Cycle B 22nd Sunday Ordinary

Twenty-Second Sunday of the Year [CYCLE B] MAIN MESSAGE

[This is for reference only. Please do not read it at Mass] Everyone desires to be a true follower of God - we all honour God in some way - by saying prayers, going for Mass, putting up holy pictures on our walls, giving Christian names to our children, etc. But today God says to us, 'You honour me with your lips and in outward ways, but I want your heart.' If you really want to worship God, love Him with all your heart and love your neighbour also. We focus on the psalm, which tells us how a true follower of God lives.

INTRODUCTION: Celebrant: I have a question to ask you today: • Which of you would like to be worshippers of God? (Hands up!) [Show of hands] • What about your parents? Do you think they want to follow God? If you think your parents also want to follow God, then put up two hands, one for you and one for your parents. [Show of hands] • It looks as if everyone wants to follow God and worship him! • We do different things to show we are Christians. What do we do? [We put up pictures and statues, go for Mass, say the rosary, give Christian names to our babies, make the sign of the Cross etc.] • Today we are going to ask God a question. Look at the poster. It says, “Lord, who can enter your tent? Who will live on your holy mountain?” That means, “Whom do you think are your real followers? Who are the ones who will live with FOLD CLOSED you in heaven?” HERE LITURGY OF THE WORD:

& OPEN ONLY WHEN THE PSALM IS TO BE READ

Commentator: Moses gives an answer to the question we are asking. Listen carefully. First Reading: Deuteronomy 4: 1-2, 6-8. Psalm: 15:1-4ab. [The psalm is written on a poster or projected so that the children can take it in better. Different children take up the different verses and all the children ask the question and say the last verse together.] Gospel: Mark 7:1-2; 5-8; 14-15. (Enact the gospel as follows:)

Commentator: One day Jesus' friends came to have a meal with him. [Jesus is seated at a table with 2 or 3 disciples. Some more of Jesus' friends come in together, arms round each other. They wash their hands, dry them, sit down and begin to eat. Another group of Pharisees and scribes stand apart watching and shaking their heads.] Pharisee 1: Look at these unclean men! They are eating without washing the proper way! Pharisee 2: Yes. They don’t follow God’s commandments! Pharisee 3: As if they don't know that they are supposed to wash from special stone jars; first hands upwards ... and then downwards. This leader of theirs doesn’t notice anything! [The Pharisees walk towards Jesus and call out] Pharisee 1: Jesus of Nazareth! We have come from Jerusalem to check on you. But we are not very pleased with what we see ! Pharisee 2: Yes! Why do your disciples not follow our rules? Why are they eating with unclean hands? Jesus: [Stands up, looking angry, but calm] Oh, you hypocrites, people with two faces! The prophet Isaiah spoke rightly when he said 'These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me!' It is no use at all worshipping me, because they make their own rules and forget God's commandments!' [Jesus turns to the disciples and the congregation and speaks to them.] Listen to me, all of you, and understand! It is not the outside that matters, but your inner heart. It is not what you eat that makes you dirty, but it is bad thoughts inside you that make you dirty! Celebrant: This is the Good News of the Lord. Homily: Celebrant: Let’s be quiet now and think about all we have seen and heard just now. [Silence] • Jesus is asking you today to follow him with all your heart. He is happy to see your holy pictures and to hear your prayers, but he says, make sure you truly love me and do what I ask: • I want you to try and do what is right always; to be careful how you speak: always tell the truth and never spread bad stories about others. • Stop all grumbling and complaining about others: your parents, your teachers, your school prefects. • Run away from those who try to make you do wrong things, but be friends with those who follow me. Offertory: Commentator: Do you want to be more like God, and become his true follower? Then join in as we sing 'More Love, More Power', APPROPRIATE HYMNS ENTRANCE: OFFERTORY: COMMUNION: RECESSIONAL:

All the Nations of the Earth More Love, More Power Sons of God Give Me Love in My Heart, Keep Me Loving

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PREPARATION REQUIRED: Practice the readings. Make ‘psalm’ poster and put up. Fold the poster so that only the question is seen at the start. When it is time to read the psalm, open it fully. Practice Gospel enactment.

FIR ST REA DING : A reading from the book of Deuteronomy: Moses said, “People of Israel, listen carefully to the laws and commands that I am teaching you. If you obey them, you will live, and you will take the land that the Lord God of your ancestors is giving you. I am telling you what the Lord your God has commanded. Don’t add anything or take away anything. “By faithfully obeying these commands, you will show other nations how wise and understanding you are. They will learn about these laws and say, ‘This great nation is very wise and understanding.’ “No other great nation has a God who is close enough to answer their prayers, as the Lord God does for us. And no other great nation has laws that are as fair as the ones I am giving you today.” This is the Word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA :

GOSPEL :

Alleluia, alleluia. The Father gave us birth by his message of truth, That we might be as the first fruits of his creation. Alleluia. A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Mark.

Some Pharisees and several teachers of the Law of Moses from Jerusalem came and gathered around Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples ate without first washing their hands. The Pharisees and all other Jewish people obey the teachings of their ancestors. They always wash their hands in the proper way before eating. None of them will eat anything they buy in the market until it is washed. They also follow a lot of other teachings, such as washing cups, pitchers and bowls. The Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, ‘Why don’t your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? Why do they eat without washing their hands?” Jesus called the crowd together again and said, “Pay attention and try and understand what I mean. The food that you put into your mouth does not make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean. “Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. All these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God,” This is the Gospel of the Lord.

NB. All Readings on this page are taken from the ‘Lectionary for Masses with Children’ canonically approved for use in the USA.