Resources, Prayers, Games, and Lesson Plans
More Thoughts and Reflection Questions
Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
- First Reading – Exodus 20:1-17: God gives the Ten Commandments, which are a set of fundamental laws given by God to the Israelites through Moses. The commandments cover various aspects of human behavior, such as the obligation to worship God alone, honor parents, avoid murder, adultery, theft, and false witness.
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 19: God’s words are perfect, trustworthy, right, and true, bringing wisdom and joy to those who follow them. The psalmist emphasizes the value of God’s words, which are more precious than gold and sweeter than honey.
- Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 1:22-25: Paul explains that the message of the cross may seem foolish to some and a stumbling block to others, but to those who are saved, it is the power of God. He contrasts the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of God, asserting that God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
- Gospel – John 2:13-25: Jesus goes to Jerusalem during Passover and becomes angry at the merchants and money changers in the temple, accusing them of turning the house of God into a marketplace. When challenged, Jesus predicts his own death and resurrection, and many believe in him because of the miracles he performs.
If your parish is doing the RCIA scrutinies, use the readings for Year A instead.
Themes for the Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
The readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B help us understand that we must follow God’s commandments and truly live them in our hearts to find life. The first reading gives us the ten commandments. The second reading reminds us that God’s wisdom is not like human wisdom. And the gospel tells of Jesus cleansing the temple of the money changers who put there own desires above serving the Father.
- The reverence for the temple: The temple was a sacred space for the Jewish people, and it was meant to be a place of worship and prayer. Jesus’ actions demonstrate the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the temple and not allowing it to become a marketplace. The importance of worshiping and serving God alone is also emphasized in the first reading for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B. In both cases, there is a focus on the centrality of God in our worship and church practices.
- The zeal for God’s house: Jesus’ zeal for God’s house is evident in his actions in the temple. As believers, we are called to have a similar zeal for God’s house and to prioritize our relationship with God above all else.
- The purity of heart: Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is also a symbol of the purification of the heart. As believers, we are called to strive for purity of heart, which means being mindful of our thoughts, words, and actions, and ensuring that they are aligned with God’s will.
- The significance of the Eucharist: The temple in Jerusalem was a foreshadowing of the true temple, which is the body of Christ. As Catholics, we believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and that every time we participate in Mass, we are entering into the presence of God. The Gospel reading reminds us of the significance of the Eucharist and the importance of approaching it with reverence and awe. This also ties in with the first reading for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B, which reminds us to keep the Sabbath holy.
See the Homilies and Reflections section and the More Thoughts section for further expansion on these readings and some reflection questions for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B.
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Resources for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
What Is in Your Church? Discussion and Reflection Questions
This reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B will help youth consider why they are at mass. Is their church a place where they meet God? Or is it something else? Do we bring the things and cares of the world into church and let them distract us?
Printable Ten Commandments Cryptogram
Today’s activity from Young Catholics is a printable puzzle of the Ten Commandments. A key is also provided, in case you are not an expert in cryptography. 🙂
Ten Commandments Dice Game
This activity is a game to learn the Ten Commandments. Making learning into a game is more engaging for children than just telling them to memorize. Use this for catechesis for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B.
Ten Commandments Activity
This simple Ten Commandments activity will help children who already have some knowledge of the Ten Commandments learn how to order them correctly.
What Is “Moral Law”?
The Catholic Church teaches that moral law comes from God as “fatherly instructions” to help us determine what is right and what is wrong. This provides some background for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B.
Lenten Ideas for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
Visit an Elderly Relative or a Nursing Home
Make Blessing Bags for the Homeless
Visit an Elderly Relative or a Nursing Home
Visiting an elderly relative or friend can be a meaningful activity for children and teens during Lent. Or visit a nursing home. But it can also be uncomfortable for children, young and old, who are not used to visiting with senior citizens. They seem to have so little in common. But in fact, there are some easy ways to break the ice.
Make Blessing Bags for the Homeless
Almsgiving is one of the traditional Lenten practices. One way to give to the less fortunate is to make blessing bags for the homeless. These care packages can be given to a local homeless shelter or outreach program to be distributed to their clients.
Give Something You Like to Charity
Giving away clothes and toys to charity is a good way to practice almsgiving. But just giving away things we don’t want or use anymore can be more like an act of closet cleaning than an act of sacrifice. So when you are gathering your items to give to charity consider including at least one item you use frequently and enjoy. And don’t go out and replace it right away.
Go to a Prayer Labyrinth
A prayer labyrinth is a circle with a path in it which you walk while you pray. The purpose of the labyrinth is to facilitate prayer. Many Catholic retreat centers have prayer labyrinths on their grounds. Call ahead to find out when they are open to visitors.
See More Lenten Ideas
See specific ideas for practicing prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the Lenten season.
Homilies and Reflections for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
An Expression of God’s Love (Jeff Cavins)
Do Catholics Follow All Those Weird Old Testament Laws (Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Cleansing the Temple (Bishop Robert Barron)
An Expression of God’s Love
In this reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B, Jeff Cavins discusses how the Ten Commandments are an expression of our loving relationship with God.
Do Catholics Follow All Those Weird Old Testament Laws?
Fr. Mike Schmitz explains why Christians are called to follow some laws of the Old Testament and not others. He distinguishes between universal laws, like the Ten Commandments and “case by case” laws, like those to be followed only in the kingdom of Israel and the temple. The 10 Commandments are the focus of the first reading for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B.
Cleansing the Temple
A homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B from Bishop Robert Barron. “The Temple, for Old Testament Jews, was everything. But St. Paul, who lived for many years in Jerusalem and knew the rituals of the Temple very well, told the Corinthians that their bodies were temples of the Holy Spirit. The account of Jesus cleansing the Temple in this week’s Gospel, brought together with Paul’s insight, provides us with a wonderful Lenten meditation. Let Jesus swing that whip of cords around the temple of your body; it’s time for a spring cleaning of the soul!”
Spiritual Sacrifice
A reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B from Scott Hahn. “Jesus does not come to destroy the temple, but to fulfill it — to reveal its true purpose in God’s saving plan.He is the Lord the prophets said would come—to purify the temple, banish the merchants, and make it a house of prayer for all peoples.” Continue reading.
Back to the Fundamentals
Another homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B from Bishop Barron. “Friends, I have often said that Lent is a bit like basic training for the military or summer workouts for a football team—it is a chance to get back to the fundamentals of the faith, namely, the Ten Commandments. In this homily, I look at each of the Ten Commandments, using them as an examination of conscience for this Lenten season.”
More Thoughts for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
The Temple
The gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B takes place in the temple. We must understand that the temple in Jerusalem was considered the most holy place for the Jewish people, and it was a place where they would come to offer sacrifices and worship God. The Israelites believed God was really present in the temple. The sales going on there enabled people traveling from afar to purchase animals for sacrifice. This was a great convenience.
However, the presence of the merchants and money changers had turned the temple into a marketplace, which was not only disrespectful but also a distraction from the true purpose of the temple. Jesus, as the Son of God, recognized this and was filled with a righteous anger that compelled him to drive out the merchants and money changers.
In a similar way, we are called to reflect on this Gospel reading for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B and ask ourselves how we may have turned our own lives into a marketplace, where we prioritize material possessions and worldly pursuits over our relationship with God. Like the merchants and money changers, we may have allowed distractions and temptations to take over our lives, causing us to lose sight of what is truly important.
Fundraisers and youth sports activities are not bad in themselves, but they should not interfere with our attendance at Mass. Our focus must be on the Eucharist. We must not allow what is going on at our parishes to distract us from their central purpose – the worship of God.
We must also recognize that the temple in Jerusalem was a foreshadowing of the true temple, which is the body of Christ. As Catholics, we believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and that every time we participate in Mass, we are entering into the presence of God. Let us approach the Eucharist with reverence and awe, just as the Jewish people approached the temple in Jerusalem. Let us also strive to make our own bodies and hearts a worthy dwelling place for Christ, so that we may be a true reflection of his love and mercy to the world.
Pure Hearts
In this gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B, Jesus demonstrates the importance of having a pure heart through his actions in the temple. By driving out the merchants and money changers, Jesus was purifying the temple of all that was contrary to God’s will. He was removing the distractions and impurities that had taken over the temple and restoring it to its intended purpose as a place of worship and prayer.
As Catholics, we are called to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and strive to purify our own hearts and minds. This means being mindful of our thoughts, words, and actions, and ensuring that they are aligned with God’s will. We must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge our own weaknesses and faults, and be willing to ask God for forgiveness and guidance.
One way to purify our hearts is through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Through this sacrament, we confess our sins to a priest and receive God’s forgiveness and healing grace. This helps us to let go of our past mistakes and start anew with a pure heart.
Another way to purify our hearts is through prayer and reflection. By spending time in prayer and meditating on God’s Word, we can allow the Holy Spirit to work within us and transform our hearts. We can also ask God to help us identify areas of our lives that need to be purified, and to give us the strength and courage to make the necessary changes.
Reflection Questions for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
- What distracts me from worship at Mass? Are there any thoughts or concerns that prevent me from fully immersing myself in the celebration of the Eucharist?
- In the Gospel reading, Jesus cleansed the temple of the merchants and money changers who were conducting business within it. Is there anything our parish needs to cleanse from our temple? Are there any distractions or practices that hinder our worship and prayer life as a community?
- Lent is a time for reflection and penance. What can I do this Lent to bring my focus back to God? Are there any habits or activities that I need to let go of in order to prioritize my relationship with God? How can I deepen my prayer life and draw closer to God during this season of Lent?
- How can I apply the lessons of the Gospel reading to my daily life? What impurities or distractions do I need to remove from my heart and mind in order to better align myself with God’s will? What steps can I take to purify my heart and draw closer to God?
Social Media Graphic for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
From the 2nd reading for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
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