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we have come. We likely will not even realize how much God has helped us to do so.
During the month of May, Pope Francis has asked that we meditate on how to care for Earth; our com-mon home. Caring for our Earth and one another. That is how we reach our fullest potential.
For this week I have offered an eco-friendly task or reflection for each of our grade levels to try. It is something simple and focused on the beauty of our world. Now is a good time to relish in God’s creation and ponder what we can do to sustain it.
May we all bloom where we are planted in this moment.
Many Blessings,
Jennifer Abdalla
When I was a girl, my family lived on a farm. Every spring, my father would plot out his planting guide on graph paper. He would carefully decide where to plant each vegetable. He knew which plants thrived in sunlight and which ones thrived in shade. He knew which plants grew best together and which ones grew best while apart. This is called, companion planting.
Even though my father did this year after year, he still planned his gardens as if it were the first time. When I asked why he did this, he explained that sometimes there are new challenges to the land. He wanted to be sure he provided each seed with all it currently needed to survive.
What occurs to me now, is that the seed is oblivious to the gar-deners plans. In fact a seed knows only that they are plucked from a dry place and pushed into
a dark hole. The seed does not know why it’s there. It is not aware of the seeds planted near it or around it. It does not even have the comfort of knowing the interventions my father made for their success.
There in the dark, the seed relies on what is within. It responds to the nourishment around it and just grows. It stretches and grows to reach the surface and onward to it’s fullest potential.
This week, as we celebrated Earth Day, I could not help but think of how the seed’s journey is like our own. God has made so many plans for us to thrive that we do not even realize! We have been companion planted in ways that bring out the best in us all.
While it is easy to curse the dark-ness, we should learn to trust our growth. Soon, we too, will reach the surface and marvel at how far
A Message from Ms. Abdalla
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April 27, 2020 Faith Formation Newsletter K-12
Growing in The Spirit
Jennifer Abdalla
Faith Formation
OLQP/STM
Inside this issue:
Grades K-5 2
Grades 6-8 2
Grade 9-12 2
First Eucharist 3
Confirmation 3
Children’s Liturgy
of The Word
3
Parent Resources 4
Our Lady Queen of Peace &
St. Thomas More Church
Greetings my friends! During the month of May, we will be thinking about our
environment and how to protect this beautiful world that God gives us. The good
news is that God will always help us to do what is right in protecting our world.
While we have been home, have you noticed more animals around? Maybe see more deer, rabbits, and squirrels in the yard? I have really been hearing the birds chirping! So
I thought we could build a birdfeeder for our friends this week!
Read this verse with your family: Matthew 6:25-26
Think about ways God provides for us, and how we can care for creation.
I am attaching the directions for making a pinecone birdfeeder for you to try.
But feel free to get creative with your own ideas for how to help out the happy
creatures you see!
Greetings my Highschool Friends!
Copy, paste and watch the video link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7td-nD5WLJk
Greta Thunberg is a young girl who has become a voice for climate change and pro-tecting the environment! In this video she meets Pope Francis who is also inspiring
people to protect our environment.
Greta shows us that young people can do amazing things to help bring awareness to
the world’s problems.
If you had the opportunity to meet the Pope, what cause would you be
advocating for?
Grades K-5
Grades 9-12
Grades 6-8
Greeting friends! I invite you, this week, to take a moment to watch the
Message from Pope Francis just for you!
In Caring for our Common Home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG-8fQ1-qN0
In this time of social distancing, let’s reflect on the needs of our world and
how we can help the environment.
What is one way you can personally help?
See page 4 for some ideas!
Page 2 Growing in The Spirit
Don’t forget to send us
your videos of your
prayers!
K-5- “Hail Mary”
6-8- “Our Father”
9=12- “The Glory be”
Help us to make a virtual
rosary for our parish
community!
Email your videos to
Greetings First Eucharist families, This week, while we are beginning to look at the Earth and the beauty of crea-tion we are reminded that Jesus uses “Fruits of the Earth and the Work of Human Hands” to come to us in the Holy Eucharist. Many people have shared that they are
“making bread” during our social distancing. But have you ever wondered how Holy Communion wafers are made?
I found a lovely video that shows us how they make this necessary bread for Jesus to become our Spiritual Food!
I truly encourage you to sit down as a family and watch this beautiful video. It is a touching reminder of how much Jesus loves us in this incredible mystery of our Faith!
The Making of Communion Bread for Holy Communion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dxpcu5Cdl8
(Just copy and paste into your web browser to view it.)
Be sure to ask our First Communion youth what they think about the video and if they have any
questions that you’d like us to answer, please feel free to email me at [email protected]
First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 2:14a, 36–41
The Apostles baptize thousands of people to make the Christian community bigger!
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1–3a, 3b–4, 6
The Lord is my Shepherd there is nothing I shall want
Gospel Reading : John 10:1–10
Jesus is the Good Shepherd! He knows His sheep and they know Him!
(These readings can be downloaded from the webpage on Page 4)
First Eucharist
Children’s Liturgy of the Word for This Sunday
Confirmation
Page 3 Faith Formation Newsletter K-12
Greetings Confirmation Candidates! I have a simple reflection for you this week.
Copy and past the following link in your web browser and watch the “Canticle of the Sun”
Francis of Assisi. Go somewhere that is quiet and watch the video. Then, in your prayer journal, or private reflection, think about what you saw.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUDFbgNrZ20
Points to Ponder!
• Why do you think St. Francis wrote this prayer?
• If you were to write a prayer for our world today, what would yours look like?
• What are some concrete actions you can take to protect God’s Creation?
Our Lady Queen of Peace
601 Edgewood Ave.
Rochester, NY 14618
St. Thomas More
2617 East Ave.
Rochester, N.Y. 14610
WWW.OLQPSTM.COM
Parent Resource Page:
Free Web Rosary Coloring Pages for our Virtual Rosary Project:
https://www.saintanneshelper.com/rosary-coloring-pages.html
Grades: K-5:
see PDF attachment to this email titled: “Pinecone Birdfeeder”
Grades 6-8:
https://adorethemparenting.com/10-simple-ways-kids-can-help-the-
earth/
Children’s Liturgy of the Word Readings for Sunday, May 3, 2020
file:///C:/Users/15854/Pictures/CC_OnlineReadings_05-03-20%
20Final.pdf
