Last Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost. We discussed the dramatic events of this day when Jesus fulfilled his promise to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples and all who believe. Key points:
– 40 days after the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven (which we celebrate on Ascension Day)
– Before ascending,  Jesus promised that he would not leave us “comfortless” but send the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us.
– Ten days later, on the Day of Pentecost, Holy Spirit descended on the people gathered. (Pentecost is an ancient Jewish festival of the harvest, the name of which translates from the Hebrew as The Festival of Weeks).
-On the Day of Pentecost, the clergy wear red vestments to signify the work of the Spirit. We wear red to remind us of the power and fire of the spirit.

After our lesson, we headed to the Swan Garden, where we released 3000 bright red ladybugs, followed by a blessing of our garden. It was a wonderful way to conclude the Easter Season and a fantastic year of Faith Formation!

The Holy Spirit in our Lives
As we enter the summer months, how will we live well in light of the great gift we have been given through the Holy Spirit? How could we continue transforming ourselves and responding to that gift by assisting the growth of the Kingdom of God around us? Some ideas to consider:
• Tune your ear to references to the Holy Spirit in Scripture passages and the prayers of the liturgy.
• Do research the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and then choose one gift each week, asking the Holy Spirit to stir up that gift within you, which might help us live as Christ in the world.
• Think of one way you and your family could live in service of others each month in the summer and then prepare by taking time together as a family to ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in your work.

Last Sunday, the students in all Faith Formation levels celebrated the Liturgy of the Light. For those of you who have attended an Easter Vigil celebration, you may recall that the Liturgy of the Light is how the Vigil service begins: with the blessing and lighting of the new Paschal Candle, the proclamation of the Exultet, and lighting of individual candles from the Paschal Candle. The Liturgy of the Light with children allows them to fully participate in this beautiful celebration in a way that is meaningful to them.

In our classrooms, we have a model Paschal Candle that was prepared by the older students earlier in the season. It shows the Alpha and the Omega, the cross, and the year. After gathering for a brief discussion of the service, Father Neil lit the candle and led a procession from the classrooms into the Refectory. He chanted portions of the Exultet and then read a scripture account of the Resurrection. Each child was then invited to light their individual candles from the Paschal candle. Together, we reflected on the gift of the Light of Christ for each of us. Alleluia!

Last week, Miss Elsa's class talked about the goodness of God in creation. After reading the book, Let There Be Light by Desmond Tutu; we continued discussing the life cycle of a butterfly. Is it possible that God made butterflies to teach us lessons about life? We are all a work in progress and we have to go through a caterpillar stage before we can be transformed into a beautiful butterfly. The caterpillar might not look like much now, but when God gets done with it, it will become a creature of awesome beauty.

We were delighted to discover that the caterpillars we'd observed in the classroom had become beautiful butterflies! We spent time watching each one before releasing them into the Swan Garden. The class also made special butterfly-themed Mother's Day cards and enjoyed time on the playground in the bright rays of the warm spring sunshine.

Great news!  Our application to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh for the maintenance of a vegetable garden has been approved. The Social Justice and Outreach (SJO) Committee has voted to award Calvary Episcopal Church the amount of $500 to be used in the 2023 fiscal year. We are grateful for this gift which will enable us to continue learning and growing together throughout the season.
 
We had a wonderful time working in the raised-bed gardens. We are excited to watch our seedlings grow and produce vegetables to harvest in the fall!

“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.” Wendell Berry

Our older students have been learning about the sacraments with a recent focus on the Eucharist. Father Neil explained that this very special visible sign of Christ’s body and blood is the principal act of Christian worship (also known as Holy Communion). The term “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word for “thanksgiving.” The Eucharist is based on the Last Supper where Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples. Jesus identified the bread and wine as his body and blood and explained that they are symbols of the new life he came to bring us. The Last Supper provides the basis for the fourfold Eucharistic action of taking, blessing, breaking, and sharing. Christ's body and blood are really present in the sacrament of the Eucharist and received by faith. Christ's presence is also known in the gathered Eucharistic community.  Students were also given an up-close, “behind the scenes” look at the altar and aumbry where they talked about the meaning of the vestments and how the altar is set up and why.  Thank you, Father Neil, for presenting such an important lesson in an interactive and memorable way!

When is my child old enough to receive Communion?

The short answer is “any baptized person is welcome to receive communion in the Episcopal Church.” That includes children and even infants. It may help to think of receiving Communion this way: As we gather to be fed with the spiritual food of Christ, we are, in a very real sense, gathering for a family meal. In this way, a child who receives the sacrament is being treated as a member of the family of God--being nourished in much the same way that we feed our families at home.

In the Episcopal Church, in keeping with the practices of the ancient church, the emphasis is placed upon Baptism. Once an individual is baptized they are viewed as full members of the Body of Christ with access to the sacraments. Nothing “completes” Baptism—neither First Communion, nor Confirmation, nor reaching a certain age. This is why children are welcome to receive Holy Communion. This doesn’t mean that children are fully formed as Christians; none of us are. We spend our entire lives living into our Baptismal vows and entering into the mystery of Christ’s “real presence” in the bread and wine of the Eucharist

Praying the Holy Eucharist with the Elementary Child 

In the Eucharistic Liturgy, we see the great gift from God to man and our response in offering Jesus, and ourselves through him, back to God. Let us become attuned to this great exchange! Participation in the Holy Eucharist consists, most essentially, in uniting our hearts and minds to the events taking place before and around us.  Perhaps one of the follow ideas could help you and your children in this: 

• Talk about one gesture before the liturgy and look for it during worship. Discuss as a family what you were picturing or thinking about when this gesture was prayed during the Eucharist.
 • Listen for the words of prayer that accompany one gesture. How did this help you to ponder this moment more deeply? What truth did you hear through your watching and listening?
• How do you see all of creation as part of this exchange between earth and heaven, heaven and earth? How are minerals, plants, animals, and humans part of this worship of God? 
• The Eucharist is the Risen Jesus. How do you see that truth expressed in the way we prepare our Church and prepare our hearts for him each time we participate in the liturgy? 
• As branches on the True Vine, how are we remaining with him and with each other through the Holy Eucharist? What fruit are we bearing that gives great glory to God through Jesus?
(Adapted From: https://www.cgsusa.org/discover/cgs-approach/cgs-in-the-home-parent-resources/)