Easter Reading Reflections: For Individuals or Small Groups

By Armand Brunelle III

Lenten Reading Reflections is geared to small groups or individuals looking to prepare for the Sunday Masses during Lent. Each week's readings within all three Liturgical Years A,B,C are identified. A short reflection is also provided to stimulate conversation within the group or for the individual's own contemplation.

I envision that you could use this book on your own to prepare for Mass but I think it would be better if you can gather with even just a couple of friends. "wherever two or more are gathered in my name there I shall be!" – Matthew 18:20

I would suggest that Jesus is with you too even when you are alone with your Bible but always nice to share our faith with others!

The groups that I facilitate, typically have an hour time limit which usually is enough time. Sometimes we go over, but I really tried to keep it within an hour to respect everyone's time.

We open the meeting with prayer and then begin reading the scriptures listed for the day you are studying. You will see them just under the title of the section for that weekend. I list the first reading from the Old Testament, the Psalm, the second reading from the New Testament and the Gospel for that particular Sunday.

If you are in a group, pick a person to read the scripture aloud. Ideally, you would have a different person read aloud for the other readings.

What follows is my thoughts on what the readings were saying to me when I wrote them. You may agree or disagree with what I have and that is more than okay! The idea is to get YOU thinking about what they are saying to you and your group.

I have included a blank page after my reflections for you to write your own ideas. You could write it in paragraph form as I did or simply put in some bullets or key points that you'd like to remember.

What is nice about doing that is the next time the Liturgical year comes along in three years you can see what you thought back then and see if you still feel the same or hopefully maybe you have grown and have a new direction for the readings and your life!

Either way I hope you find this book useful, and you come to know God, His son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit a little more intimately. That is what it's all about! God bless you and your small group!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9798350947908

Armand Brunelle III

I am a computer scientist and entrepreneur. I am a lifelong Catholic Christian and have been involved in Youth and Men's Ministry for the last 37 years. Our Men's group would often meet and review the readings for Mass and discuss them prior to Mass. This book is geared to help small groups and individuals identify the readings for Mass and discuss them together. I have provided a reflection of my own to hopefully help get the conversation going and I also provide a blank page after each so that the individual or small group member can record their own thoughts too. This volume is for the Liturgical Season of Lent for all three liturgical years - A, B, C. Please watch for additional volumes coming soon for Easter, Advent/Christmas and Ordinary Time. Visit my website at www.armandbrunelle.com for more information on myself the books and their availability. I hope you find this book useful, and you come to know God and develop a relationship with God, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. God bless you and your small group!

Book preview

Preface

I have had the good fortune to be involved in youth ministry for 35 years and Men’s ministry for about 20 years. When we first started doing Men’s Group, we would meet during Lent and Advent for 6 weeks and simply read the scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday Mass and discuss them amongst ourselves. Usually in groups of 6 to 12 men.

We would ask questions such as what are the readings saying to you? What is the message here? How can we apply this to our life, our world today.

I never had prepared reflections of my own for those meetings; everything was just spontaneous for us and off the cuff. I never took notes either, but the conversations were always great! When I went to Mass that weekend, I was very prepared and even curious to see what Father was going to say to the parish about the readings and how would his remarks align or not align with our thoughts.

During the pandemic when we were unable to go to Mass, I was reading the scriptures for Mass prior to watching the Mass on the computer. Like previously with the Men’s Group reflections, I started to think I wonder what Father will say about these readings? One day I just decided to write down in a note on my iPhone what I was thinking and that’s how this came to be.

Each Sunday morning after morning prayer with my coffee and my dogs I would read the readings and then jot down my thoughts. I have done this for every Sunday and some Holy Days for Years A, B and C. This booklet is just for the Lenten Sundays for all three years. I have indicated some of the upcoming years so you can align with the current Liturgical Year that we are in as you use this booklet.

So By what authority do you…? (Mark 11:28) I have no authority. I have not been trained in theology, these are simply my thoughts. If you care to know more about me and my background you can go to the back of the book.

How to use this booklet

I envision that you could use this book on your own to prepare for Mass but I think it would be better if you can gather with even just a couple of friends. wherever two or more are gathered in my name there I shall be! – Matthew 18:20

I would suggest that Jesus is with you too even when you are alone with your Bible.

Our groups would typically have an hour time limit which usually was enough time. Sometimes we went over but I really tried to keep it within an hour to respect everyone’s time.

Start by reading the scriptures listed for the day you are studying. You will see them just under the title of the section for that weekend. Hopefully you can decipher my abbreviations for the books of the Bible. I list the first reading from the Old Testament, the Psalm, the second reading from the New Testament and the Gospel for that particular Sunday.

If you are in a group, pick a person to read the scripture aloud. Ideally, you would have a different person read aloud for the other readings.

What follows is my thoughts on what the readings were saying to me when I wrote them. You may agree or disagree with what I have and that is more than okay! The idea is to get YOU thinking about what they are saying to you and your group.

I have included a blank page after my reflections for you to write your own ideas. You could write it in paragraph form as I did or simply put in some bullets or key points that you’d like to remember.

What is nice about doing that is the next time the Liturgical year comes along in three years you can see what you thought back then and see if you still feel the same or hopefully maybe you have grown and have a new direction for the readings and your life!

Either way I hope you find this booklet useful and you come to know God, his son Jesus Christ and their Holy Spirit a little more intimately. That is what its all about! God bless you and your small group!

Breaking Open the Word

It is currently Advent of Year B, December of 2023. I am using a daily devotional booklet by Father Richard Rohr and just came across this essay for December 18th entitled Breaking Open the Word. The readings for December 18th are from Jeremiah 23:5-8 and Matthew 1:18-25. I am hoping that Fr. Richard and the cac.org won’t mind me sharing this with you. I have properly footnoted the text and have not changed anything in his essay. Enjoy!

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