The Holy Family

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this lesson is to think on a spiritual level about our family. God gave us a family on earth to help us understand the bonds and connections between people who love each other. However, God wants us to be part of His family. He wants each of us to be His daughter and/or His son. We are His sons and daughters when we fulfill his commandments and do the will of God, which is to love Him and love each other. That means sacrificing for each other, praying for each other, encouraging each other to be better, covering up each other's mistakes, and helping each other. The saints loved God so much that they fulfilled His commandments in an extra-special way. They are daughters and sons of God in Heaven and they are heroes that we want to be like.

INTRODUCTION - 5 Minutes

How does a person become a saint?

Do you think a saint is born with extra-special powers?
Is a saint like a superhero, where they can do things that normal people can't do?
- NO
Saints are normal people, just like you and me
What makes a person a saint is how much they love God
While we all feel like we love God, saints love God so much that they sacrifice for him - some saints sacrifice their comfort, or their sleep (keeping vigil or praying the hours of the Agpeya), or how much they eat (fasting), or even their lives (martyrdom)
The more a person loves God, the more they are willing to sacrifice for Him and the more they sacrifice for Him, the more they become saintly

Sometimes, our families can help us become more holy

Our moms and dads might encourage us to pray or to read the Bible or learn about saints
What is "extended" family? These are people who are distantly related to us, but we are connected to them as family. When we love the saints, we become their extended family.
Some saints were so holy, that they made the rest of their families holy. You can do that too and encourage your family to pray every morning and every night...or read the Bible together...or go to church every week.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 2 Minutes

Memory Verse - "For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother." Mark 3:35

(Note this is the Gospel reading for the 3rd Sunday of Misra, usually around the Feast of St. Mary)

LIFE OF THE SAINT - 15 Minutes

There is one family that was perfect and taught us about how family can encourage each other and live in perfect love.

St. Mary, the Mother of God, lived in the temple from the time she was 3 years old until she was 12 years old. When she was 12 years old, she could not stay in the temple anymore, so the elders of the temple found 12 men from the Tribe of Judah (because St. Mary was from the Tribe of Judah) and took their rods and placed the rods in the sanctuary. A dove descended on the rod of St. Joseph and the elders understood that God chose him to take care of St. Mary. He took St. Mary to his home and was betrothed, or engaged, to her.

While St. Mary was in the home of St. Joseph, the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would give birth to the Son of God by a great miracle. St. Joseph saw that St. Mary was pregnant, but he didn't understand how this could happen because they were not yet married. This was against the law and he could have gotten St. Mary in trouble for having a baby without being married. Instead, he wanted to protect her and make sure she didn't get in trouble. He was so humble that he didn't think about himself or what he wanted; he only thought about how to please God and offer love. This is why God chose St. Joseph as the husband of St. Mary and the father to our Lord Jesus. He knew he was full of love and also that he was wise and patient and kind. Because St. Joseph demonstrated love by trying to protect St. Mary from harm, God sent an angel to explain to St. Joseph that this was a miracle and that the baby St. Mary was going to have was the Son of God.

St. Mary was the most pure, most humble, most sacrificial woman who ever existed. She trusted God completely and was perfectly obedient to Him. When the angel told her she would give birth to the Son of God, she was willing to do it even though she knew it would not be easy. She did not think about herself, but thought about how she could please God. She knew it would look like she had broken the law by having a baby without being married, but she believed that God would take care of everything and make it right for her. And even when she found out that she was to be the Mother of God, she didn't wait for people to honor her and serve her, but she went to go be a servant to St. Elizabeth, who was pregnant with St. John.

St. Joseph was so obedient to God and did everything God told Him to do. When the angel of God told him to take St. Mary and Jesus to Egypt, he arose and took them to Egypt. He spent 3 - 3 ½ years traveling from Israel to Upper Egypt, fleeing from Roman soldiers and doing everything he could to care for and protect St. Mary and Jesus. St. Joseph's life would have been easier if he had not been chosen to take care of St. Mary. But he had a loving and compassionate heart and he trusted God's will when he was selected to be the husband of St. Mary. And St. Mary would have had a much easier life if she had not accepted to be the Mother of God. St. Mary and St. Joseph trusted God that the baby St. Mary would have was of the Holy Spirit. They trusted God when they could not find a room in the inn in Bethlehem. They trusted God was faithful when they saw the baby who the angel told them was the Son of God being born in a manger full of animals and bad smells and without a bed or any comfort. They trusted God when the angel told them to flee to Egypt. They trusted God when they wandered in Egypt for 3 years, never living in any one place for more than 6 months at a time. They trusted God when the angel told them to go back to Galilee. They trusted God, even though trusting God made life very hard for them. They were able to do it because they loved God so much and knew that He created everything, controlled everything, and would make everything perfect in the end. That amazing faith, humility and love is what made them such tremendous saints, worthy of taking care of and raising God in human form.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

What are some characteristics of the saints that you know?
If we are trying to be more saint-like, what characteristics will we want to show?
What are some ways we can learn to love God more?
Can you pick one or two things you can promise to do every day until next Sunday to help you love God more?
Some questions related to family that can help us become closer to saints as a family of God.
1. Verses related to family of God (Eph. 3:14-19)

APPLICATION (Action) - 5 Minutes

Think of your favorite saint. This week, every time you pray in the morning and at night, ask that saint to help you grow in your love for God.

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Have students complete attached coloring sheet
Show students a picture of The Holy Family

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Encourage parents to help their child pick a patron saint. Parents should communicate to their children the ability to form a friendship with the patron saint, even though the saint is in heaven. Parents can also model the concept of intercession through St. Mary and the patron saint.
Encourage parents to buy and read, A Friend From Heaven to discuss how people can have friendships with saints in heaven
Encourage parents to have their child research the patron saint and to take their child to visit a church dedicated to the patron saint