“Growing healthy leaders and community, one family at a time.”
BLESSED HOLY COMMUNION
SESSION #1A
PART A: Pages 1-35
Welcome to our exciting BLESSED journey to learn and grow in CHARACTER through God’s grace (help) to become the-best-version-of ourselves in every moment of every day! Over the next 12 weeks we will be growing in our faith and trust in our living God from the inside out by:
1. listening and praying with God every day, 2. reading and pondering God’s WORD from the BIBLE 3. preparing for the greatest feast day ever: The MASS 4. sharing our faith and trust in God with others in how we treat others every day.
Session 1 will:
Teach us that the MASS or EUCHARIST is one of life’s greatest BLESSINGS!
Explain that EVERY day is a new day in our journey with God----and EVERY day God has a message he is trying to share with us
Help us realize that going to Mass on Sunday (even online in this time of sheltering) is a great way to show God we are grateful for ALL our blessings.
Get yourself settled in a quiet place without distractions. Take a moment to quiet yourself so you can hear and receive what God is offering you today in this Session!!!
1. Always begin with the BLESSED PRAYER page 1 (in your workbook)
a. Make the sign of the cross: In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, AMEN
b. Read the BLESSED PRAYER slowly and ponder each word.
2. PRAYER JOURNAL: Write down notes and draw pictures to remember what you hear.
a. Talk to God using the Prayer Process:
1. Thank God for your blessings: Review Gratitude list
2. Self-Examination: When were you the best version? NOT the best version?
3. Listening: What is God saying to you today?
4. Forgiveness: Ask God for FORGIVENESS for any thought, word, or behavior that
did not show His LOVE and respect to others.
5. Change and grow What does God want you to do today to change and grow?
6. PRAY FOR OTHERS
7. Pray the Our Father
b. Ask God BEFORE you start the lesson: Please show me one way in this lesson that I
can become a better version of myself. Write down what you learned from God by the
end of the lesson.
c. ASK GOD a question from your heart:
1. Example: Lord, what do you want me to do today to be the best version of myself?
2. Example: Who do you want me to pray for today?
3. VIDEOS: Watch Session 1 videos: Episodes 1-3
4. READ about Episodes 1-3 in Session 1 and enjoy the beautiful artwork!!
a. Episode 1: Keep Counting Your Blessings (pages 2-3)
b. Episode 2: Your Journey with God Continues (The 7 Sacraments) (pages 4-27)
c. Episode 3: God Loves to Celebrate, (pages 28-29)
d. Read ALSO:
1. The First Time (pages 30-31)
2. Feast Days (pages 32-33)
3. God’s Favorite Day (pages 34-35)
5. BIBLE: READING GOD’S WORD: Find and read about Saint Mary, Mother of God.
a. LUKE 1:46-55: Mary’s Song
1. Find where the Gospel of LUKE starts: in the Table of CONTENTS
2. Look for Chapter 1 (Big NUMBER)
3. Find verse 46 (little number) and read through verse 55.
4. Read about the Feast Day of Saint Mary here:
REDISCOVER THE SAINTS
Feast of Mary, Mother of Jesus
August 15, 2020
The Bible tells us about many of the saints who gave themselves completely to God. They gave God everything they had: their heart, their love, their attention, their lives, willingly.
Today, we remember and celebrate Saint Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Son of God. She is the perfect example of complete surrender to God. As a young woman, she willingly said YES to God’s very difficult assignment to be the Mother of Our Lord and Savior. She is our role model of surrender and trust in God from the heart.
In our Gospel reading, Mary sings a beautiful song from her heart. We know it as Mary’s Song of Praise: the Magnificat. Let’s read from Luke 1:46-55
6 Mary said,
“My soul gives glory to the Lord. 47 My spirit delights in God my Savior. 48 He has taken note of me even though I am not considered important. From now on all people will call me blessed. 49 The Mighty One has done great things for me. His name is holy. 50 He shows his mercy to those who have respect for him, from parent to child down through the years. 51 He has done mighty things with his powerful arm. He has scattered those who are proud in their deepest thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones. But he has lifted up people who are not considered important. 53 He has filled with good things those who are hungry. But he has sent away empty those who are rich. 54 He has helped the people of Israel, who serve him. He has always remembered to be kind 55 to Abraham and his children down through the years. He has done it just as he promised to our people of long ago.”
In her song, Mary affirms the blessing from God to be the nurturing womb for the miracle of Jesus coming as a newborn baby through the Holy Spirit’s power. She prophetically shares how Jesus as our resurrected King will reign over all as promised by God. Mary kept this hope-filled vision in her heart to bless her and sustain her throughout her life’s journey as the Mother of the Son of God.
God invites all of us into a deep, loving relationship as His adopted Sons and Daughters. We have the blessing of the Holy Spirit in our hearts through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our Family Catechesis helps us to change and grow from the inside out, through God’s help to become the-best-version-of-ourselves in every moment of every day as we learn to give ourselves completely to God as Saint Mary, Mother of God shows us by example.
CHALLENGE: Let us ask for God’s help every day in PRAYER to become all that we were
created to be. Let us ask God to show us the next little step we need to take to “love
others with our whole heart” as God’s communion of saints. In the Name of the ONE God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, AMEN.
6. PRAYER JOURNAL: Write some notes to yourself about Saint Mary
a. What do you like most about this story of Saint Mary?
b. Will you ask God this question every day: What is the next step I need to take to love
others with my whole heart?
7. CLOSING PRAYER: Listen to the prayer of St. Francis in song:
My Little Catechism
See pages 193-225 Read Questions and Answers and Discuss as a Family # 1-14
WE WILL CELEBRATE how much you are learning and growing in your unique and blessed relationship with God at the END of SIX WEEKS!!!
