Young Family
Pray!
Solidarity Prayer with Children
Light a candle and share this reading from Genesis 1:26-27 :
A Reading from the Book of Genesis
“Then God said: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that walk on the earth.’ God created people in God’s image, in the image of God they were created, male and female they were created.”
The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God
Reflection
Let’s look at each other now and think of the friends we know. If we are all created in the image and likeness of God, what do we know about God? We are all different shapes and sizes, boys and girls, different colors of hair and eyes and skin. Some of us are smiley, some of us are good runners, some of us are good readers, some of us like to draw and some of us love animals. We are from different parts of the world and even live in different parts of the world. We are ALL created in God’s image and likeness. Let’s take a minute to be quiet and enjoy how beautifully God has created us all…
Closing Prayer
Thank you God for creating us and for making each of us beautifully. Thank you God for all the gifts you give us and help us to share those gifts with others.
All: Amen.
Light a candle and share this reading from Genesis 1:26-27 :
A Reading from the Book of Genesis
“Then God said: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that walk on the earth.’ God created people in God’s image, in the image of God they were created, male and female they were created.”
The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God
Reflection
Let’s look at each other now and think of the friends we know. If we are all created in the image and likeness of God, what do we know about God? We are all different shapes and sizes, boys and girls, different colors of hair and eyes and skin. Some of us are smiley, some of us are good runners, some of us are good readers, some of us like to draw and some of us love animals. We are from different parts of the world and even live in different parts of the world. We are ALL created in God’s image and likeness. Let’s take a minute to be quiet and enjoy how beautifully God has created us all…
Closing Prayer
Thank you God for creating us and for making each of us beautifully. Thank you God for all the gifts you give us and help us to share those gifts with others.
All: Amen.
Learn!
Read together!
Here are some great books to share that will help children and families to connect with children from around the world and to help us understand that we are really all the same. This is a small sampling of the fine books available. Check out your local library, bookshop, or on-line resource - or ask your teacher friends if they have a title you can borrow.
The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane Derolf - This book we used with grades K-2 for October Faith Formation is a wonderful little story about how we are all different, but all called to get along and work together.
These books by Dorling Kindersley and UNICEF contain beautiful photographs and provide a wealth of information for kids of all ages:
Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Children Around the World (a new edition is coming out this year)
A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around the World
A School Like Mine: A Unique Celebration of Schools Around the World
Other Titles:
The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney and Annette Cable
We are All Alike, We are All Different by Cheltenham Elementary Kindergarteners and Laura Dwight
We’re Different, We’re the Same by Bobbi Kates and Joe Matthieu
Watch Together!
The Church provides us with a wonderful treasure in the 7 Themes of Catholic Social Teaching. Parents and older children can find some very well done, short videos about these themes at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt5PsPjJAk-0b9BYRHUAxnlKMIv7qyZca Watch them together and talk about how you can make a difference!
Here are some great books to share that will help children and families to connect with children from around the world and to help us understand that we are really all the same. This is a small sampling of the fine books available. Check out your local library, bookshop, or on-line resource - or ask your teacher friends if they have a title you can borrow.
The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane Derolf - This book we used with grades K-2 for October Faith Formation is a wonderful little story about how we are all different, but all called to get along and work together.
These books by Dorling Kindersley and UNICEF contain beautiful photographs and provide a wealth of information for kids of all ages:
Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Children Around the World (a new edition is coming out this year)
A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around the World
A School Like Mine: A Unique Celebration of Schools Around the World
Other Titles:
The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney and Annette Cable
We are All Alike, We are All Different by Cheltenham Elementary Kindergarteners and Laura Dwight
We’re Different, We’re the Same by Bobbi Kates and Joe Matthieu
Watch Together!
The Church provides us with a wonderful treasure in the 7 Themes of Catholic Social Teaching. Parents and older children can find some very well done, short videos about these themes at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt5PsPjJAk-0b9BYRHUAxnlKMIv7qyZca Watch them together and talk about how you can make a difference!
Do!
Here are some ideas to help children and families be responsible global citizens and followers of Jesus:
- Give your gently used, outgrown clothes to the poor.
- Give gently used toys to children who are poor.
- Visit sick, lonely, or elderly people who are in nursing homes or homes for the aged.
- Make cards or arts and crafts for the people in #3.
- Participate in neighborhood or community service projects that ask for volunteers to help clean up streets, parks, playgrounds, or recreation centers.
- Help cook a meal or make sandwiches for the homeless.
- Help serve a meal at a homeless shelter.
- Talk to the people at the homeless shelter. Be friendly. Help cheer them up. Tell them about Jesus. Tell them why you are there.
- Buy presents and food for children and families for their birthday and holidays. Save part of your allowance so you will have some money to do this instead of asking your parents for all of the money.
- Try to help stand up for or support a child who is being picked on or bullied at school. Do not be afraid to ask the teacher or your parents for help with this situation. Tell them what you think is going on.
- Learn more about some of the issues we talked about and more, such as:
- Poverty
- The environment
- Prejudice
- Immigration
- Free Trade
- World Peace
- Catholic Campaign for Human Development
- Catholic Relief Services
- The social justice work of Maryknoll and other religious communities
- Health care
- Voting rights
- Women’s and children’s issues
- Adopting a child in a third world country
- Praying for the needs our world!!
- Learning about famous people who devoted their lives to and in some cases gave up their lives for solidarity—people such as:
- Blessed Oscar Romero
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- St. Teresa of Calcutta
- Jean Donovan
- St. Maximilian Kolbe
- Cesar Chavez
- Dorothy Day
