Friday within the Octave of Easter

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Jesus said to them, "'Throw out your net to starboard and you'll find something.' So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in."

(From the Gospel)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

The disciples had seen Jesus twice since He had risen, but didn't seem to understand what they were meant to do next. So they had gone back to what they used to do - they had gone fishing.

They had been out fishing all night, and had caught nothing. How do you think they might have been feeling?

Then someone called to them from the shore to put their nets out again. Like the other times they had seen Jesus, they again did not recognise Him straight away. But they did what He said.

"The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.'"

What was it this time that made them recognise Jesus?

Before it had been when He had greeted them or called them by name, and in the breaking of the bread. This time it was in caring for them in a different way, in providing for them. 

Why do you think Jesus might have wanted them to recognise Him in this way?

Perhaps He wanted them to know that, even when they couldn't see Him in their midst, He was still looking after them.

The disciples had to get used to not having Jesus with them always. They had to learn to get used to having Him in a different way, in the way that we have Him now. 
What way is this?

We have Jesus in our hearts - Jesus the Light of world enters our hearts at Baptism. 
We also have Jesus in the tabernacle. At every Mass, Jesus comes again to be with us, and after Mass He waits for us in the tabernacle - waits for us to talk to Him, wherever we are.


(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." 

Hello! and request for feedback

Just a super quick note so say that if you're using these reflections I'd love some feedback! 

It's pretty tricky trying to make them useful to a wide range of children without being able to observe them all, so it would be great to know how close I am to hitting that goal.

I will eventually get around to making a series (or several) (plus more info for parents) to make sure the layers of understanding can go on in an orderly (and therefore most beneficial) manner. But in the meantime, I can keep trying to improve the generic format.

(If you're new to the site, you could also start with the earliest reflections, as I have been building a little on various themes as I've gone on.)

I can't guarantee that I'll be able to make any changes you suggest, but I'd still love to hear what is working, what's not, and anything you feel could be covered more :)

Comment below or contact me via email at masscatechesis@gmail.com.

Thanks and blessings!

Thursday within the Octave of Easter

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread. They were still talking about this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you!' In a state of alarm and fright they thought they were seeing a ghost."

(From the Gospel)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

The Gospel goes on to say how Jesus helped them understand that everything was ok - in fact more than ok. 

I wonder why the disciples were so afraid to start with, though? Especially the ones who had already seen Him! I wonder how they felt before He appeared among them? Happy? Confused? Unsure? Hopeful? And then He was suddenly there, and they got quite a fright!

He said, 'Peace be with you!' Normally these words would be calming. Jesus must have said them so many times to His disciples. But it seems they still did not quite understand what had happened, and so they were scared rather than calm. Then Jesus comforted them and they understood and believed.

Jesus knows us so well. He knows when we are confused, scared, unsure. And He is always ready to comfort us and reassure us that He is with us, and we do not need to be afraid. He is always looking after us, as a shepherd looks after His sheep!

Thank you, Jesus for caring for us and comforting us. It is so wonderful to be loved by You with a love that knows no end!

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Wednesday within the Octave of Easter

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him;"

(From the Gospel)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

After Jesus rose from the dead, a strange thing kept happening. Usually when His friends met Him, they did not recognise Him. I wonder what was so different about Him that they did not recognise Him? Did He look different? Or was there something else different about Him? Let's think about this for a moment.

Now let's think about when His friends finally recognised Jesus. For some it was when He greeted them; for others, when He called them by name. For the disciples in the reading today it was in the blessed bread, in the Eucharist.

How do we recognise Jesus? Is it when He calls us by name? Or in the Mass? Or in some other way?

Do we sometimes find it hard to know where He is?

Even when we don't see Jesus with us, He is there, waiting for us to hear Him call us by name, or see Him in the Mass, or however else we recognise Him.

Thank you, Jesus, for showing Yourself to Your disciples and to us. Help us see and hear You in the ways you show Yourself to us and speak to us.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Tuesday within the Octave of Easter

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"The Lord fills the earth with his love."

(The Response to the Psalm)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

The Lord fills the earth with His love, and what a love it is! He came as a baby, died, and is risen, so that His immense love could spread over the whole earth!

Jesus did not come just for a few people. He came for every one of us. He came for you, for you, and for me.

If you or I had been the only person alive, Jesus would still have come, to give us all of His love. How does it make you feel to be loved that much?

Just as Jesus' disciples at the time went to tell everyone the Good News - that He had risen from the dead - we are His disciples now, and we also share that Good News. It is news of such love, and the Lord wants it to fill the whole earth! 

How do you think we spread this wonderful love?

The love of God is in us. Everywhere we go, the love of God goes too! By loving God and doing all our normal things, we are helping Him fill the earth with His love! Isn't it wonderful to be helping the Lord fill the earth with His love?

Thank you, Lord, that you love us so much. Thank you for wanting to share your love with everyone.


(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Monday within the Octave of Easter

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"the women came quickly from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples. And there, coming to meet them, was Jesus.'Greetings' he said."

(From the Gospel)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

The women had just come from the tomb and realised that Jesus was not dead, but alive. How do you think they would have been feeling?

They were running to tell the disciples what had happened, to share the Good News. They probably didn't expect to see Jesus, but suddenly He was there. What a wonderful surprise it must have been!

I wonder how the women felt when they saw Him? Do you think they recognised Him straight away? Or maybe only when He spoke to them?

"Greetings", He said. 

How do you think Jesus might have said this simple word? I wonder how He was feeling when He saw His friends? He had suffered so much and the women had been with him the whole time. To see the friends He loved so much, who loved Him so much, must have been wonderful for Him as well as for them. 

What a wonderful gift for those women, to be the first to see Jesus after He rose from the dead. 

Thank you, Jesus, for dying and rising again!


(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Mass of the Lord's Supper, Holy Thursday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"This is my body, which is for you."

(From the First Reading)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

The Mass of the Lord's Supper is a very special day for us. We celebrate the first ever Mass, when Jesus gave Himself - His Body in the bread, His Blood in the wine - to His disciples.

Ever since then, Jesus has given Himself in the bread and the wine, at every Mass. There are thousands of Masses each day where He gives Himself, because He loves us so much!

He calls us to share in this precious gift, as often as we can. Maybe we're not old enough yet to receive Him in our bodies, but we can still receive Him in our hearts. When we get a blessing from Father, we can tell Jesus that we love Him, that we want Him in our heart, and that we look forward to the day we can also receive Him in our body.

What a wonderful gift, to be given the Body and Blood of the Good Shepherd.

You could say a special prayer now, telling Jesus that you are so happy He has given us His Body and Blood, and that you're looking forward to seeing Him at Mass, or at the Good Friday service.

Thank you, Jesus, for this wonderful gift of Yourself.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Wednesday of Holy Week

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"I will praise God's name with a song;
I will glorify him with thanksgiving."

(From the Psalm)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

It is so natural to want to tell about the goodness of God, and thank Him for His goodness. Many people like to do this by singing.

How do you like best to praise and thank God? 

Do you like to sing a song? To join in prayer with others? To pray quietly and privately in your heart? If you're shy about singing, you might even want to sing in your heart!

We can sing to or talk to God any time we like. At home, at school, at the playground, in the car, while we are playing. 

We can say thank you for being able to do what we are doing. 
We can tell God how wonderful He is.
We can tell Him that we love Him.
We can say anything we like. God is always listening and so happy when we talk to Him.

What could we say to God now? 

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Tuesday of Holy Week

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"The Lord called me before I was born,
from my mother's womb he pronounced my name."

(From the First Reading)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

From before we were born, God knew us. He knew our names. He called us. He called us by name.

How can it be that God knows us even before our parents know us? Even before our mother knew that she was carrying us? 

How can it be that God knows our name before our parents have chosen it?

There is something we know about God. We know that He created the heavens and the earth, and all the living creatures. He made everything.

Do you think that God knew everything He was going to make before He made it? That He knew the names of everything, and everyone, before He made it?

I wonder. 

I wonder how long ago He thought of me, and knew my name? 

How wonderful to think that He has thought of me, loved me, and called me by name, for so very long. How wonderful to be so thought of by such a great God!

Thank you, Lord, for knowing me, for calling me, for loving me.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Monday of Holy Week

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?"

(From the Psalm)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

"The Lord is my light and my help."

We've talked about light before. What have we said about it?

We've talked about how it chases away the darkness. We've talked about how it helps us see. And how it helps us see where to go.

We've also talked about Jesus being the light of the world. Here we are again told that He is light.

We are also told that He is our help. When we need help, He will help us.

"whom shall I fear?" "To fear" means to be scared of. The psalmist is saying, "The Lord is my light and my help; I do not need to be scared." Do you know what he means?

We don't need to ever be scared, because Jesus is our light and our help. He is always ready to chase away darkness, to show us the right path, to help us in whatever way we need. We can ask Him any time we are scared or need help, and He will be there and help us. Isn't this wonderful? 

Thank you, Jesus, for being our light and always helping us.


(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Palm Sunday, Year C, the beginning of Holy Week

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord,
the King of Israel.
Hosanna in the highest."

(Antiphon to the Procession)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

This is what the people of Jerusalem said when Jesus entered Jerusalem. What were they saying?

Hosanna: this is an expression of adoration, praise, or joy, a little like "hurray!"

Son of David: Do you remember about King David? He was a very special king. The Messiah was to come from his family. The Jews call Jesus the Son of David. (That didn't mean that He was his actual son; it meant He was a descendant, like a great-great grandson, or great-great-great-great.... grandson.

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Who is coming in the name of the Lord? Who says that He comes in the name of the Lord? (Jesus.)

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." "Hosanna in the highest." Where have we heard these words before? Yes, at Mass. In a special prayer that we all pray together, called the Sanctus, or Holy, Holy. We pray it before we kneel for the consecration, which is the very special part of Mass when Father prays the words that turn the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus.

They Jews praised Jesus when He entered Jerusalem. We praise Jesus before He comes to us in the bread and the wine, in His Body and Blood.

Thank you, Jesus, for coming in the name of the Lord. Thank you for coming to us at Mass.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

5th Week of Lent, Saturday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"The Lord will guard us

as a shepherd guards his flock."

(Response to the Psalm)


(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

We've talked about shepherds before. Can you remember what a shepherd is?

Do you remember how a shepherd looks after his sheep?

"The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock." If a shepherd looks after his sheep so carefully, how do you think God looks after us?

Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, who looks after His sheep, and calls them by name. He looks after His sheep very carefully.

Lord, thank you for guarding us as a shepherd guards his flock. Help us to hear You when You call us by name.



(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

5th Week of Lent, Friday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"I love you, Lord, my strength,

my rock, my fortress, my saviour."

(From the Psalm)

(Read the quote, then each line/question slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

There's an interesting word in this quote from the Psalm of the day. (Remember that a psalm is a special kind of song to God.) 

"fortress" - do you know what a fortress is?

Maybe you know what a castle is?

A fortress or castle is a very strong building that is very difficult to get into. It's made of strong stone, with a moat all around. (A moat is sort of like a small river that goes in a circle around the castle, right up against the walls.) There's a special bridge called a drawbridge, that is pulled up so no one can get across the moat. There are high walls all around. The windows are narrow and difficult to get into. A castle or fortress is a wonderful place to be safe in.

The psalmist calls the Lord, God, "my fortress". What do you think he is saying about God? A fortress is a very safe place. (Talk/think about this for a moment.)

Thank you, Jesus, for being such a place of safety. Thank you for always protecting us.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

5th Week of Lent, Thursday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"I tell you most solemnly,
before Abraham ever was,
I Am."

(From the Gospel)


(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

You might have heard the name Abraham, at Mass, or in a Bible story. Do you know who he was? 

Abraham was someone whom God loved very much. God made a special agreement with him, called a covenant, that Abraham would be the father of many, many people, and God would be their God forever. This made him very important to the Jews, Jesus' people: Abraham was their father, so God was their God.

Jesus said to the Jews: "before Abraham ever was, I Am."

This can be hard to understand. I wonder what it means?

"I Am." What does "I am" mean? (They might say "I am N.)

"I am" can tell us about someone. It can tell us who they are. It also tells us that that is what they are now. Not "I was" or "I will be" - but "I am", now, in this moment.

Jesus said, "before Abraham ever was, I am". That's a strange thing to say. What could He be trying to tell us?

"I am" means now. Before Abraham ever lived, Jesus "is". (It's complex both grammatically and theologically - again, it doesn't matter if they don't understand; we just want them to be thinking about these ideas. Jesus is talking about being an eternal Present, Now, without beginning or end, thus equating himself with God.)

Jesus is, always. Let's think about this for a few moments.


Thank you, Jesus, for telling us who You are.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

5th Week of Lent, Wednesday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus."

(Antiphon of the Gospel Acclamation)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

In Lent (the time of preparation for Easter), when we greet the Gospel we use some special words. There are a few different ways we say it, but they are all praising Jesus. Today we have, "Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus."

Do you know what it means to praise? 

When we praise someone, we say good things about them. Can you think of an example of praising someone? (eg. You were very helpful with looking after your sister today; You worked really hard on that picture; you are beautiful; whatever you think of.)

Usually we praise someone because we are impressed by something they did, or because we love them. Why might we praise Jesus? (Yes, you've pretty much just given them the answer, but they need to make the connection themselves - it's certainly less obvious to children than I expected!)

What sorts of things could we say in praise of Jesus? (He is wonderful; He loves us; He is beautiful; He looks after us etc.)

(If you have a Bible handy, open it to the book of Psalms.) The Psalms are songs that a special King in the Bible wrote - King David. Many of them are songs of praise. Some of the things King David says in praise of God are:

• Psalm 8: "O Lord, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth! You have set your majesty above the heavens...."
• Psalm 9: "I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds. I will delight and rejoice in you; I will sing hymns to your name, Most High.
• Psalm 34

(If the children seem interested, you can find more. Focus on the parts that a purely praise - ignore the parts about enemies and sin etc if children are under six or seven - this will have no meaning yet for them and may distract them from what is beneficial to them.)

Lord, it is so wonderful to have this time with You. Thank you for calling me by name to come to You.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

5th Week of Lent, Tuesday.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"I am the light of the world, says the Lord,
anyone who follows me will have the light of life."

(Gospel Acclamation)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

The Lord, Jesus, says He is "the light of the world". I wonder what He means by this.

What happens if there is no light? (There is darkness.)

What happens when it is dark? (eg. can't see where we're going; feel afraid; maybe fall over something.)

What do we need to stop these things from happening? (Light.)

Where do we get light from? (eg. lights/electricity/torch/candle.)

Do you think Jesus means He is a light like this? Something shining bright to help us see with our eyes?

Maybe. How else do we "see"? (They might think of needing to know what to do, in a given moment or longer term. They might also have no clue. The idea is not to tell them but to let them slowly unveil the metaphor for themselves.)

"I am the light of the world." What kind of light might the world need? (Perhaps love. Again, it's about exploring, not a "right answer". They might think of things us adults would never come up with!)

Thank you, Lord, for being the light of the world. I want to follow you so that I may have the light of life.


(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

5th Week of Lent, Monday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want. 
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.
In the Lord's own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever."

(From the Psalm)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with a pause to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

The Lord is my shepherd. Jesus called Himself "the Good Shepherd". 

What do I think of when I think of a shepherd? (An image of the Good Shepherd might be helpful.) (Possible answers: someone who looks after sheep; someone with a tall stick; the shepherds that visited Baby Jesus.)

If Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, what might He be trying to tell us about Himself? (That He has sheep and He looks after the sheep.)

Who do you think the sheep of the Good Shepherd might be? (This can take the children quite a long time to figure out - after a year of exposure to the idea and at 6.5 and 5, my two boys still haven't figured it out. Others might click straight away.)

What does the Lord the Shepherd do in the psalm? (Read it again.) (He guides me along the right path; He is true to His name; He gives me comfort.)

How does it make me feel to know He is doing these things?

What might I want to say to God in response to this knowledge of what He does?





Thank you, Lord, for guiding me, for being true to Your name, for looking after Your sheep. Thank you for being such a good Shepherd.



(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

5th Sunday of Lent, Year C

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"The people I have formed for myself will sing my praises."

(From the First Reading)

What does it mean to sing someone's praises?
It means to tell of all the wonderful things that they are or do.

Why might God's people want to sing His praises?
Yes, because He is so wonderful and does so many wonderful things.

What are some of the wonderful things about God? (Possible answers: He is love; He is big; He is beautiful)
What are some of the wonderful things that God does for us? (Possible answers: He protects us; He gives us people who love us; He calls us by name; He gives us life)

How can we praise God for all of these wonderful things? (Tell Him about them; thank Him for them)

Let's spend a few moments telling God about all the reasons we think He is wonderful and thank Him for them.


(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

4th Week of Lent, Saturday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"They said of Jesus: 'There has never been anyone who has spoken like him.'"

(From the Gospel)

Many of the people of Jesus' time recognised something special in Him. What could it have been?

What might He have said to them that was so different to anyone else they'd ever heard? 
Do you think it was the words He used? The message in those words?
The way He spoke those words?

What sorts of things did Jesus say?

"I am the light of the world."

"I am the Good Shepherd."

What else?

Can you imagine Jesus speaking? 

How do you think He looked when He was talking to the people? 

If you were there, what might He say to you?

Let's listen quietly in our hearts for a few moments and see if we can hear Jesus speak now.

Thank you,  Jesus, for coming to us to speak to us, in Your Word and in our hearts.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

4th Week of Lent, Friday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"Man does not live on bread alone, 
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

(Gospel Acclamation)

"every word that comes from the mouth of God" - what could this mean?

What sort of things does God tell us?

(All think about this together - no right answers, just thinking about the sorts of things God wants us to know.)

How does God talk to us? (Prophets, parables/stories/through other people/at Mass/in prayer etc.)

Let's be quiet for a few moments and let God talk to us, and talk to Him. We could tell Him we love Him, or about something interesting that happened today, or about something we're looking forward to. Or about many other things. Anything we talk to other people about we can talk to God about.

(Pause for a few moments.)

There are also things we can only talk to God about, like saying thank you that He loves us so much, or other things that you want to talk to only God about. Let's talk to Him about some of these things for a few moments.

(Pause for a few moments.)

Thank you, God, for this special time with You. Help me learn to talk to You and hear Your words.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi (who started Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) observed that 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

4th Week of Lent, Thursday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"I will place my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts;
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people,
says the Lord."

(Communion Antiphon)

Our God is not one who is far away, expecting us to figure things out on our own and leaving us to it.

No, our God is so very close to us. He says, "I will be their God, and they shall be my people." He will be our God, my God, and we will be His people, His loved ones.

Lord, You made us to be Your people. You made us to love You, and to be loved by You. 

You wrote on our hearts how we are to love You, and that we are loved by You.

If we listen to You in our hearts, we know where You are leading us, calling us by name, because You know us so well!

It seems so amazing to be loved by You in this way!

Knowing of Your love fills me with love, and makes me want so much to love You with all of my heart, all of my mind, all of my strength, and all of my soul. 

Your love fills me with love and joy and peace.

Thank you for Your everlasting love!


(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

4th Week of Lent, Wednesday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son

everyone who believes in him has eternal life."

(Gospel Acclamation)

God loved the world so much that He gave us His only Son.

A son is so precious to his father. How precious Jesus, God's Son, must be to God the Father.

But God loved us so much that He didn't want to keep such a precious Person all to Himself. He wanted to share Him with us.

God the Father sent God the Son to us. He sent Him as a tiny Baby, born of Mary. Can you imagine God, who is SO big, coming to us as a tiny little baby? Do you know any babies? Maybe you have a baby brother or sister? Jesus started His life on earth just like any other little baby.

When Jesus grew up, He started telling people of the love of His Father - such a huge love, a love that never ends, a love for every one of us. (6/7+ perhaps add: Even when we do things that aren't so good, He loves us and is waiting for us to come and tell Him we are sorry, and we love Him, and will try not to do it again.)

Thank you, God, for sending us Your Son. Thank you, Jesus, for coming to us and telling us of the wonderful love of Your Father. Thank you for loving me so very much.

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

4th Week of Lent, Tuesday

"The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures 

where he gives me repose,

near restful waters he leads me."

(Communion Antiphon)

What is a shepherd? 
What does a shepherd look after?

That's right, a shepherd looks after sheep.

In Jesus' time, sheep were looked after very carefully. If one was lost, the shepherd would go and look for it until he found it.

Jesus looks after His sheep the same way. He knows each one by name, and calls each one to follow Him.

If a sheep gets lost or can't find Him, He comes looking for it to bring it back home. He does this because He loves each one of His sheep so much. He does not want any sheep to be apart from Him.

Who might Jesus' sheep be? (Don't give them the answer - they don't have to figure it out straight away, or even today. Just let them think about it. It means much more when they figure it out for themselves.)

Lord, thank you for looking so carefully after each of Your sheep.

Thank you for being such a good Shepherd.

(If they've figured out that they're the sheep: It is wonderful to be a sheep of such a loving Good Shepherd; thank you for loving your sheep so much.)


(Read out the quote again and/or ask them to read it themselves, if they can. Encourage them to say something to Jesus in response to it.)