Pray

Find all the prayers here.

• Mealtime Prayers & Night Time Prayers

• 5 mins - Praying for Others

Learn

Watch the video below

The Main Points to Teach Your Child: the Precept of the Church #4...

• Recall the 10 Commandments... The DON'Ts of a relationship with God.

5 Precepts are... "DOs" of a relationship with God.

• Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days

• Go to Confession at least once a year

• Receive Holy Eucharist once a year during Easter

• Observe Fasting / Abstinence

• Provide for the Needs of the Church

Precept #4: Observe Fasting / Abstinence - "suffering" (denying to one's self) is a means to holiness; when done with love and united to Jesus' redeeming act becomes a very powerful prayer

means...

• during certain times of the year you Fast & Abstain from meat on certain days (the season of Lent and every Friday)

• you do not eat 1 hour before communion -- known as Eucharistic Fast

because...

• when you choose to accept your suffering or penance, you grow in Virtue & overcome sin

• your suffering helps to unite you more closely, intimately to Jesus

through Fasting & Abstinence...

• your prayers are made more powerful when unified with Him in suffering

• you willingly take on Jesus' sufferings and passion to rid yourself of sin, pray for others

A Note from Julie:

Dear Parents,

I find it curious that reflecting on today's lesson of Fasting and Abstinence, my thoughts are of God's gift of "free will." Precept 4 tells us to abstain and fast at certain times, but, at the same time I am free to choose to do so, to love God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. When I freely offer my sacrifice, suffering and prayer (abstinence and fasting) I am more closely united to Christ and thus to my family and others.

Freely choosing to observe the Church's Precept--Fasting and Abstinence, I gaining control, discipline over my body and my life. I find renewed strength through Christ, offering up the challenges of my day as sacrifices in Christ's name for those I love, In doing so, the burdens I carry are lighter, I do not carry them alone.

This gives me great hope! As my relationship with Christ is strengthened. I pray that through my obedience and offerings, others will benefit. I hope and pray that you to may experience the power of God's grace through following God's laws and the Precept's of the Church.

God bless,

-Julie Sheridan

Additional Resources & Activities to do at Home

Video:

• What's the point of Fasting...? 6:45 Busted Halo Fr. Mike Schmitz

Resources

• Precept #4 - 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

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

• The 5 Precepts of the Church - The DOs of our relationship with God:

  1. Attend Mass on Sunday & Holy Days

  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.

• Explain #4 - Observe Fasting/Abstinence

  2. • Explain which days a Christian needs to Fast & Abstain from meat.

     • Fasting & Abstinence helps to strengthen our relationship with God by

     • Helping us obtain virtue & overcome sin

     • Be united to Jesus in our suffering

     • Makes our prayers more powerful when unified with him in suffering.

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