Para la versión en español, haga clic aquí.
Welcome to the 2025–26 program year of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies!
Today, as we begin a new program year, the Church celebrates Catechetical Sunday with the theme: “Always be ready to give an explanation . . . for a reason for your hope” (1 Peter 3:15). Many parishes will commission catechists at Masses this weekend. As we reflect on this year’s theme for Catechetical Sunday during this Jubilee Year of Hope, we are reminded that sharing our hope and the reason for our hope is a big part of what catechesis is about.
We offer this reflection on the Sunday Gospel by Father Michael Lavalee of the Diocese of Worcester:
In his text, An Introduction to the New Testament, Scripture scholar Raymond Brown states, “Many have found difficulty with the uniquely Lucan parable of the unjust steward (16:1–15) because it seems to commend to the disciples shady business practice; but what is praised is the prudent energetic initiative of the steward, not his dishonesty.” Brown explains Jesus’ sayings on wealth “serve Luke’s theological tenet that abundant money corrupts and that the right way to use [wealth] is to give it away to the poor and thus make friends who, when they go to heaven, can help [the one who has been generous to them].”
Luke 16:1–13 contains not only Jesus’ Parable of the Dishonest Steward, but also Jesus’ instruction on love of God versus love of money. Jesus is clear that “[n]o servant can serve two masters” (16:13a).
Jesus’ parable uses the example of a steward. In the ancient world, employers placed a great deal of trust in stewards. Indeed, stewards acted in the person of the employer in business matters.
In this parable, a rich employer confronts a steward who “was reported to him for squandering his property” (16:1). In this confrontation, the employer demanded that the steward “prepare a full account of (his) stewardship” (16:2). The steward then takes care of settling his employer’s accounts. Note that stewards were often paid from the interest charged on loans. In this case, the amounts the steward deducted from the debts may have been the interest originally coming to him. By removing this extra charge, the steward might be seen as reforming his life and even doing an act of justice.
After this parable, Jesus teaches that “[y]ou cannot serve God and mammon” (16:13c). Mammon is the Aramaic word for “wealth.” Through this teaching, Jesus reminds believers of the truth of the First Commandment: “I am the LORD, your God. . . . You shall not have other gods beside me” (Exodus 20:1).
Luke 16:1–13 challenges us to exercise prudence in our lives as well as ingenuity in our attempts to spread the Gospel. He also reminds us to put God first in our lives. May our reflection on this passage help us to grow in faith and virtue.
Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find helpful tips for teaching your Gospel Weeklies lesson, a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, and links to online resources.
Videos of Sunday’s Gospel
Use these videos as you discuss today’s Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
• Holy Heroes
• Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus is with us.
Welcome to a new Seeds year! This is a good week for name tags, icebreakers, and setting class expectations. Please follow your parish or school guidelines for sanitizing, physical distancing, or sharing snacks. Communicate these expectations clearly to your students and families.
We suggest the use of a Church Year calendar for your classroom, so the children can learn more about the Liturgical Year as the weeks go by. To purchase a Church Year calendar, click here. Note that the new Church Year begins on the First Sunday of Advent (November 30), so order now. Check with your program director about a calendar with dates for September through November 2025.
In the Teaching Guide, we suggest songs that correlate to the Church Year and lesson themes from the Promise/Good News music collection. Click here to purchase the Seeds music CDs with songs by John Burland. Note that these songs are also available for download at giamusic.com/PGW.
We suggest you create a prayer space in your classroom for Bible enthronement, Gospel proclamation, and Gathering and Closing Prayers. Find suggestions for setting up this space on page TG1-2 in your Teaching Guide. Check the Materials list on page TG1-4 for other supplies you’ll need.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Weekly Gospel Videos and Coloring Pages with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
• Sign of the Cross Prayer
Promise
Lesson Theme: Jesus invites us to gather at Mass.
Welcome to a new Promise year! This is a good week for name tags, icebreakers, and setting class expectations. Please follow your parish or school guidelines for sanitizing, physical distancing, and sharing snacks. Communicate these expectations clearly to your students and families.
We suggest the use of a Church Year calendar for your classroom, so the children can learn more about the Liturgical Year as the weeks go by. To purchase a Church Year calendar, click here. Note that the new Church Year begins on the First Sunday of Advent (November 30), so order now. Check with your program director about a calendar with dates for September through November 2025.
In the Teaching Guide, we suggest songs that correlate to the Church Year and lesson themes from the Promise/Good News music collection. Click here to purchase the Promise/Good News music downloads with songs by John Burland.
Note that we suggest you create a prayer space in your classroom for Bible enthronement, Gospel proclamation, and Gathering and Closing Prayers. Find suggestions for setting up this space on page TG1-2 in your Teaching Guide. Check the Materials list on page TG1-4 for other supplies you’ll need.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Weekly Gospel Videos and Coloring Pages with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
• Sign of the Cross Prayer
Good News
Lesson Theme: Jesus teaches us at Mass.
Welcome to a new Good News year! This is a good week for nametags, icebreakers, and setting class expectations. Please follow your parish or school guidelines for sanitizing, physical distancing, and sharing snacks. Communicate these expectations clearly to your students and families.
We suggest the use of a Church Year calendar for your classroom, so the children can learn more about the Liturgical Year as the weeks go by. To purchase a Church Year calendar, click here. Note that the new Church Year begins on the First Sunday of Advent (November 30), so order now. Check with your program director about a calendar with dates for September through November 2025.
In the Teaching Guide, we suggest songs that correlate to the Church Year and lesson themes from the Promise/Good News music CDs. Click here to purchase downloads of the Promise/Good News music with songs by John Burland.
Note that we suggest you create a prayer space in your classroom for Bible enthronement, Gospel proclamation, and Gathering and Closing Prayers. Find suggestions for setting up this space on page TG1-2 in your Teaching Guide.
The article “The Pope Is Our Teacher” on page 2 features photos of Pope Francis with children. Our lessons went to the printer before Pope Leo was elected. It is good to acknowledge some of Pope Francis’ teachings. If you wish to take this opportunity to also share information about Pope Leo, go to gospelweeklies.com/papacy or scan the QR code on page TG1-6 in your Teaching Guide to access resources about him.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
• Who Was Pope Francis?
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus teaches us to put God first.
This is the first lesson of the year. Plan to establish a regular routine—and space—for prayer. The Teaching Guide suggests gathering and closing prayers for each weekly class, and the five-day pacing plan offers more for every weekday. If you do not have a regular classroom space, make sure to have a small box filled with a Bible, candle, and small pieces of cloth in the liturgical colors for the year (felt squares work well for this purpose). The band at the bottom of each lesson cover indicates the liturgical color for that Sunday (e.g., this week is green for Ordinary Time).
The name card activity at the bottom of page 8 in the student lesson (also see page TG1-7) can help you get off to a good start with classroom management. Collect the name cards after class. Before the next session, set out the cards where you would like the children to sit. You may use this tool to separate children who like to chat or don’t behave well together. It’s also a helpful way to pair a confident child with one who could use a friend.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Who Was Pope Francis?
• What Is the Church? An Explanation for Kids
• 2025 Jubilee Year Animation
Visions
Lesson Theme: Jesus calls us to care for people who are poor.
This is the first lesson of the year. Plan to establish a regular routine—and space—for prayer. The Teaching Guide suggests gathering and closing prayers for each weekly class, and the five-day pacing plan offers more for every weekday. If you do not have a regular classroom space, make sure to have a small box filled with a Bible, candle, and small pieces of cloth in the liturgical colors for the year (felt squares work well for this purpose). The band at the bottom of each lesson cover indicates the liturgical color for that Sunday (e.g., this week is green for Ordinary Time).
Introduce the Gospel theme—we can’t serve two masters—by inviting the young people to think about how they spend their time using the cover activity. How we spend our time is a good indication of what we most value. Pope Francis’s papacy revealed what was most important to him—the poor, the environment, all of God’s people (travels the world). Our lessons went to the printer before Pope Leo was elected. It is good to acknowledge Pope Francis’ teachings and legacy. If you wish to take this opportunity to also share information about Pope Leo, go to gospelweeklies.com/papacy to access resources about him.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Who Was Pope Francis?
• What Are the Parts of the Mass?
Image credit: © USCCB.org
