Fourteenth Sunday of the Year [CYCLE B]

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

God speaks to us through his prophets. Who is a prophet? Anyone who gives us God's message ..
How do we receive that message? Do we refuse to accept God's word just because the messenger is
an ordinary person - someone close to us ... or younger than us? When we reject God's prophet, we
are rejecting God Himself.
In the Gospel we see the people of Jesus' own home-town rejecting Jesus, and so they missed out
on many wonderful things happening to them.

(Before mass begins, teach the song, 'Open My Eyes ..... )

INTRODUCTION:

Celebrant: Children have you ever heard about prophets? Some people
think that a prophet is someone who tells us what will happen in the future.
But really a prophet is someone who gives us God’s message. God wants to
tell us something, and he uses a human person to give his message to us.
One thing makes God very sad. And that is that many people don’t listen
to his prophets. Do you listen to God’s prophets? Today we will try and
learn how to do this!

LITURGY OF THE WORD:

Commentator: Listen to the first reading. God talks to a man called Ezekiel
and asks him to go and talk to the people of
his country.
First Reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5.
Psalm: 86:5-6 & 16de.
Celebrant: In the Gospel, which we are just about to read, we will hear
Jesus say something about prophets. Listen carefully, and then I will ask
you What Jesus said.
Gospel: Mark 6:1-6.
Homily:
Celebrant: So, can you tell me what Jesus said about prophets?
[He said, “Prophets are honoured by others, but not by people of their own
hometown.]
Jesus himself was a prophet, because he came to give us God’s message.
But when he went to his hometown, Nazareth, the people started saying,
“He’s just one of us! We know very well that he’s just the carpenter’s son.
Why should we listen to him?” They didn’t accept him as someone great
and so he couldn’t even heal them or do any miracles for them.
Let’s watch a short act and see what it tells us about prophets.
[A short skit is enacted as follows]

Narrator: Vinay and his little sister Vinita are sitting in their balcony one evening, looking at the other
children playing down in the field.

Vinay: What a boring day! Nothing to do! No current, so I can’t even watch TV!

Vinita: Why don't you go down and join the boys in the field? You like cricket!

Vinay: No, thanks! Not when that show-off Rajiv is around. I'm not playing with him.

Vinita: Why not? What's wrong with Rajiv? He's kind to me.

Vinay: Well, I don't like him Just because his father is rich, he thinks he's too great. Last time he made
fun of my batting! He thinks he’s a big shot.

Vinita: Come on Vinu, don't be so grumpy. Just forget the past. You're missing a lot of fun.

Vinay: Oh shut up! Who do you think you are, talking so much? Just keep quiet!

Vinita: Okay, okay! Do what you want. I'm going down to play. Bye! (Runs off with a ball and cap)

Celebrant: Do you think Vinay enjoyed his evening? [No!]

Vinay said to his sister – “Who do you think you are ?” Even though she was just a little girl, his little
sister, at that moment, she was telling him something good, something that God wanted him to hear.
So at that moment she was a messenger of God, God's prophet.
How can we call her a prophet ? (Because she was speaking God's word to Vinay.) Anyone who speaks
God's word to you is, in a way, a prophet. God wanted Vinay to be humble and forgive Rajiv and have a
happy evening ... so he spoke to him through his little sister)
Now we come to the important question : Why did Vinay not realize that his sister was speaking God's
word? (Because he didn't want to listen ... because she was just his little sister, not some great person )
When God talks to us through someone, he wants to bless us, and do something good for us. If we
refuse to listen, then we miss out on a lot of happiness and blessings, just like Vinay and the people of
Nazareth. So lets try our best to listen when someone gives us advice. It may be God telling us
something. If it is good advice, listen and do what they say.
OFFERTORY:
(Lead the children to quiet down; close eyes and open their hands as a sign of openness.)

Promise God that from now on, you will be ready to receive his message, even if the prophet is an
ordinary person, someone in your own family, a friend, a sister .
SING SOFTLY : Open My Eyes, Lord .... I want to see Jesus… To reach out and touch him ....
and say that I love him .... Open my ears, Lord .... Teach me to listen .... Open my heart, Lord,
I want to love Jesus.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS PREPARATION REQUIRED:

ENTRANCE: Here We Are
OFFERTORY: Here I Lord / Speak Lord, I'm • Make two 'Question’ posters.
Listening. • Practice the Prayers of the Faithful
COMMUNION: O the Word of my Lord and readings.
RECESSIONAL: Go Prophet Go / It Takes Courage
 FIR ST REA DING : A reading from the prophet Ezekiel:
As the Lord spoke, his Spirit gave me power to stand, and I heard him say:
‘You are just a human, but I am sending you to the people of Israel. All of them have
rebelled against me, and they are still rebelling, just as their ancestors did. They are
stubborn and hardhearted.
‘But I am the Lord God, and I am sending you to speak to them in my name. They are
stubborn. So maybe they will listen and maybe they won’t. But at least they will know
that a prophet has come to them.’
This is the Word of the Lord.

PSALM : Response: Lord, you are good and forgiv ing.

You willingly forgive, You, the Lord God are kind and merciful.
and your love is always there You don’t easily get angry,
for those who pray to you. and your love can always be trusted.
Please listen, Lord! Look on me with kindness.
Answer my prayer for help. Make me strong and save me.

ALLELUIA : Alleluia, alleluia.

The spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor. Alleluia.

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

Jesus left and returned to his hometown with his disciples.
The next Sabbath he taught in the synagogue. Many of the people who heard him
were amazed an asked, ‘How did he do all this? Where did he get such wisdom and
the power to work these miracles? Isn’t he the carpenter, the son of Mary? Aren’t
James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Don’t his sisters still live here in
our town?’
The people were very unhappy because of what he was doing.
But Jesus said, ‘Prophets are honoured by others, but not by the people of their
own hometown and their relatives and their own family.’
He could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing
his hands on them. He was surprised that the people did not have any faith.
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.