Easter 2008

Easter 2007
 
   

Children's Liturgy, Sunday, March 23rd 2008

EASTER DAY.

We have joined the Old Testament to the New Testament. We have imagined the Creation of the world as it is written in the book of Genesis and we rejoice in the New Creation which Jesus brings. His love brings New Life.
On Good Friday, he died so that God could show us how much he loved us. Now he is risen.
Hurrah for Jesus!

Jesus, dear Lord,
when you suffered
and died,
your Apostles and
friends were upset and
cried.

And then such a joy
when you rose from
the tomb
and appeared to them
saying, "Why all of this
gloom?"

"It's me, my dear
friends, my peace I do
give, and power on
earth all sins to
forgive."

"Go tell all the world
I've risen again,
And my love for you
will always remain."

So thank you, dear
Jesus, for rising to be
a friend to us all
and especially to me!
Amen.
Today, Saint John's Gospel (Chapter 20:1-9) tells us what happened on Easter morning. Jesus had been crucified two days before and had died on the cross. In the evening of the following day, John had helped Mary, Jesus' Mother, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus to wash Jesus' body and wrap it in winding cloths. Now, John went with Peter to visit the tomb once more, but found that there was no longer a body inside. All he saw were the cloths in which Jesus had been wrapped, the cloth which had been round Jesus' head lying separately. The cloths had not been unwound, but were empty. He realised that the resurrection had taken place. John says 'he saw and he believed'. These are the most important words in the Bible.

We carried a cross with a picture of the risen Christ into church and placed it behind the world we had made- next to the lovely model of the garden with the empy tomb, which the people who arrange the flowers had made.
Here is someone checking what is inside!
HAPPY EASTER!
 

Children's Liturgy, Sunday 30th March 2008

The Second Sunday of Easter: Divine Mercy Sunday.
Today, in St. John's Gospel ( chapter 20:19-31), we hear how the disciples thought Jesus was dead, until they saw him again, alive and well. Thomas, however, does not believe that such a surprise could happen. But Jesus reminds us that everything is possible with God.
We have talked about the times in our lives when we have been surprised and how it is hard sometimes to believe things happen, when we don't actually see them with our own eyes.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for so many surprises in our lives. You give us many lovely things that we do not expect, like family who love us and friends who care for us. Help us to see you in all good people, so that we can love you and know you more.
Amen

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Here is the Divine Mercy prayer.
"This image of Jesus was painted by Saint Faustina. She was born in Poland, named Helen Kowalska, but was canonised (made a saint) by Pope John Paul II in 2000. She had a vision of Jesus with rays of light coming from his body. The red light stands for the blood he shed and the white light for the water which came from his side. "
 
And here is Frankie's prayer for the day, too! Remember, besides guiding us around this website, Frankie is a real guide dog, who looked after Paul in our parish for many years.Frankie is now retired from helping Paul, and Foster is guiding him these days, but Frankie still helps us on our site.
 

Children's Liturgy, Sunday April 6th 2008

The THIRD SUNDAY of EASTER.
This week, something new happened at our liturgy. One of the older children, PAIGE, became a reporter, who noted down all the important things that she heard and interviewed the other children about their work. Here is her report:
THAT RINGS A BELL!
If you look at a person and you see them again, you recognise them. If you have never seen a person before, they are a stranger. This was said by Tom.
Meadow Mae said that her grandad reminds her of God. Eve said that her friend ,Alicia, is a kind friend and reminds her of God. Coutney, Anna and Alex made wonderful faces of people they love. Liam and Aaron tried very hard and with a bit of help did very well.
The road to EMMAUS.
In Saint Luke's Gospel (24:13-35), we hear how two of the disciples were walking away from Jerusalem, towards Emmaus, when Jesus joined them on the road. They did not recognise him, although they were moved by his explanations about the teaching of the prophets- so much so that , when he looked as though he was about to leave them, they begged him to stay to eat with them. As he breaks the bread at supper, they recognise him as Jesus and believe in the resurrection.
Here is a verse from a poem called 'Emmaus', by Philip Mansel.
"When hungry after journeying, we fed,
A radiance seemed to glow about his head,
Yet our hearts felt heavy still
While our eyes stayed blind until
We knew him at the breaking of the bread."
We talked about how it could be that they did not know him at first. What are the differences beween seeing and recognising? If we believe in God, do we recognise some things that we would miss otherwise?
We acted out a short play- some children spot people in the distance. They recognise one as Mary, who rings the bell for mass and the angelus bell every day.(You can see her in action if you click on the 'Baffling Bell' story at the side if the website page.)At this point, when we presented our play to the congregation, Mary really did ring a bell, back in church.
"That rings a bell!" someone says.
"Oh yes, Mary rings the bell every day to invite people to pray or to come to church," someone answers.
"If we didn't believe in God or Jesus, we wouldn't be reminded. We would think it was just a noise like any other noise."
"If we believe, we see Mary in a different way. We recognise her through the sound of the bell she rings for Jesus."

The disciples recognise Jesus through the most important thing he did for us- giving himself for us, to show how much God loves us.

Enya said it was like walking into a room where there was a poem you had once read, pinned to the wall. The next time you walked in, you would have feelings about the poem, even if you did not read it again.
We made masks, which became the faces of people we recognise by their kindness to us. We recognise people by what they do, not only how they look.
 

Children's Liturgy, Sunday, April 13th 2008

The FOURTH SUNDAY of EASTER.
GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY.
World Vocations Day.
The fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally Good Shepherd Sunday. We think about Jesus as a shepherd and pray for more people to be called to serve him as priests and in other ways.
 
A modern shepherd is running in the London Marathon today. Isaya, from Tanzania, wants to raise money so his village can have a well. They have no fresh water nearby. He says he runs for two or three days at a time with his cattle, protecting them from lions.His shoes are made from car tyres. We pray for his village.
( Isaya was taken ill during the race, but other members of his village finished the race, so we hope they raised the money for the well.)
We thought about the way Jesus talks about shepherds- how they care for each one of their flock equally, leaving the others safe to seek out any individual one that is lost. Really, he is telling the disciples how he himself is setting an example of how to take care of others and how God cares for each person. People who become priests, or choose a life of caring in a certain way for others, are said to have a vocation- a calling.
Bishops can carry a crozier-something which looks like a shepherd's crook- the shepherd would have used it for hooking round the necks of lambs which had fallen into a hole, for example, and pulling them out.
The shepherd guides the sheep, at night making sure they are safely in a fold, a three-sided pen, to keep them safe from wild animals. The shepherd would have stayed at the open side of the pen, to guard the sheep.Jesus tells the disciples the only way into the pen- Heaven- is through him.

Today our reporters were Angel and Leonard. They asked questions about what it would be like to be a shepherd- of animals and of people.
We thought the best part of being a shepherd was to take care, being generous, loving. That would be amazing.
The most difficult part would be worrying about people or animals, losing them, feeding them.
We asked whether sheep can become shepherds. We decided that human 'sheep' could, once they began to care for others. Father John was once a sheep and is now a shepherd. He is still a sheep as well, being guided by God.

We thought that the best part of being a sheep was to be protected, to have a role model, to know which direction to go by following the shepherd, to never be cold, to have friends, to be cared for.
The most difficult part of being a sheep was if you thought you didn't have a choice, keeping up if you thought you were not as fit as the others, wanting to be noticed and fearing you wouldn't be, getting lost if you fell behind, getting hurt by the other sheep sometimes, being surprised often.

We thought it would be very scary, sad and miserable to be lost, but being found would be:
GREAT!
JOYFUL!
BEING RELIEVED!
HAPPY!
CHEERFUL!
EXCITING!
BEING GRATEFUL!
Aren't we lucky God finds us all the time!

Children's Liturgy, Sunday, April 20th, 2008

The Fifth Sunday of Easter.
In today's Gospel (St.John 14: 1-12), Jesus tells the disciples not to be worried- there was a place for everyone in Heaven- with God.
We drew what we think God looks like and the family around Him, welcomed in His house.
 
Dear Lord,
No-one is a stranger to you. Look with kindness on those who are lonely and are separated from their homeland.
Amen.
Dear Lord,
Help us always to respect other people as part of your family.
Amen

Today's reporter was Angel.
"This Sunday in liturgy we were learning about God's home and how we're all welcome in it. We had a task to draw God. Here are some people's point of view:
Karen: We're doing a picture of God- writing and drawing pictures of people we think are going to heaven. Drawing what God looks like.
Hannah: Well, we're drawing God and Gerard drew his family round it."
 

Children's Liturgy, Sunday 27thApril 2008

The Sixth Sunday of Easter.
In today's Gospel (St. John 14: 15-21), Jesus tells the disciples that the world will not see him for much longer, but he will ask God to send a Helper to them. This is the Holy Spirit. We can share God's life, because the Spirit can come inside us.

The Spirit helps us to hold on to Jesus's words and teaching; helps us ask for the right things; helps us do as Jesus did.

We had a Treasure Hunt to find the Helper. Pictures were hidden round the rooms we used. With each picture, there was a letter, which we had to collect and place on our maps.
 

When we had found all the letters, we had to jiggle them around to make a word- Spirit- which was the Treasure.
We put the treasure in the middle of the island on our maps, because the Spirit is inside us.

We all share the treasure, because we all share the same Spirit. We are all joined to each other and belong to each other.
BEFRIEND ME.
Come, Holy Spirit,
befriend me.
Be with me each day
in everything I do;
Be with me each night
as I lift my heart
to you;
Be with me each morn,
to greet me
like the dew;
Be with me
each time
I'm weak instead of strong.
Befriend me, Lord,
my whole life long.
Amen
 

Children's Liturgy, Sunday May 4th 2008

ASCENSION Sunday.
In The Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11, we learn how Jesus tells his followers that they will soon be baptised with the Holy Spirit. They are then to go throughout the earth, teaching everyone about him. After this, Jesus was taken up to Heaven.

Lord Jesus,
You want the whole world to hear the Good News of Love and Peace that you came to bring.

The image of a dove is often used as a symbol for the Holy Spirit. A symbol stands for something else. When this means a lot to us, we might feel moved by seeing just the symbol.
We made doves out of paper and sticky tape.
 

Children's Liturgy, Sunday May11th 2008

PENTECOST Sunday.
Today is Pentecost Sunday. (Pentecost means fifty and the feast of Pentecost comes fifty days after Easter,) Pentecost brings us to the end of the Easter Season.
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit to come to his friends, so they can believe what Jesus had told them and help others to believe. Suddenly, and for the first time, death is not the end of life.

Today in our liturgy, we have planted a seed; it looks dried up and dead, but if we look after it, it will grow.
Inside the dead-looking seed, there is new life waiting to come out.

Children's Liturgy, Sunday May 18th 2008

HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY

HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY.


Trinity means three. It's easy for God to do three things at once- hard for us. We tried it, rubbing our stomachs, patting our heads and hopping all at once!
Saint Patrick used a shamrock leaf to explain that there are three persons in one God: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
We coloured the parts of the leaf- pink for the Father, who disappears into the background, purple for the Son, who suffered and is a King, and green for the Spirit, the bringer of New Life. These colours were used by painters of religious pictures called icons, when they made images of the Trinity.

Some children made their own leaves, choosing their own colours. Which would you choose for each part of the Trinity?
We thought of all the words we know for God- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit- and the ideas, symbols and feelings we think of most often with each way of saying 'God'. We wrote the words in colours which suited, on the part of the leaf belonging to the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit. It was difficult, because sometimes words fit all three.

We thought about the way God loves us like a mother as well as a father, even though we call God a father. God loves us even more than all our mothers and fathers ever could!

Here is our list of words- where would you place each one?
(Some of the words, such as El Shaddai, are names for God we can find in the Old Testament.)
Saviour, Counsellor, healing, rising, Spirit of God, the Good Shepherd, Joshua, suffering, crucifxion, resurrection, the Cross, perfect, the Good News, ascension, Lord, King, the New Testament, eucharist, Light of the World, the anointed one, Theos, miracles,El Shaddai, Messiah, Wisdom, Almighty, fire, wind, Abba, Prince of Peace. oil, Paraclete, mercy, Christ, Jehovah, human flesh, tomb, Love, helper, El Elyon, Elohim, teaching, Old Testament, Yaweh, the Word, Comforter, forgiveness, Jesus, compassion, Pentecost, Advocate, inspiration, kindness, Creator.
 

Children's Liturgy, Sunday, May 25th 2008.

CORPUS CHRISTI.

Corpus Christi means 'The Body of Christ'. We heard today that Jesus tells us he is living bread and that anyone who eats this bread will live forever.

We thought about things that make our bodies strong- such as food, water, exercise and sleep.

There are things that make us feel strong inside- such as hugs, kisses, kind words and playing with our friends.

Children's Liturgy, Sunday June 1st 2008

Sunday June 1st 2008

Today in our liturgy, we have talked about how, if we build our lives the way Jesus teaches us, then ,together, we will be strong.

Jesus told his followers that those who heard his words and acted on them were like a wise man who builds his house on rock. (Matthew 7: 21-27) Even if the wind and rain comes, the house will not fall down.

We have built a wall collage- the bricks show ways in which we want to be like Jesus- so we are sure the wall will be strong.

Lord, we thank you for the strengths you give us, that help us in our daily lives to be strong in our faith and help us build a strong church community.
Amen
 

Children's Liturgy, Sunday June 8th 2008

Sunday June 8th 2008

In today's Gospel, Matthew 9: 9-13, Jesus chooses Matthew to follow him. The Pharisees are shocked, because Matthew is a tax collector. They are even more shocked when Jesus goes to eat with Mattew at his home, where they sit with other people whom the Pharisees think are great sinners.

Jesus replies that he has not come to call people who think they have done no wrong, but to call sinners. He points out that you do not want a doctor if you feel that you are well.

We acted out a play about this way of looking at things.

We thought about the things we can do to feel close to God and put them on to a 'Nearer to God' Temperature chart.
 
GOD stays near to US -ALL the time. Thank you, Loving God.
Today, our reporters were Anna and Alex. They interviewed the other children about our work:
'Today in our liturgy we drew some charts of when we feel close to God. Eve says that she loves this activity and she would like to do it again. Fandra says that it's fun. Alfie enjoyed watching the play. Grace's favourite part was when the adults did the play.' (The leaders acted out the play the first time around.)

Children's Liturgy, Sunday June 15th 2008

FATHER'S DAY.

Today we heard how the best things in life are free.

Our Faith is the greatest gift we are given.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your gifts of nature:
thank you for your gifts of insects, birds and animals;
thank you for our family and friends, especially our Dads today on Father's Day.

Thank you for giving us so many things to love.
Amen.

We made cards for our Dads- we also made a huge card for Father John.

Children's Liturgy, Sunday, June 22nd 2008

Children's Liturgy, Sunday, June22nd 2008
Today, in the Gospel of Saint Matthew(10: 26-33), Jesus tells us not to be afraid. We are worth more than a hundred sparrows and not one sparrow falls to the ground without God's knowing about it.

We have made a booklet that has all our fears inside. We know Jesus is with us when we feel afraid.

Jesus, you tell us that God cares for each tiny sparrow, and that we are worth more than a hundred sparrows.
Today we want to trust you, by sharing with you the things we are afraid of.
Amen.

Children's Liturgy, Sunday, 29th June 2008

The Feast day of SAINT PETER and SAINT PAUL
The Feast day of SAINT PETER and SAINT PAUL.

Today is the feast day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
Peter did not start off with the name Peter- he was Simon Barjona, a fisherman, until Jesus asked him to become a disciple. In Saint Matthew's gospel (16: 13-19), we heard how Simon was the first person to realise that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. (A messiah is someone sent to save the people.) Because of this, Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter, which means 'Rock', saying that he would build his church upon that rock. Rock is hard, strong and firm- can only be moved with difficulty.
Because it is Saint Peter's day, we decided to make rock pets.
We talked of how, even though he was a very strong supporter of Jesus, Peter let Jesus down at times. After Jesus was arrested, Peter was challenged by someone who had seen him with Jesus. Peter replied that he did not know Jesus and had never been with him. Yet he was forgiven and went on to become the first leader of the Church-the first Pope- after Jesus' death and resurrection. We realised that we often let God down, but we are sorry and we are forgiven.

It is amazing that Peter knew that Jesus was the 'Son of the living God'- in fact, most of us thought that he could only have realised this because God put the idea into his head. It was God who chose Peter, just as God chooses us before ever we think of God.
Because of this, we added ribbons to our pets, on which we wrote 'God chose me'.
We ask God to bless all the people in Zimbabwe who have stood firm when bullies have tried to make them do things they did not want to do. We pray for all people who are being strong in standing up for what they believe in, when it is very difficult.
Back in church, four children performed our rap in honour of Saint Peter.