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."