Family Reflections: What a wonderful story! Let’s imagine what it tells us about the Holy Spirit Jesus promised to send? Why do you think the disciples felt like a powerful wind was filling the house? Why do you think they saw what looked like fire coming to rest on them? What does the power of wind, or the heat and light of fire tell us about the Spirit of God? How do you think it was possible for them to be understood by people who spoke different languages? What is the language of the Holy Spirit? Who are some people you like to be around, who feel full of life? How do they help you feel safe and surrounded with joy and love? Do you think it matters what language you speak to share love or joy? To forgive someone or to show someone you are sorry? To let the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit in you speak to people who different from you?
Family Reflections: (This week combines 7th Sunday of Easter and Ascension.) Let’s imagine we’re with the disciples when Jesus “was taken up to heaven”: what was that like for you? How do you feel after you have seen the Risen Jesus? What might you say to him or ask him? What is it like to know that Jesus sends the gifts of the Holy Spirit to enable us to continue his work today? Who are some of the people doing that in our lives today? How would we describe their gifts? Can we share what we see are our own special gifts of the Spirit? Especially talents others see in us that we may not feel we have. How might we grow and share those gifts? …In our families, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods? How might the Spirit be helping us to live as children of a loving Father, life-giving Creator?
Family Reflections: Sunday’s readings focus on the Spirit guiding the followers of Jesus after he returns to his Father. Can we share how we might have responded to what Jesus told his disciples about his Father sending the Holy Spirit? …How the Spirit will teach us everything? …That we should not be afraid, to let our hearts be at peace? Can we share what our fears might be? What is it like for each of us to look to Jesus for help in overcoming our fears? The disciples reached out to one another for support and guidance; how we do that in our family? In our faith community? How do we help one another when we are afraid of being left out, in need of food or shelter or health care? Can we listen in our hearts to what the Spirit of Jesus might be telling us to do?
Family Reflections: This Sunday’s readings focus on the heart of Christian life: God is Love…and to share in God’s Life is to share God’s Love. Can we imagine we are with Jesus when he said, “Love one another as I love you?” How might the disciples have responded? How might they have felt? Who do we feel? How do you think Paul and Barnabas shared the story of Jesus and his love for us? Can we share what it is like for us to do what Jesus said? To love and to be loved as Jesus loves us? How can we make the love story of Jesus happen in our lives? Can we share our stories of loving and being loved? Can we share what might keep us from loving one another? What can we do to love someone in our family, school, or neighborhood, and beyond…as Jesus loves?
Suggested Family Reflections: Can we share…whom do we identify with in the story of the apostles meeting in the synagogue? The members of the Jewish community? Paul and Barnabas…who were also faithful Jews? Can we imagine how the Jewish people felt about the followers of Jesus (who was also a faithful Jew)? Can we imagine what it was like for people who were not members of the synagogue to hear about Jesus? Why do you think the Gentiles were so full of joy? Can we share what it was like for us to hear about Jesus? In what ways is Jesus like a shepherd to us? Can we share what the biblical image of shepherd and sheep tells us about who Jesus is? How Jesus, the Good Shepherd, cares for us? How he not only shares with us the love of his Father, but he is God’s personal loving presence? Can we share what that is like for us, to be loved so personally? And to love one another as Jesus, the Good Shepherd, loves each one of us?
Suggested Family Reflections: Let’s imagine we are with the Risen Jesus and his disciples having breakfast; what might we ask or say to Jesus after he was raised from the dead? When the apostles went out to heal and teach about Jesus, how do you think they felt about being rejected for following Jesus? On the other hand, what attracted people to the disciples? Can we share how we would have felt? Who are some people we know who follow Jesus? Why do some people reject them? Or welcome them? Can we share what it is like for us to share in the life of the Risen Jesus; how Jesus feeds us…heals and cares for us? How we follow the Risen Jesus and share his loving care with one another?
Suggested Family Reflections: Imagine we are in the room with the disciples; before Jesus appears, how would you describe what you feel? When the Risen Jesus appears, whom do you identify with? How do you think Thomas felt? Can we imagine how Jesus felt, risen into a new life? Can we share how we feel the presence of Jesus in our life today? Within our hearts? Within our world? Can we share how the Risen Jesus helps us to see his wounded presence hidden in our lives today? After Jesus shared his Spirit with the disciples, they were able to heal people. They were able to see the wounded presence of Jesus in one another. Can we share how we have been healed…and how we can heal those who feel no one cares for them, who live in poverty, who are hungry for food and friends?
Suggested Family Reflections: Can we share how we feel while listening to the Easter story? With whom do you identify in the story? Imagine you are with the women who discover the empty tomb; what is that like for you? Imagine you are Peter or one of the other disciples; what would you have said to the women? What would you have done? Can we share what it is like for us to know that Jesus was raised from death to new life? What difference does this make in the way we live? How can we share the joy of the risen Jesus in our home? Our neighborhood, school, at work?
Suggested Family Reflections: Our readings today focus on only the highlights of the life-giving passion and death of Jesus. With whom did we identify most of all in the story? Can we share with one another the way Jesus might have felt, what such suffering was like for him? For his disciples to see? For Mary, the mother of Jesus, to endure? What does this story tell us about God, our merciful Father’s personal love for us? Jesus invites us to take up our cross and follow him: what might that mean for us today? Can we share how we give our life out of love for one another, what we’re willing to die for: in our family, our community, our world? How do we share one another’s burdens today…from poverty, racism, wars? What is that like for you? Can we share how the self-giving life and death of Jesus brings us hope? How suffering for the sake of others gives glory to our loving Creator?
Suggested Family Reflections: These readings invite us (especially “grownups”) to explore more deeply God’s unfailing love for us. Our God always forgives us. In the first reading God invites us to forget past failures and focus on God’s merciful, healing love. Can we invite our children to share ways in which they feel loved? What is loveable and loving about each of us? Why is our loving Creator pleased with the way we are made? Each with special gifts? Why does a loving Creator never let anything or any one of us go to waste? Imagine we are the woman in the Gospel story, looking into the eyes of Jesus: can we share what each of us feels? How is Jesus inviting each of us to change? To be humble enough to accept God’s mercy? And to forgive one another? To be true to our loving Creator’s plan for each of us? To lift each other up? And never put anyone down? Can we share how we can help each other to do that? As God’s own Son Jesus has done: taking on our own flesh and blood so that he could “love us to death” and raise us up in glory to God?
Family Reflections: Imagine you are one of the people of Israel: how do you feel about God’s gift of rich land? What would you do with such a gift? What sort of food would you raise? Why do you think God gave it to you? What might this story tell us about how God wants us to treat our homeland planet Earth? Imagine you are the prodigal son in the parable of Jesus: how would you describe the way you feel? Imagine you are the older brother: how do you feel about your father’s love for you? Do you think it was fair? What does this parable tell us about God’s love and mercy for us? Can we share with one another how it feels to forgive someone? What it’s like to be forgiven? How can we be fair in the way we forgive someone, or a group of people? In the way someone forgives us, as individuals, and as part of a group of people? How can we share God’s love and forgiveness with one another as God loves and forgives us?
Family Suggested Reflections: Imagine you are Moses: what is it like for you to hear God speak to you through a burning bush? (Some biblical scholars suggest it was probably an ordinary bush, but on this occasion, it did not appear ordinary.) Can we share how we felt God speak to us in ordinary ways or in things that happened to us? Imagine you are the master in the parable of Jesus: would you let the gardener try to save the tree? What would you do with the tree that did not produce fruit? Can we share what God calls each of us to do, especially in ordinary ways? How might we change our lives so that we can bear more fruit for the glory of God? Can we parents share with our children how they have changed our lives, made our lives more fruitful, for the glory of God? What might this parable tell us about God’s love for us?
Suggested Family Reflections: What are your favorite parts of the readings? What do those parts tell us about God’s love for us? The first reading from Genesis tells us about God’s promised gift to Abraham: countless generations of children and a rich and beautiful homeland. The Gospel reading tells another wonderful episode in the unfolding story of God’s love: about the promised gift of life Jesus comes to share with us – to live in glory at home with his loving Father. Jesus was talking with his disciples about the way he was going to die, and while he went off to pray, his disciples fell asleep…only to wake up and find Jesus glowing with the light of his Father’s love. It frightened them. And in the shadow of a cloud, they heard a voice say: “This is my son, my chosen one. Listen to him.” Can we share what it is like to listen in our hearts to Jesus? How Jesus wants to share the light of God’s glory with each of us? How Jesus shows us the way to share his Father’s love with one another?
Suggested Family Reflections: Invite everyone to share their favorite parts of the readings. What might the readings tell us about who God is? About God’s love for us? What might the Gospel story tell us about how faithful Jesus is to his heavenly Father-God? (Imagine what it’s like to be alone in a desert.) What does the story tell us about the way Jesus uses the gift of God’s power? …And the gifts our loving Father shares with us today? What are some of those gifts? How would you describe the special gifts of your family members? How can we, like Jesus, care for and use our gifts — not to serve ourselves — but to give honor and praise to our loving Father? Can we share what it is like for us to be grateful…and to be generous? Who are some people you know who have shared their gifts with you? What was that like for you? How can you share your gifts in your family, neighborhood, and with people in need whom you may only hear about in the news?
Family Reflections: This Sunday marks the Baptism of Jesus and his response to God’s call. It also celebrates our own baptism into the life and work of Jesus. Can we share what we imagine it was like for John to baptize Jesus? The story tells us John the Baptizer felt unworthy: how might we imagine Jesus felt? Though we may not recall our own baptism, can we share how we feel to be called to share in the gifts of the Spirit of God? To share the Spirit of justice and peace with others as Jesus has done for us? Can we share how we felt God’s justice and merciful love through people we’ve met or heard about? The story tells us a voice from heaven said of Jesus, “You are my beloved Son with whom I am very pleased.” Can we share how we might treat one another as beloved children of God, giving glory to God as Jesus did?
Family Reflections: The wonder-filled story of Christmas continues: Can we share what our favorite part of the story is? With whom do we identify? Can we imagine what it might have been like to journey with the magi? The story says they followed a star they had been waiting to see in the night. What might have guided their hearts? Can we share how the Light of Jesus guides our hearts? What might his Light help us to see, to feel toward one another? The story tells that the magi brought Jesus gifts fit for a King…royal gifts brought to an infant resting in a humble place where animals found food and shelter. Can we imagine how Mary and Jesus responded? Can we share what the story tells each of us about who Jesus is -- how God (Emmanuel) is with us? How each of us is gifted with the Spirit of our loving Creator? And how Jesus invites each of us to humble ourselves? How does our gift sharing reflect Emmanuel -- the presence of God’s merciful love for all people of every nation and culture?
Family Reflections: The deep joy of Christmas can often be felt most in quiet moments. Can we watch for or create such moments to reflect on our part in the grand Christmas story of God’s love? Can we share what it might have been like for us to be in the Gospel story with the boy Jesus talking with the elders in the Temple? They were amazed by Jesus. Can we share what amazes us? Might we parents share what our children have taught us? Helped us to grow, to be more grateful for Emmanuel…God with us? Can we share how Paul’s letter guides us as a family to follow Jesus, to give thanks to God through Jesus? How we might rule our lives as Jesus did…with the love of his Father? How we can encourage one another, be patient and gentle...as God our merciful Father is with us?
Family Reflections: MERRY CHRISTMAS! As we gather to open gifts or to enjoy our Christmas meal, can we quiet ourselves and read the Gospel story of Christmas? Perhaps sing the familiar hymn “Silent Night, holy night; all is calm, all is bright; Round yon virgin, mother and child; Holy infant, so tender and mild; Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep; Sleep in heavenly peace.”? Can we share with one another what each of us is especially grateful for this Christmas? How we each feel the presence of Emmanuel…God with us?
Family Reflections: The readings sharpen our focus on the wonderful story of Christmas, on dusty little Bethlehem and two humble nobodies, Mary and Elizabeth, cousins with good news to share that would change the world. Imagine Mary had come to visit our house; what would we have asked her? Said to her? What might Mary have said to us about trusting in God’s Word? Can we share with each other how our family trusts in God’s promise, like Mary and Elizabeth did? How might we bring the joy and trust of Mary and Elizabeth to our family life? To our parish family? To our community? In what ways can we make our lives a journey to Bethlehem, the House of Bread? Can we imagine with our children how to make our home a little Bethlehem, how to make the story of Christmas happen in our lives?
Family Reflections: Our readings tell of excitement building for the coming of the Messiah. “Shout with joy…be glad…don’t be afraid!” And John the Baptist tells us to get ready…change your lives: “I baptize with water…one mightier than I will baptize you in the Holy Spirit!” Can we share what we imagine it was like for the people to hear what John told them? If we have two coats, give one to someone who needs one? Share our food with hungry people? Be honest with one another? How does John the Baptizer’s advice guide us today—we who are baptized in the Spirit? How has our own baptism into the life of Christ Jesus changed us? Can we share with each other what we fear about changing? What we fear as we break out of our comfort zones? While we prepare our homes for Christmas, how can we open our hearts to others beyond our family and friends? How might we share joy in a bowl of warm soup; hope in a warm coat as winter draws near; and gladness in being true to those who feel cheated of the promise Christmas brings?
