To start of today's liturgy, [Lyse] asked the kids who had been to a wedding - to my surprise, most had! That helped me put the story of today's Gospel (the wedding at Cana) into context. Some kids remembered this story from previous years too. I read the Gospel from the Children’s Liturgy book our parish owns and showed nine pictures printed from the link below. When I got to the picture where the servants are pouring wine, I asked the kids of they noticed something different. They saw the purple liquid right away and knew that Jesus had changed it.
http://distantshores.org/resources/illustrations/sweet-publishing/john;
Pictures courtesy of: http://sweetpublishing.com
Pictures courtesy of: http://sweetpublishing.com
After the Gospel, I tried to help the kids imagine the scene more. I compared having no wine at a wedding to having no birthday cake or sweets at a party - all the kids could relate to that. It would be embarrassing to the hosts, and the guests wouldn’t be satisfied! It might not seem like a party is a big deal to God, but this is Jesus’ first miracle and it shows that He cares about all the little details of our life. Jesus didn’t just give the couple any old wine, he gave them the best wine! He’s responsible for all the good things in our lives, big and small, and he wants the best for us.
I asked if the kids ever thanked God, and most nodded. The day’s craft focused on thanking God for something he has given us.
I asked if the kids ever thanked God, and most nodded. The day’s craft focused on thanking God for something he has given us.
Instructions
On a large piece of white paper, I had drawn, coloured and cut out a jug shape (see pictures below). I also made cards that said “God has given me…” at the top (4 cards per 8.5 x 11 page). The day of, I asked the kids to draw and colour something they were thankful for on a card, giving the example of family, friends, teachers, talents, etc. As they finished, I taped their cards to the jug. After Mass, I put the jug on our Children’s Liturgy display board in the church.
If you run out of room on the jug itself, you can always hang the cards off the edges.
If you run out of room on the jug itself, you can always hang the cards off the edges.
Supplies
- scissors
- 8.5"x 11" blank white paper
- markers, crayons, pencil crayons, etc.
- clear tape
- large drawing paper
Thoughts on the Activity
I forgot to do this, but you could also talk about Mary’s role at the wedding and how we can also pray for her help. The kids might need some guidance about what to draw so they know it’s not just a random colouring time. They’ll probably focus on objects, which is fine, but the older ones can be encouraged to think of less tangible blessings. The older kids were quicker with today's activity, and were able to finish two cards.