Tomorrow is my father-in-law’s 84th birthday. He is a proud man–proud of his nine children and proud of his thirty-five years of service on our local volunteer fire department. But most of all, he is a proud World War II veteran and impetuous storyteller. Unlike his children who grew up listening to war stories all their lives, I heard these stories for the first time six years ago. So far I haven’t tired of hearing them because each time I listen to these stories, I hear and learn something new.
In December, we begin a new liturgical year–Year A. Throughout Year A, the stories of Jesus and the disciples are told by Matthew. Matthew portrays Jesus as a preeminent preacher. Jesus preaches about the demands of Christian love and love of enemies (5:44). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes, the new law based on love, forgiveness, and trust in God. Matthew also portrays Jesus as the fulfillment of the scriptures as spoken by the prophets. This reminds us that the New Testament is one piece of our long history and rich tradition.
Matthew is the most well known and most widely quoted of the gospels. As catechetical leaders, preparing our hearts and minds and assisting others to prepare for the new liturgical season can mean the difference between “I’ve heard this one before” and hearing with fresh ears eager to glean something new.
Here are some ways we might prepare for Year A:
• Read commentaries on Matthew.
• Review the Church’s liturgical cycles and look over the readings for Year A.
• Gather with a group to proclaim, listen to, reflect upon, and share Matthew’s Gospel.
• Use the lectionary background at FaithFirst.com and the Liturgical Year at BlestAreWe.com for reflections, discussion starters, and thematic connections.
• Help families prepare for the Gospel reading each week using Gospel Reflections at FaithFirst.com.
• Assist the whole community in reflecting on the readings, using Questions of the Week for adults and children at WholeCommunityCatechesis.com.
• Incorporate Foundations in Faith as a rich resource that will assist you, a small group, or the larger community in preparing to hear and reflect on God’s word each week.
• Utilize the lectionary-based resource The Faith Connection to help your community further reflect on the weekly reading from the Gospel of Matthew and find ways to put the Gospel into action in the home, at work, and within the community.
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