Sunday Connection

Gospel Reading
Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel visits Mary to announce the birth of Jesus.

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

Filled with God’s grace, Mary was the first and greatest disciple. She is a model of discipleship for us. Teach younger children that we can follow Mary’s example by saying yes to God.

Materials Needed

• small statue of Mary from a Nativity scene

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Say: Today is the last Sunday in Advent. We’re getting ready to celebrate a special event. Ask: What are we going to celebrate soon? (the birth of Jesus) Are you excited to celebrate Christmas? (Yes!) Show children the statue of Mary. Say: Together we’ll hear a Gospel story about someone who said yes to God. She is Jesus’ mother and his first and greatest disciple. Do you know her name? (Mary)
2. Read aloud today’s Gospel, Luke 1:26–38.
3. Say: The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. God gave Mary the grace to say yes. When Mary said, “May it be done to me according to your word,” she was saying yes to God. Mary is God’s faithful and obedient servant. We can be faithful and obedient servants of God, just as Mary was.
4. Discuss with children what God calls us to do as Christians. (Be kind to our family and friends. Be polite. Be fair when we play. Share what we have. Be friendly and have fun. Obey our parents. Pray.) Invite volunteers to share one specific way they will say yes to God during the Christmas season. Tell children that Mary loves them and that they can ask Mary to pray for them.
5. Pray the Act of Consecration to Mary, having children repeat each line after you.

Gospel Reading
Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel visits Mary to announce the birth of Jesus.

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

Many children dream of the great contributions that they might make to our world, but sometimes they need to be reminded that extraordinary things don’t happen automatically. Our greatest models of faith are ordinary human beings who have allowed themselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Ask the group: Who are some examples of people who have changed the world for the better by their work or contribution? (Jonas Salk and the polio vaccine, Thomas Edison and the invention of the light bulb, and so on) What prepared these people to make these great contributions? (Accept all reasonable responses.)

2. Ask: Who are some people of faith who have made extraordinary contributions to the world? (Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, Saint Francis of Assisi, and so on) What prepared these people to make extraordinary contributions to the world? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

3. Say: Today’s Gospel offers to us another example of a person of faith who made an extraordinary contribution to the world: Mary, the mother of Jesus. This Gospel gives us several clues about what prepares a person of faith to do extraordinary things.

4. Invite one or more volunteers to read today’s Gospel, Luke 1:26-38.

5. Ask: What extraordinary thing was Mary asked to do in this Gospel? (to be the Mother of God’s Son, Jesus) What was Mary’s response? (First she asked how this would be possible, and then she answered yes.) What does this Gospel tell us prepared Mary for her most amazing job? (Mary was said to have been filled with God’s grace even before the angel visited her. The Gospel also says that the Holy Spirit would prepare her to give birth to Jesus.)

6. Ask: What do you think prepares people of faith, ourselves included, to do extraordinary things in our world? (God’s grace, the Holy Spirit) It is the Holy Spirit working within us that enables ordinary people to make extraordinary contributions in our world. Because Mary was filled with God’s grace, she was able to cooperate with God’s plan for salvation by becoming the mother of Jesus.

7. Conclude in prayer together for the awareness to be open to God’s grace and the Holy Spirit in order to be able to cooperate in God’s plan for salvation. Pray together the Magnificat.

Gospel Reading
Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel visits Mary to announce the birth of Jesus.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)

As young people learn to make their own decisions, we can guide them in understanding the factors that contribute to their decision-making process. As we do so, we can offer for their consideration the example of people of faith, such as Mary, who willingly said yes to God’s work in her life.

Materials Needed

• Paper and pens

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Distribute paper and pens to each young person. Say: Every day, people make requests of us, asking us to help them or to do something for them. Give examples of ordinary requests that people make, such as “Please pick up your things,” “May I borrow a pencil?” or “Will you help me with a homework question?” Take a minute to review your day and make a list of things that people asked you to do.

2. After allowing sufficient time for the young people to complete their lists, ask: Which requests did you agree to? Which did you refuse? What are some of the factors you considered when saying yes or no to these requests? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

3. Say: As these examples show, we consider many factors when making our decisions: who is asking, our ability to perform the task, whether it is the right thing to do, and the consequences that might result in doing it.

4. Say: In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Mary’s response to the angel who announces that she is to be the Mother of God’s Son, Jesus. Let’s listen carefully to this Gospel.

5. Invite one or more volunteers to read Luke 1:26-38.

6. Ask: What was Mary’s response to the angel’s announcement? (First, she asked how this could be possible; then she said, “May it be done to me according to your word.”)

7. Say: There are many factors that Mary could have considered in making her reply. However, in accepting God’s plan for her, Mary put her faith and trust in God. This faith and trust was her most important consideration.

8. Say: In all of our decisions, we try to follow Mary’s example in making choices that reflect our faith and trust in God. What are some ways we might be called upon to say yes to God in our lives? (showing love and care for others, taking action for justice) We can be confident that the Holy Spirit is working in our lives to help us say yes to God.

9. Conclude by praying together the psalm for this Sunday, Psalm 89, praising God for his faithfulness.

Gospel Reading
Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel visits Mary to announce the birth of Jesus.

Family Connection

One of the challenges of faith is to recognize God’s plan for us and to remain open to God’s will and God’s actions in our world. Filled with God’s grace, Mary models for us the kind of faith that is needed to cooperate in God’s plan of salvation. Like Mary, we are given the awesome opportunity to cooperate in God’s saving plan. On this final Sunday of Advent, our Gospel invites us to consider how our preparations for Christmas have made us more aware of God’s grace working in our lives.

Gather together your family and talk about what you have been doing as a family to prepare for Christmas. How have these preparations helped you to better celebrate the central mystery of Christmas, the Incarnation? Our Gospel today talks about how Mary was prepared for her role in Christ’s birth. Read today’s Gospel, Luke 1:26-38. Consider the question: What enabled Mary to say yes to God? Which of your Advent activities have made you more aware of God’s grace in your life? Conclude in prayer together that God’s grace will enable your family to be more faithful and obedient to God. Pray together the Magnificat.