] paris, france

Faith and Light international

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• Introduction, Raúl Izquierdo 3

• Teams 2021-2022 5

1. Mary Magdalene 7 2. John 11 3. Peter 16 4. Zacchaeus 20 5. Bartimaeus 25 6. Nicodemus 29 7. The Good Samaritan 33 8. The Centurion 40 9. The Good Thief 44 10. Martha and Mary 48 11. Matthew 53 12. Judas 57

Appendices • Meditations from Don Marco Bove

− Christmas 61 − Feast of Light 62 − Easter 63 − Pentecost 64

• Artist's workshop 65 • Prayer of Faith and Light (back cover)

Illustrations : Silvija Knezekytè Vice provincial coordinator for Lithuania

Faith and Light international 3 rue du Laos 75015 Paris, France

T + 33 1 53 69 44 30 - [email protected] www.faithandlight.org

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he next day John again was standing with two of his disci-ples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here

is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you stay-ing?” He said to them, “Come and see” . They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. (Jn 1: 35-29) These guidelines for the year 2021-2022 have been achieved by the twelve youth teams (one per month) with their international vice coordinators, our international chaplain Don Marco under the coordination of our general secretary Corinne, the secretariat, the illustrator, and the translators. I thank them all for their work and their enthusiasm to carry out this project. That is why I ask you, the communities of our Faith and Light family around the world, that when you look at this booklet, when you use it and work with it, to do it with a heart full of gratitude and to open it as we open a deli-cate gift. The title of the guidelines is "Come and see", it was the theme of our international youth meeting in Guardamar (Spain) in the sum-mer 2017. We thought it was very appropriate that it is so in the middle of our fiftieth anniversary celebration and that it should be prepared by young people from all over the world, many of whom are beginning to take up responsibilities in our movement. We can relive this situation: Jesus asks two young people who follow him: "What are you looking for?" And they, who want to know Jesus, what he does, what he says… ask him: "Where do you stay? Jesus doesn’t give them a speech or a long explanation but he gives them a clear

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and direct invitation: "Come and see!" They accept this invitation and stay with him. A question and an invitation from Jesus. The question: "What are you looking for?" tells us about what each one of us wishes, about what we need and then about what we are looking for. And whatever happens, Jesus invites us: "Come and see". This question requires an answer from us. These disciples went there, they saw and they stayed. And what about us? Often, when we want to speak of Faith and Light to somebody, we generally say: it is very difficult to explain to you what we are, what we do, with words, the best is that you come and see by your-self. And we know it is the best way to get to know Faith and Light. Finally, in these guidelines, you will be accompanied by 12 per-sons, with their name and their story. They knew Jesus and shared a part of their life with him. They are women and men who were called by Jesus and followed him. They prayed with him, shared the table and the word with him. They listened to Jesus, saw him bless the bread, hug the children, heal the sick… They surely laughed and cried with him. But these 12 persons are not so different from us, women and men of today living in 2021. We too, have been called by Jesus and we want to follow him and be with him. We want our dreams to be his and we believe that he is alive in the centre of your small Faith and Light community and in the centre of our existence. Today Jesus continues to call women and men of flesh and blood, fragile, from all journeys of life. We read it in the Gospels and we experience it in our lives. We too, like these persons, have been called to witness and announce the Love of God to each person, with their disabilities and their fragilities. But let’s not talk anymore, come and see for yourselves!

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1. Mary Magdalene: Philippines

2. John: Hungary 3. Peter: Canada, United States

4. Zacchaeus: Mexico, Brazil, Peru

5. Bartimaeus: Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland

6. Nicodemus: Denmark

7. The Good Samaritan: Egypt, Syria, Lebanon

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8. The centurion: Poland

9. The good thief: Belgium

10. Martha and Mary: France

11. Matthew: Seychelles

12. Judas: Portugal, Spain

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t was an ordinary morning at the beginning of the week. Mary Magdalene, with Mary, the mother of James and Salome, went

to the tomb to embalm the body of Jesus. When they got there, the tomb was open and the body of Jesus was no longer there. Mary Magdalene never would have thought that she would be witness to what was stated in the Scriptures: Jesus must rise from the dead. She simply thought that the body of Jesus had been taken away. Jesus approached and said to her: "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she replied: "If you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her: "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew: "Rabbouni!", which means Teacher. Jesus said to her: "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my broth-ers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples: "I have seen the Lord!” and she told them that he had said these things to her (Jn 20: 15-18). Imagine the joy in her voice when she said these words: "Jesus has not disappeared, he has risen". Imagine her face both upset and happy when she recognised Jesus; the happiness that she felt and the joy of sharing with the others what she had wit-nessed. When the disciples learnt that he was alive and that she had seen him, they refused to believe her (Mark 16: 11). Any per-son who found out that a dead person has come back to life would think twice about it or doubt it unless they see it for themselves. In a community, just like Mary Magdalene, we see Jesus in each one of us. He lives in us. He talks to us through the Gospels. We feel his presence in every Faith and Light celebration.

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− Jn 20: 11-18

− Mk 16: 1-11

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A friend with a disability is dressed like Jesus and a mother like Mary Magdalene. They stand at the en-trance of the room. Upon arrival eve-ry person will take Jesus’ hand. As a greeting you make the gesture to put the back of Jesus hand lightly on your forehead. You will do the same with Mary Magdalene. This gesture, known under the name of "Mano po" or "Pagmamano" is used in the cul-ture of the Philippines as a sign of respect towards the elders and as a way to receive their blessing.

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− Together We live the Gospel of John.

− In small groups Have you been a witness of an event that showed the action of

the Lord ? How have you shared it with your friends and your family? Have they believed you immediately?

Imagine Mary Magdalene’s sorrow when she saw that her mas-ter had been taken away from his grave. Have you felt this sense of loss of a loved person who has died? How have you faced this loss Or if he/she was very ill, what did you feel when you saw him/her?

Like the apostles who doubted that Jesus had risen, have you already had doubts about your faith and how have you over-come them ?

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− Puzzle of Mary Magdalene and Jesus. − Bouquet for the time of prayer (see page 65).

• Game : What I see from you We sit in a circle. Everyone receives a sheet of paper and a pencil. We stick this paper on the back of our neighbour. One after the other, we are going to write a word that, according to us, charac-terizes the person. Then each one can go back to his/her place, take the sheet from his back and see what the other ones see in him.

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Jesus gives us more courage to share the truth of the Gospel with the persons who are lost, hopeless and alone. Help us to share love around us, as our friends with a disability do. Thank you Lord, you take care of us. Help us to share your love. Then the community coordinator will say: "I (first name), I am your witness and your disciple". Then the next person will say the same until everybody has pro-nounced this sentence.

− Prayer of a poor person Jesus, I will never get tired of sharing your daily miracles with the others.

When I get home, I will not forget to pray and to praise God for all his blessings.

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veryone, one day in their life, has wondered: how must I live, if at the end of my life, looking back, I want to have

been happy? Of course, I have made good and bad decisions. The good have helped me to go forward on my path and the bad have enriched me because they have taught me lessons. An Indi-an spiritual guide said: "The rocks on my path are not obstacles but stairs". Stairs are part of life. Every step is made in the love of God and I must not forget the others, my brothers and sisters, who are also walking on rocky paths. We meet many people dur-ing our life. The life of John, the beloved disciple, is a good example for young people and also for the not so young. In his youth, John teaches us that work enriches us, not only materially but also spiritually. Work makes us worthy. John was a fisherman who worked hard. He was an enthusiastic disciple of Jesus, he became a preacher with seventy two disciples and Jesus entrusted a great responsibility to him on the cross: to take care of his mother, Mary. We see loyalty and commitment in him. Looking at John in his old age, through his epistles, we see that the most important thing for him was to encourage us to love one another. He often wrote: "My children" or "Me, the old man".

We must love one another not only when everything is going well but also in difficult times. We must welcome the other one with their problems, illnesses, issues and help them to carry their cross. If we do that for others, they will also do it for us.

We are going to reflect on the place of the young and not so young in our community.

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− Jn 19: 25-27 − Lk 10: 1-16

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A person stands at the entrance. He/she hugs the newcomer in his/her arms and gives him/her a heart-shaped paper that can be pinned on the chest. The person says to the newcomer, "Jesus said: I am the gate; who-ever enters through me will be saved.They will come in and go out and find pasture" (John 10,9).

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− Together On a panel display of two sheets with these words: Young and elderly persons. The leader stands by the panel and asks the fol-lowing questions:

Elderly person Young friend

I would like to eat a good cake, who will do it for me?

My grand mother My little neighbour

With whom am I going to play football?

With my grand fa-ther

With my brother

I want to offer a gift to a friend, to whom I turn to for advice?

To his/her parents To his/her children

I am very worried, which neighbour am I going to call ?

My neighbours Children

I build a new house, who will help me?

My grand parents My young and healthy neighbours

I need some quiet time where am I going to go?

Elderly neighbours A family with many children

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− Among parents What is the role of young people (with disabilities, parents or

friends) in our community ? Share a precious thing that we have received from an elderly

person. What do I want to bring to my community ?

− With our friends with a disability

What are the activities I like to practice with my brothers and sisters, my classmates or friends of my age?

What are the values that my grandparents (or other elderly persons) taught me ? What makes me happy when I think of them?

With whom do I feel freer?

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Candle holders (see page 66).

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Game: What would he be…? A player leaves the room and the participants agree to designate the person to find. The player comes back and asks questions to everybody until he guesses who is the person who has been cho-sen. For instance: What kind of animal would this person be? A dog. What kind of fruit? An apple. Was he/she a character from the Bible who would he/she be? The good Samaritan. What if he/she was a drink? Tea…

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Blessed are those… who look at me kindly, who give me work and help me to do it well, who give me responsibilities and security, who ask me why I am afraid of speaking,

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who give to me when I am in need, who are patient when I am too slow, who make me feel important, when I don’t fit in. Blessed are those… who speak to me with confidence, who hold my shaking hands to accompany me, who are interested in my youth, who listen to my stories, who let me help with my abilities, who let me share my gifts, who are with me and don’t leave me alone, who make me feel important when I feel useless, I pray for them, I bless them.

− Prayer of a poor person

Thank you Jesus for making me your beloved child.

At the end of the meeting, we form "partners in prayer". They agree on a day per week and on a time (for example, on Friday at 6 pm) to call each other for a few minutes and after this call they sit and pray. One prays for the youth and the other for the elderly.

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eter is not described as a perfect person in the Scrip-tures.We see him fight his moments of weakness and

fear.However, despite his imperfections, Jesus called Peter to follow him and to understand what it means to be the rock of the Church. The Scriptures use the image of a body to help us to un-derstand what the Church is. A body has many parts. Each part of the body is necessary. We are all imperfect and dependant on the parts of the body. When each part of the body is fed and grows through the grace of the sacraments and the love of a community, astonishing things can occur! Look at the parts of your body that form a whole. What are your qualities and your faults? How can your community help you to flourish? When Peter was in the boat with the other disciples, his boat was battered and he almost fell overboard. He called Jesus desperately to save him. Jesus asked him to walk on the water. Although Peter was afraid, he was convinced that Jesus would look after him. He understood that he would reach the bank safely. In what way have you been Peter and did you respond to the call of God to "Come and see"? Why have you stayed in the Faith and Light community? St Peter is the rock on which Jesus built his Church. We know that each one of us urgently needs others. Jesus, help us to discover the beauty of this gift.

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− Mk 14: 54 and 66-72 − Mt 14: 22-34

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When people arrive to the meeting, the team warmly welcomes them by saying to each one : Hello (first name) you are going to come and see. After each person, everyone sings Alle Alle Alle…lu…uia (x3) Alleluia, Alleluia!

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− Together We could watch a video on Peter’s denial and Jesus’ for-giveness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppb9bKX1r7k&t=218s

− In small groups How are you like Peter? How are you different? Which qualities do you admire in Peter? What does Jesus teach Peter? When does Peter demonstrate his commitment to Jesus and

when is he afraid to testify. Are there times when you are afraid to demonstrate your commitment?

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Origami: Peter’s boat (see page 66). We can draw small fish on the hull to show that Jesus will always be there to look after us.

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If we are still confined behind our screens, everyone gets together for a game. One person names an object that everyone can find at home and all the participants on the video call leave for a while in search of it. For example: "Stuffed animal", "picture"... Once everyone has returned to their screen, those who wish can tell the story of their object. We can repeat this game three or four times.

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We thank you Lord to have shared Peter Simon’s story with us, so that we can learn to have faith like him. You have loved him in spite of his imperfections and we thank you to love us in our im-perfections. You have taught us to rely on our community when we have diffi-culties and you have linked our lives and our hearts with so many different people. We praise you for that. The animator says to everybody: "(First name) You came and you saw".


Jesus, we thank you to show us the way.

I shall try not to make any judgment on anyone. I will try to forgive as Jesus forgave Peter.

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his month, we are meeting Zacchaeus, a rich man, a tax collector who was neither liked nor well regarded in the

city of Jericho. His hands were stained with dirty money, but he wasn’t all bad because he didn’t completely lose his sense of good and secretly admired Jesus. When he learnt that Jesus was passing through Jericho to get to Jerusalem, he went to meet him and mixed with the crowd because he wanted to see Jesus, to know how he was. He could not see he because of his small stature but he was determined to overcome all obstacles so he courageously climbed a syca-more tree to watch him go past. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him: "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So, he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. (Luke 19: 6). This look lit a reciprocal love. Zacchaeus was surprised that Jesus treated him with kindness and affection. No-one had ever looked at him with those loving and merciful eyes and this look changed his heart, liberated it, healed it and gave him the hope of a new life. Jesus calls us and looks at us like Zacchaeus. Let us listen at-tentively to his voice and his invitation. Let us look through Je-sus, may his look fill us with hope to joyfully experience our ju-bilee. We can all, in some way, be "of small stature" like Zac-chaeus in the face of the greatness of the love of God and Jesus. Let us have the desire of Zacchaeus who wanted to know and meet Jesus. It is true that there are things that prevent us and distract us but let us look for the path to meet him, to welcome him into our home, to celebrate and always keep him in our hearts.

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May the example of Zacchaeus help us to live in a commu-nity with the courage to announce Faith and Light to the world; with the joy of having welcomed and transformed hearts by giv-ing them the feeling of belonging to a big family: with a conver-sion of our hearts in the certainty that the Lord is merciful; with the Hope of being a sign of hope for a better and more inclusive world. Lord, look at us as you looked at Zacchaeus.

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Lk 19: 1-10.

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The coordinating team welcomes each person by saying: « Hello (first name) we welcome you with joy. Today Jesus chooses you to be his friend ». The team gives him/her a sycamore leaf on which his/her name is written. It will be used during the sharing time (see page 66). We sing a song on friendship.

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− Together We live Luke’s Gospel.

− In small groups What holds me far from Jesus? What can I do to be closer to him?

Each person will exchange the sycamore leaf received at the beginning of the meeting with his/her neighbour. This one will write a gift he/she has discovered in this person, near his/her name.

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We decorate bottles to create small flower pots (see page 66). We will plant seeds received during the time of prayer in them.

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Game: Lip reading Each person will be given a word, for instance: meeting, Faith and Light, friends, joy, accompaniment, etc… Each one will have to articulate the word in silence. The first one who guesses the word by reading on the lips of the player will ar-ticulate his/her word in turn…

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Jesus, like Zacchaeus, I want to know you better but there are many things that get in the way and distract me. Today I come with this prayer ready to meet you. Look at me Lord with the same love with which you looked at Zacchaeus. Come to me, I promise never to let you go again. We listen to the song: "Zacchaeus was a wee little man": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV8wFANocHY While the community listens to the song in a prayerful atmos-phere, everyone will stick the sycamore leaf with the name and the gift, on a big sycamore tree that has been reproduced on a poster (see page 66). Then we shall take a small bag of seeds making a commitment to plant them, to take care of them and to make them grow. The syc-amore tree represents our friendship with Jesus that is ready to bear fruit.


Thank you, Jesus, may the gifts you have given me bring me closer to you.

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We shall try to keep in touch with the community, especially with the person whose gift was written on the sycamore leaf. During this month we will keep in touch with him/her and pray for him/her.

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here are times when we are as blind as Bartimaeus; we have known loneliness, we have felt different, without

anyone to take our hand. Then someone called us: “Come and see”. It is the Faith and Light family that takes our hand and accompanies us towards a new life. So, loneliness, sadness and blindness have disappeared, transforming into a new hope, friendship and faith. Jesus called Bartimaeus to join him and gave him back his sight. After this meeting, he became his disciple. In the same way, our life has been disrupted by the meeting with the friends of Faith and Light, we have climbed in the boat and together we have sailed away.

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− Mk 10: 46-52 − The vocation of Faith and Light, Charter I

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As people arrive, we sit in a circle. When everyone is there, we turn off the lights. We live a time of shared blindness, reflecting on the difficulty of living in darkness and on the beauty and joy of seeing light again. We can sing: "Walking in the Light of God": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfH4sjs0Pk

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− Together We live the Gospel of Mark.

− In small groups Jesus asks Bartimaeus: "What do you want me to do for you?". And Bartimaeus answers: "That I recover my sight" Should I ask Jesus what I would like? When and how to do it? Is it difficult to confide and to say what I really want? Have I already known a moment of darkness? Was there a light that gave me new hope?

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A lighthouse bookmark that enlightens us and gives us joy. When we are in darkness, Jesus is our light, our lighthouse. His word illu-minates us. ( See page 67).

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Game: Do we trust each other? Print two pictures of the community and cut them into different pieces. Form groups of two teams. In each team, one person will be blindfolded and will be accompanied by another team member. The blindfolded person will carry a piece of the puzzle and will have to put it in the best way under the guidance of his/her com-panion. Then a second player will be blindfolded… If we trust each other we will be able to put together the picture of our communi-ty! Which team will be the quickest?

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Lord, have mercy on me, welcome me as you have welcomed the blind Bartimaeus, do not leave me alone. Have mercy on my small-ness. A candle is placed in the centre of the prayer corner and each per-son is given a sheet of paper on which to write a prayer or an in-tention. Then we stand in circle. We can sing "Walking in the

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Light of God" again while each person is going to place his/her prayer next to the candle.


Open my eyes so that I can see you and say that I am yours. Open my ears to hear your word and my heart to love you.

I will try to acknowledge my wishes, to pray so that they come true and to know how to ask for help when I need it.

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esus met and talked with many people, from all sorts of backgrounds. Even during the night when Nicodemus ques-

tioned him. Some came to Jesus because he gave them some-thing to eat, others after being cured and still more after meet-ing the risen Jesus. There is not just one way to respond to the call of Jesus. Nicodemus came alone at night and had a conversation with Jesus who answered his questions. This meeting was going to change Nicodemus’ life. Jesus told Nicodemus that no-one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. Nicodemus asked how to be born again. Jesus answered the question based not on what can be done but on what God has done. It is like a birth. We did nothing to be born, we simply received the gift of life from God. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone that believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (Jn 3: 16). The love of God joins us all, where we live or who we are does not matter. God invites us not only to be born again but to also to live a life filled with the Holy Spirit. Nicodemus defended Jesus and he helped to prepare the body of Jesus for burial. He became a disciple. Jesus wants to meet each one of us, to share the love of God and to teach us to let ourselves be led and shaped by the Holy Spirit. Through Him, Jesus is born in our hearts. Jesus became the son of man, we become the children of God, all this through the action of the Spirit. Coming to Jesus with all our questions is the best conversa-tion that we can have. God can then give us a "new life" in the Spirit.

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Jn 3: 1-21 ; Jn 7: 45-51 and Jn 19: 38-42

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A small basin with holy water is placed at the entrance of the room. With the water, the chaplain draws a little cross on the fore-head of each person who arrives, saying: "Receive the water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God.

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− Together We can read the meditation again by living the passages of the Gospel in three scenes: 1. Nicodemus visits Jesus at night so that he answers his ques-

tions. 2. Nicodemus takes Jesus’ defense. 3. Nicodemus joins Joseph of Arimathea to bury Jesus.

− In small groups I have received a new life on the day of my baptism. Do I know

the date? What touches my heart in a good way and makes me want to

love even more? Have I ever been surprised to touch someone’s heart? Can I

tell?

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God has loved the world so much (see page 67).

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Game: The water carriers The players form teams of 3 to 5 participants each. A large basin full of water is placed at the starting point and as many empty big bottles or cans as there are teams, are placed at the finish line. Each team has a tray and 2 or 3 plastic cups, different if possible. At the signal, the first player of each team fills his/her cups, puts

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them on the tray, goes as fast as possible to the finish line then pours the water (or what is left of it) from the cups into the team’s bottle. He comes back to the starting point and gives the tray and the cups to the second player of the team, who takes his turn and goes. And so on.

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Lord God, the Creator of all things, we wish to build our house on the rock of your Word. Following your Son Jesus Christ, the cor-nerstone of any building, we want to be the witnesses of the beau-ty of your works. Supported and protected by the strength of the Holy Spirit, teach us to serve our brothers and sisters by sharing beautiful complicities and real friendships with each one of them. Lord, you who loved the world so much that you gave your Son, may our house be open to all. May it be a place of life, a place of comfort that allows everyone to be reborn. As Nicodemus, may they all experience the passage from night to day, from fear to wit-ness, from knowledge to search, from judgement to love. Song: "Nicodemus" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3M-uYMfp_Q − Prayer of a poor person

Thank you Jesus to always be there when I need you.

Every day, I will try to help a friend and to pray for him/her.

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hen we look after a sick or poor person, we are touching the suffering body of Christ. We need the hand of Christ

to be able to touch bodies broken by pain and suffering. "Intense love does not measure, it just gives" (Mother Teresa). In the parable of the Good Samaritan, we are called to in-crease solidarity beyond class, tribe, country and religion. A lawyer asked Jesus: "Who is my neighbour?" For Jewish people, my neighbour is the son of my people, the others are strangers and perhaps even enemies. Jesus’s answer is a parable with three people: a priest, a Levi and a Samaritan, a stranger. How-ever, he is the one who tends to the injured person, who pours oil to alleviate his pain and wine to prevent inflammation as doctors did. The Fathers of the Church saw in this Samaritan, Jesus, the doctor of the sick (that is to say sinners) who looks after their wounds and leads them to the hotel (the Church) and offers them safe and sound to God. Who is the neighbour of the man who fell into the hands of robbers? Jesus confirms the answer of the lawyer: "The one who showed him mercy". The neighbour is the one who approaches others with love. Jesus shows us how to go to those who are injured and bro-ken, in order to help them discover that they are unique, pre-cious and important. To thus welcome and love them is to help them find life. We witness this in the Faith and Light communi-ties where we welcome men and women who are searching for self-esteem. Jesus reveals to us that that ipeople are important, whatever their roots or culture. At the heart of our lives, there is a heart made for relationships. Jesus came to give us the very life of God, eternal life, through a personal relationship with each one of us.

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At Faith and Light, we are called to become friends. A

mysterious power springs forth from the hearts of weak people

and calls us to a relationship, to a transformation of the heart. It

is learning loyalty; it is growing with the other one.

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Lk 10: 25-37

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We live in a Faith and Light community and we have the same identity at the international level. But each community also has its own identity the roots of which go back to its birth. On arrival, each member of the community receives a cardboard hand, on which he writes the name of the person who accompanies him/her and faithfully holds him/her in friendship and prayer. Then we stick these hands on the tree, the roots of which spread till the beginning of our community’s history (see page 67).

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− Together We live the Gospel of the good Samaritan to which we added a dialogue in order to understand in a more concrete way the time of friendship and faithfulness. "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and he came upon some bandits; whom, after stripping him and beating him, left leaving him half dead". The assaulted man asked himself: "What fault have I done to suffer such a misfortune?" − By chance, a priest was coming down the road. Seeing this

man he said to himself: "I am going to present my offerings to the Temple; I have waited for my turn for a long time… I have

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no time to lose with this stranger. If I help him or if I touch him, I will be defiled. My offerings are more important than the help I can give him. I am sure somebody else will come to his aid…"

He passed on the other side. − Also a Levite arrived at this place. He said to him: "I am a Le-

vite, my tribe is the noblest of all the tribes of Israel. If someone sees me helping you, it will harm me. I have spent my life with people who respect me and prefer me to all other Jews… No, I don’t want to lose my status". He crossed over to the other side.

− The wounded man asked himself: "Why people do not look at me and care about me? It is like I had a contagious disease or like I am responsible for what happened to me? Lord! Where is your mercy? Where is humanity? Don’t I deserve to be helped."

− But a Samaritan, who was on his way, arrived near him; he saw him and was full of compassion, he said to him: "Lord have mercy. Look how hurt he is. I am in a hurry but never mind. He needs help. The least we can do in such a situation is to have compassion for those who need help." He came close to him and when he saw the wounded man looking at him, all the fear disappeared and the barriers between the two fell. He bandaged his wounds by pouring oil and wine on them; then he loaded him on his own donkey. Then a conversation took place between the two of them. The Samaritan said: "I know how strong your pains are and I cannot remove them… Oh, if I could do something for you". And the wounded man answered him: "By the simple fact that you came close to me and touched my wounds without fear or disgust, and that you comforted me on the way, you have eased my sufferings and given me hope in life again". The Samaritan answered him: "Do you really think I have been able to ease your sufferings? Because you have been patient and you have accepted my help, you taught me patience in the face of my difficulties, and you taught me not to hesitate to approach others."

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− When they arrive at the inn, he took care of him. The day af-

ter, he took two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper telling him: "Take care of him; whatever you will have spent in addition, I will give you the money back when I return". "Why are you doing all this, he is not your relative?" the innkeeper said. The Samaritan replied: "Believe me, at first it was human-itarian aid. However, when we were on the road, I discovered through our mutual accompaniment, that he enriched me and made me see life and things in a different way."

− As for the injured man who was in his bedroom, he said to himself: "Lord, I thank you for the manifestation of your love and of your tenderness through this Samaritan. Yes Lord! Deepen my faith in charity among people, this charity that is capable of performing miracles and of changing hearts by turn-ing them toward a better humanity."

− In small groups In Faith and Light, is friendship a duty to be fulfilled or a

source of joy and of growing? How are we faithful to the others in the community? What do I like most in the moments that we live during the

time of friendship and faithfulness?

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The circle of friendship (see page 67).

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Game: The qualities of a good friend Form small groups and give each of them one of the qualities of a good friend. Give the group a time to discuss and see together how to express this quality (with a song, a role play game, a prayer, a mime, a drawing…) then each group presents what they have pre-pared to the community. Qualities of a good friend The friend who accepts his/her friend as he/she is.

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The fun and cheerful friend. The faithful friend. The kind friend. The friend who cares about his/her friend. The discrete friend. The friend who gives comfort and encouragement The friend full of wisdom.

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Lord… You want my hands, take them so that, through them, I can help the sick and the poor. You want my feet, take them, so that I spend this day visiting those who need a friend. You want my voice, I offer it to you, so that today I speak with those who live in solitude and who need words of consolation and comfort. You want my heart, I offer it to you, so that I sow love in the hearts of persons who are deprived of it. Lord… Open my eyes so that I can see you in the brothers and sisters to whom I provide service. Open my ears so that I can listen to the complaints of the hungry, oppressed and abandoned men and women. Open my eyes to love the other as you do and make us all one heart and one mind in your name. Lord… I offer you oil that is none other than my works that heal the wounds of brothers and sisters who are the weakest. I offer you wine that purifies the distorted ideas that others have towards persons with disabilities.


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Jesus, my friend, thank you for always being with me when I am sad or when I am happy.

I shall pay attention to the persons who are alone or ill and I shall visit them.

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n arrival in Capernaum, Jesus met the centurion who asked him to heal his servant. His request was very confi-

dent because he was sure that it was enough to present Jesus with his distress for it to be granted. The meeting between Christ and the centurion showed a beautiful picture of a simple and obvious but also very mature faith. In the current crisis of faith, few people look for real help in Christ and in prayer. Family, health or professional problems provoke a feeling of revolt and even resentment against God. The misfortunes that touch us here and now do not bring us closer to God but distance us from Him. This shows a lack of faith in the heart of people, even those who have been baptised. It is easy to answer the question about whether we are believers but it is much more difficult to put our faith into practice. We cut faith out of daily life with a broad stroke, forgetting that faith is life itself! Jesus Christ enters our life every day in many ways, we just have to accept his extended and helping hand. All our decisions made in faith and trust will be the work of God. The Church reminds us of the extraordinary faith of the cen-turion at each mass. Before welcoming Jesus into our hearts, we repeat, like the centurion: "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word and I will be healed". These words are an example of an immense and hum-ble faith in the power of Christ. What fruit will these words bring into our lives? Following the example of the centurion, do we entrust our suffering to Jesus?

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− Lk 7: 1-10 − Mt 8: 5-13

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Upon arrival, each one receives a cardboard medallion on which is written: "Just say a word and I will be healed".

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− Together We are going to live the Gospel of the centurion. To end, the chaplain will give some explanations.

− In small groups Do I want, as the centurion does, to ask God to help me in my

worries and my problems with confidence? What are the worries that I want to confide to the Lord? What

do I feel when I pronounce the words of the centurion during mass?

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Paper flowers to decorate the prayer corner (see page 68).

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Game: A funny race Each participant in the race takes a cork, a nut or any other small and light object that slides easily. These are our "tokens". They should be marked so that they can be easily recognized. You can paint them, write your name… Together we realize the track for the race. It can be drawn on the floor, be composed of books or pencils on a table, according to fantasy and possibility. When the tokens and the track are ready, we start the race! Every-one in turn throws his/her token and the one who reaches the fin-ish line first gets a standing ovation from the community!

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We decorate our prayer corner with the paper flowers and the drawing of a house. "He sends his word, he heals them, he snatches their life from the pit" (Ps 106, 20). Jesus went to the centurion’s house to heal his servant and friend. Jesus also comes to us, to our community, to give us what we hum-bly and faithfully ask him. He does it because he loves us. He takes care of us as he has taken care of the centurion’s servant. The centurion did not ask for himself, but for a friend. There is probably someone in the community, who, for various reasons, cannot ask anything to Jesus, he is not strong enough, he is afraid, he doubts, he has lost his faith… Let us entrust this person to Jesus! Let us write on a piece of paper what our friend needs and stick it on the house.


Thank you Lord to take care of me, thank you to take care of my friends.

Every day, I shall ask Jesus to make my faith as strong and trusting

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he one called "The Good Thief" only met Jesus at the end of his life, but this meeting nevertheless overwhelmed him.

Perhaps because he saw Jesus crucified beside him, whilst he, Jesus had done nothing wrong? Perhaps because he heard the words of Jesus? Perhaps he felt something that cannot be ex-plained… In any case, this meeting created in him a questioning, a reassessment. His meeting with Jesus changed his life, even just before death. He acknowledged his mistakes by humbly asking Jesus to "remember him". This story reminds us how infinite the love of God is and that God always grants his forgiveness. For us humans, it is sometimes difficult to forgive. Sometimes, we think that it is "too late" or the wound is "too great". But for God, it isn’t like that. As Jesus said in the parable of the Prodigal Son, God is like a father who welcomes all his children with open arms. What-ever they have done and unconditionally. The story of the Good Thief shows us how much allowing ourselves to meet someone like Jesus can overwhelm our life.

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Lk: 39-43

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To start the meeting, we sing a song so that everyone feels like a full member of the community. As God welcomes us in his love, we welcome each person of the community. We sing a welcome song, a name song or the community song.

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− Together We read the Gospel passage from Luke. Then we can prepare scenes representing situations where a person recognizes his/her mistakes as the good thief did. How does the other person react then? And Jesus, does he react in the same way?

− In small groups Are there things that you are not willing or not able to for-

give? And God, are there things that he is not willing or not able to forgive?

Is it hard to admit mistakes? Why? Have you ever felt being unwilling to forgive ?

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Collage: the Calvary scene (see page 68).

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Game: Forgiveness We will need a little spoon and a ping pong ball. We stand in a circle. A small ball is placed in the spoon. It repre-sents the forgiveness that we are going to pass from one to the other. Be careful, it is not that easy to forgive but it is something that we do all together. We pass the spoon with the ping-pong ball, being careful not to drop it. When we have managed to go all the way around the com-munity, we have succeeded!

Or: How to get closer? We will need strings and scissors. We stand two by two and each holds one end of the string. Some-one comes and cuts it. We are not connected any more. What can we do? We can tie a knot in the string. Then we cut the string again and tie the knot again, etc. Reflection: our relationship is like this rope. When we get angry, when we argue, it is like cutting the rope. But we can recreate the

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relationship when we forgive each other (tie knots). Let us observe together what happens when we tie knots: the two persons get closer. Each time we forgive each other, we get closer and closer.

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We light a candle then come and bring all our strings tied around the candle as a symbol of the forgiveness given. Each one receives a piece of paper on which he/she writes or draws something for which he/she would like to ask Jesus for for-giveness. Then, listening to a meditative song, each person comes and plac-es his/her piece of paper in a big basin. Song from Taizé: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gu47uCl-WA


Jesus, thank you to welcome all of us in your infinite love.

I will pray every day to ask Jesus to teach me how to really forgive.

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artha and Mary are going to help us to meet Jesus today. These two sisters are very different characters and so wel-

come Jesus differently. Fortunately Martha has a talent for service. Jesus needs friends in order to be welcomed, to rest and to eat. In fact, he allows Martha to be fulfilled, to fulfil herself in the work she does. She needs to demonstrate her love for Jesus. Just as well Mary, spontaneously, sits at the feet of Jesus to listen to him. Jesus needs friends who welcome him and listen to his teaching. Mary finds her happiness in his words. Jesus allows Mary to find meaning in her life, in what she does, to understand how God shows himself to the world and to her in particular. His word is a word that transforms, renews makes grow… Mary needs to listen to Jesus, to nourish herself on his word. Martha needs to demonstrate her love through action. Two atti-tudes where we become small: in service and in listening (it is hard to be quiet). Perhaps when we want to do good too much, when we forget that Jesus is asking for a simple welcome and refusing any com-parison ("Do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself"), we risk, like Martha, knowing what is better for others and also for Jesus. We can even give him orders! Thanks to the reaction of Martha, we learn not to worry and upset our-selves too much. It is often easier to "do" rather than "simply be-ing there". At Faith and Light, we love to welcome, give service, bring comfort, listen… We do it spontaneously because we know that, even if clumsy, it is the gesture that counts, it is the wish to show friendship. The only ability required is to love.

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− Lk 10: 38-42 − Mk 6: 31-34

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The welcome will be done by a person with a disability from the community. He/she will give the newcomer a small candle saying: "(First name): how are you today? … what do you want to tell us to-day, we are listening to you…" And then the candle will be passed in the same way to another member of the community. This candle represents Jesus and creates links between the mem-bers of the community. It also symbolizes the importance of knowing how to listen to the other one and to be at his/her service as we are at the service of Jesus.

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− Together We live the Gospel of Luke. Martha and Mary are sisters. Today they are happy: their friend Jesus is coming to visit them. There are many ways of welcoming and there is no better way than the other if you put love in it. We must choose the way to be with the other, to listen to the other and to go to the end of our choice, to our offering of love. Characters: Jesus, Martha and Mary Jesus is sitting. Mary at his feet is looking at him and listening attentively. Martha is agitated and is busy to serve him. (To the costume we can add some kitchen tools that make noise). She

Come Jesus, we are waiting for you in the Faith and Light family because you increase our strengths of service and listening tenfold. We leave a meeting grown, comforted, happy and sanctified…

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stands in front of Jesus and calls him: "Lord, don’t you care that my sister lets me do the work alone? Tell her to help me". Jesus replies to her: "Martha, Martha you are worried and agitat-ed for many things. Only one is necessary. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her."

− In small groups Who is the woman in the Gospel who has been the most atten-

tive to the Lord, how ? Who are the other women in the Christian history who have

had an attentive ear to the Lord and who have given their lives to the service of others.

How can we imitate them during our meetings ?

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Color a drawing of Martha and Mary and make a little easel (see page 69).

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Game: the waiter in a hurry Provide 2 trays on which various (unbreakable!) objects are placed. Form two teams in lines. The goal is to pass the tray as quickly as possible between the members of each team, dropping as few ob-jects as possible.

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Mary, woman who listens, open our ears so that we know how to listen to the word of your son Jesus but also of each person we meet, especially the poorest, the most deprived or those in trou-ble. Mary, woman of decision, illuminate our spirit and our heart so that we know how to obey to the word of your son Jesus without hesitation but also that we have the courage to conform to it. Mary, woman of action, make us eager to go towards the other with all our being in order to bring your son Jesus’ charity and

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love, and thus be like you a messenger of the light of the Gospel. (Extract from Pope Francis’ prayer of Mary, woman of listening).


Jesus, I like to spend time with you and to listen to your word.

Each one gives his/her drawing of Martha and Mary to the person who welcomes him/her upon arrival and proposes to be attentive, to be listening and to pray for him/her till the next meeting.

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atthew was one of the twelve apostles. His name means “gift from God” in Hebrew. He was a tax collector and

lived in Capernaum. When Matthew heard the call from Jesus: "Come, follow me", he left everything to follow him. If we are in a Faith and Light community, it is because we also have heard the call from Jesus to follow him. He has spoken to our hearts and we have answered "yes". We have discovered an unknown world where money, power and success have no place. We have discovered true friendship, selflessness and true joy. We have discovered that we are able to love and be loved just as we are without the need to wear a mask. We have disco-vered the presence of Jesus in the heart of the smallest of his children. Let us ask Matthew to be more like him, with each passing day, tireless witnesses of Christ.

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− Mt 9: 9-13 − Jer 1: 4-8

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The animator will have placed the footprints of Jesus and Matthew in a corner of the room. Upon arrival each one receives a footprint and the Faith and Light logo (see page 69). He/she writes his/her name on the footprint and sticks the logo on it. One after the other we go and place our print on the ground, behind those of Jesus and Matthew. Then, all together we sing: "Walk in the Light of God" while making a circle around these steps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfH4sjsL0Pk

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− Together We live the Gospel. Each one of us is called by Jesus to follow him. Jesus never forgets anyone. We are all important and pre-cious to him.

− In small groups What do I remember from this text? Why? Does Jesus also call us to follow him? How does he call me? What do I have to give up to follow him? How can we help the others to follow Jesus?

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A frame for Matthew (see page 70).

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We dance to show how in Faith and Light we follow Jesus happily, knowing he will always lead us to the light as he promised.

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Despite our poverties we all are called to be companions of Jesus and to become his friends like Matthew. Jesus says: "I call you my friends because all I have heard from my Father, I have made it known to you". Lord Jesus, help me to do your will and to remain your friend. Give me a look of compassion for my weaker brothers and sisters in the community so that I may be present in their difficulties. Look at me with kindness and renew my heart by your forgiveness and by the grace of mercy. Lord, you trust me. You love each one of us as we are. Help me to become what you want me to become and to make grow the treas-ures you have entrusted to me. Teach me to love the others as they are and to discover the treasures hidden in them. Lord, some days you are a great light for me. Other days it is more difficult to love you and to love the others.

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Thank you, Jesus, to have called me to follow you through this Faith and Light community where I can witness the joy you have given me.


Thank you, Lord, for loving me as I am and for having made me your friend.

Every day, I will try to walk in the footsteps of Jesus by nourishing me with his Word.

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riendship is a central feeling in Faith and Light. We experi-ence it deeply with our friends with disabilities and their

families and also with Jesus. However, friendship is not without its problems. By looking at Judas, we remember this month the "little Judas" who lives in each one of us: the friend who does not always know how to accept and respect the other person’s way of doing things, the friend who despairs and feels frustrated when things do not happen the way they want them to. In a few words, the friend who, through small actions, "betrays" not only friends from the community but also Jesus. But, in addition to remembering our failures as friends, those times where we are the worst of Judas, let us also remember that Judas was chosen and accepted by Jesus, even though he knew that he would betray him. Thus, Jesus chooses and accepts each one of us, in our best times but especially with our mistakes and our fragility. And this is not all: Jesus also forgives us and gives us the ability to try again and again and to continue the great and unique journey that following him involves. Let us have a meeting this month, a gathering where, by ac-cepting our times of fragility, we realise the wealth that exists in the diversity of our communities and where, by accepting our differences, we focus on what unites us: the faith and the light.

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− Jn 12: 4-5 and 13: 1-15 − Lk 22: 47-48 − The need of a community, Charter II, 2

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Upon arrival, everyone receives a silver coin. They will have been prepared in advance by the coordinating team. A simple card-board circle covered with aluminium.

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− Together

We can live the Gospel of the washing of the feet, Jn 13: 1-15.

− In small groups Have I ever felt abandoned by a friend or by a loved one ?

What did I feel? Have I let a loved one down? How does Jesus look at me then? On the back of the silver coin, I write something I am not proud of.

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We all decorate a chest (a simple cardboard box). Inside, we place hearts (one per person). We will use this chest during the time of prayer.

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Handing over the coins: we put our silver coin in the chest in order to get rid of these actions that weigh us down and to be free to welcome Jesus without any guilt in our heart. Lord, today we have been thinking of the little Judas who is in each of us. We have reviewed our sins and remembered those mo-ments when we did not know how to follow you. So now we want to speak with you about our failures and weaknesses. (Everyone approaches the chest and throws his/her coin). Exchange our silver coins: after dropping our coin, we take a heart from the chest. Now that we have given you our coin, we are ready to receive your love through each member of our community and, with this love, to follow the way that leads us to you. Lord, we thank you to wel-

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come our weaknesses and to teach us how to welcome the others’ weaknesses.


We thank you Lord, because if sometimes we do not follow your teachings, you are the Father who always forgives us and who is there to welcome us in spite of our faults.

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Game: A treasure hunt The animator announces that he has hidden the hearts and the chest. The community will have to get together to find them. For this game, there may be a map or clues that may help. Some per-sons of the community can be accomplices and help with the search.

In front of the weaknesses of the others, I will always love without judging, following the example of Jesus. More than the failures of the others, I will look at the people with love as Jesus looks at me.

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hen the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this

thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. (Lk 2: 15-17) The angels announce Jesus's birth to the shepherds, who are keeping the night watch over their flock. The shepherds immediate-ly set out and find Mary, Joseph and the child, as the angels have told them. Come and see is the title of this year’s Guidelines. The shepherds receive the same invitation to set out to find Jesus and worship him. This is an invitation to have faith, to get out of our-selves and our comfort zones. Back in the days of Jesus, shepherds were at the bottom of the social ladder: they were considered "unclean" because they delivered lambs and got dirty with their blood. Yet, they are the first to receive the joyful news of Jesus' birth. God chooses those who are rejected by society, because the last become first in His eyes. Today, the angels also invite us to set out on our journey to see the Lord Jesus and welcome him with joy. Let us ask the Lord that

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our Faith and Light communities may also respond to the angels’ invitation to set out to find Jesus, to be an "outgoing" community towards others, towards the little ones and the most forgotten.

imeon came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in re-

gard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Lk 2, 27-32)

The Feast of Light is named after the words of the elderly Sime-on, who welcomes Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem and calls him "a light for revelation to the peoples". Simeon also responds to the invi-tation of this year’s Guidelines, Come and see. In fact, under the in-spiration of the Holy Spirit, he goes to the temple of Jerusalem and sees the baby Jesus, together with Mary and Joseph. What is extraor-dinary is that Simeon is able to “see” beyond appearances, as he rec-ognizes God's salvation in a child who looks like any other baby. We too have to look with the "eyes of faith" to see the light of God in the poor and the little ones. In fact, we often look without seeing, as if there was no light at all, as if our eyes could not recog-nize the presence of God. So let’s ask the Lord to give us and our

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Faith and Light communities the eyes of faith, the eyes of Simeon, so that we may recognize God's work in our lives and continue to be witnesses of light and hope in the world.

he veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed

his last he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mk 15: 38-39) The centurion, a Roman soldier who participated in the crucifix-ion of the Lord, is standing under the cross, along with Mary and the disciple John. He too was called to be witness of the Lord's Passover. He too, without knowing it, responded to the invitation come and see. Before Jesus’s death, this soldier recognizes that he is the Son of God, the true messiah. In celebrating Easter, we too are invited to stand before the Cross of the Lord, to contemplate his death and resurrection, to ask that the veil of our eyes be torn apart like the veil hiding the "saint of saints" (the holiest place in the temple of Jerusalem), and allow us to see God's love. Let us ask the Lord that our Faith and Light communities be places of life and resurrection, so that the veil of sadness and mis-trust may be torn apart by love and acceptance.

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hen there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with

the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2: 3-4) On the day of Pentecost, the Apostles are gathered together and suddenly receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, like a fire, a new force that reaches them and transforms their lives. The first sign they see is that they are able to speak every language and to proclaim the joy of the gospel. The experience of Faith and Light is like that of the Apostles: our communities are spread in 86 countries around the world, speak different languages and live the joy of celebration and communion. The gift of the Holy Spirit makes us able to speak the only language that everyone can understand, that is, the language of love and for-giveness. This gift is also a task of witness, so that Jesus’s love may be a sign of hope for all. Many families are still isolated, and their most fragile children are not welcomed in society and sometimes even in the Church. May the Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts and minds, teach us to be witnesses of love and hope, a sign of welcome for all.

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The images can be downloaded from https://www.faithandlight.org/rubriques/haut/album_photo

The puzzle of Mary Magdalene and JesusMaterial: picture of Mary Magdalene and Jesus, scissors, cardboard, envelopes. − Print one picture per person. − Stick the picture on a cardboard and cut the

picture into 6 pieces. − Put the 6 pieces in an envelope and give one to

each person.

A bouquet of flowers Material: scissors, chopsticks, ribbons or strings or a small container. − Cut out the flowers then write your name on them. − Insert the chopstick in the middle of the flower. − Cut out the leaves and stick them on the stem. − Make a bouquet with a ribbon around it or place the bouquet in

the small container. − Place it in the prayer corner.

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Candle holders Material: jar, glue, brush, trees leaves, candle − Put glue on the small jar. − Glue the leaves and let them dry.

Origami: the boat of Peter See the tutorial: youtube.com/watch?v=BM6G_QLxkCE

The sycomore tree

Material: paper, scissors, glue Reproduce a sycomore leaf per person.

Make a flower pot

Material: plastic bottles, cutter, white paint and brush, black and pink markers. Cut the bottle at 15cm from the bottom. Draw small, dotted lines to recut and create the cat’s ears. Reproduce the cat, colour the ears and the nose.

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A lighthouse bookmark Material: cardboard paper, coloured pencils, scissors − Colour the door, draw a heart in it. − In the first window write a word of Jesus, for

example: "Do not be afraid". − Stick the logo.

God has loved the world so much Material: cardboard, paper, scissors, coloured pencils, glue.

The round of friendship Material: board, paint, identity picture, glue. − Dip the palm of the hand in paint and

apply it in a circle on the board. − Stick your picture on your hand.

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Paper flowers Material: coloured A4 paper sheets, scissors, pencil, rule, paper glue. − Fold the paper into two in the widest side. − Draw a horizontal line at 2 cm from the free

(unfolded) edge with a pencil. − Cut regular 1cm wide strips, stopping at the pencil

line. − Unfold the sheet and fold it in the other side. − Stick together the 2 strips left without cutting, let dry

for a minute. − Wrap around the finger tightly. Fix the base with a

paper clip, a staple or glue. − Open the petals. You can add a small ball of cotton or coloured

crumpled paper in the middle of the flower.

The scene of the calvary Material: scissors, glue, recycled paper (newspaper, magazines…) − Choose a paper for the background. − Cut out a hill and three crosses in other papers. − Stick the hill and the crosses on the background paper. − With other papers you can decorate the scene even more, add

characters, clouds…

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− Above, write the sentence of the good thief: "Lord remember me

when you are in your kingdom" or the sentence of Jesus: "Today, with me, you will be in paradise".

Colour the drawing of Martha and Mary and make a small easel Material: 3 pinecones or 3 corks. − Print out the drawing on a slightly thick A5

paper and colour it. − Overlap the pinecones on top of each other. − Or tie 3 corks with a ribbon.

A footprint and a Faith and Light logo

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A frame for Matthew Material: a coloured cardboard plate (23 cm circumference), scissors, glue, cardboard. − Stick the image of Matthew in the centre of the plate. − Cut out the cardboard in the shape of a star and cut 10 strips. − Carve a frame in the centre of the star. Stick the strips and the star

on the plate. − Attach a small string on the back of the frame in order to hang it

in the prayer corner.

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Jesus, you came into our world

to reveal the Father to us, your Father and our Father. You came to teach us to love one another.

Give us the Holy Spirit, according to your promise, so that he will make us instruments of peace and unity,

in this world of war and division.

Jesus you have called us to follow you in a community of Faith and Light,

We want to say "yes" to you. We want to live in a covenant of love in this big family you

have given us, where we can share our sufferings and difficulties,

our joys and our hope.

Teach us to accept our wounds, our weakness so that your power may be revealed.

Teach us to find you in all our brothers and sisters especially in those who are the weakest.

Teach us to follow you in the ways of the Gospel.

Jesus come and live in us and in our communities as you first lived in Mary.

She was the first to welcome you. Help us to be faithfully present, with her,

at the foot of the cross, near the crucified of the world. Help us to live your Resurrection.

Amen.

] paris, france

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