Blog Archives

"At Home Review" - 9th Week in OT

5/30/2021

Scripture: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
Next Sunday is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, often referred to as Corpus Christi. In the Alleluia verse next Sunday we will hear from John 6: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live forever." The Eucharist is a great gift to us. It is also a great mystery. In the Eucharist Jesus is truly present with us, yet still hidden by the signs of bread and wine. Write the Alleluia verse from John and then draw an image of this great mystery.

Level II (1st-2nd)
The Eucharist

We have pondered the great gift of the Eucharist in so many ways in the Atrium. Draw at least four materials which have helped you to think about the Eucharist, this way in which Jesus has chosen to remain with all people of all times. Has the Good Shepherd material helped us to ponder this truth? How about the True Vine? What about the model altar or the gestures altar? Do you remember the Cenacle material? Perhaps you would like to choose four of the works I have listed here or maybe you can think of another way by which you have been helped to ponder the Eucharist in the Atrium.

Level III (3rd-6th)
The Mystery of Faith

After the priest has asked the Holy Spirit to come down and transform the bread and wine into Jesus, and after he has said the same words that Jesus said: "This is my body...This is my blood," we hear, "The mystery of faith." One way we might respond is "We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection, until you come again." The Eucharist is the mystery of our faith. But Jesus who died, rose, and will come again is also the mystery of our faith. Look back at the request above to draw the Eucharist. Could you add to your illustration, showing the Mystery of Faith?

Pentecost Celebration

5/26/2021

The Prayer Table set for Pentecost.

Materials from the Atrium which show the work of the Holy Spirit (5th/6th).

The Prayer Table awaiting the children's candles.

Materials from the Atrium which show the work of the Holy Spirit (4th).

"At Home Review" - 8th Week in OT

5/23/2021

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20
We have returned to the season of Ordinary Time, this time in which we are invited to continue to unpack the great truths we have prepared for in Lent and celebrated during Easter. However, we are actually not finished celebrating great feasts! Next Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Read the Gospel passage from Matthew listed above. It should sound familiar! If you have been baptized, ask your parents this week to show you photos of your Baptism day and tell you what they remember about that day you were welcomed into the flock of the Good Shepherd.

Level II (1st-2nd)
The Sign of the Cross

When we pray the Sign of the Cross we use the same words that Jesus spoke in next Sunday's Gospel, the same words that were said on the day of our Baptism, the day on which we were marked with His sign as one of His sheep. Do you have a holy water font in your home where you can bless yourself and pray this gesture as a reminder of your Baptism? Or do you have a crucifix in your home that could serve as a similar reminder? Perhaps that's something you and your family could work on putting together.

Level III (3rd-6th)
The Trinity

One of the greatest mysteries of our faith is the Holy Trinity. We know that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God...but that there is only one God. We also know that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. We have one God in three Persons, united yet distinct.

Many people have tried to draw the Holy Trinity. How would you draw God, showing the truth stated above. Give it a try!

The Roman Missal

5/19/2021

As we near the end of the year, the E2 children took time out to extend their work with the Complete Missal or Colored Base material. Splitting into groups, each section of the work was set up and checked. Each small group then had the task of finding their portion of the Mass in the Roman Missal. It was interesting to see which sections were easily found and those which took more work to track down. Each group had insights about what they found to be easy and challenging about the extension to this work on the Mass that has been their constant companion for the past year to two years.

"At Home Review" - 7th Week of Easter

5/16/2021

Scripture: Acts 2:1-4
We are enjoying our final week of "The Great Sunday." It has been so good to celebrate Jesus' resurrection and His sharing of His risen life for such a long period of time. But God always has more to give to us and next Sunday we celebrate the great Solemnity of Pentecost. Today, read Acts 2:1-4 to hear about the very first Pentecost. Make a list of the signs of the Holy Spirit and then think about how the apostles were changed by His coming. Draw one of the apostles, showing the coming of the Holy Spirit as well as the effects or changes that His presence brought.

Level II (1st-2nd)
The Gifts of Pentecost

Read Isaiah 11:2-3a. Here we are given a list of the gifts of the Spirit. Do some research on one of these gifts. Write a definition for it and then begin to pray that the Holy Spirit might stir up within you this week. In Baptism we receive these great gifts...but we can always ask God to stir them up within us when we are in need of His help in our life!

Level III (3rd-6th)
The Sacraments

Last week we looked at the sacraments as ways Jesus remains with us. Did you know that each sacrament has a moment of epiclesis or calling down of the Holy Spirit? Read Acts 2:1-11. Now make a list of the seven sacraments of the Church. Do you know the moment of epiclesis for any of these sacraments? Why do you think His coming is so important for that sacrament?

Follow-up Work

5/12/2021

This past week the children responded to presentations in a variety of ways. A group of 3rd grade children pondered the Parable of the Wedding Banquet together at the Prayer Table and it was interesting to watch the diversity of their work choice when it came time to disperse. Several of the children moved toward the Maxims as the idea of examining one's conscience had arisen in the conversations. A few others moved to materials on the Bible. Each child found their own way to continue thinking about the Parable that they had pondered in community.

The Books of the Bible

The Maxims

Comparing the Maxims with the Ten Commandments

The variety of work found with the 3rd grade children was paralleled in the follow-up chosen by the 4th-6th graders as they moved from presentations to work.

Receiving a presentation on the virtues, some children began to make their own virtues cards while others made lists or charts of the virtues. Some of the 4th graders also began to analyze specific passages of Scripture by choosing a passage and listing which virtues were being used by whom.

After pondering a "proper" of the Eucharistic Prayer called the "Preface" several children began to look at Prefaces from different days (Christmas, Easter, a feast of the Apostles, etc) while others returned to working on transcribing their own copy of a Missal, a complete set of the prayers of the Mass.

The 6th graders began some research on the History of Worship and on the items used for prayer in the Synagogue by the Jewish people together. They then spread out and began to record their findings in a variety of ways before sharing them with each other when they gathered again at the end of the session.

"At Home Review" - 6th Week of Easter

5/9/2021

Scripture: Mark 16:15-20
We are getting so close to the great Solemnity of Pentecost! But before God could send the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus needed to return to the Father. Next Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. Throughout the time of Easter Jesus has been speaking of peace. Now He says to His disciples, "Go and teach all nations; I am with you always, until the end of the world." Do you think that knowing Jesus would remain with them brought the disciples peace? How does Jesus continue to remain with us today? Write or show how Jesus continues to be with us even now.

Level II (1st-2nd)
The Origin of the Eucharist

In the Atrium we have recalled the celebration of the Last Supper many times. That night Jesus told the apostles about a most particular way in which He desired to remain with all people of all times. Do you remember the new words that He said? These words are still said today and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus continues to be with us under the signs of bread and wine. Who says these words of Jesus today? Perhaps this week you could write a letter thanking your parish priest for bringing us Jesus.

Level III (3rd-6th)
The Sacraments

Jesus remains with us in a most beautiful way through the sacraments. Choose one of the sacraments and write about how Jesus remains with us through the articles and gestures of that sacrament.

The Mystery of Faith and Prayers of Intercession

5/5/2021

During the heart of the Mass (the Eucharistic Prayer), just after the words of Consecration, the priest says: "The Mystery of Faith." We respond in one of three ways, including: "We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection until you come again." This is such a great mystery, one which is intimately connected with the mystery standing before us in this moment of the Mass, the Risen Christ, the True Presence of the Good Shepherd, hidden in the signs of bread and wine. Last week the children pondered this great mystery and then turned their thoughts into art.

This week we returned to this great truth and then looked at the prayers which come after the proclamation of the Mystery of Faith at Mass, the prayers of intercession. Typically when we hear "intercession" we think of praying for someone else. However, these prayers of the Mass invite us, instead, to pray "with" all those present, those united under the bishops and the pope, those all over the world, those who have died, and all the angels and saints. The Mass is a powerful prayer of unity in which we join with all those connected on the True Vine. The children have taken their drawings of the Mystery of Faith and are working to expand their art response to show this great mystery of the vastness of God's desire to unite all people of all time to Himself.

"At Home Review" - 5th Week of Easter

5/2/2021

Scripture: 1 John 4:7-10
We continue to hear from the parable of the True Vine in next Sunday's Gospel. We also hear from the First Letter of John. Read 1 John 4:7-10 from the letters or epistles section of the New Testament. Do you hear how often John uses the word love? Recently we have been hearing from John so often through the parable of the Good Shepherd, the parable of the True Vine, and from his letters. How does he know so much about Jesus? How does he know so much about love? What do you know about love? Write about what you know about how God shares His love with you both in the world around you, through your family, and at Church.

Level II-III (1st-6th)
Psalm 98:1-4

The Psalm for next Sunday is a great song of praise to God. Read Psalm 98:1-4 and then turn your writing about God's love from above into a poem or song of praise. What will it be like when all the earth sings songs of praise to God with great joy? How could you illustrate your song?