Children's Liturgy Guide

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A · Ordinary Time

The Hidden Treasure

Reading: Matthew 13:44-52

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 tells a story about a man who finds a treasure hidden in a field. The man is so happy that he sells everything he has to buy that field. Jesus wants us to know that being close to God is the best treasure of all.

Key Points

  • Jesus uses parables to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven
  • The man was filled with joy when he found the treasure
  • Being friends with God is worth more than anything else we could have
  • We can choose to put God first in our lives

Background

This Gospel contains three short parables about the Kingdom of Heaven: the treasure in the field, the pearl of great price, and the net full of fish. The theological heart is that the Kingdom is so valuable that a wise person will gladly give up everything else to possess it. The joy of the finder is key: this is not a sad sacrifice but a joyful exchange. The net parable introduces final judgment imagery, which is beyond this age group's focus. For children, emphasize the joy of finding something wonderful and how God is the best treasure we could ever have. Set aside the eschatological sorting of good and bad fish, and do not dwell on selling possessions literally. Help children see that choosing God first is something they can do in small ways every day.

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 loving us so much. Help us to see how special You are, like the best treasure we could ever find. Open our hearts to hear Your words 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 found something really special, like a pretty rock, a lost toy, or something you were looking for? How did it feel to find it?

Example: One time I found my favorite stuffed animal under my bed and I was so happy because I thought it was lost forever and I hugged it really tight.

Bridge to the reading: That happy feeling when you find something special is just like what happens in today's reading. Jesus tells us about a man who finds a treasure hidden in a field, and he is so full of joy that he does something amazing.

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 did the man find hidden in the field?

    Example: He found a treasure that was buried in the field and he was really excited when he saw it.

  2. What did the man do after he found the treasure?

    Example: He went and sold everything he had so he could buy the whole field with the treasure in it.

  3. How do you think the man felt when he found the treasure?

    Example: I think he felt really really happy and excited, like it was the best day ever for him.

  4. Why do you think Jesus told this story about treasure?

    Example: I think Jesus wants us to know that God is like a treasure because being close to God is the best thing ever.

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 does it feel to know that God loves you more than any treasure?

    Example: It makes me feel really special and happy inside, like I have the best present that nobody can take away.

  2. If a friend at school did not know that God loves them, how could you help them feel like they found a treasure too?

    Example: I could be really nice to them and tell them that God loves them and maybe invite them to come to church with me.

  3. This week at home, what is one thing you could do to show that God is your special treasure?

    Example: I could share my toys with my sister even when I do not want to because that shows I love God more than my stuff.

Recap

Today we heard Jesus tell a story about a man who found a treasure hidden in a field. He was so happy that he sold everything to have it. Jesus wants us to know that God is like that treasure. Being close to God and loving Him is the best thing we could ever have.

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 at school who feel left out, that they may discover how much God treasures them, we pray to the Lord.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank You, Lord, for teaching us today that You are our greatest treasure. Help us to love You with all our hearts and to share Your love with everyone we meet. 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 Hidden Treasure

Matthew 13:44-52

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.

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

Words to find

  • treasure
  • field
  • joy
  • kingdom
  • heaven
  • pearl
  • Jesus
  • happy
  • love
  • heart
  • find
  • gift

ChildrensLiturgy.org