Children's Liturgy Guide

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A · Ordinary Time

Talk to God About Everything

Reading: Philippians 4:6-9

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

Saint Paul tells us that when we feel worried, we can talk to God about anything. When we pray and thank God, He gives us a special peace in our hearts that helps us feel calm and loved.

Key Points

  • We can bring all our worries to God in prayer
  • Thanking God is part of talking to Him
  • God gives us peace when we pray
  • We should think about good, true, and lovely things
  • God's peace guards our hearts and minds

Background

In this passage, Paul writes to the Philippians from prison, yet encourages them not to be anxious. The Greek word for peace here is 'eirene,' signifying wholeness and well-being that comes from God alone. Paul presents a practical spirituality: prayer combined with thanksgiving leads to divine peace that surpasses human understanding. The instruction to dwell on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable reflects the ancient practice of filling the mind with virtue. For children, emphasize that God always listens when we talk to Him, and that telling God our worries and saying thank you helps us feel peaceful inside. Set aside the deeper theology about peace 'guarding hearts and minds in Christ Jesus' and the philosophical background of the virtue list.

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 always listening when we talk to You. Help us to remember to tell You about our worries and to say thank You for all the good things You give us. 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 worried about something, like a big storm or starting something new? Who did you talk to about it?

Example: One time I was really scared about going to the doctor for a shot, so I told my mom and she held my hand and that made me feel a lot better.

Bridge to the reading: It feels so good to tell someone we trust when we are worried, does it not? In today's reading, Saint Paul tells us that God wants us to talk to Him about everything that worries us, and He will give us peace in our hearts.

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 does Saint Paul tell us to do when we feel worried?

    Example: He says we should pray and tell God about everything that is making us worried instead of keeping it inside.

  2. What else does Saint Paul say we should do along with asking God for help?

    Example: He says we should also say thank you to God when we pray, not just ask for things we need.

  3. What does God give us when we pray and thank Him?

    Example: God gives us peace, which is like a calm and happy feeling in our hearts that helps us not feel so scared.

  4. What kinds of things does Saint Paul say we should think about?

    Example: He says we should think about things that are true and good and lovely and nice, like good things that make us happy.

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 inside when you are worried about something and you have no one to talk to?

    Example: It feels really bad and scary, like my tummy hurts and I cannot stop thinking about the bad thing over and over again.

  2. What could you do the next time you feel scared or worried about something?

    Example: I could close my eyes and talk to God in my head and tell Him what is making me worried and ask Him to help me feel better.

  3. This week, what is one thing you could thank God for when you say your prayers?

    Example: I could thank God for my family and my dog and for letting me play with my friends at school today.

Recap

Today we heard Saint Paul tell us that we never have to keep our worries inside. We can always talk to God about anything that makes us scared or sad. When we pray and say thank you to God, He gives us a special peace in our hearts that helps us feel calm and loved.

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 worried or scared today, that they may know God is always listening to 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.

Before we receive Holy Communion, the priest says 'The peace of the Lord be with you always,' and we share the Sign of Peace. This is the same peace Saint Paul tells us about, the peace that comes from God when we pray and thank Him.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank You, God, for always being ready to listen to us. Help us to remember to talk to You when we are worried and to thank You for all the good things in our lives. Fill our hearts with Your peace this week. 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

Talk to God About Everything

Philippians 4:6-9

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.

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

Words to find

  • peace
  • prayer
  • thankful
  • God
  • worry
  • heart
  • Paul
  • true
  • lovely
  • good
  • calm
  • trust

ChildrensLiturgy.org