The Solemnity of All Saints
November 1, 2021
For Parents To Teach To Their Children
This Sunday, All Saints Day is celebrated on October 31, not the following day, November 1st. The Solemnity of All Saints, since it falls on a Monday, is celebrated in the Sunday Mass that precedes it. However, Halloween is is star of the show for children. But it’s important that they understand the meaning of this special day and those holy people who through their deeds, became saints.
Here are several excerpts from MagnifiKid! on The Solemnity of All Saints:
“Follow a saint”
“The week choose a saint–perhaps your patron saint or another favorite saint–to be your guide and help you draw closer to Jesus.
You can read about his or her life and ask him or her to help you become a saint, too. (Page 3)
“All Saints’ Day”
Today we remember the saints of every time and place. They are the heroes of holiness who were full of love for God and neighbor.
They lead us by example and pray for us so that we too will become saints.
The “communion of saints” mentioned in the Apostles’ Creed refers to the bond that connects all those who love God, both living and dead, in the Church.
The saints are our heavenly helpers. (Page 4)
“Saintliness”
“God alone is holy.
Yet, the word ‘saint’ means ‘holy.’
We become ‘saintly’ when we become like God, becoming members of his family through Baptism and turning away from sin.
God’s own holiness then dwells in us through grace, which makes us able to love as he does.
The saints are those who lived in that love and now see God face-to-face in heaven.” (Page 12)
MagnifiKid!, November 1, 2021, The Solemnity of All Saints, Vol. 18. Part 12. Section 2
Our Art Gallery
Crosses for All Saints and All Souls
Methods and Materials
This is a quirky art project that happened by surprise. My husband bought a box of rambutan fruit at Costco. It is a ball covered in strong curly fibers on the exterior. The inside has a large seed and it tastes like kiwi. I don’t like either fruit! However, for a painting project, the rambutan fruit is terrific! I saw it sitting on top of a piece of paper, put there by my husband. He knows my proclivities of using unusual objects from nature as painting tools. So, I got out the black tempera paint, a paper plate and watercolor paper, and dipped the rambutan into it the paint. I instantly got a good result of using the fruit dipped into paint and swoosh’d onto paper. The wide swathes of paint are made by rambutan. The small cross was made by the quill of a feather from our twenty-five-year-old macaw. The large feather on the Chi Rho painting is all feather! I know that these two exotic painting tools are not normally handy to have around. The point is, get your kids interested in using fun, exotic “painting tools”–leaves, feathers, sticks, seeds, small twigs, tangerines for making perfect circles when dipped in paint, etc. It is really fun. They might even might try tasting the seed of the rambutan fruit, if you have a Costco near by!
Our Readings
“Solemnity of All Saints”
“The Sermon on the Mount.”
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“The Beatitudes”
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.’”
Our Art Project–“Dead Tree, Yellow Birds”
FYI–I have a tree right outside my yard that was struck by lightning and died. It is almost completely barren, but birds are coming back to it. I saw a yellow warbler in the tree against the dark barren limbs. Thus, this painting!
Collect dry leaves and a couple of twigs. Put liquid kids’ tempera (washable) on a paper plate. Dip the leaves and twigs, one at a time into the paint. Now, press the leaf or twig onto watercolor paper. Hands and fingers get messy here. Next, use watercolor for the yellow, or any color, “birds,” tiny warblers come in many colors. I used a circle sponge dauber on a stick to make the symbolic birds. The yellow circles were made using liquid watercolors…my favorite!
Our Materials
Week Ten–Suggested Homework Activities
Please read this week’s reading of “The Beatitudes” from Matthew, Chapter 5:1-12 USCCB.org
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.’”