Hello Faith Formation Families!
I hope you had fun with your introductory lesson last week and your Works of Mercy cross activity. Did you serve each other in new ways last week? How beautiful is your cross?
And how 'bout that Acts of Mercy Blitz! Were you able to complete all 7 Corporal Works of Mercy in one day? How did that make you feel? Even if you weren't able to "blitz" with us, keep that Acts of Mercy checklist handy. Maybe you'll find a wonderful new way for your family to serve our community.
Our Corporal Work of Mercy for October is "Clothe the Naked." Our next three lessons will focus on scripture, service, saints, and an activity that will help us learn about Clothing the Naked and a little more about the Corporal Works of Mercy in general.
Here's that first October lesson... have fun!
"Clothe the Naked"
Family Lesson #2
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 "Glory Be" together.
(prayer cards included in your delivery)
Activity: Scripture Discussion
Today's activity is to dig a little deeper into the scripture passage I talked about in the introduction. Pull out your family Bible and look it up: Matthew 22:34-40. Here's how...
First, find where the Gospel of Matthew begins in your Bible. It's the first book of the New Testament, the part of the Bible that tells about Jesus's life and the early Church.
Then, find Chapter 22. In some Bibles, the chapter numbers are headings on the section, like the one in my example. In other Bibles, you'll just find a big number 22 at the beginning of the chapter.
Next, find verse 34. The verse numbers are the little numbers at the beginning of each phrase or sentence. This is where you'll begin to read.
(A little Bible trivia... the shortest verse in the Bible is just two words long: "Jesus wept." You can find it in the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead, John 11:35.)
Then, find verse 40. This is the last verse you'll read in this passage.
Read Matthew 22:34-40 together and then discuss it with your family.
What does this Bible passage teach us about God?
What does it teach us about ourselves, human beings?
What does it teach us about how God wants us to live?
Special Bible Verse
Here's the nugget from today's Bible passage. As a family, read this Bible verse a few times slowly. Take a quiet moment to think about what Jesus is telling us.
"You shall love the Lord, your God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind... You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
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
Here's a little God sighting for you! When I was on my evening walk this week, I was walking by our church. Check out how God was painting the sky!
Share your own God sightings in the next section!
Thanks for joining me to learn a little more about the Corporal Works of Mercy. Have a fantastic week!
Yours in Christ,
Corinne
Faith Formation and Parish News
CROP Walk & Sock Collection
The CROP Walk is THIS SUNDAY! Blessed Sacrament parishioners are walking around the block after Mass (socially distanced, of course!) to raise money to end hunger in our community and around the world. And since we're also celebrating the Corporal Work of Mercy "Clothe the Naked" during October, bring a pair of new socks to donate to a person in need! If you're not planning to walk, you can still bring in socks to Mass or to the Parish Center during the week. After the walk, the Knights are providing a hot dog lunch!
Sharing Tree Tag Tying
Every year, Middle School Youth Ministry ties the strings on 10,000 tags for United Way Sharing Trees around Midland County. This year, since our middle schoolers can't meet in person yet, we're asking for your help! Join us after Mass on Sunday, October 18 to help us tie tags! Click the link for more information.
Trunk or Treat
On October 31 after Mass, Blessed Sacrament Faith Formation will be hosting a COVID-safe Trunk or Treat from 5:30-6:30. Come and trick or treat around the parking lot, or host a trunk! My mom and my mother-in-law are going to be visiting from Ohio that week, and they're already making plans to host a trunk together. We hope you'll join in the fun too! Although decking our your trunk isn't necessary, we'll be holding a trunk decorating contest. For ideas, just Google "trunk or treat images." People have been very creative! Click the link to sign up to host a trunk! (Trick or treaters don't need to register.) OR bring candy donations to the Parish Center anytime this month.
