Preparing for Holy Week and Easter

We continue to pray for the people of Japan:

Read 'Help kids (and others) make sense of tragedy' by Dr. Joseph D. White. Written in response to the Haitian earthquake, the advice for helping kids process disasters is helpful today.
Here are ways to help charitably.

Click here to read about the tradition of Easter eggs, then share with your Catholic kids. Also, here's a fun craft -- how to make a faux Faberge egg

The Triduum is the center of Catholic worship. The events we commemorate on these three days celebrate that Jesus loves us and he is still present with us in the Blessed Sacrament.

The first of the three days begins on Holy Thursday evening and continues until Good Friday evening. This day contains the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday as well as the Good Friday Celebration of the Lord's Passion.

The second day lasts until Holy Saturday evening. It is a day of rest, just as Jesus rested in the tomb.

The third day begins with the Easter Vigil and its great remembrance of the Resurrection. We welcome new Church members and renew our faith at this service. Our celebrations continue with the Easter Masses and conclude with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.

May the rest of the Lenten season as well as Holy Week be a time of prayer and reflection as we await the celebration of the Resurrection.

God bless! -- Dave
(Email me at ddziena@osv.com to share your suggestions and questions.)

This month on Teaching Catholic Kids

Lent Resources
Easter Resources
Support Catholic Schools and Religious Education (OSV Newsweekly Editorial 1/30/11)
Social Networking 101 for Parents
Roman Missal Change blog
Mass revision products from OSV

Activity One: (Grades K-5): Write a Prayer—During Lent, invite the children to write prayers to say before a cross or crucifix.

Encourage the children to write about their thoughts on Lent and Jesus' sacrifice.
Have each of them compose a prayer that includes these thoughts.
Suggest that each child write a clean copy of the prayer to put in a special place.
Encourage the children to pray their prayers every day.

Activity Two (Grade 6 and up): Mass Schedule — After studying Holy Week and the Triduum, the children/young people may be interested in attending one or more of the liturgies during these three days.

Get information from your parish about the times for the various Holy Week/Triduum services.
Have the children make invitations to their families to come to the services
Refer to the Lifelong Catechesis Corner (below) for an activity families can do together following the services.

Teacher Pattern: Make a Lenten Cross — Have the children each make a cross from scrap materials found around the house. Invite the children to write Lenten words on it, such as prayer, self-giving, or Jesus. Encourage the children to display their crosses at home.

View for a sample
Order
Author's web site

Lifelong Catechesis Corner: Family Activity — As a family, try to attend one or more of the Triduum celebrations (Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday service, or Easter Vigil). After, talk about what you have witnessed. For example, How was the service you attended similar to most Masses? How was it different? What special event was remembered at the liturgy? What special message did the homily contain?

Catholic Stewardship for Kids:

As a family, "see" the needs of your community. Select one of those needs and do a family project to help out with that need.
For more ideas, visit the OSV Lifelong Catechesis site

Soul Food for Teachers: Confession and Communication Podcast

Catechist Know-How: From Mary Lou Rosien, 'A New Spring in the Church; Working With the Special Needs Population.'

Prayer

Lord, we thank you for the three days of Triduum. We honor your memory and your gifts to us by recalling the gift of the Eucharist, your death on the Cross, and your glorious Resurrection. Thank you for these signs of your love for us. Amen.

From OSV Curriculum's Call to Faith, Grade 3 Catechist Guide, page 29.

Also on www.TeachingCatholicKids.com:

Teaching Catholic Kids

April 2011