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Hello, good people :)
After 7 years of publishing The Better Part, I am ready to stop.
As many of you probably recognize, the reflections simply repeat every three years, following the calendar of the Church. Using the search bar above, you can type in the Sunday you are looking for (eg. 20th Sunday) and the reflections that match will show up. Until Advent 2026, you are looking for "year A" reflections.
The podcast will continue. You can find it on most Podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean).
God bless you all and the children you serve.
Paula
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Invited to the Celebration!
(Adults, once again, this is a difficult Gospel to share with little ones. There are frightening images. But if we strip the parable...
thebetterpart
Oct 7, 20202 min read
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 6-9): Who Wouldn't Come?
(Adults, here we are again with a difficult parable! For the 6-9 year old, who is beginning an exploration of the moral life, this...
thebetterpart
Oct 7, 20203 min read
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Kingdom Clothing
(Another warning this week! The parable in the Gospel is another difficult one. Read it through first, or ask someone to read it to you....
thebetterpart
Oct 7, 20205 min read
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): The Lord's Doing
(Adults, I don't mind saying that it was EXTREMELY difficult for me to find in this Sunday's Gospel the face of God that the youngest...
thebetterpart
Sep 30, 20202 min read
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 6-9): The Plan of the Landowner
(Adults, the parable in this Sunday's Gospel is upsetting, to be followed by an even more upsetting one next week--yikes! This reflection...
thebetterpart
Sep 30, 20204 min read
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Fruit for Joy
(A warning this week: the parable in the Gospel is a difficult one. Read it first, or ask someone to read it to you. The Word is meant to...
thebetterpart
Sep 30, 20204 min read
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): The Good Voice
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday considers moral behaviour. For the youngest children it is important that they know for whom they are...
thebetterpart
Sep 23, 20202 min read
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 6-9): Saying and Doing the Will
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
thebetterpart
Sep 23, 20203 min read
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-11): The Author of Our Actions
(Begin by reading the Gospel. Sometimes it is good to have someone read it to you. The Word is meant to be heard.) Matthew 21.28-32 Often...
thebetterpart
Sep 23, 20204 min read
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Who is this Landowner?
(Adults, the Gospel reading this week is a parable that I would not choose to share with 3-6 year olds who are not concerned with labour...
thebetterpart
Sep 16, 20203 min read
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 6-9): Everyone is Needed
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
thebetterpart
Sep 16, 20203 min read
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): An Abundance of Joy
(Begin by reading the Gospel. Sometimes it is good to have someone read it to you. The Word is meant to be heard.) Matthew 20.1-16 In the...
thebetterpart
Sep 16, 20205 min read
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Perfect and Even More than Perfect
(Adults, the Gospel reading this week is about mercy and forgiveness, both incommensurable gifts from God. The young child, not yet at...
thebetterpart
Sep 9, 20202 min read
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 6-9): Perfecty-Perfect
(Adults, the Gospel reading this week includes both a maxim (vv. 21-22) of Jesus and a parable (vv. 23-35). The parable requires quite a...
thebetterpart
Sep 9, 20203 min read
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): A Colossal Shift
(Begin by reading the Gospel. Sometimes it is good to have someone read it to you. The Word is meant to be heard.) Matthew 18.21-34 Last...
thebetterpart
Sep 9, 20205 min read
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Using Our Words
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
thebetterpart
Sep 5, 20204 min read
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 6-9): Problem solving
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
thebetterpart
Sep 5, 20204 min read
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): The Power of the Community
(Begin by reading the Gospel. Sometimes it is good to have someone read it to you. The Word is meant to be heard.) Matthew 18.15-20 Jesus...
thebetterpart
Sep 5, 20205 min read
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Death is Not the End
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
thebetterpart
Aug 29, 20202 min read
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 6-9): Peter's Choice
(Adults, begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to the...
thebetterpart
Aug 29, 20203 min read
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): What Will They Give in Return for Their Life?
(Begin by reading the Gospel. Sometimes it is good to have someone read it to you. The Word is meant to be heard.) Matthew 16.21-27 Last...
thebetterpart
Aug 29, 20204 min read
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Naming Jesus
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
thebetterpart
Aug 22, 20202 min read
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 6-9): Given to Peter, Given to Us
(Adults, begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child.) Matthew 16.13-20 The Gospel for this Sunday occurs after the disciples have...
thebetterpart
Aug 22, 20203 min read
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Working Through Our Faith
(Begin by reading the Gospel. Sometimes it is good to have someone read it to you. The Word is meant to be heard.) Matthew 16.13-20 At...
thebetterpart
Aug 22, 20204 min read
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