Jan 16, 2022 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C

2^nd  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 Second Sunday of Ordinary Time.

Ask:  Does anyone remember what last Sunday was? (the Baptism of Our Lord)  Do you remember who baptized Jesus?  <Jesus' cousin, St. John the Baptist>

Introduce symbol

Say:  Today’s readings and the readings for the next 7 Sundays are about when Jesus started teaching people about love.  Today’s symbol <hold up the symbol> is a water jug – just like the cutouts you are writing your name on.  The water jug represents the first miracle that Jesus performed.  Can anyone tell me what it was?  <the miracle at Cana… see what details the kids can tell you – it was the first miracle, Jesus’ mother asked Him to do it, water into wine, etc>

Explain:  Let’s look at what the poster says < Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all nations.>.  The miracle at Cana helped a lot of people, including many of Jesus’ close friends, to believe in Him.  Jesus asks us all to tell others about him.

 

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 Isaiah. (Isa 62:1-3)   Isaiah was a prophet who lived a long time before Jesus was born.  He was honored as a holy prophet just like Moses was.  At the time of Jesus’ birth and life, the Jewish people read from their sacred Scripture like we do.  Jesus and his friends and family read the book of Isaiah when they went to temple each week.  We often read from the book of Isaiah too.

Have the reader read the first reading.

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

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all nations.

Say:  Today’s Gospel comes from the book of John.  (Jn 2:1-12)  Today’s Gospel is a story.   Let’s open our ears and hearts (and close our mouths) so that we can hear the story about Jesus’ first miracle.

Say:  Now we will stand so that we can listen to the Gospel

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

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

Read:  Read the Gospel

Ask:  Why did Jesus perform this miracle?  Did He do it to impress anybody?  Did it even seem that He wanted to do it?  He turned the water into wine to help His relative.  He did it because His mother asked Him to.  His mother believed in Him and His friends believed in Him.  Jesus never performed miracles for no reason – He always helped people.  He always had a reason.

Hand out the Offertory and poster symbols (The symbol is a water jug).  Have the children write their names on the small poster symbols.  Collect them and glue them to the poster. 

Explain: Color the Offertory symbol of the water jug and bring it to the altar (don’t forget to put your name on the back!)  to show that we have learned about Jesus’ first miracle.    

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 in a small size in a light color for the participation poster

Use this graphic in a mid-size for the banner symbol and large as a black-line coloring page for the Offertory gift

Parent Letter

2^nd Sunday Ordinary Time  C

                                                                     

            Today your children heard a simplified version of the same readings that you heard: Isaiah 62:1-3 and John 2:1-12

To reinforce at home:

Today we talked about miracles, the wonderful things that Jesus did when he was on earth.  Today’s Gospel reading was about Jesus’ first public miracle, the miracle at the wedding at Cana.  We talked about what miracles are, happenings that cannot be explained by ordinary means.  Jesus always had a reason for the miracles he performed.. he was never showing off and he was not a magician performing tricks.

Jesus performed the miracle at Cana because his mother asked him to.  Jesus knew that his public ministry (and the path to his death) would begin with this first miracle.  Do you think that Mary knew?  What do you think would have happened if Jesus had not obeyed Mary?

Miracles are still occurring in the world today.  What miracles has God brought into your life?

Activities to do at home:

*Share miracle stories.  Talk with your child about miracles that have occurred in your own life.

*Read together.  Choose your favorite Bible storybook and read together about the wedding at Cana.

*Have a meal together.  At your next meal, serve water from a pitcher and thank God for the miracle that Jesus performed at Cana.

Thank you for sharing your children!