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Reminders:

• Dates are not included here, not all lesson plans are used. Feel free to pick a different lesson if you thing

that is more valuable. You can also mix and match activities.

• Always open and close your class with prayer. Lower the lights, use a battery candle (we have them if

you want one), and make sure the prayer time feels set apart from the rest of the class.

Table of Contents for 2nd

Grade Lesson Plans

Lesson 1, Chapter 7 Love God and Others 2

Lesson 2, Chapter 8 Making Good Choices 3

Lesson 3, Chapter 9 God’s Mercy 4

Lesson 4, Chapter 11 The Church and Forgiveness 5

Lesson 5, Chapter 8 in Walking by Faith We Celebrate All Saints 6

Lesson 6, Chapter 10 Signs of Love 6

Lesson 7, Chapter 4 God the Father/Advent (p. 12) 7

Lesson 8, Chapter 5 God the Son 9

Lesson 9, Chapter 6 God the Holy Spirit 11

Lesson 10 Christmas Video “The First Noel” 12

Lesson 11, Chapter 12 The Church year 12

Lesson 12, Chapter13 Care for All People 13

Lesson 13, Chapter 14 Share the Good News 15

Lesson 14, Chapter 15 Pray as Jesus Did/Lent 16

Lesson 15, Chapter 16 Gather to Worship 18

Lesson 16, Chapter 17 Listen to God’s Word 19

Lesson 17, Chapter 18 Remember Jesus’ Sacrifice 20

Lesson 18, Chapter 19 Share a Holy Meal 22

Lesson 19, Chapter 20 Go Forth! 24

Lesson 20, Chapter 21, Forever in Heaven 24

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Lesson 1, Chapter 7: Love God and Others

Focus: God’s Commandments are all about loving God, ourselves and others. Our lives are happier when we live

by God’s rules.

Materials Needed:

• Ten Commandment handouts – 1 per child (in tub)

• “What Do You Do?” sheet (in notebook)

• Rules Rebus part 1 & 2 (optional-in notebook)

• Active Game “Balloon Burst” (optional – if you use this game, please play in the gym, in notebook)

Before class begins:

� Review your lesson plan and game.

� Cut the “What Do You Do” sheet into its’ individual situations.

Prayer:

Please pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be each week to help the children learn these fundamental

prayers.

What You Say and Do:

• God has given us laws to help us live happy lives. Does anyone know what they are? (Give each child a

copy of the Ten Commandment handout and read through them together).

• Why do you suppose God gave us rules to live by? Is it because He likes to tell us what to do? Or

because He wants to control our lives? (God gives us rules so that we can have happy lives – give a few

examples of how breaking rules can make our lives very unhappy such as stealing and going to jail,

speeding and injuring yourself or someone else in an accident, etc.)

• The Ten Commandments are in the oldest part of the Bible called the Old Testament. Jesus learned the

Ten Commandments when he was a boy, but when Jesus was older he added another commandment.

“You should love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength,

and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said a lot in that sentence. If you look

carefully, all the Ten Commandments are right there!

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• Let’s play a little game and see if we can spot them. (Write the Great Commandment of Jesus on the

board. Divide children up into groups of two. Cut out the situations provided on the “What Do You

Do?”sheet and give each team one situation.

Ask the kids to come up with a solution according to the Ten Commandments and give them some time

to do so. Call the teams forward one at a time. After each child has presented their answer, ask the class

to find where their answer is in Jesus’ commandment. They will soon see that all Ten Commandments

are there in Jesus’ one statement.)

Stand up for a stretch break.

• Gather the children around you and tell the story of the Good Samaritan (p. 96 in the Call to Faith

book).

• Who made a bad choice in the story? Who made a good choice? The story shows that a neighbor is

any person who is in need. The Samaritan saw a man who needed help and showed him kindness and

respect. Who do you know that might be in some kind of need? Could you show the same kindness

and respect as the Samaritan?

• If you have time, work on the Rules Rebus together. (Answers: Part 1: HOE + GG – EGG + BOWL – BOW

+ Y = HOLY; Part 2: TIRE + ES – TIE + CAPE – CA + CAT – A = RESPECT)

Lesson 2, Chapter 8: Making Good Choices

Focus: God gives us the freedom to make loving or unloving choices in our lives. God’s love there to forgive us

when we do not make good choices.

Materials Needed:

• Roll of wide masking tape (in tub)

• “Accident, Mistake or Sin” handout – 1 per child (in tub)

• Shoe box (catechist provides)

• Wrapping paper (catechist provides)

• Sheet of paper (catechist provides)

• Scissors (in Mouse House)

• 2 or 3 sharpie markers (in tub)

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Before class begins:

� Wrap a shoe box like a birthday gift. Wrap the lid separately so it can be removed. Cut a large hole in the

bottom of the box. Cut a sheet of paper the same size or bigger than the bottom of the box and place

the box on top of the paper on a table to use later.

� As the children come into the room, give them each a rolled up piece of masking tape with the adhesive

side out. Have the children roll the masking tape across various surfaces in the room (to pick up dirt).

Bring kids together.

Prayer: Our Father/Hail Mary/Glory Be

What you say and do:

• What’s on your tape? Were you surprised to find so much dirt and stuff around here? Sometimes we

have hidden dirt in our lives, too. When we do wrong things and don’t ask God to forgive us, it’s like

we build up yucky stuff in our souls. Do you think there is a way to clean it up? Let’s find out! Have

kids write their name on their piece of masking tape and put it away for later time.

• Last week we learned about the Ten Commandments. Do you remember why God gives us rules to

follow? Do we always follow the Commandments? (Of course not. We all make bad choices once in a

while.) How do you know when you have made a bad choice? (We all have something called a

conscience. A conscience is a gift that helps us know right from wrong. It helps us choose what is good

and stay away from things that are wrong.)

• What is another word for making unloving choices that hurt ourselves or others? (sin) I bet you didn’t

know that there are two kinds of sin! Did anyone know that?

• Serious sins are called mortal sins. Less serious sins are called venial sins. Do you think the disciples

ever sinned? Let’s read a story about Peter that will answer that question! (Read the story, “Peter

Denies Jesus” on page 102. Discuss the questions at the bottom of the page and then read “Jesus

Forgives” on p. 103.)

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• Wow. Did you ever think that Jesus’ disciples would ever sin? The disciples were people just like us

who made bad choices sometimes. The important thing for us to remember is that God always

forgives us when we are sorry for our sins. By the way, what is the difference between a sin and a

mistake? (Do the “Accident, Mistake or Sin” worksheet together as a class.)

• Mistakes are not sins and we don’t need to ask for forgiveness. It’s important to remember the

difference between a mistake and a sin.

• (Take out the wrapped box.) You can see by its decoration that this is a gift. It’s a special gift to each of

you that only Jesus can give. This is a “for-giving” box that helps remind us that Jesus forgives all our

sins and that forgiveness is a gift. What is sin? Can you think of times in your life when you have

sinned? Our sins are like dirt that sticks to our soul-kind of the same way the dirt stuck to your roll of

tape.

(Give children their own rolls of dirty tape. Have the children crumple them up and put them in the “for-

giving” box. Put the lid on.)

• When we say we’re sorry for something we’ve done and ask God to forgive us, what

happens?(Carefully pick up the box and the paper underneath (to hold in the balls of tape) and walk to

the wastebasket. Hold the box above the wastebasket and remove the paper so the balls fall in the

wastebasket – you may have to reach in for the sticky ones.

• When we ask, God gives us the gift of forgiveness and our sins are all gone! Soon we will be learning

about the sacrament of Reconciliation – a time we can ask God for forgiveness. The important thing to

remember is that God always wants to forgive you. All you have to do is tell him you’re sorry for what

you’ve done. What a great gift!

(Gather children into a circle for discussion questions if you have time. )

• How do you feel about God forgiving the bad things you do? When do you need forgiveness the most?

When is it hard to ask for forgiveness? Sometimes we can sin by the things we DON’T do. Can you give

me some examples of that?

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Lesson 3, Chapter 9: God’s Mercy

Focus: Jesus asks us to forgive others as we are forgiven.

Materials needed:

• Pencils (in tub)

• “Fill in the Blanks” handout for half your students (in tub)

• “Listen to Your Heart” puzzle – 1 per student (in tub)

Prayer: Our Father/Hail Mary/Glory Be

What to say and do:

• Who knows what the word “mercy” means? (It means to act with compassion, kindness, sympathy, or

understanding).

• Who do you think of when you hear the word “mercy”? (Kids might say mom ,dad, grandma, etc. Draw

comparisons between the mercy they experience from others and God’s mercy toward us.)

• We say God is merciful or acts with mercy, but what does that mean?

• If God treats us with mercy (kindness, understanding, or sympathy), what do you think that means

when we sin?

• I want to tell you a story from the Bible about 2 brothers and their father. (Tell the story of the

Prodigal Son on p. 110)

• How do you think the younger son felt when the older son came home to a big party? Why did the

father forgive his younger son? (The younger son was sorry for what he had done and asked forgiveness

from his father.) Who does the father in this story remind you of? (God)

• What does God teach us about forgiving others? (We need to forgive others because God forgives us.)

Is it always easy to forgive others? What can we do when it is hard? (Ask God for help, tell someone

else who could help you talk about how you feel.)

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• Let’s play a little forgiveness game! (Divide the kids up into groups of two. Give each team one “Fill in

the Blanks” sheet and one pencil.)

• In this game, you’ll need to work together with your partner to create a funny story. Here’s how it

works: In a moment, I’ll give one person in each pair a story with several words left out. That person

will need to ask the other person to give him or her some words to fill in the blanks. As partners, you

will create a story about forgiveness. Then we can share our stories with each other. You don’t need to

do the right thing in your story if you don’t want to. It’s just a story, so write it however you want!

(Give the children time to write their stories and then share them with the class. Follow up on each story

asking if the team made a loving choice in their story. If not, what could they have done differently?)

• If you have extra time, let children do the “Listen to Your Heart” puzzle and discuss. (Answer: “It’s called

a conscience.”)

Lesson 4, Chapter 11: The Church and Forgiveness

Focus: The sacrament of reconciliation is a way we show God we are sorry for our sins and receive His

forgiveness.

Materials Needed:

• Examination of Conscience

• Sorry Sheets – 1 per child (provided by CFF office)

• Act of Contrition handout – 1 per child

• “Individual Rite of Reconciliation” sheet

• Markers and crayons

What to Say and Do:

• We have been talking about doing what is right (and wrong!) and we’ve learned that God is always

ready to forgive us when we have sinned. Do you think God loves you when you do wrong things? (Of

course! God may be hurt by our sin, but He always loves us and is ready to forgive.)

• Why is it important to say you are sorry when you have hurt someone? How can we tell God we are

sorry? (Tell the scripture story on page 128 “The Woman Who Was Sorry”. Emphasize that the woman

was forgiven because she loved Jesus and believed he would forgive her. Discuss the questions at the

bottom of the page.)

• The Church has a very special way that we can ask God to forgive us for our sins. It is called the

sacrament of Reconciliation. A sacrament is a gift that God gives us. It helps us feel very close to God.

You will come to the church with your parents. When we go to reconciliation, we tell our sins to a

priest, but it is God who hears us. We hear the priest say that we are forgiven for our sins and that

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helps us know that God really hears and forgives us. You will be receiving the sacrament very soon.

Tonight we are going to learn about what happens during the sacrament so you will know exactly

what to do.

• Are you usually sorry when you have done something wrong? How do you show it? We can think

about wrong choices we have made. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us see when our thoughts,

words and actions have hurt ourselves or others. When we do this, it’s called an Examination of

Conscience. That’s a mouthful but it just means thinking about the things we need to ask God’s

forgiveness for.

• (Take a stretch break. Pass out the “Do I Always Follow Jesus” sheets – 1 per child. Talk about the

questions and show the children how they can call to mind their sins by using the sheet.) It’s good to

think about the things we’re sorry for before going to reconciliation, but be sure to emphasize that

God doesn’t want us to worry and fret that we are remembering every little thing. The Holy Spirit will

help us remember what is important.

• Tonight we’re going to make a “Sorry Sheet”. When you go to Reconciliation for the first time, it may

be hard for you to remember what you want to say. The “Sorry Sheet” will help you know the

important things you want to tell the priest. (Pass out the “Sorry Sheets” and give the children time to

work on them. You may want to separate the children out in the room for privacy. Tell the kids that you

will be sealing their sheets with a sticker so no one else can see what they have written. The kids can

color or decorate their sheets if they wish.)

When the children have finished, please collect the sheets and seal them with the provided stickers.

Return the sheets to support staff. Remember to leave a note with a list of any children who did not

complete a “Sorry Sheet”.

• We have thought about what we have done wrong and now it’s time to celebrate the Church’s

Sacrament of Forgiveness called Reconciliation! Each time you receive the sacrament, you receive

God’s forgiveness and celebrate your friendship with God! How wonderful! There is even a special

prayer we say after we have been forgiven for our sins. It’s called the Act of Contrition. (Pass out the

“Act of Contrition” sheets – 1 per child.) Let’s say it once together. It’s very good to know this prayer

and I hope you have had a chance to practice it at home with your parents, but you do not have to

memorize it. There will be a copy of the prayer for you to use at your First Reconciliation. Here is

exactly what will happen when you go to Reconciliation. (Go through the 6 steps listed on p. 131.) It is

very helpful to the children if you can role play putting yourself in the place of the priest. Let several

children do this with you. Use the “Individual Rite of Reconciliation” in your resource section as a guide.

Lesson 5, Walking By Faith-Chapter 8: We Celebrate All Saints

Lesson 6, Chapter 10: Signs of Love

Focus: The seven sacraments are signs of love from God.

Materials Needed:

• 3 different-colored sets of 9 paper hearts with one of the following words on each heart: “God so loved

the world, He gave his Son”

• Sacrament sign cut-outs – one set per child

• Felt cut into small banners – 1 per child

• Drinking straws -1 per child

• Yarn,

• Glue

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• Scissors

What to Say and Do:

• Before class, hide the hearts around the room. After children arrive, form three teams and assign each

team a color that matches one of the sets of hearts hidden in the room. Have teams search for their

hearts and, after they find them, arrange them on the floor to figure out the secret message. When

team members discover the secret message, have them sit down beside their line of hearts.

• Where does this verse come from? (The Bible) What does it say to you? (God loves the world and God

loves me.) How do you show someone you love them? How do people like your parents and

grandparents show they love you? How does God show His love for us? You came up with some really

good ways God shows us how much he cares! Did you know that there are 7 more signs that God loves

us? Yep, seven more. Do you want to guess or do you want me to tell you what they are? Have you

ever heard of the sacraments? I hope so because you’ll be celebrating two of them this very year.

• The sacraments are signs of love from God. They are things that bring God very close to us in ways we

can actually see and taste and touch and hear. Would you like to do that? Jesus wants us to know how

much he loves us, so he gave us the sacraments – a gift that lets us be very close to him.

• There are seven sacraments. I’ll bet you have even heard of most of them and I’ll even bet you have

already received at least one of them! Let’s see how many of the sacraments we can name and then

tell me how each one brings God close to us:

1. Baptism: Remember I said the sacraments bring us close to God in ways we can actually see, and

taste and touch and hear? What do we feel at baptism that brings us close to God? (the holy water

on our skin) What do we hear? (We hear the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of

the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.) How can we know God loves us through our baptism? (God

actually makes us his sons and daughters when we are baptized.)

2. Reconciliation: When we receive the sacrament of reconciliation, we know that God forgives us all

our sins. We know God loves us because He forgives our sins. You will be receiving the sacrament

of reconciliation this year!

3. Eucharist: Jesus is really present in the bread and wine we receive in the sacrament of the

Eucharist. He comes very close to us in a human way because we can see and touch and taste the

bread and wine. You will also receive Eucharist this year.

4. Confirmation: When you are older you will receive the sacrament of Confirmation and you will be

anointed with oil to show you belong to Jesus.

5. Matrimony: One day you may get married and hear the very special words God has for two people

who promise to love each other all their lives. You will also receive a wonderful blessing from God.

6. Holy Orders: You may decide to become a priest or a nun and receive the sacrament of Holy

Orders. God shows His love for those who receive this sacrament through very special prayers,

gestures and blessings.

7. Anointing of the Sick: Someday you may be sick and receive a different anointing with a special oil.

This oil is to help you know that our God is a healing God and is always with you, even when you

are sick. Sometimes we have special Masses at church and people who are sick come forward for

this blessing.

• That’s a lot of sacraments to remember! What’s the most important thing to remember about a

sacrament? (It is a way that God shows how much he loves us. God comes close in ways we can see,

touch, taste and hear.)

• Let’s make a special banner that will help us remember the seven sacraments. (Give each child a set of

the seven sacrament cut-outs which you can run copies ahead on cardstock, a pre-cut banner, a drinking

straw and a piece of yarn. Have the children color the drawings and cut them out. Let them glue the

sacrament cut-outs on the banner any way they choose. Fold about an inch of the material at the top of

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the banner and glue. Run the piece of yarn through the straw and then put it through the opening you

have made. Tie the yarn.)

• (If you have extra time: Ask the children to point out the sacraments on their banners and tell you what

they remember about each one.)

Lesson 7, Chapter 4: God the Father/Advent (p.12)

Focus: God is our loving Father. The symbols of Advent help us change our hearts and draw closer to God as we

wait for Jesus’ birth.

Materials needed:

• “ADVENT.ures Family Devotions for Advent” – 1 per child

• Advent wreath and candles

• Scissors

• Ring Toss Game. (After prayer time, seat children in a circle).

What to Say and Do:

• Tell me some words that describe your mom or dad. What do you think parents do better than

anything else? (Love us!)

• Do you think God loves you as much as your parents? (God loves us that much and far more.)

• Is it hard for you to imagine that God loves you that much? Jesus always called God “Father” and he

teaches us that we can call God our Father, too. The day you were baptized, you became a real son or

daughter of God! Did you know that? God loves you even more than a mother or a father loves you

and that’s a lot!

• Do you ever talk to God? Do you ask God for things? Do you think God hears you or answers your

prayers?

• Jesus told us not to worry too much. He said that God our Father wants us to have everything we

need. We can trust God to love us, to listen to us and to take care of us.

• What is the biggest thing God did to show he loves us? (He sent Jesus, his son.) At this time of year,

we’re getting ready to celebrate the birthday of Jesus, the Savior sent by God. One word that describes

this time of year means the same as “arrival” or “coming”. What is that word? (Advent). Let’s find out

what this celebration is all about!

• The word “Advent” is a word we use to describe the season of the year in which we celebrate the birth

of Jesus. It describes the four Sundays before Christmas when we can especially look forward or get

ready to celebrate Christmas.

• Today we’re going to make an Advent wreath. Who knows what the Advent wreath is? (Bring out your

wreath for the children to see.) The Advent wreath is a very special symbol that helps us remember

why we celebrate Christmas. It’s easy to get so excited about presents, and parties and Santa Claus

that we forget about Jesus. Presents and parties and Santa are all good things but we can’t let them

make us forget the real reason Christmas exists. God, our loving Father, sent Jesus to us.

• Okay! So we’re waiting for Jesus. How does the wreath help us do that? Look at it closely. What do

you see? The branches are in a circle because a circle has no beginning and no end. That helps us

remember that Jesus is the complete story of God’s love for us. He has no beginning and no end. He

came to earth, lived, loved, and died for us. Now he lives forever in heaven.

• What else do you see on the wreath? (candles) Jesus called himself the “light of the world”. Candles

give light by giving up themselves. The heat of the fire melts the wax and then the melted wax burns.

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The light glows and the candle dies. Who else do you know who gave light by giving his life? (Jesus)

Candles help us remember all that Jesus did for us.

• The candles are all purple but one! Why do you suppose one is pink? Let’s take a short stretch break

and then we’ll find out all about the colors of the Advent wreath.

• Each Sunday before Christmas, we light a candle on the wreath. Each candle has a different meaning.

1. 1st

candle: the Hope candle. It reminds us of Old Testament times when God’s people waited and

hoped for the savior God had promised them.

2. 2nd

candle: the Peace candle. It reminds us of the peace Jesus gives.

3. 3rd

candle: The pink one! This candle is pink because it reminds us of the joy we feel at Jesus’ birth.

And because Christmas is almost here!

4. 4th

candle: the Love candle. This candle reminds us of God’s love for us and our love for God.

5. Sometimes a fifth candle is put in the middle of the Advent wreath. It is called the Christ candle

and is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to remind us of Jesus’ birth. Now that you know all

about the Advent wreath, are you ready to make one of your own?

• Pass out materials from the ADVENT.ures booklet to make wreaths. Children can take their booklet

home with them. If you have extra time, play the Advent Ring Toss game and discuss the questions at

the bottom of the page.

Lesson 8, Chapter 5: God the Son

Focus: Jesus taught us how to act by the things he did. Stories from the Bible teach us who Jesus is and the

reason he came.

Materials needed:

• Bible Story Book

• Christmas story book

• Symbols of Christmas sheets

• Toy microphone

What to Say and Do:

• Advent Wreath prayer for this week: (if needed) As we light the first candle on our Advent wreath we

start down a holy path to Christmas. We give thanks to God for all the good things in our lives,

especially the love of our family and friends. We are happy to share God’s love with others while we

are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, God’s son. We ask that you keep our hearts focused on

Jesus as we prepare for Christmas. Amen

• Long ago, God sent his only Son to earth. God sent him to show all people how they should live. God

chose Mary to be his Son’s mother. His son had a very special name. Do you know what it is?

• In Jesus’ time, names were chosen because of what they meant. The name Jesus has a very special

meaning. Do you know what your name means? (Give the children some time to look up the meaning

of their names in the Name Book.)

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• Now you know what your own name means, let’s find out what Jesus’ name means. Who told Mary to

name her baby “Jesus”? Let’s read the story and find out. (Read the Christmas story from the book-if

your book is “The First Christmas” by Carol Heyer, read only to the marked page.) Who was it that told

Mary to name her baby “Jesus”? Who told the angel the baby’s name? (God). Why do you suppose

God chose the name Jesus? Jesus’ name tells us a lot about him because his name means “God with

us”. Where else do you find angels in the Christmas story? (The angels who appear to the shepherds.)

• What is your favorite part of the Christmas story? We don’t know a lot about Jesus’ life when he was a

child like you. But we do have a story from the Bible that happened when he was about 12 years old-

it’s pretty amazing! (Read the story about Jesus in the Temple from the Bible Story book.) What does

this story tell you about Jesus? (He wasn’t an ordinary boy. Though he did all the things ordinary boys

do, he was special and different even as a child.) Jesus began his work when he was about thirty years

old. Before he began telling people who he was and why he was here, he went to see his cousin, John.

John was a person who wanted all people to turn to God. He told people to change their ways and be

good followers of God. Jesus asked John to baptize him with water from the Jordan river.

• Do you remember your baptism? Can you tell me what happened? (Briefly explain that when we are

baptized, we become sons and daughters of God. Holy water is poured on our heads and the priest says,

“I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”) Did Jesus need to be

baptized? (No, he already was the Son of God.) Why did he ask John to baptize him? (Jesus always

shows us how to be like him by the things he did. He was baptized to show us that we should all do the

same. We can always know what to do by following Jesus’ example in the Bible.) After Jesus was

baptized, a dove came down from heaven and a voice said, “You are my beloved Son. I am pleased

with you.” What does this story tell us about Jesus? (Even though Jesus didn’t need to be baptized, he

cared about us enough to set an example to follow. Jesus does this throughout his whole life.)

• Activity: I think it would be fun to create a newscast about these stories we heard today. Don’t you

think these stories about Jesus should be on the news? (Divide the children into three groups. The first

group can be the innkeeper, shepherds, and the angel Gabriel. The second group can be priests in the

Temple, Mary and Joseph, or travelers who were in the group with the family as they traveled to

Jerusalem. The third group can be people who saw Jesus baptized or John the Baptist himself.)

• Call the groups forward, one at a time. “Interview” each group as they come forward.

• “This is (name) from H.O.L.Y. TV coming to you live from Bethlehem. We all saw the bright star in the

sky tonight and have heard that a very special baby was born here.

• (Questions for the angel Gabriel.) You were the first to tell Mary that she would have a baby. Who sent

you to Mary? Why did you visit her? I heard you told Mary what to name the baby? Can you tell us the

name? What was Mary’s reaction to your news?

• (Questions to the Shepherds.) What were you doing on the night the baby was born? Where did you

see the baby? What was the stable like? Who was there? How did you know who the baby was?

• (Question to the Innkeeper.) What were Mary and Joseph like? Did they just seem like any other

couple? How did you feel when you couldn’t give them a room? Did they get mad at you? Would you

have found a room for Mary and Joseph if you had known who they were?

• (Call up the second group.) Now we take you to the busy city of Jerusalem. It’s Passover and the city is

very crowded with people here to visit the Temple. This looks like a normal couple who have come to

visit-what are your names?

• (Questions for Mary and Joseph.) Have you come a long ways to Jerusalem? What happened while you

were here? Anything special?

• (Questions for the Priest.) I understand you had quite a visit with a young boy. What happened? Who

was this boy? Do you think he might be someone special?

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• (Questions for the travelers.) Were Mary and Joseph worried about their son when they couldn’t find

him? What did Mary say to Jesus when they found him? What kind of a boy is Jesus? Do you think he

will obey his parents and not stray away again?

• (Call up the third group.) We now go to the Jordan River where there seems to be something big going

on. I see a crowd of people and two men standing in the water-let’s find out what’s happening.

• (Questions for people in the crowd.) What’s happening here? Who is that man pouring water on the

other man’s head? Am I crazy or did I see a dove?

• (Questions for John.) Excuse me sir! Why did you baptize that man? Who is he? What happens when

you baptize someone? What would you say to all of us about God?

• Have all the children sit down: What have you learned about Jesus from the stories we talked about

today? (Jesus was sent by God to save us, Jesus is the beloved son of God, Jesus was very special all his

life, Jesus cares about us and set us a good example to follow, etc.)

• If you have time, have the kids color the “Symbols of Christmas” sheets. If you still have time remaining,

select another activity of your choice.

Lesson 9-Chapter 6: God the Holy Spirit

Focus: The Holy Spirit guides the church and helps us to be disciples. The Holy Trinity is the three persons in one

God.

Materials needed:

• Fan

• Materials to make shamrocks-3 green hearts and one stem per child

• Glue, Markers

• Connect Your Faith “Holy Spirit” Activity sheets

What to Say and Do:

• Advent Wreath prayer for this week (if needed): Mary and Joseph were people of great love. They

were chosen to be the parents of Jesus because of their love for God. We are thankful to have their

obedience, kindness and deep faith as our examples. As we travel on our Advent path and light the

second candle on the wreath, we pray that we too will love God as much as Mary and Joseph. Amen.

• Turn on the fan and let each student feel the breeze. Can you see the wind that is coming from this

fan? Can you see the electricity that makes it turn? Can you see the wind outside? Just because we

can’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

• Can you see Jesus? Can you see God? Then how do you know they are there? (We know from the Bible,

the teachings of the church, and from the faith we have that these things are true.)

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• Jesus knew when he was going to die. One day he took his disciples out and told them that he would

soon be returning to his Father in heaven but He wanted them to continue his work on earth. How do

you think the disciples felt about that?

• Jesus knew the disciples would feel sad and scared without him. But he gave them a promise. He said

that he would send the Holy Spirit to be with them, to teach them and to remind them of everything

they had learned.

• Do you think that Jesus meant that the Holy Spirit was only for the 12 disciples? Who else did the Spirit

come for? (Us)

• Jesus teaches us that God is the Father of all, Jesus is the son of God and the Holy Spirit is also God.

They are not three separate gods. They are all one God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The

church’s name for three persons in one is the HOLY TRINITY.

1. God the Father is the first person of the Trinity.

2. God the Son is the second person of the Trinity.

3. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity.

• Believing in the Holy Trinity is the most important part of your faith. You show you belief in the Holy

Trinity every time you make the Sign of the Cross. Practice the Sign of the Cross together a few times

making sure to say “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

• Activity: It’s not St. Patrick’s Day but we’re going to make shamrocks! Can anyone think of why? The

shamrock has a story that connects it to the Holy Trinity. A long time ago, people asked St. Patrick

how God could be three persons in one. They just couldn’t understand it! St. Patrick bent down and

picked a shamrock and showed them how even though the little plant had three separate leaves, it

was still all one plant. The people believed him and became Christians. Have the children glue the

three leaves of the shamrock on to the stem. Then have them write “Father”on one leaf, “Son”, on the

second, and “Holy Spirit” on the third.

• When they are finished, gather the children in a circle. The Holy Spirit came for the disciples and that

means you and me. Do you think you are a disciple? Why? Disciples are people who choose to follow

Jesus. The Spirit can be our best helper as we are trying to be good Christians. Do you know some

things that are hard for you when you are trying to be a good disciple? I know I do! What are some of

the things that are hard for you?

• What can we do? Is there any help for us when we are having a tough time being good? Always ask

the Holy Spirit for help. Jesus promised us that anytime we ask for help in being a good disciple, he

would answer.

• If you have time, complete and share the Connect Your Faith “Holy Spirit” activity.

Lesson 10, Christmas: You will watch “The Very First Noel”

Lesson 11, Chapter 12; The Church Year

Focus: The church celebrates the events of Jesus’ life all year.

Materials needed:

• One Liturgical calendar (there will be only have one calendar so you will need to bring your classes

together for the first part of this lesson.)

• Three white, cardstock stars per child

• One length of white ribbon per child (the ribbon should be long enough that children can glue the stars

on and have room to tie a small loop at the top.)

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What to Say and Do:

• Who can name the four seasons of the year? Did you know that our Church has seasons too? We

celebrate Jesus’ whole life at Mass during the seasons of our church year. What are some of the things

you think we might celebrate that are events of Jesus’ life? (His birth, baptism, ministry, death etc.)

• Now is a great time to learn about the seasons of our Church year because they just started! (Display

calendar)

• Who has heard the word “liturgy” before? Do you know what the word means? Liturgy is the public

worship of the Church. It includes the sacraments and forms of daily prayer. Our Church calendar has a

special name-it is called the “Liturgical Year”.

• Our Liturgical year doesn’t start on New Year’s Day like the regular calendar. Our Church year begins

on the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is one of the seasons in our year.

• During the four weeks of Advent, the Church gets ready to celebrate Jesus’ birth. You tell God that you

want to get better at loving him and others. The season of Advent has a special color: violet. It is a

sign of getting ready and change of heart. Where would you see the color violet during Advent? The

altar cloth, the priest’s robes, the banners and decorations in the church, the Advent Wreath candles.

• What very special day follows Advent? (Christmas). Since Christmas is not a whole season but just one

day, it is called a feast day. Christmas also has a very special color all its’ own-do you know what color

that is? (white) White will be the color for any feast day that centers around Jesus. White is a sign of

great joy.

• The longest season of the year is called “Ordinary Time”. This is not because the days are ordinary

(Mass is never ordinary!) but because the Sundays are ordered, they are numbered. During these

times we learn more about Jesus and grow as His followers. Green is the color for Ordinary Time

because it is the color of growth.

• What is the greatest feast of the Church year? It’s Easter! The three days before Easter are the holiest

days of the year. They are Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Do you know the name of

the season that comes before Easter? (Lent)

• During Lent we prepare for Easter. We are asked to make changes that will help us grow closer to

Jesus. The color for Lent is purple. Purple is a color that signifies penance (sorrow for our sins) and

waiting.

• What liturgical color do you think we use for Easter (remember is a very special feast day that centers

on Jesus)? (white) Easter is the greatest feast day of the Church year. Unlike Christmas which is just

one day, Easter lasts forty days just like Lent!

• At the end of the Easter season, we celebrate Pentecost. This is when the Holy Spirit came to Jesus’

disciples. The special color for Pentecost is red because red is representative of the Holy Spirit.

• Take children to the sacristy in the church. Open the closet at the far end of the sacristy and show them

the different robes and colors the priests wear. As you take out each color, remind the children of what

each color means.

1. White: for very special celebrations like Christmas and Easter and other feasts of the Lord. White

is also worn for weddings and funerals.

2. Red: signifies the Holy Spirit (worn at Pentecost).

3. Green: signifies growth because we learn about Jesus and grow as his followers. Green is worn

during Ordinary Time.

4. Purple: worn at times of waiting (Advent/Lent) or as a sign of sorrow for our sins (Lent).

• Take the children out to the altar. What color was on the altar on Sunday? Talk with the children about

the color and what it means and talk about what some of the other colors mean, too. Green: we are

growing in our faith; White: this is a very important time in the church; Red: is the color of the Holy

Spirit; Purple: we are waiting, like at Advent or Lent. What else do you see that is the same color in the

church?

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• Return to classroom.

• Activity (if time): Talk about the three feasts such as Christmas, Epiphany and The Baptism of Jesus. Have

the kids write Christmas on one of the stars, Epiphany on another and Baptism of Jesus on the third.

Glue the stars to the ribbon and tie a small loop at the top. Remind the kids why everything is white and

talk about each of these feast days as they make their stars.

Lesson 12, Chapter 13: Care for All People

Focus: Jesus welcomes everyone into the Kingdom.

Materials needed:

• a variety of objects (at least one per child) that represent occupation s or hobbies (book, wrench,

basketball, paintbrush, gardening glove, video game controller, wooden spoon, etc.)

• A crucifix or cross (can be large or small)

• A blindfold. Do not allow the children to see the objects!

What to Say and Do:

• How do we usually treat people who do mean things? Do we like them? Do we talk to them or

welcome them into our group of friends? Listen to this story about a tax collector who cheated people.

How do you think Jesus will treat him? Do you think Jesus should be kind and loving to this person who

mistreats others? Let’s see what Jesus does. Read the story about Zacchaeus that follows.

A man named Zacchaeus (Za-kee-us) lived in a town called Jericho. He has A LOT of money because he took

money that did NOT belong to him. People did not like him because of the times he had taken their money.

One day Jesus came to the town where Zacchaeus lived. I want to go see Jesus, he decided. Off he hurried to

the road where Jesus was walking. A large crowd of people had come to see Jesus. So when Zacchaeus got there

he couldn’t see Jesus! Zacchaeus was very short. Even on tiptoe he couldn’t see over the crowd of people.

But then Zacchaeus had an idea. He ran to a big tree. And he climbed up-up-UP the tree. Now he could see

over all the people! Zacchaeus could see Jesus. Jesus came closer and closer-until Jesus was right under the tree!

Jesus stopped and looked up at Zacchaeus.

“Come down, Zacchaeus,”said Jesus. “I want to stay at your house today.” Zacchaeus climbed down-down-

down from that tree. He was surprised that Jesus knew his name! But Zacchaeus was very glad to have Jesus

come to his house.

Jesus loves me! Zacchaeus must have thought. He thought about the wrong things he had done in his life. He

thought about all the money he had stolen from people. Zacchaeus was sorry he had taken the money.

Zacchaeus told Jesus he wanted to give back any money he had wrongly taken. And he wanted to give half of all

his money to the poor people, too! Zacchaeus had learned to love Jesus. Jesus was not angry at him even though

Zacchaeus had done wrong things. Jesus was kind and forgiving to him.

But other people weren’t! They were angry that Jesus was being so inviting and kind to a person who had

made their lives very hard. Jesus knew they were angry, but he went to Zacchaeus’ house anyway. It was then

that Zacchaeus felt sorry for his bad ways and made promises to fix the things he had done wrong.

• Do you think Zacchaeus would have changed if Jesus had treated him badly because he was a sinner?

How do you think Jesus would like us to treat people who aren’t very nice to us? What kind of

difference do you think it could make if we did that? Would it be easy?

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• Jesus welcomes everyone! Even when we sin, Jesus forgives us and welcomes us back. Since he does

that, Jesus asks us to do the same for each other.

• Another name for the kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of God. Jesus invites everyone to enter the

kingdom of love and peace. Jesus knew how to make everyone feel welcome. Many people came to

him for help and healing and still do!

• Like Jesus, the Catholic Church welcomes all people. No matter who or what we have done, the

Church opens its’ doors to everyone. Aren’t you glad? Would you get in if the Church only let in

people who had never done anything wrong?

• Activity: (Object Game) Our friends and families can learn from our words and actions whether or not

we have chosen to belong to Jesus and follow him. The things we do and say every day help people

learn about us. See if you can learn what people are like by looking at the objects they might use. Ask

children to sit in a circle. Blindfold a volunteer. Show the rest of the group one of the objects you

brought. Give it to the volunteer to feel and guess what it is. Have all the children tell what they might

learn about the person who uses the object. (Ex. if the object is a gardening glove, children might say,

“likes to be outdoors”, “grows lots of plants”, or “works hard”. Let each child have a turn.

• Save the cross or crucifix until last. After the child has guessed what it is, say: We can tell what a person

is like by the things they do and say. Jesus talks about the words and actions of people whose job it is

to follow him-people who are called Christians. What might Christians do to show that they belong to

Jesus? Be honest, help others, forgive others, depend on God to give them what is needed, say kind

words to enemies, etc.) Christians do these things to show their love for God.

• Think back to the story of Zacchaeus. Would you be mad if your mom was nice to someone who had

been mean to you? That’s kind of how the people felt when Jesus was nice to Zacchaeus. But Jesus

teaches us a new way to live. We must follow his example and always be welcoming and kind to

everyone.

• When might it be hard to follow Jesus? When is a time a kid your age can show they follow Jesus?

• If you have extra time let the children do the “Taxing Situation” worksheets.

Lesson 13, Chapter 14: Share the Good News

Focus: Jesus asks his followers to spread the Good News of his message to the world. He wants all of us to share

in the work.

Materials needed:

• Construction paper

• Markers, scissors, brad fasteners

• Circles cut from poster board or paper plates

• Before class: set up a table with a large paper or plastic cup, strips of paper cut from a variety of weights

and finishes (paper towel, napkin, card stock, regular paper, Kleenex, etc.) Fill the paper cup ¾ full of

water and add a few drops of food coloring.

What to Say and Do:

• Jesus wanted everyone to know about God his Father. Tell the kids about someone in your family that

you would like everyone to know about. Invite the children to share about someone in their family that

they admire.

• How do you tell people about someone you admire? Jesus wanted everyone to know about God but

he knew that the work of spreading his message would be hard. After Jesus was raised from the dead,

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he gathered with his disciples and told them that he would need their help in telling the world about

God.

• Listen to this story that Jesus told about the vine and branches. See if you can understand why Jesus

would say this to his followers. (Read the scripture passage “The Vine and the Branches” on p. 154 in

the student book.)

• Jesus knew that spreading his message about the kingdom of God would be very hard for his

followers, especially after he was gone. What did Jesus say to the disciples that let them know he

would help them? (Remain in me, as I remain in you. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear

much fruit.)

• Jesus is saying that even though it may be hard to be his follower and spread his message, he will

always be with us. This Bible verse is telling us that Jesus expects us to depend on him completely.

• Why do you think it may have been hard for the disciples to do what Jesus asked? (Christians were

persecuted in Jesus’ day, many even died for their faith.)

• Why do you think it might be hard to do what Jesus asks today? Do you think that Jesus expects you to

share in the work of telling people about God? How can you do that?

• Gather the children around the table you prepared earlier. Show them the strips of paper and explain

that the water will travel up some of the strips of paper faster than others. Ask them to predict on

which kind of paper the water will travel the quickest. Carefully lower each strip into the cup and

observe how fast the water crawls up to the top. You may want to experiment at home before class.

• On which kind of paper did the water travel the quickest? Do you know why? (Paper that has larger

pores attract water faster.)

• This process has a rather big name-it’s called “capillary attraction.” It is the same action that allows

water and nutrients to move from the roots of a plant through tiny tubes (called capillaries) to its

leaves. Plants depend on this process to survive.

• What would happen if the roots of a plant were cut off from the leaves? What if there was no

“capillary action”? (The plant would die.)

• What would happen to Jesus’ message if we were suddenly cut off from him? (In the verse about the

vine and the branches, Jesus tells us that we can’t spread his message without him.)

• When does it get hard to follow Jesus and spread his message? What gives us the courage to go on

even when it’s hard?

• Jesus tells us that his Spirit is always with us and always there to help. The Holy Spirit guided Jesus’

followers as they proclaimed the good news about God to everyone they could. The Holy Spirit is

there for us today.

• We are Jesus’ hands here on earth. Without us, no one will know about his message of love and hope.

Tell me some ways you are hands for Jesus. What more could you do? Who has been Jesus’ hands for

you?

• Activity: Give each child a paper circle, construction paper, markers and scissors. Ask them to trace and

cut out both hands (they may need your help). Write “My hands do God’s work” on the paper circles

and attach the hands with the brads or staples.

• Why do you think it’s important to be the hands of Jesus? What do you think Jesus’ followers told

others about him? What would you say? Do you think you will need Jesus’ help as you spread his

message? Why? What are some ways our parish spreads the message of Jesus? (Food Pantry Sunday,

Parish service day, Mass, CFF classes, school, Bible study classes, etc.)

• Remember to always stay connected to Jesus by praying every day, going to Mass, treating others

fairly and kindly, and telling everyone how much God loves them.

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• Hang your circle up at home to remind you that you are Jesus’ hands on earth.

Lesson 14, Chapter 15: Pray As Jesus Did/Lent

Focus: Just as Jesus needed time to pray, we also need to spend time talking with God. Lent is a good time to

make a commitment to pray more.

Materials needed:

• Self-adhesive labels or post-it notes

• Sharpie marker

• Make labels that say “mom”, “dad”, “doctor”, “teacher”, “friend”, “grandma or grandpa”, “sister”,

“brother”, “police officer”

• Eight copies of “The Lord’s Prayer”

• Pattern of Jesus praying (one per student)

• Popsicle sticks (one per student)

• Glue, markers or crayons

• ½ a styrofoam ball (one per student).

What to Say and Do:

• Do you think it’s important to take the time to pray? Why? Ask for six or seven volunteers. Have

volunteers come forward one at a time. Place a label on the back of each volunteer and make sure they

do not see it. The volunteer must ask the class questions about their label to try to identify who it is

(example: Am I someone you see every day? Do you see me at school? Do you like me? )

• Play the game for several minutes or until every volunteer has had a turn.

• Let’s take a look at our labels. How about parents-how often do you talk to your parents? Why do

you talk to them? How often do you talk to your friends or your grandparents? How about your

teacher? A doctor or a police officer? You know all these people but which ones do you know the

best? (The ones we talk to the most!)

• God wants us to get to know him too. Talking to God (prayer) is a great way to do that and we can

tell by our little game that the more we talk to God, the better we will know him.

• Jesus thought prayer was important enough to give us instructions on how to pray in the Bible. Listen

to what he says- (Read scripture passage on page 162.)

• How many of you know the prayer we call the “Our Father”? It’s also called the “Lord’s Prayer”

because Jesus taught us how to pray in the same way he did. Let’s say it all together.

• Now let’s hear the prayer again and listen to what the words mean.

• Ask for 8 volunteers to read. Give each volunteer a number from 1-8 and a “Lord’s Prayer” sheet.

Beginning with number one, ask the volunteer to read his or her part. Go on to #2 and so on until the

prayer is finished. (You can find the prayer on p. 163 of the student book but a copy of it will be in your

mailbox. You will have to make the eight copies for students before class.)

• You might think that because Jesus was God’s Son, he didn’t really have to pray. But if God’s own Son

regularly spent time praying, think how much more important it is for us to pray! God loves us like

any parent would love his or her child and because of this love, God really wants us to talk with him.

God wants us to get to know him and be close to him.

• Let’s find some places in the Bible that tell about when Jesus prayed. The Gospel of Mark tells a story

about a very busy day that Jesus and the disciples had. When have you had a really busy day? How

did you feel at the end of the day?

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• Jesus and his disciples had gone to sleep after a really full day. From morning to night, Jesus had

taught and healed people. Usually after I’ve had a really busy day and night, I like to sleep in the next

morning. That’s probably what Jesus’ disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John wanted to do too!

• While it was still dark in the morning, Jesus had gone off by himself to talk to God. We don’t know

what Jesus prayed about. He may have been talking to his heavenly Father about the plans God had

for Him. Or maybe Jesus was asking God for the strength to go on helping people. Anyway, after

Simon and the other disciples realized Jesus was gone, they went looking for him. They must have

been surprised to discover that Jesus was by himself.

• Read Mark 6: 35-38 or ask for a student volunteer to read it.

• Does Jesus’ answer to Simon give you a clue as to what he may have been praying about? After

talking to God, Jesus was ready to travel to another town to keep on teaching and healing. Do you

think Jesus was trying to teach us something with this little story? There are many other times we hear

about Jesus praying to his Father in the Bible. Jesus gave us an example to follow when he talked to

God every day.

• Last week began a very important time in our church called “Lent”. We will be talking much more

about Lent during the next few weeks. Does anyone know how we begin this holy season? (Ash

Wednesday)

• Many of you probably went to Mass on Ash Wednesday. Can anyone tell us what happened on Ash

Wednesday? We were signed with ashes in the form of a cross to remind ourselves that Lent is a time

for repentance and a time to come closer to God. We have been talking a lot about praying tonight.

Do you think it would be a good idea to try to pray more during Lent? Why?

• Activity: Give each child a popsicle stick, ½ of a Styrofoam ball, and a praying Jesus pattern. Have

markers and glue available. Let children color the pattern, glue it to the popsicle stick and place the

bottom of the stick into the Styrofoam ball so that the picture of Jesus praying is upright. We have

talked about how Jesus reminds us of the importance of prayer in our lives. Remember to follow

Jesus’ example of prayer, especially as we begin this Lenten season.

Lesson 15, Chapter 16: Gather to Worship

Focus: Our church family gathers to worship at Mass/Lent is a season of penitence.

Materials needed:

• Note cards – write each step of the Gathering Rite on a separate card with black marker: Gathering Rite,

Gathering Song, Procession, Greeting, Sign of the Cross, Kyrie, Gloria, Opening Prayer

• About a yard of burlap (enough to make a small cross for each child in your class)

• Scissors

• Small safety pins

• Cross pattern (see resource section).

What to Say and Do:

• Have you ever thought about what our Catholic Church was like 2,000 years ago? Would you be

surprised if I told you that it was very much like it is today? After Jesus died and went to heaven, his

followers met often to learn from the Disciples, to break bread together and to pray. How is that like

what we do today? We meet together at church, share a meal in the Eucharist and pray.

• Everyone shared what they had with those who were in need. These followers of Jesus were very

happy and new members joined every day!

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• We have a special name for the time we come together each week-do you know what it is? (Mass)

Our whole church family gets together each week at Mass-there is also a special name we call the

people who are together at Mass – they’re called the “assembly”. That’s kind of a big word that just

means gathering of people.

• As you talk about the following, make a list on the board of each step of the Mass as you discuss it, for

example: Gathering Song, Procession, Greeting, Sign of the Cross, Kyrie, Gloria, Opening Prayer.

• What is the first thing that happens as Mass begins? (The assembly stands and sings a gathering song.

The altar servers, readers, deacon and priest all follow the cross down the aisle as we sing together.)

After the procession is over, the priest greets everyone and leads us in making the sign of the Cross.

Then he says “The Lord be with you.” We answer, “And also with you.” This helps us remember that

Jesus is present there with us.

• Next the priest asks us to try to remember any times we may have hurt others; then we ask for God’s

mercy by saying together, “Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.” We call this the

“Kyrie”. Many times during the year we sing a beautiful song called the Gloria. The Gloria is a very old

hymn that the Church sings to give praise, honor and glory to God. The priest then prays the Opening

Prayer and we are all gathered and ready for the first main part of the Mass.

• Point to your list on the board. Say: All of these steps of the Mass are called the “Gathering Rite”. Can

you take a guess why that might be?

• (Erase your list from the board. Form the class into groups of two or three and give each group one or

two cards. Make a number list of 1-7 on the board and have each group place their card(s) in the

correct order of the Mass. Have some fun with this and make it clear you don’t expect the kids to

remember it exactly. This is just a reinforcement game. You can play as many times as it takes them to

get it right. Keep the cards to use next week. After you are done playing the game, ask the kids to be

seated again.)

• Did any of you notice that the church looked a lot different when we went to Mass this weekend?

What did you see? (Purple banners and flags, priest is wearing purple, the cross is covered with a purple

cloth, etc.)

• Why do we see so much of the color purple now? (Purple is the color for the season of Lent. It is to

remind us to look at our lives and make an effort to change the things that are leading us away from

Jesus. We are to think about our sins and try to do better.)

• Why do you suppose the cross is covered? (When we look at the cross, we often think about what Jesus

did for us. Lent is a time to think more about what we can do for Jesus.)

• There is a time coming when we think a lot about what Jesus did for us. Do you know when that is?

(Holy Week and Easter.)

• Lent is a very special time in our church that is set aside for us to become closer to Jesus. Let’s take a

quiet moment and think of what we could change in our lives that would make Jesus happy. What

things could we do better? Could we pray more? Could we be nicer to our family? Could we be more

helpful to others? Each one of us will have something different. (Give kids a few moments to think.)

Would anyone like to share their thoughts? Whatever you decided, try your best this Lenten season to

make it really happen.

• Tonight, we’re going to make something that might be a good reminder of whatever you would like to

change. Did you know that some of the people of the early church wore burlap during Lent? Yep, they

wore burlap all of the forty days of Lent! (Show students the burlap and let them touch it.) Do you

think this would be very comfortable? Penitents (people who are sorry for their sins) in the early

church wore burlap so they would remember to really do the things that would make them better

Christians. It was a sign that they were going to change their lives.

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• We’re not going to dress in burlap but we will make these small burlap crosses to pin on our clothes.

Hopefully when we look at it, we’ll be reminded of what we are sorry for and how we will change our

lives for Jesus. (Help children trace, cut out and pin the crosses on to their clothing.)

• Gather to pray when everyone has finished: Lord, we ask you to help us change our lives during this

Lenten season. Let the crosses we have made remind us to follow you always. We thank you for the

many blessings you give us each day; guide our lives so we may be a blessing to you and to others.

Amen.

Lesson 16, Chapter 17: Listen to God’s Word

Focus: The Liturgy of the Word at Mass/Lent is a time for a new beginning.

Materials Needed:

• Note cards with the following: Liturgy of the Word, First Reading, Psalm, Second Reading, Alleluia,

Gospel reading, Homily, Creed, Intercessions

• Art Center “Shofar Sounds” and/or Active Game Center “Fresh Start Tag” sheets from resource section

• Blue Painter’s masking tape

• 1 party horn per student

• Brown wrapping paper, glue

What to Say and Do:

• Last week we learned the Gathering Rite-the part of Mass that gathers all of us together and helps us

get ready to celebrate what comes next. Who knows what that is? (the readings, the creed and the

intercessions- called the Liturgy of the Word)

• As you talk about the Liturgy of the Word, make a list on the board of each part. (Liturgy of the Word,

First Reading, Psalm, Second Reading, Alleluia, Gospel reading, homily, Creed, Intercessions) The Liturgy

of the Word is a very important part of Mass. It is during this time that we hear the Word of God from

the Bible. The first reader steps forward to proclaim the First Reading which is usually from the Old

Testament. Next, a singer, called a cantor, leads everyone in singing a psalm. Remember, the psalms

are prayers of praise found also in the Old Testament.

• Then, another reader stands and reads from one of the letters in the New Testament. This is called the

Second Reading. After each reading, the lector says “The Word of the Lord” and we all answer,

“Thanks be to God.” We stop for a moment and think about what we have heard.

• After the second reading, we do something really special! We stand and sing a song with a Hebrew

word- does anyone know what that is? (The Alleluia-it means “praise the Lord! in Hebrew) Why do we

stand and sing “praise the Lord”? (We are about to hear the words of Jesus Christ in the Gospel

reading. We praise God for giving us these words and remember how important they are to our lives.

We stand as a sign of respect for what we are about to hear.)

• Next the priest or deacon reads the gospel. The Gospels contain stories about Jesus, His words and the

stories He told. At the end of the Gospel reading, the priest or deacon says, “The Gospel of the Lord”

and we answer “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.”

• After the Gospel reading, the priest gives a short homily or sermon that helps us understand what the

readings are about and what they mean in our lives.

• Then the whole assembly stands to proudly say the Creed together. We say that we believe in God the

Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We say that we believe in the Catholic Church and its

teachings.

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• Next, we pray together for the leaders of our church and our country, for those who are sick or who

have died, and for people all around the world who have needs at this time. These prayers are called

the Intercessions. We say, “Lord hear our prayer” after each intercession.

• Hand out the note cards again using the ones for this week only and see if the kids can put them in

order. For a bigger challenge, add the cards from last week. Have fun remembering what goes where-

they will probably need your help.

• Do you remember what we discussed about Lent last week? Lent is a time when God’s forgiveness lets

us make a brand new start. God forgives the wrong things we have done and we try to change our

lives.

• Did you know that in the Old Testament times, the sound of a trumpet reminded the people of their

need for forgiveness? The trumpets were called “Shofars”. Shofars were made from the horns of

rams, but the important thing about them was that when God’s people heard a blast from the Shofar,

they would think about all the wrong things they had done and they would remember their need for

God’s forgiveness.

• (At this point you may choose from the following activities or do both.) Play “Fresh Start Tag” and

answer the discussion questions. Make the “Shofar Sounds” Craft (see resource section for these two

activities)

Lesson 17-Chapter18 Remember Jesus’ Sacrifice

Focus: We remember that Jesus chose to give up his life for us. The Mass is a memorial celebration of Jesus’

death and his resurrection. We are also called to make sacrifices in our everyday lives.

Materials Needed:

• Index cards saying “Liturgy of the Eucharist”, Eucharistic Prayer, Great Amen

• Another set of index cards for the game (explained below).

• An empty bag from McDonalds or other fast food restaurant.

What to Say and Do:

• Today we’re going to learn about the word “sacrifice”. Can any of you tell me what that word means?

Do you ever make any sacrifices? Is it easy? Listen to a story that happened in the Bible. It’s about a

young man who had a really hard time making a sacrifice.

• Read the story of the Rich Young Man aloud to your students. (p. 188 in the student text).

• What would you do if you were that young man? (Remember, you just saw Jesus and he asked you to

give up all your money and possessions to follow him.) Would you do it? I don’t know…it would be

pretty hard wouldn’t it?

• Jesus is making a point here. What he is really saying is “don’t have things in your life that are more

important than me.” What could some of those things be? (money, possessions, time, people etc.)

Let’s say you would rather stay home and play video games than go to Mass on Sunday. What would

you be making more important than Jesus? In this story, Jesus is telling us that we may have to make

sacrifices in order to have him be #1. Can Jesus tell that he is your #1? How does he know?

• Let’s play a little game that can show how our actions may speak louder than our words.

• On separate index cards, print the following words or phrases: Stop, Be quiet, I’m lost, Hurry up, I’m

impatient, I’m hungry, Don’t know, Slow down, Fire! Emergency!, I’m sick, I’m confused, and I can’t find

my keys.

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• Invite a volunteer to secretly choose a card. The volunteer attempts to get other students to guess his

or her word or phrase by pantomiming or acting out the word or phrase. Repeat until each student has

had a chance to volunteer.

• How did you know what the word or phrase was? What are some other things you can learn about a

person by watching the way she or he acts? How can you tell if someone is really your friend? What

are some other actions that people often use to communicate with each other? What can you tell

about the young man in the story by his actions?

• Jesus told us about his very great love for us when he made a sacrifice. Do you know what that

sacrifice was? (He died on the cross so we can live forever in heaven.)

• At Mass, we remember Jesus’ great sacrifice for us during the second main part of the Mass called

“The Liturgy of the Eucharist”. Have you heard the word “Eucharist” before? When? Do you know

what it means? (Eucharist is a Greek word meaning “thanksgiving”. )

• What I’m going to tell you next is very important, so I want you to listen carefully. The Liturgy of the

Eucharist begins when members of the assembly (all the people who are gathered for Mass) bring up

the bread and wine to the priest. Have you seen them do this? The priest gives thanks and praise to

God and asks God to send the Holy Spirit. The priest repeats what Jesus said at the Last Supper. “This

is my body which will be given up for you. This is the Cup of my Blood. It will be shed for you.”

• The bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus when the priest calls down the Holy Spirit.

When you go forward to receive the bread and wine at your First Eucharist, remember that it is the

Body and the Blood of Jesus.

• After the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus, we sing the great “Amen”. Amen is a

Hebrew word that means “I believe” or “It is so”. We sing this Amen because we are saying that we

believe everything the priest has said. We believe that the bread and wine are truly the Body and

Blood of Jesus Christ. We always remember that Jesus gave his life for us. One of the most important

ways we do that is to participate in Eucharist each Sunday.

• Show students the new index cards “Liturgy of the Eucharist” and “Great Amen”. See if they can put all

the cards in order from the beginning!

• We have talked about the sacrifice Jesus made for us. What do you think Jesus asks us to sacrifice for

him? (Hint: think about the story we read at the beginning of the lesson.)

• Show the fast food bag. I bet you are familiar with this place! What do you know about it?

I want to tell you about a man who started a fast food restaurant. He also knew a lot about sacrifice.

When Truett Cathy was a young man, he had a dream of owning a restaurant. He worked hard and saved

his money. In 1946, Truett and his brother opened their first restaurant. Eventually, Truett started a chain of

fast food restaurants called Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A restaurants became very popular and soon Truett was rich!

Some rich people spend their money on big houses or new cars. But Truett loved God and believed the

Bible verse that says that it is better to give than to receive. Truett chose to spend his money helping children

in foster care-children who have to live away from their parents because their parents can’t take good care of

them.

Many times children in foster care don’t even get to keep living with their brothers and sisters. Truett felt

sorry for these children, so he used his money to build foster homes where brothers and sisters could stay

together. Foster parents also live in the homes, so the children have a safe place to live and grow. Foster

children in these homes are loved and cared for. Truett made a sacrifice.

Why do you think Jesus asks us to make sacrifices for others? What example did Jesus give us?

In addition to sharing money to help foster children, Truett Cathy also gave money to Chick-fil-A workers

to go to college. Since 1973, Truett has given more than $15 million to help their workers get an education.

What are some sacrifices you could make for others?

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• If you have extra time, color and discuss the “Preparing” color sheet.

Lesson 18, Chapter 19: Share a Holy Meal

Focus: Jesus cared for the 5,000 hungry people in the story of the loaves and fishes. Jesus continues to feed and

care for his followers today through the Eucharist.

Materials Needed:

• Unblessed hosts (provided in your tub), index cards saying “Lord’s Prayer”, “Sign of Peace”, “Holy

Communion”, “Closing prayer and blessing”

• Before class, place all your note cards (except the ones for this week) in order on the wall.

What to Say and Do:

• How many of you get together with your families for special occasions? What is something you

almost always do when you are together? (eat!)

• Food is such a big part of our lives. Almost every special gathering will include some kind of food.

Jesus knew how important food is for life. Many of the stories he told were about sharing meals with

friends. Let’s listen to one of them now. (Read the story of “The Loaves and Fishes” on p. 198 of the

student book.)

• How do you think the apostles felt when Jesus asked them to share their food with that big crowd?

What happened when Jesus took the food and blessed it? (There was more than enough food for

everyone. They collected 12 baskets of leftover food, even after more than 5,000 people had been fed.)

• Jesus performed a miracle that day, feeding thousands of people with just a small amount of food.

Jesus’ disciples never dreamed that so many people could be fed if they shared the little food that they

had. Jesus continues to feed his followers today. In the Mass, Jesus gives us his Body and Blood.

• Does it seem strange to you that we would have Jesus’ Body and Blood for a meal? You have to know

that it is not Jesus’ earthly body that we eat. It is the Body of the risen Jesus and that is very different.

The Holy Spirit changes the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus but it still looks and

tastes like bread and wine to us.

• (Point to the note cards on the wall.) After the Great Amen, it is time to prepare for a holy meal. The

meal is called holy because the bread and wine have become the Body and Blood of Christ.

• Next at Mass, we pray the Lord’s Prayer and then offer each other the Sign of Peace. Before we

receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, we give each other a sign of love and a reminder that we are all

united by Jesus’ love. (Put signs on the wall.)

• What comes next is the most important part of the Mass. It is called Holy Communion or Holy

Eucharist. When Jesus shared the bread and fish with the hungry people they felt His love and care.

At Mass, Jesus’ followers remember Jesus’ love for them as they receive His Body and Blood. The

priest will call down the Holy Spirit to change plain bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus.

• Very soon you will also be a part of this very important ritual. You will watch the priest break the holy

Bread and share it with all of us just like Jesus did at the Last Supper. You will come forward to receive

Jesus’ Body and Blood and remember how much Jesus loves you.

• After Communion, the priest prays the final prayer, asks for God’s blessing and sends everyone out to

love and serve the Lord.

• Tonight we are going to practice receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus. It is a great gift and when you

receive it, you show reverence, or great care and respect.

• You walk to the altar prayerfully with your hands folded. The priest will say, “The Body of Christ,” and

you will say, “ Amen.” You will receive the Body of Christ in your hand. You may also receive the

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Blood of Christ from the cup. Practice receiving the host with the children. Emphasize that these are

UNBLESSED hosts and therefore, not the Body of Christ. Be sure the kids stand reverently with hands

folded while waiting to receive. See if you can get the kids to make a short bow from the neck before

they receive the bread or the wine but don’t make an issue of it if they forget. They should hold up both

hands to receive and then use one hand to put the host in their mouths. After they say “Amen” they

should make the sign of the cross before returning to their seats.

• It may also be a good idea to practice receiving the wine (use water). The procedure is the same: the

priest says, “The Blood of Christ” and children answer “Amen.”

• If you have time: Do the “Liturgy of the Eucharist” worksheet together.

• OR see how many of the cards the kids can put in order using the new ones

• OR play “Hit or Miss”. Write on a large sheet of poster paper 10-15 words that were mentioned in the

Bible story of the loaves and fishes (ex. Jesus, crowd, bread, fish, blessed, food, leftovers, basket,

apostles, 5,000, enough) Then add some words that have nothing to do with the story. Attach the

paper to the wall at the children’s eye level. Blindfold a volunteer and turn him around three times.

Point him toward the sheet of paper and have him touch the paper with his index finger. Ask the class if

the word has anything to do with the Bible story. The class must use the word in a sentence that tells

information about the story. Repeat until all the words have been used.

• What is the most important thing we need to remember about the story of the loaves and fishes?

(Jesus showed his love and care for the hungry people by providing food for them. He still does that for

us today by providing a holy meal at Mass. Jesus gives us His Body and Blood each week.)

Lesson 19, Chapter 20: Go Forth!

Focus: After we receive communion, the priest tells us to go out to love and serve the Lord. We leave to share

God’s good news. We imitate the disciples, Jesus’ first followers, who took the news of Jesus to the world.

Materials Needed:

• Resource sheets: “Prepare the Meal” and “St. Charles Lwanga”

• Construction paper (black, yellow, orange)

• Glue, markers

What to Say and Do:

• Let’s review a little about what we learned before Spring break. We talked about receiving the Body

and Blood of Jesus when you receive your First Eucharist. Does anyone have any questions about that?

Why does Jesus share his Body and Blood with us? (To help us remember His great sacrifice and His

great love for us. To be near to us in a way we can touch and taste.)

• After communion is over, the Body of Jesus is put in a very special place. It is called a Tabernacle. The

tabernacle is a very strong and beautiful box located in our chapel. Why do you think we need a

strong and beautiful box? (Since we believe that the bread has really become the Body of Jesus, we

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need a beautiful and safe place to put it until it can be consumed at the next Mass.) Whenever we are

in front of the tabernacle, we genuflect or kneel down on one knee. This helps us remember that

something very special is inside the box-it is the Body of Jesus. We genuflect to show respect for Jesus.

• (Do the “Prepare the Meal” worksheet together as a class and practice genuflecting.)

• After Jesus died, the disciples spread His message far and wide. They baptized people, encouraged

those who were afraid, performed miracles and were loving and patient with everyone. It was their

“mission” to tell the whole world about Jesus.

• Do you know what a mission is? (A mission is like an assignment. It is the “work” of Christians to tell

everyone about Jesus through our words and actions.) Do you think you have a mission? What is it?

How can you do it?

• Most followers of Jesus share His message right where they are but others bring the message to

faraway places where people haven’t ever heard of Jesus. They are called “missionaries”.

• There are also special people in the church who have dedicated their lives to spreading the message of

Jesus. They are like heroes! Most of them had to struggle and fight to tell others about Jesus. A lot of

them were killed in terrible ways for believing in Jesus and telling others about His love. These people

are called saints. Do you know any saints?

• Listen to this story about a very special saint who lived in Africa. (Read the story of St. Charles

Lwanga.)

• St. Charles Lwanga let his light shine even though he knew he would probably lose his life. We are

also called to let the light of Jesus shine through us. Receiving Jesus’ Body means we are called to go

out and be Jesus to others. How could second graders do that?

• Have the children make the “Let Your Light Shine” pictures. Ask them to list at least two ways they can

do that on the back. If you have time, let the kids share their ideas.

Lesson 20, Chapter 21: Forever in Heaven (Use online resources to plan this lesson.)