Children’s Liturgy Resources – Second Sunday of Lent (Year C)
Preparation of the worship space
Colour: purple
Song suggestions:
Praise to you, O Christ our Saviour (416, Celebration Hymnal for Everyone)
Come to the feast (866, Celebration Hymnal for Everyone)
Welcome: In today’s gospel we hear about an amazing thing that happened to Jesus that showed the disciples just how important he was. A great change came over him. Let’s think about the changes we can make during Lent.
Opening prayer: God of light, you sent your Son Jesus to show us how to live. May we be filled with the desire to make a change, so that we can all live free from poverty and hunger. Amen.
First Reading (optional): Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Psalm: Psalm 26:1, 7-9, 13-14
Gospel acclamation: everyone stands and sings the acclamation together. For Lent we use an acclamation that doesn’t use the word ‘Alleluia’. We suggest ‘Change your lives and believe in him’ by Christopher Walker (OCP Publications).
Gospel: Luke 9:28-36
Gospel reflection: What do you remember from today’s reading?
Jesus goes up a mountain with Peter, James and John to pray. While he is there a great change comes over him. His face was changed and his clothes became sparkling white. How do you think the disciples felt when they saw this?
Then a voice came from the clouds saying, “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.” Whose voice do you think this is? How do you think the disciples felt after hearing God speak directly to them?
How would you feel if you had been on the mountain with Jesus when all this happened?
Jesus is changed. And everything changes for the disciples too. After all they now know that Jesus really is the Son of God.
Lent is a time when we try to make a change to our lives too. We try to live the way God wants us to.
Do you remember Makuu, who we heard about last week?
Makuu lives with his family in Kitui, Kenya. He loves football. In his spare time, Makuu kicks around a ball made of plastic bags and string with his friends.
People in Kitui have forgotten how to grow vegetables, because they haven’t had the chance to grow any for a very long time. So CAFOD’s partner has supplied water tanks, seeds and training for schools in the area. Now Makuu helps to run a school vegetable garden, which provides food for children in the school.
Learning these skills for the future is important to Makuu. He is looking forward to when the crops he is growing are ready to eat. “Sometimes maize flour is all we have for dinner and it is enough; but of course, I’m looking forward to eating the vegetables,” he says.
Something as simple as a vegetable garden has helped Makuu to change his life for the better. It means that in the future, he will be able to grow his own food, instead of having to buy it all from the market.
Makuu says, “The garden will help me and my family because when I finish school, if I don’t have a job, I can raise money and help myself by selling vegetables.”
What difference do you think the vegetable garden has made to Makuu and the other children in his school? How do you think Makuu is changing his life? How do you think Makuu feels about learning to grow vegetables?
This Lent we are asked to be Hungry for change, so that everyone has their fair share of food. How do you think we can do this?
We can raise money to help people who need food now. But we also have to try to change the way that food is produced and shared out, so that all people can have enough in the future.
We can ask the Prime Minister David Cameron to use his power to do all that he can to make sure all people have their fair share of food. And we can change the food that we buy, so that it is local or fairly traded, or waste less food, to show we want a fairer food system.
What will you do this Lent to change your life and live the way God wants you to? How can we all make a change, so that we can all live our lives free from poverty and hunger?
Intercessions You may want to ask the children to offer their own prayers or
you can use the suggestions below
Let’s pray together:
We pray for the Church throughout the world: that it may be a living example of God’s love for all, and work for change so that the world is a fairer place for all. Lord, in your mercy…
We pray for all people who struggle to get enough to eat: that they may find the strength and help that they need to change their lives for the better. Lord, in your mercy…
We pray for our parish, family and friends: that we may be inspired to change our lives for the better and to help others to change their lives too. Lord, in your mercy…
Closing prayer: God our Father, help us to see your Son in all people and to treat them as we would wish to be treated ourselves. Inspire us to make a change so that the world is a fairer place for all to live. Amen.
Activity suggestions
Ask the children to colour in the accompanying illustration of Makuu in his vegetable garden and to write or draw on the back, what they will do to make a change to their own lives and the lives of others this Lent.
Ask the children to join CAFOD’s Hungry for change campaign. Download our Children’s campaign action guide for details of how to get involved here. Use the template in the guide or below for the children to send their message about a world where we all have enough to eat to the Prime Minister and share with friends. Why not make a display of the children’s loaves and fishes in the Church?
Download and print the food reflection cards from here to reflect on Scripture and the theme of food with the children. You could print enough for the children to take one home each, so that they can reflect and think some more about the issue at home in the coming week – if you used these last week, focus on a different card this week.
Ask the children to tell their family all that they have heard and thought about today. Ask them to encourage their friends and family to be Hungry for change too and to share Makuu’s photo story on cafod.org.uk/picturemyworld with somebody who hasn’t seen it.
Photocopy and cut out this fish and write your message to the Prime Minister asking for all people in the world to have their fair share of food (send it to CAFOD and we will send it to the Prime Minister):
Photocopy and cut out this loaf and give it to a friend. Tell them about Hungry for Change and ask them to write a message to the Prime Minister on the reverse.