Week 1: Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom of God
Scripture
- Read Luke 4:1-22a, and Luke 7:18-23. These describe what the Kingdom of God is like. Be sure to read these passages before you try to do the next activity!
- How well do you know the parables? Jesus used parables to talk about the Kingdom of God. He Said the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, a pearl of great worth, and wedding banquet, and a vineyard in which all workers get paid the same amount no matter how long they worked. What do you know about the Kingdom of God? Test yourself here!
Main Ideas
- This is the third Luminous Mystery of the Rosary.
- This means that Jesus told people about the Kingdom of God, and that it was NOW (In Jesus’ day). We’ll look at what this means.
Pray
- Pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, paying special attention to the Mysteries that we’ve already learned: Baptism of Jesus, Miracle of water to wine, and now Jesus proclaims the Kingdom of God!
Week 2: Teachings of Jesus:
Beatitudes, Commandments, and Instructions
Main Ideas
- Part of Jesus’ proclaiming the Kingdom of God was teaching people how to behave in that Kingdom. The Beatitudes, the Great Commandment, and the Golden Rule are among Jesus’ teachings.
- The Ten Commandments given to Moses by God long ago, were the foundation for God teaching his people how to love him and others. Love is central to all the commandments!
Activities
- Laws of Love: do the following activity to group the Commandments into laws that teach us to love God and laws that teach us to love others.
- Fill in the blank Beatitudes by looking up Matthew 5:1-12. Beatitude means blessed or happy. After you fill in the blanks using the Scripture passage, try reading it using the word “happy” everywhere the word “blessed” appears. Talk with your parents about these. Some may be difficult to understand, like “happy are those who mourn,” but remember that Jesus tends to those in need in a most special way!
Watch
The Golden Rule & the Lord’s Prayer. https://youtu.be/t0xUgCGC-dY Matthew 7:12 is the whole of the Golden Rule. Treat others as you want to be treated (not like they have treated you!). Also ponder the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus teaches us to ask God to forgive us as we forgive others. How does that sit with you? Are you good at these, or are they things that you need help with to get better? Ask Jesus and Mary to help you to forgive others that you are having difficulty forgiving, and to help you treat others well – regardless of how they might have treated you in the past. These take prayer and discipline (and often a few trips to Confession for forgiveness and advice!) Be patient and persistent in doing God’s will.
Pray
- Practice your prayers in your prayer book, and participate in Holy Mass, either in-person or online.
Week 3: Fatima, Portugal - Mary Appears!
Main Ideas
- Learn about the occasion when Mary appeared to three young children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917! What did she say to the children? What does that mean for us?
- Our Blessed Mother has appeared to many throughout the world, beginning with St. Juan Diego in Mexico.
Pray
Learn the Fatima decade prayer from your prayer flip books. The children learned this prayer when Mary and an angel appeared to them in Fatima, Portugal!
Set aside 20 minutes and pray the Rosary in the quiet of your room or with your family, as Mary instructed the children to whom she appeared. You can pray the Luminous Mysteries again, or choose the Sorrowful, Joyful or Glorious Mysteries. Take your time. Think about the Mysteries that you have chosen to pray. Pray for your family as you begin each decade of the Rosary.
- Talk as a family about Mary’s role in your family and in the Catholic Church. Consider stopping by the church to pray at the grotto, dedicated in Mary’s honor, as a place of prayer.
Activity
- Mary doesn’t have much to say in Scripture, but what she does say is important. Do the following activity to look up what Mary says in Scripture, and what others have said about her through this link.
Watch
- Watch as a family! This is a video that explains and portrays the occasions when our Blessed Mother, Mary, appeared to three young children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. This is an introduction to the story of Fatima – just about 3 minutes.
- This cartoon is especially for children in this age range!
- This video is more for adults, or a more mature audience.
Week 4: Missionary Childhood Association & Jesus Calls His Friends
Main Ideas
- Josef Vaz, beatified January 21, 1995. He was born in India, but died in Sri Lanka.
- Jesus calls his disciples – meet some of them here! Add to your Friends of Jesus book.
Joyful Praise
- The Christmas season is over, but there is still a lot of joy in singing praise to our God! Join us and sing along!
Missionary Childhood
- Missionary Childhood lesson
- Check out this interview with our own Kara Miller for an interview about St. Francis Xavier.
- Try to show your child where in the world all of our saints have come from so far this year! Look for: St. Teresa of Calcutta (India); St Therese (Cameroon); St. Francis Xavier (Russia); St. Juan Diego (Mexico); and St. Josef Vaz (Sri Lanka). Next we will be learning about St. Pope John Paul II (Poland); the Blessed Virgin Mary (Philippines); and St. Francis of Assisi (Italy). Remember that these saints were somehow associated with these countries, but not necessarily born there.
Activities
- Activities for St. Josef Vaz, especially for you.
- Here is a fun activity for you to get to know the disciples of Jesus!
Try a New Recipe!
These Sri Lankan recipes come to us from parishioner, Roshinee Perera!
Share!
Email me your success stories! Photos are most welcome; we like to get excited about your successes, too!