Lent

Q&A for Lent and Easter

Author(s): 
Theresa K. Driscoll
Kelley L. Renz
Number of pages: 
98 pages
Copyright: 
2006
Publisher: 
Our Sunday Visitor
Binding: 
Other
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 

This is a rather unique resource for Lent. It's a quiz book written at three levels of difficulty with all sorts of questions and answers about the Catholic Church's celebration of Lent and Easter. It primarily focuses on Church liturgy, with a very significant focus on the process of Christian initiation, culminating with the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.

These aren't the kind of questions and answers that you would expect your children to memorize in every particular. It's more of an informal format to discuss topics and potential questions relating to Lent and Easter.

Here's a sample page focused on Good Friday:

Level 1:

As at Mass, what prayer begins the Communion Rite on Good Friday?

(a) The Nicene Creed

(b) The Our Father

(c) The closing prayer

Answer (on back):

(b) The Our Father

Level 2:

How can we have Holy Communion without having had a consecration in a Mass of the bread and wine?

Answer (on back):

Consecrated hosts from the Holy Thursday celebration are reserved for this Communion service.

Level 3:

This is the only day of the year that Mass is not celebrated. Why, then, does the Church invite us to receive Holy Communion?

Answer (on back):

The Church's invitation reminds us of the importance of the Eucharist and of our sharing in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ through our reception of His Body and Blood. This reception of Holy Communion provides a tremendous opportunity to express our love and gratitude to Jesus for all that He suffered for us during His passion and death.

This seems especially good as a conversation starter for families to use who are preparing to enter the Church, but could certainly be used for families or CCD classes to simply discuss and familiarize themselves with these Church practices.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
2-11-2008

More Lenten Resources

For children

Some simple ideas to bring Lenten practices home for younger children: 

For yourself (some of these would also be great for older kids)

  • "Best Lent Ever" from Dynamic Catholic. Sign up for free to get daily emails with brief spiritual reflections, videos, etc. Only takes a few minutes a day, but really helps get into the Lenten spirit and prepare for the coming of Easter.
  • "Pray More Lenten Retreat" is an online retreat from Pray More Novenas. Note that the content at the link changes seasonally, so as we reach the end of a liturgical year, it will switch over to Best Advent Ever.
  • Magnificat Lenten Companion is an inexpensive booklet published by the same folks who bring us the monthly Magnificat to help us participate in the Church's liturgical prayers. Available in English (regular & large print) as well as Spanish, the Companion offers daily reflections to help us pray through this penitential season of preparation.
  • Revival: A Lenten Devotional for Eucharistic Renewal is a devotional for Eucharistic Renewal, providing daily reflections to rekindle a living relationship with Jesus. The brief reflections provide insights and reflections for the entire day. They are authored by individuals close to the National Eucharistic Revival and are ideal for individual daily reflection during the season of Lent; they can also be used by couples or small groups.
  • "Set Free" with Fr. Josh Johnson (Ascension Press) offers daily Lenten reflections for adults focused on overcoming the seven deadly sins and thereby prepare our hearts for Easter. The goal is to help us identify the action of the deadly sins in our own lives and uproot them with the help of specific fasts, praying with Scripture, and surrendering them to God. It also includes a step-by-step examination of conscience to make confessions more fruitful. Free.

 

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