The Kids Bulletin: -Palm Sunday – The Passion of Our Lord

Children, Jesus says If we have faith in Jesus and follow his way of love, we will also be with him in paradise.

Gospel Reading Matthew 26:14—27:66 Jesus is crucified, and his body is placed in the tomb. (shorter form: Matthew 27:11-54)

Holy Week is a time for prayerful meditation on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us when he accepted the cross. Throughout this week, we remember that Jesus was obedient even unto death so that our sins would be forgiven.

This week we celebrate Holy Week. This is the holiest week in the Church year because during this week we remember Jesus’ death on the cross for our salvation. On Palm Sunday we hear two Gospel readings. The first Gospel tells us how Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was greeted by the crowds who shouted praise to God because they thought Jesus was coming to save them from their political oppressors.

In the second Gospel reading for this Sunday, which is also called Passion Sunday, we hear the details about Jesus’ passion and death on the cross. This year, we read the passion from Luke’s Gospel. Unique to Luke’s Gospel is the detail about the words spoken by Jesus and the two criminals who were crucified with him. Let’s prayerfully listen to a portion of this Gospel.

Before Jesus died on the cross, he promised the good thief that he would be with him in paradise. Through his death on the cross, Jesus prepares a place in paradise for all of us. From the cross, Jesus speaks words of forgiveness and promises that the good thief will be with him in paradise.

What did the first man say to Jesus? (He taunted Jesus along with the crowd.) What did the second man do? (He defended Jesus against the first thief, and then he asked Jesus to remember him.) What did Jesus say in response? (“Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”)

Jesus’ words were addressed to the second criminal. But these words are also spoken to us. If we have faith in Jesus and follow his way of love, we will also be with him in paradise. Jesus died for our sins and prepared the way for us to share eternal life with God in heaven.

Andrew Olive, Headteacher

Closing prayer: Pray together “Jesus , please remember me when you come into Your kingdom”. Amen

(Father Marcin and I have agreed that it would be good if the parish knew a little more about what is happening in school and the school community had the benefit of Fr Marcin’s thoughts on the week’s Gospel:)

 Read today’s Readings here

Setting the Scene

This week’s suggestions assume that the children have been present with the rest of the assembly for the procession with palms. If that is not the case in your parish, add the reading of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to the gospel and activity below. For the activity, you will need a large crucifix, preferably one with a corpus of a crucified Christ (i.e. not a risen one) on it.

We Say Sorry

Lord, you give yourself for us on the cross, Lord have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.

You promise us healing and forgiveness, Christ have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.

You lead us to new life, Lord have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.

We Pray (1)

Almighty God, you gave us Jesus to save us from all our wrongs. He did what you asked of him, even when it was extremely difficult. Help us to always follow Jesus’ example. Amen.

Gospel Intro

Remind the children that this week, starting with today, Passion (Palm) Sunday, we celebrate the most important week that there ever was. We heard in the procession with palms the events at the beginning of that week—see if anyone remembers what the crowds were shouting as Jesus entered into Jerusalem then. The gospel reading we will hear now tells us that people didn’t stay in their rejoicing mood for very long.

Gospel Acclamation Gospel Matthew 27:11-54

Reflecting on the Reading with Children

Orchestrate a conversation similar to the following with the children. You may want to illustrate it with props or simple drawings. ‘This is a very sad-sounding reading we have heard today. But let’s think back even further in time to see how things got to be to that situation.

• Way back in the beginning, before there was anything else, what was there? [God.]
• And then God spoke, and what did God make? [The world, plants, animals, and PEOPLE!]
• God and people were good friends then, but the people messed up and broke their friendship with God because they thought they knew better than God about how to do things. But did they? Did they make themselves very happy? [No!]
• God wanted the people to be happy, though. Even though they had turned away, God didn’t abandon them. God gave Moses some important rules for people to follow to help them be closer to God. Prophets were sent by God to tell people to turn their lives around when they forgot to follow God’s ways. 2000 years ago or so, people who believed in God were living difficult lives, and they were expecting a Messiah, a King like King David, to come and make their lives easier.

When Jesus came to Jerusalem, they thought he was the king they had been waiting for. Were they right? [Yes… and no…]

• But Jesus wasn’t going to kick out the Romans and the other people living in the area, because what the people who believed in God didn’t know was that God loves ALL people and wants ALL people to be happy, not just those who had believed already. So when Jesus didn’t kick out the Romans and the other people who believed in God, the people who started the week shouting ‘Hosanna!’ started shouting something else.

What did they shout instead? [Crucify him!]

• It’s a bit peculiar how the people we can be the happiest, loveliest with are also the people we can be the most horrible to as well. And when people were the most horrible to Jesus, when ordinary people like you and me crucified Jesus, it was Jesus’ chance to show how much he loved the world— not just the important people or the in-charge people, but the ordinary people like you and me. Jesus’ crucifixion shows that we are forgiven for anything we may do, even if it is really awful, and challenges us to be forgiving to other people as well.

• It WAS a really terrible thing to happen—but it was also a really TERRIFIC thing to happen, because the story does not end with Jesus’ crucifixion. What will we celebrate when we gather next Sunday?

[Easter, Jesus’ Resurrection]

Response

Allow the children to come up close to the crucifix (if your group is very large, take it in turns of a few at a time) and think/pray in their hearts about someone they have been upset with that they need to forgive, and something they may need to say sorry for.

We Believe

Relating to the creed what you have shared with the children, ask this series of questions and invite the children to reply, ‘I do.’

• Do you believe in God, the Father, who created the world to be a good place?
• Do you believe in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to save the world?
• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit who inspires people today?

We Pray (2)

Again, try to relate the bidding prayers to the reading by saying, ‘Jesus has opened the way for us to God, and so we pray…’

We pray for people in those parts of the world where it is still dangerous to be a Christian. Lord in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

We pray for good weather for growing crops all over the world. Lord in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

We pray for people who live in and near Jerusalem, that there may be an end to fighting and fear in that part of the world. Lord in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

We pray for all people preparing to be baptised, especially those in our Church. Lord in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

God, help us in this Holy Week to turn our attention in love to those around us. We make all our prayers through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village facing you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her: untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, “The Lord has need of them,” and he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘Tell the daughter of Sion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass.’

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.’ The following are the readings at the Mass itself:

(Click to read the Gospel for Palm Sunday) – Gospel: Matthew 26:14-27:66 The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew 
Key: N. Narrator. ✠ Jesus. O. Other single speaker. C. Crowd, or more than one speaker.

Family Connection

Palm, or Passion, Sunday begins the most sacred week of the Church year—Holy Week. During these days, we prepare ourselves for Easter by prayerful reflection upon the events of Jesus’ Passion and death. You might display a crucifix in a prominent place this week, as reminder of the salvation Christ won for us. The crucifix can also be the focal point for family prayer during Holy Week.

Because of the length and complexity of the Passion narrative, young children have difficulty remaining attentive when it is proclaimed in its entirety. Families can choose to read a portion of this Sunday’s Gospel each day of Holy Week, providing ample opportunity for children to ask questions and respond to the events described there. In this way, the entire week can become a “way of the cross.”

Each day during Holy Week, the family can gather in a prayerful space with a crucifix as the focal point. The Passion as found in Matthew’s Gospel might be read as follows throughout the week:

Sunday of the Passion or Palm Sunday

Jesus Rides into Jerusalem as a King And, a Week Later, Walks to a Humiliating Death
The last week of Jesus’ life was crammed with events, as we follow him from his glorious entry into Jerusalem on Sunday until his death on Friday. In the days in between, he preached, taught, presided over the Passover supper, stood trial, and was condemned to death. We call this week Holy Week.

Palm Sunday On Palm Sunday we study two sets of lessons.

The first set is about Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem on a colt, fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9: 9. The people greeted him as though he were an earthly king; they were sure he would end the Roman occupation, and Jerusalem would again be a Jewish city.They shouted, “Hosanna,” which means “save us,” and comes from Psalm 118: 26.
And the second set are a detailed look at what happened in the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. We also read the Psalms which form a foundation for the events of Holy Week. The color of Palm Sunday is red.The time in the Gospel writers’ accounts may be compressed. Their story is about being overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus, not an historical account of places or dates.

Jesus Teaches and Preaches

After his warm welcome into Jerusalem, Jesus taught in the Temple for a few days. Luke places many of Jesus’ stories or parables during this time. We study many of these stories during Lent.

Jesus’ Enemies Conspire Against Him

Pontius Pilate and his soldiers went from Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast inland to Jerusalem every year for the Feast of the Passover. They were afraid that so many Jews gathered together from all of Palestine would start riots against the Roman government. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the council of elders, played on Pilate’s fears, because they were afraid that Jesus would start a religious revolution against them. They thought that if the people would follow Jesus’ new ways of teaching and healing, the Sanhedrin would no longer have power in the Temple.

A Woman Washes Jesus’ Feet and Dries Them with her Hair

This story is told several times, taking place in different locations. John places it firmly in Holy Week, with Mary, the sister of Martha and of Lazarus, as the woman. Mark includes the story in Holy Week, two days before the Feast of the Passover, but Mark says it took place at the home of Simon, the leper, and he does not name the woman.
Lazarus and his sisters were close personal friends of Jesus. He and his disciples stayed with them often in Bethany, and because raising Lazarus from the dead was the great miracle of Jesus that the people of Jerusalem knew about, the high priests and elders wanted to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus.

Judas Betrays Jesus

Judas told the Temple guards how to find and arrest Jesus in a quiet place at night; they were afraid there would be riots if they arrested him in the daytime in the city.
Because the Gospel writers were so angry at Judas for his participation in Jesus’ death, we do not have a clear picture of him. He was called Judas Iscariot, or Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, which may mean that his whole family belonged to a radical political group. He was chosen by Jesus to be one of the original twelve disciples. Judas was the treasurer for the disciples, even though Matthew the tax collector also knew about money and finances. And we know that Judas was so devastated by the part he played in Jesus’ death that he killed himself, either by hanging or by disembowelment in the Roman fashion (somewhat like Japanese hara-kiri).

Jesus Prepares for the Last Supper and Washes the Feet of His Disciples

Passover lasts for eight days, and the preparation for it is like the preparation for Christmas – it isn’t all done in one day. All leaven (yeast, baking powder, baking soda) must be removed from the house, and the house must be cleaned thoroughly to make sure no bread or cookie crumbs remain. Special foods are eaten for the entire eight days (no leaven is allowed back into the house), beginning with the Seder supper on the first night of Passover. In Jesus’ day, each family would sacrifice a lamb at the Temple, bringing part of the lamb home for their Seder supper.

Jesus Identifies His Betrayer

Jesus knew who would betray him to the Temple guards, but he also knew that for the prophecies to come true, he must accept what would be done to him. With no death, there could be no resurrection.

Jesus Presides over the Passover Supper

There is some disagreement between the Gospel writers on when this meal took place. For Luke, it is a true Passover meal, with the blessing of the wine before the bread. For the others it may be a pre-Passover meal with the two Jewish blessings, one for the bread and one for the wine. John’s imagery encourages us to see Jesus as the true Lamb of God, sacrificed at exactly the same time the lambs were slaughtered in the Temple for the Passover meals.Whichever meal this was, it took place during the time of the Passover, when Jews remember that God freed them from slavery in Egypt, and it is the meal where Jesus asked us to remember that he freed us from our slavery to sin. Christians participate in this meal in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

Jesus Knows Peter Will Pretend He Doesn’t Know Him

Peter of the changing enthusiasms was so sure that if Jesus died, he would die too. But Jesus knew otherwise, telling Peter that he would deny knowing him three times before the rooster crowed at sunrise the next morning.

Jesus Prays while His Disciples Sleep

Jesus knew what was in store for him that night (Thursday) and on Friday as well. So he took his disciples to a quiet place to pray, the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. The disciples fell asleep while he prayed, Luke says, “because of grief”. In their own way, they, too, were preparing for the terrible times to come.

The Temple Police Arrest Jesus

Three distinct groups of guards or soldiers play a part in this story. Both Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas had their own troops, and troops (probably Pilate’s) were garrisoned in Jerusalem, even though Pilate’s official residence was in Caesarea, on the Mediterranean coast (Jerusalem is inland.) The first troops to appear, however, are called guards or temple police. They took direction from Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest, and the Jewish council of elders. They were the guards who arrested Jesus. The Roman soldiers appeared later.

Peter Doesn’t Know Who Jesus Is

Even though Peter said he would follow Jesus to his death, before the rooster crowed at sunrise on Friday morning, Peter said three times that he did not know Jesus or any of his friends. And even though it was obvious from his accent that he was a Galilean, he said he did not come from Galilee.

Jesus Is Teased, Slapped, and Beaten

The temple guards, the followers of the Jewish council of elders, and perhaps even the elders themselves taunted and slapped Jesus after they arrested him. They finished their torment with a beating, and then took him to the house of Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest.

Jesus Stands before the Council

The Sanhedrin, or council of elders, charged Jesus with blasphemy, which means to talk to or about God with disrespect. Considering the Jewish belief in the One God, it was disrespectful of Jesus to say that he was God’s son, or to call him “Abba,” which means Daddy. The Romans believed their Emperor was a god living on earth, so they understood the Jewish belief, and in Palestine, respected it some of the time. Christians, of course, believe that Jesus was exactly right, that he was the Son of the Living God, and that he was resurrected as the second person of the Triune God as they state in the Apostles’ Creed.

Jesus Answers Pilate

Pontius Pilate was a Roman citizen, sent by the emperor of Rome to be the procurator or governor of Palestine. He had his own army and presided over his own courts of law.
Pilate was the man who called Jesus, King of the Jews.

Jesus Stands Silent before Herod

Herod Antipas was the son of King Herod the Great whom the three Wise Men visited when they were searching for the Baby Jesus. Herod Antipas had previously told his soldiers to cut off John the Baptist’s head. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because Herod was the tetrarch (or ruler of one-fourth of Palestine) of Galilee, the area in the north of Palestine where Nazareth lies, where Jesus grew up. Herod held less power and territory than Pilate, so it would be easy for Pilate to blame Herod if things went badly.

Pilate Releases an Innocent Man

Pilate believed Jesus was innocent, but because he was afraid that the crowds might riot, he allowed the Jewish court of elders to make the decision to execute Jesus. The crucifixion, however, was done by Pilate’s soldiers, because the Temple guards who reported to Caiaphas did not have the power to put anyone to death by crucifixion.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

The Roman soldiers took Jesus to their quarters and made fun of him in a “king for a day” ritual that they may have performed on Roman holidays. The soldiers crowned Jesus with thorns and put a purple cloak on him. Choosing a make-believe king and tormenting him may have been a way of letting go of their anger at cruel rulers.

Jesus Walks to His Death on Golgotha

Increasingly aware that he was fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, Jesus walked quietly to his death, after making the firm, strong speech to the crowd we find in the Luke passage. The Romans had several methods of executing criminals. Crucifixion, in which people slowly suffocated from the burden of their own weight on their chests, was both the most painful and the most humiliating. Other Roman methods of execution included garroting (strangling with a special cord or wire) or beheading (cutting off the criminal’s head with a sword). Both these methods were considered more dignified than crucifixion, as well as being much quicker and much less painful. The two criminals (or bandits) who were executed with Jesus are nameless. They may have been highway robbers: simple theft may not have been a serious enough crime to demand crucifixion as the means of death. Only in the passage in Luke do the two men enter into conversation with Jesus.

The Sky Turns Black and the Curtain Is Torn

Jesus spoke from the cross to his family and followers. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” is the first line of Psalm 22, a beautiful hymn of praise to God. His mother, Mary, and Mary Magdalene were present, as well as some other women followers.

Jesus’ last words are from Psalm 31: 5, “Into thine hand I commit my spirit.”

The Temple Guards Watch Jesus’ Tomb

The Temple guards took their position late Friday afternoon, because they were afraid that Jesus’ friends would steal his body from the grave to pretend that he had risen from the dead.

Closing prayer: Christ Jesus, fill us with your love and mercy and show us how to make a difference to the lives of our brothers and sisters around the world. Amen.