Visit this page every week during Lent to see new activities and information.
PALM SUNDAY
Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified. In the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a young donkey, and to the lavish praise of the townspeople who threw clothes, or possibly palms or small branches, in front of him as a sign of homage. This was a customary practice for people of great respect. Palm branches are widely recognised symbol of peace and victory. The use of a donkey instead of a horse is highly symbolic, it represents the humble arrival of someone in peace.
This Sunday you will not be able to get your palms in church, but you can make a palm cross yourself to remind you of what it symbolises!
FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
In the Gospel this Sunday we hear how Jesus raised his friend, Lazarus, from the dead. Those who witnessed this believed that Jesus is the Son of God the Father. Jesus promises us that if we believe in Him and follow Him, we will have eternal life and happiness with Him in Heaven because HE is the Resuurection and the Life.
Watch the video and then do the activity below.
FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
In this Sunday's Gospel Jesus gives sight to a man who was born blind from birth. Jesus tells us that He is the Light of the World. What He means by this is that He will lead us to do what God wants us to do and be the person God wants us to be. He will lead us to eternal happiness with God. We are reminded today that although we often judge people by appearances, God does not see us in the same way. God looks at what we are REALLY like - how we think and how we feel and how we behave. Make the decision today to follow Jesus - our leading light, who is always with us, always listens to us, always speaks to us and knows absolutely everything about us. Trust in Him.
THIRD WEEK OF LENT
In this Sunday's Gospel we hear about the Samaritan woman who came to the well to get water. Jesus asked her to give him some water and she was surprised because Jesus was a Jew and the Jews did not speak with the Samaritans. Jesus also knew everything about her, which surprised her even more. He also told her that the water he could give her would not cause her to ever be thirsty again. What Jesus meant by this is that the 'water' he was offering was everything that he taught. His teachings are about hope for eternal happiness with him in heaven. He teaches us that if we follow him and love God above everything else and love and help other people as well, then we can be saved. He also gives us the gift of is Holy Spirit to help us, so we can be sure that we are never alone. Thank you, Jesus for loving us and teaching us.
You can download and print the activity page if you wish.
THE TRANSFIGURATION - SECOND WEEK OF LENT
Transfiguration means a complete change of appearance to be more beautiful. The Bible tells us that Jesus took three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, and went up on a mountain to pray. As Jesus prayed, His face was changed and His clothes became a dazzling white. What the disciples saw was the glory of God in the face of Jesus! Then the voice of God the Father was heard saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
This week, try and make a special effort to listen to Jesus. He encourages us to be kind to everybody, to be helpful to other people and our family. He also asks us to pray for all those who need His help.
You can download and print the colouring page if you wish.
DOING GOD'S WILL - FIRST WEEK OF LENT
On this first week of Lent we learn from the Gospel how Jesus resisted bad temptation through the help of the Holy Spirit and His love for God the Father. He did what His Father asked Him to do. We should remember that what we want is not always what God wants. God knows what is best for us. We may want more sweets or more money or other things for ourselves, but God wants us to love Him and to love others by helping them. This week, try and find ways to show that you love God by doing good things for other people. Also, don't forget to pray to Jesus for help - and to thank Him for His help.
ASH WEDNESDAY EXPLAINED
This year, Ash Wednesday is on 6th March.
On this day, the priest will bless the ashes and then bless us by dipping his thumb into ashes (collected from burnt palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday), and marking the forehead of each of us with the sign of the cross, saying the words, "Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return" or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
By marking the sign of the cross with ashes on our foreheads, we are invited to understand that we have sinned, and to be sorry of our sins and return to our loving and forgiving God.
LENT EXPLAINED
Lent lasts for 40 days because that’s how long Jesus wandered in the desert, fasting, while he resisted Satan’s temptations. During the forty days of Lent, we all have a chance to be like Jesus. We can do this by trying to resist temptations and use this time to become closer to God.
Lent is a time of preparation for Easter, the Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We think of the forty days of Lent as an opportunity to change ourdaily lives and become closer to God.
What you can do
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Try to focus on Jesus' love for you and what he has done for you.
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Try to do at least one act of kindness every day, because this is what Jesus would do.
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Be thankful to Jesus for all the blessings you have - for example, your family, friends, a home, your school and your teachers.
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Set aside a quiet time each day when you can pray to Jesus, tell him how sorry you are for anything you have done wrong, ask him to forgive you and thank him for forgiving you and loving you.
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Open and print the Lent Calendar by clicking here or here, or even here! Each day, write down one kind act you will do, or write a short prayer to Jesus.