Welcome to this week’s Living Word!
Our Word of the Week is Witness.
Witness is the sharing of our faith with others. It is a way of testifying to the truth of Jesus Christ and the Gospel message. Our witness can be a way of celebrating the hope and joy that we have in Jesus and a way of powerfully sharing the good news with those around us through not just our words but by our actions too.
Section 1: Mary’s Witness
We invite you to start with the Sign of the Cross.
Response: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.R./ Glory to you O Lord. +
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me… I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
The Gospel of the Lord
R./ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
At this point in the Gospel story, the disciples are panicking. Jesus has just told them He’s leaving, and they feel like they’re losing their GPS signal. Where should they go next? What should they do without him physically there to guide them? But since we are in the Month of May, let’s look to the person who never lost their map or their confidence: Mary. Mary was Jesus’ mother. She was the first and greatest witness. When she said “Yes” at the Annunciation, she committed to ‘The Way’ before anyone else even knew what ‘The Way’ was.
To be a witness like Mary is to trust ‘The Way’ (Jesus) even when the path ahead feels unsure. In May, the Catholic Church honours Mary as the “Queen of Apostles” because she showed the others how to stand firm in faith even at the foot of the Cross as she watched her only son die. Being a witness doesn’t mean having no fear; it means having a “Yes” that is bigger than your fear.
Pause and Reflect: The disciple Thomas needed to see in order to believe. Mary believed before she ever saw. Which one do you relate to more?
Mary’s Song
In Mary’s song, the Magnificat, she says that God lifts up the lowly.
- Mary saw that the world was an unfair place with much suffering. Where in our school or in our world today do you see people suffering?
- Mary describes a world where things are fixed. What are your hopes and dreams for those people for the future?
- Mary said “Yes” to her part. How will you be inspired by Mary’s “Yes”? How will you be a witness for those people?
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Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Section 2: Marian Witness Quiz
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