19th Sunday Ordinary Time B

Children’s Liturgy Instructions

Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time   Cycle B

Welcome children to their worship space.

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

Introduce yourself and your helpers.

Ask children to add their names to the cutouts (crosses) provided.  Remind the children that we are making a poster for each Sunday in the Easter season and that they will sign a cutout and glue it on when they are here.

Introduce

Explain: Today is the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Introduce symbol

Say:  Our symbol today is a cross with bread and grapes on it. 

Ask:  What do you think this symbol might mean?

Explain:  The cross? The cross is Jesus.  And what do you think the bread and grapes symbolize? <the Eucharist>  Two weeks ago in the Gospel, Jesus fed all the people with bread.  Last week in the Gospel, Jesus told the people that He would give them the bread of eternal life.  This week, Jesus tells us in the Gospel that He IS the bread of life.

 

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: Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.  Can you say this with me?  <Have the children repeat it.>

Introduce readings

Say:  The first reading is from the first book of Kings.  (l Kings 19:4-8)  It tells about what happened to the prophet Elijah when he was tired and hungry.  He was ready to give up his mission of telling people about God.  Listen closely to hear what happened to him.  Remember what we have said about the New Testament stories often being similar to Old Testament stories.

Say:  Now we will have the first reading (light the candle)

Have the first reading

Ask:  Did anyone hear what happened to the prophet Elijah?  <an angel came to him from God and brought food and water>

Say:  Next we will have the Responsorial Psalm

Your part will be to say:

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. (hold up card with psalm)

Have reader read the psalm

Say: The Gospel was written by St. John this time. (John 6: 48-51) Does anyone remember who the four Gospel writers were?  (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)  Today we will hear what St. John wrote about what Jesus said about himself being the way to heaven.

Say:  Now we will get ready to hear the Gospel

(hold up card)  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Read: “a reading from the holy gospel.....”

All respond:  Lord, let your Word be in my mind <make cross on forehead>, on my lips <make cross on lips>, and in my heart <make cross on heart>

Read:  Read the Gospel

Ask:  What did Jesus say?  <that he is the way to heaven, that we need to take his body in communion in order to live forever>  The Eucharist feeds us so that we can do God’s work.

 

Hand out the symbols to color and cut out. (The symbol is bread and grapes) 

Explain: Color this symbol of bread and grapes and bring it to the altar (don’t forget to put your name on the back!) to show that we have learned that Jesus is the food of eternal life.

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.

Count out the parent letters and hand-outs to go home.

Give out stickers and hand-outs as they leave.

Use this graphic for the small poster symbol

Use this graphic to create the mid-sized banner symbol in colored construction paper and the black & white coloring page for the Offertory symbol.

 

Parent Letter

Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

                                                                             

             Today is the Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time.  Today your children heard a simplified version of the same readings that you heard: I Kings 19:4-8 and John 6:48-51.

To reinforce at home:

In the first reading, the prophet Elisha was tired and hungry.  God sent an angel to feed him so he could continue doing the good things God asked him to do.  St. John shares with us Jesus’ message that he is the way to gain eternal life.  Jesus shows us how to go to heaven.

Going to Mass and sharing the Eucharist with your community each week is one way that God feeds us.  We get tired of being good!  Gathering with fellow Christians to celebrate Jesus’ sacrifice for us nourishes our determination to be the kinds of people God asks us to be.

Activities to do at home:

  *Pray together.  Write a prayer together to the Holy Spirit asking for help finding time to talk to God every day.

*Who’s an angel?  Together with your child, talk about ways that God helps us to be angels for each other.  We are Jesus’ hands on earth.

*Share a meal!  At your next meal together, talk about how food helps you become strong in your body.  Think together of some things that help grow srong in your spirit.

Thank you for sharing your children!