12th Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle B
Welcome the children to their worship space.
Ask them to get their carpet squares and sit down in a circle.
Introduce yourself and your helpers.
Ask: Does anyone know what season of the church this is?
Explain: When we began children’s liturgy, it was Lent - the time we used to prepare for what feast? <Easter> And then we began the Easter season when we prepared for another feast. Does anyone remember what that feast was? <Pentecost> Then we had the feast of the Trinity.
Ask: Who was here for the feast of the Trinity? Who remembers what the word Trinity means? <three-in-one> And then we had the feast of Christ’s Body and Blood. And what sacrament did we celebrate then? <Eucharist>
Say: We are beginning another season today, the season of Ordinary Time. We aren’t preparing for a great feast right now. We are simply learning about God’s word and trying to figure out how it applies to our lives.
Introduce symbol
Say: Today is the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our symbol today is a wave of water.
Ask: Who can tell me something about waves? <They are water, they are in the ocean, they can be fun, they can be frightening>
Explain: Water is necessary for all life. We can’t live without water. But water can be dangerous too.
Ask: Have you ever been on a beach and looked at the waves? Have you ever seen waves in a storm? How did they make you feel?
Explain: Waves are very powerful. Who made the waves? <God> Can you imagine how powerful our God is?
Say: Now we are going to practice the Responsorial Psalm, that part between the readings where you get to help. The Responsorial Psalm comes from the Bible just like our readings do. Today’s psalm is: Give thanks to the Lord, God’s love is everlasting. Can you say this with me? <Have the children repeat it.>
Ask: What does the word ‘everlasting’ mean? <lasting forever!> Just like the waves on the shore – always there, always powerful, always moving.
Introduce readings
Say: The first reading today is from the Old Testament book of Job. (Job 38:1, 8 -11). Job was a holy man who suffered a lot! He always believed and trusted in God. In this reading, God is talking to Job about creating the ocean. Listen for what the reading tells us about God.
Say: Now we will have the first reading (light the candle)
Have the reader read the reading.
Ask: What did the reading from job tell us about God? <that he created the ocean, that he is more powerful than the ocean, that God is the beginning & end of everything on earth>
Say: Now is the time for the Responsorial Psalm that we practiced. <have a volunteer hold up the poster> Repeat after me: Give thanks to the Lord, God’s love is everlasting.
Have reader read the psalm
Say: Now it’s time to read the Gospel. Today’s Gospel reading comes from the New Testament book of Mark. (Mark 4: 35-41) It tells a story about a time that Jesus and his apostles were in a boat. Jesus was sleeping and a big storm came up.
Ask: Have any of you ever been in a boat? What did it feel like? Were you a little bit afraid?
Say: Imagine that you are in the boat with the apostles and Jesus when the storm comes up. Think about how you would feel.
Say: Now we will get ready to read the Gospel. Please stand and say: Alleluia, Alleluia.
Read the Gospel.
Ask: Why were the apostles surprised that Jesus was sleeping through the storm? <because they were afraid> What did Jesus do? <told the wind and waves to settle down> What does the story tell us happened next? <the apostles were even more afraid> Why do you think that the apostles were even more afraid after that? <because they realized that Jesus was actually God> Imagine what you would feel like if you found out that someone you knew could control the waves!
Ask: Does anyone remember the sign that we give one another to show that there is God’s peace between us?
Say: Let’s give each other the sign of peace.
Hand out the large Offertory symbols (waves) for the children to color and the smaller symbols (waves) for the children to put their names on for the poster.
Explain: We will color the waves (don’t forget to put your name on the back!) to show that we have learned that Jesus is really God!
While they are coloring, go over the procedure for entering the church at the Offertory, how they approach the altar and put their symbols in the basket that the lead child will place at the altar.
Remind the children that the large symbol is to be offered in the Offertory procession to show the congregation what they have learned about using our hands to bring Jesus’ love to others. Remind them to put their names on the back and that they can retrieve the symbols after Mass.
Collect the smaller symbols to glue to the communal poster. Remind the children to bring their parents back after Mass to see it.
Give out parent letters, coloring hand-outs and stickers as the children leave their worship space.
Use this graphic for the full-sized coloring sheet Offertory gift
Parent Letter
12th Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle B
Today is the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Your children have heard a simplified version of two of the same readings you heard: Job 38:1,8-11 and Mark 4: 35-41.
Symbol: Wave of water
To Reinforce at Home:
The symbol for this week is a wave of water. In Job, we hear God speaking about creating the ocean and limiting its power. We are reminded that God is all-powerful. We talked about the power of waves and how God is even more powerful.
In Mark’s gospel selection for today, we hear about the time that Jesus and his apostles are in a boat when a storm arises. Jesus, not worried at all, is sleeping. His terrified friends wake him up and ask him why he is not worried. He stands up, calms the wind and water, and asks them why they ARE afraid. The apostles then are even more unsettled because they can see the power of Jesus, that he must be God.
Activities to do at Home:
* Go to the ocean and experience the power of the waves first-hand.
* Share stories about the ocean with your child.
* Make a list of the reasons that you and your child need water.
* Look up a country in the world which has a water shortage and make a contribution to help.
Thank you for sharing your children!
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