24Mar

Young Disciples Online

Young Disciples Online – Class 16 (Blessed Mother) – email sent May 11

Class 13 – scheduled for March 22-25

Class 14 – email sent April 12

Class 15 – email send May 4

 

BCRE Young Disciples Lesson At Home: Blessed Mother

Happy Blessed Mother Mary Month Young Disciples Families!  

Mary, our Blessed Mother, mirrors all that we can be if we open ourselves totally to the Spirit’s action in our life. During the month of May, we celebrate Mary and invoke her help for all mothers and for all others who care for us with a mother’s love.

Since the earliest days of the Church, Christians have prayed to Mary to ask for all kinds of help and intercession. We too can turn to Mary and ask for her prayers that we might grow in faith and become closer to her Son, Jesus.

During this overwhelming and challenging time, please know that I continue to hold you and your family up in prayer. Please let me know if I can help with anything, in anyway, at anytime. You can email me with questions and concerns at Melissa.Gozzo.CCB@gmail.com

Peace and Blessings,

Melissa Gozzo
Billerica Catholic Religious Education (BCRE)
Young Disciples Coordinator (Gr. K – 1)
Seekers Coordinator (Grade 2)
First Reconciliation and Eucharist Coordinator (Grades 2-5)

Resources For At Home Use

I invite you to explore this week’s Class #16 topic at home:

  • Chapter 23: Mary Is the Mother of the Church

I have included some resources below for you and your child to engage in together at home.

YouTube Video Clips related this week’s lessons

YouTube Songs related to this week’s lessons

Chapter 23: Mary Is the Mother of the Church
Student Book: Pages 203 – 210

Faith Focus: We honor and imitate Mary, God’s Mother and ours.

We Remember:

  • Who is the Mary?
    • Mary is God’s Mother and our Mother and Queen.
Building Family Faith
  • Mary has a special place of honor in the Church. Because she is the mother of Jesus, she is the Mother of the Church, which carries Jesus’ work. That means that she is the spiritual Mother for your child and for all who share in Jesus’ life through Baptism. Mary cares for us as a mother. We can turn to her in prayer. We can ask her to help us in times of need.
  • Discuss as a family:
    • What does a mother do for her family?
    • What problems can Mary our Mother in heaven help us with?
  • Do as a family:
    • At bedtime, ask your child to mention a special need he or she has. Pray three Hail Mary’s for this intention.

Punchouts: In the back of the Children’s Book is the following punchout that can enhance the lesson.

  • “Mary, Mary, Mary” Circle Button
    • Remove button.
    • Encourage children to write “Yes” on the Mary button
    • This button will remind you to be like Mary by saying yes to God.

Additional Activities

The month May is dedicated to Mary!
Honor our Blessed Mother with your family this month. 

May Crowning: 

Although the New Testament records very little about Mary, Christian tradition has always recognized that Mary’s role in Christian life did not end with the Nativity. Rather, her importance continued throughout Jesus’ life on Earth and beyond. From John’s Gospel, we see how she encouraged Jesus to perform his first miracle of his public ministry at the wedding in Cana.

From the Acts of the Apostles, we know that Mary supported Jesus’ followers through the growth of the early Church after Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension. Presumably, Jesus’ disciples continued to ask for Mary’s help and prayers even after Mary was assumed into Heaven.

After Mary was assumed into heaven, she was crowned Queen of heaven and earth. Every May we ask Mary to be the queen of our hearts, and we turn to her to learn how we can experience the love of the Lord in the joys and sorrows of our daily life.

To express our love, we may place a crown on a statue of Mary. We can honor her with flowers – symbols of the beauty of her life.

Ways we can honor Mary:

  • Plant A Mary Garden (Or Clean Up The One You Have)
  • Make crown (be sure to incorporate flowers), put it on, and pray “Hail Mary” with your family.
  • Pray a decade of the rosary or pray an entire rosary.
  • Lead this prayer with your family:
    • Mary, you are the Queen of Peace because you show us the way to God. Help us see and follow the path to God so that we can be happy in Heaven forever. Amen.