Bringing Lent to Life

(This is a repeat post from my family blog, I apologize to any dual readers.  For some reason, blogger is being funny about me uploading the pics,  I will work on that and will update.  The narrative is still good, for now.)

This year we used a book called Bringing Lent to Life to help Emily understand what it is all about. It is a fabulous book for parents and children to really bring the idea of Lent home with tangible projects.  Our ongoing project was our Lent Tree.  We started with it plain and had different activities in the book every week to put on the leaves.  We also made flowers of different colors to represent praying for people, petitions, and praise (blessings).  We discussed different topics each week, and it is written just for kids so you don't have to think of what to say on your own.  Super helpful! 

For Holy Week, (and especially since the Mass times didn't work for our family), we had different activities as well.  Holy Thursday we read the Last Supper from her children's bible and passed around bread (plastic since we don't eat it anymore!) and wine and shared a sip, representing the eucharist.  Eric then washed our feet, and then Emily returned the favor for him!  Good Friday I didn't get a picture, but the table was clothed in red with our crucifix on it.  We read the Passion from her bible and said a prayer of thanks.  Holy Saturday we had flowers and a candle, and read about the Resurrection.  And Easter we feasted in celebration :)  I loved doing this and plan to make it a tradition.

Emily was SO INTO Jesus and learning about her faith and hearing more about His life, it was so cool!  She had so many questions and I loved seeing how her mind worked.  We read a story book about Jesus' life and all the miracles he performed.  She attends Children's Church every week at Mass and really does pay attention, trying to absorb and understand what is being said.  On Palm Sunday, we watched The Jesus Movie, a cartoon based on the gospels which is fabulous and appropriate.  She watched it twice and we talked about different parts, tying it in to what she has heard or read about elsewhere.  In addition to our nightly prayers, we started doing "love letters."  This was originially an idea in the Lent book but instead of writing out letters weekly, we chose to say something that we love about each member of our family every night.  This was such a great exercise and really helped us be specific in the ways we appreciate and love on another.  My Lenten Promise was to say the rosary ever day, which I did pretty consistently, and Emily was fascinated with the whole thing and wanted to learn it.  I gave her one of mine from when I was a kid, which had blue beads for the Our Fathers and pink for the Hail Marys.  It helped her see how to do it.  She actually prayed a whole rosary with me twice and we said countless decades in the car.  Our chuch had a Good Friday camp this year and I kept Emily from school so she could attend.  They painted and did a kids' Stations of the Cross, and completed a booklet on the events from Palm Sunday until the Resurrection.  They also made Resurrection Eggs, which was another activity in the Lent book, but I knew they were doing it at camp.  They are 12 plastic eggs with reminders of the story of Christ in each egg, 11 items like a nail, cross, leather cord (whip), etc, and the twelfth is empty to signify the tomb.  Emily continues to look at them and show us daily.  It was a really enriching experience for her and I am glad she went. 

Watching her attempting to grasp concepts of her Faith and growing in her knowledge and love for Jesus was amazing for me and really boosted my own journey to the cross.  I plan on using that book every year as I think it really sets Lent apart as a special time, and not just about giving something up.  It also brings home the point that Easter is about the Resurrection of our Lord, NOT the bunny, eggs, and baskets.  (although that can be a fun part of celebrating, it is not the true meaning.  Much like Christmas.)  It was a great experience and a really cool thing to witness as a parent and I look forward to finding more ways that we can grow as a family in our faith and closer to God.