The Family Zone
Lectionary-Based Playlist /Issue 40/January 3, 2021
"They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage."
Matthew 2:11
Happy New Year! Today is the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, the celebration of the day the Magi reached the Baby Jesus. Today is the day we celebrate the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. The definition of the word epiphany is a moment of sudden insight; we often call that an A-HA moment. What have been your A-HA moments of this past year? What have you learned in this difficult journey we have all been on that you can take into 2021? How has your faith helped to lead you? We like to see those A-HA moments as the Holy Spirit nudging us.We hope you will take some time to explore some of the opportunities below and share faith within your home. A new year is a great time to make new commitments and a great time to commit to giving more of your family time to God and recognizing the Spirit at work in your life!
READ!
SUNDAY READINGS: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010321.cfm
Family Stories:
- "The Christmas Star" by Marcus Pfister
- "The Three Wise Men" by Loek Koopmans
- "The Littlest Camel: And the Journey of the Three Kings" by Judy Lee Aguiar
Parent Article:
- AHA moments when God is Made Visible to Us https://oppeace.org/blog/2016/01/11/aha-moments-when-god-is-made-visible-to-us/
- Why Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh? https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/gold-frankincense-and-myrrh.html
For Teens:
- "Jesus and the 3 Wise Guys" from LifeTeen: https://lifeteen.com/blog/jesus-and-the-wise-guys/
Write!
- If you were going to visit baby Jesus, what gift would you bring him? What makes that gift so special? Write about it!
- The Magi gave gifts to the baby Jesus because they knew He is our savior! What do you do on a daily basis to show your appreciation for Jesus? Make a list of some ways you can appreciate Jesus as a family this year.
- Make a word cloud of where you see God present in the world.
- Engage in the Epiphany lesson the whole family can participate in: https://www.smp.org/resourcecenter/resource/2868/
LISTEN!
PRAY!
It is traditional to do an Epiphany blessing of your home. Follow the link to engage your family in this special Epiphany prayer!
Epiphany Chalk House Blessing from Liturgy: https://liturgy.co.nz/epiphany-chalk-house-blessing-2WATCH!
Play!
Make or use a star that you have in your house and play Huckle Buckle Beanstalk
How to play:
- Designate an object (in this case the star) as something to be found.
- 1 person should stay in the room to hide the star, while the rest of the family goes to the other room to wait.
- Hide the star and call the rest of the family back in the room
- The first person to find it yells "Huckle Buckle Beanstalk"
Play this free Christmas Journey board with older children: http://www.livingwaterbiblegames.com/christmas-board-game.html
Create!
- Make an Epiphany craft! Here is a site with crafts relating to the Epiphany: https://thekennedyadventures.com/books-activities-crafts-celebrate-epiphany/
- Bake a traditional King's cake in celebration of Dia de Los Reyes ..the Day of the Three Kings https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/three-kings-cake-rosca-de-reyes-recipe
- Make the "gifts" of the Wise Men: http://www.catholicplayground.com/christmas-party-house-gift-giving-the-gifts-of-the-magi/
Wonder!
Do you think the Magi traveled alone? Who else might have been there when they found Jesus?
The stars are so beautiful! People can spend hours just looking at them, and some people spend their lives studying them. Don't you think using such a beautiful thing as a star to show Jesus to the Magi was a stroke of genius? Beauty showing beauty! Spend some time outside looking at the stars? What else might God have among them?
WORD OF THE WEEK!
Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Debtor in PossessionEmail: oec@dor.org
Website: oec.dor.org
Location: Diocese of Rochester, Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210