The season of Lent (Ash Wednesday to Holy Week) is a time of forgiveness: looking at the things we have done that are wrong, asking God's and other people's forgiveness, and making a promise not to do them again. It is a time for giving up the things that keep us from being loving people and a time for doing extra things that will help us grow closer to God. Lent is a time to be more aware of what it means to love others as God loves us and a time to ask God to help us be more loving, remembering that God is always there to strengthen us. It is also a time to think about our baptism and what it means to be a child of God. Parents can help their children to read the Bible every day, to reflect on the stories with them, and to concentrate on stories about the life of Jesus as he approaches the cross.
As you scroll down this page, you will find resources and suggestions for each week in Lent. Since you know your family's needs better than anyone, you will be able to use these resources and suggestions in ways uniquely appropriate to your family.

 The Fourth Sunday in Lent - March 22

The readings for the Fourth Sunday in Lent this year are:

  • 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (Theme: God does not see things like we see them because God can see into the hidden depths of our hearts. )
  • Ephesians 5:8–14 (Theme: The Holy Spirit empowers us to do things we thought we would do before. All of these things give witness to God who loves us.)
  • John 9:1–41 (Theme: Jesus is able to heal a man who was born blind. Our misfortune or suffering nevers comes as a punishment for sin. God doesn't work that way. When we overcome such things, we begin to realize that it is not by our power but by the grace of God.) 
​
This week we focus on God changes us to be people who act out of real concern for others and try to do the will of God. We do this by honoring the dignity of every human being in these ways: listening carefully to the other; expressing our understanding, care and concern for them, and seeing how building bridges over divisions moves closer to God. 

Resource Corner

Telling the Story
​​This YouTube video tells the story of Jesus healing the man born bind. You can use it instead of reading the long text with your children. 
Key words and ideas to explore
​(Try to work these ideas into everyday conversation and examples. They don't need to be structured into a lesson plan but are part of how we live out our faith.)​
  • Have you ever wondered why some people are blind, or cannot walk, or have another kind of disability?
  • Did you ever wonder if they suffered because of something they did wrong? 
  • If God loves everyone, why do some people have such sufferings and difficulties to bear? 
  • How did the man respond to Jesus after he was healed? Why do you think this was important

GOdly Play - online!

Click on the video link below to watch the Godly Play Lesson for this week with Mother Mary Kisner
Activities for Children
Here is a resource that contains children's activities to help tell explain the Scripture readings for this week.  
sunpaper_lent_4_a.pdf
File Size: 132 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Click on the file above to download and print the "Sunday Paper for this week.
spjr_lent_4_a__1_.pdf
File Size: 161 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Click on the file above to download and print the "Sunday Paper Junior" for this week.

The Fifth Sunday in Lent - March 29

The readings for the Fifth sunday in Lent this year are:

  • Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Theme: Sometimes we feel like nothing more can go wrong. But God's Spirit is always there to change us and teach us.)
  • Romans 8:6-11 (Theme: We don't journey toward heaven "on our own steam" but by the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. )
  • John 11:1-45      (Theme: A close friend of Jesus dies. How does Jesus respond? Notice how Jesus takes every opportunity to teach about life in God, even sad times, and how God can make good things come from bad.)
This week we focus on how we, as people destined for resurrection in Christ, require caring communities that are willing to nurture and strengthen us until they are able to walk on our own. Jesus commands those around us to remove the grave clothes of self-doubt, social isolation, marginalization, and oppression; to tear away the wrappings of fear, anxiety, loss, and grief, so that as unbound women, men, and children we might walk in dignity and become creative agents in the world.

Resource Corner

 
​​Jesus raises Lazarus form the dead (for Kids)
This video offers a simple animated retelling of the gospel story assigned for this Sunday.
​Key words and ideas to explore
​(Try to work these ideas into everyday conversation and examples. They don't need to be structured into a lesson plan but are part of how we live out our faith.)
  • It seems that God enjoys overturning expectations, making old dry bones into living people, bringing dead people back to life, always doing new and unexpected things.
  • The Jesus we know from the gospel stories loves his friends so much that he became terribly sad when he heard that Lazarus was dead.
  • Jesus is able to turn even the worst situation into something that can teach us something about God.

Godly Play - online!

Click on the video link below to watch the Godly Play Lesson for this week with Mother Mary Kisner
Activities for Children
sunpaper_lent_5_a.pdf
File Size: 140 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
​Click on the file above to download and print the "Sunday Paper for this week.
spjr_lent_5_a__1_.pdf
File Size: 152 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
​Click on the file above to download and print the "Sunday Paper Junior" for this week.

Palm Sunday - April 5

Palm Sunday begins our Holy Week - that sacred time when we remember the great work that Jesus accomplished on our behalf. While the world buzzes around us, we need to try to take some time to reflect during this week on the special message of God;s love given in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 
​
The readings for the Palm Sunday are as follows:

The Liturgy of the Palms
  • Matthew 21:1-11 (Theme: The great drama of Holy Week begins to unfold as Jesus enters Jerusalem and is hailed "King of the Jews".)
The Liturgy of the Passion
  • Isaiah 50:4-9a (Theme: The reading speaks of a servant of God who suffers persecution but still trusts in God's help.)
  • Philippians 2:5-11 (Theme: Jesus accepted the way of life of a servant and was obedient to God, even if it cost him his life. because of this obedience, God highly exalted Jesus.)
  • Matthew 26:14- 27:66 (Theme: We tell of the events surround Jesus' last hours before he dies for us.)
​This week we focus on how Jesus gave up everything for our sakes.

RESOURCE Corner
The Story of Jesus' last hours
This video tells the story of Jesus' last hours. It is a "lego" video that might be helpful if "the real thing" might be too graphic for younger chldren.
The Passion of Christ
This animated video tells the story of the passion in a more realistic form for those children who might not be as affected by the inherent violence of the story. It may help them understand the real sacrifice Jesus made for us. 
Key words and ideas to explore
​(Try to work these ideas into everyday conversation and examples. They don't need to be structured into a lesson plan but are part of how we live out our faith.)​​
  • Are we able to humble ourselves when we live in a society that seems to value only those who a great, successful and full of themselves? Such people often have difficulty seeing the needs of anyone but themselves. 
  • Jesus sets the example for his followers by making difficult choices to stay true to the work God gave him to do. Jesus did not give in to the ideas of the world around him.
  • Jesus understood the difference between the ways of "the world", and the ways of God.

Godly Play - Online!

Click on the video link below to watch the Godly Play Lesson for this week with Mother Mary Kisner
sunpaper_palm_sunday_a.pdf
File Size: 162 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Click on the file above to download the "Sunday Paper" for this week (Palm Sunday).
​ 
spjr_palm_sunday_a.pdf
File Size: 174 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Click on the file above to download and print the "Sunday Paper Junior" for this week (Palm Sunday).

Holy Week

Beginning with Palm Sunday, we enter a week of prayer and reflection on the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. It ends with the quiet of Holy Saturday when we anticipate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The final part of this week (from Thursday evening through Saturday night) form The Sacred Triduum (or the Three Holy Days). Because we cannot gather as a community this year, we provide resources for home celebrations of these days here.
A collection of resources for the days of Holy Week (including Palm Sunday) can be downloaded from Church Publishing Company by clicking on the file at right.
Click on the video link at the right to watch the Godly Play Lesson for this week with Mother Mary Kisner.
holy_week_activities_for_families_final__1_.pdf
File Size: 7832 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
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