4th Sunday of Lent Year A (2023)

About the 4th Sunday of Lent Year A

What date is the Fourth Sunday of Lent 2023?

Sunday March 19, 2023

The readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent are about sight and blindness. The first reading is the story of the choosing of David as God’s anointed one. Samuel is told that God does not see us as we do. The second reading is a reminder that we must live in the light, not it darkness. And in the gospel is the story of the man born blind, whom Jesus cured.

What are the Mass Readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year A?

• First Reading – 1 Samuel 16:1B, 6-7, 10-13A: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
• Second Reading – Ephesians 5:8-14: “Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light.”
• Gospel – John 9:1-41: “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.”

What Are the Themes for the Mass Readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year A?

• Light and darkness
• How we see ourselves, others, and God
• Spiritual blindness

All Together Now – A Lesson Plan on Racism

Racism can be a difficult topic to discuss with teens. It is popular to think that we are “color blind”. But the fact is that the playing field is not level and that minorities do not have the same advantages as the majority.  This lesson plan on racism introduces the topic of institutional racism.

Glow in the Dark Sidewalk Chalk

Glow in the dark sidewalk chalk is a fun addition to an nighttime activity. You can use it to welcome youth to the event, write inspirational messages, or let your participants have a creative outlet.

Glow in the Dark Ring Toss

Glow in the Dark Ring Toss is a fun easy game for any “light” themed youth ministry meeting or Vacation Bible School. It only requires a few materials – glow sticks and water bottles.

Seeing the Big Picture Youth Ministry Game

This seeing the big picture game is designed to help youth understand that it can be disorienting or difficult to understand something if we only see it from a small perspective. It can be difficult for us to understand why the Holy Spirit is leading us somewhere unfamiliar or why the Church has a teaching.

Look Into My Heart

But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” This is a social media graphic for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year A.

What Is My Worth?

How is my worth related to my social connections? Should I count my current possessions in my worth? Does my earnings potential play a part in the calculation? If these are the sort of questions you are asking, you are completely heading in the wrong direction.

Glow in the Dark Dodgeball Game

Glow in the dark dodgeball puts a fun twist on your traditional dodge ball game. Play it at night or if you can darken your gym you can play in any time. This is a great game for an open gym night with your teens.

Make Votive Candle Holders

Make some votive candle holders. These votive candle holders are easy enough to make that all of the members of your family can help, no matter what their age.

Give Up Video Games for a Weekend Or More

Consider encouraging your family to give up some video games for Lent. Maybe for a  weekend. Maybe for a couple of weekends. Maybe more. Do some discernment together and decide what is best for your family.

Go for a Quiet Walk and Pray

If you are looking for a new springtime prayer routine, try to go for a short quiet walk each day and pray. This can be a time to speak to God and even more so to allow God to speak to you.