Children s Liturgy of the Word In today s Gospel, Jesus is at the Last Supper with His disciples. He prepares them for the time when He will be going away. He will be leaving them very soon. After Jesus has completed the mission of bringing salvation to all people, that His Father had entrusted to Him, He will be returning to His Father in heaven. He will return to His Father after His crucifixion and resurrection and then His ascension into heaven. We can imagine that it must have been very sad and confusing for the disciples at the Last Supper to hear Jesus talk about going away, about returning to His Father. We can imagine that they did not want Jesus to leave them. Even though Jesus was going away to His Father, He would still be present to the disciples in other ways. He will not leave them abandoned. No! Jesus promises that His Father would send the disciples a helper, someone to remind them of everything that Jesus had taught them. This helper is called the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. An advocate is someone who is on our side, to help us, support us and speak for us. Jesus says in the Gospel: I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. At the Last Supper, Jesus also gave his disciples the gift of peace. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. We must not refuse the gift of peace that Jesus gives us. We must accept it and share it with other.
A small table, white cloth, candle, and bible. Loving God, we come to hear your Word on this Sixth Sunday of Easter. In the Gospel at the Last Supper Jesus promises his disciples that His Father will send them a helper, the Holy Spirit, in Jesus name. He also gives them the gift of His Peace. We sign our forehead with the sign of the cross because we believe in One God-- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Open our minds and our understanding to your Word, Oh Lord. We sign our lips with the sign of the cross, help us to speak your truth, Oh Lord. We sign our hearts with the sign of the cross, may we carry the Good News of Jesus and share it with everyone we meet. A reading from the book of Revelation With the help of the Spirit, the angel took me to the top of a very high mountain. There he showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down from God in heaven. The glory of God made the city bright. It was dazzling and crystal clear like a precious jasper stone. The city had a high and thick wall with twelve gates, and each one of them was guarded by an angel. On each of the gates was written the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Three of these gates were on the east, three were on the north, three more were on the south, and the other three were on the west. The city was built on twelve foundation stones. On each of the stones was written the name of one of the Lamb's twelve apostles. I did not see a temple there. The Lord God All-Powerful and the Lamb were its temple.
And the city did not need the sun or the moon. The glory of God was shining on it, and the Lamb was its light. This is the Word of the Lord---- Thanks be to God R. O God, let all the nations praise you! Our God, be kind and bless us! Be pleased and smile. Then everyone on earth will learn to follow you, and all nations will see your power to save us. R. R. O God, let all the nations praise you! Let the nations celebrate with joyful songs, because you judge fairly and guide all nations. R. R. O God, let all the nations praise you! Make everyone praise you and shout your praises. Pray for his blessings to continue and for everyone on earth to worship our God. R. R. O God, let all the nations praise you R. Alleluia, alleluia. Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him. R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy gospel according to John Jesus said: "If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them. But anyone who doesn't love me, won't obey me. What they have heard me say doesn't really come from me, but from the Father who sent me. "I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you." The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is speaking with his disciples at the Last Supper. Ask the children why they think it is called the Last Supper! Jesus is speaking about going away. Ask the children where was Jesus going and to whom! What was going to happen to Jesus before He returned to His Father in heaven? ---- ----His Crucifixion, His Resurrection and then His Ascension. Ask the children how they thought the Disciples would have felt when Jesus told them He was returning to His Father! How was Jesus to return to His Father? (The ASCENSION)---Ask the children what is next Sunday s feast day! (The Ascension) Jesus promised not to leave the disciples alone. Ask the children whom the His Father promised to send in His name as a helper for the disciples! What is the feast day in two weeks time! (Pentecost)
Ask the children what was the gift that Jesus offered His disciples. (Peace) Invite the children to reflect on how they can share this gift of the peace of Jesus with others in their families, at school or elsewhere! I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. Leader: God the Father has sent us a helper, the Holy Spirit. Jesus, the Son of the Father, has given us the gift of peace and calls us to be peacemakers in this world. So we pray: 1.) Reader: We pray that we will call on the help of the Holy Spirit at all times in our lives especially in difficult moments ---Lord, hear us:
2.) Reader: We pray that we will be able to accept the gift of PEACE that Jesus truly offers us ---Lord, hear us: 3.) Reader: We pray that we will be able to share this gift of PEACE with our friends and family and those at school---lord, hear us: 4.) Reader: We pray for those people whose countries suffer from war and violence--- Lord, hear us: 5.) Reader: We pray for people who feel troubled and not at peace and do not feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives--- Lord, hear us. Leader: Loving God, we know that you are always with us through the Holy Spirit, even when we cannot see you. Help us to feel your peace and to spread it to others. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen. Having been fed at the Table of the Word, we now prepare to share in the celebration of the Eucharist. May we be people who give witness to the Holy Spirit in our lives and the gift of peace that Jesus offers us throughout the coming week.