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FROM OUR EDITORS—April 2, 2023 – Palm/Passion Sunday

FROM OUR EDITORS—April 2, 2023 – Palm/Passion Sunday

Para la versión en español, haga clic aquí.

This Sunday, we begin the celebration of Holy Week. We remember Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and how the crowds welcomed him with shouts of joy. On Holy Thursday, we will commemorate Jesus’ Last Supper with his Apostles. On Good Friday, we will remember his Death on the Cross, remaining in sacred silence as we wait for the joy of his Resurrection, which we will celebrate on Saturday night during the Easter Vigil Mass.

Make sure you share with your families all the information they need about the Holy Week liturgies at your parish.

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:
     Holy Heroes, Palm Sunday Part 1
     Holy Heroes, Palm Sunday Part 2
     Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
     Sunday Gospel Cartoon Reading and Lesson
     Bishop Barron on Palm Sunday
     Dominick the Donkey—Palm Sunday
     Lego Palm Sunday Movie
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 (Show one or two stations at a time.)
     Stations of the Cross

Seeds
Lesson Theme: We welcome Jesus.
For this lesson you will need crayons, scissors, tape or a stapler, palm branches, and a Church Year calendar. We suggest that you ask one or two people to be your aides to assist with the cutting and assembly of the megaphone. It is a good idea to have one megaphone ready so the children can see the final product.

Sunday begins the events of the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. It is a Sunday unlike any other in the Church Year. There is a procession of palms and the reading of the Passion. Both these changes alert even young children that a time of intensity is upon us.

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
     Bible Bag: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
     Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi

Promise
Lesson Theme: Jesus gave his life for us.
For this lesson, you will need to gather a palm branch; crucifix; crayons; pencils; scissors; copies of the story coloring page (one per child); tape, glue stick, or stapler; yarn; dowel rods (one per child); and a Church Year calendar. You may wish to arrange for an aide or aides to assist with cutting and assembly of the windsocks. We suggest that you prepare one booklet and one windsock in advance.

Holy Week is full of stimulating sights and sounds for young children. You will introduce the children to the events of Holy Week as they make a booklet and connect the names of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday to each day’s event. The “Welcome, Jesus” windsocks will be used as part of the Closing Prayer.

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
     Bible Bag: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
     Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi

Good News
Lesson Theme: Jesus suffered and died for us.
For this lesson, you will need pencils, crayons, scissors, glue sticks, and a Church Year calendar.

The Good News children will create a Holy Week booklet. They will match Gospel passages of the events of Jesus’ final week with photos of people remembering these events in modern-day liturgies of Holy Week.

Encourage families to share the Stations of the Cross and the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil with their children.

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources

Venture
Lesson Theme: We celebrate Jesus’ love for us.
It’s Holy Week! Share with the children that this is the biggest week of the year for Christians. It’s a week of highs and lows—the high of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the low of his Crucifixion and Death, and the high of his joyful Resurrection. Encourage the children to talk with their parents about attending multiple liturgies this week; you may want to look up and share the times with your families.

Before class, find a recording of “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” and assemble a sample of the Stations of the Cross booklet. You may wish to walk the stations at your parish as part of this lesson activity.

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources

Visions
Lesson Theme: We celebrate the events of Holy Week.
It’s Holy Week! Share with the young people that this is the biggest week of the year for Christians. It’s a week of highs and lows—the high of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the low of his crucifixion and Death, and the high of his joyful Resurrection. Encourage the young people to talk with their parents about attending multiple liturgies this week; you may want to look up and share the times with your families.

This lesson includes the Gospel story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as well as the Passion narratives. Encourage the students to dramatize the story; stage the scenes, but don’t worry about props and costumes. You will need lined paper and writing paper for this lesson. For the vigil, you will need a bowl of water, greens and/or flowers, a large candle (3-inch diameter), and small taper candles for each student.

Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources

Image credit: Kara/stock.adobe.com

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Our Editors


David Dziena
Publisher

David Dziena is the Publisher of Pflaum Publishing Group. He has also served as Executive Editor and […]

Joan McKamey
Project Editor

Joan McKamey, project editor, joined the Gospel Weeklies editorial team in September 2016. […]

Erika De Urquidi
Bilingual Editor

Erika De Urquidi, bilingual editor, joined Bayard, Inc. in July 2018. During her 15 years as a professional translator […]