Hello Faith Formation Families!
Last week's lesson was our first one about the Corporal Work of Mercy "Bury the Dead." We took a deeper look at the story of Jesus's burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and learned a little bit about how people of Jesus's day were buried.
This week's lesson is about St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
All of the materials you'll need for this month's lessons will be printable or accessible online, so there's no need to pick up a packet in the Parish Center.
Have you prayed with our Virtual Stations of the Cross yet? It turned out AWESOME! I'm so proud of all of our volunteers, both readers and artists! Pray along with us here:
There are lots of announcements at the bottom of this Flocknote, plus a Children's Liturgy of the Word link, so make sure you scroll all the way through the lesson!
"Bury the Dead "
Family Lesson #25
Let's begin our lesson as we begin all things, with the Sign of the Cross.
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."
Then pray the Apostles Creed together. This is what we believe as a community of Catholics around the world.
Here's a printable version of this prayer along with the opening prayers from October-February. Consider putting them all together in a prayer book!
Activities: Saint and Service
In today's activities, we'll learn a little more about St. Stephen and do some service inspired by his life.
SAINT
Print this coloring page of St. Stephen. As you color, think about someone you know who has died, and ask God to take care of that person the way St. Stephen's friends took care of him.
If you wish, you could add some red roses to the picture, or draw the animals who watched over St. Stephen's body when he died.
St. Stephen said:
Like Jesus on the cross, St. Stephen forgave the people who were doing this terrible thing to him. Sometimes it's hard to forgive. If you're having a hard time forgiving someone, ask St. Stephen to pray for you.
SERVICE
One of the ways we can help to "Bury the Dead" is by taking care of the family of the person who has died. For your service project this week, make a card for someone who has lost someone they love, and pray for his or her deceased loved one. If you can't think of anyone, Steve, who plays the music at church, has just lost his father. I know his family would appreciate a kind word from you!
This is the traditional prayer of the church for the souls of people who have died:
Corporal Works of Mercy Bonus
A couple months ago, we talked about the Corporal Work of Mercy "Visit the Prisoner." We talked about how especially now, during Covid times, people who are stuck at home for their safety can feel like they're in prison.
Well, I was reading an article in America Magazine this week about a visit Pope Francis made recently to the country of Iraq, the first visit he's made since the pandemic began almost a year ago. Even our Holy Father has felt the loneliness of Covid times!
I just thought it matched up so well with what we had learned about "Visiting the Prisoner" that I had to share it with you!
The article says:
"Pope Francis spoke about how he felt he had 'come back to life again' during the visit, after more than a year in 'prison' when he could not meet people in audiences or foreign visits."
Special Bible Verse
As a family, read this Bible verse a few times slowly. Take a quiet moment to think about what Jesus is telling us.
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
If you wish, you could also write out this Bible verse in fancy letters, or even try to memorize all or part of it!
God Sightings
Check out how the sun is shining through the bell tower in our church this week!
Remember to share your own God Sightings in the "Share your faith work" section below!
Share Your "Faith Work"
Children's Liturgy of the Word
Faith Formation and Parish News
Vacation Bible School Interest Survey
Planning has begun for this year’s Vacation Bible School, June 14-17, at Assumption! VBS is traditionally a joint venture among the three Midland parishes for children entering preschool through Grade 5. As we continue into the next phase of Covid time, we would like to get your input on how we structure our week. This is not a commitment, just a survey for planning purposes to help us get an understanding of where your comfort level is.
Sharing Some Easter Love
Want to share the love of Jesus with some of the home bound members of our church family? We have two opportunities: Easter cards or Easter cookie deliveries! Contact Lyn Pajk at lynp@blessed-midland.org if you're interested in helping with either project... or both!
Outreach Easter Flower Sale
It's time for High School Outreach's annual Easter Flower Sale! Like the Christmas wreaths, ordering is all online this year. Check out the parish website or the attached flyer for more information!
Parish Survey
If you haven't already, please take 10-15 minutes to fill out the parish survey! Your time and input is greatly appreciated and will help our parish plan and vision for the future! It's open for just another week! Thanks so much for your help!
Registration for 2021-2022
In the past, Faith Formation has held a Registration Weekend each March. This year, with Covid still a factor, we're not going to have our registration quite so early. We'll update you with more information soon, but for now, don't worry about March Registration.
