THE HAIL MARY (2)

Elizabeth comes to meet Mary

The gracious Lady Mary from Nazareth gave her permission to God to come to earth as her tiny Baby.
She was so excited to be having such a wonderful Baby, the Son of God.

Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was going to have another blessed child, John the Baptist.

As Mary went on a donkey to visit Elizabeth, she passed through fields where labourers worked among the crops.
She saw hills near Nazareth, and stopped near water.
It was such fun to be going visiting.

When Mary reached the little village house of Zachariah and Elizabeth, her cousin was so thrilled to see her that she came with her hands outstretched to greet holy Mary.

Elizabeth said these beautiful words, 'Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.'
We say these words in the Hail Mary, and remember when Elizabeth honoured Mary as the Mother of Jesus the Son of God.

THE HAIL MARY

One day in Heaven God had a very good idea. 
He had been thinking about it for a while.
He decided to come down to visit us all here on earth to teach us properly how to be good people.
He needed to find a way to be with us here on earth.

So God decided to be born as a tiny little baby on earth, and to grow to be a fine man who would show us the way to Heaven.
God needed a wonderful lady who would agree to this Plan.

He looked around to earth and saw a lovely lady He had given as a baby to Joachim and Anna.
Her name was Mary.
Mary was an Israelite lady who lived in Nazareth.

She loved God very much, and was very kind to her parents.
God sat and thought for a long time, and then sent for the glorious Angel Gabriel.

'Gabriel,' He asked, 'can I ask you a favour?'
'Yes, Lord,' replied Gabriel.
'Can you go and ask Mary is she will give permission for Me to become her Baby so that I can save everyone in the world?'
'Of course, Lord,' answered Gabriel.

He went to visit Mary in Nazareth, and asked her.
She said yes.
So the first two lines of the Hail Mary is from the words of the Angel Gabriel,
'Hail Mary, full of grace!
The Lord is with thee.'

CREATION: HOLY GOD MADE THE HEAVENS

Holy God made the Heavens
He made stars
And the sky
The stars twinkled and shone
How wonderful are the skies
And the stars at night.
Let us all praise God together
Who is so great, and wonderful, and good.

WHY DO WE CALL THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH HOLY?

The word 'Church' means 'those who belong to the Lord.'
Jesus the Son of Holy God Almighty makes us all holy.
We are the people who make up the holy worldwide Christian Church.
Children, it is great and holy to belong as a child of God to the holy Christian Church.

It is important for us as children of God to love everybody.
Every boy and girl is a human son or daughter of God.
The great God has many people living different kinds of lives and with different ways of believing in Him.

It is good to respect other peoples' different ways of living good lives and bringing honour to God.
It is important for us, as Christians, to bring honour to God by leading good, holy Christian lives.

THY KINGDOM COME

Jesus promised us that we will join God in the Heavenly Kingdom above if we try to lead good lives.
Little children and many people came to hear Jesus talk to them.
They were so excited to see the Son of God walking among us, bringing His great love to us.
What a wonderful joy this was.
And the same joy is ours.

A great man many years ago lived in Israel.
His name was Isaiah.
A great man in the Bible like Isaiah is known as a prophet.
Prophet Isaiah realised many great things that God told him long before they happened.
One of them was when God told Isaiah that people living in Israel would see a great light.

This great Light was God's own Son Jesus, Who came to live among us in Israel to show us how to live good lives.
Jesus also came to open Heaven for us.

When Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, He talked to the babies and children and grown up people to tell them to be sorry if they had done anything wrong, and to make up their minds to behave well, because God's Kingdom was near.

We pray that God's Kingdom - that is all the wonderful things that people do for one another as true sons and daughters of God - will come to all people, with God's peace, on earth.

Let us pray together:
"Heavenly Father, we pray that Your Kingdom comes upon earth. Please grant peace to our family, friends, and our country. Please help us all to be good people, and grant that we may live one day with you in heaven for all eternity.
Amen."

HALLOWED BE THY NAME

How wonderful is God - He made Angels, and people, and the whole world.
God gave great glory to His Name when He made His beautiful creation.

God stood and made stars that sprinkled silver light in the night; He made little fish to dance in the sea.
Colourful parrots sat on God's Shoulders after He made them; they called and fluffed their feathers. God was so happy and excited to have made such beautiful creatures.

God wanted to share His creation. God wanted children.
So He made a human family - us.
And we glorify His Name.
So let us all say together, "God, Your Name is very holy. I will honour Your Name all the days of my life by doing all things for your Honour and for love of You."

OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN

God is so clever. He made the earth, the sea, the sky. God made the birds, and people. 
We know God's great throne is in Heaven, with the beautiful Angels who love Him so much.
We love God our Father because we are His children.
We have love and trust in God.

God sends us His grace to help us every day.
One day if we are very good and love God with all our hearts and souls, and obey His Commandments, we will see Him face to face in Heaven and live with Him forever.