Children's Liturgy Devotional, Children's Sermon, Children's Homily,Good News B26, Gospel John 17:11-19, Father, Protect Them from the Evil One, Seventh Sunday of Easter, written by Joan Y. Edwards

Cycle B

Good News B26

Seventh Sunday of Easter

John 17:11-19 New American Bible

John 17:11-19 Bible Gateway New International Version

“Father, protect them from the Evil One.”

Father, protect them from the Evil One.

Share the love you have for me, your Son.

Shelter them with your Guardian Angels’ wings.

Help them say "No" to evil things.

Jesus asked his Father to protect his disciples and keep them from the Evil One. Now that is a reason for you to be proud. Jesus asks his own Father to protect you, his disciple, from the Evil One. Jesus knows from personal experience, how aggravating the devil is. The devil knows your weaknesses. He preys on them. He is like a vulture hovering over you, waiting for you to show the least little bit of nervousness and fear. He flies down the minute you seek power or money.

When I was a little girl they told me that I had a little devil sitting on one shoulder and a little angel sitting on the other. Both of them whispered or shouted in my ear to get me to do what they wanted.

Suppose you want to pass your math test. But the devil sees you are tired and afraid you cannot learn the math in time for the test. He will make cheating seem the easiest way to pass the test. When you listen to the devil, instead of one problem, you end up with a bushel of problems. If you copy answers off someonelse’s paper, you carry around the guilt with you because you know it is wrong to cheat. You do not learn the math. Therefore, someone may be able to cheat you out of your money. When the teacher catches you cheating or figures out from the answers without the backup work that you cheated, then you get zero which is worse than a 50 or 60. Your parents and the principal get involved. This creates more problems and your problem is getting bigger all the time.

If you listen to the angel on your right shoulder, you will study, then you can tell the teacher you don’t understand. Your teacher, your parents, or friends can explain it to you. After that, this particular problem would get smaller and with the grace of God would disappear.

If you understand your math and school subjects and you would never think of cheating. That is great. God is really proud of you.

Say the “Our Father.” Ask God to help you say “No” to the devil and say “Yes, to God and his ways.” Jesus has asked him to help you. God the Father will give you all the help you need to stay on his path to heaven.

“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.