Children's Liturgy Series: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

In today's Gospel, Jesus uses the metaphor of salt and light to help us understand how we can make life a little bit better for those around us.

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 so we can better understand the message you have for us.  Help us to understand how to be salt and light to those around us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Jesus said to his disciples: "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father."

Bring unsalted crackers to class (one for each child), a spray bottle filled with water, and a saltshaker. Give each child a cracker and have them all take a small bite. (Make sure there are no wheat or other food allergies.) Ask whether they like the taste. Then spray their crackers with a small amount of water and sprinkle some salt on each cracker. Ask the children to take another bite and judge its taste now.

Say: Even in Jesus’ time, people used salt to make things taste better. Show the saltshaker. Continue: But, if we have salt on our table and we never use it, will it do any good for the taste of our food?

Ask: How might we make life better for others just as salt makes food taste better? Help the group identify at least three or four things that children might do. Say: When we do these things, we show ourselves to be disciples of Jesus.

Conclude in prayer together by singing “This Little Light of Mine.”

Father in heaven, for the sake of bringing others closer to you, we give you today, all that we think and do and say, and we join it with all that was done by Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen