Children's Liturgy Guide

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year B · Ordinary Time

Come and See Jesus

Reading: John 1:35-42

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

In today's reading, two men hear about Jesus and want to know more about him. Jesus invites them to come and see where he lives, and they spend the whole day with him. Then one of them goes to find his brother so he can meet Jesus too.

Key Points

  • Jesus invites people to come and see, to spend time with him and get to know him
  • When we discover something wonderful about Jesus, we want to share it with others
  • Andrew was so excited about meeting Jesus that he immediately went to tell his brother Peter
  • Jesus gives Simon a new name, Peter, showing that Jesus knows who we really are

Background

This Gospel passage marks the beginning of Jesus calling his first disciples. John the Baptist points out Jesus as the Lamb of God, prompting two of his disciples to follow Jesus. When Jesus asks what they are seeking, they want to know where he stays. His response, 'Come and see,' is an invitation to relationship, not just information. Andrew's immediate response to bring his brother Simon shows the natural overflow of encountering Christ. Jesus renaming Simon as Peter (Cephas, meaning 'rock') foreshadows Peter's future role. For children, emphasize the simple invitation 'Come and see' and how Andrew wanted to share his excitement about Jesus with his brother. Set aside the theological significance of 'Lamb of God' and the deeper meaning of the name change.

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 inviting us to come and know you better. Help us to listen to your voice today and to share your love with the people in our lives. Amen. 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 exciting and wanted to show it to someone in your family right away?

Example: One time I found a really cool bug in my backyard and I ran inside to get my mom so she could come see it too because it was so amazing.

Bridge to the reading: It feels so good when we find something special and get to share it with someone we love. In today's reading, we will hear about a man named Andrew who met Jesus and was so excited that he ran to get his brother so he could meet Jesus too.

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. Who did John the Baptist say Jesus was when he saw him walking by?

    Example: John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God, which was a really special name for Jesus.

  2. When the two men followed Jesus, what did Jesus ask them?

    Example: Jesus turned around and asked them what they were looking for, like he wanted to know what they needed.

  3. What did Jesus say when the men asked where he was staying?

    Example: Jesus said come and see, which meant he wanted them to come with him and spend time together.

  4. What did Andrew do after he spent the day with Jesus?

    Example: Andrew was so happy that he went to find his brother Simon and told him they found the Messiah, the special one from God.

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 Andrew felt when he finally got to spend the whole day with Jesus?

    Example: I think Andrew felt really happy and excited, like when you get to spend a whole day with your favorite person ever.

  2. If you wanted to tell your best friend about Jesus, what would you say?

    Example: I would tell my friend that Jesus loves them so much and wants to be their friend too, and that he is really kind.

  3. This week, who is one person you could invite to come to church or pray with you?

    Example: I could ask my grandma if she wants to say prayers with me before bed, or maybe my cousin could come to Mass with us.

Recap

Today we heard how Jesus invited two men to come and see where he lived. They spent the whole day with him and got to know him. Andrew was so excited about meeting Jesus that he ran to tell his brother Peter right away. Jesus invites us to come and know him too, and when we do, we can share that joy with others.

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 have not yet heard about Jesus, that someone will invite them to come and see how much he loves 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.

In today's reading, John the Baptist calls Jesus the 'Lamb of God.' We hear these exact words at Mass right before Communion when the priest holds up the host and says, 'Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.'

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you, Jesus, for inviting us to spend time with you. Help us to be like Andrew and share your love with our families and friends 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

Come and See Jesus

John 1:35-42

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.

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

Words to find

  • Jesus
  • Andrew
  • Peter
  • follow
  • come
  • see
  • brother
  • invite
  • Lamb
  • John
  • stay
  • share

ChildrensLiturgy.org