"Retreats are time set aside for study, prayer, activities, and discussion about God and His Church. Children can benefit from retreats as much as adults. Jesus would occasionally leave His followers and retreat to the desert or a mountaintop. Even He felt the need to get away from the world for a while." (from the Introduction)
This extensive resource is designed to be a Catholic answer to the Vacation Bible Schools offered by various churches in the summertime. As Catholics, we recognize Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition as essential elements to our faith. In this specific subject of the Holy Trinity, we cannot rely only on Sacred Scripture since the Bible never explicitly mentions the dogma of the Holy Trinity.
It's a Mystery! is a well organized retreat resource that provides very simple preparation for a rewarding retreat for one or more families. The retreat could be offered as a retreat/vacation week as a break from the regular school routine, as a summer project or adjusted for one-day mini-retreat. This program includes a complete outline for a week-long retreat centering on the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Activities are generally organized into three different age groups (ages 5-7, 8-11 and 12-15). It includes general supply lists, sample invitations, overviews, song sheets, etc. as well as extensive day-by-day schedules and materials. Each day's section includes an "advanced preparation" checklist, prayers, discussion/lesson outlines, craft ideas, memory work, recipes for snacks, opening and closing suggestions and more. The lessons and memory work include quotes and readings from the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a story of St. Parick and other prayers and hymns.
The huge appendix includes many photocopyable sheets, including: prayers, hymns, word search, maze, poems, art project templates, cooperative games, certificate of completion and lots more.
