The Family Zone

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040520.cfm

MAKING GOSPEL CONNECTIONS WITH YOUR FAMILY

The Palm Sunday liturgy begins with a special entrance at which the palms are blessed and the Gospel of the Entrance into Jerusalem is read. The Passion of Jesus is read during the Liturgy of the Word. For this week's Gospel activity, we will focus on the Entrance into Jerusalem from Matthew 21:1-11. This weeks reading's can be found at:

A video version can be watched at: https://youtu.be/lTmbTuutBgg

Jesus headed into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey so that he could fulfill a prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 saying the king will arrive to save Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. The people of Jerusalem were excited when they say Jesus and they showed great respect for him by covering the dusty ground so that he would not get dirty. They shouted "hosanna" and waved palms in celebration. Jesus had come to save them; they just did not know at the time, how the events of the week would happen and that Jesus would save all of us in a very different way than expected. Jesus knew; he was not surprised by the events of Holy Week and he showed great leadership and responsibility!

Questions to discuss as a family:

Jesus' triumphant entry was like that of a celebrity. Who do you admire? Who would cheer for like the people of Jerusalem did? Who do you think is a good leader? Jesus was a servant leader and he showed his followers that leadership is about serving others. Do you know any servant leaders? Who do we know that makes sacrifices for others for the good of all?

Hosanna in the Old Testament can be translated as "please, save!" What a great word to use right now when we can be scared about the uncertainty of this time. Shout Hosanna as a family this week and invite the saving power of Jesus into your lives and our world!

LET US PRAY

Use this wonderful visual video to reflect on the Stations of the Cross. As a family, you can add it to a traditional praying of the Stations of the Cross or simply take the time to view and sit in some reflective silence, then share your spontaneous prayers.

CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO SHARE THE STATIONS WITH OLDER CHILDREN

CATHOLIC CONNECTIONS FROM THE CATECHISM

To help you learn the faith at home together

Download the linked PDF below to find catechetical lessons for all ages for you to share and teach the faith at home!

Holy Week at Home.pdf

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GET MOVING!

Most of us are trying to get out walking these days. Why not make it a prayer walk this week? If you live in a neighborhood, pray for your neighbors as you pass their homes; praying especially for those who are suffering in various ways. If you live in a village or city, pray as you walk past doctor's offices, hospitals, churches, fire halls and police stations. Pray for those who are working to keep us safe and pray for those who are working to get us supplies. If you live in the country, make it a meditative walk; walk in silence and wait for God's voice inside your heart. Need a tougher workout? You might be interested in the calisthenics workout below, created by Sportsleader

SL Stations Workout 1.pdf

A PowerPoint workout to the Stations of the Cross

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RECIPE OF THE WEEK

This week we have FOUR recipes for your family to enjoy! Lots of cooking projects to keep the kids busy and bring Holy Week to life! Begin by celebrating tonight with Palm SUNDAES then, click on the pdf to find recipes for observing the remainder of Holy Week!

PALM SUNDAES

Ingredients:

Green Ice Cream (Pistachio, lime sherbet, mint chocolate chip, etc.)

Mint leaves

Cherries

Directions

To make mint leaves into palm fronds: Just cut little triangle snips out with some clean scissors. Or don’t bother clipping them at all because you don’t have a blog and therefore don’t need stellar pictures of this.

Why Green Ice Cream, Cherries, and Mint Leaves?

The mint leaves and green ice cream are for the green palms waived by the people on the first Palm Sunday in the Bible, and the red cherry is the liturgical color of this day!

Catholic Family Recipe- Week 2.pdf

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CREATE!

After today's Gospel reading of the Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem, create a path in your home or outside that reflects his journey. This is a great opportunity for the whole family to put on their imagination caps and illustrate the scene. Can you fill it in with people, stuffed animals, and more and help your child to visualize the scene? Make some easy palm fronts from construction paper or paper plates and get the kids in on the waving, searching for Jesus and parading through the street! It's a wonderful way for the Bible story to come alive for your child! You can even create some easy noisemakers with plastic containers and beans to shake while shouting Hosanna! Want to get the family involved in creating the Bible scenes all week long? Below, you will find a pdf that will lead your family through a week's worth of Bible illustrations. Click to learn more!

CREATE A DIORAMA or ILLUSTRATION FOR EACH DAY OF HOLY WEEK!

Check out this activity!