27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed
(Adults, you could begin by listening to verses 5 and 6 with your child.) Luke 17.5-10 In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus' friends want...
Reflections for 3-6 year olds
thebetterpart
- Sep 21
- 2 min
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): A Man Who Lost His Name
(Adults, the parable in the Gospel for this Sunday does not have much to say to 3-6 year olds who are asking, "Who are you, God?" and,...
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thebetterpart
- Sep 16
- 2 min
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Faithful in the Very Little
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday contains a difficult moral parable that really does not apply to our 3-6-year-olds! But then Jesus...
17 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Sep 10
- 2 min
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): The Good Shepherd Finds
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday includes all three lost and found parables. This reflection looks at only the first. Because the...
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thebetterpart
- Sep 3
- 3 min
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Disciples Follow
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday deals with the cost of discipleship. Three years ago I decided that I could not write a reflection...
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thebetterpart
- Aug 27
- 2 min
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Sitting with Jesus at the Table
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel to your child.) Luke 14:1, 7-14 In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus eats a meal at the...
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thebetterpart
- Aug 20
- 2 min
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Where do you come from? Who do you belong to?
(Adults, for our youngest children, we spend time enjoying the relationship with God before ever considering what happens when we break...
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thebetterpart
- Aug 13
- 2 min
20th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Jesus Cannot Wait
(Adults, this reflection considers simply the first verse of the Gospel reading, but hopefully somehow captures Jesus' meaning.) Luke...
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thebetterpart
- Aug 6
- 2 min
19th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Listening for the Treasure
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday is quite long and involves concepts young children are not ready for yet! Here we look instead at the...
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thebetterpart
- Jul 30
- 2 min
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Abundantly
(Adults, we think of covenant relationship with God in terms of God's gift and our response. With young children, we focus on the gift so...
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thebetterpart
- Jul 21
- 2 min
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): How To Pray
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
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thebetterpart
- Jul 15
- 2 min
16th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Together With Jesus
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
25 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Jul 9
- 3 min
15th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): The Name of God is Mercy
(Adults, this is a moral parable and 3-6 year olds do not need this yet! They simply need time to enjoy falling in love with God. We will...
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thebetterpart
- Jun 29
- 2 min
14th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Spreading the Peace
(Adults, the Gospel is long and complicated and speaks of wolves and demons, snakes and scorpions. You might opt not to read the entire...
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thebetterpart
- Jun 25
- 2 min
13th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Setting His Face
(Adults, for the 3-6 year old, I consider simply the first verses of the Gospel reading. You could begin by reading these verses aloud to...
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thebetterpart
- Jun 17
- 3 min
Body and Blood of the Christ (Ages 3-6): Everyone Full
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
21 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Jun 11
- 2 min
Trinity Sunday (Ages 3-6): We Know Truth
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
16 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- May 27
- 3 min
Ascension of the Lord (Ages 3-6): Blessings
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
21 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- May 21
- 3 min
Sixth Sunday of Easter (Ages 3-6): Remind Us
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
17 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- May 13
- 2 min
Fifth Sunday of Easter (Ages 3-6): Love Never Ends
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
27 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- May 6
- 2 min
Good Shepherd Sunday (Ages 3-6): Know and Follow
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. In this reflection, we wonder who the sheep of the Good Shepherd might...
45 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Apr 30
- 4 min
3rd Sunday of Easter (Ages 3-6): Joy of the Risen Life
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
38 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Apr 22
- 2 min
2nd Sunday of Easter (Ages 3-6): Peace Be With Us
John 20.19-31 Last week, on Easter Sunday, we heard about Jesus full of his Risen life, calling Mary Magdalene by name. Now she knows...
31 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Apr 16
- 3 min
Easter Sunday (Ages 3-6): The Good Shepherd Lives
(Adults, you could begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child. Alternatively, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to...
13 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Apr 9
- 3 min
Passion (Palm) Sunday (Ages 3-6): Family Forever
Luke 22:14, 19-20 (full reading: Luke 22.14 - 23.56) (Adults, the VERY abbreviated reading is for the 3-6 year old. The full reading is...
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thebetterpart
- Mar 31
- 3 min
5th Sunday of Lent (Ages 3-6): Time Out With Jesus
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday hardly seems fitting for 3-6 year olds! What is the face of God they need to see? I think it is the...
38 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Mar 25
- 4 min
4th Sunday of Lent (Ages 3-6): Who Is God Like?
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday is the well-known parable of the Prodigal Son. We can call it, though, the parable of the Forgiving...
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thebetterpart
- Mar 17
- 2 min
3rd Sunday of Lent (Ages 3-6): The Good Gardener
(Adults, this reflection considers only the parable in verses 6-9. How does your child answer the questions? It is difficult for us not...
34 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Mar 12
- 3 min
2nd Sunday of Lent (Ages 3-6): While Jesus Prays
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
28 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Mar 4
- 2 min
1st Sunday of Lent (Ages 3-6): Bread and the Lord
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
47 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Feb 25
- 2 min
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): The Best
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
44 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Feb 16
- 2 min
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Mercy Overflows
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday contains many instructions for how to live as a child of God. Our 3-6 year olds are not yet in that...
34 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Feb 10
- 3 min
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Jesus Looks Up
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
36 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Feb 4
- 3 min
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Abundance
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
37 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Jan 28
- 2 min
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Who Does Jesus Belong To?
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
32 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Jan 20
- 3 min
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): The Word of God
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
29 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Jan 13
- 3 min
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Listen To His Voice
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
22 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Jan 8
- 3 min
Baptism of the Lord (Ages 3-6): Let God Love
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
30 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Jan 1
- 3 min
Epiphany of the Lord (Ages 3-6): What do they know?
Matthew 2.1-12 Most people in our world think that Christmas is over. Oh dear, they are so wrong! We spent many weeks preparing for the...
30 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Dec 25, 2021
- 3 min
Feast of the Holy Family (Ages 3-6): God's Home
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the...
17 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Dec 17, 2021
- 3 min
4th Sunday of Advent (Ages 3-6): Knowing and Joy
(Adults, you could begin by reading the first two paragraphs of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with...
25 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Dec 10, 2021
- 3 min
3rd Sunday of Advent (Ages 3-6): Our Joy
(Adults, in the Gospel for this Sunday the people ask John what they must do to prepare. For the youngest children, it is not important...
44 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Dec 2, 2021
- 2 min
2nd Sunday of Advent (Ages 3-6): The One With Salvation
(Adults, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the reflection.)...
34 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Nov 24, 2021
- 2 min
1st Sunday of Advent (Ages 3-6): Preparing to Know Him
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday again involves images that are incomprehensible for little people. This reflection focuses on only a...
33 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Nov 18, 2021
- 2 min
Christ The King (Ages 3-6): Belonging to the King
(Adults, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the reflection.)...
21 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Nov 11, 2021
- 3 min
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): The Proper Order
(Adults, the Gospel for this Sunday could be a little upsetting for your child(ren). It is certainly thought-provoking for adults! It...
54 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Nov 4, 2021
- 2 min
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Everything
(Adults, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the reflection.)...
35 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Oct 27, 2021
- 2 min
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): The Way of God
(Adults, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the reflection.)...
54 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Oct 21, 2021
- 3 min
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Mercy to Give
(Adults, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the reflection.)...
26 views0 comments
thebetterpart
- Oct 14, 2021
- 3 min
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ages 3-6): Jesus Shares
(Adults, you could read the first paragraph of the reflection to the child, then read the Gospel, and then continue with the reflection.)...
25 views0 comments