Children's Liturgy Guide

Christmas Dawn

Year A · Christmas

The Shepherds Visit Baby Jesus

Reading: Luke 2:15-20

Leader Prep

Don't worry about doing this perfectly. If the children hear one good idea about God, Jesus, prayer, kindness, forgiveness, or the Gospel, this time has been worthwhile.

Summary

After the angels left, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus. They found Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger, just as the angel had told them. The shepherds were so happy that they told everyone what had happened and praised God.

Key Points

  • The shepherds believed the angel's message and went right away to find Jesus
  • They found everything exactly as the angel had said
  • The shepherds shared the good news about Jesus with everyone they met
  • Mary kept all these things in her heart, thinking about them carefully
  • We can share the good news about Jesus being born, just like the shepherds did

Background

This passage follows the angelic announcement to the shepherds. The shepherds respond with immediate faith, going 'with haste' to verify what has been revealed. Their encounter with the Holy Family confirms the angel's words, leading them to become the first evangelizers of Christ's birth. Mary's contemplative response, 'treasuring' and 'pondering' these events, models an interior reception of divine mystery. For children, emphasize the shepherds' excitement and willingness to go see Jesus, and how they shared the good news with others. Set aside deeper theological concepts like Mary's contemplative prayer or the shepherds' role in salvation history.

Session Flow

Opening Prayer

Invite the children to pray with you, then read the opening prayer below. If many don't know the sign of the cross, teach the whole group.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Dear God, thank you for sending baby Jesus to us on Christmas. Help us to be excited to visit Jesus and share the good news of his birth with everyone we meet, just like the shepherds did. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Warm-up

Ask the warm-up question before the reading. There are no wrong answers; this is just to help the children connect today's reading to their own lives.

Have you ever been so excited about something that you ran to see it or told everyone about it?

Example: One time my grandma said she had a surprise for me and I ran so fast to see it because I could not wait to find out what it was.

Bridge to the reading: The shepherds in today's reading felt that same kind of excitement. When the angels told them about baby Jesus, they hurried as fast as they could to Bethlehem to see him for themselves.

Read the Scripture

Read the day's selected passage aloud. The full Scripture text is not included here. Use a Children's Lectionary if your parish has one available. A children's Bible may also be helpful for younger children. Otherwise, read from a standard lectionary, Bible, or USCCB.org. Read slowly, with short pauses.

Reading Questions

Ask the questions conversationally. You do not need to use every question if time is short. The example answers are for leader preparation, not scripts or required answers.

  1. Where did the shepherds decide to go after the angels left?

    Example: The shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem so they could see the baby that the angel told them about.

  2. What did the shepherds find when they got there?

    Example: They found Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus lying in a manger, just like the angel said they would.

  3. What did the shepherds do after they saw baby Jesus?

    Example: The shepherds told everyone they met about baby Jesus and they praised God and said how wonderful everything was.

  4. Why do you think Mary kept thinking about everything that happened?

    Example: I think Mary wanted to remember every special thing because her baby was so special and the shepherds said amazing things about him.

Application Questions

Use these questions to help the children connect the reading to their own lives this week. Simple, concrete answers are best.

  1. How do you think the shepherds felt when they saw baby Jesus in the manger?

    Example: I think they felt really happy and excited because they found exactly what the angel promised and the baby was really there.

  2. Who is someone at school or in your neighborhood you could tell the good news that Jesus is born?

    Example: I could tell my friend at school about Jesus being born because she might not know and she would like to hear about it.

  3. This week at home, how can you show you are happy that Jesus was born?

    Example: I can help my mom and dad and be extra kind to my brother and sister because I am happy Jesus came to be with us.

Recap

Today we heard how the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus. They found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in a manger, just as the angel had promised. The shepherds were so happy they told everyone they met about Jesus and praised God. We can be like the shepherds and share the good news that Jesus is born.

Prayer of the Faithful

Before returning to the assembly, invite the children to share their own prayer intentions. Their prayers may be serious, simple, funny, or very specific. After each child's prayer, the group may respond: "Lord, hear our prayer." Lastly, include the suggested prayer below.

For all children around the world celebrating Christmas, that they may feel the joy of knowing Jesus loves them, we pray to the Lord.

Mass Connection

If time allows, point out this connection just before returning to Mass. This helps children see that Children's Liturgy is still part of the Mass.

When we sing the Gloria at Mass, we echo the angels' song the shepherds heard: 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will.' The shepherds heard this song on that first Christmas night.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you, Lord, for sending the shepherds to visit baby Jesus and for giving them joy to share this good news. Help us to hurry to you in prayer and to tell others about your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

ChildrensLiturgy.org

The Shepherds Visit Baby Jesus

Luke 2:15-20

Word Search

Optional activity: use the word search after the discussion if you have time, or send it home with the children. The words relate to today's Children's Liturgy Scripture passage.

K X B B K Y L Q E L G F P Z A
A J K I V A R S K I H M N K N
B A B Y W O U O M A N G E R R
X X Y R A M M H L R V N L A W
R Q C N H U W P G G S Q E M F
S C L H J I M F G X W C D B U
U G M B B E S D R E H P E H S
S A V E S I S Z D J P C G H N
E O S I H M Q I L Y C F K L X
J S W E N E K S A Z O Q T T R
W Y I F N B L G Z R L K J A X
V V K V C N X H Q J P H O D B
H P E S O J O W T Y V R O D U
L I W O X X W O M E O S J N H
Z O A N G E L S M G B J U V X

Words to find

  • shepherds
  • Bethlehem
  • manger
  • Mary
  • Joseph
  • Jesus
  • angels
  • glory
  • praise
  • joy
  • baby
  • news

ChildrensLiturgy.org