Children's Liturgy Guide

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A · Ordinary Time

Jesus Calls Matthew

Reading: Matthew 9:9-13

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

Jesus saw a man named Matthew who collected taxes, and Jesus asked him to follow. Matthew got up right away and followed Jesus. Then Jesus ate dinner with Matthew and his friends, showing that he came to help people who need him most.

Key Points

  • Jesus calls everyone, including people others might leave out
  • Matthew responded immediately when Jesus called him
  • Jesus wants to be with people who need his help
  • God desires mercy and love more than anything else
  • We can follow Jesus by being kind to everyone

Background

In this Gospel, Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to be his disciple. Tax collectors were despised in Jewish society because they worked for Rome and often cheated people. By calling Matthew and then eating with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus scandalizes the Pharisees. Jesus responds with a proverb about physicians and the sick, then quotes Hosea 6:6 about God desiring mercy over sacrifice. The theological weight here is that Jesus came precisely for those on the margins, not the self-righteous. For children, emphasize that Jesus saw Matthew and wanted to be his friend even though others did not like him, and that Jesus invites each of us to follow him. Set aside the political complexities of Roman taxation and the deeper debates about ritual purity.

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 Jesus, thank you for calling each one of us to follow you. Help us to listen when you invite us to be your friend, and give us brave hearts to say yes to you today. 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 asked someone to play with you or be on your team, even when other people did not want to include them?

Example: One time at recess there was a new kid and nobody was playing with him, so I went over and asked if he wanted to play soccer with us, and he was really happy.

Bridge to the reading: That was so kind of you to include someone who felt left out. In today's reading, we will hear about Jesus doing something just like that. He saw a man that nobody else wanted to be friends with, and Jesus invited him to follow him.

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. What was the name of the man Jesus saw, and what was his job?

    Example: His name was Matthew, and he worked collecting taxes from people, which means he took money from them for the rulers.

  2. What did Jesus say to Matthew?

    Example: Jesus said follow me, which means he was asking Matthew to come with him and be one of his special friends and helpers.

  3. What did Matthew do when Jesus called him?

    Example: Matthew got up right away and followed Jesus. He left his job and his table and went with Jesus without waiting.

  4. Why do you think some people were upset that Jesus ate dinner with Matthew and his friends?

    Example: Some people thought Matthew and his friends were bad people, and they did not understand why Jesus would want to eat with them.

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 Matthew felt when Jesus chose him to be his friend?

    Example: I think Matthew felt really surprised and happy because maybe nobody else wanted to be nice to him, and now Jesus wanted him.

  2. What could you do if you see someone at school who looks lonely or left out?

    Example: I could go over and talk to them and ask if they want to play with me and my friends at recess or sit with us at lunch.

  3. This week, who is someone in your family you could show extra kindness to, even if it is hard?

    Example: Maybe I could be nicer to my little brother when he wants to play with me, even when I want to do something else by myself.

Recap

Today we heard how Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his work and called him to follow. Matthew got up right away and became one of Jesus' friends. Jesus showed us that he wants to be friends with everyone, especially people who feel left out. We can follow Jesus by including others and being kind to people who need a friend.

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 children who feel left out or lonely, that someone will reach out to be their friend, we pray to the Lord.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord Jesus, thank you for calling each of us to follow you. Help us to be like Matthew and say yes to you every day. Give us eyes to see the people around us who need a friend, and help us to welcome them with 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

Jesus Calls Matthew

Matthew 9:9-13

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.

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

Words to find

  • Matthew
  • Jesus
  • follow
  • friend
  • dinner
  • mercy
  • called
  • kindness
  • welcome
  • love
  • helper
  • invite

ChildrensLiturgy.org