Sunday Connection

Gospel Reading
Luke 9:28b-36
Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, John, and James.

Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3)

Children at this age are beginning to understand that situations aren’t always what they initially appear to be. This growing understanding allows us to help them reflect on Jesus’ Transfiguration in a more meaningful way.

Materials Needed

• a bell or a smartphone timer with a bell sound

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Say: Sometimes we pray by talking to God, but we can also pray to God by listening and noticing the silence. Let’s all take a long, slow breath in and out and settle in for a moment. We are going to rest quietly in God’s presence. Notice that God is here with you. Notice what sounds you hear. If your mind wanders, notice your breathing and remember God is with you. When I ring the bell, we’ll talk about what we noticed.
2. Give children 30 seconds to sit in silence and then ring the bell. Invite children to share what praying in contemplation was like for them. Ask: What was it like to pray in silence? What sounds did you hear? What else did you notice?
3. Say: In today’s Gospel, Jesus takes three disciples with him to a quiet place to pray. Something very important happens. Listen closely to hear what happens.
4. Read today’s Gospel, Luke 9:28b–36.
5. Say: While Jesus was praying, Peter, John, and James fell asleep. They nearly missed something very important! When they woke up, they saw Jesus in glory and Moses and Elijah with him. Ask: What voice did they hear? (a voice from the cloud) Say: The voice told them to listen to Jesus, the Son of God.
6. Say: Lent is a time for us to stay awake and listen. We slow down and pay attention. We notice that Jesus loves us and is always with us. We can notice Jesus’ presence by praying in silence as we did earlier. Can you think of some other ways we can notice Jesus is with us? (Accept all reasonable responses, including reading the Bible, praying other prayers, fasting, caring for others, attending Mass, and going for a walk.)
7. Pray together: Jesus, we know you are with us. Help us slow down and be quiet so that we can notice your presence in our lives and listen to you. Amen.

Gospel Reading
Luke 9:28b-36
Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, John, and James.

Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6)

Older children are becoming more aware of our Lenten practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. We can encourage them to appreciate these Lenten practices that prepare us to recognize Jesus' presence in our lives.

Materials Needed

• Alarm clock

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Show an alarm clock. Ask: What is this for? Do any of you wake up to an alarm clock? Have you ever overslept in the morning and missed something important because of it? What are you like when you first wake up in the morning? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

2. Introduce today's Gospel. Say: In today's Gospel, three of Jesus' disciples almost missed something important because they were sleeping. Listen carefully to this reading.

3. Ask a volunteer to read aloud this Gospel, Luke 9:28-36.

4. Ask: What were the disciples doing while Jesus was praying? (They were sleeping.) What did they wake up to see? (They saw Jesus transfigured and Jesus talking with Elijah and Moses.) Do you think they understood what they saw? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

5. Say: If the disciples had stayed asleep, they would have missed this amazing event. They would not have seen Jesus in glory. They would not have heard the voice from heaven. What did the voice say? (“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”)

6. Say: Our lives can be like this. We can be asleep, not recognizing that Jesus is with us always. During Lent, we try to “wake up” to see Jesus more clearly and to listen to what he tells us. What are some things that we do during Lent to keep ourselves aware of Jesus' presence in our lives? (We fast from food and habits that keep us from God. We pray. We read Scripture. We give alms.)

7. Conclude by praying together the Prayer of St. Richard of Chichester.

Gospel Reading
Luke 9:28b-36
Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, John, and James.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)

In our media-rich culture, we often surround ourselves with noise and never allow ourselves to meet God in quiet prayer. We can encourage young people to use the Season of Lent to seek out time to listen to Jesus through such prayer.

Materials Needed

• Equipment required to set up competing sounds in your meeting space (e.g., music playing on a CD player, a radio set to a talk radio station, a tape recorder playing a book on tape, a TV turned on, or a videotape playing
• A small bell
• Paper
• Pencils

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. As the students gather, begin to turn on a number of competing sounds in your meeting space. Stand in front of the group and ring a small bell. When someone says that they cannot hear you, or asks what you are doing, turn off the sounds. Allow a moment for everyone to appreciate the silence.

2. Say: Our lives are sometimes like this, with competing noises calling for our attention. When there is so much going on around us, it is difficult for us to focus on any one thing. When this happens, we can miss important things that are going on around us.

3. Introduce today's Gospel. Say: In today's Gospel, Jesus takes three of his disciples to the mountain to pray. Why do you think Jesus went to the mountain? (It was quieter there. He was taking some quiet time away from the crowds.) Let's listen to this Gospel to see what we might find if we take some quiet time away from the noise of our busy lives.

4. Ask a volunteer to read aloud this Gospel, Luke 9:28b-36.

5. Ask: What happened to Jesus during this time of prayer? (His appearance changed, he was transfigured, and Moses and Elijah appeared to him.) What are Peter, James, and John doing while Jesus is praying? (They are sleeping.) What do they see when they awaken? (They see Jesus in glory.)

6. Say: Not only did God show Peter, James, and John who Jesus really is, but he also told them to do something. What was it? (Listen to him.)

7. Say: During Lent, we slow down and seek out time for quiet prayer. In silence we can be more attentive to Jesus who wants us to follow his word and example. Our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving help us to listen and follow Jesus more faithfully.

8. Invite the students to write a Lenten prayer as an acrostic. Tell them to write LISTEN down the margin of a piece of paper. Tell them to write a prayer that is an invitation to listen more attentively to Jesus, each line beginning with a letter in LISTEN. Encourage the students to display this prayer at home as an invitation to spend time in quiet prayer. Conclude by praying together the Prayer of St. Richard of Chichester.

Gospel Reading
Luke 9:28b-36
Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, John, and James.

Family Connection

In today's Gospel, the voice from heaven speaks to the disciples saying, “Listen to him.” The Transfiguration was a focused moment for the disciples when they heard God speaking to them and experienced Jesus in glory. They most certainly left this focused moment with a new appreciation for the importance of Jesus' words even if they did not yet understand everything that he had taught them. During Lent, we are invited to consider our attentiveness to Jesus and to one another. In the pace and noise that often characterizes family life, how well do we listen to one another? What opportunities do we have for quiet prayer?

As you gather as a family, count the number of pieces of equipment in your home that produce sound: televisions, radios, CD players, computers, video games, etc. Observe if sometimes more than one piece of equipment is playing simultaneously and how this might affect communication. Discuss the question: What is it like to try to talk with one another when this equipment is on?

Read aloud today's Gospel, Luke 9:28-36. Consider whether the noise and pace of your family life allows family members opportunities for quiet prayer. During Lent, it may be appropriate for your family to choose a time for quiet in the household by turning off televisions, radios, and CD players. Consider whether your family would like to establish such a time during this Season of Lent and suggest that it might allow you the opportunity to listen more attentively to one another and to find time for quiet prayer. Spend a few such moments as a family, asking God to help you listen well to one another and to Jesus.