Pray

• • Mealtime Prayers & Night Time Prayers

  • 5 mins - Praying for Others

Learn

• Watch the video below

The Main Points to Teach Your Child: Precept of the Church #1

First review the 10 Commandments... rules to guide and protect us and our relationship with God and one another. They help us to live a moral life.

The Catholic Church has 5 Precepts: are the minimum requirements to be Catholic. You cannot be a Christian without making a moral effort for the Sacramental Life

• Explain what "Precept" means - a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.

• There are certain "DOs" of a Relationship with Jesus, known as the 5 Precepts (general rules) of the Catholic Church...

  1. Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days

  2. Go to Confession at least once a year

  3. Receive Holy Eucharist once a year during Easter

  4. Observe Fasting / Abstinence

  5. Provide for the Needs of the Church

• Precept #1: Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days

means...

• 2. • Attend Mass on Sunday and on Holy Day of Obligation

     • Rest on Sunday--not mow our lawn, do laundry, clean the house or do homework. This is especially challenging for modern Americans and counter-cultural.

because...

• 2. • God commands this of us. We are called to honor the Sabbath; to spend time with Him.

     • Jesus commands this of us. "Do this in rembrance of me."

     • to have a relationship, you must make and effort to spend time with Him.

     • you cannot just believe, you have to LIVE THE FAITH too; you must DO His will.

     • Jesus loves you and wants nothing less than a relationship with you. Like all relationships, you must give Him time, every day, every week for your lifetime.

this seems like a real burden, asking too much...

• "but it's boring" or "I don't get anything out of going to Mass" (in a few lessons we'll talk about how to get something out of Mass).

• What wouldn't you do for someone you TRULY LOVE? Certainly not the bare minimum.

A Note from Julie:

Dear Parents,

This First Precept of the Church makes me think about the sacrifices we make as parents. What wouldn't we sacrifice for our children? What wouldn't we do for them? Just think of how much our lives have changes since are children entered into our world, into our hearts.

That's the love the Father has for each of us, for our children. God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to become man, to dwell among us, to live with us, to suffer and die for us. Why? So that He might have a relationship with us. So that we may have life eternal in heaven.

As parents, we all want our children with us in heaven. It isn't easy, it takes effort to raise children of faith in this modern world, it's counter-cultural to say the least. BUT, it is worth it, because we love God and and we love our children.

I cannot imagine what heaven would be like without all my loved with with me. I pray for them continuously, that they may truly love God, and do His will.

God bless,

-Julie Sheridan

Additional Resources & Activities to do at Home

Video:

• Celebrate the Mass - Brother Francis (approximately 0:50 clips) +Remembering what the Mass is About, The Entrance Procession, Paying Attention in Church, The Bread and Wine at Mass. With a Heart of Praise

• The Mass - Catholic Central 9:15

Resources

• Precept 1 - Mass - Coloring & Activity Pages Grades 1-4

Pray

• • Basic Prayers

  • Ten Minutes of Silence

    • Intercessions

    • Thanksgiving

    • Reading the Bible

Learn

• Watch the video below

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

• The DON’Ts of a relationship with Jesus - The 10 Commandments:

  1. I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.

  2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

  3. Keep holy the Sabbath.

  4. Honor your father and your mother.

  5. You shall not kill.

  6. You shall not commit adultery.

  7. You shall not steal.

  8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

  9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

  10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. Class Objectives -

2. Teach the DO’s of a relationship with Jesus - The 5 Precepts of the Church

1. 1. Attend Mass on Sunday and Holy Days

      1. Must honor the Sabbath and spend 1 hour every week in Mass

      2. Need to spend quality time with the Lord.

   2. Go to Confession at least once a year

   3. Eucharist once a year during Easter

   4. Observe Fasting/Abstinence

   5. Provide for the Needs of the Church

Pray

• New to the Spiritual Life

  • Basic Prayers

  • 20 Minutes Silent Prayer

• For those more advanced

  • Basic Prayers

  • Liturgy of the Hours

  • 20 Min Silent Meditation

Learn

• Watch the video below

Adults

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

Pray

• Basic Prayers

  • A list of all these prayers are here.

For those new to prayer

• First 10 mins - Talk to God

• Second 10 mins - Listen to God

  • Praying with the Bible or the daily mass readings.

For those more experienced in prayer

• Liturgy of the Hours

• 20 Mins of Silent Meditation – Suggestions:

  • Rosary

  • Lectio Divina/Meditating on the Bible

  • Stations of the Cross

  • Petition, Intercession, Thanksgiving, & Praise

  • Journaling

  • Reflecting on the Daily Readings

Learn

• Watch the video below