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."