Sunday is Special

• The Eucharist is one of life’s greatest blessings. 
• Every day is a new day in our journey with God—and every day God has a message he is trying to share with us. 
• Going to Mass on Sunday is a great way to show God we are grateful for all our blessings.

Family Connection Activity:
We all need to take a break from time to time to rest. Each night we rest by sleeping. And once a week, God wants us to take a special rest so that we can be filled with joy and share that joy with everyone who comes into our lives.

Sunday is the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a special day of rest and worship. There are lots of special days, but most of them happen just once a year, and some of them only happen once in your lifetime. One of the beautiful things about Sunday is it happens every week.

Discuss some ways you can make every Sunday a special day. Pick three of those ways to practice this week.

Pray this prayer with your child each day this week:

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people to set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old, Amen.

The Greatest Event on Earth

• The Eucharist is one of life’s greatest blessings. 
• Every day is a new day in our journey with God—and every day God has a message he is trying to share with us. 
• Going to Mass on Sunday is a great way to show God we are grateful for all our blessings.

Family Connection Activity:
The Mass is at the center of Catholic tradition, and yet, the general consensus today seems to be that Mass is boring. When was the last time you approached Mass with an open heart and open mind, expecting God to communicate with you? If we are being honest with ourselves, we probably can’t remember. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Write down the one thing God says to you during the Mass, and invite your family members to do the same. Our lives change when our habits change, and your experience of the Mass will change when you change the way you approach the Mass.

Pray this prayer with your child each day this week:

Be, Lord Jesus, a bright flame before me, a guiding star above me, a smooth path below me, a kindly shepherd behind me: today, tonight, and forever. Amen.

The Word of God

• Two of the ways God reveals his amazing plan for our lives are through the Bible and Mass on Sunday. 
• Jesus is the greatest teacher who ever lived. 
• We gather at church with our family, friends, and our parish family to worship God in the way that Jesus taught us to.

Family Connection Activity:
The Creed is a summary of what we believe as Catholics. You can find the Nicene Creed. Take a few minutes to read it slowly and deliberately. Stop after every line and ask yourself, “Do I believe this is true?” If you have doubts or questions, don’t get discouraged. Recognize them as opportunities to study our great faith. Explore those doubts and questions vigorously, one at a time.

Examine why the Church teaches what she teaches in each instance, and allow your questions and doubts to strengthen your faith rather than diminish it. Then share what you learn with your child.

Pray this prayer with your child each day this week:

Be, Lord Jesus, a bright flame before me, a guiding star above me, a smooth path below me, a kindly shepherd behind me: today, tonight, and forever. Amen.

Please continue on with Lessons 4 and 5 on First Communion Page 2