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The Catholic Church celebrates the Month of the Holy Rosary during October. We invite you to take this opportunity to ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to guide us and protect us through the 2023–24 program year of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies. We also encourage you to invite the children under your care and their families to pray the Rosary during this month. Since October is also Respect Life Month, families may wish to pray the Rosary for greater respect for and care of all human life—from womb to tomb.
Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find a helpful tip 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— Matthew 21:33–43
Sunday Gospel Cartoon Reading and Lesson
Holy Heroes
Parable of the Tenants – An Animation
Parable of the Wicked Tenants Farmers Animation
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus wants us to grow.
For this lesson, you will need name tags, a ball, scissors, pencils, crayons, a Bible, and a Church Year calendar. It may be a good idea to have at least one aide to assist with the cutting and folding activity on page 4. Asking parents to volunteer as aides in class is a good idea to keep them engaged in their children’s faith formation.
Children will learn that God created all of us, and he wants us to grow. Invite them to color the figure on page 4 so it looks like them — adding hair, glasses, or other special features. Then, encourage them to display it at home for their family to see. Find a story coloring page to download and duplicate for “Leila Learns to Ride a Bike” here.
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
“God’s Love Is . . .” by John Burland
Promise
Lesson Theme: God cares for all of Creation.
Prepare name tags that read “God made ________ with love.” The children will print their names on the name tags to conclude the What the Church Believes and Teaches (gold box) segment of the lesson. In that same lesson segment (see page TG1-15), choose and plan ahead for one of the four bulleted ideas for celebrating God’s Creation.
Note that there is an additional vineyard activity to download and share here. Find the answer key here. Other materials you’ll need are crayons, scissors, glue or tape, and tulip bulb(s). We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 of the student lessons before your class gathers.
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
Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
Bible Bag: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
“God’s Love Is . . .” by John Burland
Good News
Lesson Theme: God created everything.
For this lesson, you will need one Bible for every two children. They will get practice looking up Bible passages by finding this Sunday’s First Reading and Gospel in their Bibles. Find additional blocks for the Building God’s Creation activity here. Other materials you’ll need are crayons, scissors, classroom Bible, and a world map or globe.
You will introduce the children to the Apostles’ Creed this week. You will focus on different beliefs we profess in the Creed throughout the year, so you’ll be returning frequently to the Apostles’ Creed on page 6 in the What the Church Believes and Teaches Catechism handbook. Important beliefs you will discuss this week are the Trinity and God the Father, who is almighty and Creator of Heaven and earth. We strongly encourage you to cover the lesson content that appears in the gold What the Church Believes and Teaches box in your Teaching Guide every week.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
The Story of Saint Francis of Assisi
Venture
Lesson Theme: God cares for us.
The Church celebrates the Month of the Holy Rosary during October. For this lesson, you will need a rosary for each child. They will learn about how to pray the Rosary and will conclude the session by praying the Joyful Mysteries, which may be found on page 54 in the What the Church Believes and Teaches handbooks.
Mark the classroom Bible at Isaiah 5:1–7, the First Reading for this Sunday. You will read it aloud as part of the page 5 activity, “Vineyards Need Hard Work and Constant Care.” To introduce the time capsule activity, you may wish to bring in personal items for your own capsule or bring in items that you would include for 2023.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
Contractors discover 1843 Foundation Stone of Singapore’s Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in 2016
October: Month of the Rosary
Visions
Lesson Theme: God calls us to grow and bear fruit.
Share with the children that the activity “What Does It Mean to Be Catholic” covers a lot of ground; assure them that they will learn about these sections—commandments, creed, Marks of the Church—throughout the school year.
The Church celebrates the Month of the Holy Rosary during October. For this lesson, you will need a rosary for each young person. The young people will learn how to pray the Rosary and will end this session by praying the Joyful Mysteries, which may be found on page 55 in the What the Church Believes and Teaches handbooks.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
Soles 2 Souls – How We Started
Marks of the Church
October: Month of the Rosary
Image credit: Steven Weirather from Pixabay
