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February is our shortest month, but some years, it can seem endless. Dreary skies and cold winter temperatures can have a negative effect on our moods and energy. But we are people of hope even in dark days and difficult times! Our daylight hours are slowly increasing each day. Winter will give way to spring. It always has, just as every night gives way to day. As people of faith, we take our cue from the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s suffering and Death being followed by his Resurrection. So chin up and persevere!
Hope is the theme of Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope. In the Papal Bull for the Jubilee, Pope Francis wrote: “The death and resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our faith and the basis of our hope. . . . For our sake, Jesus experienced the drama of death. The Father’s love raised him in the power of the Spirit and made of his humanity the first fruits of our eternal salvation. Christian hope consists precisely in this: that in facing death, which appears to be the end of everything, we have the certainty that, thanks to the grace of Christ imparted to us in Baptism, ‘life is changed, not ended,’ forever. Buried with Christ in Baptism, we receive in his resurrection the gift of a new life that breaks down the walls of death, making it a passage to eternity” (20).
How will you be a person of hope today? How can the brightness of your smile and spirit help to turn another’s frown upsidedown or lift a gloomy spirit? How can your life reflect hope in the promise of eternal life?
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 6:27–38)
Use these videos as you discuss the Sunday Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
• Holy Heroes
• Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope Resources
• Jubilee 2025 activities, handouts, resources, and more
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus teaches us to love and forgive.
For this lesson, you will need a Church Year calendar, crayons (red, yellow, and purple), copies of the story coloring page (one per child), and scissors. We recommend that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 in advance.
The children will create a booklet about friendship. We recommend that you prepare yours in advance and read it to the children before they make their own. Invite them to share about their friends in class and remind them to show the booklet to their families at home.
Start planning ahead! Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Give some thought now to how you might involve your class in a Lenten project.
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: Jesus teaches us to be kind.
Plan for this lesson by collecting these supplies: ruler, measuring cup, drawing paper, crayons, scissors, glue, envelopes, copies of the story coloring page (one per child), and a Church Year calendar.
One of the activities in this lesson involves the children printing the words of a Short Prayer of Love on drawing paper and decorating it. If your class time is limited, you might want to prepare papers with the words of the prayer in advance. The words of the prayer are “Jesus, I love you with my whole heart. Help me to . . .”
Start planning ahead! Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Give some thought now to how you might involve your class in a Lenten project.
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: Jesus’ law is love and forgiveness.
You will want to prepare “Jesus Says” game statements in advance of this lesson. This game is based on Simon Says. Preparing the statements ahead of time will help you keep up a quick pace as you lead the game. Everything that Jesus says should be a good choice or action, such as Jesus says, “Say your prayers.” The others are bad choices, such as “Tell a lie.” The children can respond to the statements with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down gesture. Other options are to have the children stand up or step forward if they hear something Jesus says.
Start planning ahead! Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Give some thought now to how you might involve your class in a Lenten project.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus challenges us to love more.
This Sunday, we continue reading from Luke’s Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20–49). Sunday’s Gospel message is a challenging one: Jesus challenges us to love our enemies and to love more. Take time to discuss the injustices in our world and those that the children may be facing. Ask: How do we respond as Jesus asks?
Note that February is Black History Month in the United States. The story of Venerable Mary Lange provides a good foundation for a discussion of this Sunday’s Gospel message of loving more. She persisted in finding ways to make a difference for good despite racial prejudice and injustice. Have Bibles (one per child) available for the Our Catholic Faith activity on page 5. Read the GodTalk questions on page 8 and encourage the children to send any questions they may have to ed****@pf****.com. Their questions (with answers) may appear in a future Venture lesson!
Start planning ahead! Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Give some thought now to how you might involve your class in a Lenten project.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• The Life and Legacy of Mother Mary Lange
• The Meaning of Love Your Enemies
Visions
Lesson Theme: Love your enemies.
This Sunday, we continue reading from Luke’s Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20–49). This Gospel message is a challenging one: Jesus calls us to love our enemies. Take time to discuss the injustices in our world and those that the young people may face. Ask: How do we respond as Jesus asks?
Note that February is Black History Month in the United States, so the students likely will be reading about civil rights leaders. The story of Medgar Evers provides a good foundation for a discussion of this Sunday’s Gospel message of mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation in the face of injustice and hatred. Students will need scissors for the Living the Gospel activity (pages 7–8).
Start planning ahead! Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Give some thought now to how you might involve your class in a Lenten project.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Medgar Evers – Civil Rights Activist
• Prayer of Saint Francis
• The Meaning of Love Your Enemies
Image credit: Anastasiia Malinich/Shutterstock.com
