For Holy Week, we started off reviewing how Lent had been going for them and looking at the seeds they had planted weeks ago when we did the parable of the mustard seed. 
Actually, I had been bringing the plants in each week that I was
here, but this was the first time the plants were actually flowering! I had them take them home.
Then we did the Jesse Box for Palm Sunday , Good Friday,and Easter Sunday. Kerygma fest!
We also did the Holy Week eggs.The kids took turns opening the eggs. There are a lot of different versions out there, but here's mine:
1. Palm leaf (paper) for Palm Sunday.
2. 40 cents in silver coins (Judas's betrayal).
3. Eucharist (pin) Last Supper.
4. Thorn (rose twig) Crown of Thorns.
5. Whip (thread) Scourging.6. Cross (wood) Carrying the Cross
7. Nails (square cut nails) Crucifixion
8. INRI (paper) Jesus Christ King of the Jews
9. Dice and sponge (dice beads, piece of sponge) dicing for Jesus' clothes, offering him vinegar
10. Spear (toothpick and paint) Spear
11. Rock (rock!) stone sealing the tomb
12.Empty () the tomb was empty!
No class on Easter, on Divine Mercy Sunday I was out of town, but the next week we talked about Easter! And had testing for half the class!This time we did Easter eggs, which were based on the Way of Light (which is an Easter practice based on the Way of the Cross).
Again, there are many ways to do this and my selection was based mainly on what I had available. :)
2. Tears (tear shaped gems) Mary Magdalene's tears upon not finding Jesus' body.
3. Light (LED) Jesus enlightening the disciples on the way to Emmaus.
4. Host (paper host which opens to a picture of Jesus) They recognized him in the breaking of the bread.
5. Saints (saint medals) The risen Jesus was seen by the apostles and the "saints."
6. Stole (purple ribbon) Jesus gives the power to absolve sins.
7. Hand (glove) Thomas wants to see the holes in Jesus' hands and feet!
8. Fish (pipe cleaner fish - I started out with a real dried fish, but I tried it on Choclo and he was amused but declared it the most shocking thing he had ever found in an Easter egg, so I went with the pipe cleaner) The catch of fish where Jesus cooks the apostles breakfast.
9. Rock (rock!) Jesus founds his church on Peter
11. Cloud (cotton ball) Jesus ascends on a cloud
12. Holy Spirit (picture) Jesus sends the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
We didn't have a lot of time left, but we talked about the Holy Spirit and the Trinity. I am fond of an explanation I got from St. Patrick's Summer.
We are each one what and one who. What I am is a woman, who I am is Mrs. Pavlat. Some things are whats, but not whos (like a chair- we can pretend the chair is a who, but really, we know it's a what, not a who. Jesus and the Trinity are hard to understand because they aren't like anything else we ever run into. Jesus, like us, is one who (He's Jesus) but, unlike us, he's two whats (God and man). No one else is like that. The Trinity is even harder for us to grasp because it is three whos (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but only one what (God).
From there we talked about the Father and the Holy Spirit sending Jesus into the world (kerygma alert!), and Jesus and the Father sending the Holy Spirit to give us this new life!
We acted out the apostles before the Holy Spirit (running away and denying Jesus) and after the Holy Spirit (telling everyone about Jesus even when it cost them their lives!).
We also looked at how to recognize the Holy Spirit in their own lives.
- Have you ever thought about doing something bad, but then didn't do it? That's the Holy Spirit helping you resist temptation!
- Have you ever suddenly thought of something nice you could do for someone? That's the Holy Spirit, too!
- Have you ever suddenly understood something about God, like realizing it's really Jesus in Holy Communion? That's the Holy Spirit enlightening your mind!
- Have you ever seen a really beautiful sunset and thought, "Wow, God is amazing?" That's also the Holy Spirit!
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