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Liturgy of the Word with Children Lent, Year C

General Information

Catechist Background ‘Lent’ comes from an Old English word meaning ‘spring,’ and it is from this word that we also get ‘lengthen,’ as the days grow longer. Beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Thursday, Lent is a joyful journey of forty days towards Easter. Lent itself is slightly longer than forty days, as the Sundays of Lent are not included in the countdown of days of penance. In Lent we are encouraged to focus on re-conversion and re-commitment to our baptismal promises in following Christ. Three main activities of Lent have traditionally been prayer, fasting and almsgiving to help us grow closer to God in preparation for the Easter mysteries. Setting the Scene Purple is the colour for Lent, and if your Children’s Liturgy space allows, you may choose to incorporate that colour into a centrepiece. In keeping with the penitential flavour of the season, we do not proclaim either the ‘Gloria’ or the ‘Alleluia’ during Lent. We Say Sorry In some parishes, Children’s Liturgy of the Word begins before the Introductory Rite has finished. If you have been in the main body of the church for the Penitential Rite, there is no need to repeat it in Children’s Liturgy. We Pray (1) The Opening Prayer expresses the theme of the readings for the day. As above, if you have been in the main body of the church for the Opening Prayer, there is no need to repeat it in Children’s Liturgy. Where the language is accessible to children, some of the prayers listed below have been taken from The Sunday Missal. Gospel Acclamation ‘Alleluia,’ the normal gospel acclamation, is not sung during Lent. For the Gospel Acclamation you might like to have a look at:

• Music for Children’s Liturgy of the Word by Christopher Walker (Oregon Catholic Press)

• Some of the Gospel Acclamations used at your parish mass if suitable • Try writing your own words using tunes familiar to children (see

suggestions in The Complete Children’s Liturgy by Katie Thompson (Kevin Mayhew publishers), and words suitable to the season, such as the following:

o Glory and praise to you / Lord Jesus Christ! o Glory to you O Christ / You are the Word of God! o Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ / King of endless glory!

Gospel This year is year ‘C,’ and most of the Gospel readings for Sunday Mass this year will come from the Gospel of Luke. Luke’s Gospel probably circulated

first with Gentile Christians, and he takes care to point out that Jesus came for all humanity, Jews and Gentiles alike. He has a special concern for the needy, and takes care to point out that God is an upside-down God who is particularly care-full for the humble, poor, and oppressed, rather than on those whose high social standing thinks it buys them merit. Some favourite parables like the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan are found only in Luke’s Gospel. Luke himself admits that he was not an original follower of Jesus, but claims to have ‘investigated everything accurately.’ Some have speculated that he may have spent some time with Mary, Jesus’ mother, to gain so much information about his infancy. Reflecting on the Reading with Children Response We Believe We Pray (2) ‘All liturgy is prayer and it is right that a liturgy of the word with children should end with a time of intercession. The prayer may arise from the children’s reflection but it is always concerned with the needs of the whole Church and the world. It is important to remember that the petitions are invitations to pray not the prayers themselves, so a short phrase that invites the children to pray is better than a long or detailed list of concerns. This model of intercession is easily learned by children.’ (Liturgy of the Word with Children – Guidelines –Commentary ¶7)

Liturgy of the Word with Children

First Sunday of Lent, Year C 21 February 2010

Luke 4:1-13

Catechist Background ‘The desert’ for the people of Jesus’ day was a lonely wilderness, full of danger. Bandits lurked in desert areas, and people believed demons lived out in the desert too. Jesus’ forty-day sojourn into the desert calls to mind the forty years spent in the desert by the Israelites after they left Egypt. Whereas the Israelites failed many times in their wanderings, Jesus remains faithful to God’s plan for him, rather than falling to the temptation to use his powers and position to satisfy his own ends. Jesus overcomes the temptations by relying on God’s Word, although it should be noted that even the devil can use scripture, buy quoting it out of context and interpreting it falsely, as seen in the third temptation. Setting the Scene For the activity described below, you will need a tray (such as a roasting tin) with some sand in it. Remind the children that it is Lent; ask if they have noticed any changes in the church (for instance, the colour of the vestments the priest is wearing, or the decorations in the church). Some, but probably not all, may have received ashes on Ash Wednesday; it would be good to discuss this and explain that Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Sometimes children—and even adults—focus too much on ‘giving something up’ for Lent, and not on the fact that if we have given something up, it should be so that we have more ‘space’ for God in our hearts. Particularly if your Children’s Liturgy group has many older children, it would be worth mentioning this in the context of today’s gospel. For example, food or fame or anything else are not bad things in themselves, as all good things come from God. However, if we start to treat those things as if they are more important than God they become sinful for us. We Say Sorry Leader: For the times we think our belongings are more important than you, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. Leader: For the times we want to be more important than you, Christ have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy. Leader: For the times we don’t do what is right, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. We Pray (1) God in heaven, help us this Lent to understand how to follow Jesus’ example in our lives. Amen. Gospel Intro

Gospel Acclamation ‘Alleluia,’ the normal gospel acclamation, is not sung during Lent. For the Gospel Acclamation you might like to have a look at:





Gospel: Luke 4:1-13 Reflecting on the Reading with Children

• Think of a time when you have been really hungry. What do you think it would feel like if you hadn’t eaten for 40 days? Would you have wanted to turn stones into bread?

• If you hadn’t seen any friendly faces for 40 days, how do you think you would feel? Might you want to show off to people doing some amazingly powerful things?

• The devil tried to get Jesus to use his power to serve himself, not to do what God wanted to save the world.

• Do we sometimes want to use our talents and belongings only for ourselves, not to make the world a better place? We are probably most likely to do this when we are feeling down or lonely.

Response Remind the children that even when they feel alone, like Jesus was in the wilderness of the desert, He is always with us. Even if we cannot see Jesus, He is with us. Take the tray of sand, and encourage children to take turns (one at a time) to make two handprints in it, one to represent them, and one to represent Jesus. We Believe Relating to the creed what you have shared with the children, ask this series of questions and invite the children to reply, ‘I do.’

• Do you believe in God, the Father, who created the world to be a lovely place?

• Do you believe in Jesus Christ, who came into this world to save us from our selfishness and show us how to live?

• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, who helps keep us strong when we are tempted?

We Pray (2) Again, try to relate the bidding prayers to the reading by saying, ‘God, we know we are never alone, that you are always with us, and so we pray…’

Leader: We pray for the Church throughout the whole world, that we may use our position and influence to bring people closer to you. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for people who have powerful jobs or positions. May they use them for good in the world, not to show off their powerfulness. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for everyone in the world who is hungry or homeless. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for anyone we know who is lonely. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: God, we know that sometimes we are the answer to somebody’s prayer. Help us to know what to do to make the world more like you made it to be. Help us this Lent to put aside our selfishness. We make all our prayers through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Liturgy of the Word with Children Second Sunday of Lent, Year C

28 February 2010 Luke 9:28-36

Catechist Background Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, the two major sections of the Hebrew Scriptures. They also each had a forty-day period marking the beginning of their ministries. Chronologically, in the scriptures, this story follows immediately after Jesus’ announcement of his passion and death; it is a preview of his resurrection to come. Setting the Scene For the activity described below, you will need a representation of a tree without leaves. You could use a branch potted in the sand from last week, or alternatively, a large paper outline of a tree taped to the wall. We Say Sorry Leader: For the times we are hurtful to others, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. Leader: For the times we would rather do what we shouldn’t do, Christ have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy. Leader: For the times we forget your goodness, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. We Pray (1) God our Father, help us to hear your Son, that we may find our way to you. Amen. Gospel Intro Remind the children that last week we heard about Jesus in some difficult circumstances, being tested by the devil. This week, we hear about a very different situation. Gospel Acclamation ‘Alleluia,’ the normal gospel acclamation, is not sung during Lent. For the Gospel Acclamation you might like to have a look at:






• This is a very unusual situation! What would you think if you were there with Jesus and his disciples?

• There are difficult times ahead for Jesus and the disciples. Looking back on this situation might have helped his friends to stay strong with him, having had a big hint that something very special was happening their friend.

Response Show the children the empty tree. If it is potted in the sand from last week, show them. If you were a very young tree and couldn’t remember last year, it might be a bit scary to see all the trees with their leaves off. It might seem rather hopeless, if you didn’t know that spring and new leaves were just around the corner. In the same way that new life in the spring follows a cold winter, this experience on the mountain reminds the disciples and us that something more special than we could possibly understand is at work with Jesus. Pass out a ‘leaf’ shape to each child, and encourage them to write their name (or draw themselves) on one side, and write ‘hope’ on the other. Attach the leaves to the tree with string or blu-tak. We Believe Relating to the creed what you have shared with the children, ask this series of questions and invite the children to reply, ‘I do.’

• Do you believe in God, the almighty Father? • Do you believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, who we should listen

to? • Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, present among us today?

We Pray (2) Again, try to relate the bidding prayers to the reading by saying, ‘God in heaven, we know that just as you were present with us just as you were present to the disciples on the mountain, and so we pray…’ Leader: We pray for people whose jobs it is to others about you. May they never forget your glory. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for the world, that everyone may know your love and holiness. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for people who are ill. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for anyone we know who is feeling down. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: Thank you, Lord, for hearing all our prayers. Please look after all those in need. We make all our prayers through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Liturgy of the Word with Children Third Sunday of Lent, Year C

7 March 2010 Luke 13:1-9

Catechist Background In Jesus’ day, as is often throughout human history, it was tempting to attribute natural and political disasters to God’s divine punishment. The first part of today’s gospel counters that assumption, and forces us to admit that sometimes bad things happen for reasons we cannot understand. We are not ‘better’ than people who have experienced earthquakes or famines or wars or economic deprivation. The parable in today’s gospel serves to remind us that God is a God of second chances, but that ultimately one day we will be called to account for our lives and the fruit that they bear. Setting the Scene For the activity described below, you will need a barren ‘tree;’ if you used the activity described for last week, re-use it! You will also need paper (some cut in the shape of fruits) writing materials and something to attach the paper fruit to the tree. We Say Sorry Leader: For the times we do not act in loving ways, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. Leader: For the times we are greedy, Christ have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy. Leader: For the times we think we are better than other people, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. We Pray (1) God, our Father, thank you for Jesus, who shows us the way to you. Amen. Gospel Intro Explain to the children that the gospel this week is a parable about a fig tree. Most of the children will probably be unfamiliar with fig trees, so explain that they are trees that grow where Jesus lived, and that figs were a very popular fruit. Ask if the children know what a parable is; one or more of the children might be able to explain to the others that it is a type of story that Jesus told to teach us something about God’s love. Ask the children to think about what this story might be teaching us today as they listen.







• What happens to a fruit tree if it doesn’t have good nutritious soil to grow in?

• This story is a parable, though, and isn’t told to give us advice about growing trees. Who might the tree represent? Who might the owner of the tree represent?

• What type of ‘fruit’ could people be said to produce? Answers might include being kind to others, being generous, sharing, etc.

• What do we need to be able to be able to do those things? Answers might include being loved, having something to share, etc. Notice if there is any overlap in answers with the previous question.

Response Write the answers the children have given for what we need to produce ‘fruit’ in our lives on small bits of paper and place them on the tree’s soil to fertilise it. Explain that a tree (or any other plant) takes good things out of the soil and turns the nutrients into fruit. Give ‘fruit’ shapes to the children and ask them to write/draw something that they do that helps to make the world happier, and attach them to the tree’s branches. Point out that all of these good things that we do are a response to God’s—and other people’s—love. We Believe Relating to the creed what you have shared with the children, ask this series of questions and invite the children to reply, ‘I do.’

• Do you believe in God, the Father, who gives us the good things we need to grow?

• Do you believe in Jesus, the Son, who came to set us free to produce goodness in our lives?

• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, who helps us to live the way we were meant to live?

We Pray (2) Again, try to relate the bidding prayers to the reading by saying, ‘We know that God wants us to have fruitful lives and so we pray…’ Leader: We pray for leaders in the Church. May they give the People of God good teaching to help us grow in faith. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for prime ministers and presidents and other leaders. May they lead the world well. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for people affected by recent natural disasters. May they know God is very close to them. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for our parish. May we be a fruitful example of God’s love. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: God in heaven, help us to do what we can to help you answer the prayers of the world. We make all our prayers through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Liturgy of the Word with Children Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C

14 March 2010 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Catechist Background The story of the prodigal son is one of the most famous of Jesus’ parables, and is found only in Luke’s gospel. It is really the story of two sons, one whose sins are obvious, and one whose sins are less public. We never definitively discover whether the elder son is able to let go of his embittered self-righteousness and turn his heart back to the father. Although this gospel is often very familiar to adults, it may be a fresh story to children. Setting the Scene For the activity described below you will need a piece of paper for every child, writing materials, and a rubbish bin. We Say Sorry Leader: For the times we do what we should not do, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. Leader: For the times we are jealous of others, Christ have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy. Leader: For the times we do not follow your loving example, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. We Pray (1) Heavenly Father, we are thankful that you have sent Jesus to us, to show us happiness and love. Amen. Gospel Intro Remind the children of what a parable is (they may remember from last week). Ask them to think about who the various characters represent in the story as it is proclaimed. Gospel Acclamation ‘Alleluia,’ the normal gospel acclamation, is not sung during Lent. For the Gospel Acclamation you might like to have a look at:





Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 Reflecting on the Reading with Children

• Who do you think the father represents in this story? The son who left? The other son?

• How do you think you might have felt at the end of this story if you were the younger son? The older son? The father?

• We are in the position of all three of these characters at different times in our lives. Sometimes we do wrong things and need to be forgiven like the youngest son. Sometimes we are in the position of the father, and are encouraged to follow God’s example of forgiveness to us. Sometimes we are like the older son, and need to be reminded that we should be happy for other people when they return to knowing the right thing to do.

• Remind the children that no matter what we do, God always wants us to return to God’s love, not to be cut off from it.

• It would be helpful to mention the sacrament of Reconciliation if your group contains older children. If any of them have received the sacrament for the first time, they could help explain it.

Response Allow the children to write (or draw) something that they have done recently that they have been sorry for. When they are ready, one at a time, get them to crumple the paper and put it in the bin, as a symbol of Jesus wanting to take the ‘rubbish’ ways we sometimes act away from us. If there is time, play a party game or sing a cheerful song to symbolise the happy welcome we get when we give our rubbish to God to take away. We Believe Relating to the creed what you have shared with the children, ask this series of questions and invite the children to reply, ‘I do.’

• Do you believe in God, the loving Father, who wants us to return when we go astray?

• Do you believe in Jesus, the Son, who came to show us the way to the Father?

• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us and lives in our hearts?

We Pray (2) Again, try to relate the bidding prayers to the reading by saying, ‘We know God wants us to be happy, and so we pray…’ Leader: We pray for all leaders in the Church, that they may always act like the forgiving father, welcoming to all. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for teachers, social workers, police officers, judges and anyone with a job that can help keep people safe. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for anyone with not enough to eat or a safe place to live, that they, like the younger son in today’s gospel, find a place that welcomes them. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for anyone we know who, like the oldest brother in today’s gospel, holds onto grudges. May they be able to let go of their anger so there is room for love in their heart. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: Almighty God, thank you for making us part of your family. We know you hear all our prayers and you want to give us what is best for us. We make all our prayers through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Liturgy of the Word with Children Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C

21 March 2010 John 8:1-11

Catechist Background This week’s gospel shows us a real-life example of God’s forgiveness explained in parables over the last two weeks. Though it is found in John’s gospel, it has much in common with Luke’s strong emphasis on sin and mercy towards the weak. Indeed, the reading is unlikely to be an original part of John’s gospel; however, it has hallmarks of an authentic historical event in the life of Jesus. Not only is this a parable of forgiveness, it carries undertones of justice; presumably if a woman had been caught in the act of adultery, she would not have been caught alone. The identity and fate of the adulterous man remains a mystery. Setting the Scene For the activity described below, you will need stones small enough for the children to hold in their hands (but large enough that they will not get lost). Stones slightly smaller than a kiwi fruit would be about right, but please keep an eye on the children to ensure they are not using them dangerously. We Say Sorry Leader: For the times we are too harsh with other people, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. Leader: For the times we are too harsh on ourselves, Christ have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy. Leader: For the times we turn away from being loving towards others, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. We Pray (1) God, help us to be like Jesus Christ, your Son, who loves us so much he came to save us from all that could harm us. Help us to follow his example. Amen. Gospel Intro Ask the children what they remember from last week’s gospel. Explain that this week we get to hear a real example of Jesus living out the forgiveness that he taught about, that he will meet woman who had done something wrong and was about to be killed for it. It is not necessary for the children to know all the details of what adultery is, but they should understand that the woman involved had done something very serious.






Gospel: John 8:1-11 Reflecting on the Reading with Children

• The crowd in this story was outraged because the woman had been caught doing something wrong. How do you feel when you catch somebody doing something they know they shouldn’t be doing, whether that be fighting or cheating or anything else?

• How do you feel when people shout at you when you do something you shouldn’t have done? How would you like people to treat you when you do something wrong?

• Acknowledge that we all do wrong things in our lives, even when we are grown up. Jesus doesn’t like our sinful actions, but he still loves us.

• (Give each child a stone to hold.) How would you feel if you threw this stone at someone else? How would you feel if a bunch of people were getting ready to throw stones at you?

Response People do not very often have stones thrown at them nowadays, but sometimes we do hurl nasty words at other people. Ask the children to stand with their stones, and close their eyes. Ask them to imagine a time they should have shown somebody kindness, but instead said or did something nasty. When they are ready, ask the children to put their stones as part of the centrepiece as a symbol that they will try to act like Jesus in the future. We Believe Relating to the creed what you have shared with the children, ask this series of questions and invite the children to reply, ‘I do.’

• Do you believe in God, the almighty Father who created the world to be a perfectly happy place?

• Do you believe in Jesus, who came to show us forgiveness? • Do you believe the Holy Spirit, who can help us to live our lives better?

We Pray (2) Again, try to relate the bidding prayers to the reading by saying, ‘Jesus looks after all those who need his help, and so we pray…’ Leader: We pray for wisdom for the Church, that leaders in the Church may always know the right things to say and do. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for the whole world, that every country and person will act with justice. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for all people who are the victims of violence. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for anyone we know who, like the woman in today’s gospel, is treated harshly by others. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: Loving God, help us to follow you in every way we live our lives. We make all our prayers through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Liturgy of the Word with Children Passion (Palm) Sunday, Year C

28 March 2010 Luke 23:1-47

Catechist Background Central to the Christian faith, Jesus’ humiliating crucifixion is not the end, but the beginning of a new beginning for humanity, without which the resurrection cannot happen. Setting the Scene This week’s suggestions assume that the children have been present with the rest of the assembly for the procession with palms. If that is not the case in your parish, add the reading of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to the gospel and activity below. We Say Sorry Leader: For the times we try to make ourselves feel big at others’ expense, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. Leader: For the times we turn away from people who need our help, Christ have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy. Leader: For the times we add to the hurt in our world, Lord have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy. We Pray (1) Almighty God, you gave us Jesus to save us from all our wrongs. He did what you asked of him, even when it was extremely difficult. Help us to always follow Jesus’ example. Amen. Gospel Intro Remind the children that today’s gospel is a very important one, but it is also quite long. Explain that because it is packed so full of really important things, we will be reading it in sections. Gospel Acclamation ‘Alleluia,’ the normal gospel acclamation, is not sung during Lent. For the Gospel Acclamation you might like to have a look at:





Gospel, Reflection, and Response: Luke 23:1-47 The gospel has been broken up into various suggested sections below. After each stage, get children to form a tableau, or frozen picture, of the characters present at that section of the passion. Use simple props, if you have them. Ask the characters what they are feeling in the situation. The following has been provided as one option of breaking up the Passion; the numbers of children and/or other constraints may mean you adapt the suggestion here. (Section 1)

After Jesus had been on trial before the leaders of his people, the chief priests and the scribes took him to Pilate. They accused Jesus of doing wrong and they said to Pilate, ‘This man has been trying to confuse our people and change the way they think. And he told us not to pay taxes to Caesar. He also says that he is the Christ, a king.’

So Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’

Jesus answered, ‘You have said so.’

Then Pilate said to the leaders and to all the people, ‘I do not find this man guilty of doing anything wrong.’

But the people said over and over again, ‘He has been teaching and making trouble all over in Judea. He started in Galilee and now he is even teaching here in Jerusalem!’

Characters for tableau: Jesus, Pilate, accusers

(Section 2)

When Pilate heard that Jesus was from Galilee, he sent him to Herod because Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus did not answer any of them.

The soldiers put a beautiful robe on him like a king would wear and made fun of him because they thought he was pretending to be a king.

Characters for tableau: Jesus, Herod, soldiers

(Section 3)

Herod sent him back to Pilate. Pilate called all the people and their leaders together and said to them, ‘You brought this man to me and told me that he has been making trouble among the people. He has not done anything wrong and does not deserve to be put to death. I will have him whipped and then I will let him go.’

But the people shouted, ‘Kill him! Let Barabbas go free!’

Now, Barabbas was a man who was in prison because he had started a riot in the city and was also a murderer.

Pilate told them that he wanted to let Jesus go.

But they shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’

For the third time, Pilate said to the people, ‘Why? What has he done wrong? He does not deserve to die.’

But the people would not stop shouting that Jesus should be killed. They wouldn’t stop shouting, so Pilate finally gave in to them. He let Barabbas, a murderer go free. And he let them have their way with Jesus.

Characters for tableau: Jesus, Pilate, accusers, Barabbas

(Section 4)

As they were taking Jesus away to crucify him, they saw a man from Cyrene, named Simon, coming into the city. They made him carry the cross on his shoulder and walk behind Jesus.

Many people were following Jesus and there were some women in the crowd who were crying. Jesus said to them, ‘Women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children.’

Characters for tableau: Jesus, Simon of Cyrene, Women of Jerusalem

(Section 5)

Two criminals were also led away with Jesus to be killed. And when they came to the place which is called ‘the Skull,’ they crucified Jesus.

And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them! They do not know what they are doing!’

And they crucified two criminals beside him, one on his left and one on his right.

The people who were there watching made fun of Jesus, saying, ‘He saved other people. If he truly is the Christ, God’s chosen one, let him save himself.’

The soldiers also made fun of him, and said, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.’

One of the criminals yelled at him, ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Then save yourself and save us.’

But the other criminal scolded him and then said to Jesus, ‘Jesus, when you come into your kingdom, remember me.’

Jesus said to him, ‘I promise you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

Characters for tableau: Jesus, 2 criminals, soldiers, people making fun

(Section 6)

It was now about noon, and the sun stopped shining and it was dark until about three o’clock in the afternoon. Then Jesus called out loud, ‘Father, take my life. I give you my spirit.’

And he died.

One of the soldiers in the Roman army who saw all of this began to praise God and he said, ‘Surely this was a great and good man!’

Characters for tableau: Jesus, soldier, crowd

We Believe Relating to the creed what you have done with the children, ask this series of questions and invite the children to reply, ‘I do.’

• Do you believe in God the Father, who sent his Son to us? • Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son who died on a cross and was

raised to life after three days to save us? • Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, who remains with us still to help us

through our own difficulties? We Pray (2) Again, try to relate the bidding prayers to the reading by saying, ‘We know that Jesus understands all sorts of human sadness, because he experienced lots of it in his life, and so we pray…’ Leader: We pray for all people who, like Jesus, suffer innocently. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for all prisoners. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for all who are dying. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: We pray for anyone whose friends have left them. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: Lord, we know that you are especially close to anybody who is filled with sadness. Help us all to know that through your crucifixion and rising from the dead, sadness is not the end; your glory has won. We make all our prayers through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

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