In today's Gospel, we learn that God can take our tiny bit of faith and turn it into something big! He also reminds us that we are all called to serve others, and not so seek rewards in this life for doing so.
Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and our minds. Fill us with your peace, love, and understanding. Help us to hear God's message today and recognize His voice in our daily activities. Amen
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at the table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
Invite the group to prepare a list of jobs/occupations that people hold. Choose one or two jobs from this list and ask the group to identify how these jobs make a difference in the lives of people. Next, ask the group to identify some of the rewards for doing this kind of work. Say: Whenever a person is able to make a positive difference in the life of another, we see God's action at work in our world.
Ask each person in your group to identify one thing that he or she has done that made a positive difference in the life of another. Then invite each person to write a short paragraph about this task and about how it makes them feel to do it. These will be used in the closing prayer.
In conclusion, invite the group to enter into a prayerful spirit around a prayer table. Invite each person to place on a prayer table the paragraph that he or she wrote about an action that made a difference in the life of another as a sign of their willingness to serve God in faith. Pray together that God will transform these actions and make them serve God's kingdom as you pray aloud Saint Ignatius of Loyola's Prayer for Generosity or sing, "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace."
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmQ4gx3xObI (Attributed to Catholic Kids Media)
Father in heaven, for the sake of bringing others closer to you, we give you today, all that we think and do and say, and we join it with all that was done by Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen
