Little Liturgies

Jesus sent out his friends to share his love with others. They were his representatives. Greg helps us understand that Jesus invites us to represent him in the world. Our words can be his words, Our hands can be his hands. We spend time with Jesus in prayer and then sing the action song 'Deep Cries Out.'

Jesus went with his friends to his home town of Nazareth but the people did not welcome him like in other places. "This is the carpenter" they say. Greg helps us to pray about welcoming Jesus into our home and how we can love those we live with. We then join Sr Chiara to sing "All the People Said Amen."

In the Mark 10 Bag, Greg finds two beautiful statues. They are Saint Peter and Saint Paul. We find out more about Saints Peter and Paul and pray that we can help Jesus like they did. We then join Sr Therese, Greg and Sr Chiara to sing Jesus is the Vine.

As Jesus's friends cross the lake, a wild storm builds up and the boat is about to sink...but where is Jesus? He is asleep with his head on a cushion! His friends wake him and Jesus shows them that they shouldn't fear and can always trust him. We pray together and ask Jesus to help us trust him even when things are going wrong. We then join Angel and sing the hymn Cornerstone.

Jesus has a question for his friends: "What can we say the kingdom of God is like?" he asks. He says it is like a tiny mustard seed which grows into a huge tree. Greg has some mustard seeds in a beautiful wooden chest. He helps us reflect upon what Jesus could be showing us. We then pray for the kingdom of God to grow in us before joining Sr Chiara to sing 'Christ Be Our Light.'

In the Mark 10 Bag we have a beautiful statue of Jesus with a burning heart on his chest. This is the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In June, we celebrate the Sacred Heart and Greg helps us to know how Jesus wants to share the love in his heart with us. We then pray and rest in the love of the Sacred Heart and sing with Sr Chiara. Her song is called 'Lord You Have My Heart.'

The most important truths of our faith can be shared with the youngest school children. This week we help children celebrate Corpus Christi and welcome them into the beautiful mystery of the Eucharist. Greg helps us understand more of what happens at Mass and how this matches Jesus’s words and actions at the Last Supper. We then draw close to Jesus in prayer and sing the beautiful hymn ‘This is My Body.’

The first ever World Children's Day is happening on the 26th of May. Pope Francis will celebrate World Children's Day in Rome and we are joining in the celebration. We hear in the Gospel how Jesus wanted the children to come to him. Greg explains just how much Jesus loves children. We then pray for children across the world and sing one of our favourite hymns: Here I Am Lord.

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came. In a rush of wind and flame, the friends of Jesus were filled with the Spirit and could speak in other languages. Greg helps us pray about the gifts the Spirit can give to us and how we can use our words to share the love of Jesus. We pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit and celebrate the joy of Pentecost with the action song "Shine Jesus Shine."

Forty days after Easter Sunday, Jesus took his friends to a mountain and was lifted up to heaven. We call this moment the Ascension. We listen to the Gospel of the Ascension together. Greg then helps us to understand that even though Jesus went to his throne in heaven, he is still close to us. We speak to Jesus and listen to his voice in prayer and then worship with Angel as she sings 'The Lord's Prayer.'

We want to invite children to crown Mary in their hearts and celebrate her as the Queen of May. We lay a garland of flowers around a statue of Mary and hear about her visit to her cousin Elizabeth. Greg helps us to understand how special Mary is and how she can help us pray to Jesus. We join Mary as we pray and sing one of our favourite hymns - ‘As I Kneel Before You.’

We are still celebrating the Season of Easter and today Jesus shares with us a parable. He says "I am the vine, you are the branches." Greg helps us understand what a vine is and how Jesus wants us to stay joined to him, like a vine and its branches. We spend beautiful time with Jesus in prayer and then use our bodies and voices to worship him with the action song 'He is the Vine.'

Let's enter the sheepfold of the Good Shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, but who are the sheep? We walk together through the Parable of the Good Shepherd and watch as the Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. We also see how the Good Shepherd takes his life back up again. In this celebration of the Word we help children contemplate where they fit into this beautiful teaching from Jesus.

The tomb is empty but Jesus's friends are still hiding. In our second Easter Little Liturgy we hear how Jesus stepped into the room and showed himself to his friends. "Peace be with you." he said. Greg helps us to understand what peace is and how Jesus wants to give us his peace too. We pray to be given Jesus's peace and the sing 'Servant King' with Angel.

When Jesus' friends arrived at the tomb where Jesus' body had been laid they saw that the stone had been rolled away. They went inside and saw that the tomb was empty, Jesus was not there, he had risen! Greg helps us to celebrate the joy of Easter and imagine this amazing moment on the first Easter morning. We pray together and sing 'Christ is Risen' with Fr Columba.

The Little Liturgy helps our younger viewers enter into the events of Holy Week.

We begin by waving palm leaves on Palm Sunday and singing “Hosanna” as Jesus arrives in Jerusalem. We then gather with Jesus and his friends at the Last Supper and finally, we walk with Jesus to the cross. As we listen to the Gospel, pray and sing together we show our love for Jesus as he shows his amazing love for us during Holy Week.

In this Little Liturgy, Jesus gives his friends a clue about what will happen to him soon. He uses a parable about a grain of wheat to help them understand why he must die on a cross. Greg finds some wheat grains in the Mark 10 Bag and helps us to pray with the parable. We then join Angel as she sings ‘Lay it Down.’

How much does God love you and me? Greg reads the words of Jesus in the Gospel and helps us to understand that ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son.’ In the middle of our Lenten journey, we think about how Jesus was given to the world when he died on the cross. We pray together and close with the song ‘All the People Said Amen.’

It’s hard to pray when there’s lots of noise, especially when it’s coming from sheep and cows! In our prayer time, we hear how Jesus went into the Temple in Jerusalem and found it full of sound and busyness. What he did next shows how much he wants us to be able to hear his voice. We think about the Gospel and come close to Jesus in prayer. We finish by singing a new song with Angel.

Gospel: John 2:13-25

Song: The Lord’s Prayer

This week we walk up a high mountain and see Jesus shining brightly. What a sight! It is wonderful to join Peter, James and John in this dazzling place.

This moment on the mountain is called the Transfiguration. We use this marvellous moment in the Gospels to step into Jesus’s presence when we pray. We then join Sr Chiara as she sings the action song Shine Jesus, Shine.

Gospel: Mark 9:2-10

Song: Shine Jesus, Shine

There’s a desert in the Mark 10 bag this week. That is because we are beginning the Season of Lent and joining Jesus as he enters that lonely place. We think about why Jesus chose to go into the desert and what we can learn from him. We pray and ask Jesus to help us decide on how we can pray, fast and give to others during Lent. We then join Sr Chiara and sing ‘Be Still.’

Gospel: Mark 1:12-15

Song: Be Still (For the Presence of the Lord)

It's time to celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Forty days after Christmas, Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to Jerusalem to present him in the Temple. There, they met two people who had been waiting a very long time to see Jesus. Greg explains how we don't need to wait to spend time with Jesus, we can meet with him every time we pray.

Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

Song: Hallelujah (Your Love Makes Me Sing)

The Church celebrates the feast day of ‘The Conversion of St Paul’ at the end of January. In the Little Liturgies, we share the story of St Paul meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul is completely changed after he meets with Jesus. We pray together and meet with the same Jesus in our hearts. We end with a new action song called ‘Trading My Sorrows.’ led by Sr Chiara.

Reading: Acts 22:6-16

Song: I'm Trading My Sorrows

The Gospels aren't just nice stories, they are ones we can step into when we pray. In 'Follow Me!' we meet Jesus walking on the shore of the Lake. He is on the look out for his first disciples. He spots two fishermen, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew mending their nets. "Follow me" he says and they drop everything and go with him. Greg helps us to enter into the scene and imagine ourselves by the shore. Each time we pray, we can meet Jesus. He is always inviting us to follow him. We conclude the Little Liturgy with Sr Chiara and the hymn 'Follow Me, Follow Me.'

Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

Song: Follow Me, Follow Me

What's it like to spend time with Jesus? In this Little Liturgy, Andrew and his friend want to find out where Jesus lives. "Come and see" Jesus says and invites them to stay with him. We don't know what they spoke about, but whatever happened, Andrew knew that he had met the Messiah. Greg explains how we can visit a place where Jesus lives and spend time with him too. We then join Angel and sing the hymn 'Here I Am Lord.'

Gospel: John 1:35-42

Song: Here I Am Lord

The Wise Men from the east had crossed mountains and deserts following a star, but who were they looking for? In this Epiphany celebration we join the Wise Men and meet with Jesus in Bethlehem. We spend quiet time by the crib and present our own gifts to Jesus. We pray together and have fun with the Epiphany hymn 'We Three Kings" sung by Fr Columba.

Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

Song: We Three Kings

The Mark 10 bag is full of nativity figures and we share the Gospel story of the very first Christmas. Before children begin their Christmas break, we want them to enter into the true joy of Christmas. We lead them to the stable where they can look and wonder at the child Jesus laying in the manger. We tell of the shepherds and the angels who share the Good News that Jesus has been born into the world! We pray together and sing the carol 'Joy to the World.'

Gospel: Luke 2:1-20

Song: Joy to the World

In our second Advent video, we join Mary, Joseph (and Jesus) on the road to Bethlehem. Greg reads from the Gospel of Luke and tells the story of how the Holy Family had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register. We reflect upon how Jesus was with them every step of the way and how he is close to us each day too. We enter into prayer and then join Angel and The as they sing ‘Prepare Him Room.’

It's time to begin Advent and we enter into the season with Mary and the Angel Gabriel. Using beautiful figures, we share the moment when Mary received the wonderful news that would change the world forever! Jesus was on his way! We help children ponder and wonder as they hear how the Holy Spirit came to Mary and God's power rested upon her.

In the Mark 10 Bag we find a beautiful golden crown and some mustard seeds. These symbols help to remind us that Jesus is the king. But what type of king is he and where is his kingdom? We reflect together on how Jesus is the greatest king of all. We then enter into prayer and worship him in song.

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-40

We are all a part of God’s family, like sheep in a flock. We share the parable of the Good Shepherd and lead children to wonder who the Good Shepherd could be and why he wants to keep his sheep safe. We then pray for everyone in God’s family, especially those who are in need. As Christians we are called to help and serve and this Little Liturgy helps children to pray for the needs of others.

Gospel: John 10:2-15

This week, Jesus shares with us a parable all about bridesmaids and their oil lamps. Some of the bridesmaids have enough oil to keep their lamps burning, others don't have enough. We us the symbol of the lamp and the oil to illustrate to children how God wants to pour his love into their hearts. This image leads us into prayer. We then join Fr Columba to sing 'Blessed Be Your Name.'

Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13

Putting other people first isn't always easy but with Jesus by our side we can do it! In the Gospel, Jesus invites us to be humble. He helps us understand how to be humble by pointing out those who weren't humble at all, the pharisees. They loved to show how important they were. Jesus wants us to do the opposite, put others before ourselves and serve.

Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12

In November, we remember the people who have died. The saints are holy men and women who have lived their lives loving God and are now with him in heaven. Greg shares how the saints were like mirrors for Jesus, reflecting his love into the world. We spend time with Jesus as we pray and ask him to help us become saints too. We then worship with our voices and our bodies with one of our favourite action songs, 'This Little Light of Mine.'

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

Weddings are a joyful celebration of love. In this Little Liturgy we lead children to pray about the way God invites them into the joyful celebration of his kingdom. We want all children to know that they are invited to be close to God every day and that he loves them. We also have the perfect song for this liturgy, One and All by One Hope Project.

Gospel: Matthew 22:1-10

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary and we have travelled to Walsingham to invite you to take on a very special challenge. In the Gospel we hear the story of the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary. We reflect on how Mary is our mum and we can show our love for her through a simple yet beautiful prayer.

Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Song: As I Kneel Before You

In this Little Liturgy, we hear a Gospel where people must have been shouting "Hey! That's not fair!" Jesus uses a parable about a vineyard owner who pays all of his workers one silver coin. It helps us to understand that God is not fair with his love, he gives it to everyone, no matter who they are or what they have done. We pray the prayer time helps children encounter the love of God and that they love singing one of our favourite hymns: Here I Am Lord.

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16

Song: Here I Am Lord

Forgiveness is a difficult virtue to explain to young children. Jesus uses a parable of a king and a servant to show us what not to do! God our Father loves us so much and this Little Liturgy helps children ponder how they can respond with love and forgiveness. We are also singing the hymn ‘Sing Aloud’ for the first time. We hope children can pick up the words quickly and join in the chorus.

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

Song: Sing Aloud

How do we pray? In this Little Liturgy, we help children to understand what prayer is and how they can start to pray themselves every day. We want children to know that God, who loves them so much, is always close to them and ready to listen to the prayers of their hearts.

Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20

Song: Christ Be Our Light

For our first episode of the year, we start ‘In the beginning’ (John 1:1) and help children to consider who Jesus really is and why we spend time with him in prayer. As we set out on another year together, we want children to know and experience the amazing love that Jesus has for them.

Gospel: John 1:1-12, 14, 17-18

Song: How Great is Our God