September 2006 Teaching Catholic Kids

The focus is on prayer

The Feature Article this month is a prayer from Our Sunday Visitor's Prove It! Catholic Teen Bible. Also, print out and post the "Do's and Don'ts" of learning to pray in your classroom.

Activity One is "Give a Hand."

Activity Two: The Beatitudes are prayers in action! Use this activity from Beth McNamara’s Christian Beginnings  to concretize “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:7)

Teacher Pattern:  Using Joan and Paul Plum’s Teach Me About Prayer, get your students of any age up and expressing themselves! Have the kids stand and take on the pose in each square. Ask:

• What thoughts come to mind as you pray in this position?
• How might this position help you to pray?
• When is it good to use this position to pray?
• When might it not be wise to use this position to pray?

Soul Food for Teachers this month is an excerpt from Praying the Psalms with St. Padre Pio by Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti.

Catechist Know How: Relying on God in Difficult Times by Mary Lou Rosien.

Prayer to Share

Dear Jesus, I wouldn’t call a friend and just start saying words I’d memorized to her! I would speak to my friend, thinking about the words I say and listening to her. This is how I should be with You, too. I shouldn’t just rattle off prayers, expecting this to please You. That’s disrespectful. I will think about the words I say to You, and I will take the time to listen to You, too. Give me the grace to do this, Lord. May I give time and effort to our relationship. (From Kelley Renz’s God Listens to Our Children: Kids’ Prayers for Every Day of the Liturgical Year.)