Children's Liturgy Series: Pentecost Sunday

Today is Pentecost, which the Jews celebrated fifty days after the Passover. Today we celebrate the birthday of the Church and hear how Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the disciples, just as h had promissed to do.

Holy Spirit,
Let our goodness shine out like a light in the darkness, so that through us, the love of our heavenly father will touch the lives of those around us.

The disciples had gathered together in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Pentecost. As they were praying together, the room was suddenly filled with the sound of a powerful wind which rored through the house. Then, what looked like small tongues of fire appeared and spread out to touch each one of them. So it was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

At once, in their excitement, they rushed outside to tell everyone what had happened to them. As they began to speak, they were amzed to find that they could talk in foreign languages that they had never spoken before. People from lands far and wide gathered in a crowd to listen to these men from Galilee. They were amazed and came to believe in Jesus. 

So it was, from that day onwards, the desciples went around telling everyone about Jesus and sharing all that he had taught them They were no longer afraid, for wherever they went, Jesus went with them. Now his spirit lived inside them, and they would never feel alone again.

Say: When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his Resurrection, his first words to them were a greeting of peace. This was welcome news to the disciples.

Ask: Why might Jesus’ greeting of peace have been so welcome to his disciples? (They were gathered in the upper room in fear; they had witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross.) Say: As witnesses to Jesus’ death, the disciples had been very much a part of a situation of conflict. They gathered together in fear, perhaps because they thought that some people would seek their deaths as well. They very much needed to hear Jesus’ words of peace and reassurance.

Say: The Feast of Pentecost celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ first disciples. This same Holy Spirit is still with us. After breathing upon them and giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit, what does Jesus tell his disciples to do? (to forgive sins)

Say: Just as Jesus sent his disciples to forgive the sins of others, so too are we sent to bring peace to the world. And we also have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us with this task.

Say: Looking back at the situation of conflict we talked about at the beginning, what might the Holy Spirit lead us to do to help bring peace to this situation of conflict? (Accept all reasonable answers; if appropriate, make a choice to do one of these actions as a group.)