Sunday Connection

Gospel Reading
John 15:1-8
Jesus teaches that he is the vine and that his disciples are the branches.

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

In the parable of the vine and the branches, Jesus teaches us about our relationship to him and to God the Father. Teach younger children that there are many ways we can stay close to Jesus.

Materials Needed

• picture printed from the internet of a vine with branches and green, healthy leaves; large sheet of construction or butcher paper, pens or markers; smaller sheets of paper and tape or glue if needed; pins or adhesive putty to hang the drawing (optional)
• On the sheet of paper, draw a long vine and one branch for each child and for you. At the top of the drawing, write “Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches.” If you have time, you might ask permission to display the finished drawing in the church hallway.

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Show children the printed picture of the vine and the branches and name each part. Say: In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about the vine and the branches to teach us about staying close to him.
2. Read aloud today’s Gospel, John 15:1–8.
3. Ask: Who is the vine? (Jesus) Who is the vine grower? (God the Father) Who are the branches? (We are.) Say: Jesus calls us to stay as close to him as branches are to a vine and to love and serve one another.
4. Show children the drawing of the vine and branches on the butcher or construction paper. Say: Let’s each write our name on one of the branches to show that we are close to Jesus. Distribute pens and markers and have children write their name. Then say: We can stay close to Jesus by praying. We can pray for Jesus’ help or thank him for something we are grateful for. Ask: What are some ways we can stay close to Jesus and love and serve one another? (Accept all reasonable responses, such as reading the Bible, going to Mass, being kind to a new student at school, helping our teacher.) Invite children to write or draw a picture of a way they can stay close to Jesus. If there isn’t enough room for all children to write and draw at the same time, have children draw on a separate sheet of paper and then tape or glue their drawing to the larger sheet. If you have received permission and time allows, hang the picture and admire the children’s work.
5. Invite children to pray this Act of Faith, Hope, and Love with you. Have them repeat each line after you:Jesus, I believe in you.
   Jesus, I hope in you.
   Jesus, I love you.
   Amen

Gospel Reading
John 15:1-8
Jesus teaches that he is the vine and that his disciples are the branches.

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

Young people are beginning to appreciate the fact that our life of discipleship is based upon our relationship to Jesus. We can teach them that this relationship is strengthened through reading Scripture, through prayer, and most especially in our communion with Jesus in the Eucharist.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Write on the board the word expert. Ask: What makes a person an expert in his or her field? Invite a volunteer to write on the board the responses. Say: If someone wants to gain knowledge about science, medicine, history, or other subjects, he or she might turn to an expert. And this makes sense. When we want to gain knowledge, we turn to someone who has studied and learned about our area of interest.

2. Say: But let’s say we want to find out what it means to be a Christian. What expertise might we look for? What makes someone an “expert” Christian? Invite the young people to share their ideas.

3. Say: These are all good ideas. Let’s hear what Jesus says because Jesus was very specific about what would make a person an expert disciple. He teaches about this in today’s Gospel.

4. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud today’s Gospel, John 15:1-8.

5. Ask: How does Jesus say we will recognize an expert disciple, or Christian? (He or she will bear fruit.) What do you think Jesus means by this? (Accept all reasonable answers.) What does Jesus say will allow a person to bear this kind of fruit? (his or her relationship with Jesus)

6. Say: People become good disciples of Jesus because of their relationship with him. We develop this relationship with Jesus through our reading of Scripture and our life of prayer. But most especially, Jesus promises us that he will remain in us and that we will be his disciples when we share his Body and Blood in the Eucharist.

7. Conclude in prayer, asking God to help us remain faithful to our relationship with Jesus. Pray together the Prayer of Saint Richard of Chichester.

Gospel Reading
John 15:1-8
Jesus teaches that he is the vine and that his disciples are the branches.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)

An important part of ministry with young people is helping them understand that their relationship with Jesus is the foundation for the life of discipleship. We can teach them that this relationship is strengthened through reading Scripture, through prayer, and most especially in our communion with Jesus in the Eucharist.

Materials Needed

• Paper, pens

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Distribute paper and pens and ask the young people to make a list of 10 things they would like to learn to do well, for example, developing proficiency in specific sports, hobbies, or academics. Assure them that this list is for their eyes only. Then ask them to choose one item on the list and write steps they can take now to help them master this skill.

2. Say: As Christians, we want to be good disciples of Jesus. This Sunday’s Gospel reading helps us know what will make us good disciples. Let’s listen carefully to this Gospel reading.

3. Invite one or more volunteers to read this Sunday’s Gospel, John 15:1–8.

4. Ask: What will a disciple of Jesus do? (bear much fruit) What do you think Jesus means by this? (Accept all reasonable answers.) What does Jesus say will allow a person to bear this kind of fruit? (their relationship with Jesus)

5. Say: Our relationship with Jesus, the true vine, strengthens us to be disciples, who bear good fruit and give glory to God. This relationship is strengthened when we read Scripture, when we pray, and especially when we receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion.

6. Invite the young people to choose an action for this week that will show their desire to strengthen their relationship with Jesus.

7. Conclude in prayer, asking God to help us remain faithful to our relationship with Jesus. Pray together the Prayer of Saint Richard of Chichester or the psalm for this Sunday, Psalm 22.

Gospel Reading
John 15:1-8
Jesus teaches that he is the vine and that his disciples are the branches.

Family Connection

The goal of our life of prayer is to increase our awareness that Jesus lives with us always. Prayer is more than a dialogue with God; prayer is a lifting of our minds and hearts to God so that God might dwell and act within us and through us. The pinnacle of our life of prayer is our communion with Jesus in the Eucharist. Through this sacrament, we receive Jesus himself, and he remains with us. Our life of prayer and our union with Jesus will lead us to fruitful service to others.

Place a plant in your gathering space. Invite everyone to look at the plant, noting the connection between the plant and its leaves. Talk about the integral connection between all the parts of a healthy plant. Introduce today’s Gospel by saying that Jesus talked about his relationship to his disciples using this metaphor. Read today’s Gospel, John 15:1-8. Talk about the ways in which we are invited to relate to Jesus as his disciples today—prayer, Scripture, the Eucharist, and so on. When we do these things, Jesus promises to remain with us and to lead us to serve others well. Pray together that we will continue to be attentive and open to Jesus as he works in our lives today. Pray together the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love.