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Last week, our younger Faith Formation students focused on gratitude. They shared what they were grateful for, created gratitude leaf scratch-art for a class “Gratitude Tree,” and decorated wooden pumpkin centerpieces to bring home for their Thanksgiving tables. They also made cards for people in the hospital during the holidays as a way to share God’s love. The older Level III students explored gratitude through the lens of Thanksgiving and the Eucharist. They created a “Gratitude Table Covering” by writing and drawing blessings down a long roll of paper, then discussed the Last Supper and how the Eucharist means “thanksgiving”—a holy meal where Jesus feeds us and sends us out to live with grateful, generous hearts. In the refectory, they worked together to make waffles as a fun way to share a meal and reflect on things for which to be thankful.
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Last week in Faith Formation, the students reflected on “The Mystery of the Incarnation: Messianic Prophecies” as a way of preparing their hearts for the coming season of Advent. Together they listened to several Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah—from Isaiah, Micah, and Numbers. The students took turns reading each prophecy card and then shared which words or images stood out to them: the great Light shining in the darkness, the powerful names of Jesus (“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”), the promise of Emmanuel (“God with us”), the humble town of Bethlehem, and the image of a star and scepter/shepherd’s staff pointing to a shepherd-king who comes for all people. They also reflected on how these prophets appear in our Christmas pageant, reminding the whole church of God’s promises. They also revisited the map of Israel, placing flags on Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem to remember that the Incarnation—God becoming human in Jesus—happened in a real place, to a real family, at a real moment in history. This helped connect Advent not just to a “holiday season,” but to God’s long, loving plan to send Jesus into our world and, one day, to complete the Kingdom at the Parousia (Jesus’ coming again). To connect these themes to their own lives, the students created tissue-paper votive jars, layering pieces of color like stained glass and placing a small light inside. These little “Advent lights” reminded them that Jesus is the Light of the world and that we are invited to carry His light and peace to others as we wait for His coming. “Jesus, Emmanuel, Light of the world, make our hearts ready. Help us carry Your peace until You come again. Amen.” Last week, the Level I class celebrated All Saints’ Sunday by learning that saints are friends of God who share Jesus’ love. They heard that in baptism we’re welcomed into God’s family, the family of saints, and learned that we’re called to be saints, too. We discovered that saints can be from long ago and from today, joined a fun “Saint Parade” to the church, and ended the morning with celebratory cupcakes. After Level I learned that we belong to God’s family of saints, Level II deepened the theme with a quiet chapel walk and a brief candle prayer. They paused at the new stained-glass windows, meeting Absalom Jones, the Philadelphia Eleven, and Mister Rogers, as real examples of courage, justice, and everyday kindness.  The Level III class focused on what sainthood looks like today. They heard that saints aren’t perfect heroes but everyday people who let God’s love shine. Using the Beatitudes as Jesus’ “portrait” of saintly living—humble, merciful, courageous—they connected All Saints’ Sunday to prayer and service. The class put faith into action by baking for a NAMI fundraiser, linking their kitchen work to caring for neighbors who live with mental illness, and reflecting on how they can let God’s love show in everyday choices. Last Sunday, the Level I class began preparing for Advent by learning about the places where Jesus lived. They reviewed the liturgical colors and heard that soon we will see purple in church because Advent is coming—a time to get ready for Jesus’ birth. They talked about how Jesus is not make-believe; he was a real person who lived on this earth. The students found Pennsylvania on the globe and then marked Israel, the land where Jesus lived. They looked at a topographical map of Israel and placed flags on Nazareth (where the angel visited Mary), Bethlehem (where Jesus was born), and Jerusalem (where Jesus died and rose again). After learning about these places in the context of Jesus, the children began to ponder the mystery of the Incarnation: that God came to live among us in a specific land, as a real child, whose birth we will celebrate at Christmas. The Level II class enjoyed preparing and packaging dog biscuits for the upcoming Calvary Bazaar. The students measured, counted, and packed the treats as a team and discussed how the biscuits will be sold at the Bazaar to raise money to support various community organizations. By making something with their own hands to serve others, they realized that even small acts of kindness can be a real way to love our neighbors. Thanks, Miss Adele, for leading this exciting activity! During Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Mother Bonnie-Marie guided the children through the Books of the Bible using our wooden Bible cabinet and hands-on materials. Together they learned the first five books of the Old Testament and noticed how Scripture from both the Old and New Testaments—and especially the Gospel—shapes what we hear each Sunday. By exploring where the readings come from and how they fit into the liturgy, children discover that the Bible isn’t just a big book—it’s the living story we pray, hear, and carry into our week. |
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