Children's Liturgy Series: 6th Sunday of Easter (A)

In today's Gospel we learn about how Jesus sends an advocate, the Holy Spirit, to be with the apostles when He returns to the Father. Just as Jesus sent the apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we too receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation.

Father in Heaven, we praise and glorify you. We thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit at our Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation. We ask you to please ignite this spirit in our hearts, so we can have the courage to go forth and be a witness of your love, through acts of kindness towards others. Help us to bring others into a relationship with you. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.

Jesus said to his disciples: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

Ask: How many of you have had a friend or family member move away? What was that experience like? (Invite volunteers to share.) Say: When people move away or go away for a short time, they sometimes give farewell gifts to friends or family members who stay behind. Why might people do that? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

Say: In today’s Gospel, Jesus is telling his disciples that they will receive a gift after he has left them, after he has died.

Explain that an advocate is a helper, someone who takes action for another person or offers witness or defense for another person. Ask: Who is the Advocate? (the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit) 

Say: Jesus promises his disciples that even though he will leave them, he will not abandon them. Instead they will receive a great gift, a helper who will reveal to them the great love that exists between the Father and the Son and the disciples.

Ask: How do you think the disciples felt when they heard these words? (Accept all reasonable answers.) How do you think the disciples will feel after they receive this gift of the Holy Spirit? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

Say: Jesus has also given us the gift of the Holy Spirit, whom we received in Baptism. If we call upon the Holy Spirit, he will help us understand God’s love for us and will help us follow Jesus.

Conclude by praying together that we will remember the importance of Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Pray together the Prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Father in Heaven, we thank you for this lesson on the Holy Spirit. We ask you to please help us to follow your commandments and show you our love, so we can recognize your voice through the Holy Spirit within us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.