Sunday Connection

Gospel Reading
Luke 10:1-12,17-20
Jesus sends out 72 people to announce the coming kingdom.

Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3)

Materials Needed

• picture that you’ve torn into large pieces to children can help you put together, glue stick, posterboard or construction paper

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Glue one of the picture pieces to the posterboard or construction paper. Invite children to gather around and help you reconstruct the picture as you glue the pieces.
2. Say: Thank you for your help! We worked together to put the picture together.
3. Say: Jesus knew that he needed help to share his message about God’s love and forgiveness. Ask: Who helped Jesus in his mission when he was on earth? (the Twelve Apostles, or disciples)
4. Say: Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus sent 72 disciples on a mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. He sent the disciples out in pairs.
5. Read aloud Luke 10:1–12,17–20.
6. Ask: Were the disciples happy or sad when they got back from the mission? (They rejoiced; they were happy.) Say: Jesus told the disciples to rejoice or be happy. They had helped proclaim the Kingdom of God.
7. Conclude by praying together the Lord’s Prayer.

Gospel Reading
Luke 10:1-12,17-20
Jesus sends out 72 people to announce the coming kingdom.

Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6)

Children at this age get very excited about birthdays and holidays such as Christmas when they receive gifts. It's easy for them to daydream about what they want. This Sunday's Gospel challenges them to focus not on what they want but on what they need.

Materials Needed

• Small index cards
• Pens or pencils

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Ask how many of the children write out a Christmas list each year, describing what gifts they want for Christmas.

2. Distribute small index cards to the group and ask them to write out what would be on their Christmas list if they were to complete it today.

3. When they are done, invite volunteers to share their lists.

4. Say: When we think about making our Christmas lists, we usually focus on things that we want and not as much on things we need. Very few of us ask for some new socks or underwear for Christmas! In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus challenges us to recognize the difference between what we want and what we need.

5. Invite volunteers to read aloud Luke 10:1-12,17-20.

6. Ask: What did Jesus tell them they should take with them on their journey? (no money, no sack, no sandals; nothing)

7. Say: In a song made popular by Sheryl Crow, she sang the words, “It's not having what you want but wanting what you've got.” What do you think this means?

8. Explain that in this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus is telling his disciples and all of us that the only thing we really need is God's grace. Say: Although we often focus on things that we want, Jesus is telling us that all we really need for the journey is his grace and the knowledge that we are doing his work.

9. Conclude by praying the Lord's Prayer, emphasizing that when we pray for “our daily bread,” we are asking God to give us only what is necessary for our journey through life.

Gospel Reading
Luke 10:1-12,17-20
Jesus sends out 72 people to announce the coming kingdom.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)

Young people can be easily attracted by the trappings of materialism. They are the targets of major advertising campaigns. Yet, in this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus tells the 72 disciples to rely on God's grace alone.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Arrange the young people in groups of three or four. Have them imagine that they are going on a week-long camping trip. Ask them to make a list of all the things that they will need to bring with them.

2. When they are finished, ask each group to report its list to the entire group as you write them on the board.

3. As a group, decide which 10 items on the list are the most important. Then narrow it down to five.

4. Say: Sometimes we have to distinguish between what we want and what we need. In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus sends out 72 of his disciples and tells them what they need to take with them on their journey.

5. Invite volunteers to read aloud Luke 10:1-12,17-20.

6. Ask: What did Jesus tell them they should take with them on their journey? (no money, no sack, no sandals; nothing)

7. Say: In a song made popular by Sheryl Crow, she sang the words, “It's not having what you want but wanting what you've got.” What do you think this means?

8. Explain that in this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus is telling his disciples and all of us that the only thing we really need is God's grace. Say: Although the world tells us that we need many things in order to be happy, Jesus is telling us that all we need for the journey is his grace and the knowledge that we are doing his work.

9. Conclude by praying the Lord's Prayer, emphasizing that when we pray for “our daily bread,” we are asking God to give us only what is necessary for our journey through life.

Gospel Reading

Luke 10:1-12,17-20

Jesus sends out 72 people to announce the coming kingdom.

Family Connection

Families teach a sense of togetherness and community. It is in the family that we learn that we are dependent on one another and where we learn to work together and live together. In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus sends out the 72 disciples in pairs, a sign that we are to work together to serve the mission of the Kingdom of God.

Talk about all the ways that your family works together. Talk about the various chores and tasks that family members work on together to accomplish in order to keep the household running smoothly.

Read aloud Luke 10:1-12,17-20. Talk about why it was important that Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs. Discuss ways that your family can work more closely together to support one another and to make the household run more smoothly. Pray for the strength to overcome the temptation to be too individualistic and to recognize the need for working together as a family.