Happy Easter everyone!!!
I received the following email from Margaret Ann, asking for some help.
Hi Joe,
I started putting together my next Family Program for the Home Schooler Rel. Ed. folks at my parish. I’m thinking along the lines of the Easter Season Readings/Feast Days – Ascension, Pentecost.
I am leaning on the theme of New Growth, Gardening, Spring, Rogation Days (the ritual of blessing the fields – this year they are May 10, 11, 12, the three days prior to Ascension Thursday), care of the Earth, etc.
As possible activities I thought we’d do some sort of planting. I’d like to do a modified blessing of the “urban fields” as part of the session, possibly make and bless stick crosses for their “garden”, “useful” objects out of recycled junk, etc. Do you have anything like this in your “bag of tricks” or other helpful resources? I don’t mind if you put these questions out to your blog readers.
Thanks. Have a Blessed Easter.
Margaret Ann
What’s in your own bag ‘o tricks that might help her?
This week we are doing an Easter Celebration with our 1-5 kids including crafts and other activities they may choose from in a round robin format. One of the activities will be planting flowers. We are using recycled containters and making markers that will have directions on how to nurish the plant on one side and the quote from scripture. I don’t have the citation in front of me but it is the passage about unless a grain of wheat should fall it can not bear fruit.
This passage might go well in helping the adults and older children reflect on their own paschal mystery moments… some thing along the lines of “What things in your life have you had to let pass away so you could enjoy a new abundance of God’s blessings?” Answers could include things like single life for marriage and parenthood, letting go of one activity so you could focus on another etc.
Last year for the feast of St. Isidore the farmer we gave out small bottles of holy water for our farmers & gardeners to sprinkle on their fields/garden plots with a prayer*. This year we are considering using the ashes of blessed palms (as we have way more than we can use for the next several Ash Wednesdays). The only difficulty with the holy water was having to purchase a large quantity of small bottles – with planning, you could have people bring their own bottles to fill from a common source. Good luck. Sounds like a great event.
*”Heavenly Father, Lord of all creation and Giver of all life, we praise You for Your goodness to us. Give us the weather we need to grow our crops. Bless these fields and gardens, and make them yield boutiful harvests. Bless those who work here and grant that all our work may bring You greater honour and glory and lead us closer to You. We ask this grace in the Name of Jesus our Lord. Amen”
Another thought came to me on this as I was driving to work.
If you are not meeting until May you might antcipate the feast of Pentecost and make wind chimes or wind socks out of reclaimed items as a reminder of the Christ’s presence with us thru the Holy Spirit.
A few years ago my son and I made wind chimes out of a plastic lid, some paperclips and washers. I think you could also use things like old utencils bread bag twist ties even small cans.
As for a windsock why not colorful strips of comic strip paper or bits of string or old rags attached to a can that has had the bottom removed.