Family Faith Formation St. Michael Parish November 2017 Love Your Neighbor Please enjoy the conversation with your family, make use of everything at www.stmfamily.org, and feel free to contact us with comments or questions. See you next month!
Family Formation Takeaways- November 2017 Love Your Neighbor
November 2017 Love Your Neighbor Welcome back to Faith Formation! Last month, we spent time in the Gospel of Matthew listening to Jesus preach about the love of God. What He said must have been astonishing to those gathered around him-- that the creator of the universe knows us each individually, loves us as His own, and will take care of our needs (in the long run.) Jesus implies that if we truly understood how precious we are to His Father, and how important our lives are, we would not worry about most of the things that preoccupy us, and could be the people He made us to be. So be not afraid, He tells us. Be. Not. Afraid. What a gift this is, right? It is wonderful, though I must confess that is a gift I find easy to forget about or misplace. Am I alone in this? I can be unafraid, unconcerned about little things, and at ease...right up until the moment that someone cuts me off in traffic, steps on my foot, or hurts someone I love. Then I don t have to spend much time being unafraid-- I am too angry to remember all of that. I need all the mental and emotional energy I have to lick my wounds and plot my revenge. Can you guess what happens next? Yep-- not only do I drive myself crazy, but I am more likely to hurt someone else because I am in such a funk. Do you see the irony here? The guy who got hurt by someone (who was likely angry) goes and does the same stupid kind of thing to someone else...because he is now the angry one. In that moment, does it occur to me that we are ALL God s children, and that He does not want any of us to get hurt, even the people who have hurt me? No. Now, I am not proud of this, but I am aware of it, as I suspect you and your family are. (Note to self: get to confession ASAP.) This month, we will focus on some of what Jesus had to say about how we should treat others, especially those who hurt us or rub us the wrong way. The passages are easy to read, but very hard to do, and therefore very hard to explain. Three ideas are crucial here: one, that we are all God s children, and it follows that when we hurt others, it pains Him in some way; two, that our anger, our resentments, and all our other baggage hurts us in a way we do not fully appreciate; and finally, that our anger and unforgiveness lead to even more people getting hurt, usually those who had nothing to do with the original offense. How do we stop this vicious cycle? What does Jesus say we must do, so that so many of his Father s children will stop getting hurt? He tells us we must live lives of spiritual nonviolence-- and protect our hearts from aggressive emotions such as anger, resentment, and unforgiveness. This means deciding to love even those who hurt us. It means forgiving over, and over, and over again. It means rejecting the temptation to play judge, and instead pray for someone who, in the end, will be judged by God and God alone. It means we do our part to stop the madness by remembering the Golden Rule in dealing with others. Is this the way I would want to be treated? It is with this context in mind that I invite you to read the selected passages from the Gospel with your family. (Don t forget to pray first, even if that is a quiet whisper of come, Holy Spirit!) This is what you will find: Love your enemies (Matthew 5: 43-46.) This is just as unsettling to read today as it must have been to hear two thousand years ago. Love my enemy? You mean, him, Lord? Remember, though, how we are the light of the world. Once we realize that yes, God makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and that therefore we are all brothers and sisters, it is not hard to see the implication, even if we don t like it. Jesus says to us if you love [only] those who love you, what recompense do you have? Do you think you get extra credit for doing the easy bit, and not the part that will help you grow? Forgive (Matthew 18: 21-22.) Jesus tells Peter he should forgive his brother seventy-seven times. This has also been translated as seventy times seven, and I am told that in the language of the time, this was an expression used to say a squintillion, or so many times you should stop trying to count. This does not mean that we should let people hurt us. What it does mean is that staying angry, holding on to our hurts, refusing to forgive-- these things hurt us. It is true that Peter should forgive his brother because the Lord forgives him...but it is also true that Jesus knows how much resentment hurts the one who holds onto it, and He wants us Peter to be free of it.
Judge Not (Matthew 7: 1-2.) Here Jesus warns us that we will be measured with the same yardstick we use to measure others. (Uh-oh.) Now, we have a duty to warn others about the consequences of poor choices, sin, and the like. If we love them, we do so because we do not want them to get hurt. But when we slide into a mindset that suggests we know their eternal destiny, that it is up to us to decide what they might deserve as a result, bad things happen. Jesus is being very strict here, and for good reason. We never know the full state of another person s soul. We do not know their circumstances. Only God knows that. So in the end only God judges, and all of us-- all of us-- are in need of his mercy. The Golden Rule (Matthew 7: 12.) Wow. All that time studying salvation history, the patriarchs, and the Law...now Jesus tells us it can all be summarized in one sentence: do to others whatever you would have them do to you. When in doubt, this is the measure of love of neighbor. Please do not be afraid to use your imagination when discussing these passages with your family. What would it have been like if we were there, with a picnic lunch? Would Jesus see us? When He said we should love our enemies, did people look at each other as if to say: what did he just say? Bring your family into the scene, and let the Holy Spirit bring it to life. You will be glad you did. Tim
How To Use This Packet We want to make sure that this packet is a good resource for your family as you journey together in faith each and every month. The following guide is a suggestion of how you can use it! As you are journeying together, always remember that Susan, Becca and Tim are available if you have questions or want other ideas of things to do with your family. We have updated the blog-so please check it out! www.stmfamily.org Our next Family Formation dates are: Dec 2,3,4
God in Scripture: Lectio Divina Pray Read Imagine Discuss Matthew 18:21-24 Forgive 70x7 Matthew 5:43-48 Love your Enemies Matthew 7:12 Golden Rule Matthew 7:1-3 Judge Not Read the passage slowly to yourself. Reread the passage out loud for your family. Take a few minutes to think about and ponder the words in this passage. What is God saying to you in this passage? What choice can you make this week to grow closer to God? Please see the Family Formation for ideas and resources stmfaithform.wordpress.com
Think of a book or movie that has two enemies in it. What happens between these two enemies? Have you ever had someone you didn t get along with? What happened? Jesus tells us to love people we don t get along with. Give some examples of how you could do that. Have you ever had to forgive someone? How did it go and how did you feel after? Have you ever had to ask for forgiveness? How did it go and how did you feel after? Imagine what it was like when Jesus told the disciples they had to forgive no matter what. What do you think their reaction was like? Jesus challenges us to forgive because it is good for the other person as well as for us. Why do you think it is good for us to forgive?
Jesus says, for if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Talk as a family about what that means and discuss it. Jesus tells us not to judge other people. Why do we always find it hard not to judge others? What does it feel like when others judge you? What are some ways you can remember not to judge other people? Are Jesus teachings that we discussed along with the Golden Rule difficult? Why or why not? What does God give us to help us? What do you think it would have been like to see Jesus and hear him saying the words we read in the Bible? From the Scripture passages you read, which is your favorite and why?
November Fridge Page Invest In Loss Then Peter approaching asked him, Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus answered, I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. ~ Matthew 18:21-22 Family Time Create a jar where everyone can write a note, or draw a picture, of what they are thankful for and place it in the jar. At dinner time or family time take the slips out of the jar to read and share. As a family bake a loaf of bread and deliver it to a friend, family member, or neighbor, especially someone in need of some extra love. Do this in honor of: St Elizabeth of Hungry. Her Feast Day is November 17th. MASS TIMES: St. Michael Parish Saturday: 4pm Sunday: 7:30am, 9am, 11am St. Mary Parish Saturday: 4pm St. Michael Events Nov. 1st All Saints Day Mass: 5:30pm Nov. 4th Christmas Fair: 7am-7pm Nov. 4th Mom to Mom: 9am, Michael House Nov. 5th Confirmation I: 4-6pm Nov. 6th Middle School Youth Group: 6-8pm, Michael House Nov. 13th Homeschool Group: 1pm Nov. 13th Middle School Youth Group: 6-8pm, Michael House Nov. 17th Rock, Paper, Scripture: 6-7:30pm, Michael House Nov. 19th Confirmation I: 4-6pm Nov. 19th Hope Night: 6:30-8:30pm Nov. 20th Youth Ministry Leadership Team Meeting: 7-9pm Nov. 23rd Thanksgiving Mass 8:30am High School Youth Group every Sunday: 6:30-8:30pm, Michael House Team Jesus 9am and 11am mass
November Memory Maker Feast of Christ the King: November 26 th Make a cake or cookies shaped and/or decorated like a crown. Dorothy Day Founder of the Catholic Workers Movement Dorothy cared for the poor, lived among them, and worked for peace. She lived the Works of Mercy. As a child and teenager Dorothy did not believe in God. In 1925 at the age of 28, she became a Catholic and in 1932 founded the Catholic Workers Movement. In honor of Dorothy Day: choose a star from the Giving Tree and consider volunteering to sort and wrap gifts for those in need. Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and teaching of the Prophets. ~Matthew 7:12 What is the Golden Rule? Make a family list of loving rules. When is it easy to follow the Golden Rule? When is it hard to follow? Why is it so important? Discuss different ways you can show love, kindness, or mercy to others. All Souls Day ~ November 2 nd All Soul s Day is a day to remember all those who have died and pray for their soul, especially our family members and loved ones. Take out photos and discuss the joy of their new life in heaven with Jesus. Remember to write their names in the Book of Souls. The book will be in the sanctuary, next to the Baptismal Font. Feast of St. Cecilia ~ November 22 nd She is the Patron Saint of Music. What kind of music do you like? Look up and listen: Matt Maher, Burning in My Soul https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=mgyky vgqaqi