Week Eight–“Which Commandment is the Greatest?”

“Take Care of People in Need”

“Take care of people in need…If we see someone who needs help, do we stop? There is so much suffering and poverty, and a great need for good Samaritans.
Source: Lessons from Pope Francis for Children  Page 19

“Pope Francis wants me to remember and care for the poor!”

 

For Families to Share Together:

Pray the Rosary with your children.  Use the Rosary crucifix to cross yourselves:

How to Pray the Rosary Source: Catholic Child’s Prayer Book By Rev. Thomas J. Donaghy St. Joseph Junior Books, Page 15

“We begin the Rosary with the sign of the Cross (for this is the way that we begin all of our prayers.)

After this, we pray the Apostles’ Creed. This is a very ancient prayer that proclaims the important truths of our faith.

After the Apostle’s Creed, we pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys and one Glory Be.

Now we come to the most important reason we pray the Rosary: to meditate on the Mysteries of our Faith. We proclaim each of the five Mysteries, followed by one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Remember, the reason for praying the Rosary is not to tally how many prayers we can say. It is to meditate on God’s love as shown in the lives of Jesus and Mary. This is why we hold the Rosary while we pray, so that we can keep track of the number of prayers we have said.”

Begin learning the five Luminous Mysteries, “Mysteries of Light: THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD, THE WEDDING OF CANA, THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM, THE TRANSFIGURATION, and THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST.”

The Apostles’ Creed from Catholic Online

 

Happening This Week

October 23, 2017 Saint John of Capistrano

“Today the Church honors Saint John Capistrano. Born in Capistrano, Italy in 1385, John worked as a lawyer before leaving his career to join the Franciscan Order. John preached to large crowds and drew many people to Jesus. For a time John worked on legal matters for the pope. At age seventy, shortly before his death, John led troops into battle to gain back Christian access to the Holy Land.” Magnifikid! Prayers for Schools Page 79

October 28, 2017  Saints Simon and Jude Source: FranciscanMedia.org

“Legend has it that Saints Simon and Jude traveled to Persia together where they were both martyred. This may explain why they share the same feast day. Saint Simon is usually referred to as “the Zealot,” and Saint Jude, also known as Thaddeus, is often considered the brother of Saint James the Lesser.”

Saint Jude is the Patron Saint of:

Desperate Situations”

Source: FranciscanMedia.org


We Learn Through Storytelling

As you know, Jesus was a Jew. Growing up, he went to the Temple to worship and celebrate the Holy Days, studied Scripture and knew the Jewish laws. “The Ten Commandments are the first ten of the 613 commandments given by God to the Jewish people. They form the foundation of Jewish ethics, behavior and responsibility. These commandments are mentioned in order twice in the Torah – once each in the Book of Exodus and the Book of Deuteronomy.” Source: “Judaism: The Ten Commandments” Jesus– God, the Son– gave us many gifts. He taught us how to pray the Lord’s Prayer; he gave us the Beatitudes, which are moral and ethical teachings; and he simplified the Ten Commandments for us. In Sunday’s Gospel reading, we read about the Pharisees and the Sudducees, “The Sadducees were a group of Jewish leaders who were experts in the law of Moses and who often tried to trick Jesus.” Source: Magnifikid! Vol.14 Part II. Section 6 Page 7, Oct. 29, 2017. Jesus had answered a trick question by the Sadducees about the Commandments and the Pharisees wanted to see if they could test Jesus. Their law expert asked Jesus, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Here is the answer Jesus gave to the Pharisees, which is also called, the “Double Love” Commandment:

“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

When Pope Francis tells us to “…remember and care for the poor!” he is reminding us to “Love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” We all, no matter how young or how old we are,  can apply this law in our own lives, starting with how we treat our family members and friends.

We Learn Through Reading

The Alleluia for Sunday, October 29, 2017, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Source: USCCB.org
Alleluia JN 14:23

“R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.”

“Act of Love Prayer” from The Catholic Children’s Bible Page 1996

“O Lord God, I love you above all things and I love my neighbor for your sake because you are the highest, infinite, and perfect good, worthy of all my love. In this love I intend to live and die. Amen.”

The Catholic Children’s Bible

 


We Learn How to Help and Love Others Through Writing

The Corporal Works of Mercy

Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the thirsty.
Give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothing to the naked.
Visit the sick.
Visit the imprisoned.
Bury the dead.

 

 

Note* The USCCB website omits “Give clothing to the naked.” and instead uses “Give alms to the poor.” We will talk about alms giving in preparation for Lent.

 

We Celebrate Through Song

Sing With Me  #119,  “This is My Commandment” Source: Hymnary.org

[1] This is my commandment, that you love one another
that your joy may be full.
[2] This is my commandment, that you love one another
that your joy may be full,
that your joy may be full, that your joy may be full.
This is my commandment, that you love one another
that your joy may be full.

Hear the Tune

We Celebrate Through Art

Materials for “Double Love” Infinity-Art Project

I started with a large sheet of watercolor paper cut into fourths. The smaller sheets are easier for the children to complete quickly. Make three dots down the center of the paper with a black Sharpie. Then draw a “figure 8,” serpentine, or “s-type” shape using the dots as a guide. Repeat by flipping the paper and drawing a second “s” to make a heart or circle shape. If you can, try to make the black outline in one continuous movement. Now repeat with Sharpie inside the shape to create an outline. Fill in the outline with the water soluble pastels. Dip finger in water and trace all the drawing to liquify all the colors. They become watercolors. The paper curls a bit at first, but dries flat.

 

Click on individual images to enlarge.