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Main Idea:

Make room for Jesus

Gospel: John 2:13-22 (Shortened version : John 2:13 -17 )

Preparation: Before the session, ask family members to find objects that remind them of God and Jesus. These could be a Bible, a rosary, statues of Jesus, pictures of saints, etc. They could be things like family photographs, letters,
mementos, and so on. Bring all th ese items to the session. Pick a place in your home that you can use as a
prayer space. It can be a small table, a dresser top, a corner of a room. Don't do anything to the space before the session.

Disciples of Mission Family Activities

The Third Sunday of Lent

Opening Prayer:

Holy Spirit of God, come into our harts. Bless us and guide our sharing.

Listening to the Gospel:

Have someone to read the Gospel out loud. Then have a short time of silience

Discussion: Now dicuss the reading; you may use the following guidelines.

With preschool children: How do you make room for someone else if you're sitting in a car ? If you're at the dinner table? Why do you do it ?

With primary grade children: Sometimes it's things--objects--that crowd Jesus out of our lives. Are there things that crowd your life or make it hard for you to pray?

With preteens: Try substituting the word time for things. Is your time so crowded with activities that there's little left for Jesus?
How can you make time for Jesus

"AS JESUS PASSED
BY THE SEA OF
GALILEE, HE SAW
SIMON AND HIS
BROTHER
ANDREW CAST-
ING THEIR NETS
INTO THE SEA;
THEY WERE
FISHERMAN. JESUS
SAID TO THEM,
''COME AFTER
ME, AND I WILL
MAKE YOU FISH-
ERS OF MEN.''
THEN THEY LEFT
THEIR NETS AND
FOLLOWED HIM.''

---Mark 1:16-18

Making Connections

For each of us, Jesus is the center of your life. We need to remember this, and not let things distract us from him or crowd him out of our life.

Activity

Go to the place you've picked as your prayer space, if you're not already there. Get it ready by clearing away objects that are there and putting them somewhere else. If it's a tabletop, dust it; if it's a corner of a room, sweep or vacum it.

Now put the objects people have brought into your prayer space. Let everyone take part in arranging them, and talk about the objects while you do it. Why are they special? What does each item mean to the person who brought it? How does it remind him or her of God?

Memory Verse: My love for your house burns in me like fire. ( John 2:17 )

Closing Prayer: After you have finished preparing the prayer space, pray together:

Make room for Jesus!
That's what we want to do.
We like our toys,
our TV and our games.
But they're not you.
We like our playtime,
and our time with friends.
But it's not time with you.
You are important to us,
every day !
Jesus, help us to make
room for you.

Amen.

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