K4-5th Grade Lesson for May 17th
Works of Mercy: Visit the Sick, Imprisoned and Bury the Dead
We are a community striving together for Heaven
Generations of Faith Lesson Message for Parents
Please review and complete the lesson below with your child/children. The focus is once again Works of Mercy, but this time we will focus on visiting the sick and imprisoned and burying the dead. Do your best to follow the lesson, but feel open to adding/changing the lesson to what works best for your family. You are your child's best model of our faith! Share your thoughts, your struggles, and your testimonies with your kids! We will be forever changed from this pandemic. If you can have one positive change from this, make it that you've spent more time talking with your kids about things that matter to you!
I really encourage you to continue our Sunday lesson times from home. You are the "domestic church" within your home. As the parent, you are the leader of this domestic church and this cannot be any more real in this "safe at home" place we are in. I would like all of you to please complete the lesson below, especially those who will be preparing for the sacraments next year (all those in 1st grade and those that are in their "catch up" year). I believe it will take you about 30 minutes to complete the lesson materials and then complete the google form.
Learning Lesson -- Works of Mercy--Visiting the Sick and Imprisoned and Burying the dead
Begin in Prayer
In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, (you can say your own prayer here, or pray the following:)
Thank you Lord for gathering us together as a family today. Thank you for the many blessings you have given us, the blessing of each other and this time together, the blessing of your love and the love of our family. Please help us to hear You in this time together today. Help us listen to how we can be Your words and hands in our family unit and the world around us. Amen.
Opening Activity--Human Building Blocks
SAY: Anybody can build a human pyramid—you just pile people on top of each other. We’re going to do something far more challenging: we’ll build other kinds of structures using just our bodies!
Give your kid(s) just 30 seconds to “build” each structure you mention. Be encouraging and applaud creativity. Be sure they are being safe as they play the game.
Be sure to build a jail first:
- a jail
- a tepee
- the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- the Eiffel Tower
- a shower stall
- the Statue of Liberty
- the White House
- a church
- Lambeau Field
- a locker room
When kid(s) have finished building their structures, applaud their efforts. Then ask discuss the following questions with them.
DISCUSS: If you could move your room to any famous building and live there, what building would it be—and why? Of the buildings we built, which do you think would hold up best in an earthquake? Why?
SAY: Today we’re going to continue to learn about how we can act upon our love for God in our communities. Our Bible story involves a building we constructed: a jail. It didn’t hold up well in an earthquake; the walls fell. But that let the apostle Paul and his friend, Silas, make a big impression on a jailer. We’ll get to that soon, but first, let’s remember what we did last time.
Review from "Clothe the Naked and Shelter the Homeless" lesson
Last time we were learning to accept our mission as Jesus’ disciples. Jesus sends all of us on a mission of LOVE. We call this a “secret mission” because the people who will benefit from your acts of love often don’t know who you are. We don’t need to brag about the great things we do for others—we just need to do as many acts of love for others because Jesus asks us to. Last time we talked about two of the Corporal Works of Mercy—giving clothing to the naked and shelter to the homeless. We were all able to help in a variety of ways. I heard from many of your friends how they were able to help clothe the naked and shelter the homeless.
Today we’re going to learn more about the mission that Jesus sends us on! I wonder what mission Jesus will send us on today? Let’s get started with a Bible story…
Read Acts 16:25-34
For added fun: Select family members to play the roles of Paul, Silas, prisoners, jailer, and the jailer’s family and give them sock to use as a sock puppet.
SAY: Actions speak louder than words—and God desires us to have active faith. Let’s test that by doing this puppet show with no words other than the narration. Your puppet can’t talk, but it can move. Communicate the actions I describe by using a movement. For a stage, we’ll use our imaginations. Remember, this story takes place in a jail. Paul and Silas had been put in jail because they were teaching others about Jesus. Ready?
Read aloud: Acts 16:25-34. Use your own Bibles, or use the link below to the text.
Pause after each verse and whenever there’s movement described. Have your "sock actors" take a bow.
Prison Break
The Corporal Works of Mercy
Visiting the Sick and Imprisoned and Burying the Dead
Those who are sick are often forgotten or avoided. In spite of their illness, these individuals still have much to offer to those who take the time to visit and comfort them. In our next activity, we’re going to have the opportunity to visit the sick in a special way—with our words and creativity! We can visit someone without physically going to see them just by thinking and praying for them and sending them letters to brighten their day. In our Bible story today, we heard a story about one of Jesus’ followers—Paul—and his experience in prison! People in prison are still people, made in the image and likeness of God. No matter what someone has done, they deserve the opportunity to hear the Word of God and find the Truth of the message of Christ. Paul did just that in the Bible story by letting his kind actions speak louder than his words. Jesus asks us to do the same. Finally, dying is a part of life. Some of you might know someone who has died—perhaps a grandparent or other family member or friend. Funerals give us the opportunity to grieve and show others support during difficult times. Through our prayers and actions during these times we show our respect for life, which is always a gift from God. Jesus asks us to comfort to those who mourn.
TO THE POINT:
Everyone needs good company and comfort. When people are sick or by themselves in jail, the best thing we can do for them is to remember them and let them know that they are remembered. Likewise, a person has lost someone they love because of death, the best thing we can do for them is to give them comfort—a kind, listening ear and some of our time to help cheer them up. During this series, we are learning to notice the needs of the people around us and accept our mission to Jesus’ “Secret Service”—where we can help others in Jesus' name.
What are some examples of Corporal Works of Mercy?
Pictures for the Sick Project
- Passing a smile on to you!
- Keep fighting!
- You are strong!
- You are courageous!
- Thinking of you! etc.
and take a picture of your child holding the picture and email it to me at acollins@stjoesbb.com.
With these pictures, I will compile a short video and send it to be shared with hospital patients and nursing homes.
Additional Ways to Perform Works of Mercy--Visit the Sick and Imprisoned and Bury the Dead
Visit the Sick
- Children's Hospital Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3EXOKOGIC7ZCC/?ie=UTF8&tag=childsplaycha-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
- Coronavirus Emergency Fund: The archdiocese has created a Coronavirus Emergency Fund to help alleviate the financial hardship caused by the outbreak. If you are able, please donate to help with these immediate needs: archmil.org/Giving. Use the drop down tab to select "coronavirus emergency fund".
Visit the Imprisoned
- write a note to a prisoner
- Support kids whose parents have been imprisoned. Seasame Street (the programming we all love has a lot of resources for this. https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/incarceration/
Bury the Dead
- Visit the grave of a loved one and pray for them.
- Send a note to someone who has lost a loved one and pray for them.
End in Prayer
- Do they need prayer for anything they are anxious about?
- Do they have family or friends that need prayer?
- Do they want to share a blessing or prayer of thanksgiving?
Take a minute together to bring your family's needs before God. Lead your family in the Sign of the Cross. Explain to the children that it is time to quiet their voices and open their hearts to God. Allow 30 seconds of silence before beginning prayer. Ask your family to think of something they have an abundance of.
Then lead a prayer of petition to God, asking Him to be with those who suffer from a lack of life’s necessities and to help you have a generous and caring heart.
Close by praying a portion of a prayer attributed to St. Teresa of Calcutta:
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Other Info
St. Joe's Comeback!
Welcome back to Mass! It is time for the "Catholic Comeback"! We are so happy to have the opportunity to worship together at St Joseph Catholic Church starting Pentecost Weekend (May 31st). The parish staff and our worship committee are working hard to plan a safe return to Mass in which we can maintain our social distancing and also worship together.
Thank you for sharing your intentions regarding your Mass attendance below. We are relying on this critical information to help us plan for a safe, hospitable and prayerful worship experience for all. We will continue to make a Facebook live-stream of the Sunday 10:30 Mass available during this transitional time. We would appreciate your response on/or before Monday, May 25th. We look forward to worshiping with you safely. God Bless!
Athletics Interest Link
If you have a student going into 5th-8th grade next fall, please follow the link below to indicate whether or not your child would be interested in playing volleyball or basketball with St. Joe's. More details on link below.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aNWL8C1xkgZnjFPIa_lwAQZp_yn3Efx_khVBdnT_osQ
Child and Family Ministry
Email: acollins@stjoesbb.com
Website: https://www.stjoesbb.com/for-children
Location: S89 W22650 Milwaukee Avenue, Big Bend, WI, USA
Phone: 262-662-3317
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StJoesBB