Young Family
Pray It!
Our April Faith Formation focused on the need for courage to face the things that we find difficult, but that the rewards are worth it. Our third and fourth graders watched a clip from the movie The Lion King in which Simba is inspired the ghost of his father Mustafa. There are so many elements in this clip that relate to our own journey in faith. Watch this clip and use the following or similar questions to share your faith:
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
- SImba "forgot his father." How do we remember our Father, God?
- Do we truly know that God resides within each of us?
- When Simba remembered his father Mustafa, and overcame the fear of his past, he was inspired to do the right thing. When have you been inspired to do the right thing, even though it was hard?
- What past mistakes have you made? Did you learn something from them?
- Do you know that God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit, resides in you and will help you to make the right choices? Use the following Prayer to the Holy Spirit to pray for what you need:
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Read It!
If you want happy, healthy children . . . love your spouse! This takes communication and reflection on your relationship. Three questions to work with on a regular basis are:
- How am I doing in the relationship?
- How are you doing in the relationship?
- How is the relationship going in general?
Share It!
Following Jesus' Example
Take time to read some of the stories from the Acts of the Apostles which show how the apostles continued Jesus' work on earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter heals a paralytic in Acts 9:32-35 and in Acts 9:36-43 Tabitha is restored to life. Without the courage given by the Holy spirit Peter would have remained locked in the upper room out of fear.
What is it that we are called to do for others? Read through this list of the Corporal Works of Mercy and see which ones are you most likely to act on:
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are ways we can meet the spiritual and emotional needs of others. How am I with these instructions:
As a family discuss the ways that you can perform the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
Take time to read some of the stories from the Acts of the Apostles which show how the apostles continued Jesus' work on earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter heals a paralytic in Acts 9:32-35 and in Acts 9:36-43 Tabitha is restored to life. Without the courage given by the Holy spirit Peter would have remained locked in the upper room out of fear.
What is it that we are called to do for others? Read through this list of the Corporal Works of Mercy and see which ones are you most likely to act on:
- Feed the hungry.(do you donate to the Caring Hands Pantry?)
- Shelter the homeless. (do you help with Family Promise?)
- Clothe the naked.
- Visit the sick and imprisoned.
- Give alms to the poor. (Did you use your CRS rice bowl this Lent?)
- Bury the dead.
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are ways we can meet the spiritual and emotional needs of others. How am I with these instructions:
- Instruct
- Advise
- Console
- Comfort
- Forgive
- Bear wrongs with patience.
As a family discuss the ways that you can perform the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
Do It! Just Breathe!
It is so amazing to find first graders speaking about how vital their breath is to help them become free from anger, and to listen to them talk about using their pre-frontal cortex to develop greater peacefulness. This YouTube is filled with promise for how the very young can develop ways to be more compassionate toward self and others when they know about basic neuroscience skills. Invite your children (and yourself) to breathe in the Holy Spirit and breathe out the tension. This reminds us that God is as available as our very breath!