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During Liturgy of the Word with Children it is the catechist's goal to reflect on the readings at a level of a child's understanding. Three ways to do this are

• Involve the children in a DIALOUGE
• Use OBJECT LESSONS
• Or just tell A SIMPLE STORY

THIRD WEEK OF LENT

• First Reading: Exodus 3:1-8, 10
• Gospel: Luke 13:3,5-9

DIALOGUE

• What did Moses see as he tended the sheep on Mount Horeb? (A bush burning)
• What was strange about the burning bush? (It was on fire but it wasn’t burning up.)
• Moses stepped closer to see why it wasn’t being destroyed. What did God say? (Take your shoes off, don’t come any closer. You are on Holy ground. I am the God of your people, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.)
• Where did God send Moses? (He sent Moses to Egypt) Why? (To bring the Israelites, who were enslaved, back home)
• Moses asked, " Who shall I say sent me? " (I am who I am, tell the people I AM and that I sent you to them)

• What would you do with a tree that didn’t produce any fruit? (Let the children answer, they will likely say cut it down)
• What did the gardener say? (Leave it one more year, I’ll dig the dirt around it and put manure in the ground)
• What did Jesus tell the people before he told this parable? (Unless you change your lives and stop sinning you won’t have Eternal life)
• What do you think this parable means? (We are the fig tree that isn’t producing fruit, instead of doing right people continue to sin, but like the good gardener, God gives us time to change our ways.)
• What can we do to change the way we live? (Let the children answer.)

OBJECT LESSON

A SIMPLE STORY

One of my favorite stories is the story of the stonecutter. It’s a very old story, so you may have heard it before. But listen to it again and you may like it even more.

Long ago in a country called Japan there was a stone cutter . He worked hard each day cutting stones from rocks. He earned very little. One day as he was working with his hammer and chisel in the hot sun, he said, " I wish I were rich and lived in a big house. "

No sooner had he said this than the miracle happened. He turned into a rich man who lived in a big house. How happy he was, but not for very long. For one day he saw a king go by. He was riding in a chariot surrounded by many soldiers and pulled by many horses.

Oh how I wish I were a king, the stonecutter thought, for no one is mightier than a king.

No sooner had he thought this than the miracle happened . He turned into a king sitting in a carriage surrounded by many soldiers and pulled by many horses.

But the sun was hot and burned his face. The king looked at the sun and said, " You are more powerful than I am. How I wish I were the sun. "

No sooner had he said this than the miracle happened. He turned into the sun and shone on the earth.

Suddenly a big cloud moved between the sun and the earth, so that the rays of the sun said, " That cloud is mightier than I am, " the sun said, " It keeps me from warming the earth. How I wish I were that big cloud. "

No sooner had the sun said that the miracle happened. The sun turned into a big cloud. The cloud shed rain on the earth, so much rain that the rivers overflowed and swept away everything in their paths. Everything except one big rock. That rock did not move no matter how hard it rained.

This made the cloud furious. It shouted, " That rock is mightier than I am. I wish I were that rock. And again the miracle happened. Suddenly the cloud turned into the rock. How happy the rock was.

But not for long, for one day there came a stonecutter who cut the pieces out of the rock.. This made the rock furious. It shouted ": That stonecutter is mightier than I am. I wish I were that stonecutter. "

And the miracle happened one more time. Suddenly the rock turned into the stonecutter.

Now here’s my question to you. Who, do you think is that stonecutter ? That stonecutter is you and I. Sometimes we look at other people and feel jealous of them. Sometimes we look at others and say, " I wish I were that boy or that girl - she’s so smart or he’s so strong. " When we say things like that we are just like the stonecutter. We are trying to be what we are not. Be content with what you are and thank God for making you.

FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

• First Reading: Joshua 5:9a, 10-12
• Gospel Luke 15: 11-32

DIALOGUE

• Have you ever been lost or separated from your mom or dad in a big store? (Let the children answer.)
• How did you feel? (Let the children answer.)
• How did you feel when you saw your mom or dad? (Let the children answer.)
• Think about the son in today’s Gospel. Was he young like you? (No, he was an adult.)
• His father gave him what he asked for, everything that would be his after his father died. Did he spend it wisely? (No)
• What happened? (He lived a wild life and spent everything.)
• Why did he decide to go back home? (He thought the people who worked for his father, have more to eat that he did)
• How do you think his father felt when he saw his son? (When he saw his son coming he ran to him and hugged and kissed him)
• How did his brother feel when his father greeted his brother and decided to throw a big celebration? (The older brother was very angry and refused to enter the house.)
• What did the father say? (You have always been with me, all I have is yours but we must celebrate because your brother was dead and now is found)
• Do you ever feel like the older brother felt? (Let the children answer)
• Do you think the older brother ever changed?

OBJECT LESSON

SIMPLE STORY

FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

• First Reading: Isaiah 43: 18-19, 21, 24, 25
• Gospel John 8: 1-5,6b-11

DIALOGUE:

• How do you thin she felt?
• Was the crowd happy? (No, they were angry)
• What did they want to do to her? (Stone her)

• Did Jesus answer? (no)
• What did Jesus do? (He knelt down and began writing in the dirt with his finger)
• What did he finally say? (Anyone who has never sinned throw the first stone.)
• Again, Jesus knelt and wrote in the dirt. What happened? (People started leaving, first the older people then everyone)

• What did he to her? (Where did all those people go? Didn’t anyone stay to punish you?)
• What was her answer? (No, Lord, no one did)
• How do you think she felt?
• How would you feel?
• Then, what did Jesus say? (I won’t punish you either. Go and sin no more.
• Do you think she changed and tried not to sin again? (I hope so)

A SIMPLE STORY:

I want to tell you a story about a tree that grows in China. It is the Moso bamboo tree. Once the seeds for this tree are planted, there is no visible sign of growth for five years. Not even a tiny sign of growth. That's a long time for the plant to be in the ground.

It is almost like magic that one day it suddenly begins to grow at a rate of two and a half feet per day, until it finally reaches ninety feet. After being in the ground for five years, it grows way up to ninety feet tall in six weeks. WOW!!

It's not really magic though the Moso bamboo tree grows so fast after five years is because it has been growing miles and miles of roots under the ground getting ready, preparing for the magical growth to come

We are called to be prepared, for the coming of Jesus. The roots we are growing are the roots of faith, when we come to Mass, when we serve others we are nourishing those roots so we will be ready.

Lent helps us to nourish our roots of faith as we ask for forgiveness from those we may have hurt, reconcile with God, our family and friends.

PASSION SUNDAY

• First Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
• Gospel: Luke 23:1-47

Passion Sunday is one of only a few times the children may reenact the gospel. It is not to be considered a play, no eleaborate costumes or props, simple head dress is allowed, the will be no clapping after the readings; it is not a performance. Directory of Masses with Children VI Particular Issues #52 Plays within the Liturgy of the Word)

DIALOUGE

After the readings ask the children:

• How did you feel when you read the part of Jesus? - Pilate- the High Priest- the soldier - the thieves. (allow each reader to express their feelings)

Ask the children who did not read:

• Why did the Chief Priests take Jesus to Pilate? (They wanted him to find Jesus guilty of crimes against Ceasar)
• What did Pilate ask Jesus? (Are you the King of the Jews?)
• What did Jesus answer? (You have said so)
• What did Pilate tell the Chief Priest and the people? (I can find this man guilty of no crime.)
• Where did Pilate send Jesus? (To Herod)
• What did Herod and the soldiers do? (Made fun of him, spit at him and sent him back to Pilate.)
• Who did the poeple want Pilate to set free? (Barabas)
• What did they tell Pilate to do to Jesus? (Crucify him)
• Did they? (Yes)
• What did the first robber tell Jesus? (If you are Christ, save us and your self.)
• What did the second robber tell Jesus? (Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom)
• What did the soldier say? (Surely this man was innocent)
• How did this reading make you feel? (Let the children express their feelings)

OBJECT LESSON

A SIMPLE STORY

When I was teaching Religious Education I wanted to find a story of the Passion that would also identify the Stations of the Cross - This is my story.

I use to be a tree growing up in Bethlehem! I mean I was a tree before I was cut down and made into rough planks. I was about two years old, just a sapling, when the carpenter and his wife came to be counted. He tied his donkey to my skinny trunk.

I really didn't understand the importance of that night until many years later. I do remember the carpenter helping his wife get down off the donkey. She looked so young, so beautiful even though she was large with child. She seemed so tired and I felt bad that she had to stay in that stable. But it was crowded in dusty little Bethlehem; they seemed happy to have even that place to stay.

I heard his first cry as he came into his world. What a glorious night that was. The sky was as bright as day from the glow of that star and everything seemed to be celebrating.

It wasn't long after the three Magi came at night that they left Bethlehem I figured they went back home and I would never see them again. Then I began to hear the doves coo his name as they flittered in and out of my branches.

Time passed and thirty three years later when I had grown into mighty tree they came to cut me dowm.I really didn't mind. I figured I would become part of a kings castle or elegant furniture, something that would last a real long time. So I never feared being cut down. But look at me now, my beautiful wood has been turned into rough hewn planks. Planks that would be turned into crosses where men would hang until they died.

(Beginning of the Stations of the Cross)

That's what they did to Jesus.

1- They condemned him to die and threw me in front of him.

2- He put me on his back and began to drag me down Via Delarosa, that narrow crowed street that led to Golgotha.

3- But my weight on his beaten and bloody back caused him to fall.

He pulled himself up and the soldiers put me back on his shoulders and he once again began to drag me.

4- I felt him stiffen when he saw his mother reach toward him.

5- The Roman soldiers pulled Simon of Cyrene from the crowd and pushed him toward us. Simon tried to help Jesus carry me.

6- The soldiers kept pushing the people back but a woman named Veronica managed to get to Jesus and she wiped his face with her scarf before they shoved her back.

7- Even with Simon's help I was to heavy, and Jesus fell a second time.

8- A group of women from Jerusalem were gathered with their children, crying and praying , Jesus stopped and told them not to cry for him, but for themselves and their children.

9- Just as the soldiers were pushing the women back, Jesus fell for the third time. By now he was throughly exhausted but he got up and continued on.

10- Finally at the hill of Golgatha they took me from him and began to strip the clothes off his back they put a crown of thorns on his head."King of the Jews" they taunted, jeered and spit at him.

11- The soldiers laid Jesus across me, took long spikes and nailed his hands and feet to me. They raised me up and I felt him slump. On either side of us were two robbers. One jeered at Jesus and the other asked to be remebered.

Now nailed to my cross planks is this man I knew at birth. This gentle compassionate man who only did good for people.

I'm holding his outstretched body beaten and quivering with pain. I hear him praying I hear him asking his Father to forgive these men that have falsely accused and crucified him. But he never cried, he never cursed them, he only prayed for them.

12- And Jesus died!

(Change the tone of your voice your no longer telling the story, your talking to Jesus and you are very sad)

Oh Jesus how I wish I was a tree again. I would hold you up within my branches so your chest and lungs wouldn't ache. I'd fan you as gentle breezes flow in and out of my branches. I would use my cool silky leaves to wipe the sweat that pours from your body and I would wipe the blood from your wounds. For I love you Jesus but I am no longer a tree, like you I too have been stripped. I am just an old ugly cross. I am so sorry Jesus, please forgive. Please...

(Your voice changes again beginning at a normal tone and getting louder with the beginning of the storm and LOUD when the thunder is unbarable)

Then suddenly it was dark and lightening flashed through the skies, thunder crashed and winds roared. The noise was unbearable.

(Voice tone should be soft but not quite a whisper)

And yet... the soft gentle voice of an angel whispered, "Do not be ashamed old mighty cross. Our heavenly Father knows how you always wanted to be something beautiful that would last a long time. You are not ugly, you truly are beautiful and from this day forward you will become the symbol of Christianity and you will live forever."

13- I watched as his friends lowered him and laid him in his mother's arms.

14- They buried him in a borrowed tomb. The soldiers rolled a huge rock in front of the tomb.... And I cried

That Sunday the skies sang Alleulia, and a bird friend came and told me that Jesus had risen, just like he said...

So my friends every time you see a cross remember the little tree that grew up to become the cross that lived and died with Jesus and both were ressurected and have eternal life.

SCHEDULE

Liturgy ofthe Word with Children

PRAYERS

A Lenten Prayer

Jesus, my Lord, today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Help me to accept the cross of ashes on my forehead in remembrance of your sacrifice.

Lead me through these forty days and nights as I try to avoid the temptations of Satan and help me to live my life as your servant and a servant to all. Amen

The prayer below is The Prayer of the Faithful we used during a Good Friday celebration for Children

For the Church, the people of God who follow the Way of the Cross, For this we pray to the Lord

Lord hear our prayer.

For the nations striving to get along with each other . For this we pray to the Lord

Lord hear our prayer.

For those preparing to receive the Sacraments, especially the Catechcumens, children making First Communion and those who will be Confirmed. We pray to the Lord.

Lord hear our prayer.

For those. who doubt and those who do not believe, that they will come to know and love the Lord We pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

SHARING

• Corporal Acts
• Feed the hungry
• Give drink to the thirsty
• Clothe the naked
• Shelter the homeless
• Visit the sick
• Bury the dead

• Spiritual Acts of Mercy
• Admonish the sinner
• Teach the ignorant
• Counsel the doubtful
• Comfort the sorrowful
• Bear wrongs patiently
• Forgive all injuries
• Pray for the living and the dead.

• Love God with all your heart, soul and
• mind and love your neighbor as yourself. I taught grades 1-8 over 13 years. It is important that these lessons are taught using language the youngest child will understand.

I hope you found this page valuable in your work with children. Please let me know what I can do for you that will be helpful in your ministry.

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