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In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus encountered the chief priests and elders of the Jewish people as he was teaching in the Temple. To them, Jesus told the Parable of the Two Sons. Jesus asked these learned people which of the two sons did what their father wanted. The priests and elders responded that the first, who at first balked at his father’s invitation to work but later did the work, had done the father’s will. As we reflect upon the First, Second, and Third Commandments in this lesson, we consider that it is only when we truly keep the commandments that we please God and show him our faith and love.
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:
• Holy Heroes
• The Parable of the Two Sons
• God’s Story: Two Sons and a Father
• 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 teaches us.
For this lesson you will need: pencils, crayons, a story coloring page (one per child), items for the activity on page TG1-10, a Church Year calendar, a Bible and a [green] tablecloth.
Prepare in advance the items you will use for the Choosing Activity on TG1-10. Since this lesson focuses on making choices, it could be a good idea to offer the children as many choices as you can during the course of the session. For example, you can give them the choice to use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to color the activity on page 4 of their lessons.
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
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: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
• “CHOICES,” by John Burland
Promise
Lesson Theme: God gives us choices.
For this lesson, you will need pencils, crayons, a story coloring page (one per child), coins, game markers, a Church Year calendar, and a [green] tablecloth. Make name tags for the children in advance of your class session.
Note that you will introduce the children to the term Ten Commandments in this lesson. It is the Word of the Week. Emphasize that these rules help us make good choices. Some of the children may have some familiarity with the Ten Commandments. You may wish to read them to the children and explain them simply as needed. You can find them on page 100 of the Family Companion book. Tell the children that they will learn the Ten Commandments when they advance to the Good News (grades 2, 3) level of the Gospel Weeklies.
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Assessments
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
• “CHOICES,” by John Burland
Good News
Lesson Theme: God gives us choices.
For this lesson, you will need to make name tags for the children in advance of your class session. Bring a ball to your session to play a Name Game at the beginning of your class session to help the children (and you!) learn everyone’s names. You will also need pencils, coloring tools, a Church Year calendar, and your classroom Bible.
If the children are preparing to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, this lesson about being free to choose will support their preparation. If they have already celebrated this sacrament, this will be good review for them.
Find the answer key for What Does It Mean to Be Generous? (page 1) here. You may wish to direct the children to look up and fill in the Bible passage first. This will help them fill in the spaces in the activity above.
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Assessments
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• The Ten Commandments!
• What Do the Ten Commandments REALLY Command?
• Ten Commandments with Hand Motions (Learn these hand motions in advance so you can demonstrate for your class.)
Venture
Lesson Theme: We honor God by saying yes.
For this lesson, gather Bibles (one per two children) and pencils or pens. In the Materials box on page TG1-8, it indicates a need for copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and a Lectionary. The Lectionary is not needed for this lesson. Copies of the CCC are optional. If you have time, you may wish to guide pairs of children to locate the CCC paragraphs (1799–1800) noted in the Connecting Gospel and Doctrine box on page 4 of the student lesson. It is helpful for the children to know about the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as what these numbers in their lessons reference. Find FAQs about the CCC here. You can also find the CCC online here. Note that the Search function can be very helpful for finding Church teachings.
Give the children plenty of time and assistance as they find the Gospel and First Reading in their Bibles. It’s important that they become familiar with locating passages in the Bible. When you cover the first three of the Ten Commandments, you might wish to have them look up Exodus 20:1–17 and/or Deuteronomy 5:6–21, the two places where the Ten Commandments are found in the Old Testament.
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Assessments
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• The Bible Explored—A Brief History
• Bishop Barron on How to Read the Bible
• What Is a Parable?
• The First Commandment
• The Second Commandment
• The Third Commandment
ª Who Was Saint Clare of Assisi?
Visions
Lesson Theme: Jesus calls us to do his work.
When reading the story “Saying Yes, Saying No” (pages 2–3), make sure to pause after reading the question in the green box on page three. After reading the question, discuss what Tony should do, and then finish reading the story. This story leads well into this Sunday’s Gospel story of the two sons. Lead the young people in discussing this question: What’s more important—what we say or what we do? Also discuss the issue of competing demands on our time and how we balance and honor our commitments.
Consider proclaiming the Gospel reading twice. The first time, invite the students to choose which son they most identify with. The second time, invite them to take on the viewpoint of the other son. Readers tend to identify with the hero in a parable. Invite the students to consider in which role Jesus might be asking them to see themselves. How does this change their understanding of this Gospel reading?
Spend some time with the Our Catholic Faith feature on parables (page 5). Ask: What makes these stories so memorable?
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Assessments
Seasonal Resources
Video
• WYD Seoul 2027 Official Promo Video
Image credit: geralt/pixabay.com
