Faith To Go Podcast: Blindness and Healing
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: Blindfolded Relay
Supplies: Blindfold, objects or treats
Place some toys or treats in places around a room in the house. Blindfold them and let the other children give them directions to the objects in the house.
Talk about what made the exercise hard (blindfold, obstacles) and what made it easier (clear instructions). The gift of sight is so powerful, but God also gives us many other senses to experience our world with.
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 who is the blind man.
2) I wonder why a blind man can see better than the disciples.
3) I wonder if their faith can still heal all the disciples.
4) I wonder why the crowd tries to shush the blind man.
5) I wonder what Bartimaeus taught the disciples.
Dinner Time: How We Speak to Others
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 who traces my coming in and my going out,Give me confidence and hope.Keep me safe from darkness.Bless those who cross my path.Help me see your light in all people.
Questions:
I wonder why the disciples yell at Bartimaeus.
I wonder what it feels like to be yelled at.
I wonder why that makes Bartimaeus yell louder.
I wonder what happens to Bartimaeus.
I wonder what is something that you might struggle to see.
I wonder how Jesus can help you to see better.
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.
Mark 10:46-52
Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd. Bartimaeus was a blind man begging along the side of the road. When Bart heard Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” People tried to shush him, but he cried out even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped in his tracks and said, “Call him here.” So they said to Bartimaeus, “You lucked out! Get up because Jesus is calling for you.” So, throwing off his cloak, he leapt to his feed and came to Jesus. Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “My teacher,” the blind man said, “let me see again. That’s what I want.” Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has made you well.” Immediately, he could see, and he became one of Jesus followers from that moment on.
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: