6th Sunday Ordinary Time C

6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time   Cycle C

Welcome children to their worship space.

Ask them to get their carpet squares and sit down in a circle.

Introduce yourself and your helpers.

Introduce

 Explain: Today is the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time.

Ask:  Does anyone remember what we learned last Sunday?   We learned about the first men that Jesus called to follow Him, some fishermen.  And we learned about how we are all called to follow Jesus. <show last week’s symbol and/or poster to help them remember>

Introduce symbol

Say:  Today’s readings and all the readings until Lent are about when Jesus started teaching people about love, when He began His public ministry.  Today’s symbol <hold up the symbol> is a smiley face.   What do you think of when you see a smiley face?  <happiness, joy>  This happiness is what God wants for each of us.

Explain:  Let’s look at the poster.  What does it say? <Happy are they who hope in the Lord. >  This is our Responsorial Psalm for today.  The Responsorial Psalms also come from Scripture, from the Book of Psalms in the old Testament.  Today’s psalm tells us about how why we will be happy when we trust God.

Introduce readings

Say:  Let’s light the candle to show that we are ready to listen to the Words of God.

Say: Today’s first reading is from the Old Testament, the book of the prophet Jeremiah. (Jer 17:7-8)  This reading compares people who really trust God with trees that grow beside a stream. 

Ask:  What does a tree need in order to grow?  <air, light, water>  So if a tree were planted beside a stream, how do you think it would do?  Would it be sick?  Or do you think it would grow tall and strong?  Listen closely to the reading and see if you were right.

Have the reader read the first reading.

Ask: So, were you right about how the tree grew?   What did Jeremiah mean when he said that if you trust God, you will be like a tree growing beside a stream?

Say: Now it is time for the Responsorial Psalm.  Your part is to say:

Happy are they who hope in the Lord.

Say:  Today’s Gospel reading comes from the book of Luke.  (Lk 6:17, 20-23)   In today’s gospel reading, Jesus begins to teach his first followers (and us) about God’s love. In today’s Gospel, Jesus is speaking on a mountain and told the people how to be happy.  This particular reading is very famous and called the Beatitudes.  Try to remember one thing that Jesus told the people about God’s blessings and our happiness.

Say:  Now we will stand to get ready to hear the Gospel

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Have the reader begin: “a reading from the holy gospel.....”

Read:  Read the Gospel

Ask:   What is one thing that you heard Jesus say in the Gospel? 

Explain:  Jesus tells us that God blesses us when we are poor and weak more than when we are strong.  Why do you think that would be?  <discuss>  When we are weak or poor, often we can’t do much about it.  We can’t help ourselves.  Often we pray to God more too!

Hand out the Offertory symbols to color. (The symbol is a large circle “smiley face”).  Hand out the smaller poster symbols (circles) for the children to write their names on.  Collect the poster symbols and glue them to the poster.

 

Explain: Color this symbol of the circle and bring it to the altar (don’t forget to put your name on the back!)  to show that we have learned about how to be happy in God’s love.

If there is time, ask questions and go over the lessons one more time to help the children remember.

While they are coloring, explain how we will go back into the church, up to the front with our gifts and rejoin our families.

Give out stickers and hand-outs as they leave.

Parent Letter

6^th Sunday Ordinary Time  C

                                                           

              Today your children heard a simplified version of similar readings that you heard: Jeremiah 17:7-8 and Luke 6:17, 20-23.

           

To reinforce at home:

God wants us to be happy!!  Today we heard about some simple things that will help us be happy.

Activities to do at home:

*Read together!  Find a quiet time together to read the scripture again in Luke.  Talk about the Beatitudes and what they mean.

*The Beatitudes are all about LOVE: the love that God has for us and the love that we are called to show to each other.  Do something together that will show love to someone who is lonely.

*Donate a food item.  While you are grocery shopping this week, pick up an extra item to donate to the food pantry at your church.

Thank you for sharing your children!