Children's Liturgy Devotional, Children's Sermon, Children's Homily,Catholic, Christian,Good News A50a, Stop Making My Father's House a Marketplace, John 2:13-22,Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, written by Joan Y. Edwards

Cycle A

Good News A50a

Stop Making My Father’s House a Marketplace

The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

When you visit a church you expect it to show reverence and respect for God, our almighty Father. You do not expect it to be a farmer’s market with pigs, doves, cows, and sheep for sale inside the building. You want it to be quiet so that you can pray and praise God for all that he has given you. If a choir is singing, you want to be able to hear them so you can join them. You do not want bankers to set up tables to give change. The people selling these animals will only take dollar bills and coins for payment.

Jesus came into the Temple in Jerusalem and found animals and bankers called money changers. He made a whip out of rope and shooed the animals out. He knocked over the tables that were filled with stacks of coins and paper money.

This is one example of Jesus showing a human emotion. He was angry. He lost his temper. Each of you has probably gotten angry and lost your temper, too. Getting angry is not evil. What you choose to do with your anger, can be good or evil. God gives you a choice. Ask him to show you how to keep your body a good place for him to visit and talk with you.

Here are poor choices when you get angry:

Pitch a fit.

Stomp your feet.

Holler and scream.

Throw things around.

Break something.

Call others names.

Hit someone.

Push someone down.

Hurt someone so badly.

Here are better choices when you get angry:

Pray. Beat on your pillow.

Pray. Take a long walk.

Pray. Take ten deep breaths.

Pray. Do ten jumping jacks.

Pray. Calm yourself down so you can think clearly.

Pray. Talk to someone about it.

Pray. Forgive the person who hurt you.

Pray. Talk to the person you are angry with.

Pray. Come up with a plan where both people win.

You can help make the church a reverent place of worship by keeping quiet during the services. You can straighten up the hymn books, missalettes, and Bibles. You can hand out the bulletins. You can help the ushers find seats for people. You can pick up trash outside the building. You can give a little money that you have earned by doing chores for your family to help pay someone to clean the church. You can draw a picture of how people make your church a great place to learn about God and to pray and put it in with the offering. You can bring flowers to put on the altar.

Say the “Our Father” and ask God to show you many ways to keep your church a good place to pray and talk with him. Ask him to show you how to keep your body and mind a good place for him to visit and talk with you, too.

Our Father who art in Heaven

Hallowed be Thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

On earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen