Help children journey through Lent with Jesus and his disciples—from the Sea of Galilee through the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. This issue of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Newsletter brings you activities based on the Lenten Gospels for kids at each level of the Weeklies.

This issue of the newsletter and the January issue are available online at pflaum.com/pgwnewsletter. Look for the March issue in your inbox on February 11.

This month’s newsletter features ideas for February 7, 2010, the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, through February 28, the 2nd Sunday of Lent.

• February 7—Jesus calls Peter, James, and John to be his first disciples and tells these fishermen that they will be catching people. (Luke 5:1-11)
• February 14—Jesus teaches his followers the Beatitudes, the attitudes and actions that lead to true happiness. (Luke 6:17, 20-26)
• February 21—Jesus spends 40 days in the desert, where the devil tempts him to use his power as the Son of God. Jesus resists each of the devil’s temptations by holding fast to God’s teachings. (Luke 4:1-13)
• February 28—As Peter, James, and John pray with Jesus on the mountain, Jesus’ appearance changes. His clothing becomes dazzling white, and Elijah and Moses appear to talk with Jesus. Then from a cloud, a voice says, “This is my son, my Chosen; listen to him.” (Luke 9:28-36)

• Saint of the Month—Introduce your students to St. Scholastica, whose twin brother is St. Benedict. St. Scholastica’s special prayer to God is said to have brought on a violent thunderstorm.
• Teacher Tips—Learn what to expect from children at different ages and stages of development. Discover how to set realistic expectations and how to avoid problem behavior.
• Student Activities—Seeds children pretend they are fishing with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee. Promise children learn that Jesus wants all people to be included in God’s family, and then all play a game that has no winners and losers. Good News children recall the story of Moses and make baskets for Baby Moses. Venture students design websites or blogs to tell the stories of Peter, Paul, and Philip. Visions students create life maps to discover what God is calling them to do.
• Parent Tips—The Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Family Pages offer activities and resources that parents can use at home to help their families grow in faith. This month check out “A Prayer Service for Ash Wednesday,” a meaningful way for families to consider what changes they would like to make in their lives during Lent.
   
  Go to the Family Pages at pflaum.com/familypages and choose pages to send home with students or send notes home to suggest pages for parents to download and print.
• Catechist to Catechist—Sister Jenada Fanetti, SDS, DRE at Holy Cross Parish in Mount Calvary, WI, shares a dramatic way to make children aware of one of the rich symbols of Lent.

We all know that brothers and sisters disagree, even as grown-ups. But did you know that siblings who are saints can have their differences?

St. Scholastica and her twin brother, St. Benedict, had a spirited discussion one night that was resolved by a heavenly intervention.

St. Benedict is the founder of the Benedictine Order and is considered the father of monastic life in the Western Church. He gathered a group of followers and built a monastery on the summit of Monte Cassino, which is located a short distance north of Naples, Italy. Benedict wrote a set of rules to serve as a guide for how the monks would live, work, and pray. The Rule of St. Benedict has been and still is used by many orders of monks and nuns. The rule can be summarized in the motto of the Benedictine order: Pray and work.

St. Benedict’s sister, St. Scholastica, lived near Monte Cassino with a group of women who devoted their lives to prayer. She is considered the patron saint of Benedictine nuns, who adapted the Rule of St. Benedict to shape their community life.

It was the custom of this brother and sister to meet one day during the year to discuss spiritual matters. Benedict would come down from his mountain, Scholastica would leave her convent, and the two would meet at a house convenient to both.

On the day of what would be their last meeting, they talked until it was time for Benedict to return to the monastery where, according to his rule, he was required to spend each night. But
Scholastica, who had a premonition that she would soon die, begged her brother to stay with her
so they could continue to discuss the joys of the spiritual life and heaven to follow. Benedict replied, “What are you talking about, my sister? Under no circumstances can I stay outside the monastery.”

When Scholastica heard his reply, she folded her hands, bowed her head, and prayed. The sky,
which had been clear and calm, immediately clouded over and erupted in a violent thunderstorm. The weather was so bad that Benedict was forced to remain with Scholastica. “May God have mercy on you, Sister,” he said to her. “Why have you done this?”

Scholastica answered, “I asked you, and you would not listen to me. So I asked my Lord, and he
has heard me.” So the two spent the night as Scholastica had desired.

Three days later, Scholastica died. It is said that Benedict witnessed her soul rising to heaven in the form of a dove. Benedict had his sister’s body brought back to his monastery and buried in
the tomb he had prepared for himself.

• Remind Seeds children that as their annual visit drew to a close, St. Scholastica wanted to spend a little more time with her brother St. Benedict. When she prayed to God, a violent thunderstorm came up, and Benedict was not able to venture out until morning.
  
  The children will enjoy creating a thunderstorm. Provide a variety of rhythm and percussion instruments for the children to use, or help children make or improvise their own instruments. Cymbals or aluminum lids can make sharp cracks of thunder. Drums, bongos, or cooking pots and wooden spoons can be used to produce rolling and pounding thunder. Rain sticks—cardboard tubes filled with dried beans and then sealed—can simulate the sound of rain that suddenly falls faster and harder.
  
  Retell the story of Benedict and Scholastica’s last meeting. At the appropriate time, signal to the children to create the thunderstorm. End the story by reminding the children that God always hears our prayers, and that sometimes God answers our prayers in surprising ways.

• It is said that St. Benedict saw his sister’s soul ascending to heaven in the form of a dove. Promise children will enjoy an activity that illustrates this part of the story of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica.
  
  Anchor a cord or clothesline on the ceiling in a corner of your room or gathering space. Secure the other end of the cord or clothesline on an object such as a chair. Help the children recall what they have learned about St. Scholastica. Invite them to think of some ways in which Scholastica showed she loved God. (She prayed, loved her brother, shared with others, helped others, followed the Benedictine Rule, worked hard, and so on.) Point out that Scholastica’s soul went to heaven when she died because she showed her love for God.
  
  Give each child a simple dove shape to trace and cut out. Have each print on their dove an action by which Scholastica achieved heaven: pray, love God, love family, share, help, work. The children may then add white feathers, lace, or paper doilies to complete their doves. Hang the doves on the cord or clothesline with clothes pins, allowing the same amount of space between each dove. Ask: Do you think this shows one dove ascending to heaven (Scholastica)? Or do you think this shows many doves ascending to heaven (all of us who show our love for God)?

• Remind Good News students that once a year, twins Benedict and Scholastica met somewhere between his monastery and her convent to pray together and to talk about many things. Then explain that the students will run a relay race based on this fact.
  
  Find a large open space for this activity. Position two small tables or desks in the middle of the space. On each table, place pencils and index cards containing questions about the saints. Have children form two teams with the same number of players. (If necessary, ask one child to take two turns.) Assign one table to each team. Then divide each team so that half (Benedicts) are standing about 12 feet from one side of their table, and the other half (Scholasticas) are standing about 12 feet from the opposite side of the table.
  
  Explain the rules of the game. On your signal, a pair of children (one Benedict and one Scholastica) will race to their assigned table, meeting at the table. There they are to choose a question written on an index card, agree upon the answer, and circle their answer on the card. They then race back to their teammates and tag the next team member in line. The new pair of runners race to the table and choose a different question to answer. Continue until all pairs of runners have had a turn. Then check the answers on the index cards. The team with more correct answers wins. If there is a tie, have a runoff. Let each team choose two representatives (one Benedict and one Scholastica). They must race to their table and answer a tie-breaker question. The team with the correct answer wins. If both teams answer correctly, the faster runoff pair wins.
  
  Suggested Questions for Relay Race (Make up additional questions if needed.)
  
  Benedict and Scholastica were (a) best friends (b) father and daughter (c) twin brother and sister.
  
  Benedict said that monks should pray and (a) give alms (b) work (c) be vegetarians.
  
  Scholastica and the nuns at her convent followed the Rule of (a) St. John (b) St. Scholastica (c) St. Benedict.
  
  Scholastica and Benedict met together to (a) pray (b) eat (c) write letters.
  
  After Scholastica died, Benedict saw her soul rising to heaven like (a) an angel (b) a kite
  (c) a dove.
  
  When Scholastica prayed for Benedict to stay with her a little longer, God answered with a (a) thunderstorm (b) flood (c) snowstorm.
  
  Tie-breaker Question
  
  In what country did St. Scholastica live?

• Help Venture students to learn more about the rule that Benedict wrote to guide the lives of his followers. Many orders of monks and nuns (including St. Scholastica) have lived according to the Rule of St. Benedict.
  
  Explain that, while Benedict’s rule was innovative at the time, it was based on the Gospel. It promoted harmonious communal life by guiding members to working, praying, and eating together, to sharing goods, and to mutual respect and concern for others. Ask Venture students to brainstorm for rules or guidelines for behavior that they follow which are based on Gospel values. As they respond, list ideas on the chalkboard or on newsprint. For starters, you might suggest: Be generous. Be forgiving.
  
  Give each student a strip of cardboard six inches long and about 1½ inches wide and a ruler. Ask them to print on one side of the cardboard strip “Rule of (their name).” Direct them to use the ruler to draw lines at one-inch intervals on the other side of the cardboard. Then have them establish a “rule” for themselves, using ideas from the brainstorming and writing a one-word summary for each idea they choose on each of the five one-inch lines. Encourage the students to use their rule as a bookmark in one of their textbooks or in their Bible.
• Share with Visions students the motto of the Benedictine order: Ora et labora, which are the Latin words for “Pray and work.”
  
  Explain that before Benedict, religious men were often hermits who lived alone in a remote place away from the distractions of the world. Some religious men and women did live in community, but their purpose was prayer and study or charity, and they depended upon benefactors to provide for them. Benedict thought it was important for monks to be self-sufficient. He believed that work could be a form of prayer. The work of the Benedictine monks provided for many people as their monasteries grew. Their work also had an effect outside their monasteries. For example, their diligence in copying manuscripts saved learning and culture for future generations.
  
  Ask Visions students to work together to find answers to the following questions. Provide reference books and, if the Internet is available, suggest that students Google Benedictine lifestyle and The Online Guide to St. Benedict. By searching for Benedictine ministries, they can read about present-day Benedictine communities.
  
  What work did St. Benedict’s monks do? (farming, hospitality, education, copying manuscripts)
  How did St. Benedict’s monks pray? (chanted/sang psalms in choir seven times throughout the day and at midnight)
  What ministries are members of the Benedictine order involved in today?
  
  Challenge Visions students to think about how the Benedictine motto could guide them. Show the students some examples of illuminated manuscripts or have students find examples online. These are texts (many of them done by Benedictines) that have been decorated with ornate letters. Provide art materials and ask students to print the Benedictine motto (or another of their choosing) on a placard or bookmark. Encourage students to decorate their mottoes in a manner similar to illumination and to keep their mottoes where they will be a daily reminder.

• Seeds children will enjoy pretending that they are fishing with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee. Children this age can understand the idea of following someone and will be able to understand why Simon and his friends followed Jesus.
  
• Promise children can understand that Jesus is a teacher and that he teaches us there is a place for everyone in God’s family. They can take turns and follow directions for a circle game. They will appreciate the idea of including everyone in the group in their game.
• Good News children can recall the story of Moses and follow directions to make a Baby in a Basket. They can be encouraged to retell Moses’ story at home.
• Venture students will enjoy learning about the disciples’ travels and adventures. They will also enjoy putting their knowledge of the Internet to use in designing websites or blogs to retell the disciples’ stories.
• Visions students can understand the concept of vocation, or calling. They can be encouraged to see possible connections between their interests and experiences and their calling in life. Students can reflect on these connections to discover how God might be speaking to them and then create visual representations of what their life journeys might involve.

Preschool (Seeds)
“Jesus Goes Fishing,” February 7, 2010

Tell Seeds children the story of the Gospel for this Sunday and point out that Jesus calls us to follow him, too. Children should be able to:

• compare fishing with bait and poles to casting nets
• role-play fishing with Jesus
• recognize themselves as followers of Jesus
• use fine motor skills to count Goldfish crackers and tie them up in a net

Materials: Fishing pole, tackle box with hooks and lures, fishing net, masking tape, scissors, spool of ¼-inch ribbon, a six-inch square of netting fabric or a plastic sandwich bag and a twist tie for each child, a supply of Goldfish crackers, a copy of the teaching guide for Seeds for February 7, 2010, and copies of Seeds, one for each child

Preparation: Purchase netting material from a fabric store and cut it into six-inch squares, one for each child. Use masking tape to create the outline of a boat on the classroom floor.

Procedure

1. Read the child-friendly version of the Gospel story in the teaching guide, or tell the story in your own words. Then ask: What would we need to go fishing? Show children the tackle box and fishing pole, and introduce the words hooks, bait, lures, and fishing line. Ask: How did the disciples catch fish on the Sea of Galilee? Show the fishing net and introduce the word casting.
2. Invite children to get on board the boat by stepping inside the outline of the boat. Remind everyone to stay seated so they do not fall overboard. When everyone is seated, choose one child to be Jesus and another child to be Simon. Tell the rest of the children that they will be fishermen.
3. Have children role-play the Gospel story. “Jesus” tells the disciples to throw their nets into the deep water. Simon says, “Jesus, we fished all night and didn’t catch a thing, but we’ll do what you say.” After the “fishermen” haul in a huge catch, Simon calls to his friends on shore to bring another boat. If time allows, repeat the role-play so that more children can take the roles of Jesus and Simon.
4. After the role-playing, ask children to go to the snack area to catch some Goldfish crackers. Give each child a square of netting material or a plastic sandwich bag. Help children count and place twelve fish—one for each of Jesus’ apostles—in the center of their nets or into their bags. Tie the nets with ribbon or the bags with twist ties for children to take home. Suggest that each child count out the crackers for a member of his or her family and tell the person that each cracker stands for one of Jesus’ apostles.

Grades K-1 (Promise)
“Jesus Wants Everyone to Be Together,” February 14, 2010

Promise children should be able to:

• understand that God blesses all people and wants them to be happy
• recognize that Jesus is our teacher
• listen and follow directions for a circle game that everyone can play

Materials: A Koosh ball or another kind of soft ball, CD of children’s Christian music (such as Children of God and Other Songs for Promise, available from Pflaum Publishing Group), CD player, and copies of Promise for February 14, 2010, one for each child

Procedure

1. Tell the Gospel story in your own words. Then ask: Who does Jesus say are blessed? (the poor, the hungry, and the sad) What was Jesus teaching the people about including everyone? Remind children that Jesus wants all people to be happy and to be included in God’s family.
2. Share “Jesus Wants Everyone to Be Together” on page 4 of Promise. Ask children to point out where the pictures of the children at the bottom of the page belong. Suggest that they do the cutting and pasting at home.
   
3. Ask: Have you ever felt left out because you were not chosen to play a game? Tell children that they will play a game where everyone can play and where there are no winners or losers.
4. Have children sit in a circle, preferably in a carpeted area. Tell children that they will listen to the music and pass the ball. When the music stops, the child with the ball will call another child’s name and throw the ball to him or her. Continue until all children have a chance to catch the ball.
5. When the game is over, invite children to say this prayer, echoing each line after you read it.

   Dear Jesus,
        Thank you for being our teacher.
        Thank you for teaching us to include everyone in the game.
        Thank you for making us all a part of your family. Amen.
   

Grades 2-3 (Good News)
“A Great Leader Is Born,” February 21, 2010

Good News children should be able to:

• retell the story of Moses’ rescue
• understand that the baby Moses grew up to be the man who led the Hebrews out of Egypt
• follow directions to create a Baby in a Basket

Materials: Samples of woven baskets, two six-inch paper bowls for each child, a hole punch, yarn, scissors, crayons, small sheets or scraps of white paper, one white paper napkin for each child, and copies of Good News for February 21, 2010, one for each child

Preparation: Cut two four-inch lengths of yarn for each child. (These will be used to tie a lid to each “basket.”) Punch two holes two inches apart in the rim of each bowl.

Procedure

1. After reading “A Great Leader Is Born” on page 4 of Good News, have children recall how the baby Moses was found in the river. Ask: How was the basket able to float? Show sample baskets and explain that Moses’ basket was made of papyrus reeds and coated with a sticky waterproof tar. Tell children they will make baskets for Baby Moses.
2. Give each child two of the six-inch paper bowls that you have prepared by punching holes into the rims. Give each child two of the four-inch pieces of yarn. Demonstrate how to tie the bowls together so that one bowl becomes a lid for the basket. Offer help as it is needed.
3. Demonstrate how to fold the paper napkin. Fold one corner of a napkin up to the opposite corner, to make a triangle. With the top of the triangle pointing away from you, bring the sides of the triangle together to create a baby blanket. Have children secure the flaps with a dot of glue.
4. Have each child cut a paper circle for the baby’s head, draw on a face with a crayon, and glue the baby’s face at the top of the folded baby blanket. Each child can put his or her Baby Moses into the basket. Now that the babies are safely tucked into their baskets, ask: Why was Moses an important person? What did Moses do when he grew up? (God picked Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt, where they were slaves. Moses also told the Hebrew people about the Ten Commandments that God wanted them to follow.)
5. Have each child take his or her Baby in a Basket home as a reminder of the lesson. Suggest that children show their baskets to a family member and share the story of Moses as they do so.

Grades 4-6 (Venture)
“Jesus’ Friends Go Fishing,” February 7, 2010

Students should be able to:

• learn about the missionaries who first spread Jesus’ good news
• trace the journeys of Peter, Phillip, and Paul on a map or globe
• use their knowledge of the Internet to design websites or blogs for the disciples

Materials: A world map or a globe, paper and pens, a computer with Internet access (optional), and copies of Venture for February 7, 2010, one for each student

Procedure

1. Encourage students to look at “Jesus’ Friends Go Fishing” on pages 6-7 of Venture. Have students read the Scripture passages that tell where the disciples traveled. Ask students to trace the journeys on the map in Venture. Then ask them to locate the areas where Peter, Paul, and Phillip traveled on a world map or globe.
2. Explain that the Scripture passages come from letters the missionaries wrote to their friends and to new churches they had established. In these letters, they described their journeys and told their followers to be strong and faithful. Ask: What do you think the disciples’ messages would have been like if there had been Internet access in the first century? If the disciples had been able to create websites or blogs, what do you think they might have looked like? How would the language be different? What photos would be posted?
3. If a computer with Internet access is available, invite students to visit missionary websites or blogs to learn about missionary work being done today. Start with sites such as www.maryknoll.org and www.missionary-blogs.com. If Internet access is not available, encourage students to visit these sites on their home computers or on computers in their schools or libraries.
4. Divide the class into small groups and assign one disciple to each group. Each group can begin by rereading the Scripture passage or passages given for their disciple. Provide paper and pens and ask each group to design a website or blog for their disciple. This should include a sketch of a home page, a list of contents, and a list of photos to be posted. Allow time for students to share their work.

Grades 7-8 (Visions)
“How Can We Respond to God’s Call?” February 7, 2010

Students should be able to:

• explore God’s call to Isaiah and Peter
• understand that God is calling them to make a difference in the world
• create life maps to help them discover God’s call to them

Materials: A variety of magazines, glue, scissors, one piece of poster board for each student, a sample of a life map, and copies of Visions for February 7, 2010, one for each student

Preparation: Create a sample of a life map to share with students. Include symbols, words, and photos that show talents and interests that you’ve pursued, roles and challenges you’ve had in your life, and milestones in your spiritual journey. Include pictures that show your favorite music, books, and people.

Procedure

1. After reading “How Can We Respond to God’s Call” on page 5 of Visions, ask: How do you think God speaks to you? (in prayer, homilies, through your experiences, interests, and talents) What is God calling you to do in the world right now? (respect your parents and teachers, do your share of household chores, care for siblings or pets, do your best in school, develop your talents and interests, help friends, relatives and neighbors)
2. Share your sample life map with students. Point out the interests, roles, and challenges it shows. Explain why you were drawn to these things and how they relate to what you consider your call from God.
3. Ask students to think about these questions: How do you think you are making a difference in the world now? How do you think you will be able to make a difference in the world when you are an adult? What do you think God might be calling you to do? Provide magazines and scissors for students to cut out images and text that reflect their own talents, interests, and goals. Each student can arrange and paste the images on poster board to create his or her own unique life map.
4. Invite volunteers to share and explain their life maps. Students who feel comfortable doing so can share how they think the interests, talents, and goals they included in their maps might lead them to finding a way to make a difference. Suggest that students keep their life maps so they can review and update them from time to time.
   

The important season of Lent calls for all—young and old—to make changes in their lives. Go to the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Family Pages at pflaum.com/familypages and log in to check out the resources and activities available there.

“A Prayer Service for Ash Wednesday” provides a way for families to consider what changes they would like to make in their lives and then to pledge to carry out their good intentions. 

Throughout Lent, parents can use the engaging Family Pages activities and resources to share their faith with their children.

Choose pages to print and send home with students or send notes home suggesting pages for parents to download and print.

“Packing Up” the Alleluia

Lent brings many changes that symbolize the penitential nature of the season. Violet is the color seen in Church and in the priest’s vestments. Decorations used in the Church are plain and simple. And the Alleluia disappears from the Mass.

To help students understand why the Alleluia is not sung during Lent, DRE Sister Jenada Fanetti has students in the religious education program at Holy Cross Parish in Mount Calvary, WI, “pack up” the Alleluia.

Just before the Ash Wednesday liturgy for students and their families is to begin, two students carry a banner with the word Alleluia into the Church and up to the sanctuary, where an open trunk is waiting. The banner is carefully lowered into the trunk. Two junior high students come forward to close the trunk and carry it out of the sanctuary.

A brief explanation follows. Because it is an expression of joy at Christ’s resurrection and our salvation, the Alleluia will not be sung again until the Mass of the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night.