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We are officially beginning the second half of Lent! Strictly speaking, the Thursday of the third week of Lent marked the halfway point of our Lenten journey. This Sunday, the Catholic Church celebrates Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent).
On this special occasion (as we do on the Third Sunday of Advent’s Gaudete Sunday), the Church expresses joy and hope in the midst of our preparation for Easter. The name Laetare comes from the first words of this Sunday’s Entrance Antiphon from the Book of Isaiah: “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her.” Laetare is a Latin word for “rejoice.”
The joy of Easter, which is just around the corner, is symbolized by the priest wearing rose-colored vestments and flowers adorning the altar. Just before we enter into the solemn days of remembrance of Jesus’ last days, we pause our penitential practices so we can have a glimpse of the joy that waits for us as we celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection on Easter.
Let us join the worldwide Church and take this opportunity to reflect on the glory that lies ahead on Easter Sunday.
Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find helpful tips for teaching your Gospel Weeklies lesson, a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, and links to many online resources.
Videos of the Sunday Gospel (Luke 15:1–3, 11–32)
Use these videos as you discuss the Sunday Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
• Lego: The Prodigal Son
• The Prodigal Son: A Modern Tale – Lego Version
• Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
Lent
• Lent: Catholic Central
• Lent in 3 Minutes
• Cardinal Timothy Dolan: What Is Lent?
• What Is Lent?
• 10 Fun Things You Might Not Know About Lent
• Faith, Fun, and Celebration: Lent Episode (featuring John Burland)
• Songs to Journey with Jesus during Lent, Featuring Miss Heidi and John Burland
• The Stations of the Cross with Bishop Barron (you may wish to show this in segments to your group, or select one or two stations at a time)
• The Catholic VR Experience: The Stations of the Cross (Virtual Reality)
Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope Resources
• Jubilee 2025 activities, handouts, resources, and more
Seeds
Lesson Theme: God is a forgiving Father.
For this lesson, you will need scissors, crayons, yarn, tape, and a Church Year calendar.
For the Forgiveness Ring Activity on page 4, you may cut out the rings in advance to save some time. Also, as you prepare your lesson, you could pre-cut 18″ strings of yarn (one per child) and have them ready.
Note: The title for page 4 appears in Spanish by mistake. Here is a PDF with the correct text.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflections and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole (Bible Bag)
Promise
Lesson Theme: God is our forgiving Father.
Materials you’ll want to gather for this lesson are pencils, scissors, crayons, a Church Year calendar, and copies of the story coloring page (one per child). We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 in advance.
You will help the children learn a short Prayer of Sorrow. Encourage the children to pray it any time they are sorry and want to ask Jesus to forgive them.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflections and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole (Bible Bag)
Good News
Lesson Theme: God’s love is generous.
For this lesson, you will need a Church Year calendar and copies of an Act of Contrition (one per child). We also suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 in advance.
The Act of Contrition you share with the children may be the one found on page 47 of their Catechism handbooks or one the children learn as they prepare to celebrate their First Reconciliation if they differ. Note that there is new wording for the Act of Contrition in the The Order of Penance (2023). This update is reflected in the latest version of the What the Church Believes and Teaches Catechism handbooks. Find a PDF of the new Act of Contrition to download and share with your students here. The Spanish Act of Contrition (Acto de contrición) was not updated, so the prayer remains the same.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus teaches us to forgive.
For this lesson, you will need Bibles (one per child), drawing paper, a pail, small rocks (one per child), and a copy of the lesson from 3/9 for the Week 4 prayer.
Forgiveness is a key theme for this lesson: It’s the focus of the story about a misbehaving classmate, the Gospel, Lord’s Prayer study, and prayers. This Sunday’s Gospel is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. This is a story that usually brings up strong connections. Ask the children which son they most identify with. It’s likely that they will feel the frustration and anger of the dutiful son. Encourage them to put themselves in the role of the younger son by considering what they might need forgiveness for.
Note that there is new wording for the Act of Contrition in the The Order of Penance (2023). This update is reflected in the latest version of the What the Church Believes and Teaches Catechism handbooks. Find a PDF of the new Act of Contrition to download and share with your students here. The Spanish Act of Contrition (Acto de contrición) was not updated, so the prayer remains the same.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• The Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer
Visions
Lesson Theme: We learn to ask for forgiveness.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, we see the extent of God’s forgiveness through the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The father forgives and then wholeheartedly welcomes the son back into the family. This lesson focuses on how the Church offers forgiveness when we admit our sins and repent of them. Direct the young people to note the multiple times we address forgiveness in the Mass. Make sure to reserve enough time for the Forgiveness Prayer Service, which includes an examination of conscience.
Note that there is new wording for the Act of Contrition in the The Order of Penance (2023). This update is reflected in the latest version of the What the Church Believes and Teaches Catechism handbooks. Find a PDF of the new Act of Contrition to download and share with your students here. The Spanish Act of Contrition (Acto de contrición) was not updated, so the prayer remains the same.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
• Formation of Conscience
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