Objectives:
First Reconciliation is one of many great moments in your journey with God. God is always willing to give you another change and a fresh start through Reconciliation.
Few things bring more joy in life than expressing gratitude and sharing your blessings with others.
Opening Prayer:
Start by saying, “Let’s take a moment in silence to be still and quiet and open ourselves up to whatever God wants to lead us today.”
Have your child/children bless themselves and read the prayer:
God, our loving Father, thank you for all the ways you bless me. Help me to be aware that every person, place and adventure I experience is an opportunity to love you more. Fill me with a desire to change and to grow, and give me the grace to become the best-version-of-myself in every moment of every day. Amen.
Watch Episode 5 and read page 16-17
Share a time with your child when you were particularly thankful for a blessing from God.
Read pages 18-19 and ask your child "If you were one of the leapers, how would they feel after Jesus healed them?"
Read pages 20-21 and ask your child, "Why was it rude for the other lepers to not return to thank Jesus?"
Jesus blessed the lepers by healing them. Every time we receive a gift from God, we should say Thank You!
Pages 24-25 are a review of what you have learned in this chapter. Give your child time to answer all of the questions and review the answers with them at the end. Suggest that they may have to look back in the chapter to find the answers to some of the trickier questions.
Gratitude has been scientifically proven to enhance mental and physical health. Gratitude improves an individual's self-esteem. Those who consistently practice gratitude sleep significantly better than those who do not. A grateful person will always have better relationships than an ungrateful person.
Learning to respond to God’s blessings with gratitude is one of life’s great gifts. Make your own gratitude list, and share it with your child over dinner.
Loving Father, thank you for all the ways you have blessed me in the past, all the ways you are blessing me today, and all the ways you plan to bless me in the future. I know you have great plans for me. Help me trust in you and accept every invitation you give me. Amen.