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FROM OUR EDITORS—May 1, 2022 – 3rd Sunday of Easter

FROM OUR EDITORS—May 1, 2022 – 3rd Sunday of Easter

Para la versión en español, haga clic aquí.

Did you know that the Catholic Church has two feast days to honor Saint Joseph? Every year on March 19, the Church commemorates the Solemnity of Saint Joseph—Mary’s husband and Jesus’ foster father. On May 1, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker.

It is widely known that Joseph was a carpenter. Jesus learned the value of work from him, so it only makes sense that in 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted a second feast in Saint Joseph’s honor in which he was named as a patron of workers around the world. Catholic social teaching reminds us that work is not only about making enough money to get by but also is a way in which a person participates in God’s Creation. Saint Joseph is the perfect patron to help us appreciate the importance of dignified work.

In his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, Pope Francis calls Saint Joseph “a working father” and declares thatWork is a means of participating in the work of salvation, an opportunity to hasten the coming of the Kingdom, to develop our talents and abilities, and to put them at the service of society and fraternal communion.”

We ask for Saint Joseph’s intercession to protect our jobs and to give us strength and courage to look after our brothers and sisters who struggle with unemployment or lack of just work circumstances. Amen.

Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find helpful tips for teaching your Gospel Weeklies lesson, a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, and links to many online resources.

Video of the Sunday Gospel (John 21:1–14)
Use this video as you discuss the Sunday Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
     Holy Heroes

Seeds
Lesson Theme: The Risen Jesus meets his friends again.
For this lesson, you will need to gather crayons and a Church Year calendar. Make copies (one per child) of the coloring page to accompany the story “A Surprise for David” and a Grace After Meals Prayer.

Remind the children that Easter is not only one Sunday—it’s an entire season during which we reflect on what Jesus’ Resurrection means for us. He opened the gates of Heaven so we can live with him forever one day. Encourage the children to pray the Grace After Meals with their families this week.

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
     Weekly Gospel Video and Saint of the Week
     Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole

Promise
Lesson Theme: Jesus appears to his friends.
For this lesson, there is more preparation needed than is typical. Gather crayons, scissors, tape, small snacks, and a Church Year calendar. We suggest that you engage an aide or aides to assist with cutting and folding of the celebration cups and with taping together the celebration headbands. Separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 in advance of the lesson. Draw a line across page 1 of the children’s lessons under the Promise heading. Fold one celebration cup in advance.

In this lesson, you will go over the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) with the children. Don’t assume that all the children know this prayer by heart unless you have checked that each child has this prayer memorized. Invite those children who already know this prayer to be your “helpers” in teaching the rest of the class. This will ensure that those who already know the prayer don’t call out the missing words before those who still need help learning this prayer.

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
     Weekly Gospel Video and Saint of the Week
     Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole

Good News
Lesson Theme: We are the Body of Christ.
Materials you’ll need for this lesson are drawing paper, crayons, pencils, and a Church Year calendar.

Within this lesson about the Church being the Body of Christ, you will review what the children already know about saints. Be prepared to share information about the patron saint(s) of your parish. You’ll also introduce the children to the term Communion of Saints. This is another name for the Church, which includes all those in Heaven, on the way to Heaven (in Purgatory), and those faithful saints-in-the-making on earth. Our belief in the Communion of Saints is one of the faith statements we make when we pray the Apostles’ Creed. The children will enjoy drawing their self-portraits as saints. Make sure they write a sentence or two about how they follow Jesus too.

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
     What Is the Communion of Saints?

Venture
Lesson Theme: The Risen Jesus calls us to new life.
Remind the children that Easter is not just one Sunday—it’s an entire season in which we reflect on what Jesus’ Resurrection means for us. In these final lessons of the year, we see Jesus sending out his disciples on their missionary journeys. The Church exists throughout the world; if you can bring a globe to class, show the children the countries where the largest number of Catholics live. Spend time with the Bible activity on pages 6–7; through it, the children will begin to recognize the names of the cities and countries in Scripture. This is another opportunity to help the children make the Christian story their own.

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
     Nairobi, Kenya Catholic Worship
     Catholic Church, Punjab, India
     The Catholic Church and the Philippines
     Macrina the Younger

Visions
Lesson Theme: The Risen Jesus calls us to new life.
Remind the young people that Easter is not just one Sunday. Easter is an entire season in which we reflect on what Jesus’ Resurrection means for us. In these final lessons of the year, we see Jesus sending out his disciples on their missionary journeys. They continue the mission of Jesus. The young people will delve into the idea of legacy—what it means to continue a legacy and how we might leave our legacy for others to follow. You may wish to scan the play/drama in advance and prepare a few simple props and costume pieces to enhance the reading. If your class enjoys acting, consider recording their performance and sharing it with their families. Note: The answer to the activity on page 5 is the message from this Sunday’s Second Reading: Worthy is the Lamb to receive honor and glory and praise. (The consonant code can be broken by numbering the consonants consecutively, beginning with B=1.)

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources

Image credit: Thoom/Shutterstock.com

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Our Editors


David Dziena
Publisher

David Dziena is the Publisher of Pflaum Publishing Group. He has also served as Executive Editor and […]

Joan McKamey
Project Editor

Joan McKamey, project editor, joined the Gospel Weeklies editorial team in September 2016. […]

Erika De Urquidi
Bilingual Editor

Erika De Urquidi, bilingual editor, joined Bayard, Inc. in July 2018. During her 15 years as a professional translator […]