Children's Liturgy Guide

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year B · Ordinary Time

Clean Hearts for God

Reading: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

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

Some people were upset that Jesus' friends did not wash their hands in a special way before eating. Jesus told them that what really matters to God is not just following rules on the outside, but having a heart that is full of love and goodness on the inside.

Key Points

  • Jesus teaches that God cares most about what is in our hearts
  • Following rules is not enough if our hearts are not kind and loving
  • Bad choices come from inside us, not from outside things
  • God wants us to love Him with our whole hearts, not just look like we are being good

Background

This passage addresses the Pharisees' criticism of Jesus' disciples for not following ritual purity laws. Jesus uses Isaiah 29:13 to critique external religious observance disconnected from interior conversion. He teaches that moral defilement comes from within, from the heart, listing vices that flow from disordered desires. The theological point is that the heart, the seat of the will and intention, is what God judges, not merely external compliance. For children, emphasize that God sees our hearts and wants them to be full of love, kindness, and good thoughts. Set aside the complexities of Jewish purity laws, the historical context of Pharisaic practice, and the list of adult sins in verses 21-22. Focus on the simple truth that being good on the inside matters more than just looking good on the outside.

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 and for seeing our hearts. Help us to listen to Jesus today and learn how to have hearts that are clean and full of love for You and for everyone around 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 cleaned your room really fast by shoving everything under the bed or in the closet, so it looks clean but is really still messy inside?

Example: Yes, one time I pushed all my toys under my bed so my mom would think I cleaned, but it was still really messy under there and she found out later.

Bridge to the reading: Sometimes we can look clean or good on the outside, but things are still messy on the inside. In today's reading, Jesus teaches us that God cares most about what is inside our hearts, not just how things look on the outside.

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 were some people upset about when they saw Jesus' friends eating?

    Example: They were upset because Jesus' friends did not wash their hands in the special way that the rules said they should before eating their food.

  2. Jesus said these people honor God with their lips but something else is far from God. What is far from God?

    Example: Jesus said their hearts are far away from God, even though their mouths say nice things about God and they follow rules on the outside.

  3. Where does Jesus say bad things come from, inside us or outside us?

    Example: Jesus said that bad things like mean thoughts and unkind choices come from inside of us, from our hearts, not from things outside of us.

  4. Why do you think Jesus wants us to care about what is in our hearts?

    Example: I think because God can see everything, even the parts we hide, and He wants us to really be good and loving, not just pretend to be good.

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 someone is nice to your face but then says mean things about you when you walk away?

    Example: It feels really bad and sad because I thought they were my friend, but they were only pretending to be nice and that hurts my feelings a lot.

  2. What is one way you can keep your heart clean and full of love, even when no one is watching?

    Example: I can choose to think kind thoughts about my brother even when I am mad at him, and I can share my toys even when mom is not looking.

  3. This week, how can you show God that you want a clean heart, not just clean hands?

    Example: I can try to really mean it when I say sorry instead of just saying the words, and I can be kind to kids at school even the ones I do not play with much.

Recap

Today we heard how Jesus taught that God cares most about what is inside our hearts. Some people thought following rules on the outside was enough, but Jesus said no. God sees everything, even the parts we try to hide. He wants our hearts to be full of love, kindness, and good thoughts. When we are good on the inside, that is what makes God happy.

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 children who are learning to follow Jesus, that God will help them have hearts full of love and kindness, 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.

When we pray the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass, we strike our chest three times saying 'through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.' This gesture points to our heart, showing that we ask God to forgive what is inside us, not just what others can see.

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 through Jesus that You see our hearts. Help us this week to fill our hearts with love, kindness, and good thoughts. When we are tempted to just look good on the outside, remind us that You love us and want us to be good on the inside too. 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

Clean Hearts for God

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

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.

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

Words to find

  • heart
  • Jesus
  • clean
  • love
  • inside
  • kind
  • God
  • listen
  • rules
  • good
  • faith
  • truth

ChildrensLiturgy.org