SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION WEEK SIX

• Children will become familiar with the word “command”.
• Children will hear a Bible passage to help them understand that when we show love to
        others we are showing love to Jesus.
• Children will practice thinking about what Jesus would do in various situations.

We continue to explore the "Two Great Commandments" - Love God and Love Others.  Your children should be able to tell you what the two Great Commandments are.

One of the key points this week - essential for eventually understanding the reason for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, is that when we sin against one another, we also hurt Jesus.  We use as a key Scripture this passage Matthew 25: 34-40 (in a simple translation, as follows):

The King of Heaven invited some good people to come in.  He welcomed them, saying, “Come into heaven.  I have a place ready for you.   For when I was hungry you gave me food.  I was thirsty and you gave me drink.  I was alone and lonely and you made me welcome.  When I was cold, you gave me clothes.  When I was sick you came to see me.

Another great analogy for this is to help them imagine this scenario - a mother allows them to play with their new baby.  They are mean to the baby; hurting it and making it cry.  Would the mother care?  (Children always look at me as though I am crazy when I ask this question.....making it easy to help them recognize that Jesus loves each of us, with a love even greater than a mother for her baby.)

We read a storybook this week - The Feast that Almost Flopped, about the wedding at Cana.  This.  Children realize that Jesus' first miracle was done to help people in a very practical way.

HOMEWORK:  A two-sided homework sheet will be coming home.  Again, we're concentrating on helping children think of ways they can love God.  Also, with your help, through the week, see if you can see real-life examples of people Loving God and Loving Others that you can add to the chart on the back.