For a fresh approach to a Lenten calendar, explore a variety of values with young children this Lent. Our Lenten Countdown for Children invites children to choose a good value to practice each day, coloring and numbering circles as they go to track their progress. Values listed include sharing, patience, honesty, and more—all traits covered in the book A Whole Bunch of Values.
Denise Gorss is a catechist with more than 20 years experience, mostly in junior high. She appreciates the gifts of Ignatian spirituality and likes sharing various types of prayer with the young people in her groups. She enjoys seeing the world on pilgrimages and lives in the Chicago area, where she works as Web Editor at Loyola Press.
“These forty days of Lent, O Lord, to you we fast and pray…” We all know that Lent has 40 days, but it may cause us to wonder about the significance of the number 40. Did you know that the number 40 appears in the Bible nearly 200 times? What’s up with that? In the Bible, the number 40 is symbolic and represents a significant period of time during which an individual’s faith is tested. What is […]
While Lent is a season of preparation for Easter, right now, for catechetical ministers, is a season of preparation for Lent. With Ash Wednesday looming right around the corner, this is the “acceptable time” for catechetical ministers to be solidifying plans for celebrating the season of Lent with those you teach. That’s right, I said “celebrating!” Lent is not a somber time but a sober time, and achieving sobriety is something to celebrate! We human […]
I’m a firm believer in doing short transitional activities (three to five minutes) in religious education that engage the students and act as segues into the “meat” of the lesson. They act as attention-getters or “hooks” that make a connection for the students. Here’s an example of one such activity that can be used to introduce the season of Lent. Select four or five students, and hand each of them some paper plates, paper cups, and plasticware (or […]
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