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This Sunday, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the central mystery of Christian faith and life. Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, says that the Holy Trinity is not a remote mystery, irrelevant to our everyday lives. In fact, these Three Persons are the “most intimate” in our lives. They are inside us. They “make their dwelling with us” (John 14:23), we are their “temple.”
Cantalamessa, the Pope’s preacher, says that, believing in the Holy Trinity is like being on an ocean shore, without knowing what lies on the other side. The most important thing is not trying to use our eyes to scan the horizon, but to jump on the boat that would take us to that side. With the Holy Trinity, the most important thing is not trying to comprehend the mystery, but to remain in the faith of the Church, which is the boat that will take us to the Trinity.
This week, we offer tips and guidance for teaching the Late Close Lessons on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This is the last of the Late Close lessons, which you can find for all levels here. (All of our early and late close lessons are here.) These online lessons give you content and handouts for a full class session and can be used any time of the year. If you are short on time, you can divide up the activities across several sessions.
For the “Share Experiences” portion of the lesson, you may wish to share one or two favorite children’s books, as suggested in the lesson pages. As you discuss the stories, be sure to emphasize the problem in each, and help the children see how it is resolved. Later, as you teach about the Good Samaritan, help children see the problem (the man was hurt; no one would help him) and how it is resolved by the Samaritan.
The “Stretch and Sing” song can be sung to the tune of “Coming Round the Mountain.” The lines repeat several times to help the children further grasp the story.
Finish your lesson with the coloring page handout on the last page of this Late Close Lesson. Explain that this shows how the story of the Good Samaritan might look if it were happening today. Ask the children to look closely at the image. Point out Jerusalem at the top of the picture. Explain that there are cars on the road because today, people would be driving. Point out the two cars and ask: Who do you think is driving the two cars? The first two people who were in a hurry to get to Jerusalem and couldn’t stop to help. How is the man helping? He is using a first aid kit on the hurt man; he has opened his truck so he can get him to a doctor.
This lesson helps you introduce the Parable of the Good Samaritan by sharing the familiar story of the three little pigs. Help the children see the story parallels by asking questions: What makes the three little pigs a fun story? It is scary but not too scary, we know the wolf will be defeated, there is repetition, etc. What lessons does it teach? Think ahead about danger, help your friends, use your imagination to solve a problem, etc.
The Gospel reading has four speaking parts. You can duplicate this part of the lesson and assign the parts to strong readers or ask an aide to share the parts with you.
For the Gospel puppets, each child will need: A copy of the handout (last page of the online Late Close Lesson); crayons, colored pencils, or markers; scissors; and tape.
You can find the Parable of the Good Samaritan here. (Begin at verse 25). You can read it aloud to the children, or tell it in your own words.
After the children have heard the story, they can dramatize it using the “Who Is My Neighbor” handout. You will need one copy of the handout and a pair of scissors for each child. Optionally, you can add props to enliven the story: walking sticks for the travelers, prayer books for the priest and helper, a cloak for the Samaritan (a large piece of fabric can work), and an apron for the innkeeper. You can also use laundered scarves or bandanas for the robbers’ masks, but keep health and safety in mind and do not let the children share them.
The “How Can I Help” game challenges students to think about ways they can help others in their daily lives. Children play in pairs, so you will need one copy of the handout and a pair of scissors for each pair of students. You will also need a coin or dice for determining the number of spaces to move. Any small objects you have on hand can work for game markers: erasers, bingo markers, large beads, etc.
Use the paragraphs in the “Discover Gospel and Doctrine” section to offer some location and main character background on the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
You can find the Parable of the Good Samaritan here. (Begin at verse 25.) You can read it aloud to the children, or tell it in your own words. Then use the discussion questions on pages 11-12 of the online Late Close Lesson to deepen the children’s understanding of the parable.
Help the children see a modern application of the story by acting out “A Good Samaritan Dilemma” (last page of the online Late Close Lesson). The drama has eight speaking parts. Spend some time on the discussion questions. If you have extra time, you can choose additional volunteers to act out the play again—this time in mime form.
For this lesson, print out the last two pages of this online Late Close Lesson for each student. Have students take turns reading aloud the paragraphs under “Why Does Jesus Tell Parables?” and “Gospel Background.” Use the questions in the box to invite discussion, and have students use markers to color the map independently.
Assign the parts for The Parable of the Good Samaritan drama. After the class reads it through, lead a short discussion on the students’ opinions about why Jesus chose a Samaritan to be the man who helps.
Spend some time on the “Create a Skit” activity. You will need to assign small groups for this. Help the students decide who the modern day characters will be. As the groups practice their skits, walk around and offer help and coaching where necessary. Remind the students that when they perform their skits, they can “freeze” the action whenever a character has to make a decision. The rest of the class can decide what the person can do.
Image credit: shutterstock.com/jorisvo
