Faith To Go Podcast: Suffering with our Neighbors
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: Faith with our Hands
Supplies: Construction paper, scissors, markers
Help children to trace and cut out the shape of their hand from construction paper. Help them to write “Love your neighbor” in the middle. On each finger, help them to think of something they can do to show their neighbor love.
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) Do you ever feel like the world is getting harder?
2) Have you heard a story this week about someone making the world a better place?
3) Who is someone that was kind to you today?
4) How does kindness make you feel better?
5) Why does Jesus want us to be kind?
6) Who is someone that you can be kind to today?
Dinner Time: Commandments
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:
Can you name any of the commandments?
Which of the commandments do you think are really hard?
Why do you think it’s really hard?
What is the easiest commandment? Why?
How can we try to remember the commandments in our normal day to day actions?
What is a small thing you can do today to follow one of the commandments?
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 12:28-34
A scribe had been listening to Jesus and the church leaders talking, and he was impressed with what Jesus had to say. So he asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the most important commandment?” Jesus answered, “This one: Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second most important is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” The scribe said, “You are so right, teacher. These commandments are more important than any offering or sacrifice.” Jesus was impressed and said, “You’re not far from the kingdom of God. I can tell.” After that, no one dared to ask Jesus any question.
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: