The Family Zone

Welcome to another school year! Even though our surroundings and schedule might look a little different, there is much for us to learn, explore and enjoy this year! The school-year format of The Family Zone will allow you, as parents, to choose quick, simple 5-20 minute activities that help you to reinforce the messages found in the weekly Mass readings. We support you in your role as the first catechist of your child and we are here to assist you and help your whole family to learn as you go. Each week, our format will be similar; what you see is a menu of ideas for you to pick and choose the best ways you and your children can learn and grow in faith together!

This week's scripture messages center on our call to love our neighbor. Choose from the activities below to help your family better understand what it means to love our neighbor.

photo by Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash

The Sunday Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/090620.cfm
Family Stories:

• "Who is My Neighbor? " by Amy-Jill Levine & Sandy Eisenberg Sass ;
• "Good People Everywhere" by Linea Gillen;
• "Teach Me to Love" by Pennie Kidd

Articles for Parents: https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2005/beyond-the-golden-rule

Articles for teens: Learn about the Spiritual Works of Mercy and our neighbors: https://catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com/2013/07/state-farm-shouldnt-be-the-only-good-neighbor/

1. Create a family reminder and covenant to love thy neighbor using this template attached in the PDF below. Hang it on the wall.

2. Put together a GOLDEN RULE AWARD for your family. When you see someone being a good neighbor to family members or those outside the home, acknowledge by writing a GOLDEN RULE AWARD with their name and good deed.

3. Together, develop a "to do" list your entire family can work at to be good neighbors in your community

4. Fill this out together to understand who your neighbors are: https://ministry-to-children.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Do-You-Love-Your-Neighbor-Worksheet2.pdf

This podcast story is a great springboard for conversation about our beautifully unique differences of God's creation and why we are called to love all. This podcast comes with a built-in discussion time for families!

An encore presentation from June 16, 2020

As your family returns to learning, either at home, in a mixture of home and school learning, or completely at school, pray for the success of your year. This is a great opportunity for spontaneous prayer: bless your children, that they might be good neighbors to their classmates and embrace the gift of expanding their minds about God, the world, and all of creation; bless one another in your role as parent, catechist, and teacher; and offer intercessions for those who work for our schools, parishes and extracurricular activities that enrich the lives of our family.

Light a virtual candle for your brothers and sisters around the world: https://prayers.crs.org/?_ga=2.245552064.557595607.1596028748-272563076.1596028748

Use the videos below as a springboard for conversation!

These game cards can be used in a variety of ways and they help your child develop a sense of respect for others by getting to know that we all have wonderfully unique, God created, similarities and differences. It's fun to learn more about one another in a family, or share these games on a Zoom call or small gathering with family and friends!

http://therespectinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/92-99_Games-cards.pdf

COLOR PAGE for the Circle Round Podcast keeps busy hands busy while listening! https://d279m997dpfwgl.cloudfront.net/wp/2019/02/ballGame.pdf

Make a LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR HEART GARLAND: http://ohamanda.com/2012/01/27/love-your-neighbor-paper-heart-garland-incredible-love/

Learn about another culture by cooking a recipe together from Catholic Relief Services. As you eat, use the resources from the site to share what it is like to live in the country your recipe is from: https://www.crsricebowl.org/recipe

Spend some time this week talking about these questions at the dinner table:

1. What would the world be like if we were all the same?

2. What country or culture would you like to learn more about?

3. What are some things that you have witnessed that make you feel sad about how people love or do not love their neighbor? Can we do anything about that as a family?

Solidarity: The Catholic social teaching principle of solidarity is about recognizing others as our brothers and sisters and actively working for their good. In our connected humanity, we are invited to build relationships in order to understand what life is like for others who are different from us.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester

Debtor in Possession

Email: oec@dor.org
Website: oec.dor.org
Location: Diocese of Rochester, Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210

See them all here!