THURSDAY, APRIL 2

DAY 15 - LENT RECAP

As we come to the final days of Lent and begin our preparation for Holy Week & the Triduum, we wanted to do a final recap of Lent, the liturgical season we have been in this past month. Our 40 days of Lent, imaging Jesus' 40 days in the desert (and Israel's 40 years in the same desert) culminates with Jesus' suffering and death uniting us with the hope in his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

From Our Spiritual Director

Thursday Reflection

Readings

Gn. 17:3-9Ps 105:4-9Jn 8:51-59

“The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”

This is the response to our Psalm today. It is a wonderful reminder of the faithfulness of God! Often we think of faithfulness as referring to our relationship toward God and not Gods relationship toward us. God’s ability to be completely faithful to us sets us clearly apart from the Divine.

The Psalmist reminds us that God “remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand generations-which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac.” We are part of those generations, and that covenant pertains to us personally. It is that promise that draws us to the foot of the cross each Lenten Season. We know that Christ endures his pain and suffering so that our pain in this life will end in resurrection in the next. We rejoice at what God has done for us!


Peace,

Fr. John Kurgan

Weekly Challenge - LAST DAY TO SUBMIT

Each week, we're introducing a new family fun challenge! Our hope is this would just be a recreative way to blow off some steam, get creative, slow down, and enjoy our time together. This week's challenge is the FORT FUNDAY CHALLENGE! Winner gets House Points! Check out the video below from Steve and fam for a demonstration. Send in your submissions using this form by Thursday, April 2nd.


*A Google account is required to submit. If you have trouble submitting through the form, just send an email to dan@holycrossdewitt.org. Thanks!

Elementary (Grades 1-4)

See Day 1 for a longer explanation of what to do in Pray & Learn

Pray

Find all the prayers here.

    • Mealtime Prayers & Night Time Prayers

    • 5 mins - Praying for Others

Learn

The Main Points to Teach Your Child:

  1. The season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday -- February 26. Begin, perhaps, by having your child recall what he or she remembers from their Lent Lesson in class.

  2. Review the basics with your child...

    • How many day of Lent are there?

    • How is this number significant throughout the bible?

*Story of Noah, rains for 40 days; Moses and the Israelites wander for 40 years in the desert; Elijah spent 40 days in the desert walking to Horeb, the Mountain of God, nourished on bread; Jesus also wandered, praying and fasting in the same desert for 40 days.

    • What are 3 things we are asked to focus on during Lent?

      1. Fasting - resist things that our body / our mind may desire but can keep us from God.

      2. Prayer - strengthens us spiritually, helps us fight pride, helps us build up our ow humility, helps us acknowledge our dependance on God

      3. Almsgiving - give out of goodness to those in need, make a positive impact on the world around you.

    • How and why can these 3 expectations during Lent enhance our life and our relationship with God throughout the rest of the year?


A Note from Julie:

Dear Parents,
Today's lesson is a recap of our Lenten Lesson from late February, which at this moments seem so long ago. Take time today and each of the days ahead to relax with your family and reflect upon your personal lenten journey and that of your family's and just Be...

-Julie Sheridan


Additional Resources & Activities to do at Home

Video:

Resources:



Middle School (Grades 5-8)

See Day 1 for a longer explanation of what to do in Pray & Learn

Pray

Find all the prayers here.

    • Basic Prayers

    • Ten Minutes of Silence

      • Intercessions

      • Thanksgiving

      • Reading the Bible

Learn

The Main Points that need to be learned or taught from this lesson

  1. Knowledge of the basic narrative of Jesus' 40 days & temptation in the desert

  2. An understanding of how Lent is an accompaniment of Jesus in the desert in our own lives.

  3. Understand the 3 great temptations - the world, the flesh, & the Devil - and how prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is the defense against these temptations.

High School (Grades 9-12)

Pray

  • See Day 1 for a longer explanation of what to do in Pray & Learn



Find a list of all these prayers here.

Learn

Adults

Pray

  • See Day 1 for a longer explanation of what to do in Pray & Learn

  • Basic Prayers

    • A list of all these prayers are here.

For those new to prayer

  • First 10 mins - Talk to God


For those more experienced in prayer


Learn

Learn

Watch the faith formation resource video below to learn more about your faith.

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry."


- Matthew 4:1-2