Supper that Jesus eats with his friends before he dies and rises to new life. At the supper, his disciples begin to realize that Jesus will die soon and this upsets them. They do not want him to die; they want him to stay with them. They do not understand—yet—that he will rise to new life, never to die again. Jesus tells them,

John 10:1-10 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Here it is, our favourite parable! On the fourth Sunday of Easter each year, the church listens to Jesus tell us all that he is the Good Shepherd. It is a long parable, so each year we look very closely at just one part of it. What does the Good Shepherd do? He calls his own sheep The Good Shepherd has sheep of his own—they belong to him. He calls them, and they are his. How does he call them? He calls his own sheep by name He

Luke 24.13-35 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection The feast continues! We celebrate the feast of Jesus dying and rising to new life, never to die again, for seven Sundays! On this third Sunday of Easter, the Gospel again takes place in the afternoon of the very day that Jesus rises from the dead, full of the new life of God. Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these thi

John 20:19- 22 (full reading John 20:19-31) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that early in the morning, after Jesus rises from the dead, Mary Magdalene sees Jesus in the garden. He calls her by name and then she knows—Jesus is Risen to new life, never to die again. Jesus tells her to go and tell the disciples, so she does. The Gospel reading for this Sunday begins in the evening of that very same day that Jesus rises from the dead never to die again. When it wa

John 20:1-18 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that Jesus died on the cross and now he is Risen to new life, never to die again. We have known this for a long time. In fact, we have always known it, have we not? In the Gospel for Easter Sunday—the first Sunday of the Easter season—we hear about the first person to know that Jesus is Risen. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb It is Sunday, the first day of t

Matthew 26:17-20, 26-30 (full reading: Matthew 26.14 - 27.66 ) (Adults, the VERY abbreviated reading is for the 3-6 year old. The full reading is for your reference only.) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. It is the most holy week of the church year. The Church takes a whole week to think in a particular way about the events of Jesus' dying and rising to new life. Some people—adults, mostly —like to look at one event at a time

John 11.3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45 (full reading: John 11.1-45 ) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Lent, we hear about a family whom Jesus loves. There are two sisters—Martha and Mary—and a brother named Lazarus. At the beginning of the reading, Jesus learns that Lazarus has become very sick. The sisters of Lazarus sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already

John 9.1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38 (full reading: John 9.1-41 ) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know things about Jesus. We know that he is the Light of the World. He says, I am the Light of the World (John 8:12, 9:5) We know that he is the Good Shepherd. He says, I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) We know these things because Jesus says so. But we also know these things because of what Jesus does . Jesus does so. In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, the fourth Sunda

John 4.5-15 (full reading: John 4.5-42 ) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We have had two Sundays of Lent; now we come to the third one. On this Sunday, we hear about Jesus taking a break after walking from one town to another on a very hot day. We know what happens when we walk or work or play in the hot sun. We get tired and thirsty. We need rest and water. Does this happen to Jesus, too? So Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar... Jacob’s well was there, and Je

Matthew 17.1-9 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel this Sunday, we hear Jesus take three of his best friends away by themselves. At first it seems like an ordinary day, an ordinary hike up a mountain. But, while they are there, Jesus suddenly looks different: And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Jesus is still Jesus, but his face shines just like the sun! How bright that must be! We know th

Matthew 4.1-11 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We will notice at church this week that the colour changes! Instead of green, the priest wears purple . We arrive in the season of Lent, a time of preparation for the great feast of Easter. At Easter, we will celebrate Jesus dying and rising to new life, never to die again! But before we celebrate, we prepare . There will be six purple Sundays to prepare for the feast. This first Sunday of Lent , we hear about what happen

Matthew 5.17, 20-24, 27-28, 33-34, 37++ full reading: Matthew 5.17-37 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, the Gospel reading this week speaks about how to live righteously. 3-6 year olds are at a stage of enjoying the gift of relationship with God, and we ought not to rush them into a moral reflection on what to do to remain in that relationship. This reflection, therefore, focuses on Jesus's voice as he speaks to the people—he who is the Word made flesh.) So

Matthew 5:13 -16 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus speaks about light . We know a lot about light . The light of a candle is beautiful. It catches our attention. We like to watch the flame. The light helps us to see. What does Jesus want us to know about light ? Jesus says, You are the light of the world. Who ? You are the light of the world. Us? How can we be light ? Do we catch people's attention? Do we help people to see?

Matthew 5:1-12 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n We know that in the Bible, Jesus walks from town to town teaching about the Kingdom of God . People follow him because they love to hear his voice. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus takes a break from walking. He sits down. But Jesus does not stop teaching about the Kingdom of God . Oh no. The people still get to listen to his voice. When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his dis

Matthew 4:12-23 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is called the Sunday of the Word of God. When we do not read words, we need someone's voice to speak them or sign them to us. Jesus writes down no words. He does not need us to read. He needs us to listen to his voice. In the Gospel, we hear Jesus use his voice to call to four people. We can count them: Simon, Andrew, James, John. One, two, three, four—four names. Simon and Andrew are brothers from one fa

John 1:29-34 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Once again, this Sunday, we hear about John the Baptist. We might remember that John the Baptist is a cousin to Jesus. Jesus' mother, Mary, and John the Baptist's mother, Elizabeth, are cousins (Luke 1:36). That means their children are cousins, too. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus and John the Baptist are both grown-up men. Jesus comes to John to get baptized. The next day, when John the Baptist sees Jesus again,

Matthew 3.13-17 Click here to listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is the last of the three Sundays celebrating the feast of Christmas—the feast of Jesus, the Great Light, coming into the world. In the Gospel readings for the first two Sundays of Christmas, Jesus is just a baby, but in the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus is a grown-up man. He comes to get baptized in the river Jordan. Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. Wh

Matthew 2.13-15 , 19-23 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel reading this Sunday, we hear about trouble. Some strange visitors come to see Jesus. After they leave, the trouble begins. Trouble makes us feel uncomfortable. What does God do in times of trouble? Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you Jesus' family must leav

Matthew 1:18-24 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday, we light the fourth candle on the Advent wreath. The feast of Christmas is so near, the feast of Jesus the Light coming into the world. We know that Mary is Jesus' mother, and her husband's name is Joseph. On this Sunday, we hear how Joseph finds out—even before he marries Mary—that Jesus will soon be born. Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to

Matthew 11.2-11 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, this reflection focuses on the last line of the Gospel.) This Sunday we light the third candle of the Advent wreath. It is the pink candle. Pink is the colour for joy . We wonder—why joy ? Last Sunday, we heard John the Baptist prepare the people of Israel for Jesus who comes. This Sunday, Jesus talks about John the Baptist. The people wonder if John the Baptist is a prophet. Jesus says, A prophet? Yes, I t

Matthew 3.1-12 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday talks about repentance in the sense of turning from sin which our 3-6-year olds are not needing yet. However, the deeper reality, the reason why we repent is the essential point they need to hear, I think.) In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear about John the Baptist who is a cousin of Jesus. John the Baptist prepares the people of Israel for Jesus who comes. Jesus comes to speak ab

Matthew 24.37-44 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday involves images that are incomprehensible for little people. This reflection focuses on only the last verse and listens to the first reading from the prophet Isaiah.) This Sunday, the Church begins a new season. Each time the season changes, so does the colour. For weeks and weeks, the colour was green—the priests wore green, the banners in the church were green—but today everything

Luke 23.35-43 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, with 3-6 year olds we never mention Jesus' death without in the same breath proclaiming the Resurrection. Young children are not yet sinful, and the suffering of Jesus, the one they love, is horrific. We never leave the young child in the darkness—we always move to the reality of the light—we always proclaim the Good News.) This Sunday is a special feast day for Jesus. We call it the feast of Christ the King. Ch

Luke 21.5-19 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, this Gospel speaks of end-times and the cost of discipleship-—two topics that are beyond the needs and questions of the 3-6 year old child. This reflection focuses on the first two verses and on the gift to God that endures, which ties into the last verse of this reading.) When we listen to the Word of God, we often hear about Jerusalem, the most holy city in Israel. Within Jerusalem, the most holy place is the T

John 2.13-25 (for the 3-6 yr old, just verses 13-16) Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, to celebrate the Passover meal, the most holy meal for the Jewish people. He goes to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover because Jerusalem is the most holy city in Israel. It is holy because on the highest hill is the Temple, and in the Temple is God. The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In

Luke 7.11-17 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is a special day. We think in a particular way about people who died. We know a little bit about dying. We know that seeds fall to the ground and die. New life grows out of the death of those seeds. So we know that death is part of life. But what does Jesus know about death? Photo by Osama Khan on Unsplash As Jesus approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. Where are the people

Luke 18.9-14 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, this week we hear another moral parable. Our 3-6 year olds do not need to hear this yet. But as small little people, they know how to be in right-relationship with God.) In the Word of God, we often hear about prayer. We know that prayer is listening to God and talking to God. We know that we can pray with our words and we can pray with our bodies, too. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells a parable about t

Luke 18:1-8 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, petitionary prayer is not natural to 3-6 year olds. Their prayer is characterized by thanksgiving and praise. This reflection focuses on how our lives can be prayer.) In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells us something about prayer. Some people say that prayer is "talking to God." That is true—prayer can be talking to God. But we have to wonder if prayer is only talking to God. "Jesus told them a parable ab

Luke 17.11-19 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear about ten people who are sick who ask...

Luke 17.5-10 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus' friends want him to give them something. We...

Luke 16.19-31 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, the parable in the Gospel for this Sunday does not have much to say to...

Luke 1 6:10-13 (full reading: Luke 16 .1-13 ) Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus speaks a...

John 3.1 3-17 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is a feast day called the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the...

Luke 14:25-33 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n So many times when we listen to the Bible, we hear about people following Jesus....

Luke 14:1, 7-14 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus eats a meal at the home of one of the...

Luke 13.22-30 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (Adults, for our youngest children, we spend time enjoying the relationship...