Faith To Go Podcast: Being Open
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: Pin the Manger on the Stable
Supplies: Crayons, paper, tape, blindfold and scissors
This is played like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, except children will try to pin the baby Jesus and the manger inside of the stable. You can blindfold the children and spin them around (or not) and let them try to pin the manger in the stable.
Adapted from Sermons4Kids
This is a great template for the activity.
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) What do you know about Luke?
2) What sorts of stories does Luke tell us about Jesus?
3) What type of people does Jesus reach out to?
4) What does Jesus try to teach us?
5) Who is someone you know that lives their life like Jesus wants?
Dinner Time: Bearing Fruit
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- Thank you for this time of waiting
to be still amid life’s busyness
to hear your call amid life’s noise
to prepare a way in this world for you.
Thank you for this time of preparing
to clear away the clutter
to make room in my crammed life
to receive the light of Christ that awakens me.
Thank you for this time of awakening
to notice that that you are with us
to hear your voice in the night
calling us to bring your light to people.
Thank you for your light in the world.
I want to walk as a child of your light.
Questions:
Do you have any plants at your home?
Do any of the plants grow fruit or vegetables?
What do you think it means when Jesus wants us to bear fruit?
What is something you do that bears fruits of your hard work?
Who is someone in your life that bears fruit from their hard work?
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.
Luke 3:7-18
Crowds of people came to the desert to be baptized by John the Baptist. Sometimes he would yell, “You are just a pile of snakes! If you want to turn your lives around, let me see you do it. Don’t think just because Abraham was your ancestor you’ll get away easy. God could turn these rocks into the children of Abraham. You’re nothing special.”
The crowds said, “What do you think we should do then?” John said, “If you have an extra coat, give it to someone who has no coat at all. If you have plenty of food, share it.” Tax collectors, who used to cheat people, would come to be baptized. “What should we do, John?” John would say, “Don’t collect more money from people than you should.”
Soldiers would say, “And what about us? How do we turn our lives around?” John would tell them, “Don’t squeeze money out of people just because you have power over them. Be satisfied with the money you earn.”
John had filled the hearts of people full of hope. And they wondered if he might be the One they were waiting for to save them.
John made sure they knew that he was not the Messiah. “I just baptize you with water. The Messiah is much more powerful and will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He will make things right.”
The was good news to people’s ears and hearts.
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: