For Parents To Teach To Their Children
As many families are preparing for First Holy Communion, it is important to discuss the meaning of “The Real Presence of Christ” in the Eucharist. Below you’ll find an excerpt from Catechism of the Catholic Church on-line, and for the children, excerpts from The New Saint Joseph FIRST COMMUNION Catechism.
Our Art Gallery
Coins at Time of Jesus in Jerusalem
Making Coins with Acrylic Paint on a Canvas Pallet
Our Readings
Gospel Reading Jn 2:13-25
“Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves He said,
‘Take these out of here,
and stop making My Father’s house a marketplace.’ His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for Your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to Him,
‘What sign can You show us for doing this?’
Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.’
The Jews said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and You will raise it up in three days?’
But He was speaking about the temple of His body. Therefore, when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.
While He was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in His Name
when they saw the signs He was doing.
But Jesus would not trust Himself to them because He knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.
He Himself understood it well.”
Jesus Throws the Money Changers Out of the Temple
First Reading for March 3, 2024
Ex 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17
“In those days, God delivered all these commandments: ‘I, the LORD am your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides Me.
‘You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished the one who takes His Name in vain.
“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the Lord, your God, is giving you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.’”
Learning About the Eucharist
V. “THE SACRAMENTAL SACRIFICE THANKSGIVING, MEMORIAL, PRESENCE
1356 If from the beginning Christians have celebrated the Eucharist and in a form whose substance has not changed despite the great diversity of times and liturgies, it is because we know ourselves to be bound by the command the Lord gave on the eve of his Passion: “Do this in remembrance of me.”183
1357 We carry out this command of the Lord by celebrating the memorial of his sacrifice. In so doing, we offer to the Father what he has himself given us: the gifts of his creation, bread and wine which, by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the words of Christ, have become the body and blood of Christ. Christ is thus really and mysteriously made present.
1358 We must therefore consider the Eucharist as:
– thanksgiving and praise to the Father;
– the sacrificial memorial of Christ and his Body;
– the presence of Christ by the power of his word and of his Spirit.”
Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church
Learning For Children
Our Art History Project–“JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED” Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church
“He (Pontius Pilate) is best known today for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and later ordered his crucifixion. Pilate’s importance in modern Christianity is underscored by his prominent place in both the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds.” Source: Wikipedia.com
I decided to paint ancient coins from the time of Jesus, used in Jerusalem, to accompany the Gospel reading for “Jesus in the Temple.” I looked for coins with a search on the Internet and found three coins that I thought I could paint. The first coin, “Pontius Pilate Coin at Time of Jesus,” in our gallery looked simple and had the cross Pontius Pilate used to kill many people, including Jesus. It was interesting to see the coin exists today in collections. I saw several coins made into jewelry in my search. I believe it would be an anathema for a Christian to wear a necklace that featured the coin of Pontius Pilate. I used several sites to find coins to paint- ZeusGallery.com and ZaksAntiquities.com. I quickly found the coin with Pontius Pilate’s name and a cross on it. Since then, I cannot find it anywhere! Here is how I replicated it:
I used watercolor paper, a medium brush and several colors of metallic children’s acrylic paint. Since I can’t paint good circles, I smudged paint around the rim of a ceramic plate, inverted it and pressed it onto the paper. I removed the dish carefully and it worked-a great circle with a “fluted” edge! I used the tip of the brush to paint the inside of the circle, making lots of dots with the brush. Then I used the flat side of the brush to paint the sideways cross. It was fun and easy. I really like looking at antique coins and thinking they still exist since the time of Jesus. They are historical relics that tell a story of the past. Please note that Pontius Pilate became a historical figure because of his condemning Christ to death by crucifixion. The cross on the coin does not mean he was a follower of Christ. The cross represents all the people he condemned to death by crucifixion. It is interesting to see history alive today, through artifacts such as coins.
Here is how I painted these coins:
Suggested Homework Activities
Please read out loud with your child or children:
The Nicene Creed
“I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.”
Amen.
“WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD”
BLESSED FIRST RECONCILIATION
PAGE 10
Dynamic Catholic
“Consult not your
fears but your hopes
and dreams.
Think not about
your frustrations,
but about your
unfulfilled potential.
Concern yourself not
with what you tried
and failed in, but
with what it is still
possible for you to do.”
St. John XXIII, Page 201