Catholic Identity and Mission 2

Gospel according to Matthew 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. 

Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” 

Parent Conversation Starter: 

Open up the conversation by inviting children to share what they feel the Gospel is saying to them.  Alternatively you can use the guided reflection questions below. 

Guided Reflection Questions 

1.  We learn from today’s Gospel reading the importance of being prepared even for  unexpected events. We need to be ready for Jesus but we are not exactly sure when  Jesus will come again. How do we prepare for the unexpected? 
2.  Advent is also a time of waiting. Sometimes it can be hard to wait, to be patient in a  world where we find ourselves willing things to be faster: faster internet speed,  faster exam results, and faster travel time. However, waiting for Christ is not time  spent doing nothing. It implies that we get ready, in hope. How can we prepare  ourselves or ready our hearts to welcome Jesus? 
3.  What are we waiting for?  What are you hoping for?  Is there a difference Why? 

Parent Ideas: Determine what actions you would like your family to get involved 

Some ideas:

• Donate food to a Christmas hamper drive. 
• Plant seeds in your garden. 
• Give seeds as a gift this Christmas with a copy of Oscar Romero’s prayer. 
• In preparation for receiving presents at Christmas, young people could think about what they don’t need or use and offer these items to others in need. 
• Live more simply this Christmas by taking the challenge to buy nothing new. Instead, make your own gifts, or buy second-hand items. 

Reflection from Cardinal John Dearden in 1979

It helps,  now and then,  to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. 

This is what we are about: 

We plant the seeds that one day will grow. 

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. 

We lay foundations that will need further development. 

We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities. 

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realising that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. 

Amen

Prayer for Advent

Lord of all, you are a God of plenty, a Lord who provides for us in our need. As I begin these early days of Advent help me to believe that you know what I need. Give me the courage to listen to your voice and the freedom to open my heart to the graces you are offering me to place my trust in you.

Amen