Welcome to this week’s Living Word! Our Word of the Week is Sacrifice.
When we hear the word “sacrifice,” we often think of giving up something huge, but sacrifice is also about the small, everyday choices we make. To sacrifice means to give up something of value for the sake of something more important. It is an act of love and selflessness. When we sacrifice for others, we are echoing God’s love in our own lives.
Section 1: What is a sacrifice?
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 Mark.
R./ Glory to you O Lord. +
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
The Gospel of the Lord
R./ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
The widow didn’t have much, but she gave everything she had. Sacrifice isn’t measured by how big the gift is, but by how much love is in the giving. In school, sacrifice might mean giving up your free time to help a friend or choosing to be patient when you feel tired.
Discussion Questions:
- When was the last time someone made a sacrifice for you? How did it make you feel?
- What is the difference between giving from your “leftovers” and making a true sacrifice?
- What is one small sacrifice you can make this week for someone in our school?
Click below to “Add Comment” and capture some of what has been said in your form for others to see or add them to your form scrapbook if you have one!
Lord, help us to be generous. Teach us that when we give to others, we are really giving to you. Amen.
Section 2: The Ultimate Sacrifice.
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.
As we journey through the liturgical season of Lent, we are preparing our hearts and minds for the coming celebration of Easter. Soon we will reach what is called ‘Holy Week’, the most important week in the church year, where we will commemorate the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Think: The symbol of our faith is a cross. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us when he was put to death on the cross. Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection was all for us; it happened because God loves us all so much and through Jesus we can have hope in a full and eternal life with God.
As this worship song plays, use this time to think about the symbol of our faith and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us as an act of great love. Listen to the lyrics and see if any stand out for you.
As you listen, think about how:
- Jesus is often referred to as ‘The Lamb of God’ who bled and died for our sins. In the Old Testament, people would often sacrifice animals such as lambs and goats to God in atonement for their sins and to worship Him.
- we are soon to embark on a journey with Jesus through Holy Week; the most important week in the church’s year during which we will commemorate the passion and death of Jesus.
Prayer: Let us pause for a moment of silence.
Lord Jesus, Lamb of God, you sacrificed everything for us on the cross. Help us to follow your example of selfless love and give of ourselves for others today. Amen.
Section 3: Inspiration & Action
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
Have you ever heard of a man called Saint Maximilian Kolbe? During World War II, Saint Maximilian Kolbe was in a concentration camp. When a man was chosen to be killed, he cried out for his family. Maximilian stepped forward and offered to take the man’s place knowing that this meant he would soon die. He bravely sacrificed his life so that another could live.
While we might not be asked for a sacrifice that big, we are called to have that same heart of love. Spend a moment in quiet reflection considering the above quote by Saint Maximilian Kolbe.
Every sacrifice, no matter how small, is an act of love.
The Activity: The Hidden Sacrifice
This week, your challenge is to make a hidden sacrifice.
- Grab a Post-it note and write down one thing you are going to give up this week for someone else (e.g. “I will sacrifice part of my lunchtime to help a friend,” or “I will sacrifice my seat on the bus for somebody who needs it more”).
- Don’t write your name on it! Fold the note and place it in your blazer pocket or your planner. When you complete your sacrifice, throw the note away as a sign that your gift is finished and known only to God or, if you feel comfortable to do so, add it to your form scrapbook as a reminder of some of the hidden sacrifices made within your form group.
We end our week by saying the prayer that Jesus himself taught us:
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
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