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Have you ever wanted something to eat, but nothing really satisfies you? I’m experiencing that more with every day that passes. We still have plenty of food at my home. As we limit our grocery shopping trips, we are finding little-used items in the back of the pantry and hidden deep in the freezer. The food tastes good and is nourishing, but it doesn’t satisfy my deeper hunger. It’s like I’m standing in front of a fully stocked refrigerator and saying, “There’s nothing good to eat.”
I miss receiving the Eucharist! This is the longest period I’ve ever gone without the spiritual nourishment of Holy Communion. And in this time of challenge, I (we) need it more than ever. While I long to gather with my parish community and receive the Eucharist again, I do know that God is present to me in many other ways. And I’m learning important lessons of gratitude, trust, and sacrifice. I’m thinking more of the common good and curbing my selfish instincts. God is feeding and sustaining me every day, and I am growing in appreciation of the gift of Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist. May I never take receiving it—or the sacrifice Christ made to offer it—for granted again! Be sure to watch the short video by Father Chris Alar in “Surviving and Thriving During the Pandemic” below.
Here are some notes to help you prepare for this week’s lesson:
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus’ friends know him.
Parents can find and download the Seeds student lesson and Teaching Guide for this week here. Note that parents will need to enter the parish or school customer number. Check your communication from your child’s catechist, teacher, or religion administrator.
Seeds helps the children realize that, just as the two disciples recognized Jesus when he broke the bread in this Sunday’s Gospel, they also know Jesus. They know his stories, they are in his presence at Mass, and they make him present to their friends and families through loving actions.
For this lesson, we recommend that you cut and fold your cover page in advance, so you may show the children how theirs will look. For the Catechism activity, we encourage you to print the Blessing Before Meals and duplicate it, so each child has one copy.
Find a story coloring page for “Who Is Coming?” here.
Promise
Lesson Theme: We meet Jesus at Mass.
Parents can find and download the Promise student lesson and Teaching Guide for this week here. Note that parents will need to enter the parish or school customer number. Check your communication from your child’s catechist, teacher, or religion administrator.
Find a story coloring page for “The Hat Lady” here.
Activity • My heart is happy. (pages 3–4) If the children are skilled enough with scissors to cut around the shape of the heart, make sure that they cut only on the heavy black cutting lines. If they cut around the top of the heart, the activity won’t work as well. It will be helpful to have an aide to assist with this activity.
Good News
Lesson Theme: We follow Jesus’ way.
Parents can find and download the Good News student lesson and Teaching Guide for this week here. Note that parents will need to enter the parish or school customer number. Check your communication from your child’s catechist, teacher, or religion administrator.
When you talk about the Eucharist as a sacrifice, make sure that the children understand the Mass as an “unbloody sacrifice.” Jesus’ Death on the Cross was a bloody sacrifice, but that sacrifice was once and for all; he does not suffer and die again at Mass.
You may wish to print and distribute copies of this prayer: “Dear Jesus, I believe that Holy Communion is really your Body and Blood. Thank you for this great gift! Help me to always receive you with love and respect. Amen.” Encourage the children to memorize this prayer and pray it silently as they are standing in line to receive Holy Communion or when they have returned to their pew after receiving.
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus is present when we break bread.
Parents can find and download the Venture student lesson and Teaching Guide for this week here. Note that parents will need to enter the parish or school customer number. Check your communication from your child’s catechist, teacher, or religion administrator.
After Holy Week and Easter, Venture goes back to its typical format. In this lesson, we include a Catholic Leaders feature on page 6 called “Bella’s Birthday Boxes” that would make an excellent class service project in these last two weeks or a possible over-the-summer activity (think Vacation Bible School too).
Visions
Lesson Theme: We know Jesus in the Eucharist.
Parents can find and download the Visions student lesson and Teaching Guide for this week here. Note that parents will need to enter the parish or school customer number. Check your communication from your child’s catechist, teacher, or religion administrator.
If you’re using Visions in a parish setting and young people trickle into your classroom, you may wish to have them start to work on the word find on page 1 before the gathering song and prayer.
The article “Take a Walk with God” is about a group of boys who take a pilgrimage (a holy journey, often to a holy destination or for a holy purpose) to raise awareness of teens facing depression, addiction, and suicidal thoughts. Be prepared for questions or discussion about these issues.
DON’T FORGET to check out our Unit 4 Overview Webinars. You can find them in English and in Spanish here.
Image credit: @JimGaffigan
