1. NORES Supporting Catholic Education and Formation
This PowerPoint is designed to explore the call ‘Come follow me’
Top and tail this PowerPoint with
your own way of
introducing / closing an assembly
Eg. Sign of the Cross
Song
Prayer
School Prayer
Take as much or as little detail, from the slides and notes,
appropriate to your setting
MAKE IT YOUR OWN!
NORES Supporting Catholic Education and Formation
NORES is the Office for Religious Education, Evangelisation, Catechesis and Schools in the Diocese of Northampton. Registered Charity:

2. ‘Come Follow Me’

3. Have a bag of £1 coins
And hold it up in front of the children – give it a shake!
Ask what have I got here?

4. A bag of coins
We need money for lots of things
Act out this short scenario:
Invite three children up to the front
And give them £2, £4 and £6
Then say it’s your job to collect money for the government.
Look at your notebook (piece of paper)
…….. (say child’s name) owes £1
So go to the first child and say ‘You owe the government £2’
Child hands over the money
You put £1 in the bag and £1 in your pocket!
Do the same with the next child
…….. (say child’s name) owes £2
So go to the first child and say ‘You owe the government £4’
You put £2 in the bag and £2 in your pocket!
‘I’ll be rich very quickly if I carry on like this!’
Then repeat with third child - £3 and £6
Ask the children what was going on
How would the children feel giving twice as much as they needed to?
How would the children have felt towards the tax collector?

5. At the time of Jesus things were no different.
At the time of Jesus the Romans ruled most of the world
And the people in the Roman Empire had to pay money to the Romans

6. The Romans wanted to build huge monuments and roads – but all of these cost money.
So they raised the money by collecting taxes from everyone.
People were taxed for lots of things
Taxed for travelling on certain roads
Taxed for growing crops on the land
Taxed for selling goods in the market

7. It was the job of the tax collector to collect the money from people.
But people didn’t want to give their money to the Romans.
They needed it for themselves.
Most tax collectors were dishonest.
When they collected the taxes they would often take twice the amount and keep half for themselves.
So people didn’t trust them and often feared them

8. This is a man called Matthew.
He was a tax collector for the Romans
People didn’t like him because of what he did.
But Jesus didn’t feel that way.
We are going to listen to the story of what happened to Matthew when he met Jesus

9. A Reading for the Gospel according to Matthew
Matthew left everything straight away,
He left his money and his job and he followed Jesus.
Matthew became one of the twelve disciples
And he wrote one of the gospels.
Glory to you, O Lord

10. This is a famous painting called ‘The Calling of Matthew’
It was painted by a man called Caravaggio.
He was Italian
And the painting hangs in a Church in Rome called St Louis (San Luigi)
(You may want to make a link to William and Kate’s baby – Louis)
Who can you see in the painting?
From the left
2 tax collectors
Matthew
Peter and Jesus

11. Jesus points towards Matthew
I wonder what he is saying?
Peter copies Jesus’ hand gesture
They are both in bare feet
and dressed in simple clothing
Peter has a stick
Ask the children what these things might symbolise

12. The two tax collectors
Luxurious clothing
(Fashionable clothing in 16th century Italy)
They are avoiding Jesus’ gaze
What might this say about them?

13. Matthew
A ray of light shines on his face
He points to himself
‘What do you think Matthew is saying?
(Who me?)
What is he doing with his right hand?
(Reaching for the coins)
Look closely at his hat, there is something stuck there.
What is it?
(A coin)
What does this tell us about Matthew?
(Money is really important to him.
He wants to hold on to the money
He’s going to find it difficult to let go)

14. The other two tax collectors
These men are hunched over their coins
Completely oblivious to Jesus
What does this say about them?

15. So Jesus calls Matthew to leave his old ways behind and to follow him.

16. Jesus is calling us to follow him.
Will we answer his call?
Jesus invites us to leave behind our old ways and live more like him
What do we need to leave behind?
(selfishness, greed etc)
Jesus calls us to follow him, to spread the good news to everyone we meet

17. Jesus calls us anew today.
What do I need to leave behind in order to follow Jesus more closely?
What is it that I want to hold on to?
Why is it so hard for me to let go?
 What would my friends think of me if I say yes to Jesus’ call?
Do I have the courage
to answer Jesus’ call and to follow him
in all that I do and all that I say
and in all that I am?

18. Let us pray…… Let us pray Loving God I offer you my life today
Give me all that I need
to live my life
following the example of Jesus
We make our prayer
through Christ our Lord
Amen
Add your own / children’s prayers

19. Let us pray that we will always listen to Jesus’ call and follow him.
Here I am Lord ready to follow you.

20. Let us pray for all world leaders that they will follow Jesus’ way of love.
Here I am Lord ready to follow you.

21. Let us pray for Pope Francis,
Bishop Peter and all our priests
that they will lead us by their example.
Here I am Lord ready to follow you.

22. Let us pray for all those in need:
the lonely, the unloved and
those who have no one to care for them.
Here I am Lord ready to follow you.

23. Here I am Lord ready to follow you.
Let us pray for those who are sick and the people who look after them and also for those who have died.
Here I am Lord ready to follow you.
Let us join all our prayers together in the words that Jesus gave us
Our Father…...

24. How will you answer Jesus’ call today?
Something to take away / ponder on during education week
What can you do differently to show you are following Jesus ?

25. Follow me, follow me,
Leave your home and family,
Leave your fishing nets
and boats upon the shore.
Leave the seed that you have sown,
Leave the crops that you’ve grown,
Leave the people you have known
And follow me.

26. The foxes have their holes
And the swallows have their nests,
But the son of man has no place to lay down.
I do not offer comfort,
I do not offer wealth,
But in me will all happiness be found.

27. Follow me, follow me,
Leave your home and family,
Leave your fishing nets
and boats upon the shore.
Leave the seed that you have sown,
Leave the crops that you’ve grown,
Leave the people you have known
And follow me.

28. If you would follow me,
you must leave old ways behind.
You must take my cross and follow on my path.
You may be far from loved ones,
You may be far from home,
But my Father will welcome you at last.

29. Follow me, follow me,
Leave your home and family,
Leave your fishing nets
and boats upon the shore.
Leave the seed that you have sown,
Leave the crops that you’ve grown,
Leave the people you have known
And follow me.

30. Although I go away
You will never be alone,
For the Spirit will be there to comfort you.
Though all of you may scatter,
Each follow his own path,
Still the Spirit of love will lead you home.

31. Leave your home and family, Leave your fishing nets
Follow me, follow me,
Leave your home and family,
Leave your fishing nets
and boats upon the shore.
Leave the seed that you have sown,
Leave the crops that you’ve grown,
Leave the people you have known
And follow me.
Sign of the Cross