Throughout the year, we present an article in the bulletin each week on a variety of topics, written by a member of our Parish staff on a rotating basis.

From the Coordinator of Religious Education

by Gwen Heithaus

As we enter into this third full week of Lent, we are called to reflect on the changes we have made in our lives thus far, and those we are still being called to make. How has your heart been softened this Lent? How are you being called to let Christ in?

Many of our children are too young to contemplate these questions on their own. They are in need of our guidance and direction, especially when it comes to how to prepare their hearts for Christ’s Resurrection at Easter. I have found that the seasons of Lent, the Triduum, and Easter are my favorite times of the year now as an adult. The reason for that is that my family created several special traditions to help us celebrate these special seasons. Here are some ideas to get you started. 

1. My dad would always make us a special grilled cheese most Friday nights during Lent. Maybe your family creates a similar meal-related tradition! Homemade pizzas, traveling to different area fish fries, and breakfast for dinner (pancakes, anyone?) can also be a lot of fun!
2. Each year my family would do a service project together. One year that was really impactful was when we went and served dinner at our area homeless shelter. I was only 6-7 at the time, and I still remember it clearly today. How is your family being called to serve? We will have a day later this month dedicated to serving with the St. Joseph Housing Initiative – that could be a great opportunity to create that sort of experience for your family. 
3. Our family used the Resurrection Eggs, which can easily be found online. Each egg contains a symbol of the story of Christ’s Passion. The purpose of the eggs is to help children learn the stories of what takes place during Holy Week. I use these eggs with our school children, and they are really loved by all!
4. We attended the Triduum liturgies together. That idea might sound scary at first, but we did what worked for our family. That meant that we attended the Holy Thursday liturgy, and then stayed for just a few minutes for adoration. We did not go to the Good Friday service. Instead, my parents both took time off of work during the day and we met in our empty church to pray the Stations of the Cross together. We walked through the silent church together and contemplated the great sacrifice that Christ made for us. It was always a very poignant experience for me because I was able to see first-hand the sort of impact that Stations had on my parents. While we did not attend the Holy Saturday Vigil Mass, we did talk about what was taking place that day, and we prayed for the people entering the church that night. 

Our next Families in Faith social will be on Thursday, March 14 at 7:00pm in the school cafeteria. All are welcome!