Open Wednesday, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, B

1.  John J. Pilch writes that Biblical leprosy is not the same disease we call leprosy--
or Hansen's disease.  "Leprosy as we know and understand it (Hansen's disease) first came to the Middle East with Alexander's armies in the fourth century B.C.E.        Leviticus reflects a much earlier period of history."  (The Cultural World of the Prophets, Year B, Liturgical Press, pp. 36)  That tidbit of info does not alter one's meditation on the Readings. 
     "B.C.E." means "before the common era," and refers to the centuries prior to the time of Jesus;  students may be more familiar with the designation, "B.C.," meaning "before Christ."  I prefer "B.C."
     "A.D." stands fpr "Anno Domini" and means "the year of our Lord;" in secular writing, "A.D." may be replaced by "C.E.," meaning "common era."

2.  Because of their disease, lepers were isolated. 
     Ask young people what causes a person to be isolated among their acquaintances.  Do your students think in terms of "in-group" and "others"?   Ask students to reach out and bring others into their group of friends.
     Do you know someone who is missing out on the social contacts they enjoyed when they were younger and/or healthier?   Elderly or sick people may feel isolated.
Reach out with a visit or a card.
     John J.Pilch (see above) writes that Mediterranean people are especially social; our western cultural ideal of individualism would be foreign to Jews in Jesus' day.
The isolation in itself could have been a death sentence, Pilch writes.

3.  The First Reading mentions Aaron along with Moses.  Some students may have
to have their memory refreshed that Aaron is Moses' brother who spoke for Moses before Pharaoh because  Moses was a poor speaker (Ex 4:10-17).  Also, Aaron's staff was placed in the Ark of the Covenant along with the Ten Commandments and the bowl of manna (Nb 17:16-26).  Thus God chose Aaron of the tribe of Levi and Aaron's sons and their descendents for the priesthood (Nb 18).

4.  This week, to prepare to hear the Gospel, do something different when you make your nightly examination of conscience.  Complete your examination, and before you ask forgiveness, say quietly to yourself, "Unclean, unclean."                                   
    The story of Jesus healing the leper prefigures Jesus forgiving sin.                                         

5.  Dianne Bergant explains that when Paul, in the Second Reading, writes, "Whether you eat or drink -- do everything for the glory of God," Paul is addressing the problem of converts who have lived all their lives not eating certain foods and they are not about to give up those restrictions just because they now follow Jesus.  "The policy to follow at such times was to avoid giving offense."  (Preaching the new Lectionary, Dianne Bergant, Liturgical Press, pp. 248

6.  While the Psalm acknowledges God as the One Who forgives, the last line can be used by young students for an activity to express joy.
     I remember as a child making musical instruments out of what was at hand. Take the last verse of the Psalm:

                         Be glad in the Lord and rejoice ….!        Ps 32:11

and fashion musical instruments so that youngsters can rejoice.  An oatmeal container makes a drum.  Cut "teeth" into the long sides of a shoe box and across the opening string rubber bands to be plucked.  Cut "teeth" into the short sides of a shoebox and string with rubber bands to produce a higher pitch sound.  Have an old saw?  It will "sing" if you hit the blade and then bend the blade.  Blow over a Coke bottle opening. 
      Shelly emailed more ideas:

• Pringles cans with rice in them become mariachis
  
• pie tins with strips of poster board taped to them as handles become cymbals.
  
• If you fill the pop bottles with different levels of water you will get different pitches.
  

7.  For a more sedate activity using the same verse, I scanned two pictures of
ancient lyres taken from The Victor Handbook of Bible Knowledge by V. Gilbert Beers (Victor Books, Wheaton IL  60187); pp 82 and 83:

Young artists may want to draw these instruments and add the verse, "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice"  (Ps 32:11).  Better yet, cut out the shape of the instrument from poster board or heavy cardboard and string it, being careful not to warp the cardboard.  Then print the verse on the cardboard.  Hang the finished piece and enjoy!