Sunday Connection

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

Gospel Reading
Matthew 7:21-27
Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock.

Younger children can learn about trust and resilience when we teach them that their faith in God can help them through good times and difficult times.

Materials Needed

• none

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Invite children to stand up and imagine they are a huge storm. Tell them to move around and make noises to show they are rain and wind.

2. After a few moments, have children sit down. Say: Storms have a lot of energy to them, don’t they? They could knock down anything that isn’t firmly planted in the ground.

3. Then say: People often refer to hard times in their lives as stormy times. Can you think of examples of stormy times? (feeling sad, someone being sick, having a hard time at school) Say: Jesus tells us about going through stormy times.

4. Read aloud Matthew 7:21–27.

5. Say: Jesus tells us how we can get through stormy or difficult times. If we have faith in God and follow Jesus, we are like the wise man who built his house on solid rock. We know God is with us in good times and in hard times. We trust that God will help us get to better days.

6. Say: Take a moment to think of a time when your faith in Jesus helped you through a hard time. Jesus is always with us to give strength and courage.

7. Close by praying, Jesus, you are with us. We have faith in the Father, and we follow you in sunny times and in stormy times. Then pray the Glory Be to the Father.

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

Gospel Reading
Matthew 7:21-27
Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock.

Children at this age love stories and can easily recall stories read to them by their parents when they were even younger. Use this love of stories to invite the children to see how Jesus told stories to engage others with the Gospel message.

Materials Needed

• Familiarize yourself with the fable “The Three Little Pigs”

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Ask the children to recall the fable “The Three Little Pigs.”

2. Invite a volunteer to retell the story from memory.

3. Say: This story uses simple imagery to teach an important lesson about life. Jesus also used simple imagery to teach people. In this Sunday's Gospel, we will hear a passage that sounds a little like the fable we just talked about.

4. Invite volunteers to read aloud Matthew 7:21-27.

5. Ask the children to share what they think Jesus is teaching us in this passage. Ask: What does it mean when we say that sometimes we encounter storms in our lives? (we face difficult times).

6. Help the children to understand that we need a firm foundation to guide us and to keep us strong during difficult times in our lives: sickness, death, divorce, sadness, and so on.

7. Conclude by inviting the children to share any difficult situations that they or family or friends may be facing for which prayers are in order.

8. Gather all of these intentions and invite the children to pray an Act of Faith, expressing confidence in God as the foundation of our lives.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)

Gospel Reading
Matthew 7:21-27
Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock.

By seventh and eighth grade young people will have learned about God's Old Testament teachings and the new law proclaimed by Jesus. Since the Easter season has just ended, they should remember how some Jewish leaders questioned Jesus' teaching regarding God's Word and how Jesus talked of his being the fulfillment of God's Word.

Materials Needed

• Strips of cloth or wide ribbon for each young person in the group
• Markers or paint pens

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Say: From earliest times, God has asked us to follow his commands. In Jewish tradition, “keeping the Word of God always before one” takes a literal form. Some Jews wear small boxes on their foreheads that contain words of sacred Scripture.

2. Ask the young people to think about the different commands of God and the teachings of Jesus. Discuss some of these with the young people. If they can't think of any on their own, remind them about the parable of the Good Samaritan or the parable of the prodigal son. Review the Gospel stories proclaimed from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

3. Give the young people a few minutes of quiet time to think about which of God's words speak most directly to their heart.

4. Hand out the fabric strips and writing materials. Instruct the young people to write their words or phrases on them.

5. Ask a volunteer to read the first reading, Deuterononmy 11:18, 26-28, 32. Then ask another volunteer to read the Gospel, Matthew 7:21-27.

6. Ask: What is God telling us about keeping the Word in both of this Sunday's readings?

7. Ask: How can you build your life on solid ground? (Allow time for discussion.)

8. Invite the young people to carry the Scripture they have written with them throughout the week. They can tie the cloths around their wrists, or use them as bookmarks.

9. Tell the young people to report back next week on how it felt to be surrounded by God's Word.

Family Connection

All families go through difficult times. Tell your children about some of the difficult times that you have gone through in your life. Tell stories about difficult times that other relatives, especially your parents, have gone through in their lives. As a family, think of the most difficult situations that you faced together: a sickness, the loss of a loved one, difficulties in school, loss of employment, and so on. Explain that we sometimes refer to these difficult moments in life as “storms.” Point out that in this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus talks about rain, floods, and wind—all characteristics of storms—and how we can stand firm in the face of them. Read aloud Matthew 7:21-27. Talk about what it means for you to build your house on solid rock. Share some examples of how your faith helped you to get through difficult situations. Help your children to see how their faith has already helped them to get through some difficult situations. Conclude this time together by praying aloud an Act of Faith, asking that you remain strong in your relationship with Jesus.