Children's Liturgy Guide

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year C · Ordinary Time

Following Jesus First

Reading: Luke 14:25-33

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 tells people that following Him is very important. He says we need to think carefully and put Him first in our hearts, even more than our favorite things.

Key Points

  • Jesus asks us to love Him more than anything else
  • Following Jesus means thinking carefully about what is most important
  • Jesus uses stories about building a tower and a king going to battle to help people understand
  • We show we love Jesus by the choices we make every day

Background

This Gospel contains challenging language about 'hating' family members, which is Semitic hyperbole meaning to love Jesus above all else, not literal hatred. Jesus uses two parables, a tower builder and a king preparing for war, to illustrate the importance of counting the cost before committing to discipleship. The passage concludes with renouncing possessions, meaning holding nothing back from God's claim on our lives. For children, emphasize that Jesus wants to be the most important person in our hearts and that following Him means making good choices. Set aside the difficult 'hate' language and the complex parables about war. Focus on the simple idea that we think carefully about important things, and following Jesus is the most important thing of all.

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 follow You. Help us to love You with all our hearts and to make good choices that show we belong to You. 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 choose between two things you really wanted to do at the same time?

Example: One time I wanted to play with my friend but I also wanted to stay home and play with my new toy. It was really hard to pick which one to do.

Bridge to the reading: Making choices can be tricky, especially when both things seem good. In today's reading, Jesus talks about making a very important choice, the choice to follow Him and put Him first in our hearts.

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 was talking to the crowds in this reading?

    Example: Jesus was talking to all the people who were following Him and walking with Him on the road.

  2. What did Jesus say people should think about before building a tower?

    Example: Jesus said they should sit down first and figure out if they have enough money to finish building the whole tower.

  3. Why do you think Jesus told stories about building and planning?

    Example: I think Jesus wanted people to understand that following Him is important and we should really think about it carefully.

  4. What does Jesus want to be in our lives?

    Example: Jesus wants to be the most important person in our lives, even more important than our favorite things.

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 put someone you love first, like sharing your favorite toy with your little brother or sister?

    Example: It feels a little hard at first because I really like my toy, but then it feels good because they are so happy.

  2. What is one way you could show Jesus He is important to you when you are at school?

    Example: I could be kind to someone who is sitting alone at lunch and be their friend even if other kids are not.

  3. This week, what is one choice you could make at home to show you love Jesus?

    Example: I could help my mom clean up after dinner without being asked, even if I want to keep playing my game.

Recap

Today we heard that Jesus wants to be the most important person in our hearts. He told stories about planning carefully, like building a tower, to help us understand that following Him is a big and wonderful choice. When we love Jesus first, we make good choices that show we belong to Him.

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 are trying to make good choices this week, that Jesus will help them be brave and strong, we pray to the Lord.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord Jesus, thank You for wanting us to follow You. Help us to love You more and more each day. Give us the courage to put You first in everything we do. 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

Following Jesus First

Luke 14:25-33

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.

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

Words to find

  • Jesus
  • follow
  • choose
  • tower
  • build
  • heart
  • love
  • plan
  • important
  • first
  • listen
  • crowd

ChildrensLiturgy.org