Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time — Year A
Theme: Love Helps Us Come Back
Gospel: Matthew 18:15–20
Main Message
Jesus teaches us to love one another properly.
If someone does something wrong, we should not be cruel, gossip about them or try to embarrass them.
We should want to help them put things right.
Jesus always wants to bring us back to God and back to one another.
1. Welcome and Gathering
Leader:
Good morning, everyone.
Today Jesus is going to teach us about something that happens to all of us.
Sometimes people do things that are wrong.
Sometimes someone hurts us.
And sometimes we are the person who has done something wrong.
What should we do?
Jesus teaches us not to give up on one another.
He wants us to tell the truth, say sorry, forgive and make peace.
Let us begin with the Sign of the Cross.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus,
thank You for bringing us together.
Help us to listen to Your Word.
Teach us to tell the truth,
to say sorry when we are wrong,
to forgive others,
and to help one another stay close to You.
Amen.
2. Opening Conversation
Ask:
Have you ever had an argument with someone?
Allow a few answers.
Ask:
What can we do after an argument?
Help the children towards:
We can say sorry.
We can forgive.
We can talk kindly.
We can try to make things right.
Then say:
Jesus does not want us to stay angry with one another.
And He does not want us to pretend that wrong things are good.
Jesus teaches us a better way.
3. Gospel — Simplified
Jesus said to His disciples:
“If your brother does something wrong, go and speak to him by yourself.
If he listens to you, you have won your brother back.
If he will not listen, ask one or two others to help.
Jesus also gave His Church authority to help people turn away from sin and come back to God.
Then Jesus made a wonderful promise:
‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Children:
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Reflection
Jesus Wants Us to Help One Another
Jesus says:
“If your brother sins, go and speak to him.”
He does not say:
“Go and tell everybody else.”
He does not say:
“Laugh at him.”
He does not say:
“Be horrible to him.”
Jesus wants us to help.
Suppose your friend was about to step into a big puddle and you could see it.
Would you warn them?
Yes!
Why?
Because you care about them.
Sometimes loving someone means helping them see that something is wrong.
Built-in Activity 1 — Helpful or Hurtful?
Tell the children:
I will say something we might do when somebody has done something wrong.
If it is helpful, put your thumbs up.
If it is hurtful, put your thumbs down.
Tell everyone about their mistake.
Down.
Speak kindly to them.
Up.
Laugh at them.
Down.
Pray for them.
Up.
Forgive them when they are sorry.
Up.
Try to make things worse.
Down.
Then say:
Jesus wants us to help people come back to what is good.
5. “You Have Gained Your Brother”
Jesus says something beautiful:
“You have gained your brother.”
Jesus does not want us simply to win an argument.
He wants us to win back a person.
Imagine two children have fallen out.
One says:
“I am never speaking to you again!”
Jesus wants something better.
He wants them to tell the truth.
To say sorry.
To forgive.
To become friends again.
That is what Jesus does for us too.
When we sin, Jesus does not stop loving us.
He calls us back.
6. The Watchman
In the First Reading, God tells Ezekiel that he is like a watchman.
Long ago, a watchman stood high on the wall of a city.
He looked far into the distance.
If he saw danger coming, he called out:
“Watch out!”
Why?
Because he wanted everyone to be safe.
Built-in Activity 2 — Be a Watchman
Ask the children to stand and pretend to look into the distance.
Say:
You can see danger coming!
What do you shout?
Children:
Watch out!
Then say:
The watchman warns people because he cares about them.
God wanted Ezekiel to help people turn away from sin and come back to Him.
7. What Is Sin?
Explain simply:
Sin means freely choosing something we know is against God’s loving law.
For example, deliberately lying, being cruel, stealing or refusing to obey God.
Sin hurts our friendship with God.
That is why Jesus does not simply tell us:
“It does not matter.”
It does matter.
But Jesus also tells us:
Come back.
That is the wonderful thing about being Catholic.
When we sin, there is a way home.
8. Jesus Forgives Us
Jesus has given His Church the Sacrament of Confession.
When we are old enough to make our First Confession, we tell our sins honestly.
We say we are sorry.
The priest gives us absolution.
And Jesus forgives us.
We do not have to hide from Jesus when we have done wrong.
We come back to Him.
Built-in Activity 3 — The Way Home
Ask the children to make a little walking motion with their fingers.
Say:
When we do wrong, do we run away from Jesus?
Children:
No!
What do we do?
Children:
Come back!
Say together:
Jesus always wants me to come back to Him.
9. Saint Paul Teaches Us About Love
Saint Paul says today:
“Love does no wrong to a neighbour.”
Real love wants what is good for another person.
Sometimes love means giving someone a cuddle.
Sometimes love means helping them.
Sometimes love means forgiving them.
And sometimes love means kindly saying:
“That was wrong.”
But we must always remember that we make mistakes too.
We should never correct someone as though we were perfect.
Only Jesus is perfect.
10. When We Are the One Who Is Wrong
Sometimes it is easy to think:
“Someone else needs to say sorry.”
But perhaps we need to say sorry.
Ask:
Is it sometimes difficult to say, “I was wrong”?
Yes.
But Jesus helps us.
A good apology can be very simple:
“I am sorry. What I did was wrong. Please forgive me.”
Built-in Activity 4 — Practise Saying Sorry
Leader:
I am sorry.
Children:
I am sorry.
Leader:
What I did was wrong.
Children:
What I did was wrong.
Leader:
Please forgive me.
Children:
Please forgive me.
Explain:
Saying sorry does not make us weak.
It helps love become strong again.
11. Jesus Is With His Church
At the end of the Gospel Jesus says:
“Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Jesus is with His people.
He is with His Church.
And when we return to Mass, Jesus will be with us in an even more wonderful way.
He speaks to us in His Word.
And in the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
Jesus wants to gather us together around Himself.
12. Living the Gospel This Week
This week, remember:
If you do something wrong, say sorry.
If someone is sorry, try to forgive.
If you are angry, do not gossip.
If someone needs help, help them kindly.
And every day, ask Jesus:
“Help me to love people the way You love them.”
13. Quiet Prayer
Ask the children to become still.
Leader:
Close your eyes.
Think about Jesus.
Maybe there is someone you need to forgive.
Maybe you need to say sorry to someone.
Maybe you simply want Jesus to help you be kinder.
Say quietly in your heart:
Jesus, help me to love.
Pause.
Jesus, help me to forgive.
Pause.
Jesus, help me to say sorry.
Pause.
Jesus, keep me close to You.
Amen.
14. Children’s Intercessions
Leader:
Jesus promises to be with us when we gather in His name. Let us pray together.
For the Church, that she may help everyone know and love Jesus.
Lord, hear us.
For Pope Leo, Bishop Patrick, our priests and deacons, that Jesus may help them teach us His truth.
Lord, hear us.
For our families, that we may love, forgive and help one another.
Lord, hear us.
For children who are lonely, frightened or unhappy, that they may find someone kind to help them.
Lord, hear us.
For anyone who has gone far away from God, that Jesus may help them come home.
Lord, hear us.
For people who are sick or sad, that Jesus may comfort them.
Lord, hear us.
For those who have died, that God may bring them safely to Heaven.
Lord, hear us.
Let us ask Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, to pray with us:
Hail Mary…
15. Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus,
thank You for always loving us.
When we do wrong,
help us to come back to You.
When someone hurts us,
help us to forgive.
Help us to tell the truth kindly
and to help one another do what is good.
Keep our families and our parish close to You,
and one day bring us all safely home to Heaven.
Amen.
16. Sending Back
Today Jesus taught us:
Do not give up on one another.
Tell the truth with love.
Say sorry.
Forgive.
Help one another come back to Jesus.
And remember His wonderful promise:
“Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
As we return to Mass, let us remember that Jesus is with us.
Let us go back quietly and listen carefully.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Additional Optional Activities
1. Come Back to Jesus
Draw a simple path leading towards a cross or church.
Let the children walk their fingers along the path while saying:
“Jesus, I am coming back to You.”
2. Forgiveness Heart
Draw a large heart.
Inside write:
SORRY
FORGIVE
LOVE
Explain:
These are three important words Jesus wants us to learn.
3. Watchman Game
One child pretends to be the watchman.
When the leader says, “Danger!”, the watchman calls:
“Watch out!”
Then remind them:
A good watchman warns people because he cares.
4. True or False?
Jesus wants us to gossip.
False.
Jesus wants us to forgive.
True.
Jesus forgives our sins.
True.
We never have to say sorry.
False.
Jesus is with His Church.
True.
5. Memory Line
Repeat together three times:
“Jesus, help me to love and forgive.”
For older children:
“If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”
6. Draw the Gospel
Ask the children to draw two people making peace.
Underneath write:
Jesus helps us come back together.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 