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Entrance

Responsorial psalm (see also music overview for Holy Week and Easter) 

Gospel acclamation

John 20:29

Alleluia, Alleluia!
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me;
happy are those who have not seen me, but still believe!
Alleluia!

Procession of the gifts/offertory 

Communion

Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)

Sending forth

We walk by faith—AOV1 63, CWBII 641, G 680, GA 447

Lent is a season of profound conversion, a chance to rediscover the truth, goodness and beauty of Jesus Christ — ‘the one thing necessary’ (Lk 10:42). More than simply gritting our teeth, Lent is an opportunity to ask what we might give, like Mary of Bethany, to extravagantly love the One our hearts were made for.

This Lent, The Bethany Way — the Archdiocese of Melbourne’s flagship formation initiative — invites you to join them as we journey through the spiritual desert together.

Each week of Lent, a formation resource will be released to accompany you through the ups and downs of this graced season.

In a style similar to the main Bethany Way program, the resource each week will consist of:

Those who register through Trybooking will receive a link each week beginning on Tuesday 24 February with the resources to engage with. If you register after 24 February, you will also be given access to podcasts from previous weeks.

We encourage not only individuals to register but small groups and parish groups too. A facilitation guide will be made available for leaders wanting to use this resource in a group setting.

As we journey together towards Holy Week and Easter with hearts wide open, we are invited to ask: what would you give for the one thing necessary?

Register now to journey with The Bethany Way this Lent

Gospel

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,’ she said, ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’ So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

(John 20:1–9)

Did you know? 

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

Exploring the Word 

You could perhaps allow time to read over some of the many Scripture texts used over these three days. You could point out the unity of the three days and how the readings fit together. It is essentially one liturgy with various moments. It is not simply a re-enactment of the past but a way of drawing people into the present reality of the mystery of God.

Making connections 

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

Sharing the Tradition

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

The neophytes now enter the period of mystagogy or post-baptismal catechesis. ‘This is a time for the community and the neophytes together to grow in deepening their grasp of the paschal mystery and in making it a part of their lives through meditation on the Gospel, sharing in the Eucharist, and doing the works of charity’ (RCIA, §234).

Symbols and images 

The cross and the paschal candle are the central symbols of these three days. Death is conquered in new life. The darkness of the tomb is conquered by the light of Christ. Much of this symbolism is present in the baptism ceremony of the Easter Vigil. Explore it.

Living the Word 

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 

Gospel

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.

Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, the governor, and the governor put to him this question, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Jesus replied, ‘It is you who say it.’ But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders he refused to answer at all. Pilate then said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many charges they have brought against you?’ But to the governor’s complete amazement, he offered no reply to any of the charges.

At festival time it was the governor’s practice to release a prisoner for the people, anyone they chose. Now there was at that time a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Which do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For Pilate knew it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 

Now as he was seated in the chair of judgement, his wife sent him a message, ‘Have nothing to do with that man; I have been upset all day by a dream I had about him.’

The chief priests and the elders, however, had persuaded the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus. So when the governor spoke and asked them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ they said, ‘Barabbas’.

‘But in that case,’ Pilate said to them ‘what am I to do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ ‘Why?’ Pilate asked ‘What harm has he done?’ But they shouted all the louder, ‘Let him be crucified!’ Then Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in fact a riot was imminent. So he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your concern.’ And the people, to a man, shouted back, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ Then he released Barabbas for them. He ordered Jesus to be first scourged and then handed over to be crucified.

The governor’s soldiers took Jesus with them into the Praetorium and collected the whole cohort round him. Then they stripped him and made him wear a scarlet cloak, and having twisted some thorns into a crown they put this on his head and placed a reed in his right hand. To make fun of him they knelt to him saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head with it. And when they had finished making fun of him, they took off the cloak and dressed him in his own clothes and led him away to crucify him.

On their way out, they came across a man from Cyrene, Simon by name, and enlisted him to carry his cross. When they had reached a place called Golgotha, that is, the place of the skull, they gave him wine to drink mixed with gall, which he tasted but refused to drink. When they had finished crucifying him they shared out his clothing by casting lots, and then sat down and stayed there keeping guard over him.

Above his head was placed the charge against him; it read: ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’ At the same time two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said, ‘So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself! If you are God’s son, come down from the cross!’ The chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him in the same way. ‘He saved others;’ they said ‘he cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He puts his trust in God; now let God rescue him if he wants him. For he did say, “I am the son of God.”’ Even the robbers who were crucified with him taunted him in the same way.

From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ That is, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ When some of those who stood there heard this, they said, ‘The man is calling on Elijah,’ and one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it him to drink. ‘Wait!’ said the rest of them ‘and see if Elijah will come to save him.’ But Jesus, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.

At that, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks were split; the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy men rose from the dead, and these, after his resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people. Meanwhile the centurion, together with the others guarding Jesus, had seen the earthquake and all that was taking place, and they were terrified and said, ‘In truth this was a son of God.’

(Matthew 27:11–54)

Did you know? 

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

Exploring the Word 

This long reading from the passion of Jesus is presented by Matthew as a series of alternating scenes in which the disciples fail while Jesus commits himself both to them and to the Father. The betrayal by Judas, the disciples fleeing at his arrest and Peter’s denial all highlight sinful humanity and imperfect faith. But it is this very state that Jesus has come to redeem. The moment of his death is when this redemption is achieved. At that moment, the veil in the temple, which hangs in front of the holy of holies, where God dwells, is torn asunder. God is no longer separated from humankind. God’s indwelling has burst the confines of the temple and permeates the entire world. Heaven and earth are no longer separate from each other. In the salvific death of the God-man, heaven and earth are united again. Ironically, it is the Gentile centurion who proclaims the divinity of Jesus: ‘In truth this was a son of God.’

Making connections 

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

Sharing the Tradition

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

One of the great devotions associated with this period of the church year is the Stations of the Cross (sometimes called the ‘Way of the Cross’). There are traditionally fourteen stations associated with the arrest, trial and death of Jesus. To travel and meditate on these events is a centuries-old practice, with some evidence of similar devotion going back as far as the fifth century. It is a practice that was promoted by the Franciscans, who were given custody of the holy places in the Holy Land in the fourteenth century.

Symbols and images 

There are two central images in this week’s liturgy: the palms signify the glory and triumph of Jesus, as well as reminding us of his entry into Jerusalem before his death, and the cross represents Christ’s love for the world and the sacrifice he made so that salvation would be available to all people.

Living the Word 

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 

Gospel

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.

Mary and Martha sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judaea.’

On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

‘I am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’

Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:

‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer.
I knew indeed that you always hear me,
but I speak for the sake of all these who stand round me,
so that they may believe it was you who sent me.’

When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him.

(John 11:3–7, 17, 20–27, 33–45)

Did you know? 

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

Exploring the Word 

The pure human emotion of Jesus in this text attests to the love he had for Lazarus, but this human affection is nothing compared with the future promise to which the actions of Jesus towards Lazarus will lead. For those without faith, the tomb is simply a place of human corruption and decay. Death has ultimate power over people. But for people of faith, the tomb holds no fear. It is ironic that in raising Lazarus to life, Jesus is ensuring his own death at the hands of ‘the Jews’ (see verses 49–53). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the power of sin and death is broken, and instead, resurrection and life are offered to all who would attest with Martha that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. It is Jesus who is the resurrection and the life! There is a fundamental difference between the death and resurrection of Lazarus and that of Jesus. Lazarus will return to death, symbolised by the fact that he still wears the clothes of death when he comes forth from the tomb. Jesus’ death, however, will lead to a glory that lasts forever, symbolised by the fact that his death clothes are neatly folded and placed to one side when he emerges from the tomb (see John 20:6–7). The resurrection of Jesus brings eternal life.

Making connections 

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

Sharing the Tradition 

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

Faith in the resurrection of the body is one of the articles of faith in the Creed, and yet it is a belief that is difficult to understand. From earliest times in the Church, this belief raised questions among those coming to faith. In the face of the mystery of death, all explanations are ultimately inadequate. Our best response is to put our faith in the words of Jesus: ‘You who believe in me, even if you die, you will live forever.’

Symbols and images 

When Jesus calls forth Lazarus from death and the darkness of the tomb to new life, we hear echoes of the Christian belief in the power of baptism. The same symbolism appears in the baptismal ceremony. When baptism is performed by full emersion, this symbolism is even more powerful. 

Living the Word 

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 

Gospel

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd
and Doubleday & Company Inc.

As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. He spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’). So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.

His neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one.’ Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’

They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.’ Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How could a sinner produce signs like this?’ And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?’ ‘He is a prophet’ replied the man.

‘Are you trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!’ And they drove him away.

Jesus heard they had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied ‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’ The man said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and worshipped him.

(John 9:1, 6–9, 13–17, 34–38)

Did you know? 

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

Exploring the Word 

There are two main points of today’s gospel: the blind man’s journey towards faith and belief, and the contrast between the attitudes of the blind man and his interrogators. Like the Samaritan woman at the well in last week’s gospel, the blind man gradually moves from lack of faith to faith. First the blind man refers to the one who effected his cure as ‘the man called Jesus’, then he proclaims him a prophet and a man from God, and finally he declares, ‘Lord, I believe’ and worships him. This openness to the revelation of God acting in Jesus is contrasted with the ‘blindness’ of the Pharisees, who, though physically able to see, do not recognise Jesus. The blind man tellingly declares, ‘Now here is an astonishing thing! He has opened my eyes and you don’t know where he comes from!’ John’s use of the term ‘the Jews’ indicates that this group is from the religious leadership, the very people who are trained in the law and ways of God. They, of all people, should know what is from God!

Making connections 

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

Sharing the Tradition 

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

The first reading, in which Samuel anoints David as the chosen one of God, and the gospel, where Jesus anoints the eyes of the blind man with spittle, indicate the importance of anointing within both the Jewish and Christian traditions. Oil is generally used for this purpose in the Church. Part of the baptism ceremony at the Easter Vigil will be an anointing with oil, and chrism will be used to seal the elect with the Holy Spirit during the confirmation ceremony. 

Symbols and images 

This text again traces the journey towards faith of the man who was born blind and contrasts his openness to the revelation of Jesus as the light of the world with the ‘blindness’ of the Pharisees, who do not see or recognise the truth of who Jesus is.

Living the Word 

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 

GOSPEL

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.

Jesus came to the Samaritan town called Sychar, near the land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well is there and Jesus, tired by the journey, sat straight down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘What? You are a Jew and you ask me, a Samaritan, for a drink?’—Jews, in fact, do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus replied:

‘If you only knew what God is offering
and who it is that is saying to you:
Give me a drink, you would have been the one to ask,
and he would have given you living water.’

‘You have no bucket, sir,’ she answered ‘and the well is deep: how could you get this living water? Are you a greater man than our father Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself with his sons and his cattle?’ Jesus replied: 

‘Whoever drinks this water
will get thirsty again;
but anyone who drinks the water that I shall give
will never be thirsty again:
the water that I shall give
will turn into a spring inside him,
welling up to eternal life.’

‘Sir,’ said the woman ‘give me some of that water, so that I may never get thirsty and never have to come here again to draw water. I see you are a prophet, sir. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, while you say that Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’

Jesus said:

‘Believe me, woman,
the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You worship what you do not know;
we worship what we do know:
for salvation comes from the Jews.
But the hour will come
—in fact it is here already—
when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit
and truth:
that is the kind of worshipper the Father wants.
God is spirit,
and those who worship
must worship in spirit and truth.’

The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah—that is, Christ—is coming; and when he comes he will tell us everything.’ ‘I who am speaking to you,’ said Jesus ‘I am he.’

Many Samaritans of that town had believed in him on the strength of the woman’s testimony when she said, ‘He told me all I have ever done’, so, when the Samaritans came up to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed for two days, and when he spoke to them many more came to believe; and they said to the woman, ‘Now we no longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard him ourselves and we know that he really is the saviour of the world.’

(John 4:5–16, 19–26, 39–42)

DID YOU KNOW? 

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

EXPLORING THE WORD 

This gospel should be read in conjunction with the first reading from Exodus, in which the people of Israel, liberated from slavery in Egypt, are left thirsting in the desert. God provides them with water to sustain their journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land. In the gospel, the thirst of the Samaritan woman is a much more profound thirst, and her openness to the living water offered by Jesus and her gradual journey to faith are at the heart of this text. She moves from a superficial understanding that Jesus may be offering her a permanent supply of water to a deeper appreciation of him as one who intimately understands the yearning of the human heart and offers her a way forward. Not only does the woman come to faith but she is also instrumental in leading others to belief, using the classic words of invitation to discipleship in John’s Gospel: ‘Come and see a man … I wonder if he is the Christ?’

MAKING CONNECTIONS 

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

SHARING THE TRADITION 

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

This image of living water cannot help but draw attention to baptism, which is now only weeks away. It is the foundational sacrament of the Church and draws us into the life of faith.

SYMBOLS AND IMAGES 

This text is really about the woman’s journey towards faith in Jesus. She begins with surprise that he would even speak to her and gradually deepens in her conviction that he is the Messiah; finally she leads others in her village to faith in Jesus as well. Does this echo something of your own journey? 

LIVING THE WORD 

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 

GOSPEL

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this the disciples fell on their faces overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus.

As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, ‘Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’

(Matthew 17:1–9)

DID YOU KNOW? 

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

EXPLORING THE WORD 

In the later part of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples that he must journey to Jerusalem to suffer and die and to rise again. He begins his journey towards his fate, but that journey is interrupted by this wondrous moment where he is revealed as the glorious Messiah, the beloved Son of God. In the language of this text, there are echoes of the Jewish expectation of the Messiah coming in glory at the end of time. Through the appearance of Moses and Elijah in this scene, Matthew links Jesus intimately with Jewish expectation. The law, represented by Moses, established a covenant with the chosen people, and it was the role of the prophets, represented by Elijah, to constantly remind the people of their covenant obligations. Both the law and the prophets looked forward to God’s final intervention in human history, and here, Jesus is presented as that intervention. The disciples want to capture this moment and freeze it in time by building shrines, but Jesus is adamant that the journey must continue to its final outcome, which will confirm God’s action in human history. It is not until Christ has been raised that the truth of this vision will be known.

MAKING CONNECTIONS 

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

SHARING THE TRADITION 

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

This text affirms the very early Christian belief that Jesus was both God and man. This dual nature is one of the foundational beliefs of the Church: ‘He became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. During the first centuries, the Church had to defend and clarify this truth of faith against heresies that falsified it’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, §464).

SYMBOLS AND IMAGES 

In the Old Testament, mountaintops were important as places of encounter with God. Both Moses and Elijah experienced the power and presence of God on mountaintops, just as Jesus does in this gospel. Where do you experience the most profound sense of God’s presence in your life? Where is your sacred place?

LIVING THE WORD 

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 

GOSPEL

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.’ But he replied, ‘Scripture says:
Man does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’ he said ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:
He will put you in his angels’ charge,
and they will support you on their hands
in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says: You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all these’ he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says: You must worship the Lord your God,
and serve him alone.’

Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

(Matthew 4:1–11)

DID YOU KNOW? 

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

EXPLORING THE WORD 

This text follows immediately from the baptism of Jesus. The final words of that text come from the voice from heaven: ‘This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.’ It is interesting that Satan uses the words ‘If you are the Son of God…’ to introduce two of his temptations. In this way, Satan is disputing the claim from heaven and trying to force Jesus to prove his sonship. In response to the first temptation, Jesus affirms his trust in God. Satan seizes on this as the basis for his second temptation, but again Jesus rejects any attempt to force God’s hand. The final temptation reveals the true nature of the contest—it is a struggle between God and Satan—but Jesus shows his choice is made and rejects Satan.

MAKING CONNECTIONS 

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

SHARING THE TRADITION 

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

The Lent–Easter–Pentecost cycle should be seen as a unified whole. Among the earliest of the feasts that were celebrated by the early church were Easter and Pentecost. The preparatory season of Lent was added later as a final period of intense preparation for those catechumens seeking baptism. It was also the final period of penance for those who had sinned before they were received back to the Eucharist.

SYMBOLS AND IMAGES 

In this text, Matthew continues his depiction of Jesus as the new Moses. The forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness recall the forty years during which Israel wandered the desert and the forty days that Moses spent on the mountain.

LIVING THE WORD 

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 

GOSPEL

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.

‘For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.

‘You have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery. But I say this to you: if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand should cause you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body go to hell.

‘It has also been said: Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal. But I say this to you: everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

‘Again, you have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord. But I say this to you: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’

(Matthew 5:17–37)

DID YOU KNOW? 

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

EXPLORING THE WORD 

The central theme of this week’s reading from Matthew is built upon for the next several weeks. In this text, Matthew is reassuring his Jewish audience that Jesus has not come to replace the Law of Judaism but to bring it to fullness and completion. In this gospel, Jesus reassures his hearers that ‘not one dot, one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law.’ Instead, Jesus extends the Law of Israel and interprets it in a new way. His emphasis is on the spirit of the Law, not the letter of the Law. Doing only what the Law requires as a minimum is, for Jesus, not enough. Disciples are called to discern what is at the heart of faith and to bring this to all our dealings with people. The observance of outward expressions of faith is hollow unless it is accompanied by an attitude that shapes our whole being and informs all our actions, responses and decisions.

MAKING CONNECTIONS 

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

Be my protector, O God,
a mighty stronghold to save me.
For you are my rock, my stronghold!
Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name.

SHARING THE TRADITION 

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

All organisations need to have rules that govern their functioning. The Catholic Church is regulated and governed by what is known as canon law. This originated in the first centuries of Christianity and was based largely on Roman law. Over the years, it came to be cumbersome and confusing. There was a call from bishops to codify and simplify the laws governing the Church. This was acted upon at the first Vatican Council (1869), and Pope Pius IX ordered work to begin on producing a single document. This came into force in 1918. Pope John XXIII again ordered a revision of the Code of Canon Law and a commission was established in 1963 to carry out this work. The new code came into force in 1983 and governs all aspects of the functioning of the Catholic Church using the Latin Rite.

SYMBOLS AND IMAGES 

In this text, Jesus addresses what is truly required to honour God appropriately. God does not require hollow praise and exultation but, rather, that we have pure hearts and honest dealings with all people. Jesus emphasises the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law.

LIVING THE WORD 

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 
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