Faith Formation from Home
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What's happening at St. Thomas Aquinas?
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As we enter into the Easter season, we are reminded that this is a season of great joy! Jesus is risen!
Alleluia!
Although we would typically end our Faith Formation classes prior to Easter, we are going to continue providing educational material and activities to support your family's faith journey. We hope that you find the information and links provided to be helpful!
Please send us your feedback if there is something in particular that you enjoy or that you would like to learn more about! We love hearing from you!
We pray that you remain safe and healthy. God bless you!
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Similarly to how we discussed at Christmas that the Christmas season lasts for several weeks,
Easter is also not just a one day celebration
!
We get to celebrate Easter and Jesus' resurrection for 50 days!
Isn't that AWESOME?!
We begin this season with the
Easter octave
, which is the first eight days of the season from the first to the second Sunday. On the fortieth (40) day of Easter, we will celebrate the
Ascension of Jesus
.
The Easter season lasts from the first Sunday of Easter until Pentecost, when we remember the Holy Spirit descending upon the apostles in tongues of fire.
Throughout this season, let us rejoice at the victory Christ has won for us! Let us live in preparation for our own deaths with the hope of the promise of the resurrection of the dead.
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50 Ways to Celebrate
the 50 Days of Easter
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Looking for fun and creative ways to celebrate Easter all season long? The fantastic blog
"Look to Him and Be Radiant"
has a FANTASTIC list of crafts and activities for all age levels to help your family live liturgically and celebrate the joy of Easter!
Click on the link provided and it will take you to the main activity page. From there, you can click on the graphic and look at instructions for individual activities.
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"Dyngus Day"
(
"Wet Monday"
)
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Rooted in Polish history,
Dyngus Day
is a Polish-American day of celebration on the Monday after Easter to celebrate that Lent is over and to rejoice with the beginning of the Easter season.
Recalling the baptism of Prince Mieszko I of Poland in 966 A.C.E., people who celebrate this day will often sprinkle each other with water to remember the Prince's baptism and the conversion of Poland to Christianity.
You can celebrate this day with feasting and a lighthearted water fight!
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"I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies.
I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief!
I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody.
I raise a hallelujah, Heaven comes to fight for me!"
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Bethel Music
is a giant of the Christian music industry! Bringing together musicians and singers of incredible talent, Bethel Music's ministry aims to bring people to Jesus through music. The song
"Raise a Hallelujah"
is the perfect song for the Easter season! Upbeat with repetitive verses throughout, it is an easy and fun song to lift your spirit at this time.
Click on the link and sing along!
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Literary Genres
What is an "etiology"?
An important part of examining the Bible is understanding the literary genres throughout the Bible. Now, sometimes these genres are more obvious than others- such as poetry. One of the first literary genres we see in the Bible is the use of
"etiology",
especially
in chapters 1-11 of Genesis.
An
"etiology"
is an explanation of how something came to be.
It is important to note that the explanations given are not meant to be taken as scientific or historical fact. Rather, these explanations are given to reflect on the deeper significance of an event, natural phenomenon, social custom, or religious tradition. Again, we must remember that when stories such as what are written in Genesis were composed, the author did not have the vast scientific knowledge that we have today. Hence, we see a lot of symbolism used throughout Genesis.
The PDF provided below (SOURCE: "Saint Mary's Press") is a helpful article on this topic. This article is a good read for Grades 7-10 as well as adults. Parents, this resource will help you to better explain stories such as the creation accounts and Noah's ark with greater confidence!
TEACHING ADVICE:
Remember, that depending on your child's age, they may not fully understand the concept of different genres in the Bible, especially the idea of "etiology" stories. This concept might confuse children if introduced too early. For younger children (ages toddler - ~12 years old), it is best first to introduce the Bible stories and then as they get older go deeper into the stories' significance.
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Thinking back on what we have learned so far,
answer the following questions together as a family.
- What does the word "Bible" (coming from the word "biblio") mean?
- How many books total are in the Bible?
- How many books are in the Old Testament?
- How many books are in the New Testament?
- Which main section of the Bible talks about the life of Jesus- Old or New Testament?
- How would you go about finding a Bible passage? (Example: John 3:16)
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Genesis 4
"Cain & Abel"
Jealousy and brotherly competition come to a peak in Chapter 4 of Genesis! The famous story of Cain and Abel is a memorable tale that takes the next step in helping us to understand the consequences of sin while also introducing new concepts such as the tradition of making sacrifices and a deeper understanding of God's mercy.
In Genesis 4, we learn about the two sons of Adam & Eve- Cain & Abel. Cain, the elder brother, is a farmer. His younger brother, Abel, is a shepherd. In the story, both brothers offer a sacrifice to God and we are told that God loves Abel's sacrifice more. We see how God favoring Abel's sacrifice causes Cain to be overcome with jealousy! What is interesting is if you pay attention to the story, Cain does not immediately go and kill his brother. In the following verse, God questions Cain and is prompting him to reflect on his emotions before they overcome him.
Genesis 4:6-7
6
Then the Lord said to Cain: Why are you angry? Why are you dejected?
7
If you act rightly, you will be accepted;
[
d
]
but if not, sin lies in wait at the door: its urge is for you, yet you can rule over it.
God is reminding Cain that if we use our "free will" to do what is right and give our very best, then we have nothing to fear or be upset about. Yet, we see that Cain does not follow God's advice and allows his jealousy and anger to consume him. Cain gives in to his carnal nature and kills his brother Abel. As a result, like his parents (Adam & Eve), Cain receives a punishment for the grave sin that he committed. Interestingly, unlike his parents, Cain refutes the punishment and says it is "too great to bear", prompting God to show Him mercy by placing a mark on his forehead (the "Mark of Cain").
We are reminded through this story that no matter how bad we sin, we can always seek God's forgiveness. God still loves us even when we don't love Him in return. However, despite God's mercy, we must realize that there are real consequences for our actions. We cannot escape how others might view us or treat us if we have done something that was seriously wrong and harmful. There is a combined message of both mercy in warning weaved throughout this story that is meant to give us hope while also keeping us in check!
The themes that are most strongly presented in this story are the following.
- Sacrifice: If we are to offer a sacrifice (to God or anyone else), it should always be our BEST!
- Controlling our Emotions: We should be aware of our emotions and not let them control our actions. (Common saying for this..."Check yourself before you wreck yourself!") We must realize that we are not like other animals who act on impulse. Human beings have the ability to think and reason before making a decision.
- Responsibility to Others: In response to Cain's outburst "Am I my brother's keeper?", the simple answer is YES. In Cain's situation, Abel was his younger brother! Of course, he should look after and protect him. However, we all have a responsibility to protect other people especially the most vulnerable in our society- the unborn, the elderly, the disabled, the outcast, etc.
- God's Mercy & Second Chances: In this story, Cain committed a horrible and irreversible sin- murder. Yet, we are shown that God still loves Cain and wants to protect him despite what he has done. We are all God's children, and like a loving father He always wants the best for us even when we make mistakes or don't live the way we should. God is always offering us second chances to change our lives even when we don't really deserve it.
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Reflection Questions:
- Have you ever had to sacrifice something? What is something that you have sacrificed to show someone that you love them? (Example: Maybe you sacrificed your time to help your parents set the dinner table or to help your sibling with their homework, etc.)
- How have your parents or loved ones sacrificed to show you that they love you? (Example: Does your mom get up early to make you breakfast? Does your grandma come over to watch you after school while your parents work? etc.)
- When was a time that you felt jealous of someone else? Were you able to think about your emotions and calm down? Or did it cause you to do something unkind?
- If you have siblings...Why is it important to protect and take care of your younger siblings? Give an example of a time that you protected or did something kind for your sibling?
- When was a time that someone showed your "mercy" and forgave you for something that you did wrong? How have you shown "mercy" and forgiven other people who have hurt you? Why is forgiveness a powerful and good thing?
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April: Special Feast Days
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This Sunday (April 19th) is
Divine Mercy Sunday
!
Divine Mercy Sunday
is a special observance of the Catholic Church based on the visions of Saint Faustina. On this day, we are encouraged to offer forgiveness and seek reconciliation. It is an opportunity for us to show mercy to others imitating how God shows us mercy every day. In 2000, Pope John Paul II declared that the second Sunday of Easter would be
Divine Mercy Sunday
and made it a "high feast day".
Use the links below to learn more about the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the history of Divine Mercy Sunday!
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Life:
August 25, 1905 - October 5, 1938
Feast Day:
October 5th
Patron Saint of...
Mercy
Maria Faustina Kowalska was born in Poland on August 25, 1905. She was the third oldest of ten children!
At the young age of seven, Faustina first felt a calling to the religious life after viewing an Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. She desired to enter the convent right after finishing school, but her parents refused.
In 1924, Faustina experienced her first vision of Jesus who instructed her to leave immediately for the convent in Warsaw.
In 1926 at the age of 20, Faustina received her habit. In 1928, she took her first vows as a religious sister, taking the name Sr. Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament.
Throughout her life, Saint Faustina continued to receive visions of Jesus. She kept a diary and recorded what she experienced. It is through these visions that the Divine Mercy image was created in 1934 by a Polish artist. In September 1935, Faustina wrote in her diary about the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
Faustina's life was never an easy one. Born into poverty and faced with serious health issues throughout her adult life, she offered her suffering up for others. Saint Faustina died on October 5, 1938 after many years of suffering. Her diary gives us unique insight into the suffering of Jesus and how he calls us to pray to atone for the sins of the world.
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The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
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The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
is a beautiful and simple chaplet that can either be recited or sung. Using your rosary beads, follow the instructions on the infographic below to pray this chaplet together as a family. If you would like to sing the chaplet or listen to the sung version, please click the link below!
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TV Shows, Movie, & Book Recommendations
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Book Recommendations
Ages Baby - ~Age 5
"God Made You Just Right"
by Jill Roman Lord
"If Jesus Lived Inside My Heart"
by Jill Roman Lord
These two adorable board books are a great way to introduce your little ones to their Christian faith and to help them to grow in an understanding of how God made them perfect just the way they are!
"God Made You Just Right"
focuses on celebrating all the wonderful parts of who you are, every feature and part of your child's personality. This book is a great way to teach your child about how they are special and made in the image & likeness of God. It gently teaches having a positive self-image in an age appropriate way.
"If Jesus Lived Inside My Heart"
is a virtue building book! This book gets children to think of what kind words they can say and deeds they can do to show Jesus to others. It takes them through different relatable scenarios and how they could respond like Jesus in those moments.
Both books feature diverse characters on their pages so that children can see themselves in the different children featured. Both books follow a sweet, simple rhyming pattern. Younger children (under the age of 2) will like the pictures but might find the reading takes too long. Children a little bit older (~3-5) should be able to follow allow with the story and rhymes.
Both books end with a Bible verse which is a great way to start showing your kids where these messages can be found in the Bible. If you have older kids, you could have them search for the Bible verse in their Bible and read the chapter it is in.
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"I am not alone, because Jesus is with me,
and with Him I fear nothing."
Saint Faustina
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