Children's Liturgy Guide

Pentecost Sunday

Year A · Easter

The Holy Spirit Comes

Reading: Acts 2:1-11

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

On Pentecost, the friends of Jesus were all together in one room when suddenly a big wind filled the house and little flames appeared over each person's head. The Holy Spirit came to them, and they could speak in different languages so everyone could hear about God's love.

Key Points

  • The Holy Spirit came to the disciples with signs of wind and fire
  • The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the power to speak in languages they had never learned
  • People from many different countries could all understand the Good News about Jesus
  • Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, when the disciples were sent out to share God's love with everyone
  • The same Holy Spirit lives in us through our Baptism and helps us share God's love too

Background

Acts 2:1-11 describes the dramatic arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, fifty days after Easter. The disciples experience theophanic signs: a mighty wind (ruach in Hebrew connects breath, wind, and spirit) and tongues of fire resting on each person. The miracle of tongues reverses the confusion of Babel: where sin divided humanity by language, the Spirit unites all peoples in understanding the Gospel. This marks the birth of the Church's universal mission. For children, emphasize the concrete images of wind and fire as signs that the Holy Spirit is powerful and real, and focus on the simple message that the Spirit helped Jesus' friends tell everyone about God's love. Set aside the theological complexity of glossolalia versus xenoglossia, and do not dwell on the list of nations, which will be meaningless to six-year-olds.

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. Thank you, God, for sending us your Holy Spirit to be with us and help us. Please open our hearts today so we can learn how the Spirit helps us share your love with everyone we meet. 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 felt a really strong wind outside? What did it feel like and what did it do?

Example: Yes, one time the wind was so strong it blew my hat right off my head and I had to chase it down the street!

Bridge to the reading: Wind is so powerful that we can really feel it even though we cannot see it. In today's reading, we will hear about a very special wind that filled a whole room, and it was a sign that the Holy Spirit was coming to Jesus' friends.

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 were Jesus' friends when the Holy Spirit came to them?

    Example: They were all together in one place, like a room or a house, waiting together as a group.

  2. What two things happened that showed the Holy Spirit was coming?

    Example: There was a sound like a big strong wind, and then little flames like fire appeared over everyone's heads.

  3. What surprising thing could the disciples do after the Holy Spirit came?

    Example: They could speak in different languages that they never learned before, and everyone could understand them talking.

  4. Why do you think God wanted people from all different countries to understand the disciples?

    Example: I think God wanted everyone in the whole world to hear about Jesus and know that God loves them too.

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 disciples felt when the wind came and they saw the little flames of fire?

    Example: I think they might have felt a little scared at first but then really excited and happy because God was with them.

  2. The Holy Spirit helped the disciples tell others about Jesus. Who is someone you could tell about how much Jesus loves them?

    Example: I could tell my friend at school who seems sad sometimes that Jesus loves her and wants her to be happy.

  3. This week, what is one way you could be brave like the disciples and share something kind about God?

    Example: I could tell my little brother a story about Jesus before bedtime, or I could pray with my family at dinner.

Recap

Today we heard about the day the Holy Spirit came to Jesus' friends with the sound of a big wind and little flames of fire over their heads. The Spirit gave them the power to speak in new languages so people from everywhere could hear about God's love. The Holy Spirit lives in us too and helps us share God's love with everyone we meet.

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 the children around the world who have not yet heard about how much Jesus loves them, that they may come to know God's love, 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.

At the end of Mass, the priest or deacon says 'Go forth' or 'Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,' sending us out just as the Holy Spirit sent the disciples out from that room to tell everyone about Jesus.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Loving God, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to be with us always. Help us to be brave like the disciples and share your love with everyone we meet this week. Fill our hearts with your Spirit so we can be kind and helpful. 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 Holy Spirit Comes

Acts 2:1-11

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.

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

Words to find

  • Pentecost
  • Spirit
  • wind
  • fire
  • tongues
  • disciples
  • languages
  • power
  • Church
  • love
  • Jesus
  • prayer

ChildrensLiturgy.org