Reconciliation

Networks of friendships and relationships enable human beings to live together. When a child's power to reach out, trust and make friends is diminished, they may suffer the effects for lifetime. Both children and adults have to discover their ability to reach out and repair what has been damaged. If human beings are are to live together in realtionships, there is always need for reconciliation. 

Christians believe that, in Jesus Christ, the world has been reconciled to God. Through and in Christ, every human being is offered the power to reach out in forgiveness and peace, to receive and to offer reconciliation. 

We have choice - sometimes we choose well, and sometimes wrongly. God helps us to choose well and to be sorry. God forgives us. 

Pentecost: the holy day

Pentecost is a holy day on which many parish families celebrate with a party. Jesus had returned to God his Father and the Holy Spirit was helping the friends of Jesus to pass the message onto others so that they might become his friends too. This marked the beginning of the Church, it's birth. On the holy day of Pentecost the priest wears red vestments at Mass. 

Holy Week

The last week of Lent is known as Holy Week. It is when Christians remember the last week of Jesus’ life and is the most important time in the liturgical year. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday (5^th April) and information about the events are recorded in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Palm Sunday Task - The Crowd: Short Play script/conversation – Imagine how people would feel, first welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem and then a few days later, calling for him to be crucified. Write a short play script between 2 people, discussing what was going on and what they think about it all.

Palm Sunday Task: Seesaw Online Activity ‘Palm Sunday Show and Tell’ – Pupils to retell the story of Palm Sunday. Alternatively – Pupils may want to paint/draw a picture of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey.

Maundy Thursday (9^th April)
The Last Super was on this day. Jesus sat down to eat with 12 other people. Those people were the disciples. Jesus shared his bread and wine with everyone. He lovingly washed the feet of his disciples. After the meal was over, Jesus wanted to be alone to pray. Guards appeared a short time later and he was arrested.

Maundy Thursday Task: Seesaw Online activity ‘I see... I think… I wonder...’
Task: The Disciples: Put yourselves in the place of one of the disciples. Remember that the disciples had given up their normal lives to follow Jesus and listen to his stories and teachings. Write a diary entry as one of the disciples. How do they feel during Holy Week? Which day are they doing to record in their diary?
 

Easter Sunday (12^th April)
Easter Sunday Jesus in alive.

Jesus death on Good Friday was not the end of the story. In the Gospels we hear how Jesus was given new life by God his Father on the third day after he died. We call that Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday is happy day for Christians because they believe that Jesus rose from the dead on this day. Jesus’ resurrection or coming alive shows that death is not the end of everything. Many go to church to thank God for Jesus’ life. Church bells are rung, and churches are decorated with flowers such as white lilies which are associated with Easter. The colours in the church change to white or gold which are thought to be the best colours.

Easter Sunday Choice of activities:
Task: Make an Easter card ‘He is risen’

Task: Holy week story sequence – either in the form of a storyboard or ‘Holy Week in handprints'.

A Simple Presentation for Year 1 pupils: 
1. Jesus is condemned to death. Jesus was accused of many crimes he did not commit. He didn't defend himself. He knew he needed to die for our sins.
2. Jesus accepts the cross. The cross was big and heavy. It was hard for Jesus to carry it. Jesus carried the heavy cross without complaining once.
Prayer: Sometimes schoolwork or jobs at home are hard for me and I complain. Jesus, please help me not to complain. I want to keep trying, even when I find something hard.
3. Jesus falls the first time. Jesus was badly wounded when he fell the first time. It must have hurt very much. Jesus got up and kept on going. 
Prayer:  When we don't succeed in school or when we lose a sports game, it can make us feel defeated. Jesus was hurt but never defeated. Jesus, I want your attitude of hope and victory even if I am not succeeding.
4. Jesus meets his mother. Jesus knew that his mother was sad to see him suffering so much. But he was so happy she came to him. Mary loved Jesus very much. 
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus. Simon didn't come to help Jesus but to see what was going on. Then he was ordered by the soldiers to carry the cross, because Jesus was having such a hard time. 
Prayer: Sometimes I don't want to help my friends or brothers and sisters or parents when I am told to. Jesus, help me know that when I do help others, it is like helping you. I want to be kind and helpful. 
6. Veronica wipes Jesus' face. Veronica loved Jesus very much. When she stepped out to wipe his face, she risked getting in big trouble from the soldiers. Her love and kindness overcame her fear. 

7. Jesus falls for a second time. Jesus fell again because he was so weak and tired from all his wounds. He still didn't give up. He got back up and continued. 

8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. A lot of people were against Jesus, but a lot of people followed him. They were faithful friends.

9. Jesus falls a third time. Jesus fell again and the soldiers didn't help him. They only yelled louder for him to get up and continue on. Jesus didn't get mad at them; he forgave them. 
10. Jesus is stripped of his clothes. Jesus wasn't ashamed because he knew his Father in Heaven loved him. 

11. Jesus is crucified. The soldiers drove nails through Jesus' hands and feet. They lifted up the cross and put it in place. Jesus was in a lot of pain.

12. Jesus dies on the cross. When Jesus died, the sky got dark and the ground started to shake. This made some people feel scared. They saw that Jesus was innocent and they had made a big mistake. 

13. Jesus' body is taken down from the cross. Joseph of Arimathea gave Jesus his own burial cave. Joseph was another one of Jesus' friends who took a risk to help him. 

14. Jesus is laid in the tomb. Even when things look very difficult and sad, there is always hope that God can bring new life.
Prayer: Jesus, I believe that you died and rose from the dead so that I could have new life. Thank you!

 

Come and See for yourself
Eucharist - Relating: Meals
The parish family gathers for the Eucharist (Mass), Jesus' special meal. We find strength in gathering for the celebration of the Eucharist and of God's love in our lives. 

The story of The Last Supper: the special meal of Mass celebrates the Last Supper. 
Luke 22:19-22

After Jesus died, his friends would meet together and celebrate as he had asked. Today, the friends of Jesus still celebrate the special meal at Mass. It is Jesus who invites his friends to share the special meal. They gather round the table of Jesus, the altar. After the gifts have been brought up the priest prepares to do what Jesus asked the disciples at the Last Supper to do to remember Him.

The priest repeats the words Jesus said at the Last Supper; 'this is my body and this is my blood,' overt the bread, and the wine which has become the body and blood of Jesus. This is Jesus giving himself to us. A bell is rung as the priest shows the host to everyone, which is now Jesus' body, then he holds up the cup. 

The Our Father, the family prayer of the parish.

After the priest has said the words that Jesus used at the Last Supper; the parish family prepares to receive Jesus in Holy Communion. As part of that preparation everyone says the family prayer that Jesus gave us: The Our Father.

Our Father who art in heaven
hallowed be they name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth 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 deliver us from evil.
Amen

Special People

We talked about people who help at Mass on Sunday. We thought about questions that we would like to ask the priest.

1. Why did you want to be a priest?

2. How did you become a priest? 

3. Why do you read the bible? 

4. What is your favourite part of your role?

We recognised that there are lots of other important people at Mass. Although there are people with special jobs at Mass everyone who is there is important and has a part to play, joining in by praying, listening, singing, by saying the responses and by going forward for a blessing. 

• About the times that it is necessary to wait and the use of that time - Explore
• That Advent is a time of waiting to celebrate Jesus' coming at Christmas - Reveal 

Acquire the skills of assimilation celebration and application of the above - Respond

We learned that a Temple is the holy place of God in Jerusalem where people can pray. Next week we will be hearing another story about Jesus, when Mary and Joseph made another journey to them Temple when Jesus was 12 years old.

Come and See - Belonging

We talked about different clubs and groups that we belong to in school, at church and in the neighbourhood e.g. swimming, Rainbows, Beavers, Choir, Rugby etc. We thought about what it feels like to belong to the group.  We used our ICT skills to design a badge to show ‘belonging’. Our School badge reminds us that we all belong to St Philip Evans RC Primary School. 

We recognised that Jesus loved children and welcomed them. Jesus said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”. Mark 10: 13. We added speech bubbles to the picture to record the conversation between Jesus and the children. We recognised that the children sitting near Jesus would be feeling happy and excited.

We talked about a new baby coming home and how it is made welcome in the family where it belongs. The Church family also gathers to welcome the new baby, who through Baptism belongs to the Church family. We brought in pictures from home of our own baptisms.

We are able to recognise and use some religious words and phrases used in Baptism, such as ‘I baptised you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of The Holy Spirit’. Next week we are looking forward to visiting the local church in order to identify the baptismal font.

Families – God’s love and care for every family.

Last week we brought in some photographs of our own families and talked about what they do and how they show love and care. We hung the photos from our alter and made a real life family tree in our classroom! During our collective worship we gathered around the alter. We had a quiet moment together to reflect on and appreciate: All that is done in the family to show love and care, and someone in our families we want to thank for loving us so much. We were able to recognise the stories and psalms which reveal God’s love and care. We decorated the thanksgiving psalm and wrote our own psalm thanking God for his love.

During this topic we have learned that;

• God loves and cares for everyone.
• We can trust God.
• Jesus was part of a loving family.
• The importance of prayers
• Psalms help us pray and think about God.
• God cares for us as a loving parent.

We learned about Jesus life growing up with his family. Mary, Joseph and Jesus lived as a family in Nazareth.  Mary and Joseph taught Jesus to pray and told him stories about God the Father. We role played in the home corner to reflect Jesus’ house.

This is one of the special prayers that we composed in small groups. This is a prayer that we can say at night time thanking God in Welsh