Sunday, July 26, 2015

Use what you have been given--Totus Tuus day #5: Daily Mass Homily--Friday, July 24th, 2015


(Listen to this homily here).

            This is your last quiz.  And you have to pass this quiz or else there won’t be a water fight later!
            First, what does totus tuus stand for?  Totally yours.  And what language is this?  Latin.  And who said it?  John Paul II.  St. John Paul II, yes.  Wow, you guys are smart!
            Next up, let’s review the strings we received each day.  First string color?  Green.  And green stands for?  Hope.  Remind me what we connected these strings with—a certain prayer?  The Rosary.  Yep, and which mysteries?  The Sorrowful Mysteries.  Nice—you’re rolling!  What is the first Sorrowful Mystery?  The Agony in the Garden.  So we see our green string, reminding us of the green garden in which Jesus agonized.  All to give us hope.
            What is the second color?  White.  Which stands for?  Purity.  And the second Sorrowful Mystery?  Scourging at the pillar.  Jesus, in shedding his blood for us, purifies us from sins.  The prophet Isaiah said, “By his stripes you are healed.” 
            Third color?  Purple.  Which is for?  Royalty.  How do we see this in the third Sorrowful Mystery?  Jesus is given what?  A crown of thorns.  Yep.  It was ironic that the soldiers mocked Jesus as a king—but he really was!
            Moving to the fourth Sorrowful Mystery—carrying of the cross.  So we wear a blue string to remind us of what?  The tears of the women.  
            Finally, what color did we receive today?  Red.  To symbolize?  Jesus’ blood.  And this is a great reminder of the fifth and last Sorrowful Mystery—the crucifixion.
            Excellent work everyone!  I should have quizzed the adults to see if they are as smart as you.
            To finish today, remember the Gospel—Jesus compares his Word to seeds that are planted in the ground.  They have to be fed, watered and cared for to grow.  You have received many seeds of faith this week—be sure to take care of them!  One of the best ways to do this is to keep coming to Mass.
            I’ll finish with a true story involving a young girl down in Kansas.  She went to Totus Tuus for a week and was so excited she wanted to go to Mass the following Sunday.  Her parents didn’t usually go to Church, but on Sunday morning she woke up, knocked on her parents’ bedroom door and asked them if they could go to Church.  They replied, “No, honey, we’re going to sleep in today.  Go back to bed.” 
            The next week something similar happened, though the girl did her homework.  Sunday morning she once again knocked on her parents’ door and asked if she could go to Mass.  They said no again, so she asked if she could bike to Mass.  They answered, “No, just stay here this morning.”  Now this girl was clever—she pointed out, “You let me bike to the park and Church is closer than that.”  The parents finally agreed to let her bike to Mass.  Imagine this young girl biking to Mass with her pink streamers and Barbie helmet!  She marched in by herself and attended Mass.
            The next Sunday, this girl went to knock on her parents’ door and they were dressed and ready to come back to Church.
            You have received a great gift this week.  You have learned more, prayed more and had a lot of fun.  Be sure to use the gifts you have been given!  If you are already coming to Mass with your family, praise God.  If not, keep asking them to bring you!
            Thank you to our teachers for a great week, our volunteers for all their hard work.  Thanks to you and your family for your presence and let’s keep learning, praying and having fun in our Catholic faith!

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