Lesson No. ( 48 ) Are We Ready to Go to Church? Jesus Drives the Merchants Out of the Temple

References

Mark 11.

Notes for Servants

«         But I through the abundance of thy steadfast love will enter thy house.  I will worship toward thy holy temple in the fear of thee.  When we stand in the House of God, He gives us His blessing.  Standing in the House of God is in itself a blessing.

«         Contemplate how God sends His Holy Spirit to sanctify the Holy Sacraments that are practised in the church at a time when you may be absent-minded.

«         Note that only the pious and those who repent and confess their sins are allowed to enter the church.  Sinners who enter the church will be judged for this on the Day of Judgment.

Objectives

General: Showing reverence to the House of the Lord.

Specific:

The children will be able to...

1. Learn to respect the church as the house of the Lord.
2. Practice going inside the church in proper way.
3. Stand nicely through the mass while the prayers are occuring.

Bible Verse

                              " Men ought always to pray and not lose heart."

(Luke 18:1)

                                         “Behave thyself in the house of God”

(1 Tim 3:15)

Teaching Aids

Felt figure and flannel board.

Instructions

(1) Review last week's lesson.

(2) Who remembers the verse?

(3) Remind the children about the church occasions for the coming week.

(4) Servant ask the children:  "Whose house is this church?" The Lord loves His church and His house.  Describe the church: tidy, clean and people sit calmly.

(5) Do not dictate instructions concerning how to enter the church.  The child should deduce the way from the spirit of the story or imitate the servant who is supposed to be a model.  So, encourage the whole class to attend the Holy Mass on Sunday.  Accompany them, be their model and watch them.

(6) The child should make the sign of the cross when they enter the church.

(7) The child should make room for old and sick people.

(8) Teacher should prepare the appropriate questions to emphasize the objectives during the lesson.

Story Time

Suppose that a king made a feast and invited some of his friends to come.  Is it reasonable for the guests to leave the king alone, speaking to them and they would not listen to him. That each person spoke to the other without being concerned with what the king has to say?

When the Lord Christ entered the temple, he found some merchants selling goods.  He drove them out and said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer."  God is pleased with the polite children who sit calmly in His house.  God sees you when you are in the church and wants you to pray quietly.  You will not please God if you do not do so.

You have heard the story of the angels who were pleased with the boy who sat properly in the church and performed what he was asked to do (mention this story.) The angels gave him a crown of light.  The other children did not sit quietly so the angels refused to give them the crowns of light. When they learned how to sit quietly the angels gave them the crowns of light also.

Discussion

1 - Follow up the story by talking about it with the children.

2 - Continue the discussion while they do the activity.

Learning Activities

Activity Sheet.