Our Great Journey

Our weekly post offers prayer resources, a glimpse of the upcoming Sunday Gospel with short commentary, discussion/reflection questions and suggestions for living the Gospel. We will continue to post all through the summer.

This week our theme is “John 3:16,” based on John 3:16-18/ Juan 3:16-18.

Opening Prayer:

God, our Father, you have blessed us and bestowed on us the gift of families in different shapes and sizes. You created the family to be the image of the love and unity revealed to us in the Blessed Trinity. We commit ourselves to model that love and unity in our daily lives and in all our relationships. Guide us on our journey as we read and reflect on your holy word. Amen.

Using the Bible, invite a family member to read the Gospel aloud.

Things to talk about:

Which member of the Trinity do you typically turn to the most? Why?
Why did God send Jesus, his Son, into the world?
What examples can you think of that showed Jesus being compassionate instead of critical?
God loves us so much there is nothing he would not do have us with him. What extraordinary things would you be willing to do for the people you love?
How does a family mirror the Trinity?

Things to do:

We honor the Trinity when we make the sign of the cross. When do we make the sign of the cross at Mass?
Get a Holy water font for your home and put it by your front door or the door you use the most. Get some holy water from the baptismal font. (Ask the Mass captain at Mass if you need a clean cup to transport the holy water.) Use it to make the sign of the cross before you leave your home each day.
You can find a holy water font and holy water bottle online.
Build Your Family Tree– Make it as simple or complex as you wish. Find a template online or draw a tree with branches showing how your family is connected. Write in the roots section where you grew up or other cities where your family has roots. Start with your immediate family and expand it to your extended family. Consult with grandparents, aunts, and uncles to get as much information as possible. Be creative and have fun!

Closing Prayer

May the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us through our Baptism, shine through our interactions within our families and through our encounters with others.
May all families within our parish become hearers and followers of the word, so that our parish family might mirror the love and unity of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, Amen.

Name anyone who needs prayer, reply, “Lord, hear our prayers.” Close with the Sign of the Cross.

Catholic Insight

This week we return to the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. However; this Sunday and next, are designated as solemnities—special days that call our attention to central mysteries of our faith.

Today on Trinity Sunday we celebrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity, one God in three persons. Next week we celebrate The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

In the context of the focus on the mystery of the Holy Trinity, this Gospel calls attention to the action of God, who reveals himself in three persons: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God the Father, out of love for the world, sent his Son into the world in order to save it. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Son, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. As three persons, God acts always as a God of love; he does not condemn the world but acts to save it. There is nothing that God wouldn’t have done to create a place for us with him forever. This is a great, great love.

The Gospel calls attention to the response that is required of us. God’s love for us calls us to respond in faith by professing our belief in God’s Son, Jesus, and the salvation that he has won for us. This profession of faith is a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.