• Objective:

That children discover the importance of having faith in the resurrection of Jesus and in our mission as christians.

• 1) Setting: 

Put in the wall the following words, using big letters, in a  place where everyone can see them:

peace, faith, mission, light, joy.

• 2) Greeting:

Dear children, today Jesus tells us a lot of things that are very important, and we should keep in mind those that we need to reinforce as missionary children.

• 3) Review of the commitment:

How have you done your last week’s commitment?

• 4) PRAYER:

Jesus, you want us to have peace . You know very well that there is lack of peace in many countries, in many families, in many people.

We beg that your  peace  be with all of us and with our families, with our friends and all the people we know. Amen

 

• 5)  ACTIVITY

Prepare flashcards according to the number of children with the words: life, laugh, bowing head , dance. The children are placed in a circle, and the catequist gives the flashcards to those who correspond to a specific word when naming each one, leaving a space between them to see what the others do, leaving them to act. For instance, each time they will say: in fast motion, let there be life, let there be laughter, let there be dancing, let there be bowing head, etc.  This must be done quickly and whoever takes a long time looses. (another game can be invented with these words.)

 Jesus gives us joy and we can enjoy it if we share with our friends and and those around us.

 

• 6.- GOSPEL.

Let us hear the word of Jesus in John, 20 19-31

“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on  them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

Eight days later, his disiples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut,  but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, ‘Peace be with you’. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.’ Thomas aswered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe.’

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”

• 7) Enlightenment:

We all know and beleive that Jesus resurrected. But the disciples did not understand what had happened, they doubted it. Thomas, the incredulous, did something good, thanks to him we know that Jesus was crucified with nails, because the scripture does not tell us that in any other place. Also, because Jesus pronounced those words: “Happy are those who believe without seeing” , we are fortunate because we have not seen and we believe what the disciples saw.

Today,  as missionaries, Jesus tells us something very important: that  the peace be with us and he sends us on a mission, as The Father sent him.

We have to be  peace makers , let us go to others with peace in our hearts. Because of this, a missionary child that feels that he or she has been sent by God, gives  peace and joy to those who around him.

• 8) Celebration: 

Let us end our meeting saying the Our Father and singing an Easter song. (the Easter song should be chosen before hand)

•  9) Commitment:

-Let us take in our hands the words that we have seen placed on the wall since the beginning of the reunion. Let us think about what we can  do during this week to spread the message of Easter.

-We should say out loud our Easter commitment.