Sunday Connection

Gospel Reading
Matthew 16:13-20
Simon Peter acknowledges Jesus as the Christ and is given the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3)

Teach younger children that the Church is built on the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Materials Needed

• toy building made out of blocks or craft sticks, a small tub of water, a box of sand (or other unstable surface), and a hard surface, like a desk or table

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Say: We call the lowest part of a building the foundation. Show children the building. Say: Let’s look for a strong foundation for our building. Invite volunteers to try the water, sand, and other surfaces in the room. Ask: Which surfaces provide a strong foundation for the building? (hard, flat, stable surfaces)
2. Say: We want a strong, stable foundation for our buildings. Jesus’ Church is built on a strong foundation too.
3. Read today’s Gospel, Matthew 16:13–20.
4. Say: Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Ask: Who answered Jesus? (Peter) Say: God helped Peter see that Jesus is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. Jesus said that Peter will be the rock on which he will build his Church. Rock is a strong solid foundation. Peter was a rock because he had faith in Jesus. The foundation of our Church community around the world is our faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus continues to build his Church with people like Peter who love and have faith in him. We can be part of the Church’s strong foundation because we love and have faith in Jesus Christ.
5. Let’s take a few moments to tell Jesus in the quiet of our hearts that we love him and believe in him and will help build his Church by doing good deeds. Give children time to pray. Then pray together the Lord’s Prayer.

Gospel Reading
Matthew 16:13-20
Simon Peter acknowledges Jesus as the Christ and is given the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6)

Young people are beginning to appreciate the importance of good leadership in community life. In Peter, we see an example of how good Christian leaders are grounded by their faith in Jesus.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Ask: Who are some leaders in our Church today? Why is it important for our Church to have good leaders? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

2. Say: In today’s Gospel reading we hear a conversation between Jesus and his disciples. One disciple is singled out in this conversation and given a leadership role in the Church. Let’s listen carefully to see who this person is and what happens.

3. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud today’s Gospel, Matthew 16:13-20.

4. Ask: What question did Jesus ask his disciples? (What are people saying about me?) What answers do the disciples give? (John the Baptist, Elijah, the prophets) And then what does Jesus ask? (He asks for his disciples’ opinion.) Who speaks for the disciples? (Peter)

5. Say: In this Gospel, Jesus recognizes the disciple Peter as an important leader because Peter professes his belief that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus commends Peter for this, not because he came to this belief on his own, but because God allowed Peter to recognize Jesus as his only Son.

6. Say: Peter played an important role in the early Christian community and helped to build the Church. This was a role given to him by God. We continue to honor Peter and those who have followed him as leaders in the Church. Today we recognize and honor the pope as Peter’s successor. Like Peter, the pope reminds us that we are a people united in the faith that Jesus is God’s Son.

7. Conclude in prayer together for the pope and all of the leaders of the Church. Pray together prayers of petition for Church leaders and conclude with today’s responsorial psalm.

Gospel Reading
Matthew 16:13-20
Simon Peter acknowledges Jesus as the Christ and is given the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)

Young people at this age are fond of giving one another nicknames that capture personal characteristics. Jesus, in a sense, gives Simon a nickname—“Peter”—which means “rock.”

Materials Needed

• Use an Internet search engine or other resource to find the meaning of the names of the young people in your group. Write each name and its meaning on a strip of paper.

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Tell the young people that you have researched the meaning of each of their names and hand out the prepared slips of paper.

2. Ask: How does the meaning of your name describe you? Is it an accurate description? Discuss.

3. Say: Sometimes, we make up nicknames for people that describe something about them. Ask if any of the young people go by nicknames or have family members who do. (Avoid asking if friends have nicknames because some of the nicknames given to “friends” are uncomplimentary.)

4. Say: In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives a nickname to his disciple Simon.

5. Have a volunteer read aloud this Sunday’s Gospel, Matthew 16:13-20.

6. Say: Jesus believed that his Father gave Simon the insight to recognize Jesus’ true identity. So, he renamed Simon, “Peter,” which means “rock.” Why do you think Jesus chose that name? (Peter had a strong personality; Peter would be a strong foundation for the Church.)

7. Say: Choose for yourselves a name that you think Jesus might give you if he was describing your strengths as a disciple. It doesn’t need to be a conventional or common name. What name would you choose and why? Discuss.

8. Say: Names are important. They tell us something about the person. When we pray the Sign of the Cross, we call on the names of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let’s conclude by slowly praying the Sign of the Cross.

9. Lead the young people in praying aloud the Sign of the Cross.

Gospel Reading
Matthew 16:13-20
Simon Peter acknowledges Jesus as the Christ and is given the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Family Connection

Today’s Gospel reminds us that the Church is built on the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. Peter announces the core of our faith, that Jesus is God’s only Son. The family, as the domestic church, has this same faith as its foundation.

As you gather together as a family, talk about people whose faith has helped you to be a member of the Church and talk about what you have learned from leaders in our Church today. Read together today’s Gospel, Matthew 16:13-20. Talk about what you know about Peter and his importance to the early Christian community. Talk about what we can learn from Peter and his profession of faith about Jesus. Conclude in prayer together by praying today’s Psalm or an Act of Faith.