Although most children upon reaching the school age know how to make the sign of the cross, it would be well for the teacher to have the class make it several times in unison with her. She should make sure that all the pupils make the correct motions and pronounce the words clearly and with devotion. Teachers who have any difficulty in teaching their pupils the sign of the cross will find it helpful to adopt the method explained in detail in "The Catechists' Manual."
THE LESSON OF THE PASSION
I have often told you that Jesus came into this world to give us an example. What lesson does Jesus wish to teach us in His bitter sufferings on the night of His capture? Jesus wishes to teach us that we must bear patiently our little sufferings. People do not treat us as badly as we deserve. We have done so many things to hurt Jesus, we have disobeyed the law of God so often, that it is only just that we also should have to bear something for our sins. Jesus was God; He had done nothing but good to all. He healed the sick and helped the poor. He took pity on sinners and treated them with great gentleness. Yet he had to bear such great pains and sorrows. Should we not be willing to bear something for the love of Jesus when He bore so much for us? Let us try to remember this when anyone hurts us. How often you are hurt when one of your playmates leaves you to play with other children! You feel deeply hurt, do you not? You say, "I am not good enough for Mary any more. All right, when she wants me to play with her again, I will not do it. Boys have baseball teams. One side has a good player but the other side coaxes him away. Now if you were the captain of your team, you would feel hurt and perhaps call this boy a traitor, because he helps the other side to play. Perhaps you may even begin to fight on account of it . And Our Lord allowed Judas to betray Him to His bitterest enemies and He did not complain. Jesus was God; He could have caused all His enemies to have been struck dead on the spot, but He did not do it . He was willing to bear all for us. Try, then, in your quarrels, to think what a very small thing your trouble is compared to what Jesus had to endure. And Jesus was innocent, and you are not always free from fault.
Jesus Is Taken to Pilate
I have talked to you about some of the sufferings our dear Lord had to bear for our sins. I told you about the horrible sin of Judas in selling Our Lord to the wicked men who wished to put Him to death. I told you also of the agony Jesus suffered in the Garden when He sweat great drops of blood. Then about how Jesus was arrested and dragged by the soldiers from the Garden and how the Apostles became frightened and ran away, leaving Jesus alone in the hands of His enemies.
Jesus was now led to the Judge. This Judge was the Governor of the country. His name was Pontius Pilate. You say that name in the Apostles' Creed, "suffered under Pontius Pilate." The bad men wanted to force this Judge to put Jesus to death. But he would not do so, for he could find nothing wrong that Jesus had done. They dragged Him from one judge to another that night, giving Jesus no rest. Can you imagine how our dear Lord must have looked, when He was pulled along the streets by these cruel men? Remember that He sweat blood during the frightful agony in the Garden and that His clothes must have been sticky with it. Jesus had long hair and a beard - such as the men wore in those days. The soldiers and the other wicked men pulled Jesus about not caring how much they made Him suffer.
His clothes were torn, His hair was tangled and His holy face was covered with dirt. These bad men spit in His face, they struck Him and laughed at Him and mocked Him in every way. What terrible sufferings Jesus had to bear that night! Think what pain and sorrow Jesus must have felt when He thought of His Apostles. One of them, Judas, sold Him to these bad men, the others ran away and left him alone. His dear Mother was not near Him. Not a friend did Jesus have by Him during that long night. Every one about Him during that long night hated H im and tried to show his hatred by making Him suffer the most horrible things.
1. When my playmates leave me to play with others, I will not grow angry about it.
2. When someone hurts me, I will think of all Jesus had to bear, and will try to bear my sufferings patiently.
Dear Jesus, we shall make
A sweet bouquet for You,
Of all our thoughts and words
And everything we do.
Source: Practical Aids for Catholic Teachers, Imprimatur 1928
To be continued . . . . . . .