“…GOD IS LOVE” (John, chapter 4)
“Pope Francis wants me to know that God loves me!”
“God’s love for us is so great, so deep. It is an unfailing love, one which always takes us by the hand and supports us, lifts us up, and leads us on…God does not forget about us, any of us! He loves us and does not forget about us.” Source: Lessons from Pope Francis for Children page 7
For Families to Share Together:
Start by praying the Rosary with your children. Show them how to hold the Rosary and use the crucifix to cross themselves:
“Begin with the sign of the cross, then say an Our Father, ten Hail Mary’s and a Glory Be.” From Magnifikid! Vol. 14.Part 9. Section 4
Happening This Week
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Happy Birthday, Mary!
“If Jesus is the perfect expression of God’s love, Mary is the foreshadowing of that love. If Jesus has brought the fullness of salvation, Mary is its dawning.” Source: More on Mary from Franciscan Media
Our first lesson is about God, The Father. It begins with material for parents to share with their children in an age-appropriate, developmental way. It takes time for children to absorb this information, so it is important to read excerpts from the readings, sing together, read children’s Bibles and literature, write, and to do art projects at home, as often as possible. You’ll also want to read the prayers aloud along with your children to help them memorize them. All of this is designed for families with children who will be making their First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Since the younger kids absorb everything their older siblings are doing, they’ll enjoy the reading, singing, and crafts, and learn along with their older brother or sister. Take your time over the week to choose what you and your children would like to do each day–art, read a story, write a letter, etc.
God, Creator of Heaven and Earth
One God, God the Father, the First Person of the Blessed Trinity, Eternal
“What We Believe”
“Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of everything. The Credo begins with God the Father, for the Father is the first divine person of the Most Holy Trinity; our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth, for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works.”
—the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 198
Source: USCCB.org
The Nicene Creed begins…
“I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.”
God’s First Commandment from Deuteronomy, Chapter 6
The Great Commandment“*4d Hear, O Israel!* The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! 5Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.e6f Take to heart these words which I command you today.g7Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.h8Bind them on your arm as a sign* and let them be as a pendant on your forehead.i9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.j “
Children’s Version:
“Love God with all your heart.”
Conversation Idea: What other things do people begin to put first in their lives? Money, fame, power, etc.
We Give All the Glory to God.
Define any difficult or new words for your children.
The word “glory” means: ” worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving” “fame,” “credit,” “renown.”
“Praise means “to glorify,” or to talk about all the wonderful things God is and does.
To “bless” is several things. A priest blesses a person in a sacrament, such as baptism, confirmation, marriage, and in last rites. It also means to ask God for help and his mercy, and is a way we thank God.
“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without
end. Amen.”
We Give You Thanks for Your Great Glory
Here is a beautiful prayer that is especially perfect for children. You might ask them what “bless” means. Click on it to print it out.
We Learn Through Reading
This is from the USCCB.org. Perhaps you can read it to your children, a bit at a time, with some drama for effect, and for its wonder. Or, you can tell them this awesome story paraphrasing it for the youngest ones. The kids will love it.
Genesis, chapter 1 “The Story of Creation.”*
1
“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth—
2
* and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters—b
3
Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light.c
4
God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness.
5
God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came, and morning followed—the first day.*
6
Then God said: Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.
7
God made the dome,* and it separated the water below the dome from the water above the dome. And so it happened.d
8
God called the dome “sky.” Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.
9
Then God said: Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear. And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared.e
10
God called the dry land “earth,” and the basin of water he called “sea.” God saw that it was good.
11
f Then God said: Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. And so it happened:
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the earth brought forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw that it was good.
13
Evening came, and morning followed—the third day.
14
Then God said: Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the seasons, the days and the years,g
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and serve as lights in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth. And so it happened:
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God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night, and the stars.h
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God set them in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth,
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to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
19
Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.
20
i Then God said: Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.
21
God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of crawling living creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw that it was good,
22
and God blessed them, saying: Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth.j
23
Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day.
24
k Then God said: Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal. And so it happened:
25
God made every kind of wild animal, every kind of tame animal, and every kind of thing that crawls on the ground. God saw that it was good.
26
l Then God said: Let us make* human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.
27
God created mankind in his image;
in the image of God he created them;
male and female* he created them.”
Source: USCCB.org
Read about “The Creation” from a Catholic Children’s Bible. Both of these are excellent and have an Imprimatur.
Catholic Book of Bible Stories
The Catholic Bible for Children
Read children’s stories about God, The Creation, and God’s creatures for enrichment.
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
All Things Bright and Beautiful
We Celebrate Through Song
All Things Bright and Beautiful
“All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.”
To Hear the Tune:
The Doxology
“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.”
To Hear the Tune:
We Learn By Writing
Have your child write a letter, a prayer, a song, or a short story that uses one or more of the three words we are learning–“Glory” “Praise” and “Bless.” Decorate it with markers or colored pencils.
We Celebrate Through Art
Have fun with your children, making small illustrations of the different things God created in the Book of Genesis. For these illustrations, I used watercolor crayons and a quarter of a large sheet of watercolor paper. I also used small sponges for the painting of Adam and Eve. Draw on the paper with the crayon, then dip finger in water and rub over the crayon to liquify the watercolor. It’s a lovely experience! These take only a few minutes to make.
The Creation Story from Genesis in Art
Our Painting Tools
