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Today, we are in the Third Sunday of Advent. We call this Sunday Gaudete, which means “Rejoice” in Latin. In this Sunday’s Second Reading, Saint Paul tells us to “Rejoice always.”
When talking about Gaudete Sunday, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa says that Saint Paul also writes that Christians should “rejoice in hope” (Romans 12:12), be joyful today, be joyful for the wait. Cardinal Cantalamessa continues saying that we should not wait to be completely healthy and happy to share a smile with others. “We must learn to withhold anything that upsets us and share joy and positive things with others.”
We pray that you seek and find all the joy God offers you this week.
Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find helpful tips for teaching your Gospel Weeklies lesson, a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, and information about our online resources and seasonal activities. Here are tips for teaching the Gospel Weeklies lessons this week:
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
Sunday Gospel Cartoon Reading and Lesson
God’s Story: John the Baptist
Advent Videos
A Journey Through Advent with Miss Heidi and John Burland
Liturgical Calendar: Saints & Seasons with Shannon
Advent in 2 Minutes
What Is an Advent Wreath?
Find the Perfect Gift
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus is born to us.
For this lesson, you will need scissors, envelopes, crayons, magazine photos showing a variety of emotions, colored paper, a stapler, a puppet (optional), copies of the story coloring page (one per child), and a Church Year calendar.
As we continue to wait during Advent, this lesson will help the children relate to the people in Jesus’ time who waited for him to come too. Do not forget to bring the Advent wreath and candle from the lesson for 12/3.
To prepare for the lesson, we suggest that you prepare magazine photos showing different emotions to bring to class. Make sure you have at least one picture per child. To illustrate the story, we recommend that you make a Christmas countdown chain for your class in advance. You can do it by stapling as many colored paper strips together as there are days until Christmas. It is a good idea to have one or two aides to help the children with the cutting activities.
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
Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
Bible Bag: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
Children, Go Where I Send Thee Instrumental
Children, Go Where I Send Thee (Split Track)
Children Go Where I Send Thee (Bible Songs)
Promise
Lesson Theme: We wait with joy.
For this lesson, you will need pencils; tape; your Advent calendar from the 12/3 lesson; an Advent wreath; a Church Year calendar; coat hangers, dowel rods, rulers, or paint stirrers (one per child); and yarn of varying lengths (five per child). You may wish to arrange for an aide or aides to assist with the mobile activity. We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 in advance.
Sunday’s Gospel again features John the Baptist who tells the people who come to listen to him that he is not the Messiah they are waiting for. Promise does not use this Gospel but tells the part of the Christmas Gospel that leads up to the birth of Jesus.
For the “Getting-Ready Mobile” activity, you can make mobiles with hangers, dowels, rulers, or paint stirrers from the hardware store. If time is limited, you may simply send the ornaments home for their family Christmas trees. NOTE: After the ornaments are cut out, save the leftover section that contains Family Corner, Word of the Week, and Eucharist Quote. Send it home with the children.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
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: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
Good News
Lesson Theme: We wait with joyful hearts.
For this lesson, you will need an Advent wreath, a Church Year calendar, crayons, pencils, scissors, envelopes, yellow/gold paper cut into 5-inch squares (one per child), and your Advent calendar from the 12/3 lesson. We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 and make one star in advance.
Make sure that the children make the connection that Jesus is the Messiah that John the Baptist talks about in the Gospel. The Catholic Faith Word is Messiah. Explain that Christ isn’t Jesus’ last name. Christ is a title that means the same thing as Messiah—anointed one, one set apart for an important job. Jesus would have been known as Jesus, son of Joseph (Jesus ben Joseph).
For the “I Can Help” activity, you will need to supply yellow-gold paper in 5-inch squares. You may use them to decorate your classroom or send them home as tree ornaments.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
How Do We Know Jesus Was the Messiah?
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus calls forth the best in us.
If you choose to make the O Antiphon mobile, you may wish to prepare one as a sample. The story in this week’s lesson may be performed as a play, but don’t be overwhelmed by props or costuming. You can just take turns reading aloud as you would with all other Venture stories.
Some of the best work you can do with the children is allow them to debate and question real-life situations like those in the Living the Gospel feature on pages 7–8 in the lesson. Some children will dominate conversations. Try to manage discussion so that all the children contribute.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
The Meaning of the Advent Wreath
Holy Is His Name – Magnificat
Visions
Lesson Theme: John the Baptist prepares for Jesus.
Advent is a season of preparation. It’s also a time that we dive into the words of the Old Testament prophets. Make sure to have Bibles available for students to look up the verses in the cover activity “Messenger and Prophets.” Also in this lesson, the students will create Jesse Trees or mobiles using the O Antiphons on page 5. If you choose to do this activity during class, make extra copies of page 6 before the students cut out the circles with the antiphons. Save a copy of the Nativity Gospels in both Matthew and Luke (pages 6–7), so that you may reference them next week when the students work on the “Can You Tell the Christmas Story?” quiz.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
The Meaning of the Advent Wreath
How Can Jesus Be Both God and Human?
Image credit: Nicole Bettega via Cathopic.com
