The 40 days of Lent can be a long time for any Catholic. It᾽s even longer for third graders. I’m not one to take any number at face value, so I always ask my class to count the days between Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday. They are shocked to learn that there are actually 44 days! That seems to make Lent even longer. Working with younger students, I always include some fun activities in our […]
Lent is the season when God calls his people to return to him with their whole heart. God says that when we return to him, we will find him gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in kindness. During the 40 days of Lent, we reflect on how we can more fully turn our lives over to God so that we can celebrate Easter with joyful hearts. The Church has given us many tools […]
Just in time for Lent, here are my 40 Ideas for 40 Days! Special thanks to my colleague Linnette Mathys for getting all of these ready for posting! New this year: each activity can now be downloaded as a Blackline Master in PDF form! See the bottom of each activity for a link to download and print these PDFs! Also, don’t miss my Lenten Webinar, coming up on Tuesday, February 12, 2013. Click on […]
Ask all of your students to stand up and, on the count of three, to point north. Inevitably, there is some confusion…not all have their bearings! Explain that we can rely on a compass to help us get a sense of direction. Make a simple home-made compass. You will need a magnet, a sewing needle, a shallow aluminum baking pan filled with water, and a small piece of Styrofoam (2 in. x 2 in.) Hold […]
Lent is a time for us to declare our independence from sins that have been impinging on our freedom and to declare our DEpendence on God! Prepare your own “parchment” to use as a Declaration of DEpendence. Here is a picture of one I prepared next to a replica of the real thing. Any sheet of white newsprint will do. The thinner the paper, the better. I like to use a sheet from an easel […]
Just in time for Lent! I’m happy to once again provide my very popular 40 Ideas for 40 Days of Lent – a resource that provides catechists and families with 40 practical, creative, and inspiring catechetical activities for the Lenten season, many of them placed specifically on days/dates to which they connect in the Lenten liturgical calendar. This year, to keep things fresh, I have included 7 brand new ideas, one for each week of Lent. […]
Here are links to the various Lenten resources that I have to offer…I hope they are helpful to you as we journey together into this holy season! 40 Ideas for 40 Days of Lent, 2011 My Lenten Calendar 40-crosses-english-2011 My Lenten Calendar 40-crosses-spanish-2011 Lenten FAQs Video Recording of Joe’s 2010 Lenten Webinar Creative Lenten Ideas Shared by Webinar participants Other Resources Online Lenten Retreat from Loyola Press Lent Resources from Loyola Press Lenten Resources from […]
Thank goodness we had a little breathing room between Christmas and Lent this year! Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, one week from today, on March 9, 2011. With that in mind, I’m happy to once again offer this handy calendar with links to 40 Ideas for 40 Days of Lent! As always, if you have developed a Lenten activity that you’d like to share, send it along! 40 Ideas for 40 Days of Lent, 2011
Several years ago, my friend Victor Valdez provided us with Lenten Calendars (40 Crosses). Sadly, Victor passed away in 2013. In honor of his memory, we have updated his calendars in English and Spanish. Thank you again, Victor. Rest in peace, good friend! Hard to believe that Lent is just a few weeks away! Here are the links to the calendars: 40 Crosses 2024 (English) 40 Crosses 2024 (Spanish)
Last evening, my students took their Confirmation exam. I haven’t had a chance to correct them yet, however, I can tell from a quick glance that there are no disasters awaiting me. In previous years, I had one or two kids who left full pages blank. Not this time. Before the exam, I gave them time to study and to quiz one another. I then told them that the Catholic faith was like a family […]
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