Background Notes for Parents/Carers

About the theme – Lent/EasterIn this theme the children learn about the seasons of Lent and Easter and how Christians live their lives because of the beliefs held.

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting, is the first day of Lent. According to the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he was tempted by Satan. Lent began as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year’s Palm Sunday, and placing them in the sign of the cross on the heads of people to the accompaniment of the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return". Catholics believe that they are called to continuously ‘turn back’ to God and live a holy life. The symbol is a reminder that this life is short and our real lives will begin when we are raised to New Life in the Communion of Saints.

LentThe three traditional practices of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Prayer: Catholics believe that more time given to prayer during Lent will draw them closer to the Lord. Fasting: Fasting is not just about developing self-control. It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind Catholics of their hunger for God. Fasting should be linked to concern for those who are forced to fast by their poverty, those who suffer from injustice and those who are in need for any reason. It is linked to living out baptismal promises. By Baptism, Catholics are given the responsibility of showing Christ's love to the world, especially to those in need. Abstaining from meat traditionally also linked Christians to the poor, who could seldom afford meat for their meals. Almsgiving: This is a sign of care for those in need and an expression of gratitude for all that God has given to us. Works of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life which is begun at Baptism.

Holy WeekFor the Church, Holy Week is the ‘greatest week’ during which the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus is remembered in special celebrations. On Passion Sunday which is sometimes called Palm Sunday (because palms are blessed and Christians hear the reading of the passion of Jesus), Christians celebrate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to face his suffering and death.

The Paschal or Easter Triduum (pronounced Trid-oo-um) begins on Holy Thursday when Jesus washes the disciples’ feet and ends on Easter Sunday in the evening.When Lent ends, Catholics stand in the centre of the Christian year. On the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, Catholics keep the Easter Vigil. They gather to light a fire and a towering candle, to listen to their most treasured scriptures, to sing psalms and other songs. Then they go to the waters and baptise those who have been preparing for new life in Christ. The newly baptised are then anointed with fragrant oil and, at last, with these newly baptised, they celebrate the Eucharist.Catholics prepare for this Vigil in the washing of feet on Holy Thursday and in the veneration of the cross on Good Friday. They also prepare by fasting. The Church fasts – from food, from entertainment, from chatter, from work – so that they have time to ponder deeply the death and resurrection of the Lord, the mystery of faith that they will celebrate in the Vigil.

Easter SeasonBegins on Easter Sunday and ends 50 days later on Pentecost Sunday.Easter Sunday is the beginning of the Easter Season which lasts for 50 days ending on Pentecost Sunday. The Easter season is to the year what Sunday is to the week. It is the heart of the Christian faith. St. Paul writes that without a strong, unswerving belief in the resurrection of Christ, then, “empty too is our preaching; empty too your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14.) Catholics are an ‘Easter People’ and make "Alleluia" their song because they delight to praise the Lord who is raised from the dead and now shares his new life. The Paschal candle, the giant candle that is lighted during this season whenever Catholics celebrate in church, shows that Jesus lives.

Key Vocabulary YEAR 5Sacrifice

LENT/EASTER TOPICgivingcarercosttemptationbetrayalself-sacrificeHoly WeekMaundy ThursdayGethsemaneAltar of ReposelovecrucifixionEaster vigilResurrection

Overview

Year 5

Lent is the season when Christians try to focus on giving. This helps us to identify with the complete sacrifice of Jesus which is remembered in the liturgy of Holy Week, especially the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday – Easter Sunday).Children know and understand:• Giving or refusing to give; appreciating the cost of giving• Lent, a time of giving in preparation for the celebration of the sacrifice of Jesus

See Background Notes for Parents and CarersWeek 1: Children learn about the demands and sacrifices some people have to make in their lives to care for others. They know the story of the temptation of Jesus in the desert and can make links with the season of Lent.Week 2: Children learn about the temptation of Judas and his betrayal of Jesus. They know the story of Gethsemane and why Holy Thursday id also called Maundy Thursday.

Week 3: Children learn about the trial of Jesus under Pontius Pilate, his Crucifixion and death and the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary

Week 4: Children learn about the stories of the Resurrection from two Gospel sources. At the end of this topic look at the key vocabulary and use it to remember all we have learnt about sacrifice

Celebrate with a simple Act of Worship (see below)

In Year 5 the children learn why Lent is important to Christians, what Lent is and that it is a time of giving in preparation for the celebration of the sacrifice of Jesus. They will hear the Easter story and how Christ’s death and Resurrection is celebrated in the Church.

Week 1: Lesson 1Tell the story of a young carer or there are film clips of young carers on the BBC. One such carer is Sean aged 16. He helps to look after his brother who has a severe learning disability. His brother Ben is 11 but has a mental age of three or four. He has problems with his behaviour. Sean lives at home with his Mother and has to help feed and dress Ben and look after him. It can be very demanding as Ben can be aggressive and difficult. Sean sometimes gets fed up, but he loves Ben and often sacrifices his free time to help his Mum.

Q What and how does Sean give?

Q Why do you think he cares for his brother?

Q What do you think about Sean?

Q Do you know anyone who gives generously of their time or is a carer? For whom do they do it and why?

Task: Investigate words which are connected with giving – for example, sacrifice, selfless, unselfish, courageous, brave, strong, kind, generous, donation and gift. Collect as many words as you can. Discover the words which mean the opposite of your words. Choose one ‘giving’ word and write a poem which conveys the meaning to the life of a Christian.

Week 1: Lesson 2(You may have spoken to your children about Ash Wednesday when it was celebrated, during the half term holidays. If so, a recap of how Lent begins, what the season is about, a reminder of any Lenten promises or a look at the Lenten calendar is sufficient.)Lent is the Church’s season for discerning and doing good. In the Christian Year, Lent helps us prepare for Easter. It lasts for 40 days and is a penitential season and a time of spiritual growth. If people want to be followers of Jesus, they must be prepared to notice what others need and then see what they can do to help. During Lent, this is traditionally put into practice through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Christians make Lenten promises saying what they hope to do during Lent.

After Jesus had been baptised by John in the river Jordan he went into the desert. Jesus needed to be alone to pray in preparation for his ministry. It was not an easy time for Jesus. He was tempted by the devil, but he resisted him, and the experience strengthened him for his mission. This is Luke’s story of what happened.Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The Devil said to him, ‘If you are God’s Son, order this stone to turn into bread’. But Jesus answered. ‘The scripture says, people cannot live on bread alone’.Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world. ‘I will give you all this power and all this wealth, the Devil told him. ‘It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. All this will be yours, then, if you worship me.’Jesus answered, ‘The scripture says, Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the Temple, and said to him, ‘If you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here. For the scripture says, ‘God will order his

angels to take good care of you’. It also says ‘They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones’. But Jesus answered, ‘The scripture says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’. When the Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, he left him.Luke 4: 1-12

[The Church gives the name Satan or devil to evil. Evil has the power to affect our lives, but with God’s help, we have the power to resist and overcome all that is evil. It is important to stress that temptation itself is not wrong, wrong occurs when temptation is given into.]

Q Why did Jesus go into the desert by himself?

Q What did you notice about the way the devil tempted Jesus?

Q What did you notice about the way Jesus responded each time?

Q How do you respond when you are tempted to do wrong?

Q What helps you to resist temptation?

Q How would you link Jesus’ time in the desert to the experience of Lent?Task: If you haven’t already done so make your own Lenten calendar showing how you will spend the forty days of Lent preparing for Easter. Leave a blank square at the end of each week to fill in after reflecting on your actions giving reasons for how they have shaped your life and the lives of others. If you have access to the internet use CAFOD and Mission Together resources for Lent for some ideas: https://missiontogether.org.uk/calendar/resources-for-lent-2021/

https://cafod.org.uk/Education/Primary-teaching-resources/Lent-resources-for-children

Week 2: Lesson 1Temptation comes in many forms. Judas was one of those chosen by Jesus to be his follower. It was his job to be in charge of the money that Jesus and the apostles needed. Judas was not very honest; he was rather weak and thought about himself more than others. When a really big temptation came, he gave in, this is what happened according to Mark’s gospel (Mark 14: 10-11).

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them. They were pleased to hear what he had to say and promised to give him money. So, Judas started looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them.

Sometimes even our friends let us down and we too sometimes let our friends down. Later on, after Judas had betrayed Jesus, he deeply regretted it, he took the money back to the chief priests and threw it on the floor, saying he knew he was wrong in what he had done. He went off feeling very sad and unhappy.

Q Why do you think Judas may have chosen to betray Jesus?

Q How do you think Jesus felt knowing that one of his friends had betrayed him?

Q Have you ever been let down by someone you cared about, how did it feel?

Q Have you ever let anyone down, why do you think you did it and how did you feel afterwards?

Task: Write a diary entry for Judas using the scripture from Mark 14: 10-11, to help you. Include Judas’ private thoughts and emotions throughout his conversations with the priests and Jesus showing an understanding of his struggle between betrayal and loyalty.

Week 2: Lesson 2Holy Thursday is also called Maundy Thursday. Near the end of the Last Supper, after Judas had left early, Jesus said to his disciples, “A new commandment I give unto you: that you love one another, as I have loved you.” John 13:34-35. The Latin word for ‘commandment’ is ‘mandatum’ which became the source for another name for Holy Thursday: Maundy Thursday. When Jesus commanded us to “…love one another, as I have loved you,” he showed his love through his service – the washing of the feet - and he commands us to do the same.

Read the story of Gethsemane below, based on Mark 14: 32-46.

At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday, the priest takes the Blessed Sacrament to a special place, the altar of repose, where people keep watch. This reminds them of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane and asking his friends to “keep watch with me.” When Mass is over the altar is stripped bare and the tabernacle is left empty.

Q Why do we call Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday?

Q What is important about the new commandment?

Q Why do you think Jesus gave them a new rule at this time?

Q In the garden Jesus told to his friends that he was terrified. What does that tell us about him?

Q What do you think about his disciples?

Q How do you think Jesus knows his time of sacrifice has come?

Q Why do you think Judas used a ‘kiss’ to betray Jesus?

Q How do you think the disciples felt when Jesus was arrested?Task: Look at the painting The Agony in the Garden by Bellini and compare it with Mark’s Gospel account. What do you think are the similarities and differences? Reflect quietly on the painting

Week 3: Lesson 1After Jesus was arrested, he was taken to the High Priest’s house for questioning, he was insulted and badly treated. They handed him over to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Read Mark’s account of his trial below.Notice that Jesus makes no attempt to explain himself. He accepts his fate, knowing it will lead to his death. He is ready to make this sacrifice. After his struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane he has accepted God’s will.

Q How does Pontius Pilate try to find the truth about Jesus?

Q Why does Pontius Pilate call Jesus the King of the Jews?

Q Why do you think Jesus does not answer him?

Q Why do you think the crowd shouted for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified?

Q Do you think this is the same crowd who greeted Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem, if so, why have they changed their minds?

Q What do we learn about Jesus from his attitude at his trial?

Task: Write a report from Pontius Pilate to Caesar, the Roman Emperor, informing him of the trial of Jesus. Describe and give reasons for the actions of Jesus, the High Priest and the crowd.

Week 3: Lesson 2Read two Gospel accounts of the Crucifixion, Luke 23: 26-43 The Thieves and Mark 15: 21-41 The death of Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel we hear Jesus speaking words of forgiveness as he is dying on the cross. Jesus asks His Father to forgive those who are crucifying him. One of the thieves said, “Please remember me, don’t ever forget me.” He forgives the repentant thief, by saying, “I will remember you today and you will be with me always.”

Q What do Jesus’ words from the Cross tell us about him?

Q How does Jesus’ death help us to understand his humanity?

Q Why do you think the repentant thief asks to be remembered?

Q What do you think he must have believed about Jesus?

Q What does the centurion mean when he called Jesus ‘the Son of God’ and why do you think he said this?

Q What do you think Mary and the women felt?Task: The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary reflect on five events during the passion and death of Jesus The Agony in the Garden – when Jesus was afraid and went to the garden to pray

The Scourging at the Pillar – when Jesus is taken away by the soldiers and whippedThe Crowning with Thorns – when the soldiers take Jesus into the palace; they make fun of him and make him wear a crown of thornsThe Carrying of the Cross – when Jesus carries his heavy cross to CalvaryThe Crucifixion – when the soldiers nail Jesus to the cross and he dies

Take some time to reflect on the end of Jesus life. Make a prayer card for one of these Mysteries.

Week 4: Lesson 1All four Gospel writers tell the story of Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter Sunday morning and the empty tomb. Read two different accounts of the Resurrection story below - The Empty Tomb - Matthew’s Story based on Matthew 28:1-10 and John’s Story based on John 20:1-10. Highlight the similarities and the differences.

Easter begins on Holy Saturday night with a special Vigil. ‘To keep vigil’ means to keep watch during the night. The Church had accompanied Jesus through his suffering and death and now waits to share and celebrate his new life. Read about the actions, prayers and symbols of the Easter Vigil liturgy from The Easter Vigil below. Think about the significance of the new fire and the Easter candle. Explain that Alleluia is sung again on this night in celebration. It was not used at all during Lent.

Q In each story who is first to discover the empty tomb?

Q Which version of the story do you like best and why?

Q In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus speaks to the women. Where else do we hear that greeting?

Q Why do you think the women were not believed?

Q What do you think about the reactions of John and Peter at the tomb?

Q Why do you think new fire and the Easter candle are important in the Easter Vigil?

Task: Design a religious Easter card depicting the Good News of the Risen Christ and giving reasons for your choice of words and symbols. Inside the card, include a suitable quote from Scripture and a greeting to share with others.

Week 4: Lesson 2 Look at the key vocabulary for this topic and use it to remember all we have learnt about sacrifice.Celebrate with a simple Act of Worship

Resources

Week 2 Lesson 2

Week 3 Lesson 1

Week 3 Lesson 2

Week 3 Lesson 2

Week 4 Lesson 1

Week 4 Lesson 1

Week 4 Lesson 2Act of Worship

‘SACRIFICE’Year 5

‘Lent, a time of giving in preparation for the celebration of the sacrifice of Jesus’

You might like to set up a Focal table with some of the following:Candle, Bible (if possible), a cross, Stations of the Cross (from the internet)

Let us make the Sign of the Cross with special care today as we remember that Jesus sacrificed his life for us when he died on a Cross In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

We have been reflecting on how we can either give or refuse to give and learning to appreciate the cost of giving. We learned that the ultimate giving is the sacrifice of one’s life.

Lent is a time in the Church’s year when the Christian family tries to take opportunities to grow spiritually and make small sacrifices to remind us of the importance of ‘dying to self’ in order to give. We remember how Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice by giving his life for us.

On Holy Thursday the Church listens to the Gospel from St John when Jesus says to his disciples, ‘A new commandment I give unto you: that you love one another as I have loved you’. To love as Jesus loved is to be willing to give ourselves for others.

In this Gospel reading we hear how Jesus was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice:

A reading from the Holy Gospel According to MarkGlory to You, O LordWe make the sign of the cross on our forehead, lips and heart, in preparation to hear the Good News of the Gospel. We make the sign of the cross on our foreheads to show we believe in God’s Word, on our lips to show we try to speak God’s Word to others, and on our hearts to show we love God’s Word and will try to live a good life.

It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The notice above his head said, ‘The King of the Jews’. The chief priests and the teachers of the law jeered at Jesus, saying to each other: “He saved others but he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now and we will believe in him.”And the two who were crucified with him insulted him too. At midday, the whole country became dark. This lasted 3 hours. At three o’clock, Jesus cried out:“Eloi, Eloi Larna Sabactani”, which means: “My God, my God why have you abandoned me?”Someone soaked a sponge in cheap wine and put it on the end of a stick. He held it to his lips saying “Let’s see if Elijah will come and take him down from the cross.”Then Jesus gave a loud cry and died.

The Gospel of the LordPraise to You Lord Jesus Christ

Gathering Together

The Word of God

In order to help us remember that Jesus died because he loved us so much let us spend some time in silence.(You and your child may like to place a small cardboard cross with your Lenten promise written on it on your focal table and pray quietly. You might like to play appropriate quiet music).

We know that Jesus’ death was not the end and that Easter is a celebration of Jesus’ rising to New Life. During Lent and Easter we think about how we can ‘walk in the light’ of Christ, die to selfishness and live a life of selfless love of others.

Let us pause for a moment and think about how we can be like Christ and bring the light of love to others…..

You may like to recite the words of this Lenten song:

Lent’s a time for new beginnings,death to our selfishness, sadness and greed.Let there be born in us new hope and kindness,then we’ll be ready for Easter indeed.

Jesus on the first Good Friday,died to all bitterness, hate and despair,only to rise in the splendour of Easterto life eternal and gives us a share.

Sr. Oswin

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Response to the Word

Going Forth