Holy Week and Easter Passion Plays by Sister Jenada Fanetti, SDS
These child-friendly scripts, created by Sr. Jenada Fanetti, DRE at Holy Cross Parish in Mount Calvary, WI, are an effective way to prepare children for Holy Week and Easter.
Thanks to Sr. Jenada for sharing these four scripts for Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, the Way of the Cross, and the Resurrection.
Honoring Jesus as King A palm is created out of green poster board for each child. A child who represents Jesus sits on a chair in a wagon. Children make two lines, creating a passage way. The wagon is slowly drawn through the two lines of children.
Reader 1 On the Sunday before Jesus died, he rode on a donkey into Jerusalem. The people welcomed him as king. They waved palm branches as he went by.
All Hip, Hip, Hooray! Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Reader 2 (invites all to repeat each line) Jesus is our King! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna to the Son of David!
Reader 3 (invites all to repeat each line) Jesus, you are the king of our hearts. We pray to you, we thank you, we love you.
Reader 4 On Palm Sunday we carry blessed palms. We proclaim that Jesus is King of heaven and earth. We greet him as the Redeemer who overcame sin and death by giving up his life and then rising to glory.
The Last Supper Each child wears a name tag bearing the name of an apostle. One child, wearing an altar server’s robe, is designated to play Jesus. Props include a simple table, cups, a small loaf of bread, grape juice, a goblet, towel, small basin.
Jesus singles out a couple of the apostles.
Jesus Go into the village and look for a man who is carrying a jug of water. Ask him to show you the place where you can get a room ready for the Passover meal!
The apostles leave Jesus and set the table.
Reader 1 Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his apostles the night before he died. Everyone was worried because they knew that Jesus was in danger.
The two apostles inform Jesus that the table is ready. All gather around the table.
Reader 2 Before supper, Jesus got a basin of water and a towel. He began to wash the feet of each apostle. You, too, need to reach out to others in every way possible.
If there is time, children can act out the washing of the feet.
Jesus I am so happy to share this special meal with you. I thank you, God, for this food and for these special friends.
Jesus takes the bread in both hands, holds it up, blesses it, breaks it in half.
Jesus Take and eat. This is my body.
He passes the bread to the children. Each reverently breaks off a piece and eats it.
Jesus takes the chalice in his hands, reverently raises it up, and looks at the children.
Jesus Take and drink. This is my blood, which will be shed for you.
Each child reverently takes a sip of grape juice as the chalice is passed around. After they finish, all go out in a group. Jesus kneels down to pray and invites his disciples to join him. The disciples fall asleep.
Passion and Crucifixion Volunteers take the roles of Jesus, the soldiers who arrest Jesus, and Judas. Props include a large cross and a crown.
Reader 1 While Jesus was speaking to the apostles in the garden, Judas came with men armed with swords and clubs. He kissed Jesus as a sign that the men should capture him. They arrested Jesus, and the apostles ran away. Jesus was led to the high priest’s house. There he was questioned. The soldiers crowned him with thorns and whipped him because he claimed to be king.
Jesus and the soldiers move to another area.
Reader 2 They gave Jesus a cross to carry. He carried this heavy cross to Calvary. Three times he fell as he made this journey. A woman pushed her way through the crowds to give Jesus a towel to wipe his face. Jesus was nailed to the cross and mocked as he hung there. After three hours he died.
Reader 3 Jesus said that if we wish to follow him, we must take up our cross. This means accepting hard things that come into our lives. Jesus will use these sufferings to bring us closer to him.
Invite all to make the Sign of the Cross on the palms of their hands.
We know that our suffering can lead us to eternal happiness with God.
Resurrection/Easter Volunteers play the women who go to Jesus’ tomb, the angel they see there, Mary Magdalene, and Jesus. Draw a big rock on a large sheet of poster board. Place a chair near the rock for the angel to stand on. Provide scarves for the women to wear on their heads.
Reader 1 Early in the morning, some women walked to the tomb. They wanted to place spices on the body of Jesus. As they walked, they wondered who would roll the large stone away. To their surprise, they found that the rock was rolled away.
Bewildered, the women say: He is gone.
Angel Jesus is risen. Go tell the apostles that Jesus is risen.
The women hurry back to Jerusalem and tell the apostles.
Reader 2 Mary Magdalene stayed near the tomb and was crying. She thought someone had taken the body of Jesus away. Mary turned and saw a man. She thought he was a gardener. Mary did not know it, but the man was Jesus. Then he called her name.
Mary Jesus!
Reader 3 Mary recognized Jesus. She was full of joy and ran to tell everyone.
Mary I have seen Jesus. He is alive!
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Holy Week and Easter Passion Plays
