Children's Liturgy Series: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

In today's Gospel, we learn about how Jesus heals a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. This man was a gentile (a non-believer of the God of Abraham), showing us that Jesus' redemption is for everyone.

Father in Heaven, we praise and glorify you. We thank you for bringing us together for this Children's Liturgy lesson. Please send us the Holy Spirit, and help us to understand the lesson you have for us today. Please give us the courage to let people know that your love is for everyone. We ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue;then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Explain:
A Gentile is someone who is not Jewish, showing that Jesus came to help all people.
Jesus shows love to someone who others may have ignored because of his disability and background.

Questions:

1. What would it be like if you couldn't hear?
   
2. Why do you think Jesus healed the Gentile?
3. What does this story teach us about God’s love?
4. How can we show love to everyone, just like Jesus did?

Create:

Ask the children to use the play dough to create a figure or shape that represents someone in need of Jesus' love—this could be a person, a heart, or anything they think of.

Reflect:

Once they’ve created their figures, gather in a circle.

Share:

Go around the circle and let each child share what they made and why. Encourage them to think about how their creation represents someone Jesus would help.Connect:

Remind them that Jesus loves and helps everyone, just as He did in the Gospel story. Each play dough figure represents someone special to God.

Father in Heaven, thank you for bringing us together for this Children's Liturgy Lesson. Thank you for giving us the gift of hearing. Give us the compassion and understanding to love those who need more of it. Amen.