Fifth Sunday of the Year [CYCLE B]

MAIN MESSAGE
[This is for reference only. Please do not read it at Mass]

The liturgy of the Word shows us Christ bringing the Good News in a very tangible way:
through healing and deliverance.
We human beings are broken and weak in body and spirit. Christ comes to heal us and ‘lift us
up’ as he did Simon’s mother-in-law.
We tell the children the true life story of a lady who experienced healing from a painful
childhood memory. We encourage them to turn to Jesus for healing, especially for ‘inner’ healing of
painful memories. As God brings us wholeness, we serve him all the more, just as the woman in the
Gospel did.

INTRODUCTION:
Celebrant: Children, can you remember a time when you were sick and in bed? You couldn’t go to
school, or out to play with your friends. Maybe you had fever and your head hurt a lot. Your Daddy or
Mummy may have taken you to the doctor to get some medicines to make you well.
When Jesus began his work there were many sick people around. They would ask him to help them
and Jesus would touch them and make them well. We’ll hear more about this in today’s readings.

LITURGY OF THE WORD:

Commentator: There was a man called Job who was very
sick. His body was covered with itching boils. In this
reading he tells his friends how much he is suffering. Later,
God makes him well and happy again.
First Reading: Job 7:1-4, 6-7.

Psalm: 147: 1, 4, 5 &7.

Commentator: Listen now to the Gospel. You will find out

who Jesus lifted up from the sick bed, as you can see in the
poster.
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39.

Homily:
Celebrant:
• Who was the woman who Jesus healed?
[Simon Peter’s mother-in law.]
She had fever and must have been feeling very sick and
weak. But as Jesus took her hand and helped her to sit up,
 strength entered her body. The pain and the fever left her and she felt totally well. At once she got up
and made a meal for her wonderful guest.
• When her neighbours saw her well and strong and heard her story, they started telling all their friends
about Jesus. Soon there was a huge crowd of people around Peter’s house, carrying their sick friends
and family. Jesus was better than any doctor in the world. His touch made fever go, blind people see
again, lame legs walk again.
• He did something even better: He healed people from the inside. He freed them from the hurts and sins
in their hearts. He made them happy inside.
• I would like to tell you a story about a little girl called Erica. This is a true story.
When Erica was 5 years old, she had gone with her family to stay at her granny’s house in the
Nilgiri Mountains. Some of her cousins were also there at the time.
One day, her uncle said, “Come Erica, I’ll take you to see the tea-gardens. But let’s go quietly and
quickly, before your cousins see us. I can’t look after all of them.”
Erica was thrilled, because she loved her uncle and she loved to go out with him. But… bad luck!
Just as they were going out of the gate, her cousins saw them and shouted, “We’re also coming!” Erica’s
uncle saw them and just went off by himself, leaving Erica behind.
How disappointed she was! She sat down and cried and screamed. Her granny heard her from the
house and called out to her to come inside, but she wouldn’t listen. Another uncle came to bring her in,
but she just kept crying and sent her uncle’s hat flying in the wind. At last he picked her up and carried
her into the house.
When Erica saw her granny’s face, she stopped crying at once. But by now her granny was very,
very, angry. She called all the family into the room and then took out her stick. She made Erica bend
down and began to beat her, saying, “Now cry, since you like to cry so much!” At first the little girl just
kept her mouth shut tight, but after a while she burst out crying.
From that day on, Erica hated her granny. Whenever she thought of her, she remembered how she
had beaten her, and she felt very, very angry and hurt. Her heart felt as if there was a burning rock inside.
Erica grew up and got married, but the hurt remained in her heart. Then one day, as she was praying she
said, “Jesus, please heal my heart. Take away this hurt and anger. I don’t want it to spoil my life.”
At that moment a strange thing happened. Erica suddenly felt as if she was a little girl again. She
was dressed in a long-sleeved blue dress and had a fringe and pigtails. She could see her granny in front
of her with a stick and all the others standing and looking. Then she saw Jesus coming and bending down
to take her beating.
“No, Jesus, no!” she shouted, pushing Jesus aside. “It’s my punishment. I was the naughty one,
not you!” But Jesus took her beating. Then he stood up and picked her up. He put her on one arm and
looked at her lovingly, “Erica, did you ever say sorry to Granny?”
Erica understood what Jesus wanted. Straight away she said, “Granny, sorry for making such a
fuss and for not listening to you.” Suddenly Erica was back in the present. Her heart felt light and happy.
The big stone had gone away. “Thank you Jesus!” she cried out, “You have healed my heart! I want to
love you and serve you always!”

• Jesus is a wonderful healer. When you are sick in your body, or in your heart, go to him and ask him to
heal you. Listen to what he says to you, and do it. And like Erica and Simon’s mother-in-law, try to
serve Jesus as best you can.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS PREPARATION REQUIRED:

ENTRANCE: O O O How Good is the Lord • Practice the readings.

OFFERTORY: My Life is in You Lord • Make poster and put up.
COMMUNION: He’s the Saviour of My Soul… Healer
RECESSIONAL: Jesus Took My Burdens
 FIR ST REA DING : A reading from the book of Job.
Job answered his friend and said:
Life on earth is slavery! We spend our days like labourers.
I am only a slave in search of shade, a labourer waiting for his wages.
Each month of my life is meaningless, and all of my nights are miserable.
While lying in bed I ask, “How long before time to get to get up?”
The night drags slowly on, as I toss and turn until the sun rises.
My days fly by more swiftly than the needle of a weaver, and they end without hope.
Remember that my life is only a breath, and I will never be happy again.
This is the Word of the Lord.

PSALM : Response: Praise the Lord, who hea ls the broken -hearted.

Shout praises to the Lord! Our He decided how many stars there Our Lord is great and powerful!
God is kind, would be in the sky He understands everything.
and it is right and good and gave each one a name. Celebrate and sing!
to sing praises to him. Play your harps
for the Lord out God.

ACCLA MA TION : Alleluia, alleluia. Christ bore our sickness,

and endured our suffering. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL : A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark.

As soon as Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went home with Simon
and Andrew. When they got there, Jesus was told that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in
bed with fever. Jesus went to her. He took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her,
and she served them a meal.
That evening after sunset, all who were sick or had demons in them were brought to
Jesus. In fact, the whole town gathered around the door of the house. Jesus healed all
kinds of terrible diseases and cast out many demons. The demons knew who he was, so
he did not let them speak.
Very early the next morning Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone
and pray. Simon and the others started looking for him. And when they found him, they
said, “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “We must go to the nearby towns, so
that I can tell the good news to those people. This is why I have come.”
Then Jesus went to synagogues everywhere in Galilee, where he preached and cast out
demons.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.

NB. All Readings are taken from the ‘Lectionary for Masses with Children’ canonically approved for use in the USA.