Children's Liturgy Guide

4th Sunday of Advent

Year C · Advent

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Reading: Luke 1:39-45

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

Mary goes on a journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth. When Mary arrives and says hello, Elizabeth is filled with joy because she knows Mary is carrying baby Jesus inside her.

Key Points

  • Mary traveled a long way to visit Elizabeth because she cared about her
  • Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and recognized that Mary was blessed
  • The baby inside Elizabeth jumped for joy when Mary arrived
  • Elizabeth called Mary blessed because she believed God's promise

Background

This Gospel passage is known as the Visitation, when Mary visits her older cousin Elizabeth shortly after the Annunciation. Both women are miraculously pregnant: Mary with Jesus, Elizabeth with John the Baptist. Elizabeth's prophetic recognition of Mary as 'the mother of my Lord' is a profound Christological moment, affirming Mary's unique role in salvation history. The 'leaping' of John in the womb prefigures his later role as the one who prepares the way for Christ. For children, emphasize the joy of the visit, how happy Elizabeth was to see Mary, and how even the baby inside Elizabeth was happy about Jesus coming. Set aside the theological complexities of the Incarnation and focus on the concrete, joyful meeting between these two women.

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 the people who love us and visit us. Help us to share joy with others like Mary did when she visited Elizabeth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. 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 been so excited to see someone that you wanted to jump up and down or run to give them a hug?

Example: Yes, when my grandma comes to visit I get so excited and I run to the door and give her the biggest hug ever because I love her so much.

Bridge to the reading: That wonderful feeling of being so happy to see someone you love is exactly what happens in today's reading. We will hear about Elizabeth, who was so filled with joy when Mary came to visit that even the baby inside her jumped for happiness.

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 Mary go to visit in this story?

    Example: Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. She traveled a long way to go see her because they were family and she wanted to be with her.

  2. What happened when Elizabeth heard Mary say hello?

    Example: When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby inside Elizabeth's tummy jumped for joy and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

  3. What special words did Elizabeth say to Mary?

    Example: Elizabeth said that Mary was blessed among all women and that the baby inside Mary was blessed too. She called Mary very special.

  4. Why do you think Elizabeth was so happy to see Mary?

    Example: I think Elizabeth was happy because Mary was bringing baby Jesus and the Holy Spirit helped Elizabeth know that something very wonderful and special was happening.

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 feel inside when someone you love comes to visit you?

    Example: I feel really warm and happy inside, like my heart gets bigger. Sometimes I feel so excited that I cannot stop smiling and I want to show them everything.

  2. What is something kind you could do when you visit a family member or friend?

    Example: I could give them a big hug and tell them I am happy to see them. I could also help them with something or play nicely together.

  3. This week, who could you share some joy with, maybe by saying something kind?

    Example: I could tell my mom or dad something nice to make them smile. Or I could say something kind to my little sister or brother to make them feel happy.

Recap

Today we heard about Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was so happy to see Mary that the baby inside her jumped for joy. Elizabeth knew that Mary was carrying baby Jesus, and she told Mary how blessed she was. Mary brought joy just by visiting, and we can bring joy to others too.

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 our grandparents and family members who live far away, that they may feel our love even when we cannot visit 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.

Elizabeth's greeting 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb' is echoed in the Hail Mary prayer, which we pray during Mass and in the rosary.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you, God, for the story of Mary and Elizabeth. Help us to bring joy to the people we visit and to share the good news of Jesus coming at Christmas. 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

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Luke 1:39-45

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.

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

Words to find

  • Mary
  • Elizabeth
  • visit
  • blessed
  • joy
  • baby
  • happy
  • journey
  • greeting
  • cousin
  • love
  • Advent

ChildrensLiturgy.org