WEEK 16
During this Fourth Week of Lent, from Sunday to Friday (March 14-19, 2021), we will be reading the six chapters of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. Paul, writing to the several churches in this Roman Province of Galatia probably about 55 AD from Ephesus, is in a very feisty and agitated mood. There has been a serious questioning of Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel among the Christians of these churches which he founded.
Evidently, it all came down to how we, as Christians, are to be heirs to Abraham and the covenant that God made with him. Is it by being circumcised as Abraham was, and thus also following all the other Jewish laws? Paul says, “No.” Abraham believed God even before he was circumcised and it was that faith which bound him to God who made a covenant with him. We who have faith then are heirs of the covenant promise made to Abraham by being in Christ Jesus, who is the real heir of Abraham.
To set the stage for this argument, Paul wants it made clear that his missionary mandate and the Gospel he preaches are at the direct order of God. It is in that vein that Paul presents a good amount of his own history in chapters one and two. He notes that his views received the recognition of the other apostles.
But the heart of his case is to show that Jesus Christ, who was a Jew just as Paul was, has by his cross freed all of us, including the Gentiles to whom he was writing, from the obligations of circumcision and the law. He even turns the tables on his opponents and calls them descendants of Hagar (traditionally seen as the mother of Gentiles) while Paul’s congregations are the true descendants of the free woman, Sarah!
It is life in the Spirit which becomes the new mode of Christian adherence to Jesus. Nothing should diminish what Jesus has done and the freedom he has won for us. This discussion of the Spirit and freedom are the heart of chapters five and six.
There are many temptations for us to seek other means of living out our lives. There is only one truth, says St. Paul, and that is that Jesus is our hope. As Paul writes, “But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Sunday, March 14th
Galatians 1:3
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins that He might rescue us from the present evil age in accord with the will of God the Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
- I wonder about the grace and peace of the Lord that is given to us.
- Do we always see the gifts Jesus has for us?
- Can we feel these gifts?
- I wonder how we know they are there.
- I wonder what a great gift it is to be saved from sin, and rescued from evil.
- I wonder what offering or gift we could give Jesus.
Monday, March 15th
Galatians 2:20
"Yet, I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up by me."
- I wonder about the life inside of us.
- I wonder how Christ lives inside of us: In our minds, our hearts or with our souls.
- I wonder what is faith in God?
- Is it just believing God is there, or is it something more?
- I wonder how do we get the gift of faith?
Tuesday, March 16th
Galatians 3: 9
"Consequently, those who have faith, are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.
Father Abraham was a man of great faith and did all that God asked of Him, so God blessed Him rightly."
- I wonder what it means to be blessed.
- I wonder how we can receive that same blessing Abraham received.
- I wonder if we all belong to the same family of God
Wednesday, March 17th
Galatians 4: 6
"As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of His son into our hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'
We belong to a heavenly Family as well as an earthly family. God sent us the Holy Spirit so that we would know we have this heavenly family, so we could call Him Father (Abba)."
- I wonder how we are so blessed to have two families.
- I wonder about Our Father in Heaven, what He will be like when we meet Him.
- I wonder what our Heavenly Mother Mary is like.
- I wonder how we can know them more.
- I wonder what Heaven will be like.
Thursday, March 18th
Galatians 5:22
"In, Contrast the Fruit of the spirit is:
Love, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity,
Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control."
- Please take time to wonder and explore what each of these could mean and how we could put them in to practice, to be more fruitful which brings glory to God.
Friday, March 19th
Galatians 6:9
"Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up."
- I wonder why someone would no longer want to do good.
- I wonder what our harvest will be.
- I wonder what can help us not to give up.
- I wonder what good God calls us to do for others.
Saturday, March 20th
Mark 1
The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark has many things happening as Jesus begins His public ministry, beginning with His baptism by John the Baptist. We hear of His temptation in the desert, calling of the first disciples and finally the healing of many people. Below you will find several verses to choose from based on your child’s age and maturity level or, what speaks to you this day.
“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”” (Mk 1:9-11)
- What did you hear?
- I wonder why the Holy Spirit came down to rest on Jesus?
- I wonder why God the Father is “well pleased” with Jesus?
“[And] passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.”” (Mk 1:16-17)
- I wonder what it means to be “fishers of men”?
- Could we become fishers of men?
“And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.” (Mk 1:35)
- I wonder why Jesus went out to a lonely place to pray?
- Do you think it was quiet there?
- Where can we go to pray?