Religion
Welcome to our eLearning Religion Page! On this page we will share religion activities that you can do at home with your family.
LENT
At this time of year, many families follow the time-honored practice of conducting a major spring cleaning. They sweep winter debris from the gutters, sort through outgrown winter clothing and donate it to charity, and even wash windows.
For Christians, Lent is the season for a spring cleaning of the heart. We are called by the liturgical celebrations and personal practices of Lent to sweep away bad habits and those things that turn us away from God, to sort through what works and what doesn’t work in our lives, to open ourselves to the sunlight of God’s love, and to give of ourselves to those in need. We fast and abstain in a kind of spiritual diet program, and we embark on a new spiritual exercise regimen of prayer.
FAMILY CELEBRATION
Discuss the particular Lenten sacrifices your family members feel called to make. On the family table, set up a “rice bowl” (perhaps an Asian ceramic rice bowl with a lid, a basket, or a decorated box). During Lent, family members place in the rice bowl the money saved through sacrificial practices (for example, money not spent on video games, or the difference between an elaborate family meal and a simple supper of soup). At the end of the Lenten Season, donate the money to a charitable organization. Inaugurate the rice bowl by praying together this blessing:
Leader: Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
All: You make us hunger and thirst for holiness.
Leader: Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
All: You call us to true fasting: to set free the oppressed, to share our bread with the hungry, and to shelter the homeless and to clothe the naked.
Based on a prayer from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers
Look for some ways your family may participate more fully in the opportunities to grow in prayer, penance, and charity offered during the Lenten Season. You may take a few minutes for family prayer after meals or at bedtime.
Lent is a time for prayer and repentance. Create a prayer space in your home where the family can either gather together at special times or spend individual quiet time. You will need a purple tablecloth, the family Bible, a cross, a candle, and a small table. Cover the table with the purple cloth, and place the Bible in the center with the cross and candle around it.
Prayer for Mercy
Merciful God, you called us forth from the dust of the earth; you claimed us for Christ in the waters of Baptism. Look upon us as we live in these Forty Days. Bless our journey through the desert of Lent to the font of rebirth. May our fasting be hunger for justice; our alms, a making of peace; our prayer, the chant of humble and grateful hearts. All that we do and pray is in the name of Jesus.
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