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We are beginning the second week of our Lenten journey. The hope-filled readings for the Second Sunday of Lent remind us of God’s immense love for us. The First Reading tells the story of God’s promise to Abram to give him numerous offspring. As we know, Abram and his wife Sarai were old and could not have children. Out of this hopeless situation, God brought an entire people, his Chosen People. Listening to this marvelous deed and wondering what God can bring out of my own despair, my heart wants to sing out loud this Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm: “I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.” Then, Saint Paul asks the Romans, and us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” As “God’s chosen ones,” we are citizens of Heaven, and one day, we will experience the fullness of Christ’s glory. It is the same glory that Peter, John, and James witnessed for a moment during Jesus Transfiguration! How could we be afraid?
Let us “walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.” God knows our struggles and has great things in store for us!
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
Holy Heroes: 2nd Sunday of Lent
The Story of the Transfiguration with Lego!
Jesus’ Transfiguration
A Modern Retelling of the Story of the Transfiguration
Videos for Lent
Lent Webinar for Kids! Songs to Journey with Jesus during Lent, Featuring Miss Heidi and John Burland
Lent: Catholic Central
Lent in 3 Minutes
Cardinal Timothy Dolan: What Is Lent?
What Is Lent?
The Stations of the Cross with Bishop Barron
10 Fun Things You Might Not Know About Lent
Faith, Fun, and Celebration: Lent Episode (featuring John Burland)
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus is both human and divine.
For this lesson, you will need crayons or colored pencils; red, yellow, green, and orange game markers; coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters); copy of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar; pictures and statues of Jesus and Mary; and a Church Year calendar. We recommend having aides to help with the game on pages 2–3.
For this week’s lesson, we will use Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar as our story. Make sure you check out a copy in advance from your local library, or if your room is equipped for video, you can find a link to an animated version here.
Note that the Gospel in Seeds doesn’t include the presence of Moses and Elijah at Jesus’ Transfiguration. Young children don’t have enough sense of biblical history to understand what the presence of these ancestors of Jesus means.
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
Promise
Lesson Theme: Jesus invites us to change and grow.
For this lesson, gather crayons, pencils, slips of paper, envelopes, drawing paper, and a Church Year calendar. We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 and fold one copy of pages 3–4 in advance.
Note that the Gospel in Promise doesn’t include the presence of Moses and Elijah at Jesus’ Transfiguration. Young children don’t have enough sense of biblical history to understand what the presence of these ancestors of Jesus means.
As you discuss the Gospel, talk about the three Apostles’ feelings and Jesus’ feelings when God spoke from the cloud. Help the children connect the voice from a cloud at the Transfiguration to the voice of God the Father at Jesus’ baptism (January 8). Relate their Lenten practices to showing that they are listening to Jesus.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
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 can go to Heaven.
For this lesson, gather crayons, colored pencils, or markers; a Bible, drawing paper, children’s books about butterflies (optional), and a Church Year calendar.
Note that the Gathering Prayer involves some introduction. First, review that the children learned about Saint Mark in the last lesson. Note that he was one of four men (Evangelists) who wrote Gospels about Jesus. Explain that two of these men (Matthew and Luke) included Jesus teaching the Apostles the Lord’s Prayer. We suggest that you have a Bible open to Matthew 6:9–13. Invite the children to come forward one at a time to see the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) as it appears in the Gospel of Matthew. Your Gathering Prayer is praying the Lord’s Prayer together. This prayer appears on page 4 of the student lesson and can be found on page 46 in the children’s Catechism handbook.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
The Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus reveals himself to us.
With this lesson, you will begin several weeks of focus on the Ten Commandments. Just like the Old Testament series started last week, these lessons build on one another. Based on this Sunday’s First Reading about Sarah and Abraham, we focus on the Fourth Commandment in this lesson. Remind the children that they learned the first three commandments—those that guide our relationship with God—last fall. Now they will learn the commandments that guide how we value and respect one another.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
The Ten Commandments
The Fourth Commandment
The Fifth Commandment
The Sixth Commandment
The Seventh Commandment
The Eighth Commandment
The Ninth Commandment
The Tenth Commandment
Glory and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ
Visions
Lesson Theme: Jesus shows us our future.
For the cover activity for this lesson, we suggest that you fold page 1 ahead of time as a sample for the students. Do not tape it because you’ll need to unfold it to read the article on pages 2–3.
Note the Old Testament study on page 5 about Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah. This is the second study in this Lent series. Remind the students about the covenant God makes with Noah in last Sunday’s First Reading. Ask: What two-way promise does God make with Abraham?
The Living the Gospel activity on pages 6–7 talks about bullying. This may bring up some tender feelings. Be sensitive if some of your students prefer to keep their answers to themselves and make sure to remind your class that they can ask a parent, teacher, or a trusted adult for help.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
Glory and Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ
Sister Dorothy Stang
Remembering Sister Dorothy Stang
How Can Jesus be Both God and Human?
Teaching Kids to Respect Others: Racism
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