Children
Children’s Ministry for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Curated children’s ministry resources and sermons (object lessons) for Sunday Readings from SermonWriter, Ministry-to-Children, Religion Teacher and other sources.
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30th Sunday of Year B
CATHOLIC KIDS BULLETIN
SERMONS 4 KIDS
I WANT TO SEE JESUS
Objects suggested: A bouquet of flowers
Isn’t this a beautiful bouquet of flowers? Can you imagine what it must be like to be blind and never see the beauty of things such as these beautiful flowers? The gift of sight is one of the most precious of all of God’s gifts.
There is a story in the Bible of a man named Bartimaeus. He had never seen the beauty of a bouquet of flowers, because Bartimaeus was blind. One day as he sat begging beside the road, he heard the sound of a large crowd of people coming his way. He asked someone what was happening and they told him that Jesus was passing by. Bartimaeus had heard of Jesus and about how he had healed many who were blind. He began to call out to Jesus. Others in the crowd tried to get Bartimaeus to be quiet, but he would not be silent.
Jesus heard the voice of Bartimaeus calling out to him and he stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Teacher, I want to see!” said Bartimaeus.
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” The Bible tells us that immediately, Bartimaeus received his sight.
That is a wonderful story, isn’t it? Unfortunately, stories about the blind don’t always end that way. There are many blind people who want to see, and yet they are never healed. Fanny Crosby was one of those people.
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RELATED ACTIVITIES
Crossword
Coloring Page
Word Search
SOURCE: SERMONS 4 Kids – All Rights Reserved; Video added by SermonPrep.org
SERMONS 4 KIDS
SPEAK UP!
Objects suggested: A baby doll
Have any of you seen a baby recently? Do you remember when you were a baby? (Cradle the baby doll.) One thing I know about babies is that they’re not shy when it comes to letting you know when they want something. They’ll let you know when they’re hungry, thirsty, sick, tired, or need a diaper change. Since little babies don’t know how to talk, how can they tell you what they need? (Pause for responses.)
Babies let you know what they need by crying. Babies don’t care if you’re in church, at a movie, or eating dinner in a fine restaurant; if they need something, they’ll tell you. As we get older, we learn to be more reserved about making our wants and wishes known. Or do we?
The Bible talks about a man who wasn’t scared to let Jesus know he needed something. As Jesus and His disciples were leaving a town called Jericho, a blind man named Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road. When he heard that Jesus was approaching, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
His crying out disturbed the people around him. “Be quiet!” they yelled at him. But he only shouted louder.
When Jesus heard Bartimaeus crying out, He stopped and said, “Tell him to come to me.”
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SOURCE: SERMONS 4 Kids – All Rights Reserved; Video added by SermonPrep.org
SERMON WRITER
HARD TIMES
Objects suggested: None
You all look like happy children, but I think we all, at some time, experience difficult things. Most adults can look back on their lives and remember hard times. Some adults have dealt with illness; some have had to work very hard to provide for their families. Others may have experienced the loss of a loved one. (The lesson could be expanded here by inviting someone who has overcome adversity to share an uplifting account of that experience.)
You may not have experienced those types of hard times, but perhaps you have felt frightened, sad or discouraged. Let’s see what we can find in today’s lesson that might be helpful when that happens.
The nation of Israel had experienced hard times and the prophet, Jeremiah, reminds them of God’s goodness. He tells them that they will be cared for like a “watered garden and they shall not sorrow any more…” (31:12). We also read that God will “turn their mourning (sadness) into joy and…comfort them…”(31:13).
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SOURCE: Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Video added by SermonPrep.org
SERMON WRITER
THE PROBLEM OF PERFECTION
Objects suggested: Drawing paper
How hard would it be to become a perfect kid? The correct answer is: Impossible! Because we are human we make mistakes, have bad thoughts, are tempted to do things we shouldn’t, and at times, become angry and hurtful to others.
Have you ever tried to draw a perfect picture, build a perfect birdhouse, or jump rope perfectly? People who want to be perfect are rarely satisfied because that is an impossible goal.
We should always try to do our best, but don’t be hard on yourself if you end up making an honest mistake. If you are working on a handmade project and find a mistake that is not easily corrected, look at the bright side. It shows that the object has been handmade instead of by a machine. Sometimes an error can be turned into a surprisingly creative part of the project. It can give you ideas you hadn’t thought of before.
SOURCE: Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Video added by SermonPrep.org
SERMON WRITER
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Objects suggested: Megaphone, if available, or fashion one out of cardboard.
Have you ever had trouble getting someone’s attention? Even when you are in the same room with another person they may not hear you. Your dad may be talking on the phone, your mom may be reading a book, your brother or sister may be arguing or playing a noisy game. Sometimes is seems as if others are not interested in what you are saying; they may be thinking of other things.
Then, there are times when you are too far away from the person you want to talk with and your voice is not loud enough to carry the words. There are other times when you are in a crowd and there is so much commotion around you that it is difficult to get someone’s attention.
There are many reasons why we have trouble being heard. Have you ever felt like you needed a megaphone? A megaphone makes your voice much louder. Would you like to try it? It works quite well. Perhaps we could say something from the Bible. There is a story in the Bible about a man who called to Jesus and he said, “Jesus … have mercy on me” (10:47). Let’s try that. (Let the children speak into the megaphone if appropriate to the setting and situation.)
The man was blind, sitting by the roadside when he heard a large crowd of people coming along the road and he was told that Jesus was in the crowd. He began to shout and he said, “Jesus… have mercy on me!” (10:47). (He didn’t use a megaphone.)
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SOURCE: Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Video added by SermonPrep.org
SERMON WRITER
A DIFFERENT WAY OF SEEING
Objects suggested: None
We see light and color and shapes with our miraculous eyes. Our eyes allow us to see the faces of our friends and family, our pets, trees, flowers, lakes, streams, and mountains. They allow us to read wonderful books and we use our eyes to make things such as sewing, art or woodworking projects. We could go on and on about all the things our eyes enable us to see and do.
There is also a different way of seeing that has to do with what we feel and understand. Do you ever find your self saying, “Oh, I see. Now I understand.”
You may experience this when you see and believe that someone loves you. Or when you realize that the world is a beautiful place – God’s creation. Or you may use this different way of seeing to realize you have choices about what you do and that certain things make you happy. This is a different way of seeing and knowing.
There is a Bible story about a blind man who was sitting by the roadside hoping that the many people who were passing by would help him by giving him money. Although he couldn’t see with his eyes, he somehow knew that Jesus was coming and he began to shout saying, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” (10:47).
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SOURCE: Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Video added by SermonPrep.org
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
30th Sunday of Year B
CATHOLIC KIDS BULLETIN
Recent Issues
Teacher and mom, THERESA, creates Kids’ Bulletins, a resource for Catholic kids about the readings for Sunday’s Mass every week. More resources from Theresa can be found at Teachers Pay Teachers website. Click on image/text to download entire bulletin for your children.
Society of Christian Doctrine
Speak, Lord — Sunday Worksheet
SDC is a society of lay catechists that started in Malta in 1907. Worksheets can be downloaded and printed for use during Sunday Mass or handed out to children at school prior to the weekend. They are also used by parents who download them to use with their children at home.
DIOCESE OF SALFORD
Wordsearch
Feel free to copy and paste it into your parish publications.
Clipart © McCrimmons used with permission. All rights reserved; Text © 2018 Diocese of Salford Office for Liturgy
CATHOLIC MOM
Gospel Reading, Sunday Coloring Page,Lesson Plans, Mass Worksheets, Crossword Puzzle, Word Search
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
30th Sunday of Year B
FEATURED VIDEO
A Puppet Story for Kids
ST AUGUSTINE EVANGELICAL BIBLE CHURCH (15:23)
VIRTUAL SUNDAY SCHOOL
Blind Bartimaeus
GRACE POINT CHURCH (10:12) – Today’s lesson is about how Jesus showed his power by healing a blind man. Don’t miss the craft time with Dr. Carlson!
OUR SUNDAY VISITOR
Family Activities
Choose one of the following activities as a way to further reflect on the Sunday readings:
- In today’s Gospel, blind Bartimaeus is healed. Take a walk outside with your family. What do you see? For what do you want to thank God?
- Think about your family. Decide how the Lord has brought strength out of a weakness in your family. Does someone in your family need special help? How has this helped to bring out the best in your family?
- Review with your family the Corporal Works of Mercy. Have them select one or two of these to carry out this week: Feed the hungry – Give drink to the thirsty – Clothe the naked – Visit the imprisoned – Shelter the homeless – Visit the sick – Bury the dead.
- What would you say if Jesus asked you, “What do you want me to do for you?”
SOURCE: Our Sunday Visitor: Lifelong Catechesis
ADORERS OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
What Do You Want of Me?
Reflection: Jesus continues to ask: “What do you want of me?” Bartimaeus is a reminder to us that each of us has a need to trust! The phrase Bartimaeus uses as his prayer is based on an ancient tradition called: The Jesus Prayer. Bartimaeus reminds us that “seeing” is more than just physical sight. Seeing is about relating to God and others with trust. In his ‘blindness’ Bartimaeus ‘sees’ an opportunity to trust in Jesus — ‘to see.’ How do we learn to trust? Just like Bartimaeus, we call out for help—to parents, siblings and teachers to guide us and help us SEE the right way, the right thing to do.
Activities: Make blindfolds. Have the children put them on one child at a time or in twos. Have a person lead them around. When we can’t SEE, we learn to trust. Sometimes, we have to trust that others know best how to keep us safe. We don’t SEE why but we must trust. We celebrate All Saints and All Souls Day. Saints and those who have died and gone before us know how to TRUST in all that God offers. Saints and those who have gone before us SEE God face to face. Growing in holiness is really trusting God and ourselves to be all we are created to be. Make a pair of glasses. Talk a little on how we have to ‘see’ things differently when we trust God, Jesus and each other. Ask: What you can practice seeing in a new way this week?
SOURCE: Children’s Liturgy
YOUNG CATHOLICS
This Week’s Resources
SOURCE: Young Catholics: Posts related to upcoming Sunday Mass readings and feast days for saints
Word Sunday
The Ability to Really See
Children’s Readings
Opening Question: What is your favorite place to be? Close you eyes and imagine that place. Describe that place. What are you doing there? (Ask for people to share).
In the story for the first reading, Sarah looked forward to visiting her Grandmother’s house, because it meant good times. Jeremiah prophesied the return of the exiles in Babylon, so they looked forward to good times.
Bridging Question: Has anyone taken you on a walk or obstacle course blindfolded? What happened?
In the story for the gospel, Tom lost his sight due to an accident. His impatience to regain his sight caused him to cry out to the Lord, just like Bartimaeus.
Closing Question: If we could see our world as God sees it, what would we learn?
Trust Walk
The story of the blind Bartimaeus parallels that of deaf man seven weeks ago. You played “Stuffed Ears” for that Sunday’s activity. Now lead your family members on a trust walk. Blindfold several family members and tie them together with a rope. Lead one around while the others follow. Take turns to allow others to lead and others to follow. (You could even set up an obstacle course!) After the game, discuss the importance of sight. Read the story of Bartimaeus. Imagine how happy he was to have his sight. Imagine how happy he was to see Jesus as he really was, God’s Son. Pray that like Bartimaeus, we, too, can see Jesus and follow him.
SOURCE: Word-Sunday.com All materials found in word-sunday.com are the property of Larry Broding (©1999-2021). Viewers may copy any material found in these pages for their personal use or for use in any non-profit ministry. Materials may not be sold or used for personal financial gain.
RECOMMENDED: Resources for Catholic Educators
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
30th Sunday of Year B
SUNDAY CONNECTION
JESUS RESTORES SIGHT TO THE BLIND MAN, BARTIMAEUS
GRADES 4-6
Materials Needed: None
- Ask: What have you asked your parents to do for you this week? (to buy a particular food at the grocery store, to help you with your homework, for permission to go to a friend’s house, and so on) If their first answer to you was no, did you ask again? Why or why not? (Accept all reasonable answers.) Sometimes we ask again, even when the answer is no. Why? (because asking works, because we know that our parents care about us and want to make us happy, and so on)
- Say: We can be very persistent with our parents, especially when we want something from them. We do this because we know how much our parents love us and they want us to be happy. In today’s Gospel, we hear how a blind man’s persistence in asking Jesus for help was rewarded.
- Invite one or more volunteers to read today’s Gospel, Mark 10:46-52.
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SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
THE LITURGY CENTRE
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
8-12 Year Olds
Suggested Beginning: A good place to begin is with the question: What did you hear? Allow children the opportunity to respond in their own words to hearing the Word of God. When each has had an opportunity to speak you might begin general discussion by building on to their responses, perhaps using some prepared questions, like the following, to stimulate ideas: Today’s Gospel is the story of the blind man whom Jesus healed. Do you have any children among your group who are visually impaired? They may be able to enrich this discussion. Alternatively, one or two children may volunteer to experience being blindfolded while you have this discussion?
- Ask the children to remember what games they have played when they have been blind folded. (blind man’s bluff; pin the tail on the donkey). Ask them to share what that experience was like for them.
- Why do you think the people told Bartimaeus to stop calling out? (He was a nuisance, he couldn’t join in, they could see that Jesus was there) Did Bartimaeus stop calling out? Why not? How did Jesus respond to Bartimaeus when he heard him calling out? How did Jesus response change the people’s attitude to Bartimaeus? What did they do now?
- How did Bartimaeus respond to Jesus’ call and the encouragement of the people around him? What gift did Jesus give to Bartimaeus? What did Bartimaeus do when his eyes were healed? Take the blindfold off the children who participated in this story and ask them what they would like to offer this discussion.
Try to lead the children to see that there are different kinds of blindness – sometimes we can see things but not understand, or we can ‘refuse’ to see some things at all (use the different ways the people behaved around Bartimaeus to help this discussion). Explain that this is a story about faith and we can ask Jesus to help us to ‘see’ how we can live the new way of life as one of his followers.
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SOURCE: the Liturgy Centre, Catholic Diocese of Auckland
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
30th Sunday of Year B
Cute simple story about an unusual friendship! Please join us for a dramatic read of Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry read by Miss Jill.
Stick and Stone
Stick and Stone is a simply written story that talks about bullying and that shows how a true friend is called to be a source of hope in the midst of distress. Given the current challenges that bullying pose to children, this book offers a way to think about and deal with bullying. When Stick rescues Stone from a prickly situation with Pinecone, the pair become fast friends. As the story progresses, themes of friendship, kindness, and hope are seen through friends that are able to support each other.
Virtue of the Week
Hope
Our human compassion binds us one to the other—not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future. -Nelson Mandela
Reading I: Jeremiah 31:7-9
This passage from the prophet Jeremiah speaks about the restoration of God’s people in a future of renewed life. It is a message of hope in the midst of the final dissolution of the kingdom of Judah. Jeremiah proclaims that beyond destruction and exile lies a recreated people. As other prophets have also said, in God’s future age of salvation, peace and hope will reign.
Reading 2: Hebrews 5:1-6
The writer of the Book of Hebrews speaks of Jesus as the perfect mediator between humanity and God. Jesus, having known human trial and weakness through his own experiences, wishes to bring hope to all. Called by the Father to do so, Jesus brings all of humanity with him to the Father for healing and restoration. Christ continues to encourage us as the mediator between us and God, and in doing so, fills all people with hope.
Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
When listening to Saint Mark’s Gospel, it is important to remember that it is written for a community that is undergoing great confusion, loss, and persecution. Because of this, Jesus is emphasized as the Messiah, the ultimate hope, who will bring God’s final rule to the people. This healing account, like so many other miracles in the Gospels, serves to demonstrate and emphasize that the Kingdom of God has truly begun in Jesus. It is through him that God overcomes the evil of every illness and all suffering. Jesus is God’s revelation of a hope for a people who are in great turmoil. This Jesus is also our hope when we are struggling with our own trials.
SOURCE: Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University; “Build. Plant. Grow.” = a free faith formation resource which aligns with the Liturgical Year of the Roman Catholic Church. The accompanying video is NOT associated with Markkula Center.
ACTIVITY of the Week
Hanging Onto Hope, Saying Good-Bye to Bullying
Step One: Write the following two statements on the board: Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me! Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can really hurt me! Invite the students to read and think about each of the statements. Ask them which one of the two is truer.
Step Two: Ask the students to think about what it was like when someone called them a name or said something unkind to them, or about them.
Step Three: As the teacher, you might wish to share with the students a story that illustrates the hurt that you may have experienced because of someone’s unkindness.
Step Four: Give each student a light gray paper “stone” on which they can write a behavior that could hurt someone or make them feel bad. They could also draw on the stone instead of write.
Step Five: Have the students crumple up the gray stone and then try to smooth it out again. Explain to the students that once something hurtful has been said, it is hard for it to be forgotten.
Step Six: Have each of the students speak about the hurt that they put on their stone and ask the class to think about how they can bring hope for the person who has been hurt. Create a class list of ideas of how to prevent bullying and bring hope to all students.
SOURCE: Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University; “Build. Plant. Grow.” = a free faith formation resource which aligns with the Liturgical Year of the Roman Catholic Church. The accompanying video is NOT associated with Markkula Center.
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
