Palm Sunday
Children’s Resource
Palm Sunday is the last Sunday of Lent.
It is also the beginning of Holy Week.
The Priest usually wears the colour red.
On Palm Sunday we celebrate the Lords arrival into Jerusalem on a donkey. Many people gathered to welcome Jesus and they shouted in great joy “Praise” or “Hosanna”, and they threw down their coats and palm branches in front of Him.
Start your prayer by creating a sacred space, you will need:
A Purple cloth or scarf
A cross or crucifix
A candle (real or battery)
A bible or prayer book
We begin our prayer by blessing ourselves;
+ In the name of the Father,
and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit.
Amen
Pray the sorry prayer
Oh my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins, for not loving others
And not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again amen.
Jesus arrives in Jerusalem
Activity
Ask the Children to create the scene, when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on a donkey.
You will need:
1. You will need to make the palm branches; children can draw around their hand for the palm leaf and add a lollypop stick for the branch.
2. Use a scarf of a piece of material to make a road/ pathway.
3. Draw a donkey and cut it out on card (free templates can be found on “pinterest.ie”)
4. Draw an image of Jesus on card and cut it out.
Children’s version of the Gospel for Palm Sunday.
Listen to God’s Word
Palm Sunday (Year A) Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11
[Note: On Palm Sunday there is usually a blessing of the palms and a procession at the start of Mass. The children may be encouraged to take part in this before going off to children’s liturgy, so it may be that this first gospel reading is heard in church.]
As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. There Jesus sent two of the disciples on ahead with these instructions: “Go to the village there ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied up with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to me. And if anyone says anything, tell him, ‘The Master needs them’; and then he will let them go at once.”
This happened in order to make what the prophet had said come true:
“Tell the city of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you!
He is humble and rides on a donkey
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
So the disciples went and did what Jesus had told them to do: they brought the donkey and the colt, threw their cloaks over them, and Jesus got on. A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds walking in front of Jesus and those walking behind began to shout, “Praise to David's Son! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise be to God!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into an uproar. “Who is he?” the people asked.
“This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee,” the crowds answered.
(Gospel passage taken from Good News Translation® and used with permission, see details below*)
The Gospel of the Lord.
Intercessory Prayers for Children:
God our Father, as we begin our journey into Holy Week, we ask you to pour out your grace and blessings upon us all.
Lord hear us.
Lord graciously hear us.
2. God our Father, we pray for all those who have died recently in our community, we pray also for our deceased family and friends.
Lord hear us.
Lord graciously hear us.
3. God our Father, we pray for all who look after the sick and the dying, we remember especially the health care workers, priests, doctors and nurses.
Lord hear us.
Lord graciously hear us.
4. God our Father, we pray for peace in our world, country, homes and hearts. We pray especially for all the innocent people caught up in war within their countries.
Lord hear us.
Lord graciously hear us.
5. God our Father, we pray for our church and its leaders, we pray especially for Pope Francis, Archbishop Eamon, Bishop Michael and all our Priests and Deacons.
Lord hear us.
Lord graciously hear us.
6. Ask the children to pray for their own special intentions
Lord hear us.
Lord graciously hear us.
Let us pray, the prayer that Jesus taught us.
Our Father……