Sunday Connection

Gospel Reading
John 17:11b-19
Jesus prays for his disciples.

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

Teach younger children that prayer helps us be closer to God and that, just as Jesus prayed for his disciples, we can pray prayers of intercession for those in need.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Say: When we love someone, we want the best for that person. We want him or her to feel loved and protected. Ask: What else might we want for the people we love? (Accept all reasonable responses.)
2. Say: Because Jesus loved his disciples, he prayed to God the Father for their protection. Listen as I read his prayer.
3. Read aloud John 17:11b–19.
4. Say: Jesus prayed for his disciples to be united with God. He also prayed that they would be protected from anything that would get in the way of their relationship with God.
5. Say: Jesus wants this for us, too. Jesus calls us to follow him to God the Father and to stay away from anything that might lead us away from God.
6. Say: God always hears our prayers. We can pray that Jesus will help us be closer to God by following his commandments and living holy lives. We can pray for our loved ones, just as Jesus prayed for the disciples. Prayers that we pray for someone else are called prayers of intercession. Let’s pray a silent prayer of intercession now. Think of someone you love and what you want for him or her. In the quiet of your heart, ask God to watch over this person and to help him or her. Allow time for children to pray.
7. Close by praying together the Lord’s Prayer.

Gospel Reading
John 17:11b-19
Jesus prays for his disciples.

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

Older children are beginning to be influenced by peer pressure and the desire to be popular. We can help them through this natural part of adolescent development by teaching them that as Christians we value friendship with God more than being popular in the eyes of the world.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Ask: What are some things that young people do to try to be popular with their peers? (wear particular clothes, imitate certain behaviors, talk in a particular way) Why do people want to be popular? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

2. Say: Many young people, and even many adults, do things to try to make themselves popular. Most people do this because they want to be liked and accepted. Jesus taught us that there is something more important than being popular. He even said that his disciples might not be very popular at all.

3. Say: In today's Gospel, Jesus prays for his disciples, but he doesn't pray that people will like them. He prays for something more important. In fact, Jesus prays for three things. Let's listen carefully to see if we can identify what Jesus asks for from God for his disciples.

4. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud today's Gospel, John 17:11b-19.

5. Ask: What three things does Jesus pray for when he prays for his disciples? (that God will keep them united as Jesus and the Father are united; that God will protect them from the evil one; that God will keep them in the truth) What does Jesus think is more important than being popular in the eyes of the world? (their unity with one another and with God, following God's truth, avoiding temptation and sin)

6. Say: Sometimes we may face a choice between something we know will make us accepted by others and something we know to be right in God's eyes. When faced with such a choice, we can pray to Jesus to help us choose what will keep us united with God and with the community of disciples, the Church.

7. Conclude in prayer together that God will continue to protect us from the things that lead us away from God and the Church. Pray together the Lord's Prayer.

Gospel Reading
John 17:11b-19
Jesus prays for his disciples.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)

Jesus prayed for his disciples, asking God to keep them united, to protect them, and to give them guidance. We follow Jesus’ example of prayer when we make known to God our specific needs.

Materials Needed

• Copies of the Prayer of the Faithful from your local parish

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Distribute copies of the Prayer of the Faithful that were prayed at Mass in your parish during the past several weeks. Have the young people work in groups of two or three to identify the types of petitions we pray in the Prayer of the Faithful (for example, for the needs of the Church, for civil authorities and the salvation of the world, for people in need, and for the local community). Ask volunteers to report on their work. Discuss the importance of bringing our needs to God in prayer.

2. Say: In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Jesus pray for his disciples. Just as we present specific needs to God when we pray, there are three specific things that Jesus asks of God for his disciples. Let’s listen carefully to see if we can identify these three things.

3. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud this Sunday’s Gospel, John 17:11b–19.

4. Ask: What three things does Jesus pray for? (that God will keep his disciples united as Jesus and the Father are united as one; that God will protect them from the evil one; that God will keep them in the truth)

5. Say: In his prayer, Jesus asks God for what his disciples will need. When Jesus prayed for his disciples, he was praying for us as well. Jesus wants us to be united with one another and with God. He knew that we would need God’s protection, and he knew that we would also need God’s guidance. We know that God heard Jesus’ prayer. He hears our prayers too. When we present our needs to God, we follow Jesus’ example of prayer.

6. Invite the young people to write three prayers of petition based on Jesus’ prayer for his disciples: one for a situation where people need greater unity; one for a situation where a person needs God’s protection; and one for a situation where a person needs God’s guidance.

7. Conclude by inviting volunteers to offer their prayers of petition and leading all to respond “Lord, hear our prayer.” Then pray together the Lord’s Prayer or the psalm for this Sunday, Psalm 103.

Gospel Reading
John 17:11b-19
Jesus prays for his disciples.

Family Connection

One of the greatest gifts that we are given in our family life is protection from harm. Families work together to keep one another safe from physical harm. Think of the effort a family makes to childproof its home for infants and toddlers. Families also work together to protect each other from emotional harm. For example, we attend to the ways in which family members talk to one another so that we do not hurt one another's feelings by our words. Most importantly, families work together to protect each other from those things that might harm them spiritually. We shield our children from those things in our culture that might tempt them. When families work together to strengthen their sense of God and community, they build the spiritual strength to turn from those things that would lead them away from God and the Church. Jesus' prayer for his disciples can also be a prayer for family life.

Gather as a family and talk about the things that you want most for each other. Talk about the fact that as we work toward these things, we also work to protect one another from harmful things. What do you want to protect each other from? Observe that in today's Gospel, Jesus shows these same two tendencies as he prays for something he wants for his disciples and prays for their protection as well. Read together today's Gospel, John 17:11b-19. Consider what Jesus wants for his disciples and what Jesus wants to protect his disciples from. We know that when Jesus prayed for his disciples, he was praying for us as well. We pray for these things as well, for example, when we pray the Lord's Prayer. Conclude by praying together the Lord's Prayer.