I’m participating in the Keeping LOVE in LENT
Blog Link-Up 2014, hosted by the Catholic Bloggers Network. We’ll
be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will
help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds
and how to carry them out with LOVE instead of
a GRUMBLE. Please scroll to the five hostesses’ contact information at the
bottom of my post so that you can click over to one of them and join in
if you’d like!
Walk a Way of the Cross Path together.
Last year, our parish built a Mary Garden on the
grounds that includes a Way of the Cross walking path. Lately, my children have asked to visit the
path after mass several times. While we
have yet to pray the stations during our visits, walking the path enables us to
reflect on the events of the stations informally. My youngest even uses the opportunity to
practice reading the names of the stations imprinted on the stones.
During lent, we may visit the path to pray the
stations, but we can also use our familiarity with the path to help us meditate
on one or two stations at a time. The
advantage of concentrating on one or two stations is that children can stay
focused on the intent of prayer time.
For my youngest, knowing that we plan to pause on only a couple of the
stations will keep her interested in participating, since her favorite thing to
do is run through the path.
Even if you don’t have access to a Stations
pathway, you could ask your children to draw or design one on paper. What would they like to see in a Stations
garden, in the form of plants, flowers, statues, crosses, or benches?
Make a Stations of the Cross Box of objects.
Last year, for our contribution to weekly Stations
of the Cross hosted by our Catholic Moms group, I collected a portable set of
objects we could carry with us, one object for each station. This is not a new idea; I learned about it
from several other blogs, and based our collection pictured below on the list
at Family
Feast and Feria.
As you can see from the contents of our
collection, Jennifer’s list of portable Stations objects uses items you
probably already have on hand, or could easily make. I gave the list to my oldest daughter and
asked her to look for the objects. She
even drew the face of Jesus herself on a piece of old t-shirt. The list is only one of the activities you will
find at Jennifer’s
post. She also includes a long list of resources
for printable images and coloring pages of the Stations.
If you pray the Stations in a group, the younger
children can take turns holding up the object that represents each station
while an older child reads the prayer.
This way, everyone can get involved.
Many blessings to you for a prayerful Lenten season.
If you like what you have read here, please
subscribe using your favorite reader or via e-mail in the box at the top of the
right sidebar. You might also be
interested in some of my other Lenten posts:
Meatless Meals Stocking
the Pantry for Lent
Annunciation Craft Angel
Puppet
Keeping Love in Lent 2013 Heart
Rosary Decades
Welcome to those of you visiting from the Keeping
Love in Lent Blog Link up and Follow Frenzy.
I look forward to your comments and questions.
Keeping Love in Lent Link up: Equipping Catholic Families, Campfires and Cleats, TrulyRich Mom, A Slice of Smith Life
Also linked with: What are you doing this Lenten Season?, The Thoughtful Spot, After School Linky, We Made That, Welcome Home, Weekly Kids Co-op, For the Kids Friday, Entertaining and Educational, List It Tuesday, Pinterest Party, 40 Days of Seeking Him
Also linked with: What are you doing this Lenten Season?, The Thoughtful Spot, After School Linky, We Made That, Welcome Home, Weekly Kids Co-op, For the Kids Friday, Entertaining and Educational, List It Tuesday, Pinterest Party, 40 Days of Seeking Him