Easter Activities

Second Sunday of Easter

(entry by Caroline Lindholm, 22-Apr-2022)

This weekend is the second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday. The Gospel for today is the story of “Doubting” Thomas. I always feel Thomas gets the short end of the stick. The others who were in the room when Jesus first appeared had an experience that left no room for doubt. Would the apostles that were in the room be as believing if they had not seen Jesus that day? Would they doubt, too?

Sometimes Thomas is portrayed as a “lesser” apostle because of his doubt, but this is far from true. As noted by Katie from “Look to Him and Be Radiant” (a website I frequently refer to): “Don’t forget that when Jesus told the apostles that Lazarus had died, and it had happened so that they would believe, Thomas said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” He was eager, that guy, to follow Jesus, but sometimes put his foot in his mouth, a lot like Peter. Let’s remember Thomas as the one that believed that Jesus had risen and called Him, “My Lord and My God.” We all have to move from doubt to belief, and he gave us a model to follow.” [goog_844195119](https://www.looktohimandberadiant.com/2014/04/repost-stories-stripture-doubting-thomas.html)

It is important for children to know that doubting is ok, that faith can at times be a shaky, unstable thing. Thomas’s story shows us that even an apostle of Jesus can have shaky faith, so it is understandable if there are times when our faith lacks strength. Jesus is there with us, accepting us as we are, coming to meet at the place we are in our faith journey, just like he was with Thomas. In the story of Thomas, we see Devine Mercy in action. Jesus isn’t angry or upset, but says peace be with you, forgiving Thomas his moment of doubt.

I have a reflection on the gospel you can share with your kids for this week

Also on the link I posted from Katie is a great activity comparing the story of Thomas with another story called “The Kissing Hand”. Click here to download…

Here is a video of the book read aloud if you would like to do this activity:

And of course, as it is Devine Mercy Sunday, I thought I would give you a Divine Mercy activity. Click here to download…

(this activity was taken from this website: https://stmarysosky.com/divine-mercy/)

The Solemnity of the Ascension

(entry by C. Lindholm, May 28, 2022)

I have another video to share with your kids to prepare for Mass on Sunday:

Ask your children, do they think that the Ascension of Jesus is a sad thing? After all, he is leaving his friends and returning to his father in heaven. But before he leaves, he tells them he will be with them always. If you are a big Star Wars fan (I confess, I am!), it is like Obi-Wan always being with Luke in spirit when he needed guidance. Jesus is there with us, too, in times of confusion and trouble, and through him we find consolation. In the video I linked above, they note Jesus directs us from heaven to build the kingdom of God, saying we should ask ourselves, how can I serve others today? That would also be a good question to direct to your children. What can we do as individuals, families and communities to help others?

Just a bit of trivia for you all: why is it called a “Solemnity”? A feast day called a solemnity is the highest rank of feastday, that is to say, a super-special feast day. It is of higher importance than the feast days of most saints, though Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist and the Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul are Solemnities. The word “Solemnity” sounds very serious, but it just means it is a special celebration, albeit one that tends to be a solemn affair!

I have some fun crafts for you to do this weekend. One is a classic, the paper-cup Ascension of Jesus craft! You will need some supplies for this, but it is one that the kids always enjoy. Here are the instructions and template: