Sunday Connection

Gospel Reading
Mark 3:20–35
Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.

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

Teach younger children that just as we are members of our family, who love and care for us, we are also members of Christ’s family, the Church.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Invite children to tell you about their families, including any new brothers and sisters they might have. Say: Our family members loves and care for us. We feel close to them, and we look for ways to care for one another. We might argue sometimes, but we are connected to our family members in a very special way.
2. Say: We are blessed to have another family—our Church family. As Christians, we are all members of the family of God. As you listen to today’s Gospel, pay attention to what Jesus says about family.
3. Read aloud today’s Gospel, Mark 3:20–35.
4. Say: Jesus teaches us that when we believe in him and follow God’s law, we are members of his family. God is our Father, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
5. Ask: What are some things we do with our Church family? (Accept all reasonable responses, including worshiping together, praying together, socializing at church gatherings, helping parishioners who are sick or elderly, and volunteering in the community.) Invite children to share one kindness they will do to show they care about their Church family.
6. Pray: Jesus, thank you for our families and our Church family. Help us be loving and kind to all people. Close by praying the Lord’s Prayer.

Gospel Reading
Mark 3:20–35
Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.

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

Older children begin to define themselves by the groups to which they belong. In today’s Gospel, Jesus makes clear that in choosing to follow him we become more than just part of a group—we join a family.

Materials Needed

• paper, pencils

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Distribute paper and pencils. Give the following instructions: Take a few moments to think about the groups, clubs, and teams to which you belong. Maybe you are part of a dance troupe or a band. On your paper, make a list of these different groups.
2. When the children are finished, invite volunteers to share some of the groups they listed. Then ask the following question: What is your relationship like with the other people in these groups? Have the children consider this question quietly. Say: You most likely share common interests with the other members. You probably spend a lot of time together practicing, playing, learning, or doing activities. You may even be friends with people in these groups. Invite the children to share any personal experiences about groups to which they belong.
3. Say: In today’s Gospel, Jesus is returning to his hometown. Just before this event, Jesus chose his twelve disciples. Let’s listen carefully to this Gospel to hear what Jesus tells us about the kind of relationship he wants to have with those who choose to follow him.
4. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud today’s Gospel, Mark 3:20–35.
5. Ask: Along with the crowds who come to hear Jesus teach, who also comes to see him? (Jesus’ relatives) You may want to talk about how we understand this Scripture when it talks about Jesus’ brothers and sisters.
6. Say: At the end of this Gospel, Jesus is surrounded by his disciples and those who want to listen to him teach and preach. These people share a common interest. But Jesus tells them that they must be more than just friends who are part of the same group. Jesus explains that those who follow him must share the kind of love, support, and understanding that we feel with our closest family members.
7. Conclude in prayer together, asking God to help us accept Jesus’ invitation to follow him and join together as part of God’s loving family. Pray together the Lord’s Prayer or the Hail Mary.

Gospel Reading
Mark 3:20–35
Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)

To walk the path of discipleship, we must each make a conscious choice to follow Jesus. When we are young, our parents make these choices for us. As young people grow in maturity and independence, they begin to make these choices for themselves.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Invite young people to think back to when they were very young. Say: As children, our parents made many choices for us. When we get older, we begin to make some decisions for ourselves. Ask volunteers to name some things their parents chose or decided for them when they were young that they now choose or decide for themselves. (Accept all reasonable answers, for example, what they wear to school, who their friends are, which extracurricular activities they do.)
2. Ask: Why do you think you are better able to make these kinds of decisions now? (Accept all reasonable answers.) Acknowledge that as young people gain more knowledge, skills, and experiences, they grow in maturity and independence. Say: When you were young, your parents made another important decision for you. They chose for you to be baptized and become part of God’s family, the Church. Now that you are older, you are beginning to make some of your own choices and decisions about following Jesus.
3. Say: In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus talk about what one must do to be his follower. Let’s listen carefully to this Gospel reading.
4. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud this Sunday’s Gospel, Mark 3:20–35.
5. Ask: When Jesus returns to his hometown, how does his family react to him? (They do not understand him. They think he is out of his mind.) Say: At this point in the Gospel, Jesus has just called his disciples to follow him. Jesus uses this opportunity to teach one of his first lessons about what it means to be his disciple. You may want to explain how Catholics understand this Scripture passage that talks about Jesus’ brothers and sisters.
6. Say: Those gathered there know well what it means to be part of a family. Jesus explains that those who choose to follow him become part of a new kind of family. As Christians, we are called to show love for God and one another in the same way we show love for the members of our family. We do not choose the family we are born into, but we do choose to be part of Jesus’ family.
7. Ask: What are some ways you can choose to do God’s will in your daily life? (Accept all reasonable answers, for example, be helpful to those in need, be kind to others, pray each day, participate in youth ministry.) Say: As you continue to grow in your faith, you will have more and more opportunities to make your own choice to follow Jesus.
8. Conclude in prayer together, asking God to give us the courage and faith to do his will each day and show by our actions that we choose to follow him. Pray together the Lord’s Prayer or the Act of Faith.

Gospel Reading
Mark 3:20–35
Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.

Family Connection

Families are places of beginnings. Within our family, we first learn what it means to be part of a community. We share a closeness and experience mutual understanding and support. We learn how to love one another, how to ask for and receive forgiveness, and how to apply all these lessons to the world outside our homes.

As you gather as a family, talk about what makes your family special. Share some of the lessons you have learned together about love, forgiveness, and understanding. Then read today’s Gospel, Mark 3:20–35. Jesus wants us to understand that by doing God’s will, we are part of a bigger family. Choosing to follow Jesus, being his disciple, means we must treat one another with kindness and mercy. We must become a family. Conclude by asking God to bless your family and to help you do God’s will by seeing all his people with the same kind of love and compassion. Pray together the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary.