A Kid’s Liturgical Year Journal 2012/2013
In the Catholic church we have a liturgical year. This year is marked by the special “seasons” of the church–Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Ordinary Time, as well as other holy days mixed in throughout the year.
The “new year” begins on the first day of Advent, December 2, 2012 this year. The idea of this calendar is not to show the passage of time but rather to understand more fully the life of Jesus–from his birth to the crucifixion then our waiting in glory for his final coming.
Ok, I’m not gonna lie–it is a lot to understand, process on any level and apply it to our lives. Then in order for me to teach my kids or write about it I needed to have a way to work through it with them.
So I came up with the idea to have a weekly journal that followed the liturgical year. I love color so I thought I would coincide the weeks with the colors of the liturgical year. Thank you God for the gift of colors! God knows how to brighten our days!
My goal is:
- a new fun way to keep a gratitude journal
- incorporate the colors of the liturgical year
- be able to see Holy Days ahead of time and prepare to celebrate more fully
- mix up our way of learning religion–I can teach multiple ages and a multitude of subjects!
Colors:
White: joy and victory
Red: blood and fire
Green: life and hope
Purple: coming of Christ and penance and renewal
Rose: the joy of anticipation
This how the weeks break down:
4 weeks of Advent (3rd week can be pink)
2 weeks of Christmas
6 weeks of Ordinary Time
Ash Wednesday
6 weeks of Lent
1 day of Red–Good Friday Tridium
8 weeks of Easter
1 day of Red Pentecost
26 weeks of Ordinary Time
I’m trying to keep it simple and “learn as we go” so I will begin with paper in this order:
2 purple
1 pink
1 purple
2 white or gold
6 green
Ash Wednesday–not sure what color to go with on this day
6 purple (I will use a different shade from Advent)
1 Red–Good Friday
8 white or gold
1 day of Red for Pentecost
26 green
I used what I had in the house! I think it looks pretty cool! For Christmas I found some white paper with gold stars!
Ideas for study:
- at the beginning of each week write out the Sunday Psalm and see how that speaks to your heart over the next week
- Take a message from the gospel and apply it to each day of the week.
- Be mindful of where the mysteries of the rosary will be throughout the year.
- keep it simple and create a gratitude journal–counting each one–I think my kids will out do each other in gratefulness
- write a special prayer for each “season”
I am creating 4 of these journals–one for each child. I will let them determine what they want the focus of the year to be. For my youngest son I will have him pick one word (a concept word like-peace, hope, love, change . . . ) to be his focus for the year.
My intention for this form of study is that it will foster a way for the kids to develop their own walk with the Lord this year–but it has specific boundaries. I would hope that it will be a wonderful devotional for them to look back on. For the kids that I’m homeschooling it will fulfill religion, writing, handwriting, math (time, months, weeks, visually represent a year), reading (we will share our stories/prayers), art (either drawing or exploring Christian artwork, putting on plays), computer skills–if they want to type a week or two or print off artwork from the internet), social studies (where in the bible are we?), science (what was the weather like in the areas, were their bodies of water?, mountains, what did people eat, what plants were plentiful in different areas)–hopefully you get the idea.
I’m hoping that this idea takes on a life of its own and is a wonderful experience for everyone–but I have been homeschooling long enough to know that it will grow and change into something else.
Please let me know if you decide to embark on this activity and how it works out! If doing an entire year seems daunting than try just one season. Or if you read this half way through the year . . . start then!
Be Blessed.
What a lovely creative and meaningful project! I hope your children enjoy it.
How have you been since Blogtoberfest? I just wanted to let you know that I’m hosting another (albeit gentler and more introspective) blog challenge over the month of December called #reverb12.
Would be so rapt if you joined us!
There’s a little giveaway too. :-)
Details here: http://isawyoudancing.blogspot.com.au/p/reverb12.html
Take care
Kat xxx
Thanks–I’ll check it out!
Be Blessed.
Thanks–I’ll check it out!
Be Blessed.