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This Sunday, the First Reading talks about the importance of following God’s commandments. In the Gospel, Jesus explains the best way to do this. As catechists, it is our responsibility to make sure the children under our care understand the commandments and are able to find God’s unending love and guidance within them.
Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find helpful tips for teaching your Gospel Weeklies lesson, a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, and links to online resources.
Videos of Sunday’s Gospel
Use these videos as you discuss today’s Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
• Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
• Holy Heroes
• What Are the Ten Commandments?
• Sunday Setup—Weekly Video and Post (courtesy of the Diocese of Bridgeport)
Other Resources
• Pope Leo XIV and the Papacy
• Special Message from Pope Leo to Young People (NCYC | November 21, 2025)
For Catholic Schools
• Albert’s Expeditions Join Albert, a fierce yet friendly Peregrine Falcon, named after Saint Albert the Great (who even gave the Peregrine Falcon its name 800 years ago!) on scientific expeditions all around the globe. From under the soil to the sky full of stars, discover the stunning natural world full of life that God has created. Meant for children ages 5–10 and all families who want to learn more about their beautiful world around them and the Divine Creator who formed it all.
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus’ rule is to love one another.
For this lesson you will need a hand puppet, a Bible, scissors, crayons, glue sticks, and a Church Year calendar.
Having rules is very important for preschool children. Rules teach them how to understand which behaviors are good. Rules also help them to have order in the activities in which they participate. In this Seeds lesson, we are going to build on the experience they already have of rules at home and in their daily lives. They will identify Jesus’ rule to love one another.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
• Our Father/Lord’s Prayer
Promise
Lesson Theme: Jesus teaches his Law of Love.
For this lesson, you will need pencils, crayons, tape, a stapler, a Church Year calendar, and copies of the story coloring page (one per child). You may wish to engage the help of an aide or aides to assist with cutting, taping, and stapling. We also suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from pages 3–4 before your class session.
Young children may not yet appreciate the importance and value of rules, but they will be familiar with the many rules in their lives. They may be more aware of problems that occur when others don’t obey the rules but not yet as able to identify the problems that result when they are the ones who break a rule. Give them time to consider their responses to the cover activity and story. Challenge them to come up with as many real-life examples for the “When Mom Says . . .” activity. The more they connect these opening activities to their own lives, the better they will be able to apply the commandments and the laws and rules of God, Jesus, the Church, their families, and their classrooms in the remainder of the lesson to their own lives. This Gospel challenges concrete thinkers (and all of us) to think beyond just the words of the Ten Commandments and look for the deeper and broader ways Jesus asks us to live his Law of Love.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
Good News
Lesson Theme: Jesus wants us to keep God’s laws.
For this lesson, you will need pencils, crayons, a Church Year calendar, lined writing paper, scissors, tape, copies of the second story “A Weird Nickname” and Know questions (one per child). You may wish to have an aide or aides available to help with cutting and taping. Praying an Act of Contrition is suggested in the What the Church Believes and Teaches activities. Find an Act of Contrition on page 47 of the Catechism handbook.
Young children may not yet appreciate the importance and value of rules, but they will be familiar with the many rules in their lives. They may be more aware of problems that occur when others don’t obey the rules but not yet as able to identify the problems that result when they are the ones who break a rule. Give them time to consider responses to the questions about the two stories. Challenge them to come up with as many real-life examples for the “When Mom Says . . .” activity. The more they connect these opening activities to their own lives, the better they will be able to apply the commandments and the laws and rules of God, Jesus, the Church, their families, and their classrooms in the remainder of the lesson to their own lives.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
• The Ten Commandments!
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus wants us to keep God’s law.
For this lesson, you will need pens or pencils, coloring tools, white poster board or drawing paper, and a Liturgical Year calendar.
Venture-age children have sets of rules to follow wherever they go—at home, at school, on sports teams, at activities, and even in their friend groups. Review the Ten Commandments with the children, then focus on Commandments 5, 6, and 8 for completing the cover activity.
Note that Sunday’s Gospel is presented at two different times in this lesson. The first part of the Gospel reading will be proclaimed when is typical in the lesson. The rest of it will be presented with modern-day situations in the activity on pages 6–7.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Marriage | Catholic Central
• Saint Valentine
• Highlights of the March for Life 2026 (preview for age-appropriateness)
Visions
Lesson Theme: Jesus’ law is love.
For this lesson, you will need Bibles (one per student).
Young people may be pushing back (or at least expressing displeasure) against the rules they must follow at home and at school. Encourage them to share their thoughts about which rules are most important and what happens when we break rules. Ask: What is the difference between rules that prohibit behavior (you should not do X) and rules that compel them to act (you should do Y)? Encourage them to identify the real commandments on the cover before referring to their Catechism handbooks (pages 32–34).
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Highlights of the March for Life 2026 (preview for age-appropriateness)
• Anh’s Anger
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