Today’s Lesson: Sunday of the Paralytic
For the entire family
Tips for using music at home
“Music as a Ministry” by Gigi Baba Shadid via the Center for Family Care »
Learn Hymns at Home - "Hymn-Singing for Young People" »
For children of all ages
Lesson and craft
“Sunday of the Paralytic” »
From Let Us Live Orthodoxy, Volume 3 by Fr. Dean and Pres. Georget Photos
Preschool
Story & activity: Healing the Paralytic Re-enactment
Have children wait in their rooms while you set up. Place a blue blanket or cloth on the floor for the “pool.” Put an old, broken stuffed toy or doll on a pillow “pallet” next to you, to represent the paralyzed man.Call children from their rooms and ask them to each bring a stuffed toy or a doll. Have each child sit with their toy around the pool.Read the first part of the Gospel, up until it introduces the paralyzed man. Shake the “water” and have the children pick up their toys and put them in the water. The first toy to touch the water is “healed”; the rest have to sit back down and wait for the angel to trouble the water again.Continue reading & acting out the Gospel, conducting the conversation between Jesus, the paralyzed man (old, broken toy), and the Jews. Make sure the healed toy picks up his pallet and walks away.Ask the children what should happen to the people (toys) that haven’t been healed yet? (Ask Jesus to heal them too, wait for the angel to come again, etc.)Wrap up by reminding children that there are two parts of this story: Remembering that Jesus healed the paralyzed man is the easy part, but Jesus also told him to “go and sin no more,” to live the rest of his life in a good way.And now all of the healed toys need to “go and sin no more,” in this case, by being put away neatly.
Coloring sheet
Healing of the Paralytic »
by Fr. John Matusiak
Elementary school
Discussion questions for Gospel reading:
Why did sick people sit by the pool?
Answer: They wanted to be healedHow many years had the one man been sick for?
Answer: 38 yearsWhat did Jesus say to the paralytic when he healed him?
Answer: “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.”Did the paralytic share the news of being healed with anyone?
Answer: Yes!
Craft & activity: Digital get well & greeting cards
We often want to visit people who are sick or lonely, to help them and cheer them up. In our world right now, that’s not often possible. How can we help others in need of healing? Here’s a story of a family that found a way by Cynthia Demarco:
Surgeon’s kids’ digitized cards spread hope during COVID-19 pandemic »
Although it would be wonderful to know a nurse or doctor who has time to do a project like this, think of ways you can send cards to people you know who are either ill, or saying safe at home and might be lonely, or who are working very hard in essential jobs.
DON'T FORGET: We are still collecting get well cards for those who are sick, especially now that the list has grown. No need to address them, just send good wishes.
The collection box is outside the church office door.
Middle school
Discussion questions for Gospel reading
Who was lying near the pool?
Answer: A number of invalids who were blind, lame, and paralyzedHow many years had the one man been sick for?
Answer: 38 yearsWhy hadn’t he been healed by the water before?
Answer: He had no one to put him in the poolWhat did Jesus say to the paralytic when he healed him?
Answer: “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.”Why did the Jews disapprove?
Answer: Because it was the Sabbath and the man was carrying his pallet
Craft & activity: Digital get well & greeting cards
We often want to visit people who are sick or lonely, to help them and cheer them up. In our world right now, that’s not often possible. How can we help others in need of healing? Here’s a story of a family that found a way by Cynthia Demarco:
Surgeon’s kids’ digitized cards spread hope during COVID-19 pandemic »
Although it would be wonderful to know a nurse or doctor who has time to do a project like this, think of ways you can send cards to people you know who are either ill, or saying safe at home and might be lonely, or who are working very hard in essential jobs.
DON'T FORGET: We are still collecting get well cards for those who are sick, especially now that the list has grown. No need to address them, just send good wishes.
The collection box is outside the church office door.
Action item for the week
The gospel focuses on the paralytic receiving Jesus’s help. This week, in honor of Mother’s Day, take on one additional daily chore to help your mother and show your appreciation for everything she does: clean up after dinner every night, assist with a younger sibling’s chores or homework, or simply ask how you can best help!
High school
Discussion questions for Gospel reading
Who was lying near the pool? (A number of invalids who were blind, lame, and paralyzed)How did the pool heal people? (An angel of the Lord would come down at certain times and “trouble the waters”)Why hadn’t the man, who had been sick for 38 years, been healed by the water before? (He had no one to put him in the pool)What did Jesus say to the paralytic when he healed him? (“Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.”)Why did the Jews disapprove? (Because it was the Sabbath and the man was carrying his pallet)What do you think Jesus would mean, if he told you to get up and walk, today? (various answers)
Journal topic
The Paralytic man was so close to the pool where he could be healed, but never was able to reach it on his own. He found healing in another way, when he called on Christ to help him. Have you ever had all of the tools to do something, but felt that you were unable to complete the last step? Did you reach out to someone to help you?
Action item for the week
In honor of Mother’s Day, look around your house – are there any stalled projects or small maintenance needs that need just one more step to complete? Come up with a few ideas and ask your mom if you can finish the work. Please return your coin boxes to the church. You can bring them to the office or leave them in the container just outside the doors.
Before you end your Sunday School session
Light a candle and pray for those who are sick and suffering; those who are needy; those who are well; and our church family, that we may all be together again soon to worship in our beautiful church
Gospel Reading
John 5:1–15
At that time, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water; whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked.Now that day was the sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet." But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, 'Take up your pallet, and walk.' "They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your pallet, and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.