First Reconciliation
Welcome to our First Reconciliation preparation for the year ahead. We are delighted that you are joining us. We begin with preparing for First Reconciliation in which we meet Jesus and allow him to make clean our souls. Then we journey on later to First Holy Communion,
First Reconciliation
Preparation Weeks
Things that may be of interest
Children's Liturgy
at Sunday 9am Mass
During our Sunday 9am Mass we have a Children’s Liturgy led by our amazing team of volunteers. It is the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel for all children under 11 years old. Children’s Liturgy runs during term time, listen out for the invitation at the start of Mass for all children to come forward.
Dates for the journey ahead
Tues 24th Sept
Parents gathering 7:30pm in the Parish Centre Hall. A welcome to the prep, get to know how the prep will work and how to get the most from this journey ahead.
Sat 5th Oct
Groups for children – groups and their timing are allocated and sent by email
Week of 7th Oct
Week 2 online prep – We send you the online prep for this week.
Week of 30th Sept
Online preparation begins – We send you the first week of our prep.
Sun 6th Oct
9am Family Mass in the Church (children go to Baptismal font)
Week of 14th Oct
Week 3 online prep – We send you the online prep for this week.
21st Oct - 2nd Nov
Break from preparation
There’s a two week break from our preparation. Enjoy the break.
Sun 3rd Nov
All Saints Family Day – 12pm Mass and meeting afterwards in the Parish Hall for Bring & Share lunch and Family Activities.
Week of 11th Nov
Week 4 online prep – We send you the online prep for this week.
Sun 17th Nov
9am Family Mass in the Church (children go to Baptismal font)
Week of 25th Nov
Week 6 online prep – We send you the online prep for this week.
Sun 1st Dec
9am Family Mass in the Church (children go to Baptismal font)
Sun 15th Dec
Christmas Family Day – 12pm Mass and meeting afterwards in the Parish Hall for Bring & Share lunch and Family Activities.
Week of 4th Nov
Family Week online – This week is all about spending time as a family and breaking open the Family Day.
Sat 16th Nov
Groups for children – groups and their timing are allocated and sent by email
Week of 18th Nov
Week 5 online prep – We send you the online prep for this week.
Sat 30th Nov
Groups for children – groups and their timing are allocated and sent by email
Week of 7th Dec
Week 7 online prep – We send you the online prep for this week.
16th Dec - 5th Jan
Break from preparation
There’s a long break for Christmas. Enjoy family time together, celebrating the birth of Jesus this Christmas.. Enjoy the break.
Weeks of 6th Jan & 13th Jan
First Reconciliation How To – These two weeks are looking at the how to of First Reconciliation.
Sat 11th Jan
Groups for children – groups and their timing are allocated and sent by email
Sat 18th Jan
First Reconciliations take place – groups and their timing are allocated and sent by email
Get in touch
formation@ealingabbey.org.uk
Tues 7th Jan
Parents gathering 7:30pm in the Parish Centre Hall. We run through how the First Reconciliations will go in the Parish and we equip you as parents to prepare your little one for this joy filled moment.
Sun 12th Jan
9am Family Mass in the Church (children go to Baptismal font)
Week of 20th Jan
Week 8 online prep – We send you the online prep for this week.
27th Jan - 2nd Feb
Break from preparation
There’s a break after the First Reconciliations. We then will look towards First Holy Communion and our preparation for that.
Your preparation
First Reconciliation - Week 1
WEEK 1 – WHO CREATED THE UNIVERSE?
Today we will learn that nothing existed before God. He created everything out of perfect love — the heavens and the earth. God rejoices in all his creation, but he especially rejoices in his creation of you
Let us pray
Prayer means talking to God. Think of the different ways you talk to a friend or your mum or dad. There are just as many ways to talk to God — and maybe more! Today, let us thank God for the good things he has given us and ask him for the things we need. We will also ask him to help other people.
1.1 My Timeline
Bring this activity on Saturday 5th Oct
The very first book of the Bible tells us that God created everything. God created the sun, the moon, and the stars. He created the earth and all the plants and animals, and he created you. God loves you and cares about you. God has a plan for your life.
Get a piece of paper and some pencils/colours, you’re going to create a timeline of your life, something like the below. Think of the big events—when you were born, when you moved to your house, your first day of school, when your little brother or sister was born, a special trip or holiday, and any other important events. Draw a picture to go with each event.
1.3 God wants us to know Him
Talk it out with your parent
What do you think is the most amazing thing God created?
How do you think God feels about you?
1.5 Video
Talk it out with your parent
Why should we take care of the earth?
What are some ways that you can see God present around your home or school?
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in Heaven, you made everything and called it good. you made us in your image, and you love us. Thank you for this beautiful world. Teach us to know you and love you. In the name of Jesus your Son. Amen.
1.2 Have you ever wondered, where the world came from?
In the beginning, before anything existed, there was only God. God is eternal which means he always was and always will be. God has no beginning and no end.
God is a Trinity. That means there is one God in three persons. The three persons are Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The first book of the Bible is called Genesis. It means “beginning.” This book tells us how God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. God made everything, light, the sky, the stars, trees, plants, flowers, animals. Everything.
And then, God made humans, he made Adam and Eve. They were made in God’s image and likeness, and God created them out of love, just like you and me!
God made the world beautiful and good. God made the world for us to enjoy and He gave us all a special plan within this world.
Talk it out with your parent
What do you think is the most amazing thing God created?
How do you think God feels about you?
1.4 God creates us in His image and likeness
God is perfect, he created a world that is perfect and created Adam and Eve perfect and placed them in the perfect Garden of Eden. There was no sin or sickness or sadness. God created this perfect world so we could love him and live happily with him forever.
God created us all in his image and likeness. That means we have a mind that can know God and other amazing things. It also means we have free will. This means we can choose what is good.
Body and Soul
We all have a body and a soul. Your body is the part you can see. Your body runs, sits, show love to others. You soul is the invisible part. Your thoughts, your free will to choose good, your hopes, your feelings, your prayers, these are all part of your soul.
Your body and soul help you to know God and to be in friendship with God now and in Heaven to come.
Closing Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, You made the day and night, the earth and sky, the birds and animals, and every living thing. And you made Adam and Eve in your image and likeness. Thank you for creating us, and thank you for creating this amazing world. Bless our families, our teachers, and our friends. Help us to love them as you love us. In the name of Jesus your Son. Amen.
First Reconciliation - Week 2
WEEK 2 – WHAT HAPPENED TO GOD’S PLAN?
Today we will hear the story of how Adam and Eve disobeyed God and hurt their friendship with him. We will see that this is how sin came into the world. Finally, we will learn that Jesus came to save us from sin so that we can be close friends with God again
2.1 The Creation of YOU!
Keep this activity safe and display it somewhere.
God created you in his image and likeness. God created you out of love. There is only one you AND there will only every be one you! How amazing is that. You are completely unique.
What are some of the best things about you? What do you offer this world, your family, your friends, your church, your community?
Get a piece of paper and fill in the blanks with words. You can use some of the words listed below or you can think of your own words. This is a recipe that used all the special ingredients that make up you. When you have finished, get someone else in your family to have a go and then compare your answers to see how alike and how different you are.
2.3 Talk it out with your parent
Have you ever done something wrong and tried to hide it?
What are some of the ways that God shows you he cares for you? How can you show him you love him?
God’s rescue mission
The devil was once a good angel. But he didn’t want to do what God asked, so he turned against God and got other angels to turn against God too. It was very sad.
The devil wants people to hate God too. But God had a plan. God told Adam and Eve about this plan, that one day a saviour would come to defeat the devil.
That promise was fulfilled by Jesus. Jesus’ name means “God saves.” Jesus loves us so much, he dies for us on the Cross but rises from the dead. This is what saves us. It is amazing news isn’t it! It is Good News, or Gospel.
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in Heaven, you created us to love you, and you are sad when we sin. Teach us how to always love you and stay close to you so that we may be happy with you forever. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
2.2 Have you ever wondered, what sin is and where it came from?
God loved Adam and Eve. God gave Adam and Eve the Garden of Eden, where they could live with God happily forever. It was a beautiful garden. There was no sin, no sickness, and no sadness there at all.
God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed. There was just one thing that God told Adam and Eve not to do. God told them not to eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
One day, the devil came into the garden in the form of a serpent. The serpent lied to Adam and Eve about God. He told them it would be okay if they ate the fruit God told them not to eat.
Adam and Eve took the fruit and they ate it. Suddenly they were frightened and ashamed, so they hid away from God.
This was the first sin, the Original Sin. Adam and Eve did something they knew they shouldn’t because they knew it would hurt their friendship with God, with each other and hurt themselves.
After this happened Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden. For the first time Adam and Eve faced pain, sickness and difficulties. This very sad event is called The Fall.
But God still loved them. God did not want Adam and Eve to live in this way so God promised that He would one day send a saviour, a Messiah, who would defeat the serpent and bring Adam and Eve, and all of us, back to friendship with God again.
Just as God loved Adam and Eve, God loves you very much too. And God wants us to know him and love him too.
When you listen to Bible stories, see how God cares for his people, showing them how to grow and love him.
God kept his promise to Adam and Eve. When the time was right, God sent his Son, Jesus, as our Saviour. Jesus comes to bring us to friendship with God.
2.4 Video
First Reconciliation - Week 3
WEEK 3 – GOD’S TIMELINE
Today we will learn how much God wants a relationship with us. We will learn the stories of Noah, Abraham and Sarah and Moses.
We will see how God cares for his people and wants them to be close to him. We can see God’s love at work in each of the stories we will hear today.
3.1 God's love
Keep this activity and bring it with you on Saturday 16th Nov.
Find a piece of paper and draw a picture of a time when you felt God’s love. Explain where you were, how it happened, and how it made you feel. There is an example below that you can print/follow.
3.3 God wants us to trust him
Many times people do wrong things because they stop listening to God or they stop trusting God.
Many years after Noah there was a man called Abraham and a woman called Sarah. Abraham was a righteous man and Sarah was a good woman, they loved God and did what was right. When Abraham and Sarah were quite old, God asked them to leave their home and travel to a new land. It would have been easy for them to say no but they said yes to God.
God promised them a child, which seemed unbelievable, but they chose to trust God and they gave birth to a son named Isaac.
Abraham trusted God, and God decided to make another covenant. Abraham was the leader of a tribe of people, with many people a part of this tribe. When God made this new covenant it was with Abraham and the whole tribe.
Wow! Do you remember from before what a covenant does? It brings people into God’s family. God’s family is now a whole tribe. It is getting bigger.
Abraham and Sarah are a great example of trust. Just like they did, we can trust God and let him work in our lives and amazing things happen when we do.
God is preparing something very special
Do you remember in one of our previous sessions we saw how God promised Adam and Eve that he would send a saviour? Well God is preparing for that moment by walking alongside a couple, a family, a tribe, to prepare them.
But they aren’t ready yet for that saviour.
3.5 Rules to live by
One day, a baby boy was born called Moses. God chose Moses to rescue Israel from slavery and bring them out of Egypt. God tried to reach Pharaoh’s heart to change him by sending signs and plagues. But Pharaoh didn’t listen.
Then one night Moses and the people escaped. God then made a covenant with Moses and the nation. God’s family had now reached the size of a nation.
Rules can be good
God gave the people Ten Commandments. The commandments are rules to live by. They were to show this new nation of Israel how to live at peace with one another, how to love God, what was right and what was wrong.
These rules are like the rules your parents and family have for you. They are to keep you safe and happy. We still live by the Ten Commandments today. We are going to be learning about these in our children’s gathering on Saturday 11th November.
Closing prayer
Father in heaven, Sometimes we disobey you, like Adam and Eve. We know it makes you sad when we sin. It makes us sad, too. Thank you for sending Jesus to show us how much you love us. Thank you for your priests, who bring us your forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Bless our families, our teachers, and our friends. Help us to love them as you love us. In the name of Jesus your Son. Amen.
Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, you are all good, and you give us everything good. You promise us blessings, and you bless the whole world through the people who love you. Teach us to love you more and more.
In the name of Jesus your Son. Amen.
Let us pray the Our Father together.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
3.2 What happened after Adam and Eve?
After Adam and Eve, many people stopped listening to God and they were harming each other through sin.
But there was one good man called Noah. God decided he would work with Noah to bring about a fresh start. God told Noah to build an ark, a very large boat. Then God told Noah to gather his family, two creatures of every kind and as many other people as possible but others still didn’t listen, but his family did.
While in the Ark, God sent a flood to cleanse the world from sin. After the flood of water had gone, God made a covenant with Noah.
What’s a Covenant?
A covenant is an amazing thing. A covenant is a bond that God makes with people to make them part of his family. It is such a strong bond that it can’t be broken, no matter what.
The first covenant was with Adam and Eve, so God’s family began with a couple. Then God makes a covenant with Noah and … Noah’s family. So God’s family is getting bigger.
Talk it out with your parent
God is always asking the people to return to him, why do you think this is?
Why do you think God never stops loving you?
3.4 God's Timeline
Keep this activity and bring it with you on Saturday 16th Nov.
In the first week of your preparation you made a timeline of your life and the big events. God has a timeline as well and it includes everyone. Today we were learning about a small number of people who have been important in making God’s family bigger.
Closing Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, you give us the stories of the Old Testament in the Bible so that we know how you journeyed with our older brothers and sisters in faith. Help us to see you more day by day and to trust you more and more. Amen.
Let us pray the Our Father together.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
First Reconciliation - Family Week
Family week – All saints
This week we are reflecting about our favourite saints. We are going to look at four Saints together.
St Francis of Assisi
Patron Saint of Animals
When St. Francis of Assisi was young , he liked being with his friends and going to parties. And he dreamed of becoming a famous knight. But when he was older, Francis began to love God more than anything else. He gave everything he owned to the poor and lived as a beggar. When he found run-down churches and chapels, he repaired them. He cared for people with leprosy when no one else would come near them.
Francis made friends easily with animals. It is said that sometimes, when no one else would listen to him, he would teach the animals about God. According to one story, a wolf was scaring the people of a small village. Francis went out and spoke to him. The wolf grumbled. He said he was hungry and just looking for food. St. Francis told him the people would share their food with him if he promised not to hurt them. The wolf agreed and followed Francis quietly into town. After that, the people of the village fed the wolf and treated it kindly, and the wolf never frightened them again.
Francis loved God and everything God had created. He taught everyone that all nature reveals God to us. His prayer “Canticle of the Sun” speaks of nature as our family, praising God for Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Wind, Sister Water, and others!
St. Francis reminds us that the whole world shows us God’s love!
Fun Fact: On St. Francis’s feast day, some priests offer a “blessing of the pets.” If you have pets, you can ask God to bless your pets.
Talk it out with your parent
How can you be like St Francis of Assisi?
St Ignatius of Loyola
Patron Saint of soldiers and education
Ignatius of Loyola was born in his family’s castle, the youngest of thirteen children. He was a good soldier and was well respected. He fought bravely through his twenties and enjoyed the soldiers’ life. Then a cannonball hurt his leg, and he could not fight anymore.
While his leg was healing, Ignatius spent a lot of time in bed reading. The only books in the castle were a life of Christ and some saints’ stories. As he read them, he came to love Christ. He wondered why he had been fighting for worldly fame when he could be fighting for Christ. Instead of dreaming of knights and ladies, he began to dream about Jesus and Mary.
Ignatius gave his life to Christ. With six friends, he founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). He is especially well known for his teachings on prayer and for “finding God in all things.”
One of St. Ignatius’ prayers is the daily examen. It is a way of looking back over your day with Jesus. You should try it. Ask God to send His Holy Spirit, then go through your day, where was God in each moment?
Fun Fact: When St. Ignatius was thirty-three years old, he went back to school with children to learn Latin. He was the only adult in his class!
Talk it out with your parent
How can you be brave like St Ignatius of Loyola?
Closing Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, Thank you for these four Saints. We ask you to send your Holy Spirit into us that we may love you like they did. Amen.
Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, the Saints are our older brothers and sisters in the faith. You invite us to get to know them more so that we can know you more. Fill us with awe and love of
St Therese of Lisieux
Patron Saint of people who pray for priests and florists.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux was a young nun who loved God very much. She did not try to do important things. Instead, she followed her “little way,” doing small things for other people with love—small acts of kindness, chores, and simple tasks to help others and show them God’s love.
St. Thérèse loved nature. She saw people as beautiful flowers in God’s garden. She called herself “the Little Flower,” like a simple wildflower that makes Jesus happy.
Like all of us, Thérèse had moments when it was hard to do what was right. For example, she found one of the other nuns in her convent very annoying. Thérèse promised God she would pray for the other nun every time she felt annoyed. When Thérèse prayed, she listed all the good things she could think of about the other nun. She became more patient with the nun and came to love her dearly.
Thérèse lived a holy life doing simple, helpful things for other people and offering them to God.
Fun Fact: At the end of her life, Thérèse said, “I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth.” People say that when you ask her for help, Thérèse will send roses to show that she heard your prayers. So look for roses the next time you ask St. Thérèse to help you!
Talk it out with your parent
How can you love God and the people around you in little ways that are filled with love?
Mother Teresa
Patron Saint of World Youth Day
Mother Teresa spent most of her life in India. She knew we are called to care for one another. She knew that the best way to love God is to love your neighbour.
Mother Teresa loved God very much. She spent her life caring for people who were very sick and very poor. Many were dying. Many had sicknesses that spread easily, and some had been abandoned on the streets. Mother Teresa saw Jesus’ face in the face of each person. She cared for them as if they were Jesus.
Mother Teresa believed we can all help others. One night she took some rice to a Hindu family with eight children. They had not eaten for a long time. The mother took the rice from Mother Teresa, divided it in half, and went outside with one portion. When she came back, Mother Teresa asked her where she had gone. The mother had given half the rice to the Muslim family next door because they were hungry too.
Mother Teresa started a religious order called the Missionaries of Charity. The sisters run homes for orphans, homes for the dying , and schools.
Mother Teresa wanted to be Jesus’ hands and feet on earth. Like a priest who brings patients the Anointing of the Sick, she brought Jesus’ love to the sick and the dying. She never worried about how God would provide for the sisters. She trusted him. She knew he would give them everything they needed.
Today her order has more than four thousand religious sisters. They work in more than six hundred missions all over the world.
Fun Fact: Did you know that Mother Teresa did not celebrate her birthday? She was baptised on August 27. She believed this was her real birthday because it was the day she was born into the family of God.
Talk it out with your parent
How can you be like Mother Teresa and be the hands and feet of Jesus?
What saints do you know about in your family?
First Reconciliation - Week 4
WEEK 4 – WHAT HAPPENED TO GOD’S PLAN?
Today we will hear the story of David and how he goes from shepherd to king.
4.1 God provides for us and teaches us to trust
When the Israelites were in the desert God provided for them and taught them to trust him. The people were eventually led to a new land that God had promised them. There, the people grew into a great number.
One day, the people decided they wanted a king so they asked God for one. But, God was already their King, the best King you could ever have. But the people rejected God and decided they wanted a king like all the other nations had.
The first king they had was called king Saul. He was strong, handsome, and a military leader but Saul decided he didn’t need God and became very prideful, he ended up hurting the people and did a lot of terrible things.
The people asked God for a good king. God said ok, and he chose David. David was just a shepherd at the time. He was a young boy and he didn’t look much like a king. In fact, he was the last person on earth that anyone would choose to be king, but God knew better. How did God know better? Because God doesn’t look to the surface of things, God looks to the heart.
David was appointed king and he became the greatest earthly king there has ever been. What made David great was the fact that he was a man after God’s own heart. He loved God above everything else.
Talk it out with your parent
What made David such a great king?
Why do you think it is important that God looks to the heart and not just at the surface?
4.3
When the time came, God kept his promise. He sent Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to live among us, to teach us and heal us.
Jesus also made a covenant. This time though, this covenant is even more amazing.
This covenant made God’s family the biggest it could be, it made God’s family into a Church. A universal Church family spread throughout the world. It is a Church that anyone can enter into. That’s why you see so many people from so many different backgrounds at Church. You see rich and poor, young and old, and people from all over the world.
The Church is God’s big family that everyone is invited to join.
Is it not amazing?
Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, you give us the stories of the Old Testament in the Bible so that we know how you journeyed with our older brothers and sisters in faith. Help us to see you more day by day and to trust you more and more. Amen.
Let us pray the Hail Mary together.
4.2 Things get bad
David wasn’t perfect. There was one time where he did something really bad and got others hurt. David knew he had done something wrong and when he was confronted by his friend about it David reacted in the best way. David was very sorry and he went straight to God to ask for God’s forgiveness and to put things right again.
God responded by promising David that one day he would make the kingdom last forever and then God established a covenant with David. The family of God got even bigger, to become a whole kingdom!
After David there were many bad kings. It was a very tough time for the people. The people started to put other things in their lives as God and it ended up hurting them even more.
But God didn’t give up on the people. God kept inviting the people to return to Him with all their hearts.
God knew that no matter how hard the people tried they wouldn’t be able to stay away from sin. They needed help, they needed God to save them.
Closing Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, David is an example to us of how much great God can do through us when we say yes to God. But David is also an example of what goes wrong when we start to ignore God and try to make ourselves great. We ask you to help us to love you more and more. Amen.
Let us pray the Our Father together.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
First Reconciliation - Week 5
WEEK 5 – JESUS HEALS US, TEACHES US, AND SAVES US
Today we will learn about the person of Jesus. We will look at Jesus’ life, his teaching and his miracles. We will also look at how Jesus saves us.
5.1 Portrait of Jesus
Find a piece of paper, imagine what you think Jesus is like and draw a picture of him. Put on the piece of paper some of the things you know Jesus does and what Jesus is like.
5.2 What was Jesus’ life like when he lived on earth?
So far we have heard about the stories of white a few heroes who have loved God but keep falling short. But God has been preparing the people for the coming of someone who can fix the problem of sin. At last, God sends his son, Jesus.
Before Jesus’ birth
Before Jesus’ birth, the angel Gabriel came to a young woman called Mary. Angel Gabriel was sent by God to invite Mary to be the Mother of the Messiah. Mary said yes. This amazing event is called the Incarnation, when God became present in Mary’s womb, when God became one of us.
Jesus was born in a place called Bethlehem. This was the place where King David had come from. Jesus grew up in a place called Nazareth with Mary and Joseph.
Talk it out with your parent
What do you remember about the birth of Jesus?
Why do you think an Angel was sent to Mary?
Jesus did many things
Jesus grows up to be an adult and he sets out on a three year mission. Jesus did many things during that time. Jesus preached about the Good News, healed the sick, forgave sins, and worked many miracles. Jesus taught people about the Kingdom of God and how precious it is. He taught about God’s marcy and how we receive it from God and give it to others.
5.4 Jesus teaches
So far we have heard about the stories of white a few heroes who have loved God but keep falling short. But God has been preparing the people for the coming of someone who can fix the problem of sin. At last, God se
nds his son, Jesus.
Talk it out with your parent
What do you think of the story?
What does the story show us about what God is like?
Jesus saves
A shepherd looks after sheep. What makes a good shepherd? One who cares for the sheep, feeds them, goes looking for them when they are lost. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. Jesus takes care of us, feed us and comes looking for us when we are lost.
One way we get lost is when we do bad things. Bad things take us away from God. But what does God do? God send Jesus to come and rescue us, to help us, to save us. Jesus comes to restore us to life with God, to take away our sins and to show us the love of God. Jesus is the only one who can save us.
Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in Heaven, Jesus shows us how much you love us. Sometimes we forget you, sometimes we are afraid. Thank you for Jesus, who finds us and helps us so that we are never far from you. Help us to know Jesus and help us to bring Jesus to others.
In the name of Jesus your Son. Amen.
Let us pray the Hail Mary together.
Hail, Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
5.3 Jesus heals
Jesus healed many people and forgave their sins. Jesus could do this because he was God.
In the Gospels we hear many stories about the miracles of Jesus but there is one in particular that is very important for you to know at your young age.
Four young people had a friend who was paralysed – meaning he could not walk or move. The four friends carried him to the house where Jesus was teaching. But a huge crowd surrounded the house, they were everywhere and it meant the friends couldn’t get their friend close to Jesus, they couldn’t even see him!
But they didn’t give up. They looked around and saw a way onto the roof of the house. They went up there, made a hole in the rood and lowered their friend down to Jesus.
Jesus saw the faith of the friends and said to the paralysed man, “Your sins are forgiven.” The friend got up, pickled up his mat and went home. He was healed.
What happened here is that Jesus forgave this man’s sins. Only God can forgive sins, so it shows us that Jesus is God. This also shows us that Jesus wants to heal us. Not just our bodies, but our souls too. Jesus wants us to come to him when our hearts are hurt and when they need to be healed from sin.
Do you know how Jesus chooses to heal us from sin? Jesus does it through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Why do you think Jesus wants us to go to a priest to receive his forgiveness? Because Jesus wants us to hear out loud that we are loved and forgiven. Jesus speaks through the priest these words – I absolve you of your sins. When we hear those words we know that Jesus has forgiven us for what we have done wrong and that Jesus will be with us to help us to stop doing those bad things.
Talk it out with your parent
How amazing is it that Jesus wants so much for us to hear that we are loved and forgiven that he chooses to forgive us through a priest?
Closing Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, Your Son, Jesus, came to save us from sin. He teaches us and heals us. He is always with us. Thank you for loving us so much that you sent him to die for us. Help us to love him more every day. Bless our families, our teachers, and our friends. Help us to love them as you love us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Let us pray the Our Father together.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
First Reconciliation - Week 6
WEEK 6 – JESUS GIVES US THE CHURCH
Today we will hear about the Church, where it came from, and how it leads us to Jesus. The Church is our home as a family of faith and it is our guide on our own journey to heaven.
6.1 Stain Glass window
Print off the image below and colour it in like a stain glass window with lots of colour. Or you can find a piece of paper and draw and colour the Church.
Bring this activity with you on Saturday 30th Nov for your group with your catechists.
6.3 The Church continues Jesus’ work
The Church is always reaching out to people, serving people, and making God’s love known in the world.
Let’s think about the Church, who is a part of the Church. In no particular order.
You have the Pope, he is the leader of the Church here on earth and he is meant to listen closely to God and lead by serving. The Pope follows in the role that Peter had from Jesus.
You have priests and bishops, they work with the Pope across the world to bring Jesus to as many people as possible.
You have all of us too! We are members of the Church and we make up a great number across the world. There are more than 2 billion Christians across the world, what a number! What is our role in the Church? Well we are meant to tell others about Jesus, wea re meant to share the Good News that Jesus has had victory over death and invites us into his family.
How else can we share the Good News? Well we can tell others that Jesus is present in their lives, that Jesus loves them and wants them to say yes to being part of his family. We can be kind to others, treating everyone with respect. We can do little acts of kindness for people.
Talk it out with your parent
In what ways can you bring others to Jesus?
6.4 Video
Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in Heaven, You gave us Jesus to save us. Jesus gives us your Church to teach us and make him present to us. Help us love your Church. Help us build your kingdom on earth. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Let us pray the Hail Mary together.
6.2 What happened after Jesus went back to the Father?
Last week we learned about things that Jesus did on earth. Jesus healed, he taught and he saved. Jesus is the only one who could repair the damage done by Adam and Eve and those who came after them. Only Jesus could bring us to relationship with God.
Now Jesus is getting ready to return to the Father in Heaven. What will happen to the people who knew Jesu son earth? Will they be able to live as Jesus taught? What will happen if they fall into sin? Who will teach other people about Jesus?
Jesus has a plan
Fortunately for us Jesus had a plan for this. Jesus knew he was going to go to the Father so he put a plan in place. That plan was to give us the Church. The Church continues the work of Jesus here on earth.
One day Jesus took the apostles on a journey. Jesus asked them a question, who do they think he is? Peter replies with the right answer, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replies, “I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.”
This is the moment Jesus starts his Church. Peter will be the leader and the other apostles will help.
Jesus taught, healed and saved. Now Jesus teaches, heals and saves through the Church.
Talk it out with your parent
Who is the leader of the Church while Jesus is in heaven?
What does the Church do?
6.5 Closing Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, Your Church is for everyone everywhere. Jesus gives it to us to show his love for the whole world. He gives us his Mother to be our mother, and he gives us the saints to pray for us. Thank you for your Church. Thank you for everyone in heaven and on earth who loves us and prays for us. Bless our families, our teachers, and our friends. Help us to love them as you love us. In the name of Jesus your Son. Amen.
Let us pray the Our Father together.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
First Reconciliation - Week 7
WEEK 7 – The Sacraments bring us God’s love
In our last lesson, we learned that Jesus gave us the Church. Today we will learn how the sacraments help us to be close to Jesus and receive God’s grace
7.1 Signs and Symbols
Find a piece of paper, draw a picture of a sign or symbol in your home that means something to your family. Something that has a story behind it. Maybe a photo, a crucifix, a football top, dried flowers from a wedding day, something like.
Display this activity somewhere in your home to remind you of this special moment.
7.2 Why did Jesus give us the Sacraments?
Jesus knew that he was going to go back to his Father so before he did that Jesus gathered his Apostles together. Jesus gave to them power to continue his life and mission on earth. That meant the Apostles went out into the world to preach the Gospel and bring the Sacraments to people.
Today, the priests and bishops of the Church follow in the footsteps of the Apostles, preaching the Gospel and bringing the Sacraments to the people.
Jesus decided to do it this way so that he would always be with us, helping us, strengthening us, protecting us. We cannot see him as he was when he walked the earth, but Jesus wanted us to experience his love and life. So Jesus started the Sacraments to be an outward sign (something we can see) of an inward grace (something happening inside that we cannot see). Basically, Jesus gives us his life and love through the Sacraments.
7.4 Sacraments are signs of God’s grace
7.5 Closing Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, You give us the sacraments to make Jesus present in the world. You give them so that we can remain close to him no matter what is happening in our lives. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for your Church and your sacraments. Bless all the bishops, priests, and deacons who bring us your sacraments. Bless our families, our teachers, and our friends. Help us to love them as you love us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Let us pray the Our Father together.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in Heaven, You gave us Jesus to save us. Jesus gives us your Church to teach us and make him present to us. Help us love your Church. Help us build your kingdom on earth. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Let us pray the Hail Mary together.
7.3 Seven Sacraments
There are seven Sacraments in total. You have already received one of them, Baptism. In the year ahead you will receive two more, Reconciliation and Eucharist. Let’s go through all seven.
Baptism – we are adopted into God’s family, the Church. Jesus takes away Original Sin.
Reconciliation – Jesus forgives us for the sins (the bad things) we have chosen to do.
Eucharist – Jesus feeds us with his very life. Jesus nourishes us for our spiritual journey.
Confirmation – Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit so we can grow spiritually and go out to tell others about Jesus.
Anointing of the Sick – Jesus heals our souls and strengthens our bodies.
Matrimony – Jesus joins a man and woman together for married life together. Jesus gives them grace to raise any children they may have to know and love God.
Holy Orders – Jesus continues his mission and life through the Apostles (Bishops, priests, deacons).
Talk it out with your parent
What happens to the bread and wine in the Mass?
Why did Jesus gives us the Sacraments?
How many of the seven have you heard of before?
7.5 The Eucharist is amazing too
What happens if you don’t eat for a while? You get hungry and you also get weak. It’s important to eat regularly.
The same is true for your soul. You have to feed your soul regularly. Jesus knew this and gave us the Eucharist as food so that we could be nourished for the journey of our lives. It is important to eat this spiritual food regularly, that’s why the Church says come to Mass every Sunday because there is nothing better than to be fed spiritually.
Up to now you have received food for your soul through hearing God’s word read aloud in the Bible. Very soon, you will also receive food for your soul in the Eucharist.
Getting ready
At School you learn lots of things and sometimes there is an exam to see how much you can remember. With the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist it is not about how much you know or remember, it about how open your heart is. Knowing all these things we have looked at is important but what Jesus wants more than anything is for your heart to be open for his arrival. Jesus arrives to you in the Sacraments, Jesus speaks with you (although not always in a way we might think) and Jesus wants you to be open to meeting him in that moment.
Talk it out with your parent
How can you get ready to meet Jesus in the Sacraments?
Video
Your First Reconciliation Run Through
1 Your first reconciliation
Today we will hear we will learn about how to get ready to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We will also learn what happens during the Sacrament. We will be confident when we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
2 Have you ever wondered what it is like to have Jesus forgive you?
Do you remember Peter? He was one of the Apostles. The Apostles were Jesus’ closest friends and followers. Jesus made Peter their leader, but Jesus knew that Peter was sometimes weak, like all of us.
One night, Peter did something terrible. Some soldiers arrested Jesus and took him away. Some people in the crowd asked Peter if he was one of Jesus’ followers. Peter was afraid and denied even knowing Jesus, not just once but three times. Peter pretended that he never knew Jesus at all.
When Peter realised what he had done he was ashamed and went away and cried.
Later when Jesus rose from the dead Jesus came to Peter and they talked.
4 Getting Ready for Reconciliation
We receive Jesus’ forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Receiving this Sacrament is the way Jesus wants us to know we are forgiven.
We know that on the day of your First Reconciliation you may be a bit nervous because it is a new experience. You’re probably excited nervous or a little bit intrigued or a little bit scared. That’s ok. Just remember these important things:
- Everyone is there to help you. The Priest is there to help, your parent is there to help, the volunteers are there to help
- It is good to memorise the words and the steps if you can, but don’t worry if you can’t, the Priest will help you anyway
- You can print off anything on this page to have with you on the day
- God loves you so much and is delighted that you want to go to your First Reconciliation. You’re showing him that you love him and want to get rid of the things that hold you back from loving him more
Some useful videos
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, It is hard to talk about things we have done wrong. Help us to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Help us be brave and honest about our sins. Help us remember that it is Jesus who listens and forgives us. We ask this in his name. Amen.
3
Peter denied Jesus three times. Now Jesus gives Peter the opportunity to say come back from that place by telling of his love for Jesus three times. Three times, Jesus showed Peter his mercy and forgiveness, Jesus drew Peter back to him. Jesus healed his friend.
Peter sinned, he was deeply sorry, Jesus forgave Peter and healed Peter and restored their relationship.
The Church continues Jesus’ work
We have spoken before about the Church continuing Jesus’ work. Well Jesus didn’t just want Peter to be forgiven and restored in love and healed. Jesus wanted each of us to have that opportunity as well. That is why Jesus gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Jesus knows we are not perfect, Jesus knows that we are like Peter sometimes. When we go to Confession, we are showing Jesus that we love him and need his forgiveness. Jesus forgives us and shows us how much he loves us too.
Talk it out with your parent
How are we like Peter?
How do you think Peter felt after denying his friend Jesus? How do you think Peter felt after Jesus restored their friendship?
6 Steps
It is helpful to think of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as 6 steps:
- We examine our conscience
- We confess our sins
- We receive guidance and gives us a penance prayer
- We say sorry to God
- Jesus forgives us through the priest
- We pray the prayer the priest gave us, thank Jesus for his mercy and light a candle
Handout – We have put together a sheet which we hope will help you. Go through the sheet at home as a practice. We will have printed copies on the Saturday of the First Reconciliation. CLICK HERE.
5 On the day of the First Reconciliation
Children come with a parent. Your First Reconciliation is a great joy so the close immediate family are invited to share in this amazing moment. All the family are also invited to receive Jesus’ mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation on the same day as their child. There is plenty of time so please feel welcome to go as well. It is an amazing example and witness to your child as well.
Stick to the time your group was given, we have spaced out the timings to allow for parents and other older children in the family to go.
Some useful videos
First Reconciliation - Week 8
WEEK 8 – Living the Life God wants us to
Now that we have learned how to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and what it does for us, we will learn about our call to holiness. We will also learn how Reconciliation helps us live happy and holy lives so that we can be the person God created us to be!
8.1 Holiness Habit Tracker
Go through this activity with your parents this week. See how you have been doing.
Have a look at the tracker below, print it off or create one like it. Make a list of the habits you would like to make a regular part of your life. Think of things like speaking kindly, being thoughtful, being generous, making time for prayer or helping someone in your family. For each habit, colour in a circle for every day that you practice it.
8.3 We are called to be Holy
You want to be happy right? Everyone wants to be happy. Your friends wants to be happy, your teachers wants to be happy, your family want to be happy. But what makes us happy? Some people are happiest when they are spending time with their family. Some are happiest when they are playing sports.
God created you to be happy too, and we are happiest when we are close to God. To be close to God is to be holy. When we are close to God we find that deep-down happiness, that joy, that lasts forever.
Holiness is about loving God and being close to God. It means following Jesus day by day, growing in love of Jesus and learning how to say yes to him. What is one way to remain close to Jesus? To seek his forgiveness often.
8.4 We seek forgiveness often
One way we can remain close to Jesus is to keep going often to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Remember before you went a few weeks ago, you felt a little nervous. Then afterwards you feel so much better. Well that’s because in that moment you have met Jesus and spoken to Jesus and heard Jesus say those amazing words of forgiveness.
We should go often to Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It’s how we allow Jesus’ life into our souls. It also helps us to forgive those around us.
8.5 The Way to Heaven
Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, You made us to know you and to love you. And you made us to be happy with you forever. Teach us how to be holy, so we may be truly happy with you forever in heaven. Teach us why forgiveness really matters. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Let us pray the Hail Mary together.
8.2 God has a plan for you
There was a prophet in the Old Testament called Jeremiah. A prophet is someone who speaks the truth of God. When God first spoke to Jeremiah, Jeremiah was still very young. God said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Wow! God says that he always knew Jeremiah. He knew what Jeremiah would be like, what he would do and what he would accomplish. God had a plan for Jeremiah before Jeremiah was even born.
It’s not just Jeremiah that God knows from very early on, God knows each of personally from the moment we are in our mother’s womb. God knows you from the very beginning and he has a plan for you, just like God had a plan for Jeremiah.
All the people we hear about in the Old Testament, and all of the people Jesus calls, and all of the Saints, they are all like us. They are known by God and God calls them to be a part of his amazing plan. What makes these people so great is that they say yes to God’s great plan.
We can be like all of these people by saying yes to God’s plan. A plan that is always good and fulfilling.
Talk it out with your parent
What can you do to say yes to God’s plan for you?
How can you know what God’s plan is for you?
God gives us many things to help us come to love him, trust him, and say yes to him. Can you think of any of them?
8.6 Closing Prayer
We begin every prayer with the Sign of the Cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Father in heaven, You knew us even before we were born. You care for us and have a plan for us. Thank you for your love and your sacraments. Thank you for your saving grace, which makes us kind and brave and holy. We praise you and bless you. Bless our families, our teachers, and our friends. Help us to love them as you love us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Car conversation for this week.
When you are in the car have a chat with your family about how they would want to be remembered if they became a Saint. What would they want to be known for? What would they want to be a patron saint of?