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Reflections for 9-12 year olds
Christ The King (Ages 9-12): Anointed Like Him
Luke 23.35-43 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is the last Sunday of the Church year. The year ends with a feast—Christ the King. The Gospel reading for this Sunday takes us to the moment of the crucifixion. It seems a little strange that the celebration of Christ the King should include scripture about Jesus dying on the cross. Would it not make more sense to celebrate the Resurrection? Why proclaim his death? And the people stood by, watching; but the l
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11 hours ago3 min read
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): All and Each
Luke 21.5-19 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus seems to take a perfectly ordinary conversation and turn it upside down. When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” Jesus' disciples seem to praise the beautiful Temple built for Go
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Nov 153 min read
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Ages 9-12): A Two-Part Cleansing
John 2.13-25 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday, we celebrate the oldest Catholic basilica found in Rome. A basilica is an impressive palace-like church that stands as a reminder of the glory of God. In the Gospel reading, Jesus arrives at the Temple in Jerusalem to pray. Like our basilicas, the Temple stands as a visible dwelling place for the invisible God whose great mercy brought the people out of slavery to freedom. The Passover of the Jews was nea
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Nov 85 min read
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day, Ages 9-12): Uniting the Living and the Dead
Luke 7.11-17 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Each year we celebrate All Saints Day on November 1st and then All Souls Day on November 2nd. On All Saints, we remember the crowd of people that the Church knows for sure are filled with the Risen Life of God. On All Souls, we remember the crowds of people who died before us. We begin this month, the last month of the Church year, thinking about death. Why? Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large
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Nov 15 min read
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): The Jesus Prayer
Luke 18.9-14 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells another parable about prayer. We know that prayer is conversation with God, both listening and speaking. Conversation deepens relationships. This parable, then we can say, is about relationship with God . “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The people listening to Jesus know Pharisees and tax collectors. Pharisees are good people
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Oct 213 min read
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Deeper Knowing
Luke 18:1-8 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells us a parable about prayer. We know there are different kinds of prayer, different reasons for praying. We can pray in thanksgiving for the blessings we enjoy. We can praise God, telling all the world how great and good God is. The kind of prayer that most people know, though, is prayers of petition or intercession—asking for God's help for ourselves or for someone else. This is th
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Oct 173 min read
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): For A Moment
Luke 17.11-19 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Much of the time, Jesus preaches to the people about the Kingdom of God. He...
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Oct 113 min read
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Not For Thanks
Luke 17.5-10 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Sometimes, the things that Jesus says just seem wonky. In the Gospel for this...
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Oct 33 min read
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Holy Obligation
Luke 16.19-31 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells another parable. This is his best way...
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Sep 244 min read
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Acting Shrewdly
Luke 16 .1-13 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells an odd parable about a manager who did...
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Sep 173 min read
Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Ages 9-12): Time To Become
John 3.1 3-17 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. To...
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Sep 125 min read
23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Plans For The Kingdom
Luke 14:25-33 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells the large crowds of people following...
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Sep 64 min read
22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): We Are Invited
Luke 14:1, 7-14 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus gathers with a bunch of people for...
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Aug 302 min read
21st Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Hands Free
Luke 13.22-30 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells a parable about entering the Kingdom...
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Aug 214 min read
20th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): ÷÷÷Jesus Stresses Out÷÷÷
Luke 12:49-53 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Usually, we think about Jesus being calm and in control. He is the man of peace,...
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Aug 133 min read
19th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Our Treasure
Luke 12.32- 40 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n Jesus looks around at his small band of followers. How much he loves this little...
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Aug 63 min read
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Right and Just
Luke 12.13-21 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n The Gospel for this Sunday has a shocking beginning. Someone asks Jesus for help...
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Aug 13 min read
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Just Ask! (and keep on asking)
Luke 11.1-13 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n In order to have a relationship with someone, we know that we have to spend time...
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Jul 234 min read
16th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Head and Heart
Luke 10.38-42 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n (I consider this Sunday the feast day of this website. When you read the...
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Jul 183 min read
15th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Who Would Jesus Choose?
Luke 10.25-37 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n The Gospel for this Sunday contains one of Jesus' most famous parables. Knowing...
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Jul 114 min read
14th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Living Vocation
Luke 10.1-12, 17-20 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n One of the great things about Jesus is that there is no difference between...
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Jul 24 min read
Solemnity of Saint Peter and Paul (Ages 9-12): Working Through Our Faith
Matthew 16.13- 19 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n At the beginning of the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus asks the disciples two...
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Jun 284 min read
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Ages 9-12): Whose Feast Is This?
Luke 9.11b-17 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Body and the Blood of Christ. A feast...
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Jun 213 min read
Trinity Sunday (Ages 9-12): One Step At A Time
John 16.12-15 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that all God desires is to gather us all together into God—for the Kingdom of...
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Jun 143 min read
Pentecost Sunday (Ages 9-12): Each Of Us
Acts 2.1-11 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday is Pentecost, when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the...
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Jun 63 min read
The Feast of the Ascension (Ages 9-12): Everything Must Be Fulfilled
Luke 24.44-53 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Soon we will reach the end of the forty-nine days of the Easter season and soon we...
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May 304 min read
Sixth Sunday of Easter (Ages 9-12): Fruit of the Spirit
John 14.23-29 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday we celebrate the sixth Sunday of Easter. The season of Easter continues...
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May 233 min read
5th Sunday of Easter (Ages 9-12): Glorify God
John 13.1,31-33a, 34-35 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Continuing to celebrate the Resurrection on this fifth Sunday of Easter, we...
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May 163 min read
Good Shepherd Sunday (Ages 9-12): Fall In Love
John 10.27-30 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Every year on the fourth Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Jesus the Good Shepherd. Many...
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May 83 min read
3rd Sunday of Easter (Ages 9-12): Signs By The Sea
John 21.1-19 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection On this third Sunday of Easter we hear another Resurrection account from the Gospel of...
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May 26 min read
2nd Sunday of Easter (Ages 9-12): A New Creation of Community
John 20:19-31 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel reading for this second Sunday of Easter has two parts. It begins on the...
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Apr 244 min read
Easter Sunday (Ages 9-12): Things Seen and Unseen
John 20:1-18 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection For many of us, this is a favourite Gospel passage. However, the closer we look at it,...
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Apr 195 min read
Passion (Palm) Sunday (Ages 9-12): Daughters of Jerusalem
Luke 23:26-56 (full reading: Luke 22.14 - 23.56 ) Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday marks the beginning...
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Apr 124 min read
5th Sunday of Lent (Ages 9-12): Misery Meets Mercy
John 8.1-11 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that sin makes us miserable. Sins are the choices we make—some that...
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Apr 24 min read
4th Sunday of Lent (Ages 9-12): Our Family
Luke 15.1-3, 11-32 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells a parable that is a...
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Mar 296 min read
3rd Sunday of Lent (Ages 9-12): Unless and Until
Luke 13:1-9 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel for this Sunday begins with someone telling Jesus about the...
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Mar 193 min read
2nd Sunday of Lent (Ages 9-12): Connect the Dots
Luke 9.28b-36 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection Every year, on the second Sunday of Lent, we hear about the...
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Mar 114 min read
1st Sunday of Lent (Ages 9-12): Prayer of Preparation
Luke 4.1-13 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection On Wednesday, the church entered Lent , the time of preparation for the...
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Feb 284 min read
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Treasure and Fruit
Luke 6:39-45 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection For the last few weeks, we heard our call to be prophets for God. God...
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Feb 284 min read
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Merciful Givers
Luke 6:27-38 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last week, we heard Jesus call the twelve apostles to be prophets . We...
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Feb 224 min read
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Blessed Are You Prophets
Luke 6:17, 20-26 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel for this Sunday begins with Jesus coming down from a...
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Feb 144 min read
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): Work Enough For All
Luke 5.1-11 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear about the moment when Simon Peter...
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Feb 84 min read
Presentation of the Lord (Ages 9-12): Living the Law of the Lord
Luke 2.22-40 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is February 2nd, exactly forty days after Christmas Day. For...
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Jan 313 min read
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): To Proclaim and To Do
Luke 1.1-4; 4.14-21 Click here to listen to the Gospel and Reflectio n Although we listen each week to the Word of God, this Sunday we...
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Jan 254 min read
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 9-12): The Seventh Jar
John 2.1-12 Click here to listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n The reading for this Sunday is called the Wedding at Cana. This...
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Jan 174 min read
Baptism of the Lord (Ages 9-12): Soaking Up The Love
Luke 3.15-16, 21-22 Click here to listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n At the close of the Christmas season, we leave the secret...
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Jan 114 min read
Feast of the Epiphany (Ages 9-12): God Leads Us
Matthew 2.1-12 Click here to listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. Epiphany...
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Jan 35 min read
Feast of the Holy Family (Ages 9-12): Taking Ownership
Luke 2.41-52 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n The feast has arrived and has only just begun! For three Sundays, we celebrate...
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Dec 27, 20244 min read
4th Sunday of Advent (Ages 9-12): At The Sound of Her Voice
Luke 1.39-45 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n This Sunday is the fourth and last Sunday of Advent. Soon we will celebrate our...
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Dec 19, 20244 min read
3rd Sunday of Advent (Ages 9-12): Gaudete!
Luke 3.10-18 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflectio n We call this Sunday " Gaudete Sunday." Gaudete is a Latin word that means...
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Dec 12, 20244 min read
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