Children's Liturgy Guide

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year B · Ordinary Time

Jesus Visits His Hometown

Reading: Mark 6:1-6

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 went back to visit the town where he grew up, called Nazareth. The people there knew him as a little boy, so they had a hard time believing he was someone special sent by God. Jesus was sad that they did not believe in him.

Key Points

  • Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth and taught in the synagogue
  • The people were amazed but could not believe Jesus was special because they knew him as a child
  • Their lack of faith made Jesus sad and limited what he could do there
  • We can choose to believe in Jesus even when others do not

Background

In this passage, Jesus experiences rejection in Nazareth, the town where he was raised. The people struggle to reconcile the carpenter's son they watched grow up with the miracle-working teacher before them. Their familiarity breeds contempt, and Mark notes that Jesus 'was amazed at their lack of faith.' This reveals a profound truth about faith: it requires openness to see God working in unexpected ways and people. The phrase 'a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown' reflects a broader biblical pattern of prophets facing rejection. For children, emphasize the simple idea that the people who knew Jesus as a little boy had trouble believing he was special, and that made Jesus sad. Set aside the theological complexities of why Jesus 'could do no mighty work there' and the relationship between human faith and divine power.

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 loving us and for always being with us. Help us to believe in you with all our hearts, even when it feels hard. 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 tried to tell someone something really important, but they did not listen to you or believe you? How did that feel?

Example: One time I told my big brother I saw a rainbow outside, but he said I was making it up and would not even look. It made me feel really sad because I was telling the truth.

Bridge to the reading: It can feel so sad when people do not believe us, especially when we are telling the truth. In today's reading, we hear about a time when Jesus went back to his hometown, and the people there had a very hard time believing he was someone special sent by God.

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 Jesus go in today's reading?

    Example: Jesus went back to his hometown, the place where he grew up when he was a little boy like us.

  2. What did the people in the town remember about Jesus?

    Example: They remembered that Jesus was a carpenter and they knew his mom Mary and his family members too.

  3. How did Jesus feel when the people did not believe in him?

    Example: Jesus felt amazed and sad because the people he grew up with did not have faith in him.

  4. Why do you think it was hard for these people to believe Jesus was special?

    Example: I think because they knew him when he was little, they thought he was just a regular person like 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 Jesus felt when the people from his own town did not believe in him?

    Example: I think Jesus felt really sad and maybe a little hurt because these were people he knew his whole life.

  2. What is one way you can show Jesus that you believe in him?

    Example: I can show Jesus I believe in him by praying to him every day and talking to him like my friend.

  3. This week, if someone in your family tells you something true, how can you be a good listener?

    Example: I can stop what I am doing and really look at them and believe what they are saying is true.

Recap

Today we heard about Jesus going back to his hometown of Nazareth. The people there remembered him as a little boy, so they had trouble believing he was someone special sent by God. This made Jesus sad. We can be different! We can choose to believe in Jesus and trust that he is truly special and loves us very much.

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 having a hard time believing in Jesus, that God will open their hearts to his love, 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, Jesus, for teaching us today. Help us to always believe in you and to trust in your love, even when it is hard. 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 Visits His Hometown

Mark 6:1-6

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

Words to find

  • Jesus
  • Nazareth
  • believe
  • hometown
  • faith
  • carpenter
  • Mary
  • amazed
  • teach
  • trust
  • listen
  • heart

ChildrensLiturgy.org