Children's Liturgy Guide

2nd Sunday of Advent

Year B · Advent

Get Ready for Jesus

Reading: Mark 1:1-8

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

John the Baptist lived in the desert and told everyone to get their hearts ready because Jesus was coming. He baptized people in the river to help them start fresh and prepare for someone even greater than himself.

Key Points

  • John the Baptist had a special job: to help people prepare their hearts for Jesus
  • John lived simply in the desert, wearing camel hair and eating locusts and wild honey
  • People came from everywhere to be baptized and to say sorry for their sins
  • John knew Jesus was much greater than himself and wanted everyone to be ready

Background

This passage marks the beginning of Mark's Gospel, presenting John the Baptist as the prophetic forerunner fulfilling Isaiah's words about preparing the way of the Lord. John's radical lifestyle in the wilderness, his call to repentance, and his practice of baptism all signal the arrival of the messianic age. His humility is striking: he declares himself unworthy even to perform a slave's task of unfastening Jesus' sandals. The baptism of repentance he offers is preparatory, pointing toward Jesus' baptism with the Holy Spirit. For children, emphasize the concrete idea of getting ready and preparing, like cleaning your room before a special guest arrives, rather than the theological distinctions between John's baptism and Christian baptism or the nature of messianic prophecy.

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 John the Baptist to help people get ready for Jesus. Please help us prepare our hearts during this Advent season so we can welcome Jesus with love and joy. 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 had to get ready for someone special to visit your house, like a grandparent or a friend? What did you do to get ready?

Example: When my grandma was coming to visit, we cleaned up all the toys in the living room and my mom made cookies and I helped set the table with the nice plates.

Bridge to the reading: Getting ready for someone special takes work, and it makes us excited for them to arrive. In today's reading, we hear about a man named John who had a very important job: helping everyone get their hearts ready because someone even more special than a grandparent was coming, someone named Jesus.

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 John the Baptist live and what did he wear?

    Example: John lived out in the desert, which is a wild place with not many people, and he wore clothes made from camel hair and had a leather belt.

  2. What did John tell the people to do when they came to see him?

    Example: John told the people to be sorry for the things they did wrong and to get baptized in the river to show they wanted to change and be better.

  3. What did John say about the person who was coming after him?

    Example: John said that someone way more powerful than him was coming, and John said he was not even good enough to bend down and untie that person's sandals.

  4. Why do you think so many people walked all the way to the desert to see John?

    Example: I think the people really wanted to hear what John had to say and they wanted to get their hearts ready and start fresh before the special person came.

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 when you know something exciting is coming and you have to wait for it?

    Example: It feels kind of hard to wait because I get so excited, but it also feels happy because I know something good is going to happen soon.

  2. What is one thing you could do to get your heart ready for Jesus this Advent, maybe being kinder or saying sorry to someone?

    Example: I could try to be nicer to my little brother and not get mad at him so much, and I could share my toys with him more.

  3. This week, how could you help someone in your family get ready for Christmas in a way that shows love?

    Example: I could help my mom decorate the house or help my dad wrap presents, or I could make a card for my grandparents to show them I love them.

Recap

Today we heard about John the Baptist, who lived in the desert and had a very special job. He told everyone to get their hearts ready because Jesus was coming. John helped people say sorry for their mistakes and baptized them in the river. John knew that Jesus was much greater than himself. During Advent, we get our hearts ready for Jesus too, just like the people who listened to John.

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 people who are waiting and hoping for something good this Advent, that they may feel God's love and peace in their hearts, 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.

During Advent, the priest wears violet vestments just like the purple or violet color we see today. This color helps us remember we are in a special time of waiting and preparing our hearts for Jesus, just like John told people to prepare.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Loving God, thank you for teaching us about John the Baptist and how he helped people get ready for Jesus. Help us to prepare our hearts this Advent by being kind, saying sorry when we need to, and making room for Jesus in our lives. 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

Get Ready for Jesus

Mark 1:1-8

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

Words to find

  • John
  • Baptist
  • desert
  • river
  • baptize
  • prepare
  • Jesus
  • Advent
  • waiting
  • ready
  • heart
  • camel

ChildrensLiturgy.org