“The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that the sentiment expressed in the Jesus Prayer opens our hearts both to humanity’s misery and Christ’s mercy (CCC 2667). Indeed, it has been called fittingly a ‘prayer of the heart’.”

Source: OurCatholicPrayers.com

 

For Parents to Teach to Their Children

“The Jesus Prayer” is a simple sentence of twelve words that can easily be remembered and recited by children:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

“The Jesus Prayer” can be stated in confession, as an alternative to “An Act of Contrition.” For children who struggle with memorizing, or who become anxious speaking alone in front of others, “The Jesus Prayer” is helpful and succinct for their First Reconciliation. It is appropriate for adults, as well as children, and is a powerful prayer for all of us.

Short Prayers to Jesus

“Blessed be God!” 

“Blessed be the name of the Lord!” 

“Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in Thee!” 

“Jesus I trust in You!” 

“Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our heart like unto Thine.”

“Jesus, my God, I love Thee above all things!”

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, increase in us our Faith, Hope and Charity.”

“Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love!” 

“Savior of the world, have mercy on us.” 

“Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come!”

Source: Our CatholicPrayers.com

“Prayer to the Holy Spirit”

“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.

Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.”
Amen.

Source: LoyolaPress.com

“Sacred Heart Prayer”

“O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death.” Amen.

Source: Catholic.org

 

Our Art Gallery 

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

“Open your hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.”

Source: USCCb.org “Acts, chapter 16:14B”

 

Our Reading

“The Gospel of Luke, chapter 11:1-4”
Source: USCCB.org

“Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
‘Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.’
He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.'”

We Celebrate With Song

“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”

Source: Hymnary.org

“1 Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n to earth come down:
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown:
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter ev’ry trembling heart.

2 Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into ev’ry troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit,
let us find the promised rest:
take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its Beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.

3 Come, Almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

4 Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be:
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee;
changed from glory into glory,
’til in heav’n we take our place,
’til we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.”

Video with Lyrics

Our Art Project–Simple Sacred Heart Print-Making

I love making prints, using children’s liquid acrylics on white watercolor paper. I use extra large watercolor paper, but you can buy it in a smaller size. Here are the materials and steps:

1. Squirt an Oreo-size glob of both white liquid glue and liquid acrylic paint onto a paper plate, for the back ground color.
2. Mix with brush and start painting the watercolor paper, rapidly.
3. When done, quickly place a new, clean sheet of watercolor paper on top of the wet, first sheet.
4. Press down, all over, with your hands, then peel off.
5. Repeat with third sheet of paper.
6. Let the three sheets dry completely.
7. Now, squirt a glob of the color paint you want onto a paper plate.
8. Use a brush to paint a large heart, cross, flower, etc., “freehand,” with the color you chose of acrylic paint for the design “stamp.”
9. While wet, invert the “design paper” on top of a dry sheet of the paper you have already painted.
10. Press all over using your hands, then peel off. Let dry.

Expect that the sheets of paper will look different with each printing. Feel free to add anything you’d like to the prints–gold paint, cut-outs, new paintings, etc. If something doesn’t work as you wish, let dry, then cut up to make a collage out of one or more of the sheets of paper. The three prints at the very top of the page are all collages. I had four sheets of paper printed and the worst one I cut up and glued to another print. This is a great project for learning that mistakes can become something beautiful!

To see how I made prints for “In The Beginning” click HERE.

Suggested Homework Activities–Week Seven

Please read “Prayer of Saint Francis” with your child and discuss.

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis

Source: LoyolaPress.com

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

Amen.

The Precepts of the Church

“The Precepts of the Church describe the minimum effort we must make in prayer and in living a moral life. All Catholics are called to move beyond the minimum by growing in love of God and love of neighbor. The Precepts are as follows: Attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Confession of serious sin at least once a year.”

Source: LoyolaPress.com

Please read and discuss these rules with your child. Look up the word “precepts” and talk about this with your child.

“Attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation (A special, Holy day that requires attendance at Mass by all Catholics)
Confession of serious sin at least once a year
Reception of Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter season
Observance of the days of fast and abstinence
Providing for the needs of the Church”