Just Teach Sheets – Children November Week 4 2025

Parent/Guardian/Catechist

November Week 4 (2025)
Theme: The Mass & the Eucharist
Focus: The Mass Is Our Thanksgiving to God
Audience: Children (Ages 7+, First Holy Communion Prep)

Weekly Goal

The child learns that the Mass means “thanksgiving” — it’s how we say thank You to God for His love, His blessings, and especially for Jesus’ gift of Himself in the Eucharist.
They begin to understand that attending Mass isn’t a duty, but an act of love and gratitude.

What You’ll Need

This sheet

A children’s Bible

Paper and colours or crayons

A small space for prayer

Opening Prayer (Say Daily)

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for giving us the Mass.
Thank You for loving us and giving us Your Body and Blood.
Help me to come to Mass with a happy and thankful heart.
Amen.

Day 1 – What Does “Mass” Mean?

Say aloud:
The word Mass comes from Missa, which means “sending.”
But the Mass is also called the Eucharist — and that word means “thanksgiving.”
At every Mass, we thank God for everything: for creating us, loving us, and saving us through Jesus.

Psalm 100:4 – “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise.”

Mini Homily Reflection:
When we say thank you, we make someone’s heart happy. The Mass is our big “thank You” to God.

Ask:

What’s something you want to thank God for today?

Why do you think Jesus wants us to give thanks?

Practice:
Before meals this week, pause and say:

“Thank You, Jesus, for this food and for loving me.”

Day 2 – Giving Thanks at Mass

Say aloud:
At Mass, we bring our thanks to God.
The priest says, “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God,” and everyone replies, “It is right and just!”
That means it’s always the right time to thank God.

Luke 22:19 – “He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, saying, ‘This is My Body.’”

️Mini Homily Reflection:
When Jesus gave thanks at the Last Supper, He showed us how to love — by giving Himself.
When we thank God at Mass, we join Jesus’ perfect thanksgiving.

Ask:

What do you hear at Mass that reminds you to thank God?

Can you name one thing you want to thank Him for this Sunday?

Practice:
At Mass this week, listen for the word thank or thanks — count how many times you hear it!

Day 3 – Offering Our Gifts

Say aloud:
At Mass, we offer gifts — bread, wine, and money — but also our hearts and lives.
When the priest lifts the gifts, we can silently say:

“Jesus, I give You my heart too.”

Romans 12:1 – “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”

Mini Homily Reflection:
The gifts on the altar become Jesus’ Body and Blood.
When we offer ourselves, He changes us too — to be more loving, more thankful, and more like Him.

Ask:

What can you offer Jesus this week? (e.g., kindness, patience, sharing)

How can you show thanks in your daily life?

Practice:
Draw a picture of something you want to offer to God — maybe a good deed or a prayer.

Day 4 – The Great Thanksgiving Prayer

Say aloud:
The biggest prayer at Mass is called the Eucharistic Prayer.
This is when the priest gives thanks and the bread and wine become Jesus.
It’s the holiest moment of the Mass.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

Mini Homily Reflection:
Even when life is hard, we can thank God because Jesus never leaves us.
Thanksgiving changes our hearts — it helps us see God’s love everywhere.

Ask:

What are three things you can thank God for today?

Can we still thank God when we’re sad or worried?

Practice:
Each night this week, thank God for one big thing and one small thing.

Day 5 – Sent Out to Live Thankfully

Say aloud:
At the end of Mass, the priest says, “Go forth, the Mass is ended.”
That means we’re sent out to live what we celebrated — to bring God’s love into the world.

Colossians 3:17 – “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God.”

Mini Homily Reflection:
When we live with thankful hearts, we spread joy.
The best way to say thank You to God is to share His love with others.

Ask:

Who can I thank this week to show God’s love?

How can my family make Sunday Mass a time of joy and gratitude?

Practice:
Make a family “thankful list” this weekend — and say it together before Sunday Mass.

Weekend Wrap-Up – What We Learned

The Mass is our great thanksgiving to God.

“Eucharist” means thanksgiving.

We bring our gifts and thanks to the altar.

Gratitude makes our hearts more like Jesus’.

We’re sent out from Mass to live thankfully every day.

Reflection prompts:

“I thank Jesus most for…”

“At Mass, I feel thankful because…”

Prayer Prompt or Journal Space

“Dear Jesus, thank You for the gift of Mass. Help me to come with joy and to live each day saying, ‘Thank You, Lord!’”

Encourage the child to draw themselves at Mass, smiling and praying with hands folded, while Jesus smiles from the altar.

Apologetics for Parents

Q: Why call it “Eucharist” instead of just “Mass”?
→ “Eucharist” means thanksgiving — it reminds us what Mass really is: our act of thanks to God through Jesus.

Q: Why must children go to Mass every Sunday?
→ Because the Mass is God’s invitation to His table — we come to receive His love and give our thanks.

Q: How can I help my child love Mass more?
→ Talk about what you’re thankful for before Mass, sit near the front, and whisper short prayers together during the Eucharistic Prayer.

Catechism Extension

CCC 1322–1332 – The Eucharist as thanksgiving.

CCC 2637–2638 – Prayer of thanksgiving.

CCC 2177 – Sunday as the day of the Eucharist.