20-second Summary
You are a Prophet!
What? Don’t you wish you could tell the future! But to be a prophet is not about telling the future. Somewhere we all lost that definition of “prophet” and “prophecy”. If you are a baptized Christian, you are a prophet – believe it or not! In this week’s lesson, we see Ezekiel and Paul as they sacrifice to share the Truth. And we see Jesus fail to convert others, though He is sharing the Truth. He is sharing himself and some still do not believe! Sound familiar? The activity is a short discussion idea that is perfect for the dinner table. Or the car. And we learn a new word: Kerygma.
We are Called to be Prophets
First Reading
As the LORD spoke to me, the spirit entered into me
and set me on my feet,
and I heard the one who was speaking say to me:
Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites,
rebels who have rebelled against me;
they and their ancestors have revolted against me to this very day.
Hard of face and obstinate of heart
are they to whom I am sending you.
But you shall say to them: Thus says the LORD GOD!
And whether they heed or resist—for they are a rebellious house—
they shall know that a prophet has been among them.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (2cd) Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
To you I lift up my eyes
who are enthroned in heaven —
As the eyes of servants
are on the hands of their masters.
R. Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
As the eyes of a maid
are on the hands of her mistress,
So are our eyes on the LORD, our God,
till he have pity on us.
R. Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
Have pity on us, O LORD, have pity on us,
for we are more than sated with contempt;
our souls are more than sated
with the mockery of the arrogant,
with the contempt of the proud.
R. Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
Second Reading
Brothers and sisters:
That I, Paul, might not become too elated,
because of the abundance of the revelations,
a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan,
to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.
Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me,
but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness.”
I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,
in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and constraints,
for the sake of Christ;
for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Gospel Reading
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
When this week is no longer the current Mass, the readings for the Mass can be found here
[will open a new tab or window].
Catechesis At Home – Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B
We are Called to be a Prophet
DISCUSSION – What Does It Mean to Be a Prophet
What is a prophet? Sometimes we misunderstand this word thinking it is someone who can tell the future. A prophet is actually a person who relates to others what God has spoken to them. In today’s first reading, Ezekiel is tasked with speaking God’s Word to the Israelites, who have turned away from God. Not an easy thing to do – tell someone they are going the wrong direction in their lives. St. Paul in the second reading tells us how painful it is to be in the situation of preaching the Good News and suffering persecution because of it. And Jesus, in the Gospel, can’t even do it with the people he grew up with in Nazareth, because they know him as “the carpenter”, not a prophet or much less the Son of God!
When we are baptized we are not only made children of God, but also anointed into Christ’s ministry as priest, prophet and king. At Confirmation, our anointing with the Oil of Chrism a second time solidifies and brings to fullness this vocation. We are called to proclaim the Word of God to others. It is not always easy or convenient to do so. Sometimes it is dangerous to do. We must be ready and willing to do the hard things. God gives us the strength and grace, we need to use it and cooperate with it. Some of us are called to preach and evangelize publicly like Ezekiel and St. Paul. Others of us are called to preach and evangelize within our own circle of influence – parents and children, for example, are called to do this for each other. When we share and live our faith at home, at the dinner table, at work, and participate in faith formation classes, youth group, Bible studies, prayer groups, or similar activities we are acting out our role as prophets. Take this to heart and also be ready to listen to the others who are prophesying in their own right as baptized Catholics.
ACTIVITY – How to Be a Prophet
Do you know the Kerygma? Kerygma is a Greek word meaning “proclamation”. It refers to the basic Gospel message – also known as the Good News. Practice with your family telling each other the Good News of Jesus Christ. Here’s an example of what you might say:
“God created us out of love, for love. Adam and Eve sinned, turned away from God and listened to Satan. Because of this, all humans have a fallen nature and cannot love perfectly anymore. In the fullness of time, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to become man so that He could save us from our sins and open heaven for us. Jesus loves us so much that He died for us, to take our place receiving the punishment we deserve for our sinfulness. He rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven where He will judge us at the end of our lives. In order to go to heaven, we must accept Jesus’ gift of salvation and live according to God’s commandments: to love God above everyone and everything, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.”
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16
How can you be a prophet every day?
by Beth Cowles, MACE
HOO™ Co-Founder and Director of Faith Formation | Lead Catechist
Other Help on HOO
Discerning As A Couple – Episode 181
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:17 — 24.2MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Blubrry | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More Subscribe Options
We are not perfect.
We strive for perfection, on the road to Perfection.
As a couple, Beth and Kristofer work hard to be who we are supposed to be every day.
Sometimes we fail, and sometimes we fail spectacularly!
There is less likelihood if the couple discerns together, as one, and there is greater opportunity and possibility of forgiveness, reconciliation, and being better and doing better moving forward.
Discerning as a couple starts with some basic rules, one of which we talked about when we opened this series with the episode The No Always Wins.
As we begin this episode, we talk about Deaconate Formation as a good model to start with concerning that critical tool.
0 Comments