Mustard Seeds of Faith

Learn + Grow + Go

Children's Corner

LEARN + GROW:

We were to help our fellow brothers and sisters

We hear stories of people in need all the time in our community, in our country, and in the world. Can you think of someone who is in need?

In the Gospel this sunday, Jesus reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and announces his mission, the work he would do to show forth the kingdom of God.

          "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
                        because he has anointed me 
                        to bring glad tidings to the poor.
            He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
                        and recovery of sight to the blind,
                        to let the oppressed go free,
                        and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

                                   Luke 4:18-19

Are any of these things mentioned by Jesus seen in the world today?

Jesus gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we too can respond to the needs of those around us.

 GO:

This week try to help someone in need. It can be at home or in your community. You can always help our Food Pantry at St. Theresa's by bringing canned goods and non perishables to help those in our community. As a family say the Prayer to the Holy Spirit together to get inspired.

"Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.

     And kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.

     And you will renew the face of the earth.

Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit

     you have taught the hearts of your faithful.

In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right

     and always rejoice in your consolation.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen."

 Little Way

Day by Day

Youth Corner

St. Peter Claver

Here's a saint who was known as the "slave of the slaves"! He was born in Spain and graduated with honors from the University of Barcelona before he became a Jesuit priest and went to work in Cartagena (now known as Columbia), which was then a central port, or "clearinghouse," for the slave trade. 

Conditions there were terrible, but Peter stayed where the slaves stayed, took them food and medicine, and tried to get the authorities to treat them more kindly. Once he became known as their friend, he took along a band of interpreters who could speak African dialects and tried to tell the slaves about Christianity. Even though their situation was desperate, he tried to give them some degree of self-respect by telling them how Jesus had died for them and how God loved them as his children.

It is said that in his forty years of work with the slaves, Peter baptized THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND! He has become an inspiration to African-American Catholics all through the Americas.

Who do you know who is an INSPIRATION -- a teacher, a relative, a friend? Who has been the greatest inspiration in YOUR life? Maybe it's someone you've never even spoken to, someone you've only read about. Whoever it is, why don't you TELL that person! If you would be embarrassed to say thank you in person, you could write an ANONYMOUS letter to your own special "inspiring" person.

Book: Snyder, M. B. (1993). 115 Saintly Fun Facts. Liguori.