Today the children heard the amazing story of Moses and how, despite his shortcomings, he was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery. We learned that his life was challenging from birth, but with God's help he was able to become the best he could be, and play an important role in God's plan for man's salvation.
God performed many miracles as He took care of Moses and His people. He parted the Red Sea so that they could escape from the Egyptians; when they were hungry, He sent them special food (manna) from Heaven; when they were thirsty, He made water come out of a rock for them to drink, and after 40 difficult years, God led them to the Promised Land, where they lived comfortably as one large, free and extended family.
But along the way, the people became restless, ungrateful and dissatisfied. They even longed to go back to Egypt as slaves. They began complaining, and arguing with each other about what was the best way to live. And yet, God did not give up on His people. He gave them another chance.
One day, God invited Moses to come to a very high mountain and there he spoke to Moses through a burning bush. Then He gave Moses His laws written on two stone tablets - the Ten Commandments. These laws are a blessing. They are simple, but they are not easy. They are used to this day as a guide for us to live peaceful, holy lives.
Through this story the children will learn that:
1. We all are here for a reason. We are special and chosen by God. It is up to us to discover who we are and for what purpose we are here.
2. God will provide all that we need.
3. Just like the Israelites, even if we turn our backs on God, He will NEVER give up on us. He will never stop loving us, and will always give us another chance.
4. God speaks to us all in a variety of ways. He speaks to us where we are and in a way that we can understand. We just need to open our minds and hearts to hear more clearly.
5. God's laws are not meant to restrict us, but rather to free us from complicating our lives. It is not hard to obey when we love the one we obey.
New Words:
Manna, Mount Sinai, Commandment
Today's Class Activity for Fun Reinforcement:
We had a hat trick today in that we used a book, a song and a hopscotch game to reinforce the Ten Commandments. We will routinely refer back to the big 10, as we progress in our understanding of how breaking these laws is sinful behavior, and if we are growing spiritually, we feel both sorry and inclined to ask for forgiveness. This act of asking can be formally done through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, wherein we tell our sins to a priest and receive the grace to do better.
At Home Reinforcement:
Refer to the Family Fun and Enriched Learning Tab on this blog for a kid-friendly listing of the Ten Commandments. Assign each of your (of age) family members a specific commandment whose job would be to encourage a purposeful following of it, as you conduct your family business over the course of a week. The idea is for you all to become more aware of the decision making that takes place and to work hard supporting each other as you work to get better at living lives that are consistently pleasing to God. Celebrate when you catch each other doing right. Look for teachable moments when there is evidence of struggle; provide guidance and encouragement to one another, so that love prevails!
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