Weekly Kids’ Reflection in our Parish Bulletins – Comments on these reflections can be sent to heykids23@gmail.com
Hey Kids! Bulletin Article – May 5, 2024
Hey, Kids! – I remember when I was young, my friends and I enjoyed making friendship bracelets. They were a little difficult to make, at first, but I remember my friend taking the time to show me how to do it. She enjoyed showing me how to make them because she also enjoyed her hobby. She showed me how to make different patterns in the braid. Then, when I was done with my masterpieces, she would praise me for my work. It was a really nice gesture on her part to teach me how to make them. Then we would give them away to other friends, and they would smile and be grateful for the gift. Our joy came in seeing them wearing the bracelets and wanting more of them to share with their friends. Wouldn’t you say that it feels good to show someone how to do something that you enjoy doing yourself?
When Jesus taught us about love, I believe he felt the same way as my friend did. He knew that his purpose on earth was to teach us how to love one another. He told many different stories (or parables) so that people would understand why it was so important to love one another. He spent so much time preaching to people about the importance of love. He wanted us to know that God loved us all the same. Let’s think about that for a second. God loves US so much that He sent us Jesus to teach US how to love. It seems like such an easy thing to do; love one another.
However, when you turn on the news, it can be a bit sad to see how many people simply don’t know how to follow the commandments or try to love one another. It can be hard to love someone who is cruel, mean or who doesn’t look like us. We can easily break a commandment if we take our sights off of Jesus. So, in those moments where you find it hard to love, close your eyes and ask God to help you. Ask Him what would Jesus do right now? How would he react if someone did this to him? It is important to do this because Jesus was perfection, and he never did anything wrong. So, if we use Jesus as our guide, we will stay loyal to the commandments. God will always lead us to love, but we have to focus on Him so that we act with love.
Let’s pray: God, thank you for sending me Jesus to show me how to love ALL of the people I encounter. Amen.
Hey Kids! Bulletin Article – April 28, 2024
Hey, Kids! – Have you ever noticed that when Jesus was teaching, he often told stories to help his followers understand what he wanted them to learn? The Gospel for today is another shining example of these stories. This story was about grapevines. He chose the grapevine for this story because in the land where Jesus lived, there were many grapevines. Jesus knew that his followers would know a lot about grapevines. I don’t know if you have ever seen a grapevine, but there are two parts to the grapevine. There is the vine, and there are many branches growing out of the vine. The grapes grow on the branches. That is pretty much like any fruit; they grow on the branches. The only way that a branch can have fruit on it is for it to remain connected. If a stem broke off, anything growing on it would wither away and die.
Recently, I was working in the yard and I found a branch laying on the ground. I realized it had no leaves and no sign of life left in it. If it had come from a nearby fruit tree, it would never have had any fruit on it. That is what Jesus wanted his followers to understand as he told his story about the grapevine. He wanted them to understand how important it was for them to stay connected to him. He told them, “I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me, you will have much fruit, but apart from me, you can do nothing.” Jesus wants you and me to produce fruit in our life. He wants us to be kind, gentle, generous and loving to each other. Do you believe we can do that on our own without Jesus? NO WAY!
Just as the branches must be connected to the vine before they can produce fruit, you and I must stay connected to Jesus to produce the good fruit that God expects of us. If we keep our life connected to Jesus, we will grow. When we stay connected to Jesus, we will try our best to please him, and to do good instead of bad. Just like a grapevine produces delicious fruit, our life will produce beautiful gestures of peace, forgiveness and love that we can give to one another. But if we separate from Jesus, we may do things that go against everything Jesus taught us.
Let’s pray: Jesus, help us to remain faithful as we stay connected to you, and follow your teaching. Amen.