Reflect

Scriptural Prayer and Reflection:
Among the many ways to pray, scriptural prayer is one of the best for children. The stories, images, characters, and words of the Bible are an excellent starting point for a child’s prayer. Using Scripture as a foundation for prayer helps children to engage their imagination and, in turn, express their feelings, thoughts, and concerns. When you first start praying with the children, explain that praying is talking and listening to God.

How to find a Bible Passage
The Gospel of Matthew is in the New Testament of the Bible. Let’s look at the first reading Matthew 5: 6.
  • “Matthew” is the book of the Bible. You can use the table of contents to find where the Gospel of Matthew begins.
  • The number ‘5’ stands for the chapter. Look for the bold number ‘5’ in the Gospel of Matthew.
  • The number ‘6’ directs you to read the verses one through three.
Read Aloud Matthew 5: 6 The Beatitudes
In scriptural prayer, we listen to God’s voice by doing the following:
  • Did something in the reading catch my attention? Did someone seem to be talking to me?
  • Did the Scripture story give me an idea or make me think about a particular person or situation in my life?
  • How did the reading make me feel? What do the feelings tell me?

For Parents

Listen to the Confession of Sins from The Catechism in a Year by Fr. Mike Schmitz.

Focus

This week we will focus on the fourth Beatitude.
“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

What It Means:
Jesus wasn’t talking about being hungry or having a growling tummy. He was talking about people who want unfair things to be fixed in the community and around the world. These are called injustices. Bullying and poverty (people not having access to food or safe, clean homes) are examples of injustices. Jesus wanted people to know that if they’re willing to put in the effort to fix the problem, He will also help.

Now Try:
Go through your toys or clothes, and donate some to a local foster care organization or women and children’s shelter. Or you can save some of your allowance to donate to St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities or an organization that helps those affected by natural disasters.

Watch

Watch these videos with your child. They are short! (Click on the [  ] symbol to watch the video in full screen.)
Follow Your Conscience
The Prodigal Son
Learn about Saint Martin De Porres. His feast day is November 3rd. St. Martin De Porres dealt with racism because of the color of his skin. He is the patron saint of mixed-race people and social justice.  

Pray

​Pray the Penitential Act as a family.
This is a good prayer to memorize. This prayer is often prayed at the beginning of Mass.
Return to First Communion page.