Submitted by
S. Daly

Age Group
8-14

Aim
To celebrate the Feast of All saints

Faith Group
Catholic
Christian

Resources
Hosts, wine, water, candles, chalice, ciborium, cloths, altar frontal showing a scene from the Gospel
Large sheets of paper showing the Psalm and Bidding Prayers responses

Time of Year
The Feast of All Saints - November 1st

Other Details
This is written as a Mass for a Catholic school, but could be adapted for other services

The saints mentioned in th Bidding Prayers could be replaced by saints relevant to your school, for example House saints or local church/area saints

The hymn "Shalom" is a cue to the children that the Sign of Peace is finished

Script
PRIEST: Idea for introductory talk, or sermon
Today, we are thinking about the people who are in Heaven - people we know, who have died: grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, friends - and lots of people we don't know too.
They are all saints. This word means "belonging to God". A long time ago, if you were a Christian, trying to be like Jesus Christ, you were called a saint.
The saints were all great people. They were great for God. We can be like them.
We belong to God and want to be like Jesus - just like the saints.
So this Mass, on the feast of All Saints, is about us, as well as the people in Heaven.

HYMN: "Whatsoever you do" by W. Jabusch (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 799)

PRIEST: Idea for Penitential Rite
As we begin our Mass, let us think about the things we do, which stop us being like saints.
We may have spoilt the love in our family at home...
We may have caused trouble at school...
We may have been selfish and greedy, grabbing the best for ourselves...
We may have expected more of others, than we do of ourselves...
We may have been slow to help...
We may have been spiteful, bearing grudges for a long time...
We may have been quick to take offence, where none was intended...
We may have refused to let God's Holy Spirit enter our lives...
We may have given up trying to follow Jesus...
Let us say we are sorry for these things. I confess to almighty God...

PRIEST: First Prayer
Father, today we remember the holy men and women of every age.
Some are famous and well-known to us. But most are known only to you.
Thank you for making our world a better place, through so many good people - and teach us to follow their example, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CHILD: First Reading (Ecclus. 31: 8-11)
This reading is from a book of wise sayings in the Old Testament - the Book of Ecclesiasticus. It says that people who do good will never be forgotten.

Happy are those who were without sin and who were not led astray by wanting gold or riches.
They are the ones whose lives we admire.
They could have sinned, but they did not sin.
They could have done wrong, but they did no wrong.
The good that they did will never be forgotten.
The whole Church will speak of how kind and generous they were.
This is the Word of the Lord...

(Alternative First Reading, to replace the one above.)
Saint John knew that every father loves his child. Sometimes, when our own father is angry with us for doing wrong, we may think that he doesn't love us and will never forgive us. But that's not true - he's probably quite proud of us, even if he is sometimes angry with us.

Saint John says that God is our Father as well, and he loves us all.

The Reading comes from one of the Letters of Saint John.

Dear Friends,
See how much God thinks of us -
He calls us his children
And we really are, you know.

God takes care of us
So that we must take care of each other.

God loves us
So we must love each other.

If we don't know that
We don't know anything about God of Father,
Because 'God is Love'.
This is the word of the Lord.

HYMN: "Happy the Man" by Sebastian Temple (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 242)

CHILD: Responsorial Psalm (PS. 99)
The response is: We are his people, we belong to him ...
1. Cry out with joy to the Lord.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.
Response...

2. Know that the Lord is God.
He made us, we belong to him.
We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Response...

3. Enter his house with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Response...

4. How good is the Lord.
His merciful love lasts forever.
He is faithful from age to age.
Response...

CHILD: Verse before the Gospel
Alleluia, alleluia!
If a man does not love his brother, whom he can see,
how can he love God, whom he cannot see?
Alleluia

PRIEST: Gospel (Mt. 25: 35-36,40)
Jesus told us that the way to be saints was to help other people. When we help others, we are helping Jesus.
In the Gospel, Saint Matthew is telling us what Jesus will say, on the Last Day, when he welcomes us into Heaven as his saints.

"I was hungry and you gave me food.
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink.
I was a foreigner and you took me home with you.
I was in rags and you gave me clothes.
I fell ill and you looked after me.
I was in prison and you came to see me.
Believe me - when you helped the least of my brothers. you helped me."
This is the Gospel of the Lord...

(Alternative Gospel, to replace the one above.)
How lucky you are, if you are poor!
God will make you rich!

How lucky you are, if you are not very important!
God will make you great!

How lucky you are, if you are keen to do what God wants!
God will see that you get what you want as well!

How lucky you are, if you forgive others!
God will forgive you!

How lucky you are, if you really want to know God!
God will make sure you get to know him well!

How lucky you are, if you help people to be friends!
God will be friends with you!

How lucky your are, if people attack you especially when you are trying to do what God wants!
God will welcome you with open arms!

Prayers of the Faithful (Bidding Prayers)
PRIEST: Now we are going to think about what being a saint means and pray that God will help us.

CHILD 1: The response is ... hear our prayer.
We pray for the saints and martyrs of the Church, living faithfully and dying courageously, for the glory of God.
Lord in your goodness...

CHILD 2: We think of Saints Thomas More, John Fisher and Alban, who remained faithful to you and were martyred. Lord God, may we have the strength never to deny you.
Lord in your goodness ...

CHILD 3: We think of Saint Bede, a great writer, historian and mathematician.
May we always do our best at school.
Lord in your goodness ...

CHILD 4: We think of Saint Aidan, who taught people about God. May we show people we are Christians, by the way we behave.
Lord in your goodness ...

CHILD 5: We think of people we know, who have died and are happy in Heaven.
May we try to be saints like them.
Lord in your goodness ...

CHILD 6: When we look around this room, we remember that we all belong to God. May we be kinder to each other.
Lord in your goodness ...

CHILD 7: We pray that we will allow God's Holy Spirit to come into our lives and make us strong like the saints.
Lord in your goodness ...

CHILD 8: We now ask Mary, the Queen of all saints, to pray for us. She always remembered that she belonged to God. Hail Mary ...

PRIEST: Conclusion to the Prayers
0 God our Father, make our love for you and for one another so strong that we will do great things for you. We ask you this through your Son Jesus Christ, who showed us how to live as saints. Amen.

OFFERTORY HYMN: "In bread we bring you, Lord" by K. Nichols (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 302)

Offertory Procession Prayers
CHILD 1: We bring a red poppy. We offer up our memories of people who have died.

CHILD 2: We bring a white rose. We offer up our wish for peace in the world.

CHILD 3: We bring our love, with the bread, the wine and the water.

PRIEST: Second Prayer
May this bread and wine be a sign that we want to belong to you. May we give ourselves to you in all that we do. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

PRIEST: Eucharistic Prayer for children

HYMNS: "Echo Our Father" (Songs of the Spirit number 100).
"Shalom" by S. Jones (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 639)

PRIEST: Third Prayer
May the Bread of Life which we have shared make us so like Jesus Christ, that we will be ready to be called your saints. Amen.

HYMN: "We are one in the Spirit" by Peter Scholtes (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 769)