There was a Reconciliation Workshop offered to the children in the Sunday Religious Education classes who are going to be making their First Reconciliation in December. These children included many second grade students but also those third, fourth, and fifth grade students who have not yet received this sacrament.
The workshop offered nine stations that demonstrated the many concepts and definitions associated with Reconciliation, Penance, Sin and Confession. One station was called, “A Heart for Jesus” in which each student was given a Tootsie Pop. The students learned that Tootsie Pops are like people; the candy has a soft center, (like our hearts), and a hard outer coating, (like the sin that surrounds our hearts). The children learned that you have to get through the hard outer shell to get to the soft chewy center. Licking the hard shell allows you to get to the soft chocolate center, but Forgiveness and Absolution breaks down sin (hard outer shell), and allows the heart, (soft center), to be exposed again.
Another station was called “Don’t Sin.” The two student assistants from OLGS, Justin Morgan and John DeSoto, enjoyed helping with this station. Justin and John were asked to walk a straight line marked with tape on the floor. The line represented their lives, the straight and narrow path to God. Walking the line was easy until the boys had to balance books on their outstretched hands and try to walk the line again. The books represented the weight of their sins on their lives. It became more difficult to walk the straight path to God when additional books (sins) were added to their hands to balance and carry. The students learned that the weight of our sins does make it difficult to follow Jesus. We have to get rid of our sins in order to walk the straight line to God. Of course the students knew how to get rid of their sins; by going to Reconciliation, confessing their sins and having them forgiven by the priest.
After the students viewed the nine stations, they had the opportunity to observe a “practice” First Confession. The students left the workshop with a better understanding of sin; how it affects our lives and Reconciliation: how Jesus forgives us if we are truly sorry and vow to sin no more.
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Click here for pictures: BLESSING OF ANIMALS – 2014
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Middle / High School Religious EducationIt’s Not too Late to Join the Fun, the Faith, the Fellowship! (Two Dynamic and Youth focused Religious Programs) Contact Nancy Reitz for more information: firstname.lastname@example.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Blessing of Pastoral Council Members who were attending the 7:30am Mass on September 28th
(Click on images to enlarge)
1st Day of Religious Education Classes for Pre-K thru Grade 5
Thank you for your kind generosity in helping those less fortunate at Easter!
40th Anniversary Mass for Our Lady of Grace with Bishop Madden, Fr. Sam and Deacon Jim
Advent and Christmas 2011 (Click below)
Eagle Scout Court of Honor (Click below to view)
Knight of Columbus Ravens Day Bull and Oyster Roast – 11-13-2011 (click to view): Knights of Columbus Ravens Day Bull and Oyster Roast – 11-13-2011
Blessings of Animals – October 2011 (Click to View): Blessing of Animals – 2011
Thrill to Grill Drawing and Winner (Below):