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This week, we begin the last unit of our Faith Formation program. If your program or school year extends beyond the Gospel Weeklies program year, which ends with Sunday May 7, consider planning to use our NEW Summer Solemnities Unit. We offered only the Good News level last spring, but the other levels will be available in English this spring.
If you’re involved with RCIA or RCIA Adapted for Children in your parish, you know that this Sunday is the First Scrutiny. Visit gospelweeklies.com/rcia to explore the resources we’ve created to support those who use the Gospel Weeklies with children preparing for the Easter sacraments. We offer catechist formation videos in both English and Spanish for the four periods of the process. We also offer reflections and questions—for adults and children—for all the Sundays of the Gospel Weeklies program year. Find videos for the Scrutiny lessons here.
If your class meets on Sunday mornings, make sure to note that Daylight Savings Time begins this weekend! It’s time to “spring ahead,” which we all know is a tough adjustment to make.
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
Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
Sunday Gospel Cartoon Reading and Lesson
The Woman at the Well
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
Lent
10 Fun Things You Might Not Know About Lent
Ash Wednesday & Lent in 60 Seconds. With LEGO!
Lent: Catholic Central
Lent in 3 Minutes
Cardinal Timothy Dolan: What Is Lent?
What Is 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
Stations of the Cross
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus brings Good News to everyone.
For this lesson you will need: napkins, paper cups, paper plates, water, colored pencils or crayons, puppet, hand sanitizer, small amounts of salt and sugar, and a Church Year calendar.
For the “A Tasting Experience” activity, the children will recognize the difference that water makes after tasting salt and sugar. Make sure that everyone disinfects their hands beforehand and that the children only dip a fingertip into the salt and sugar.
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: We share the Good News.
For this lesson, gather a map of the Holy Land in Jesus’ time, drawing paper, crayons, scissors, tape, and a Church Year calendar. We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 in advance.
For the “Jesus’ Spirit is within us” well-making activity, catechists and teachers will need an aide to assist the children with cutting, folding, and taping. If time is limited, you may wish to make the cuts on pages 3–4 in advance. Save the assembly of the well for the children to complete. They will enjoy being involved in creating a container (well) from a flat piece of paper.
Share with the children two special dates this week. We celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’s papacy on Monday (March 13), and it’s Saint Patrick’s Day on Friday (March 17).
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: We share the Good News.
For this lesson, gather a large Bible, a bookmark, drawing paper, pencils, crayons, scissors, tape, a Church Year calendar, Bibles (one per small group), and a “well” made from a can or small box. The “well” will need to be large enough for the children’s “buckets” to fit into.
This lesson includes a Bible passage look-up activity. The children will be locating Sunday’s Gospel in the Bible, helping them to connect the Gospel they hear proclaimed at Mass and help proclaim in your classroom with the Bible. We discourage you from skipping this activity since this is an important skill for the children to learn now and build on as they grow in familiarity with the Bible. Saint Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
Share with the children two special dates this week. We celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’s papacy on Monday (March 13), and it’s Saint Patrick’s Day on Friday (March 17).
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
How to look up a verse in the Bible
St. Katharine Drexel
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus gathers a family through Baptism.
This Sunday’s Gospel Reading likely will be familiar to the children; it is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman or “the woman at the well.” Make sure to spend time with the Our Catholic Faith section on page 5; it will help the children better understand the unlikely conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Don’t forget to cue up a recording of “Come to the Water” before class. Invite the children to listen to its words and match them to the events of this Sunday’s Gospel Reading.
Share with the children two special dates this week. We celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’s papacy on Monday (March 13), and it’s Saint Patrick’s Day on Friday (March 17).
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
SVDP Next Gen
Kat Brissette: What is it like being a youth member of the Society?
The History of Saint Patrick: A Short Story (Note: His year of birth was A.D. 386 or 387, not A.D. 35.)
Visions
Lesson Theme: Who has been a disciple to you?
This Sunday’s Gospel Reading likely will be familiar to the young people; it is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman or “the woman at the well.” You may wish to invite the young people to act out this Gospel; it does not require elaborate costumes or staging. Make sure to spend time with the Gospel background on page 5; it will help the young people more fully understand the unlikely conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan. There are a few special items you need for class this week, including a filled water pitcher, scissors for each child, and drawing paper.
Share with the students two special dates this week. We celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’s papacy on Monday (March 13), and it’s Saint Patrick’s Day on Friday (March 17).
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
Sainthood Cause for Dorothy Day (Preview to judge if it’s appropriate for your class.)
Staten Island Ferry Named for Dorothy Day Sets Sail
Image credit: edra11/stock.adobe.com
