Create Powerful, Contemporary Images for the Stations of the Cross
by Sharon Cole
To increase the impact a centuries-old Lenten devotion makes on today’s kids, catechist Sharon Cole invites her fifth graders to create their own images for the stations of the cross.
Feb 28
Idea of the Month: February
Feb 27
A Way of the Cross for Peace
by Kass DotterweichThis Way of the Cross shows how we
can turn aside from thoughts and actions
that lead to fights and arguments and
helps us to choose, instead, to work
and play together in peace.
Continue reading "A Way of the Cross for Peace" »
Feb 24
Lenten Prayer
Teach Us to Pray
by Janet Schaeffler, OP
There are numerous ways we pray with
our learners, and in that praying, we are,
in fact, teaching them how to pray.
Here is a brief review of different forms
of prayer that you might use, especially
during Lent.
Feb 20
Two Minutes of Silence
Here's a way to introduce silent prayer to young learners during Lent. During the weeks that your class meets during Lent, use silence as your opening and closing prayer. Before each opening and closing prayer, remind students that silent prayer is a time to be with Jesus in a special way, to think about how much he loves them. Dim the lights and time the prayer for two minutes. A Lenten Scripture Echo
by Sandi BellequeUse this Scripture Echo from Matthew 6:1-8, 16-18 to teach students what Jesus says about giving alms, praying, and fasting. This is a good activity to prepare students for Lent.
Continue reading "A Lenten Scripture Echo" »
Feb 13
Prayer Table for the First Week of Lent
Lent begins on Wednesday, February 22. The Gospel proclaimed on the First Sunday
of Lent is about Jesus being tempted in
the desert. Place on your prayer table a
large bowl of sand with rocks and twigs in
it, creating a symbolic representation of
the desert. Use the color violet in your
prayer space. Violet is the liturgical
color for Lent.
Feb 10
A Lenten Cross for Your Classroom
Use two bare branches, one longer than the other, to make a cross. Attach a shorter beam across the longer one with a piece of violet yarn and display the cross in your learning space.Each class period during Lent, invite your learners into a brief examination of conscience. And then have each student tie a short piece of violet yarn or ribbon to the cross as a symbol of their repentance. For the first class after Easter, drape a white piece of cloth across the beam of the cross and explain that Jesus dies for our sins and how his joyous Resurrection is our promise of eternal life.
Feb 09
Teaching the Two Sides of Lent
by Lee DanescoLee Danesco uses this activity to both broaden her learners’ understanding of Lent and help them create an inspirational prayer corner for the Lenten season. All that's required is a few well-structured class discussions and a little independent artwork.
Continue reading "Teaching the Two Sides of Lent" »
Feb 08
The Lord's Prayer during Lent
A Collage Activity and Blessingby Jeanne Heiberg
This Lent, let the Lord’s Prayer guide you and your students into a deeper relationship with the Source of All Life as you invite God’s Kingdom of Heaven into your minds and hearts and the whole world.
Use the following outline with your students to make the Lord’s Prayer your Lenten guide. Discuss and pray each line. Then make collages that express each line, working with one line each week. Or, toward the end of Lent, take one class period to make the collages, letting each child visually express a different line to form the prayer together as a class.
Continue reading "The Lord's Prayer during Lent" »
Feb 07
A Lent-Easter Wreath
by Veronica Glenn
A Lent-Easter wreath can help students
pray through Lent—the same way an Advent
wreath helps students pray through Advent—
and celebrate Easter.
The wreath has violet, rose, and red triangles,
and tree twigs on one side for Lent and bright
spring-colored blooms on the reverse side
for Easter.
