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Palm Sunday - Children's Mass
Father started by addressing the congregation "If you'll excuse
me I want to talk to our seven VIP's in the front bench. They're the young
people who are preparing to receive Jesus in a few weeks time, for the
first time, in Holy Communion. I mentioned way back about two months ago
that we were to accompany them on their journey with our prayers."
Fr Harry then addressed the children. "So, just a quick report on
our progress.
If you remember, just a week yesterday (a long time that, isn't it), you
met somebody very important, didn't you? Can you remember who it was?
A little fellow he was, shinned up a tree to see Jesus." One of the
children replied "Zachaeus" Father Harry went on "Yes,
we met Zachaeus, and he wanted to see Jesus but there were lots of great
big adults were in the way, so he had to go up the tree - Jesus saw him
up there and called to him. Can you remember what happened, when he met
Jesus? He came down from the tree and Jesus said 'come on, I want to spend
some time with you'. Zachaeus threw a party for Jesus, invited all his
friends (who also were 'baddies') to have a meal with Jesus. Some of the
people listening to this didn't like it- they said, oh, shouldn't do that,
Jesus is a holy man, he shouldn't be having a meal with that crowd, they're
all 'bad' people. Can you remember what Zachaeus did?' Father Harry asked
the children? 'Zachaeus said he was going to change his life and follow
Jesus and be his friend and Jesus forgave him and welcomed him as his
friend.
Now, you did the same thing didn't you? Because with your Mums and Dads
and me, you celebrated that sacrament with the long name, RECONCILIATION.
That was a week ago, today is especially your day and for all the other
young people here because we're welcoming Jesus when he went into Jerusalem,
and you heard what happened in the gospel at the beginning of Mass. Today
is a special day and there's a second gospel which I am going to read
to you now. It's not the gospel that the grown-ups have today - that's
from St Matthew's gospel - this is your own gospel about next Thursday,
when Jesus has that special meal and gives Himself in Holy Communion,
to His friends, the disciples. The gospel I'm going to read to you is
a bit further on than that - its Maundy Thursday night, when the 'baddies'
catch up with Jesus and one of them in particular, Judas, who was a friend
of Jesus. Judas in fact betrays Jesus and does it in a horrible, horrible
way - how did he do it? - can you remember? Yes, you are right, he kisses
Jesus, who was his fiend, thats the sign that Judas gave to the others
to capture Jesus and to take Him off to His trial and then on Friday,
Good Friday, to die on Calvary. He died for you and for me because He
loves us, that's how great a friend Jesus is to us. "
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