The Ascension of the Lord, Year C

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

"Then he took them as far as the outskirts of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven. They worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy; and they were continually in the Temple praising God."

(From the Gospel)

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

For six weeks we have been celebrating the great feast of Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead.

After those six weeks were up, Jesus left His friends on earth and went up to Heaven to be with His Father. This is what we hear in the Gospel today. The Gospel is the reading that Father always reads, which contains the words of Jesus.

Let's read the words again.

"Then he took them as far as the outskirts of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven. They worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy; and they were continually in the Temple praising God."

Jesus "withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven." Can you imagine what this must have been like to see?

How do you think the disciples were feeling?

As He was leaving, Jesus blessed them. Even as He was going away He was still looking after them. And we know that He continues to look after us now. He is in Heaven, always watching over us and looking after us. He is in the Eucharist, waiting for us to come to Him. And He sent us the Holy Spirit to help us even more.

Thank you, Jesus, for not leaving us alone. Thank you that You are always looking after us and have given us the Holy Spirit to help us even more.

(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." 

l