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Children's Liturgy Series: The 4th Sunday of Lent (Cycle C)

Author: Joyce Bott

Introduction

In today's Gospel, we learn about the depth of God's love for us through the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Opening Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and our minds. Fill us with your peace, love, and understanding. Help us to hear God's message today and recognize His voice in our daily activities. Amen

Gospel (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. ”So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” ’So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him,‘ Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

Prodigal son starts at 3:06 min of the following video:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fKKXFzmSWs (Attributed to Catholic Kids Media)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwDgh0D17G8 (attributed to Catholic Kids Media)

Reflection

Talk about anticipating the consequences of our actions. Offer an example such as the following: Imagine this situation: the rule in your house is that you are not allowed to play soccer in the living room. While your parents are outside, you and a sibling decide to play soccer there anyway. While you are playing soccer, the ball hits a lamp, sending it crashing to the floor. What do you expect that your parents will do when you tell them what happened? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

Say: Perhaps we haven't ever broken a lamp, but we have all had the experience of needing to accept responsibility for having done something wrong. When you admit to having done something wrong, what do you expect to happen? (Accept all reasonable answers.) Can you imagine asking your parent to forgive you for something you did wrong and hearing that a party was going to be given in your honor instead?

Ask: What does the son expect the father to do after he admits his wrongdoing? (The son expects to be disowned by the father.) What consequence for his actions does the son ask for? (to be treated as a hired hand) What does the father do instead? (The father welcomes the son back with honor.)

Say: The father in the parable is an image for us of how much God wants to forgive us. If ever we feel we have done something so bad that God could never forgive us, we can remember this story. During Lent, we say we're sorry for our sins and ask God to forgive us. In particular, we seek God's forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Invite the children to create an acrostic using the word forgiveness. Encourage them to write phrases for each letter that describe the kind of forgiveness shown in the parable.

Conclude by praying together an Act of Contrition.

Kids Bulletin

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Closing Prayer

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