Page 6 - Children Celebrate Preview

Children Celebrate!
Activity
Families review good church manners and Catholic traditions. The children’s activity emphasizes that actions follow our hearts.
6. When they want to worship God, sing hymns, and pray, they go to church.
7. When they want to cool off on a hot day, they go to the swimming pool.
8. When they want to shout, run, climb, and swing, they go to the playground.
9. When they want to see a lot of animals, they go to the zoo.
10. When they want cookies before dinner, they go to Grandma’s house.
(Mix up the flash cards thoroughly, making sure that top and bottom cards have been moved somewhere into the middle of the pack.)
Now let me tell you about the Silly twins, Willie Silly and Sally Silly. They do everything in life, well, abnormally.
(Retell the story in the same order as above, but this time complete sentences using flash cards in their new, mixed-up order. Some funny combinations will result.)
Of course this story was just for fun. The truth is, wherever we go, there is a right way and a wrong way to act. During today’s Homily, we will talk about how to act in church.
Opening Prayer
Leader: Please bow your heads for prayer. God in heaven, we are here today to show you our faith and to give you our love. We are here to keep your day holy. May all that we do and say give you praise, through Christ our Lord.
Children: Amen.
Light the candle and begin the First Reading.
First Reading
Leader: In today’s First Reading, we learn about God’s rules.
Read Exodus 20:1–3, 7–8, 12–17.
At the end of the reading: Leader: The word of the Lord Children: Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
The Psalm may be sung or spoken. Before beginning the Psalm, sing or announce this response.
The Liturgy of the Word
Gathering
As the children enter the worship area, sing
or play the suggested recording or another appropriate selection. After the children gather, ask them to be seated.
Leader: Today we are going to begin with a little story about two different sets of twins. The first ones are Norma and Norman from the Normal family. They do everything in life normally.
(While holding up one flash card at a time, tell this story.)
1. Whenever the Normal twins want to make peanut butter sandwiches, they go to their kitchen.
2. When they want to watch a scary movie with the whole family, they go to their family room.
3. When they want to hide from monsters, they go to their closets.
4. When they want to take a long, hot bath, they go to their bathroom.
5. When they want to get dressed for Sunday Mass, they go to their bedrooms.
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