Children’s Liturgy Instructions
Twenty-fifth Sunday in 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.
Introduce
Explain: Today is the Twenty-fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time.
Ask: Does anyone remember what our symbol was for last Sunday? ( a cross) And what did it symbolize? (it symbolized believing in Jesus)
Introduce symbol
Say: Can anyone tell me what today’s symbol is? <hold up the banner symbol - a hand>.
Ask: What can you do with a hand? <write, draw, eat, pick up things, hug people, pet cats, serve others, etc.>
Ask: What does the word serve mean? <to do something for someone else, to help them> What can you do with your hands to serve people? <set the table, go get something for your parent, draw a picture, etc.> Do you think it is important to help others?
Explain: Today in the Gospel we will hear what Jesus thinks about serving others.
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 peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you. Can you say this with me? <Have the children repeat it.>
Ask: What does the word “just” mean? <fair, good>
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 New Testament, the letter of James. (James 3:17-18)
Today’s selection is very short. James tells us what our lives will be like when we listen closely to God and follow His plan for our lives. Listen closely to the reading and see if you can hear something that might have to do with hands.
Have the reader read the first reading.
Ask: Did you hear anything that you could do with your hands? How might you make peace with your hands? <sign of peace, hug, shake hands, etc. – also the word ‘harvest’ is mentioned. One would use hands to harvest.>
Say: Now it is time for the Responsorial Psalm. Your part is to say:
Give peace O Lord, to those who wait for you.
Say: The Gospel selection today is from the book of Mark. (Mark 9:33-37). In it, Jesus is sitting down with His disciples talking about what it means to be important.
Ask: What kinds of people do you think are important people? <let the children say whatever they like - rich people, presidents, sports figures, etc.> Do you have to do things everyone admires in order to be important?
Ask: How about servants? What kind of people serve others? <let the children respond> How about children? Are they important? Are You important? Why?
Explain: Jesus was talking with His disciples about importance. They had been arguing about which one of them was the most important. Jesus told them that if they wanted the place of honor, that is if they wanted to be important, they had to serve others.
Explain: The things you do for other people to serve them, to make them happy are a wonderful gift. When you serve gladly because you want to, you are doing exactly what Jesus told His disciples to do.
Say: Now we will get ready to hear the Gospel
(hold up card) Alleluia! Alleluia!
Have the reader begin: “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: How can you serve others? <let the children respond>
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 (hands) for the children to color and the smaller symbols (hands) for the children to put their names on for the poster.
Explain: We will color the hands (don’t forget to put your name on the back!) to show that we have learned about serving others.
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 what Jesus said about serving 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..
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| Use this graphic in a light color for the small-size cut-outs for the poster |
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| Use this graphic both for the mid-sized banner symbol and the full-sized coloring page Offertory gift |
Parent Letter
Twenty-fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Today your children heard a simplified version of the same readings that you heard: James 3:17-18; Mark 9: 33-37
To reinforce at home:
The word for today is “service”. Jesus tells us that if we want to gain eternal life, we have to serve others. We discussed the meaning of service and what we can do to serve other people that we know.
Activities to do at home:
*Visit a sick or shut-in person and offer to help in their home. There are many elderly in our parish who would love to have a smiling face straighten or clean a little, cook a treat, open a medicine bottle, etc.
*Teach your child to set the table and/or prepare dinner one day this week.
Thank you for sharing your children!
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