As we enter this holiest of weeks, I thought I’d share an article with you that came to my attention that does a very nice job of explaining why children (of all ages) are especially receptive to the images, events, and themes of Holy Week. The article is called Holy Week is for Children and it is written by Peter Rehwaldt who is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was posted on the blog Pray Tell-Worship, Wit & Wisdom. Enjoy the article and may your Holy Week be a blessed moment for you and for those you teach.
Lenten Activities
Palm Weaving and Braiding
I’ve always been fascinated with the art of palm weaving and braiding, even though it’s something that I am terrible at! (I included it in my 40 Ideas for 40 Days). During one of the years that I was a parish DRE, I discovered that one of my catechists was an expert palm-weaver and braider. Just like that, we put together the easiest intergenerational event in history. After Mass on Palm Sunday, we invited families to […]
Junior High
Preparing for Holy Week in Junior High
In our last session before Holy Week, I like to walk through the Passion story with my group. Last year I tried starting with Joe Paprocki’s Bible story treasure hunt. I hid pictures of symbols related to the events of the Passion around the room and gave the young people a few minutes to find them all. They found most without trouble, and I gave hints to help them find the more well-hidden ones. It […]
Lent
The Challenges of Teaching Holy Week
Teaching Holy Week to second graders is a bit like herding cats: daunting, if not impossible, without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I’ve made many mistakes when teaching Holy Week. In the past, I’ve attempted to cram the principles of the Triduum and Easter on the last Sunday of class before Easter break (which happens to be Palm Sunday). I did this because I wanted to make sure I had enough time to prepare […]
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