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It feels as if things are changing by the minute in these last few weeks—new restrictions, school closures, online learning, work from home, extra precautions, and on and on. You may find some comfort in knowing that Jesus experienced rapid changes in the final week of his life on earth. The mood of the crowd shifted from celebrating his arrival in Jerusalem on Sunday to calling for his death on Friday.
In our uncertain times, we can ask Jesus to calm our fears and trust him to be with us through whatever comes. The Paschal Mystery that we celebrate during Holy Week and Easter promises us that suffering and death are never the end for a Christian. As MercyMe sings in their song Grace Got You: “There ain’t no storm that can change how this ends.” Jesus’ Death and Resurrection are the ultimate triumph over sin and death. Trust. Hope. Love.
You might find some comfort and help in connecting your own suffering to the suffering of our Lord Jesus with The Way of the Cross: A Prayer for Hope and Healing Amidst Global Pandemic. Download the prayer guide so you can pray along.
Looking for resources to help you and your children through this pandemic? Find a great collection of articles and activities from Catechist magazine here. Find resources from the USCCB and other Catholic partners to support prayer during these difficult days here. This is a great time for families to be reminded of their important role—at all times, not only in this time of pandemic—as the domestic Church. Download a new coloring page here.
Here are some notes to help you prepare for this week’s lesson:
Seeds
Lesson Theme: We welcome Jesus.
Sunday begins the events of the last week of Jesus’ life on Earth. It is a Sunday unlike any other in the Church Year. There is a procession and the reading of the Passion. Both these changes alert even young children that a time of intensity is upon us.
We suggest you have available palm branches to share with the children. It is a good idea to have an aide to help children with the cutting and taping/stapling of their megaphones.
There are two Extending Activities for this lesson: “Palm Crosses” and “Library Resources.” Find them here.
Promise
Lesson Theme: Jesus gave his life for us.
Holy Week is full of stimulating sights and sounds for young children. Plan in advance to get a palm branch to show to your class. Pantomime distributing palms and process around the room as you sing “Hosanna! Shout Hosanna!” Introduce the children to the events of Holy Week as they make a booklet and connect the names of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday to each day’s event. Make “Welcome, Jesus” windsocks to use as part of the Closing Prayer. Note the need for yarn, dowel rods, and an aide to assist with cutting and assembly of the windsocks.
There is an Extending Activity for this lesson: “Butterflies!” Find it here.
Find a story coloring page for “Welcome Back, Reghan!” here.
Good News
Lesson Theme: Jesus suffers and dies for us.
The Good News children will create a Holy Week booklet. They will match Gospel passages of the events of Jesus’ final week with photos of people remembering these events in the liturgies of Holy Week.
Encourage families to share the Stations of the Cross and the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil with their children. Since we may not be able to participate in person this year, alert parents to ways they can view these liturgies with their children and pray along online. It’s most helpful to share your own parish’s offerings so that the children see their church and their pastor and connect with their parish in these prayers.
Venture
Lesson Theme: We celebrate Jesus’ love for us.
This lesson varies from our usual format. We will cover the Gospels for Palm Sunday (Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem and John’s account of the Passion) and Good Thursday (washing of feet), as well as a Stations of the Cross activity that describes Jesus’ Passion and Death.
For the Gathering Prayer, we suggest singing “All Glory, Laud and Honor.” If possible, make sure you have a recording of this song and lyrics for the children to sing along. The students will celebrate a prayer service based on Holy Thursday’s Gospel and will meditate on the Stations of the Cross. These activities will prepare them to celebrate the joy of Easter next Sunday.
Visions
Lesson Theme: We celebrate the events of Holy Week.
Note that this is an atypical lesson that covers the most important events of the Church Year. Plan to spend more time with the Gospel on pages 2–5. This long Gospel of Jesus’ Passion will cover the time you would typically spend with the story/article, Gospel, and Our Catholic Faith features for the week.
The children will divide into four groups to plan an Easter Vigil prayer service. Note that there are a number of special items needed for this service: a bowl of water, spring flowers, and supplies to create an Easter (Paschal) candle. The Closing Prayer is a Good Friday prayer service for which you will need a cross or crucifix. You may wish to create one using two small tree branches and bright-colored yarn.
DON’T FORGET to check out our Unit 4 Overview Webinars. You can find them in English and in Spanish here.
Image credit: LUMO project (Big Book Media) via FreeBibleImages.org
