Faith To Go Podcast: Hunger for Justice
Hosted each week by the Faith Formation team at St. Paul's Cathedral in San Diego, David Tremaine, Maya Little-Sana and Jackie Pippin, the Faith To Go Podcast highlight themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your conversations throughout the week.
Activity Time: Spilling Over
Supplies: Cup, markers, paper
Help children to write down all the good things that Jesus teaches us (to be kind, help others, love our neighbor…). Fill a cup up with these things so it’s very full. Instruct the kids to try to run across the room. It is okay (and intended) for pieces of paper to fall out of the cup.
Tell the children that when we eat and drink the body and blood of Christ, and strive to be more like Him, things can still bump us around, but what spills out of us will still be love and Christ-like to those around us.
Story Time: Gospel Reading and Reflection
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) I wonder what your favorite color is.
2) I wonder why colors are special in our world.
3) I wonder why it is nice to share our color and kindness.
4) I wonder what Jesus teaches us about being kind.
5) I wonder how eating the bread of Christ helps us to be kind.
Dinner Time: Feeding Our Souls
Below is a prayer with which to start your meal and then discussion questions to explore this week’s topic with your family while you eat.
Prayer- God, you were present at the beginning. Be with me as I begin (a new school year, new job, new sport, new extracurricular). Comfort me when I am unsure of my new surroundings. Strengthen me when I stumble, and help me remember that your light shines in all places. All this I ask through you, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
Amen.
Questions:
I wonder what you like to eat every day.
I wonder what your parents want to encourage you to eat.
I wonder what it means to eat Jesus.
I wonder how eating Jesus helps us grow.
I wonder if eating Jesus changes us.
Bedtime: Reflections for Children at the End of the Day
During your bedtime routine, invite your children into a time of reflection about their day, maybe by saying, "Did you know that God really wants to know what happened in your day today, and that God is always listening whenever you need to tell God something?" Then continue with these questions:
1) What are some things that happened today that you want to tell God about?
2) What is one happy thing that happened today? What is one sad thing that happened today?
3) Did you see God or feel God with you when those things were happening? Where did you see or feel God when those things happened today?
4) Read to your children this week’s scripture selection, then ask the questions that follows.
John 6:51-58
Jesus said, “I am the living bread from heaven. If you take me into your life, you will live forever. The bread I give so that everyone will live in my very flesh, my very life.”
The people listening said to each other, “How is this man going to give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus responded, “Believe me, unless you eat my flesh, and drink my blood, and take in my very life, you’’ have no life in you at all. But if you do, you will have a life that is eternal, and I will raise you up on the last day. My flesh and body will transform you. I will be part of you if you are a part of me. The Father who lives sent me here, and I live because of him, so whoever partakes of me will live because of me.”
Remember that your ancestors who were hungry in the desert were given manna, a form of bread God sent from heaven? They ate that bread, but they died eventually like everyone else. But I am the bread from heaven that you will eat, and you will never die.”
Did the story remind you of anything that happened in your day today?
5) What are some things that you want to tell God that you are grateful for today?
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: