Cycle B 19th Sunday Ordinary

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Nineteenth Sunday of the Year [CYCLE B] MAIN MESSAGE

[This is for reference only. Please do not read it at Mass] Since the theme of the ‘Bread from heaven’ continues for several Sundays, we will focus today on the reading from the letter to the Ephesians, where St.Paul urges us to “be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love.” God is a kind and loving father. We see this in the first reading, when he sent an angel to feed Elijah, who was tired and ready to die. He cared for all of us too, by sending us Jesus, the living bread, to strengthen and save us. Today we are encouraged to be like our Father: To be kind and merciful and to live in love.

INTRODUCTION: Celebrant: • Children, suppose you went for a long bus journey with your Daddy and you became hungry and thirsty. What would your Daddy do?... As soon as the bus stopped at a hotel, he would go and get you something to eat and drink: a wada-pao and a cold drink, maybe. •

God is a very loving father. And when his children are hungry he feeds them. Today we will hear about God’s kindness and how he feeds his hungry children.

LITURGY OF THE WORD: Commentator: Let’s listen to the story of Elijah the prophet. The wicked Queen Jezebel was out to kill him and so he had to run away into the desert. He was so afraid, and tired, and hungry that he wished he could die. Let’s see what God did. First Reading: 1Kings 19:4-8. Psalm: 34:1-2; 3-4; 7-8. Commentator: Listen to this reading also. St.Paul tells us that we should also try to be kind, like our Father-God. Second Reading: Ephesians 4:31-5:2 Gospel: John 6:48-51.

Homily: Celebrant: Did you pay attention to the readings? • In the first reading we heard about Elijah, who was hot and tired and frightened. What did God do for him? [He sent an angel, who woke Elijah up and gave him bread and water. He woke him twice and made him eat, till he was strong enough to complete his journey.] • In the Gospel we hear about another kind of bread that God sent. What was the bread? [Jesus!] Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life!” God knew that we needed strength and help to reach heaven and so he sent us Jesus. • Today God says to us, ‘Be like me!’ Look at the poster. The words on it are from the second reading. It says, ‘Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love.’ ‘Be imitators of God’ means ‘Be like God… do what he does.’ • God feeds the hungry. He is kind to those who need help. We are his children, so we should also try to be like him. If we notice that someone is sad, or tired, or hungry or lonely, we should be like our Father, and be kind to them. • I will tell you about a young wife who tried to imitate her Father, God. Erica was the wife of a Navy officer. Soon after they were married they were posted to Cochin, a seaport in Kerela. One day, Erica was all alone at home, when the doorbell rang. She opened the door and there stood a very frightening-looking man. He was the most scary person she had ever met. His skin was very dark, almost black. He was big and tall, and his face was covered with lumps. The man asked her for help, but she was so scared of him that she said, “Please go away, I can’t help you!” But the man pleaded with her, “Please don’t send me away! My family and I are in terrible trouble! We have just come in India by ship, and no one is ready to help us. Even the shopkeepers won’t sell us anything because of our black skin.” Suddenly Erica felt sorry for the man. Though she felt afraid of him, she knew that God wanted her to help him. She asked, “Would you like a cup of tea?” The man replied, “I would love a cup of tea!” She invited him to sit in the front porch and went in to make him a pot of tea. She put the tea, milk and sugar on a tray and then thought, “He must be hungry!” So she put a loaf of bread and some jam on the tray too. As the man had his tea and bread, he told her, “We have come from the West Indies, where everyone has dark skin. We tried living in America for some time, but didn’t feel very welcome. So we thought, ‘Let’s go and live in India, where people are not white-skinned, but are coloured, like us. We will feel more at home there.’ But we now realise that the people in India also don’t treat us like human beings because we look different.” Then the man asked. “Madam, do you mind if I take this bread for my family?” “I would be very happy if you take the bread and the jam, too. I’m sorry I have no money in the house to give you.” AS the man went off, Erica thought, “This is our very first guest and he was sent to us by God!” • Let’s try and be like Erica and like our Father-God. Let’s always be ready to see who needs our help. Prayer After Communion: Dear Jesus, thank you for coming into us today. Make us strong in our spirits so that we can keep on following you till we reach you in Heaven. Help us also to be kind and loving like our Father in heaven. Amen.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS ENTRANCE: OFFERTORY: COMMUNION: RECESSIONAL:

God Our Father Looks What Can We Bring Love One Another God is Love and the One Who Lives in Love

PREPARATION REQUIRED: • •

Practice the readings and prayer after Communion. Make poster and put up.

FIR ST REA DING : A reading from the first book of Kings: Elijah walked through the desert for a whole day. Finally, he came to a large bush and sat in its shade. Then he prayed to die. “Lord,” he said, “I have had all I can take. Let me die. I’m no better than my ancestors.” After saying this, he lay in the shade of the bush and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched Elijah and said, “Get up and eat!” Elijah looked around, and by his head was a jar of water and some bread that had been baked over coals. After eating and drinking, he lay down again. Soon the Lord’s angel came back and touched Elijah again. This time the angel said, “Get up and eat, or else the trip will be too hard for you.” The food gave Elijah strength, and he travelled for forty more days until he reached Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. This is the Word of the Lord. PSALM :

Response: Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will always praise the Lord. With all my heart I will praise the Lord. Let all who are helpless listen and be glad.

Honour the Lord with me! Celebrate his great name. I asked the Lord for help, and he saved me from all my fears.

If you honour the Lord, his angel will protect you. Discover for yourself that the Lord is kind. Come to him for protection, and you will be glad.

SECO ND R EADI NG: A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians: Brothers and sisters: Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ. Be imitators of God, as his beloved children, and live in love. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God. This is the Word of the Lord. ALLELUIA : GOSPEL :

Alleluia, alleluia. I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live forever. Alleluia. A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. John.

Jesus said to the crowd: “I am the bread that gives life! Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, and later they died. But the bread from heaven has come down, so that no one who eats it will ever die. “I am that bread from heaven! Everyone who eats it will live forever. My flesh is the life-giving bread that I give to the people of this world.” This is the Gospel of the Lord. NB. All Readings are taken from the ‘Lectionary for Masses with Children’ canonically approved for use in the USA.