Dear St. Augustine Families,
We hope you and your children enjoyed the materials we provided to celebrate Pentecost. This Sunday, we will celebrate The Feast of Corpus Christi which commemorates the immense gift of the Eucharist in our lives and in the Church. We encourage you to check out the resources below to help your children better understand the importance of the Body and Blood of Christ.
You will notice that we have divided the content below into four groups to ensure we are addressing the needs of all our learners.
Group I: Pre-Kindergarten - Second Grade
Praise the Lord and Love One Another are both songs that together reflect Jesus’ Great commandment to love the Lord and one another. We receive the grace to do so through the Eucharist. Even though your little ones have not celebrated the sacrament of the Eucharist, we hope this activity will present a teaching moment about our faith.
Activity: Download and print the coloring pages that reflect this Commandment. Some discussion points while coloring:
Group II: Third Grade - Fifth Grade
Hungry & Thirsty is a song is about the Bible lesson of hungering and thirsting for more of God. Just like physical food makes your body strong, the Eucharist fills us up and makes us strong to do the work of God.
The animated video, Corpus Christi, is a Catholic homily for children based on Sunday’s readings.
Activity: Discussion
Parents: At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist. The word Eucharist means Thanksgiving. It is one of the seven sacraments, or outward signs, that Catholics believe was instituted by God to give grace.
Ask your children: Jesus feeds us his body and blood. Why do we need more than ordinary food to be Holy?
Group III: Sixth Grade – Eighth Grade
Three-Minute Catechism is a YouTube channel that addresses topics from the catechism with animations, in short, three-minute segments. Watch this video about the Eucharist.
Activity: Discussion
Parents: Although the outward appearance of the bread and wine remain, when the priest pronounces the words of consecration, they become the true and actual Body and Blood of Christ.
Ask your children: Jesus is present in the Eucharist. How is receiving the Eucharist different from just consuming food?
Parents: St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta often said that her mission, and that of her Missionaries of Charity, was not to serve the poor as much as it was to see the face of Jesus in them, sometimes in “a distressing disguise.”
Ask your children: What is the connection between seeing Jesus in the Eucharist and seeing Him in the poor?
Group IV – Teens
The video Sophia SketchPad: The Eucharist explains the connection between Original Sin, Christ’s death and Resurrection, and the Holy Mass.
Activity: Discussion
Parents: In what ways do you need Jesus to feed you? Share with your teen what good things are you hungry for. Next time you are able to receive the Eucharist, ask Jesus to feed you in these ways.
Ask your teens: To do the same.
Parents: St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta often said that her mission, and that of her Missionaries of Charity, was not to serve the poor as much as it was to see the face of Jesus in them, sometimes in “a distressing disguise.”
Ask your children: What is the connection between Jesus’ sacred presence in the Eucharist and recognizing the sacredness of every human being?
May you continue to engage in thoughtful discussion on the rich traditions of our faith and take a few moments to reflect on St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s advice that we should get closer to Jesus through the Eucharist.
Blessings,
St. Augustine Parish