Family Bible Study - Feast of The Most Holy Trinity

Gospel Passage
John 16:12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear
them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the
truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears,
and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me,
because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the
Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and
declare it to you.

Questions for discussion -
1. This weekend is the Feast of the Holy Trinity. What do we mean when we
say the Trinity? (Hint: “tri = 3”)

2. Jesus sent us out to make followers of everyone, helping them to be
baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity and teaching them to do everything
He tells us. How does the Holy Spirit in the Gospel story above, help us to do
this?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry

Sunday Gospel Message - Feast of The Most Holy Trinity

The doctrine of The Most Holy Trinity is that there are three Persons; The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit who share the One Divine Nature. These three Persons existed from all eternity and are equally to be adored. What it means for us is threefold: 1) we have a Father who adopted us into His family, who calls us His beloved children, and who shares His life with us. 2) we have a big brother, Jesus, who is like us in all things, except sin, who has experienced all that we can experience, and who shows us how to handle everything. 3) we have a Holy Spirit, who enlightens us and strengthens us that we might follow the Lord Jesus and thereby, become holy and share everlasting happiness.
It is more important to experience the Holy Trinity, than to explain it!
used with permission - Msgr. Bob Lawrence

Family Bible Study - Pentecost Sunday

Scripture Passage
Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2
And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it
filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire,
appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave
them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living
in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because
each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and
astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is
it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes,
Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and
visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs — in our own
languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

Questions for discussion -
1. Why do you think the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles in the
forms of tongues of fire? Why tongues? Why fire? (Hint: think about what we
need the tongue to do and whether fire expresses passion).

2. The Holy Spirit helped the apostles to communicate with people from all
nations and languages. How do you think the Holy Spirit wants to help you
talk to others about Jesus?

3. The apostles were gathered together around Mary praying for the Holy
Spirit to come. How often do you pray with Mary’s help for the Holy Spirit to
come into your life?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry

Here's a craft for Pentecost...

Pentecost Wall Hanging Craft

To do this, you'll need:
White paper
Red Paper
Something to draw with
Cup to trace circle shapes
Scissors
Glue and tape
Stapler
Hole puncher
String or yarn

Here's what to do:
First, draw a dove(Holy Spirit)about the size of a sheet of white paper (8.5" x 11") and cut it out.
Next, Take the cup and trace seven circles on the red paper.
Write the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit on each circle.
Take the hole puncher and put a small hole on the top of each circle and on the bottom of the tail feathers and through the top of the two wings.
Tie the string or yarn from the circles to the tail feathers and through both holes of the wings so you can hang it up for the celebration of Pentecost!

Sunday Gospel Message - Pentecost Sunday

PENTECOST SUNDAY
Today is the feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the
Church. Jesus had spent His life here on earth to establish the
Church and to teach the Apostles who, in turn, would hand on
His teachings to others for all times. Just as the story of the
creation of Adam depicts God breathing “into his nostrils the
breath of life, and so man became a living being,” so the Father
gave the breath of the Holy Spirit through Jesus and, then, the
Holy Spirit gave breath and life to the Church.
The Holy Spirit continues to guide and direct the
Church, which is all of us. The giving of the Holy Spirit
transformed the lives of the early disciples. That same Holy
Spirit has been given as a gift from the Father to us to transform
us also. “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and
enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit
and we shall be created and you shall renew the face of the
earth.”
used with permission - Msgr. Bob Lawrence

Family Bible Study - Seventh Sunday of Easter

Gospel Passage
John 17:20 “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those
who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As
you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the
world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given
me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them
and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may
know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved
me. 24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be
with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you
loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, the
world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have
sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so
that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Questions for discussion -
1. In this prayer from the last Supper, Jesus is praying for all of us who would
hear and believe in the word of God through the work of the apostles. What
two things does Jesus pray for here? (Circle the two correct answers)
a) that we might be good people, liked by all
b) that we may be one, like the Holy Trinity
c) that God may glorify us
d) that we may be where Jesus is, to see his glory

2. Jesus wants us to be so united in love that the world may know that the
Father sent the Son and loves us. How would our love reflect God?

3. Jesus has revealed the Father to us so that we might live in the Father’s love.
How do we remain in the Father’s love?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry

Sunday Gospel Message - Sixth Sunday of Easter

Sixth Sunday of Easter
Jesus promised that He would give His gift of peace. Yet shortly thereafter, there was dissension in the Church, as we see in the Acts of the Apostles. However, they trusted in the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent from the Father. That Spirit guided the Apostles in their deliberations. What Jesus promised was that we could have the reassurance of His presence with us, no matter what difficulties we would face. "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid," Jesus tells us because He is with us! He sent the Holy Spirit to teach us everything and to remind us of what He told us. His presence and the gift of the Holy Spirit are what we need in our life's journey.
used with permission - Msgr. Bob Lawrence

Family Bible Study - Sixth Sunday of Easter

Gospel Passage
John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word,
and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home
with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the
word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. 25 “I
have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you
everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave
with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do
not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard
me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater
than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does
occur, you may believe.

Questions for discussion -
1. Jesus says that those who love Him keep His words; those who do not
love him, do not keep his words. Do you keep his
words? Where do you need to grow in love?

2. Jesus says the Holy Spirit helps us learn everything Jesus has said to us.
How often do you pray to the Holy Spirit to learn more about the words of
Jesus and how to follow Him?

3. What is the peace that Jesus gives us? How is it different from the peace the
“world gives”?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry

Sunday Gospel Message - Fifth Sunday of Easter

Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the word of the Lord in Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, Pisidia, Pamphylia, Perge, and Attalia; they reported to the people what God had done for them, with them, and through them. They were able to find success in their preaching in many places because of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave success to their preaching. It is the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our lives that enable us to do His work. We too are called to be disciples (followers of the Lord) and then apostles (those sent by the Lord).
used with permission - Msgr. Bob Lawrence

Family Bible Study - Fifth Sunday of Easter

Gospel Passage
John 13:31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has
been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been
glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at
once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for
me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you
cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one
another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By
this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one
another.”

Questions for Discussion -

1. Jesus’ commandment is to love one another as He loves us. How does Jesus love us? What did He do for us?

2. Jesus wants our love for each other to be so great that everyone else will be
able to know that we’re his disciples by this love. This means that our failure
to love can hurt others’ coming to the faith. What do you need to work on so
that you can love like Jesus calls you to?

3. Jesus said, “Little children, I am with you only a little longer.” What did He
mean? Where was He going?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry