Children, Catholic Home School, Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Catholic Home School
Children, Catholic Home School, Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Catholic Home School
May 17, 2026
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LITURGY OF
THE WORD
The Ascension of the Lord (A)
↩️ ↪️ Catholic Women Preach
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Jesus Is Always with Us – May 17, 2026
Foundation of Christian Mission
Q: What were Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples before ascending to heaven? A: Jesus commanded his disciples to go to all nations, make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything he commanded, establishing the foundation for the sacrament of baptism and the Church’s ongoing mission.
Q: How did Jesus promise to support his disciples after leaving them? A: Jesus promised to be with his disciples always, even until the end of the world, and sent the Holy Spirit to help them after his ascension, transforming what was a shocking and sad moment into a supported mission.
Living the Gospel
Q: What is the most effective way to demonstrate being a follower of Jesus? A: The best way to show discipleship is through actions—being kind, honest, friendly, fair, and helpful—following St. Francis’s teaching to “Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words” rather than just verbal proclamation.
Q: What core message were the disciples instructed to spread? A: The disciples were commanded to go into the whole world and proclaim the good news of God’s love to every creature, passing the faith down through generations as more people gathered to follow Jesus’ teachings.
Church Sacraments
Q: How do Jesus’ final instructions connect to Catholic sacramental practice? A: Jesus’ specific commands to baptize and teach form the direct foundation for the sacrament of baptism, which brings people into the faith and establishes the Church’s continuing educational mission.
Q: What liturgical celebration does this teaching commemorate? A: This Gospel is celebrated on the seventh Sunday of the Easter season, specifically the Ascension of Jesus (May 17, 2026), marking when Jesus ascended straight into Heaven after giving his final instructions.
↩️ ↪️ Jeff Cavins
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05-24-2020 / Children’s Liturgy of the Word / Ascension of the Lord
Mission and Discipleship
Q: What specific instructions did Jesus give his apostles before ascending to heaven? A: Jesus commanded his apostles to go to all nations, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them everything he commanded, promising to be with them always, even to the end of the age.
Q: What transformed the apostles from amazed witnesses to courageous proclaimers? A: The apostles were amazed by Jesus’ death and resurrection, but courage to proclaim him came when the Holy Spirit filled them, enabling them to witness everywhere.
Suffering and Perseverance
Q: What hardships did the apostles endure while spreading Jesus’ message? A: The apostles faced being made fun of, forced to leave, and jailed, yet they accepted their sufferings and continued so more people could know Jesus, following in his footsteps.
The Ascension Event
Q: How did Jesus’ ascension occur according to Acts of the Apostles? A: After Jesus said the Holy Spirit would give the apostles power, he was taken up into a cloud while they watched, and two men in white said he would return the same way.
Call to Modern Disciples
Q: What does Jesus call his disciples to do in the world today? A: Jesus calls disciples to love the Father, turn away from sin, and go into the world to tell the good news, following Jesus’ example of forgiving, healing, and teaching.
Worship and Praise
Q: How is God’s heavenly throne described in relation to worship? A: The throne is a special chair for a king, and God sits on his throne in heaven while people shout and sing joyfully, inviting us to praise and thank God for all he does.
↩️ ↪️ Bishop James Golka
NOT AVAILABLE
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CHILDREN’S LITURGY PROGRAM 21ST MAY 2023
Mission and Commission
Q: What specific commission did Jesus give before his Ascension? A: Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19-20 to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe his commands, with the promise of his presence until the end of the age.
Holy Childhood Organization
Q: What is the historical origin and purpose of Holy Childhood? A: Bishop Charles de Forbin founded Holy Childhood 180 years ago to enable children worldwide to become missionaries through the motto “children helping children”, sharing the good news of Jesus across nations.
Missionary Childhood Objectives
Q: What are the core objectives of Missionary Childhood? A: The organization aims to awaken a universal missionary attitude in children, encouraging them to share their faith, love, and resources with disadvantaged children worldwide.
Children’s Missionary Actions
Q: How do children practically participate in missionary work? A: Children evangelize by sharing the good news, praying for suffering children, and helping those in need through loving, caring, sharing, and making financial contributions to the Missionary Childhood Fund.
Characteristics of Missionary Children
Q: What defines a missionary child according to the program? A: Missionary children know, love, and talk about Jesus, pray daily for their brothers and sisters, want them to know Mary, and are generous, happy in service, and attentive to others’ needs.
Theological Significance of Ascension
Q: What does Ascension Sunday signify for believers? A: Ascension Sunday celebrates Jesus’ return to the Father, demonstrating that all have a place in God’s heart and heaven, inspiring reflection on God’s universal love.
↩️ ↪️ Know Before You Go
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Little Liturgies: May 21, 2023 — Ascension of the Lord
Mission and Commission
Q: What specific commission did Jesus give his disciples before ascending? A: Jesus commanded his disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything he commanded, with his promise to remain with them always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:16-20).
Spiritual Practice and Trust
Q: How can believers practically engage with the Ascension event? A: The Ascension provides an opportunity to surrender problems beyond our control—difficult situations, people we worry about, or unfixable issues—to Jesus as he ascends to heaven to intervene and pray over them.
Holy Spirit Preparation
Q: What spiritual reality should believers prepare for following the Ascension? A: The Ascension invites preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the great Advocate and friend, who will dwell richly in hearts and provide the fruits and gifts of the Spirit to bring transformation to the world.
Love in Action
Q: What does Jesus’ sacrificial mission call believers to practice daily? A: Jesus’ sacrificial love mission, symbolized by the crucifix, calls for practicing love through kindness, compassion, gentleness, forgiveness, care, and reaching out to those who are alone, isolated, or in need, even while waiting to do amazing things.
Intercessory Care
Q: Who specifically can be entrusted to God’s care through the Ascension? A: Believers can entrust the sick and suffering, refugee families, those affected by wildfires, and deceased loved ones to God’s care, asking for their healing, peace, and safety.
Sacramental Foundation
Q: What two core practices did Jesus emphasize in his final teaching before the Ascension? A: Jesus’ last teaching in Matthew’s Gospel emphasized baptism and obedience to his commands, commissioning disciples to proclaim his message of love and invite others into the communion of love that is God.
↩️ ↪️ 1-Minute Homily
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The Ascension // Little Liturgies from The Mark 10 Mission
The Promise of Divine Presence
Q: How does Jesus fulfill his promise “I will always be with you” after ascending to heaven? A: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit as a helper who is always near, described as the strongest, most powerful and loving friend one can have, making his presence continuous even after the Ascension.
Sacred Symbols and Their Meanings
Q: What does the Pascal candle burning during Easter season represent? A: The Pascal candle on the prayer table symbolizes that Jesus is the light of the world, signifying he is alive and with us now throughout the Easter season.
Q: What do the icon and hiking boots in the Mark 10 bag symbolize? A: These items represent the journey of faith and the call to follow Jesus’ command to “go and make followers of all people in the world”, emphasizing active discipleship.
Understanding the Holy Spirit
Q: How is the Holy Spirit’s presence explained despite being invisible? A: The Holy Spirit, described as the love of God moving in the world, is invisible like the wind but real and present, compared to a grandfather’s constant presence while teaching bike riding.
Living Out Faith
Q: What is the purpose of the action song “This Little Light of Mine” in the liturgy? A: The song encourages children to let their light shine and share the love of Jesus with others, translating faith into visible action.
The Easter Season Message
Q: What dual celebration does the Easter season encompass according to the liturgy? A: The Easter season celebrates both the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, emphasizing his promise to remain present through the Holy Spirit while calling believers to share his love.
↩️ ↪️ Priests for Life
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Children’s Message (5-21-23)
End-of-Year Teacher Appreciation
Q: What specific actions should students take when saying goodbye to teachers at year’s end?
A: Students should express gratitude by saying thank you, offering a hug (if appropriate), and sharing fond memories with teachers, which helps navigate the happy and sad emotions of goodbye moments.
Q: What three key messages should students communicate to teachers during end-of-year farewells?
A: Students should tell teachers thank you for their work, sorry for any interruptions caused during the year, and commit to praying for them in the future as part of meaningful reflection on the school year.
QUESTIONS
Jesus’ Dual Nature and Heavenly Position
Q: How does the Ascension prove Jesus’ complete nature?
A: Jesus’ body and soul ascending to heaven and being seated at the right hand of God the Father solidifies he is fully God and fully man, countering heresies throughout history that attempted to separate his humanity and divinity.
The Holy Spirit’s Mission on Earth
Q: What replaced Jesus’ physical presence after the Ascension?
A: Jesus promised the Holy Spirit before ascending, which came on Pentecost to empower disciples to become witnesses of Christ throughout the world, ensuring believers are not alone.
The Second Coming and Bodily Resurrection
Q: What will happen when Jesus returns as the angels prophesied?
A: Angels told disciples Jesus will return in the same way he ascended, and at the Second Coming believers will experience resurrection of the body—both bodies and souls will be raised and taken to heaven, not just souls after death.
The Ascension of the Lord (A)
Why is the Ascension Important to Us?
There are at least three reasons the Ascension is important to us: 1. Jesus is in heaven. In the Apostles’ Creed we say that Jesus “ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. Many heresies have arisen throughout history trying to separate Jesus’s humanity and divinity. The Ascension of Jesus’ body and soul solidify the truth about Jesus. He is fully God and fully man. 2. The Holy Spirit is here. We are not alone. We have the Holy Spirit. The Coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost follows shortly after the Ascension. This was the promise Jesus made before his ascension. What will the Holy Spirit help us do? The Spirit will lead us to become the witnesses of the life of Christ throughout the world. 3. Jesus will come again. After the Ascension angels say to the disciples, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) When we think about heaven, we usually think about our soul in heaven after we die, but we will also experience the resurrection of the body when Jesus returns. Our bodies will be raised and taken up to heaven with Jesus at the Second Coming of Christ.
Ascension Crafts for Kids (Catholic Icing)
Celebrating the Solemnity of the Ascension (Catholic Icing)
Birth of Jesus to Ascension Cards (The Catholic Toolbox)
Lesson Plan: The Ascension of Our Lord (The Catholic Toolbox)
Celebrate the Feast of the Ascension (for High School students) (Engaging Faith)
Ascension Coloring Page (Bible Printables)
Feast of the Ascension Color Page (Catholic Playground)
Lesson: Apostles Witness Jesus’ Ascension (Ministry to Children)
Ascension Pull Tab Paper Craft (Catholic Playground)
Our Sunday Visitor
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QUESTIONS
Faith and Hope in Christ’s Absence
Q: How does Jesus’ ascension enable faith when he’s physically absent? A: The ascension demonstrates that believers can maintain faith in Jesus even without seeing him physically, while simultaneously providing hope for the future through the promise of his return one day.
Salvation and Victory Over Death
Q: What does the ascension reveal about salvation and death? A: Jesus’ ascension serves as a reminder that believers can be saved and forgiven through his death and resurrection, proving he has conquered death and establishing that death is not the end but rather a gateway to eternal life in heaven, a real place where believers will live with God.
The Holy Spirit’s Role and Power
Q: What empowerment did Jesus provide after his ascension? A: The ascension shows that the Holy Spirit is with believers to guide and comfort them, providing the power to carry on Jesus’ mission and enabling disciples to do his work even in his physical absence.
Discipleship and Mission
Q: What responsibilities do believers have following Jesus’ ascension? A: Believers are called to be disciples, share his good news, teach others about Jesus, and continue sharing his love with others while patiently awaiting his return.
Worship and Community Life
Q: How should believers live together after the ascension? A: The ascension calls believers to worship God, pray, and be in fellowship and community with other believers, building community while living as ambassadors for heaven on earth.
The Ascension of the Lord (A)
Ascension of Jesus
Before His departure from Earth, Jesus gave His disciples some special instructions and promises. These words of hope and comfort are for us, too. We have an important job to do, but the Holy Spirit gives us the power to do His work! There are a lot of things in life that we have to prepare for and patiently walk through step by step. In the same way, Jesus calls us to patiently await His return, and meanwhile, to tell others of His love and continue sharing it with them! He is present with us always and gives us strength.
QUESTIONS
Learning from the Best
- What is a very helpful way to go about learning something new?
- If you wanted to learn to play the piano, what are some of the things you would do while spending time with your teacher?
- Who would be the best person to find if you wanted to learn how to build beautiful objects with wood?
- If you were interested in sea life, where might you go with a marine biologist to learn how to identify sea creatures?
Becoming an Apprentice
- When you study and spend time with someone who is helping you learn a new skill, what are two names you might be called?
Following Jesus
- What did Jesus tell the men who were his followers to go and do?
- What is the work that Jesus wants his followers to carry on?
- Does Jesus invite us to be his disciples today?
- As disciples of Jesus, what are the two main things we are learning how to do with God’s love?
Being a Disciple
“Go, and make disciples of all nations…” (MT 8:19)
If you want to learn something new, what would be the best way to go about doing that? Finding a good teacher is very helpful. Perhaps you want to learn to play the piano. Wouldn’t you want to spend time with the best teacher you could find? You would watch your teacher play the piano, listen to instructions, hear what the music sounds like, and then try to duplicate what you have seen and heard.
Maybe you would like to learn how to build things. You would find a woodworker who could teach you how to use various tools, how to work with wood, how to follow instructions and design beautiful objects. If you are interested in sea life you would try to find a marine biologist, spend time with that person at the beach, listen and learn to identify sea creatures, and read books about this interesting subject.
SOURCE: Sermon Writer – © 1997 – 2026 Richard Niell
Infographic and image at top added by TWTW; not part of original source material
QUESTIONS
Sharing the Good Things in Life
- Have you ever read a really amazing book? Who was the first person you wanted to tell about it?
- When you discover something beautiful, like a colorful, sweet-smelling flower, why do you think it feels so good to show it to someone else?
- Imagine you just won an incredible prize in a contest. How excited would you be, and who would you run to tell the good news?
Jesus Gives a Special Mission
- Right before Jesus returned to heaven, what special instruction did he give to his disciples?
- Jesus knew his friends might feel lonely or scared, so what wonderful promise did he make to them?
Being a Disciple Today
- Why were Jesus’s original disciples so excited to tell everyone about Him? What kinds of things had they seen Him do?
- The story says that we are also disciples today. What is the “good news” about Jesus’s love that we can share with our family and friends?
Something to Talk About
“…I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (MT 28:20)
When you finish reading a very good book, do you have the feeling you want to tell someone about it and suggest that they read it too? Yes, we want our family or friends to have the same fun experience we have had reading a wonderful book.
What do you do when you see a beautiful flower? Do you like to smell it to see if it is fragrant? Do you think of bringing someone else to look at the flower so they too can sniff the sweet fragrance and see the design of the soft, colorful petals?
How about if you were to win a contest and receive a wonderful prize? Wouldn’t you be excited and want to tell everyone about what has happened? It is natural that we should want to share happy experiences and good news with others.
SOURCE: Sermon Writer – © 1997 – 2026 Richard Niell
Infographic and image at top added by TWTW; not part of original source material
The Ascension of the Lord (A)
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Entrance Song
Core Theological Message
Q: What three key theological concepts does the song teach children about Jesus’ ascension?
A: The song communicates that Jesus ascended to heaven after walking with His disciples, His love continues to grow in believers’ hearts despite His physical absence, and He promises to return again, with the chorus reinforcing these truths through the refrain “Up, up to heaven, Jesus goes, But in our hearts, His love still grows! One day He’ll come back again, Hallelujah! Praise His name!”
Educational Application
Q: In which five Christian educational settings can this song be effectively used?
A: The video is designed for Sunday schools, family devotions, Ascension Day celebrations, kids’ church, and Vacation Bible School (VBS), utilizing catchy refrain and simple lyrics to help children remember that although Jesus has gone to heaven, His love remains present and He will return.
Biblical Foundation
Q: What biblical reference from the ascension narrative is incorporated into the song’s second verse?
A: Verse 2 references the angels’ message to the disciples with the lyrics “Angels said, ‘Don’t stand and stare, He’ll come back—He’s everywhere!'” teaching children that Jesus is omnipresent (“everywhere”) and His love shines warm and bright even though He ascended “up out of sight.”
The Ascension of the Lord (A)
Response & Acclaim
Response & Acclaim
Communion
Jesus’s Continued Presence
Q: How does Jesus remain present after the Ascension? A: Jesus remains spiritually present in our hearts even though disciples’ eyes don’t see him and hands don’t touch him.
Communication Through Prayer
Q: How can we maintain relationship with Jesus daily? A: We talk to Jesus like our best friend through prayer.
Constant Divine Companionship
Q: When is Jesus present in our daily activities? A: Jesus is with us always from waking up, during breakfast, chores, homework, and playing with friends, remaining spiritually present in our hearts throughout every moment.
The Ascension of the Lord (A)
