Sunday Preparation

Scripture Resources for Catechists

• Opening the Word from FORMED online
• Seasonal Resources from Be My Disciples
• Cycle A, B and C Resources - from Loyola Press (2018-19 is Year C, The Gospel of Luke)
• Advent and Christmas Lectionary Meditations - Fr. James Alison
• Girardian Lectionary - comments and exegesis on the Sunday Scriptures
• Lesson Strategies from Be My Disciples
• Sunday Connection for this week from Loyola Press
• Finding God - the Online Catechists Helper from Loyola Press (log in required)
• Sunday Homilies - from All Saints
• Midweek Reflection (signup) - From Liturgical Publications
• The Text This Week - Lectionary, Scripture Study, Worship Links and Resources 
• Audio of Daily Mass Readings - from the USCCB
• Video Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings - from the USCCB

A new weekly Bible Study to help parishioners prepare for a fruitful celebration of the Sunday Eucharist by studying prayerfully the Sunday Scriptures. This program will also draw on documents from Bishops, Popes and the Vatican on interpreting the Scriptures. It will focus upon “The Kerygma”, that is, the proclamation of the story of Jesus which leads people to conversion of heart and Intentional Discipleship.

Each meeting will include a 'Lectio Divina' on one of the readings, letting the Scriptures speak to our hearts,  and direct us in ways both spiritual and pastoral. It will also introduce week by week various different methods of studying the Scriptures, as taught in the following Magisterial documents, and to practice applying them to the Sunday Scriptures: 

• Dei Verbum                                                      Vatican II                                                          1963
• The Historicity of the Gospels                     Pontifical Biblical Commission                    1964
• The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church                                                      PBC         1993
• The Jewish People and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible          PBC          2002
• The Bible and Morality                                  Pontifical Biblical Commission                     2008
• Verbum Domini                                              Pope Benedict XVI                                           2010
• Preaching the Mystery of Faith                   US Conference of Catholic Bishops             2012
• Homiletic Directory                                       Congregation for Divine Worship                  2015

Participants will use 'At Home With the Word' which contains the Readings for every Sunday of the year. Copies available for $7.00

In-person classes are suspended until further notice. However, people may participate thrugh Zoom on Wednesday at 7:15 PM. Email Jim Hynes if you wish to participate.
 

Date	Lectionary	Documents
Mar 18	4th Sunday of Lent	2nd and 3rd Scrutiny/HD n.73-76
Mar 25	5th Sunday of Lent	Passion Sunday/HD n.77
April   1	Palm Sunday	Holy Thursday/Good Friday/HD n.37-47
April   8	Easter Sunday	The Easter Vigil/HD n.48-56
April 15	2nd Sunday of Easter	Divine Mercy Sunday

 

 

March 29, 2020

Gospel: John 11:1-45 (the raising of Lazarus)

Girardian Lectionary
'Sunday Connection' Scripture Commentary
RCL/Benziger Gospel Reflection
FORMED Opening the Word

Question of the Week (Adults):

How does belief in the final resurrection from the dead affect your family's daily life?

Question of the Week (Children):

What do you hope for after your life on earth is ended?

Catechism Connection (Gospel):

439 - Jesus as Messiah
581 - Jesus and the Law
627 - Christ in the tomb
998-1019 - Jesus' resurrection and ours
2604 - Jesus' prayer before raising Lazarus

Saints this Week:

March 30  Saint Peter Regalado
March 31 Saint Stephen of Mar Saba
April 1  Saint Hugh of Grenoble
April 2  Blessed Elisabetta Vendramini
April 3  Saint Benedict the African patron of African Americans
April 4  Saint Isidore of Seville patron of computers, the internet< /p>

What are The Scrutinies?

The Scrutinies are Rites celebrated on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent, by those people who are preparing to be baptized at Easter, known as "The Elect". They are important and specuial rites of the Church. Whenever they are celebrated the Scripture readings of Year A of the liturgical cycle are used

The Scrutinies are described by the Church as

“rites for self-searching and repentance, which are meant to uncover, then heal, all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect; to bring out, then strengthen all that is upright, strong and good. The Scrutinies are celebrated in order to deliver the elect from the power of sin and Satan, to protect them against temptation, and to give them strength in Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. These rites, therefore, should complete the conversion of the elect and deepen their resolve to hold fast to Christ and to carry out their decision to love God above all.”

The Gospels on the three Sundays on which the Scrutinies are celebrated teach the elect about the mystery of sin, and fill them with the Spirit of Christ.

1. The first Gospel (the Samaritan Woman at the well) tells us that Christ is the Living Water,
2. the second (healing of the man born blind), that he is the Light of the World,
3. and the third, (the raising of Lazarus from the dead), that he is the Resurrection and the Life.

Jesus decribed the purpose of his mission as “To give life in abundance” (John 10:10) Each of the Gospels proclaimed in the three Scrutinies illustrates this.

The Third Scrutiny – Fifth Sunday of Lent – The Raising of Lazarus

The Third Scrutiny emphasizes Jesus as “the Resurrection and the Life” as we hear the Gospel of the raising to life of Lazarus. Jesus in his obedience to his Father has the authority to give life to whom he will. The raising of Lazarus is an anticipation of what is to take place on the last day. It means that the believer has eternal life; and has passed from death to life. It is also – again – an anticipation of what is celebrated at Easter and in Baptism, resurrection and eternal life.

The meaning for John is: Jesus in his obedience to and dependence upon the Father has the authority to give life to whom he will. The incident is a dramatic demonstration of the truth already declared in John 5.21 (“For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.”) which is itself the best commentary on the incident. The raising of Lazarus is not a piece of magic, nor even the supreme achievement of a Saint; it is an anticipation of what is to take place on the last day (an expression of what theologians call "Eschatology"). It means that the believer has eternal life; that he or she has passed from death to life.

Jesus prays, emphasizing his dependence upon the Father. Jesus can do nothing of himself but does what he sees the Father doing. The last enemy - death - is overthrown.

Note that the name Lazarus means “God helps”. The presence of Jesus effects to anticipate ‘eschatological’ events (i.e. to do with the end of the world), especially to judge and to give life. Also, the movement from death to life is the pattern experienced by all Christians, who have died already to sin and risen again in Christ, but all to be fulfilled on the last day.

With Lazarus, the ‘last day’ is being anticipated for the purpose of the sign, which demonstrates who Jesus really is, “the resurrection and the life”.

This Scrutiny celebrated on this day is primarily for the benefit of the Elect, but it reminds all the baptized of the promises God has made through Jesus of eternal life.