Children’s Liturgy of the Word

Third Sunday of Easter
Theme: Jesus Walks With Us

1. Welcome & Gathering

Leader:

Today’s Gospel is about a journey.

Two friends of Jesus are walking along a road.
They are sad.
They are confused.
They think everything has gone wrong.

Then Jesus comes close to them.

But they do not know it is Him.

That is what today’s Gospel is about.

Jesus walks with His people.
Jesus teaches His people.
Jesus makes Himself known.

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.

Leader:

Jesus,
stay with us.
Open our hearts.
Help us to know You
and to follow You.
Amen.

2. Introducing the Theme

Ask:

Have you ever felt sad or disappointed?
Have you ever thought something had gone wrong?
Have you ever wished someone kind would walk beside you?

That is what happens in today’s Gospel.

Two disciples are walking away,
and Jesus comes to them.

They do not know it is Him at first.

But He is with them all along.

3. Gospel (Simplified – Luke 24:13–35)

Leader:

On the same day that Jesus rose from the dead,
two of His disciples were walking to a village called Emmaus.

They were talking about everything that had happened.

They were sad and confused.

Jesus came near and walked with them.
But they did not recognise Him.

Jesus asked them what they were talking about.

They told Him that Jesus had died,
and that they had hoped He would save Israel.

Then Jesus began to explain the Scriptures to them.

Later, they came to the village.
They asked Jesus:

“Stay with us.”

So He went in with them.

When they sat down at table,
Jesus took bread,
blessed it,
broke it,
and gave it to them.

Then their eyes were opened,
and they recognised Him.

They said to each other:

“Did not our hearts burn within us
while He talked to us on the road?”

Then they got up at once
and went back to Jerusalem
to tell the others that Jesus was alive.

Leader:

The Gospel of the Lord.

Children:

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

4. Reflection

At the start of the Gospel,
the disciples are walking away.

They are sad.
They are disappointed.
They think the story is over.

But Jesus comes near.

That is very important.

Jesus does not wait for them to find Him.
He comes to them.

And sometimes that is how Jesus helps us too.

When we are sad,
when we are confused,
when we feel lost,
Jesus is still near.

Then Jesus teaches them.

He helps them understand.

And later, at the table,
He takes bread,
blesses it,
breaks it,
and gives it to them.

Then they recognise Him.

That matters too.

They recognise Jesus
in the breaking of the bread.

That helps us remember the Mass.

At Mass, Jesus speaks to us in the Scriptures,
and He gives Himself to us in the breaking of the bread.

So this Gospel is teaching us something beautiful:

Jesus walks with us.
Jesus teaches us.
Jesus feeds us.

And when Jesus comes close,
sad hearts can change.

That is why the disciples say:

“Did not our hearts burn within us?”

Their hearts were changed
because Jesus was with them.

5. Quiet Prayer

Leader:

Let us be still for a moment.

Jesus,
walk with me.

Pause.

Jesus,
teach me.

Pause.

Jesus,
stay with me.

Pause.

Jesus,
help me know You.

6. Living the Gospel This Week

Leader:

This week, we can remember this Gospel by doing simple things.

We can ask Jesus to stay with us.
We can listen carefully at Mass.
We can pray when we feel sad or confused.
We can remember that Jesus is near,
even when we do not notice Him straight away.

A good prayer this week is:

Jesus, stay with me.

7. Closing Prayer

Leader:

Jesus,
You walked with Your disciples on the road.
Walk with us too.
Teach us in Your word.
Feed us with Your life.
Help us to know You
and follow You with joy.
Amen.

8. Sending Back

Leader:

Today we have heard that Jesus walks with His people.

He comes near.
He teaches.
He stays with us.

So let us go back to Mass
and ask Him:

Stay with us, Lord.

---

Optional Activities

Use one only, or at most two short ones, so the liturgy stays clear and prayerful.

Option 1: Walking With Jesus

Best place to use: after Section 2: Introducing the Theme

Leader:

“When the disciples were sad, what were they doing?”
Children: Walking.

“Who came near them?”
Children: Jesus.

Leader:

“When I am sad…”
Children: Jesus walks with me.

“When I am confused…”
Children: Jesus walks with me.

“When I feel alone…”
Children: Jesus walks with me.

Why it works: very simple and directly tied to the Gospel.

Option 2: Stay With Us

Best place to use: after Section 4: Reflection

Leader:

“What did the disciples say to Jesus?”
Children: Stay with us.

Then say:

“When I am frightened…”
Children: Stay with us, Lord.

“When I am sad…”
Children: Stay with us, Lord.

“When I need help…”
Children: Stay with us, Lord.

“When I come to Mass…”
Children: Stay with us, Lord.

Why it works: simple, prayerful, and easy to remember.

Option 3: Hearts Burning

Best place to use: during or just after Section 4

Leader:

“The disciples said, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us?’”

Ask:

“What made their hearts glad?”
(Jesus being with them, Jesus teaching them)

Then all repeat:

Jesus, make my heart love You.

Why it works: links the Gospel to prayer and affection for Christ.

Option 4: Word and Bread

Best place to use: before Section 6: Living the Gospel This Week

Leader:

“How did Jesus help the disciples?”
Children answer:
He taught them.
He broke bread for them.

Then say:

“At Mass, Jesus does those things for us too.”

All say:

Jesus teaches us.
Jesus feeds us.

Why it works: gently links Emmaus to the Mass.

---

---