Children's Liturgy Series: The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B)

In today's Gospel, Jesus reveals to the crowds that he is the "bread of life". Whoever comes to Jesus will never be hungry.

Holy Spirit, fill my heart and illuminate my mind. Help me to hear and understand God's message today. Help me to recognise when God is trying to speak to me in my daily life. Amen

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him,“Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to him,“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them,“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

So they said to him,“Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them,“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Tell the students that there are many needs that must be fulfilled to be healthy and happy. Invite them to name some of these needs. 

Observe that some needs are more important than others. Together look at the list that you have prepared and talk about ways in which these needs might be ranked. This will be challenging and should result in an interesting discussion. Allow time and reassure the students when there are disagreements.

Say: We human beings have many important needs that must be fulfilled if we are to be healthy and happy. In today’s Gospel, we hear that the people were seeking out Jesus because he had fed them with bread and fish (recall last week’s Gospel). Jesus tells the people that God will provide a wonderful gift that will satisfy an even more important need. Let’s listen carefully to this Gospel.

Ask: What does Jesus say that he has already given the people? (that he gave them food, loaves of bread and fish, so that they would not be hungry) Are the people satisfied, or do they want something more? (They aren’t satisfied; they want more bread.)

Say: Jesus says that he will give them more bread, but this bread will be an even better gift than the food they have already eaten. The bread that he will give them will permit them to live forever with God in heaven. Jesus says that he will give them the gift of himself, that he is the bread of life. This is the gift that Jesus has given to us in the Eucharist.

Conclude in prayer, thanking God for all the wonderful gifts he has given to us, especially the gift of the Eucharist. 

Father in heaven, for the conversion of sinners, 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