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This Sunday is called Laetare Sunday. Laetare (like Gaudete in Advent) means “rejoice” in Latin. It is a day of joy during a penitential season. Priests may wear rose-colored vestments. We rejoice that Easter is drawing near!
In the next two weeks, we honor both of Jesus’ earthly parents. The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is celebrated this Thursday, March 19. We celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord next Wednesday, March 25. On this day, we remember Mary’s yes to God’s invitation to become the mother of his Son.
Let us pray for parents: O Almighty God, you gave us the commandment to honor our father and mother. In your loving kindness, hear our prayer for all parents. Give them long lives and keep them well in body and spirit. Bless their labors; keep them always in your care. Bless them generously for their loving care of each other and their children. Grant that through your grace, we may always be their support and comfort. We pray that after our life together on earth, we may together experience the joy of praising you forever. Amen.
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 online resources.
Videos of Sunday’s Gospel
Use these videos as you discuss today’s Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
• Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
• Holy Heroes
• Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
• Jesus Heals the Blind Man
• Sunday Setup—Weekly Video and Post (courtesy of the Diocese of Bridgeport)
Lent
• Ash Wednesday & Lent in 60 Seconds. With LEGO!
• Lent: Catholic Central
• Lent in 3 Minutes
• Cardinal Timothy Dolan: What Is Lent?
• What Is Lent?
• 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)
• 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
Other Resources
• Pope Leo XIV and the Papacy
• Special Message from Pope Leo to Young People (NCYC | November 21, 2025)
For Catholic Schools
• Albert’s Expeditions Join Albert, a fierce yet friendly Peregrine Falcon, named after Saint Albert the Great (who even gave the Peregrine Falcon its name 800 years ago!) on scientific expeditions all around the globe. From under the soil to the sky full of stars, discover the stunning natural world full of life that God has created. Meant for children ages 5–10 and all families who want to learn more about their beautiful world around them and the Divine Creator who formed it all.
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus heals a blind man.
For this lesson you will need crayons, drawing paper, a puppet, a Bible, copies of the story coloring page (one per child), and a Church Year calendar.
This Seeds lesson helps children appreciate the gift of sight. It helps them understand the joy of the blind man when Jesus gave him sight. We suggest having a puppet for the Gospel Warm-Up activity. If you don’t have a puppet, you could use a stuffed animal for this purpose. Don’t forget to send home the drawing the children will create during class about their favorite Jesus story from the Bible, so they can share it with their families.
Since this lesson contains a focus on the gift of sight, be sensitive and make appropriate adjustments to the lesson if you have a child or children in your class who have significant vision impairments. This lesson may present an opportunity for the visually challenged child(ren) to share about living with limited or no vision.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
Promise
Lesson Theme: Jesus invites us to see and believe.
For this lesson, you will need a picture book, a children’s Bible, scissors, crayons, copies of the story coloring page (one per child), and a Church Year calendar. You will also need blindfolds (one per child) for the “I can’t see” activity. While inexpensive ones are available for purchase, simple blindfolds can be made from bandanas, fabric, or paper. Find some helpful ideas here.
You may wish to have the help of an aide or aides to assist with the blindfolds and cutting. This is a great opportunity to encourage parents’ participation in your program. You could also invite older children that are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and may be in need of service hours. We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 in advance.
Since this lesson contains a focus on the gift of sight, be sensitive and make appropriate adjustments to the lesson if you have a child or children in your class who have significant vision impairments. This lesson may present an opportunity for the visually challenged child(ren) to share about living with limited or no vision.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
Good News
Lesson Theme: We believe in Jesus.
For this lesson, you will need pencils, scissors, glue or tape, paper strips or craft sticks (six per child), copies of the Apostles’ Creed with some key words missing (one per child), index cards with portions of the Apostles’ Creed written on them, and a Church Year calendar. You may want to enlist the help of an aide for the assembly of the Gospel Puppets. This activity involves cutting out the Gospel characters (page 3) and gluing or taping them on craft sticks or strips of paper (for finger puppets).
Throughout this Good News year, you’ve been teaching the children portions of the Apostles’ Creed. In the What the Church Believes and Teaches doctrinal section (gold box) of the lesson, you will help the children link these portions into one credal statement. In advance of your class session, prepare index cards that each contain a statement from the Apostles’ Creed. Another item to prepare in advance is a handout that contains the Apostles’ Creed with blank lines for some of the key words. You might include a word bank of the missing words on the paper or write these words on the board.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
• “Yes, Lord, I Believe” by John Burland (check for age-appropriateness)
Venture
Lesson Theme: We believe in Jesus.
For this lesson, you will need to gather pens or pencils, coloring tools, Bibles (one per child), and a Liturgical Year calendar.
Invite the children to note what’s different on this week’s lesson cover. (Hint: What color is the bar at the bottom?) It’s pink or rose, not purple or violet. It’s Laetare Sunday. Laetare is Latin for “rejoice.” It is a day of celebration in anticipation of the end of Lent and the nearness of Easter.
This Sunday’s Gospel is the story of the man born blind. It’s a story of belief. Give the children ample time with the cover activity, a survey of things in which we may place our belief. Make sure to have your student Bibles available for the David activity on page 5. They may complete the Bible search activity alone or in pairs.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
• The Creed
Visions
Lesson Theme: Conversion means seeing in a new way.
For this lesson, gather pens or pencils, coloring tools, and Bibles (one per student).
Invite the children to note what’s different on this week’s lesson cover. (Hint: What color is the bar at the bottom?) It’s pink or rose, not purple or violet. It’s Laetare Sunday. Laetare is Latin for “rejoice.” It is a day of celebration in anticipation of the end of Lent and the nearness of Easter.
This Sunday’s Gospel Reading is the story of the man born blind. It’s a story of belief. Make sure to have a Bible for each student to complete the Old Testament study about King David (page 7). Encourage the young people to share their activity about the Apostles’ Creed (page 8) with their families. This is a public sharing of our beliefs as Christians.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Louie can’t see much, but his vision will become a reality this Sunday.
• The Creed
Image credit: Corinne SIMON/CIRIC
