Children’s Liturgy of the Word – Fourth Sunday of Advent

Children’s Liturgy of the Word – Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Theme: Jesus Comes to Save Us

Welcome & Gathering

(Gather the children together; light the Advent candle.)

Leader:
“Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
Christmas is very close now.
But before we celebrate the birth of Jesus,
the Church wants us to remember why He came.

Jesus did not come only to be born.
He came to save us.”

Make the Sign of the Cross.

Leader:
“Lord Jesus,
You come to save us from sin
and to bring us back to God.
Help us to listen and prepare our hearts.
Amen.”

Settling the Group / Opening Question

Ask gently:

“What does it mean to save someone?”

“When might someone need help or rescuing?”

Let a few answers come.

Say:
“Sometimes people need saving from danger.
Sometimes they need saving from making bad choices.
The Bible tells us that Jesus came to save us
from the biggest danger of all — sin.”

Introducing the Gospel

Say:
“Today’s Gospel is about St Joseph.
Joseph loved God and tried to do what was right.
But something happened that was very confusing and difficult.”

Pause.

“Mary was going to have a baby —
and Joseph knew the baby was not his.
Joseph had to decide what to do.”

The Gospel (Child-Friendly – Matthew 1:18–24)

(Read slowly and clearly.)

Mary was engaged to Joseph.
Before they lived together, she was found to be with child.
Joseph was a good man.
He did not want to shame her,
so he planned to leave quietly.

But an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.
The child comes from the Holy Spirit.
You must name Him Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.”

When Joseph woke up,
he did what the angel told him.

Leader:
“The Gospel of the Lord.”
Children:
“Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.”

Explaining the Gospel

Say:
“Joseph did not understand everything.
But he trusted God enough to obey.

The angel told Joseph something very important:
the baby’s name must be Jesus.

That name means:
‘God saves.’

Jesus did not come just to be a baby in a crib.
He came to save us from sin —
from the wrong choices that hurt us and others
and separate us from God.”

Built-In Activity 1: What Gets in the Way?

Say:
“Let’s think about what sin can look like for children.”

Ask gently (no pressure to answer):

“What kinds of choices can hurt others?”

“What kinds of choices make it hard to listen to God?”

As answers come, affirm calmly.

Then say:

“These are the things Jesus comes to save us from.
He doesn’t come to tell us off —
He comes to help us start again.”

Deepening the Meaning: Emmanuel

Say:
“The Bible also gives Jesus another name: Emmanuel.”

Ask:
“Does anyone remember what Emmanuel means?”

(Help if needed.)

Say:
“It means God with us.

Jesus saves us by being close to us.
He doesn’t shout from far away.
He comes into our lives to help us change.”

Built-In Activity 2: The Clean Heart Picture

Say:
“Imagine your heart is like a room.
When it gets messy, it’s hard to live there happily.

Jesus comes to clean the room —
not to throw us out,
but to help us live well.”

Invite the children to quietly think of one thing
they would like Jesus to help them with.

No sharing required.

Joseph’s Lesson

Say:
“Joseph teaches us something very important.

He listened.
He trusted.
He obeyed.

Saving our souls does not begin with being perfect.
It begins with saying:
‘God, I will trust You.’”

Built-In Activity 3: Quiet Trust Prayer

Ask children to place a hand on their heart.

Say slowly:

“Jesus,
You came to save me.
Help me to trust You.”

Pause briefly.

Then all say together:
“Come, Lord Jesus.”

Simple Profession of Faith

Leader:
“Do you believe that Jesus came to save us from sin?”
Children: “Yes, I believe.”

“Do you believe that God is with us and helps us change?”
“Yes, I believe.”

“Do you believe the Holy Spirit helps us choose what is right?”
“Yes, I believe.”

Children’s Intercessions

Leader:
“Jesus comes to save us. Let us pray to Him.”

For the Church — that she may always teach the truth about sin and mercy.
Lord, hear us.

For families — that our homes may help children grow closer to Jesus.
Lord, hear us.

For people who feel far from God — that they may discover His love and forgiveness.
Lord, hear us.

For ourselves — that we may let Jesus save us and help us change.
Lord, hear us.

(Optional Hail Mary.)

Closing Prayer

Leader:
“Lord Jesus,
You came into the world to save us.
Help us to trust You like Joseph did.
Clean our hearts, forgive our sins,
and stay close to us always.
Amen.”

Built-In Take-Home Challenge

Say:
“This week, try one of these things:

• Say ‘sorry’ when you’ve done wrong.
• Ask Jesus for help before you make a choice.
• Say one quiet prayer each night.”

“These are small ways we let Jesus save us.”

Sending Back

Leader:
“As we go back to the big church, remember:

Jesus came to save you.
Jesus is with you.

Let’s walk back quietly
and welcome Him in our hearts.”

(Sign of the Cross; return reverently.)