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Easter by Gail Gibbons - Read With Me Book (Read Aloud)

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11 Easter Resources to Use With Catholic Kids 

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11 Easter Resources to Use With Catholic Kids 

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Free printable activites from Sadlier publishing

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The season of Easter is a special time to rejoice over the new life we have in Christ. The Easter season lasts fifty days and ends on Pentecost Sunday. As in all the seasons of the year, we remember Mary and the saints for their belief in Christ and witness to his Good news.

Easter Resources for Catholic Children

#1 Easter Cross Craft Activity

#2 Easter Mobile Activity

Families can use this printable handout to create Easter mobiles at home as part of their faith formation efforts!

Parents will need to gather a stapler or hole puncher, scissors, string or yarn, crayons, markers, or colored pencils, and paste or glue. Have children decorate the parts of the mobile from the printable handout and then cut out the parts of the mobile. Assemble the mobiles using a hole puncher or stapler; attach one end of each piece of string or yarn to the "dot" on the mobile parts "love", "new life" and "Jesus." Staple the other end of each string to the "Easter" part of the mobile!

#3 Easter Skit Activity

#4 Easter Lesson and Prayer Celebration

#5 Alleluia Easter Activity

Catechists and parents may want to encourage kids to use a familiar melody for their original lyrics. They also may want to record children performing their songs and compile a classroom or family album to enjoy and share! Download the Alleluia Easter Activity now!

#6 Easter Table Prayer Card

One of the special ways we celebrate Easter is by sharing a meal. Invite children to design a table prayer card to be shared during an Easter meal with family.

This printable prayer card highlights the signs of new life that we experience during Easter and our new life in Jesus Christ. After it is decorated, it can be used on Easter Sunday or before meals shared during the Easter season.

#7 Prayer for Easter Eyes

Families can download a Prayer for Easter Eyes and use it in your home as you celebrate the joyous season of Easter.

#8 Blossoming Celebration Easter Prayer Service

The Easter: A Blossoming Celebration is a downloadable Easter-themed prayer experience and activity. In this combination prayer service and art activity, children in the intermediate grades are invited to joyfully and prayerfully celebrate the new life in Jesus Christ during the Easter season. It is based on the Scripture passage in which the risen Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, as well as beautiful imagery from the Book of Isaiah and Song of Songs.

#9 Easter Preparation Checklist for Families

The Easter Preparation Checklist for Families helps families prepare for the joyous celebration of Easter in their homes. Download the checklist and share it with families in your parish or school program.

#10 Signs of New Life Sensory Bin

Sensory bins provide young children with several sensory opportunities at once. Sensory bins are typically plastic containers or tubs filled with objects and materials that stimulate the senses and can be compiled around a season, theme, or topic. Children aged preschool through Grade 2 will especially benefit from the chance to interact with different materials. The Signs of New Life Sensory Bin provides inspiration and instructions for setting up an Easter-themed sensory bin for children in the preschool or primary grades in your faith formation program.

#11 Easter Prayer Service

Are you looking for a meaningful way students can celebrate the Easter season at home? Download and share a seasonal prayer service with families that is designed to introduce Easter to the students you teach. The Easter Prayer Service includes Scripture and a "new life" activity.

BONUS: Prayer of Easter Gratitude Reflection

Encourage children to express their gratitude for Christ's gift of life. Download A Prayer of Easter Gratitude Reflection and use it with your family to name the ways you have been blessed this Easter.

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11 Easter Resources To Use With Catholic Children - Liturgical Year

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The season of Easter is a special time to rejoice over the new life we have in Christ. The Easter season lasts fifty days and ends on Pentecost Sunday. As in all the seasons of the year, we remember Mary and the saints for their belief in Christ and witness to his Good news.

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Ideas for discussions and activities with all ages!

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Bring the Easter story to life for your kids through one amazing download and four easy-to-use, age-appropriate activities:

Walking Through Holy Week

Focus on the Family's free Easter activity kit retraces the events of Jesus' final days on earth, helping kids learn more about Christ's sacrifice and victory over death. This free kit includes craft ideas, recipes, puzzles, eight days of faith-based activities and object lessons, and easy-to-follow instructions for an authentic Passover meal.
-T.F. Edwords
The Easter Story Scramble

Once my two older kids could read, their grandparents wrote key events from Jesus' life on 10 slips of paper - from His birth to His ascension - and put them in plastic eggs, along with candy, coins or snack crackers. After the kids found the eggs, they worked together to put the story in order so it could be read. It extended their time of fun and helped them focus on the reason for the celebration. (Find these slips for your Easter egg hunt at FocusOnTheFamily.com/Easter!)
-Sharie Thoelke with Joyce K. Ellis
Preschool Activity

Retell and celebrate the Resurrection story with your child by creating a preschool version of "Resurrection eggs." Gather six plastic eggs, each a different color. Place the following items inside, one item per egg: breadcrumb, paper cross, strip of cloth, rock and piece of candy. One egg will remain empty. As you tell the Resurrection story, let your child open the eggs. Explain each item in the following order:

1. Bread crumb: Jesus ate dinner with His friends. (Luke22:14-15)

2. Cross: The next day, Jesus died on the Cross. (John19:17-18)

3. Strip of cloth: He was wrapped in cloth and placed in a tomb.

(John 19:40)

4. Rock: A stone was placed in front of the tomb. (Matthew27:59-60)

5. Empty egg: Jesus' friends came to the tomb and saw the stone had been moved. The tomb was empty! (Luke 24:1-3)

6. Candy: Jesus is alive. That's the sweet surprise of Easter. (Matthew 28:5-6)

Once you've finished sharing the Resurrection story with your child, encourage her to use the eggs to tell the story in her own words.

- Becky Baudouin

School-age Activity

Use this activity to help your kids understand that Christ's resurrection means that we can have eternal life!

Lay a skein of yarn on a table and pull 2 inches of yarn from one end. Ask your child to slowly pull on this piece, and when she has pulled out about an arm's length of yarn, snip it off with scissors. Tell your kids that this piece of yarn has a beginning and an end, just like our lives here on earth.

Take the snipped piece of yarn and tie it back onto the skein, explaining that, through Christ, we are free to live with God forever. When Jesus died and rose again, He gave us eternal life. Although our time on earth will come to an end, our life with God will go on and on forever. Celebrate the power of the Resurrection by allowing your kids to pull freely on the piece of yarn and run with it as it unravels from the skein. Let them run out of the room! Up the stairs!

Pray together, thanking God for sending His Son and welcoming us into eternal life with Him.

Tween Activity

To teach your tweens about the forgiving power of Christ's resurrection, try this activity. First, put on an old, white T-shirt. Then discuss what sin is by asking your tweens to share some examples, such as lying or envy. Invite them to use permanent markers to write their examples on the shirt.

Explain that our sins create a rift in our relationship with God and keep us from experiencing His love. To be reconciled with God, we need to get rid of the sin that separates us. Ask for ideas on how to remove the marker stains from the shirt. If the kids suggest washing it, try scrubbing it in the sink. Let them see that the stains are permanent. Also note how the "sins" can't be hidden, even if the shirt is turned inside out.

Ask: "If we can't remove our own sin, who can help us?" Guide your tweens toward understanding that only Jesus, through His death and resurrection, has the power to get rid of our sins. Take the old, dirty shirt and place it in a trash bag near a Bible or a cross, where you've also set anew, clean white shirt. As you put on the clean shirt, talk about how Christ takes away our sin and gives us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
-Jeannie Vogel
Time With Your Teen

The thrill of driving, the freedom to ignore homework, the delight of staying on the computer all night long-teens love to assert their independence. They hold tight to a "my way is the best way" attitude that influences the choices they make during these formative years. Sometimes that attitude protects them from peer pressure; other times it drives them to settle for less than God's best.

Could the power of the Resurrection and the hope of eternity actually make a difference for a teen who is torn between choosing God's will and doing his own thing?

As parents, we get to be the voice reminding teens that pleasing Christ is better than pleasing self. Living with an eternal perspective can help them see that the joy of living forever in God's presence far outweighs the momentary satisfaction of getting their own way.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to strengthen our teens to make wise choices today (Romans 8:11-14). Ask your teen about choices she's watched her friends make that were not pleasing to God. Were there any disappointing consequences? Ask your teen if his friends have shared stories about decisions they regret. Share honestly about your own teenage choices to either choose God's best or have things your way.

Now remind your teen that God has provided all she needs to live a life pleasing to Him-both now and forever (2 Peter 1:3). Encourage your teen to trust God for the strength to do His will, and pray that the hope of eternity will empower her to choose wisely (Colossians 1:10-12).
-T.F. Edwords
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
"Why Easter Matters" by Tony Evans "Finding Easter in Bunnies and Baskets" by Kim Wier Subscribe to Focus on the Family Clubhouse magazine Focus on the Family magazine

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Holy Week and Easter Activities for the Whole Family

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Bring the Easter story to life for your kids through one amazing download and four easy-to-use, age-appropriate activities: Focus on the Family's free Easter activity kit retraces the events of Jesus' final days on earth, helping kids learn more about Christ's sacrifice and victory over death.

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Activities for Holy Week including recipes!

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When living the liturgical year with kids, holy week is a really big and excellent week to include! The most important thing is to help keep your family focused on the true meaning of this season, and remembering that this is the last week of Lent. Easter starts on Sunday, but to help hold off on Easter celebrating until the actual Easter season begins, you can try to get your family involved with these Holy Week resources for kids! This post includes recipes, crafts, activities and more, and I will walk you through celebrating Holy Week with your family step by step.

You can read my article here about observing Lent during Lent and saving Easter celebrating for Easter.

Holy week really encompasses a lot, and the better you understand the meanings behind the different days, the better you will be able to celebrate with your family. My Lenten planning pack for moms does have some special pages for planning Holy Week with your family, so you may find that helpful as well. Let's take a look at the breakdown of Holy Week.

What Happened During Holy Week: (The Cheat Sheet)

Palm Sunday: Liturgical color, red. Jesus rides a donkey into Jerusalem, the people wave palm branches at him shouting "Hosanna".

Holy Monday: Liturgical color, purple. Jesus and his disciples go into the temple, and Jesus overturns the tables since people are selling things rather than praying there.

Holy Tuesday: Liturgical color, purple. Jesus and the disciples return to the temple and teach the people many things with parables and give the people the new commandment.

Holy Wednesday (AKA Spy Wednesday): Liturgical color, purple. Judas agrees to hand over Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Holy Thursday (AKA Green Thursday): Liturgical color, white. Jesus has the Last Supper, which is the institution of the Eucharist and also the first mass. He also washes the feet of his disciples. Jesus asks his disciples to pray in the garden with him all night, and they fall asleep.

Good Friday: Liturgical color, black. Jesus dies on the cross. All the things from the stations of the cross happen this day.

Holy Saturday: Jesus is dead in the tomb. The evening of Holy Saturday is considered the "vigil", and Easter celebrating can begin then.

Holy Week Meals And Recipes For Families

If you are are looking for food ideas for celebrating Holy Week, be sure to check up my round up of Holy Week recipes here. I always find that celebrating with food is fun for the kids, and it kills 2 birds with 1 stone because I always have to feed people anyway.

Now you can find all my Holy Week recipes my new cookbook for families- The Symbolic Holy Week & Easter Cookbook! This cookbook includes 23 recipes that point to the true meaning of Easter. It only includes 29 pages of bonus printables! You do not want to miss this amazing resource.

Fun Ways To Teach The Holy Week Story To Kids:

Check out this children's book I made, Holy Week In Handprints! It tells the entire story of Holy Week, day by day, and your child illustrates it themselves with handprints. I have step by step directions for completing each illustration. So it is a great teaching tool for learning about Holy Week, and it also becomes a keepsake for your family to cherish year after year.

You can download yours here for just $8

You can find my Holy Week eggs here. I designed them to be a "Catholic" version of Resurrection eggs, but later on, I ended up designing a different set for the Stations of the cross as well. You can find that farther down the post.

You can also use my printable passion set of peg dolls to help teach your kids the story of Holy Week. For these peg dolls you just decoupage on the body, and all you have to paint are the heads! I also provide step by step directions to walk you through painting the heads. My kids love these little guys!

Check out this printable list of 10 Holy Week activities for families from Real Life At Home.

You can also use your passion peg doll set and build a block version of Jerusalem to give your kids an idea of where all these events happened. My kid and I LOVE this!

Monthly Liturgical Membership

I also have a set of printable art cards that go with the places of Holy Week that includes truly beautiful Catholic artwork on every card.
Post continues after this brief information about the Catholic Icing Monthly Membership
The peg dolls can also be used to teach Montessori-type lessons on Holy Week. Again, I love teaching this kind of stuff in hands-on ways for littles!

I also have a set of Holy Week notebooking pages for older kids that are very handy for the season. Free to print!

This symbolic Lenten lunch for kids teaches the Holy Week story in a great hands-on way as well. We do this every year!

Sara J Creations has a free printable set of Holy Week matching cards. Isn't that awesome?! I'm sure these would be great for all kinds of Holy Week activities.

Look To Him And Be Radiant has an awesome FREE printable Holy Week journal and plans for an at home "family retreat" with videos, scripture, crafts, and food ideas for each day. You gotta check it out!

You can find my full round up of Holy Week Crafts here.

A round up of Holy Week coloring pages and printables is here.

Palm Sunday Celebration Ideas:

There are so many fun traditions your family can choose from for Palm Sunday that I have a special post rounding up all of my Palm Sunday celebration ideas, so check that out for sure!

Holy Thursday Traditions And Celebration Ideas:

There are also so many traditions and celebration ideas for Holy Thursday that I have an entire post dedicated to celebrating Holy Thursday with kids. This is a page you don't want to miss!

The post above has some great ideas for lunch, dinner, crafts, and solemn observances throughout the day.

Holy Saturday Plans For Catholic Families

Let's be realistic here... you have held off on Easter celebrating for the length of Lent. You have been keeping Lent in Lent, and saving Easter for Easter. But realistically for mothers, we can't wake up on Easter morning, then decorate, bake, stuff baskets, etc. So Holy Saturday is the day I use for setting up and preparing for our Easter celebration.

There is also a very special Mass on this day (Easter Vigil Mass). It's beautiful, the entire parish spreads flames through individually held candles, and it really is a cool experience if you have never attended it. I would recommend trying. However, I caution those of you going with children because it's late, it's very long (like possibly even 2 hours long), and again, there's lots of fire. So yeah, I don't personally find it to be a child-friendly Mass. We usually go on Easter morning.

If you enjoyed this guide to celebrating Holy Week, I would really appreciate it if you shared the link! Thanks so much!

The Symbolic Holy Week & Easter Cookbook is sure to bless your family in the upcoming seasons! Read more now.

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The Ultimate Guide for Celebrating Holy Week With Kids!

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When living the liturgical year with kids, holy week is a really big and excellent week to include! The most important thing is to help keep your family focused on the true meaning of this season, ...

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Short video that also includes events from Holy Thursday and Good Friday

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Loads of Holy Week Activities for use at home!

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I find it strangely ironic that, as catechists, we have always expressed a desire for parents to be more involved in their children's faith formation and now, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents have been thrust into this role. The problem is, parents can feel as though they've been thrown into the deep end of the pool unless we provide them with the support they need and deserve to form their children in faith.

One such example is on our doorstep right now: the coming of Holy Week, which is the most solemn time of the year for Christians. Under normal circumstances, we catechists would be encouraging our students to participate fully in Palm Sunday and the Triduum and providing them with catechesis to prepare them for the experience. Since we won't be able to celebrate these holy days with our parish communities this year, we need to encourage families to learn about and mark the days of Holy Week in special ways at home. With that in mind, I'd like to draw your attention to the following resources that can assist and support parents in observing Holy Week with their families at home.

Finally, a few books to consider for Holy Week:

Seek & Find Bible-Explore the Bible with small children through this whimsically illustrated book.

Loyola Kids Book of Bible Stories-Read with older children the chapters about Jesus' final week before the Resurrection. The stories include questions for reflection and short prayers to pray together. (Also available as an eBook.)

Station to Station-Take an Ignatian journey through the Stations of the Cross with Gary Jansen's book. (Also available as an eBook.)

Let's partner with parents to bring the experience of Holy Week to Catholic homes during this challenging time.

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I find it strangely ironic that, as catechists, we have always expressed a desire for parents to be more involved in their children's faith formation and now, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents have been thrust into this role.

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by Bryce Milligan

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Weekly podcast about the lives of the saints told for kids.

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A weekly podcast of stories for kids about the Saints, from the creator of Shining Light Dolls, Chantal Baros. Join us each week for a new short story!

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Daily Podcast for Catholic Kids

Also available on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, and YouTube

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Catholic Sprouts: Daily Podcast for Catholic Kids

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The Catholic Sprouts Podcast is a daily podcast for Catholic kids. The short episodes are designed to plant one seed of faith each day. Topics covered include Catholic Feast Days, Morality, Catholic Theology, the saints and the sacraments.

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Catholic News | March 13

Kevin Nelson reports on Catholic news.

Pope Francis held his general audience during a live broadcast from the library of the Apostolic Palace

Pope prays for those affected by coronavirus pandemic and people in Syria who are suffering on the border of Greece and Turkey

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis profoundly saddened about Abortion Provider Appreciation Day

Pope Francis entrusted to Jesus' mother the suffering and anguish of millions of people affected by the coronavirus pandemic

Colorado senate has voted to replace Columbus Day, a federal holiday, and instead create a day to honor Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the patron of immigrants

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The RosaryPray the mysteries of the rosary with Bishop Robert Reed each day of the week in beautiful Catholic locations around the world.Episodes featuring Cardinal Sean O'Malley and Archbishop Robert Carlson also air as part of The Rosary on CatholicTV.Watch:Sundays 3am, 9:30am, 6:30pm (glorious mysteries)Mondays 3am, 10am, 6:30pm (joyful mysteries)Tuesdays 3am, 10am, 6:30pm (sorrowful mysteries)Wednesdays 3am, 10am, 6:30pm (glorious mysteries)Thursdays 3am, 10am, 6:30pm (luminous mysteries)Fridays 3am, 10am, 6:30pm (sorrowful mysteries)Saturdays 3am, 10am, 6:30pm (joyful mysteries)all times

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Watch the Mass on Catholic TV from your computer or check your local cable listings for times

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We Are America's Catholic Television Network® CatholicTV is a beacon of Hope and a unique Herald of the simple, yet profound Message of Jesus Christ.

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Activities for children to complete while listening to or watching the Mass. Please note this is for the ENTIRE month of March. The weeks of Lent are listed on the bottom of the page.
(March 15th is the 3rd Sunday of Lent)

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Veggietales | VeggieTales: St. Patrick | VeggieTales Special | Silly Songs With Larry | Kids Cartoon

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This Sunday's Readings

First Reading
Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3
(or the first reading from Cycle A: Sirach 3:2-7,12-14)
God fulfills his promise to Abraham, and Sarah gives birth to a son.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 105:1-6,8-9 (or the psalm from Cycle A: Psalm 128:1-5)
A prayer of thanksgiving to God for his faithfulness to his covenant.

Second Reading
Hebrews 11:8,11-12,17-19 (or the second reading from Cycle A: Colossians 3:12-21)
Paul examines Abraham's example of faith.

Gospel Reading
Luke 2:22-40 (or shorter form: Luke 2:22,39-40)
Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the Temple in accordance with the Law of Moses.
Background on the Gospel Reading
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family. This celebration is assigned to the Sunday within the octave of Christmas. The Gospel for today is taken from the Gospel according to Luke and is part of Luke's Infancy Narrative.

Today's Gospel describes the presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple and shows Joseph and Mary as devout Jews, following the prescriptions of the Law of Moses. The Gospel alludes to several aspects of the Law of Moses: circumcision, the dedication of the firstborn son to the Lord, and the purification of a woman after childbirth.

According to the Law of Moses as presented in the Book of Leviticus, a woman was considered ritually unclean during her menstrual period and for a prescribed period of time following the birth of a child. After the birth of a son, a woman was considered ritually unclean for 40 days. After the birth of a daughter, a woman was considered unclean for 80 days. In order to be restored to ritual purity, a Jewish woman performed the appropriate rites of purification and made the prescribed ritual offering.

Today's Gospel notes that Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, in accordance with the Mosaic Law. At that time, he was called Jesus, the name he was given by the angel Gabriel. On the 40th day after Jesus' birth, Mary performed the appropriate purification rites and made her offering at the Temple. Although the Law of Moses required an offering of a lamb, those who could not afford a lamb could substitute two turtledoves or two pigeons. In this scene, Luke identifies Joseph and Mary as being poor, and indeed throughout Luke's Gospel, Jesus will show special concern for the poor.

Another Jewish rite referenced in this Gospel is the dedication of the firstborn son to the Lord. In remembrance of the feast of Passover, when the firstborn children of the Israelites in Egypt were saved from death, the Law of Moses prescribed that all firstborn males of Israel should be consecrated to the Lord. In this tradition, Mary and Joseph present the infant Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, Luke reports that Mary and Joseph encounter two devout Jews, Simeon and Anna, who recognize the infant Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel's hope for redemption. In Simeon's words we find a prediction of Mary's witnessing of Jesus' death on the cross. The Canticle of Simeon, also called by its Latin name, Nunc Dimitis, is prayed at night prayer, or compline, during the Liturgy of the Hours.

Gospel Reading
Luke 2:22-40 (or shorter form: Luke 2:22,39-40)
Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the Temple in accordance with the Law of Moses.
Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3)
Families are most important in the general development of young children, and this is no less true for their growth in faith. In the family of Jesus we find a model of what it means to be a family of faith.
Materials Needed Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Say: We know that Jesus learned many important things from his family. Joseph was a carpenter, and Jesus probably learned from Joseph how to make things out of wood. What other things do you think that Jesus might have learned from Joseph? (Accept all reasonable answers.)What might Jesus have learned from his mother, Mary? (Accept all reasonable answers.) Today's Gospel tells us about another important thing that Jesus learned from his parents.

2. Read today's Gospel in its shorter form, Luke 2:22,39-40.

3. Say: Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to Jerusalem and presented him to the Lord. By doing this, they honored an important Jewish tradition. What do you think Jesus later learned from this? (That faith in God was important to his family.) What does our Gospel say happened next? (Mary and Joseph took Jesus home to Nazareth; Jesus grew up.)

4. Conclude in prayer together, thanking God for our families and asking God to bless our family. Invite each child to ask God to bless his or her family by saying, "God bless [the name of the family]." When everyone has finished their prayers of blessing, pray together the Glory Be to the Father.

Gospel Reading
Luke 2:22-40 (or shorter form: Luke 2:22,39-40)
Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the Temple in accordance with the Law of Moses.
Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6)
Our families have the primary role in teaching us about the traditions of our faith and how we express our faith. The family of Jesus is a model for Christian families in this important task.
Materials Needed Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Ask the group: What are some ways in which we express our faith in God? What do we do to show that we are Catholic? (daily prayer, reading Scripture, gathering for Mass, praying the Rosary) Ask: From whom did you learn the importance of these expressions of our faith? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

2. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud today's Gospel, Luke 2:22-40.

3. Ask: What are Mary and Joseph doing in this reading? (They are honoring the traditions of their Jewish faith by bringing the infant Jesus to the Temple.) Why do you think it is important that we know this about Jesus' family? (It shows Jesus' family's faithfulness to their religious tradition; it shows that Jesus learned his faith from his family.) Are there ways that Catholic families express their faith that are similar to the way that Jesus' family expressed their faith? (bringing a child to church for Baptism, bringing children to weekly Mass, and so on)

4. Conclude in prayer together, asking God to bless and strengthen our families. Invite members of the group to offer their prayers for their families. Pray together today's psalm, Psalm 105, or pray the Lord's Prayer.

Gospel Reading
Luke 2:22-40 (or shorter form: Luke 2:22,39-40)
Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the Temple in accordance with the Law of Moses.
Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)
Young people continue to be profoundly influenced by their family, even though at this age they often resist and deny this influence. We can invite young people to consider the importance of family and help them grow in appreciation for their family's influence.
Materials Needed Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Observe that neighbors, teachers, or acquaintances often know our family connections before we tell them any information about our brothers or sisters or parents. Ask the young people to think of a time when someone identified them based on family relationship, perhaps by asking something like the following: "Aren't you Jack's brother/sister?" "You are one of the Johnson children, right?" Ask: On what basis are people able to make these family connections? (family resemblances; similar mannerisms; shared family interests)

2. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud Luke 2:22-40.

3. Ask: What are Mary and Joseph doing in this reading? (They are honoring the traditions of their Jewish faith by bringing the infant Jesus to the Temple.) What does this tell us about Mary and Joseph's influence on Jesus? (They raised Jesus to be faithful to their Jewish tradition; Jesus learned his faith from his family; their practice of the Jewish faith connected them with other people in their faith community.)

4. Conclude in prayer together, asking God to bless and strengthen our families. Pray together today's psalm, Psalm 105, or pray the Lord's Prayer.

Gospel Reading
Luke 2:22-40 (or shorter form: Luke 2:22,39-40)
Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the Temple in accordance with the Law of Moses.
Family Connection
Today's celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family highlights the importance of family in our religious life. We know that Mary and Joseph's faithfulness to God enabled them to cooperate in God's plan for our salvation by accepting the responsibility to raise God's Son, Jesus. From his parents, Jesus learned how to be a faithful believer in his Jewish tradition. Simeon's prophecy about Mary's sorrow alerts us to the importance of a family's commitment to one another, a commitment that is expressed in both good times and bad.

Gather as a family and recall times when your family showed its commitment to one another in good times and in bad. Recall times when your immediate family was supported by members of your extended family. Note that today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, and we see in the family of Jesus an example for our own family life. Read together today's Gospel, Luke 2:22-40. Joseph and Mary expressed their faithfulness to God through their observance of the Law of Moses. Simeon prophesied the grief that Mary would experience at the foot of Jesus' cross. One of the blessings of family life is our commitment to one another, sharing good times and supporting one another through difficult times. Conclude in prayer together thanking God for the grace expressed in your family's commitment to another. Write a prayer together, thanking God for your family life and asking God to strengthen your family's commitment to one another. Pray this prayer together.

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Our Sunday Connection will help you prepare for the Sunday readings at mass. Find information on Catholic Sunday readings at Loyola Press.

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St. Patrick

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How do you teach a classroom that's as big as a whole country? How do you teach a whole country about God?

St. Patrick's classroom was the whole country of Ireland and his lesson was the good news of Jesus Christ. How in the world did he do it? Well, it was only possible because he depended totally on God.

But letting God give him strength and direction didn't always come naturally to St. Patrick. That was a lesson he had to learn himself. And he didn't get to learn it from understanding, gentle teachers in a comfortable classroom. He learned it from a band of thieving, roving pirates.

Although we think of Ireland when we talk about St. Patrick, he wasn't actually born in Ireland. He was born in Britain, perhaps even in Scotland. His father was a deacon, and his grandfather had been a priest. But Patrick didn't think too much about God. We don't really know why this was. He probably thought he didn't need God. He probably thought other things could bring him as much happiness as God could. God just wasn't on Patrick's mind as he roamed the fields of his homeland, tending animals and learning how to be a man.

But his happy, carefree life ended one day when crowds of strangers appeared on the horizon. They looked dangerous and frightening, and they were. They were pirates and thieves, on their way to capture slaves to take back to Ireland. Patrick was one of those hundreds of captives. He was snatched from his family and his home. He was taken from all of his future hopes and dreams. Patrick was thrown on a ship, bound in chains, and taken over the sea to Ireland. He was sixteen years old. For six years, Patrick was a slave in Ireland. He was put to work watching sheep and cattle. Patrick had just enough food to live on, and when he wasn't working, he tried to rest in tiny huts that were damp and cold.

But something strange and wonderful happened in Ireland. All alone, frightened for his life, and among people who worshiped trees and stones, Patrick opened his heart to God.

That happens to a lot of us, doesn't it? When everything's going great, we don't have any time for God. But then something awful and painful happens, and there we are, back at God's feet.

During those years, Patrick started to pray. He thought about God all the time, and it gave him peace of mind. He knew that no matter how much he was suffering, God loved him.

Eventually, Patrick escaped from slavery and traveled to France, which in those days was called Gaul. We're not sure exactly how much time Patrick spent in Gaul. But it was enough time for him to draw closer to God as he prayed and studied in a monastery.

One night, deep in a dreamy vision, Patrick heard voices. He heard many voices, joined together, pleading with him.

"Come back," the voices cried, "come back and walk once more among us."

Patrick knew it was the Irish people calling him.

Strengthened by the courage that only God can give, Patrick went back. He returned to the very people who had stolen him from his family, worked him mercilessly as a slave, and knew little, if anything, about the love of the true God.

Before he left Gaul, Patrick was made the bishop of Ireland. He then traveled across the sea to teach Ireland about Jesus Christ.

It wasn't easy. The people of Ireland practiced pagan religions. They worshiped nature, and they practiced magic. They feared the spirits they believed lived in the woods. The Irish people believed they could bring evil spirits down on those they wanted to harm.

Patrick had a big job ahead of him. He had to show a country full of students that there was no point in worshiping nature. Trees can't forgive your sins or teach you how to love. The sun, as powerful as it is, could not have created the world. Patrick explained things using simple examples that people could easily understand. For example, he used the three-leaf clover to show people how there could be three persons in one God.

Patrick preached to huge crowds and small villages. He preached to kings and princes. He preached in the open air, and he preached in huts. Patrick never stopped preaching, and he never stopped teaching. He couldn't stop-the whole country of Ireland was his classroom, and he couldn't afford to miss even one student!

Soon, Patrick had help. Men became priests and monks. Women became nuns. Wherever they lived, those monks and nuns settled in monasteries and set up schools. More students were being reached every day.

But, of course, the greatest help Patrick had was from God.

When he was young, Patrick had forgotten God, but that would never happen again. He knew that God supported him in every step he took. God gave Patrick the courage to speak, even when Patrick was in danger of being hurt by pagan priests who didn't want to lose their power over the people.

Patrick's most famous prayer shows us how close he was to God. It's called "St. Patrick's Breastplate." A breastplate is the piece of armor that protects a soldier's heart from harm.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left.

from Loyola Kids Books of Saints
Image credit: Statue of St. Patrick by Andreas F. Borchert, 2007. Public Domain via Wikimedia.

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How do you teach a classroom that's as big as a whole country? How do you teach a whole country about God? St. Patrick's classroom was the whole country of Ireland and his lesson was the good news of Jesus Christ. How in the world did he do it?

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by Gail Gibbons

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by Patricia Pingry

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THE STORY OF SAINT PATRICK'S DAY Children's Read Aloud

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by Tomie de Paola

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Stories That Build Character And More...

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Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola (Author & Illustrator)