“The LORD God gave the man this order: You are free to eat from any of the trees in this garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.”
USCCB.org, “GENESIS”, Chapter 2:16-17
Source: USCCB.org
For Parents to Teach to Their Children
“Each one of us is heir to Adam and Eve. Their sin shattered God’s created harmony, not only for them but also for us. We experience the effects of Original Sin in our daily life. This explains why it is so difficult to do good or to do what we should.”
Source: USCCB.org “Men and Women in the Beginning”
Click Here for More Information on Original Sin and Adam and Eve
Message to Parents
This week we will learn about “The Fall from Grace” and the “Expulsion from the Garden” and look at the gift of Baptism for redemption from sin. Adam and Eve were the first humans and thus, were the first people to sin. This is why their sin is called, “Original Sin.” From that first sin on, humans are born with the inheritance from Adam and Eve of sin. Baptism removes the guilt for that sin, making us– infant or adult– free from sin. Children at around age seven, receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, in preparation for First Holy Communion. Talk to your children about free will and how God gave us the ability to make choices, both good and bad.
Our Art Gallery
Genesis “Adam and Eve”
Readings for Children
“The Garden of Eden”
An Excerpt from Loyola Kids’ Book of Bible Stories, Page 134
“Genesis means ‘beginning.’ It’s the first book of the Bible, and that’s what it’s about: beginnings.
It’s about the beginning of the world and everything that’s in it: sun and moon, fish and flowers, and all sorts of creatures.
Genesis is also the story of our beginnings–yours and mine–Genesis tells the beginning of the human story.
Your story.
In the beginning, human beings were created by God, but he made them quite different from other animals, not just the outside, but most
importantly, on the inside.
We are made in God’s image!”
“Adam and Eve”
An Excerpt from, My Catholic Children’s Bible , Page 16
“God had planted on earth a beautiful garden, a place called Eden.
He had created the garden for Adam, and here he placed the most wonderful plants and creatures.
Looking at the man He had created, God thought, ‘It is not right that Adam should be alone.’
So while Adam slept, God took one of his ribs.
From this rib, He made the first woman, Eve.
God set Adam and Eve in the garden and said:
‘ Everything in this garden is yours.
Enjoy it and be happy.
Only one thing is forbidden to you.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil grows in this garden.
You must never eat any of the fruit from this tree.
If you do, you will die.'”
“Adam and Eve Disobey God”
An Excerpt from
Catholic Book of Bible Stories, Pages 13-15
Genesis 2-3
“Remember what day God created the first man and woman? It was on Day six.
Adam and Eve did everything together. They were very happy.
But Satan, God’s enemy, could not stand God’s perfect world.
‘I must do something!’ Satan decided.
So he made himself look like a snake and wrapped himself around the branch of the tree of wisdom.
Satan stuck out his forked tongue to smell the ripe fruit from the beautiful tree.
‘Simply scrumptious!’ the snake hissed.
Eve heard the snake and asked, ‘What is scrumptious?’
The snake answered, ‘This fruit.’
‘That is the fruit from the tree of wisdom,’ said Eve.
‘God has said we can’t eat from that tree. If we do we will die.’
‘No! You won’t die. God is afraid you will gain the knowledge of good and evil. You will be like God.’
Eve wanted to eat some, even though God had told her and Adam not to. So she took a bite.
‘Mmm,’ she said.”
“Faith to Grow”
Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.
And they no longer could live in
God’s beautiful garden. But God still
loved Adam and Eve even though
The disobeyed him”
For Older Children and Adults Please Read “Genesis,” chapter 3 on USCCB.org
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS
BAPTISM
CONFIRMATION
HOLY COMMUNION
CONFESSION
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
MARRIAGE
HOLY ORDERS
“A Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.”
THE SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION AND THE EUCHARIST
“The sacraments of Christian initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life.”
1275 “Christian initiation is accomplished by three sacraments together: Baptism which is the beginning of new life; Confirmation which is its strengthening; and the Eucharist which nourishes the disciple with Christ’s Body and Blood for his transformation in Christ.”
1213 “Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua),4 and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: ‘Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.’5″
1266 “The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification:
– enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues;
– giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
– allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.
Thus the whole organism of the Christian’s supernatural life has its roots in Baptism.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Baptism–Scallop Shell–Symbol of Water and Life
Probably your children have seen or been a part of a Baptism at church. Talk to them about the significance of having water from the font poured over the person’s (baby’s) head by the priest, three times. The priest traditionally uses a shell-shaped vessel to scoop and pour the water. Perhaps the Baptismal Font itself is shaped like a shell. It’s easy to visualize Saint John the Baptist, using a shell from the shore, to baptized Jesus and the other followers. The shells we love to collect are an example of the beautiful creatures god created in the beginning of the world.
Our Art Project #1–Baptismal Shell
Our first art project this week celebrates the incredible intricacy of God’s creation of shells, and the symbol of the scallop shell in Baptism. My family has a collection of shells, which we have had for many years. They sit out for all to see, on tables, shelves and counter tops. I love the colors, shapes, and beauty of shells and decided to try to paint them. I used a fourth of a piece of full-size watercolor paper and lightly sketched the shell I was looking at. After erasing and trying again, I used a very fine point dark brown sharpie to trace the pencil marks before painting over the drawing, in watercolors. I used a white watercolor pastel on the paper, to make swirls, lines and squiggles, before painting. On a whim, I cut out spiral shapes from a “discarded” painting and glued them onto the scallop shell painting. The scallop shell painting is my first “pop-up” art!
Materials
Art Project #2–Adam and Eve Cut-Paper Collage
The story of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden is fun to draw, paint or make a cut paper collage, which is what I have made here. The first step is to paint with watercolor (I use liquid water color) several watercolor sheets of paper in colors you’ll need, for cutting out things to glue down. I wanted to make sure I included the symbols of the story and the most well known parts–the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the serpent, the forbidden fruit on the tree, Adam and Eve hiding from God, and the beautiful plants and animals in the garden of Eden. I painted the purple cloud to represent God, and the guilt Adam and Eve felt. I use whatever scissors I can find, cut out the shapes and glue them onto the paper with white school glue. Press down on a glued item with a heavy object such as a plastic cutting board. Here are the tools:
This is a sophisticated art project, but children can draw or paint the images of the Adam and Eve story quickly and learn better about the story through art. Here are some paintings by children, which are darling:
Celebrating Through Song
Lyrics from Hymnary.org
“Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to you we raise,
manifested by the star
to the sages from afar;
Branch of royal David’s stem,
in your birth at Bethlehem;
Refrain:
“You are Christ,” by us confessed,
God in flesh made manifest.
2 Manifest at Jordan’s stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
and at Cana, wedding guest,
in your Godhead manifest,
you revealed your pow’r divine,
changing water into wine; [Refrain]
3 Manifest in making whole
palsied limbs and fainting soul;
manifest in valiant fight,
quelling all the devil’s might;
manifest in gracious will,
ever bringing good from ill; [Refrain]”
Source: “Trinity Psalter Hymnal #332″
Video of Hymn–“Songs of Thankfulness and Praise”
Suggested Homework Activities–Week Two
Read about Adam and Eve from a Catholic children’s Bible, the family Bible or on line at USCCB.org “Adam and Eve”.
Talk to your children about their own baptism. Most of us are baptized as an infant, but many people are baptized later in life. If you have photos, share them with your child, and any other mementos, such as the Baptismal certificate.
Chose an art project today from this week’s choices. Don’t worry about perfection. Just have fun.