Whitsun/Pentecost

As we celebrate the Feast of pentecost , reminded of the coming of Holy Ghost on apostles and on us through sacraments making us the children of God. In other words it is known as white sunday too, Whitsun.

A few things we did at home as part of some zoom activity for kids and family for JY.

The paper lanterns we made on the day when we were thinking about holy spirit as our counsellor, friend and comforter.

Everyone was very keen to do something and celtic trinity sign was another symbol for to look at it. Children drew with munnu's help, bit tricky and time consuming though it looks easy which is the symbol of trinity.
On second day, we were looking at fruits of Holy spirit and annu craved a swan from apple.

THeresu and Geo were out in the beautiful sunshine in their mini tents and doing the gifts of Holy spirit in paper plate.It came out well

                    Geo's head band about gifts of Holy Spirit

One of the days , the learning was about Holy Ghost the third person in trinity. As part of it we did some doodling , asked kids to find scriptures about Holy spirit and made some art with it.

                                       Paper Origami peace dove made by munnu

Birthday of the church and some pentecostcake toppers. Gift of the Holy spirit art and craft ideas in catholic inspired and here. I like the pentecost windsock ideas for children. So many  colourful and wonderful ideas for the day, reminding of gifts of Holy spirit, you can make twelve fruit salad or tongues of fire salad. You can make the day colourful with the above treats for Pentecost celebration.

Britons usually celebrate pentecost referrred as Whitsun means Whitesunday, when it is believed the day of baptisms , people wear white dress . In anglo saxon term wit means understanding and wisdom which is the gift of Holy Spirit. You can white treats after H mass like white donuts, vanilla steamers.

You can either decorate table with red table cloth or runners and lots of red hot theme dinners.

Ideas for activities



Ideas for food
white food
red hot theme
flame crackers
Make a red velvet cake



Activites
windsocks craft is a good craft for the day.
Holy Spirit flame
Pentecost spinner is another beautiful craft to make
Making an origami dove.
colouring page for the day, doodle work

It is very fun to make an origami chatterbox and write down a few fruits and open,to practise daily.
Another creative one is making a stained glass craft with christian symbols.

Make a wind twirls and help the children understand the Holy spirit is there  eventhough you cant see.
 Holy spirit sun catcher to make
Holy spirit scripture wheel

Headband craft ideas for the little children which they love to wear for the whole day and even decorate with gifts.https://momonthegoinholytoledo.com/2012/05/25/pentecost-activities-for-children/

Trinity craft is really nice to make like a spinner.

Beautiful craft to assemble so learn the fruits of the Hspirit and we can all practise that virtue .

You can learn a few tips of other languages as when the spirit filed in disciples, they talked in different languages.

On the vigil of Pentecost was the launch of space x rocket launching and we were outdoor sometime
 to watch it.

                        HAPPY FEAST OF PENTECOST

Ascension Day

Our families have been celebrating Christ's resurrection for long and coming to the end. The end of the season celebrates the feast of ascension which falls on Thursday, 40 days after Easter. This feast has been celebrating by early Christians and by 4th century it began to spread around.In other words Ascension is the grand finale of all jesus words and works done for us and for our salvation. Key word we hear these days is power.

It is an ancient tradition to eat a bird because Christ has flown to heaven.In West Germany, bakers provide pastries made in the shape of bird.In England,it is time of horse races,games dancing.In Central Europe,people go on picnics and hiking.

Two things you can enjoy doing as part of this feast too.

Take a family on a picnic and if you can find a high point and have a picnic.This is an ancient tradition reminding of the ascension of Lord. Imagine,He invited them to Hilltop and is with disciples in their midst talking to them , while with them as blessing, He began to float up,rising to the sky while you gazing at Him.When you are with the family,you can ask children by imagining you as disciples and being listening to Him. How do you feel like listening to Him?. and when He says He will leave them? In the midst , He is leaving and two men there with you saying He will come back again.Think on the way back, what are we supposed to do waiting for the Lord.

We had a mini picnic in our front garden and enjoyed sunshine today with my Jo's yummy pasta.

 Last moments and His final words leave an impression to those with Him ,once His earthly living comes to end and we can ponder these words too on the feast day.

Mathew 28:19-20...''Go therefore and make disciples,baptise in the name of father,son...

Luke 24:50 says..''He lifted His hands and blessed them..''

Act 1:4-5..Christ tell His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come and be with them.

Act 1:8 Christ says The power of Holy Spirit will take them all over the earth, telling people about Him.

Activities you can do

• Making a kite with children and enjoy them flying.

• Windmills to make and enjoy.

• Making a parachute with hanky or piece of cloth.

• Wrap streamers of ribbon or tissue strips long around dowel and glue it around,and let the children run around with it..lots of fun.

• Blow up balloons,bat with it and let it fly with a picture of Christ on it so children can be reminded of ascension.

• Making an ascension craft.

•  Big kids can have this activity for fun lot of craft ideas here,here and tenkidsblog.

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    Ascension Balloon activity: 

You don't need a great revelation that if you let go something. it falls to the ground. There is an activity that uses helium balloons to help us understand Jesus rising up to heaven and His promises we can join Him in heaven for eternity if we follow Him. 

For this activity you need a at least a helium balloon, plus a picture of Jesus or colored one. First of all, try and get some heavy things so balloon won't float.  Like rocks, there are many things that are holding us down instead of rising to the level which God wants us in our lives.

Now replace the heavy object and with your picture of Jesus or light items, take the balloon out and let it go, Heavy objects will stay down  due to the force of gravity. However light things like good thoughts and deeds raises us all to the the level of our Lord's love and expectations. Watch as as your picture of Jesus ascends to heaven out of sight. 

Foodie

• Ascension jelly is super cool to do.You can find the idea here

• tiramisu is yummy which is a very fluffy and puffy italian desert.

• Heavenly Pasta is of another special meal for the day.

• Making a chicken roast for the day with white rice and ice cream as desert.

• Cloudy sky sweets /ascension cake- perhaps a light fluffy sponge or a meringue case filled with cream and fruit is a lovely idea too.

• Ascension pancake can be a swanky desert for the day.

• Fruits can make this day beautiful as it is reminded of Jesus the first fruit.

The three days before ascension is called Rogation days and even the days passed, still on Rogationtide. Rogare means 'to ask' , which is an ancient custom, to go around parish borders, bless crops which already seeded, asking God to bless it. You can even bless the indoor plants or flowerbeds by sprinkling Holy water.

Painting of ascension by Giotto was taken for art appreciation and saw the ways fresco is done by this genius.

Blessings of the day to you and family.

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima

The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima is celebrated on 13th May. In the spring of 1917, angel of peace appeared  three times to three young children Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco, in Fatima, Portugal. The angel prayed with them and the prayer should end the war.

Here is the coloring page by my son.

Key element of the third visit was Holy Eucharist.

A year later when children was tending sheep, a beautiful lady appeared to them and invited to to come to the same place from May to Oct on 13th of every month.

She gave them a simple prayer to say after each decade called Fatima Prayer.Lot of printables of Fatima prayer is available in traininghappyhearts.

The Lady said to pray rosary in a way it should be said on each bead and pray for sinners.  Another visit children had a quick glimpse of hell, another one in September, petals of flower started falling and on touching ground it melt down. On October, she revealed herself as 'I am the immaculate conception'. The miracle of sun happened as she promised, sun in the sky started to whirl, bounce, zigzagged, and dance around it, looked as if the sun getting closer to the earth and would burn everyone. The miracle of sun, shows the power of God and reminds us of stop sinning.The children saw the vision of Holy family too. The Lady asked to do penance, pray rosary and be pure

In 1925, the blessed mother and Christ child appeared to Lucia , if people receive Holy communion on the first saturdays of any five consecutive months, recite the rosary and meditate it for 15 minutes, on one or all mysteries, go to confession.Our Lady promised to be with them at the hour of death with all the graces of salvation. . Through the recitation of Rosary , we should never forget the love and life of Our Lord. First saturday devotion booklet for children here and here. A lot of beautiful printables and ideas on First Saturday devotion in catholicinspired.

Our Lady warned that sins that result in the most people going to hell are sins against purity. The children felt very sad and started praying with rosary, penances and fasting, believed that God would give a lot graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary as the Lady had told them and they also believed that the Lord had placed the peace of the world in Mary's hands. So let us make an Immaculate heart craft with children and to help them understand the love of Mother . But please let the children know that finishing the requirement doesnt just mean, we can do anything we want and reach heaven, these are an extra help to reach the tasks along with our hard works to be good.

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These are some of the works done around the Feast .

Story Board 

It is the good way to encourage children to offer each sacrifices they make, visit to blessed sacrament, act of obedience, to offer to console Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart for the peace around the world and families. Treasure sheet can be a good way to assist children to foster the love to the Lord and the Eucharist.

Our Lady of Fatima vege platter  is a wonderful colourful thing to prepare on the feast. Thought to make a pizza with the spinning sun.

Beautiful craft for the day, making a  spinner reminding of the dancing of the sun , miracle of Fatima.Making a Fatima booklet is something which children can work with of great interest.

Bigger kids can do research of different marian apparitions and have a research using the printables here

                   Our Lady of Fatima Pray for us.