March 1, 2022; class # 21 (Luke 6:39-45)
Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?"
Textbook lesson 7: How do we praise and thank God? (page 69)
CLICK for audio recording of this lesson

Let’s begin with the Sign of the Cross:

We are still in Ordinary Time, and the priest was wearing a green chasuble on Sunday. That is going to change because tomorrow will be the first day of the time that the Church calls “Lent.” Lent is the time before Easter. It’s one of the purple seasons of the Church calendar.

GOSPEL: At Mass this weekend, the Gospel reading was from the Gospel of Luke. It’s a continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain. We began reading the Sermon on the Plain two weeks ago. Jesus gave an important sermon. First, he told people, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” And then he told people, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Today, we’ll read from the 3rd part of that sermon. It’s in your children’s bulletin.

ASK: What do you think?

ART: Jesus asked, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” About 450 years ago, an artist in a place that is now the country of Belgium painted his depiction of this message from Jesus’ sermon. The artist was Pieter Brueghel, the Elder. He died the year after he painted this. The name of the painting is “Parable of the Blind Men.” The painting shows six blind men. The men are holding each other for guidance, with each man following the blind man in front of him. If you click on the picture, you will see a much larger version.

On the far right side of the painting, we see that the leader of the blind men already has fallen into a ditch -- a pit. Because they are all linked together, all will fall into the pit, one after another.

Next to the first man -- and ready to fall into the pit himself -- is this man. We see that he has no eyes at all.

And this is the next blind man who will fall. He has eyes, but they do not see.

And the next man looks up, but sees nothing, because he cannot see.

And then there is the blind man with the dark hat,wearing a crucifix around his neck.

And then the blind man with the light blue hat and his eyes closed. All will fall into the pit because they are blind men following the blind.

The painting is about three feet high and about five feet wide. The artist painted on fabric, a kind of cloth called “linen.” The paint that the artist used was mixed with glue. Because of how this painting was made, some of the painting has eroded over the centuries. Here is a portion of the painting that shows how the painting has eroded over the centuries. If you look closely, you will see a cow in the painting, on the right side of this portion of the painting.

SNACK: Remember our prayer before meals?
Bless us, O Lord, and these gifts that we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen. [cookie & juice]

Brother Francis video (# 33): What is Lent?

[6-minute video by "Adventure Catechism."]

What is Lent? The penitential season before Easter.
How long is Lent? 40 days.
What do we focus on during Lent? Repentance.
On which day does Lent begin? Ash Wednesday.
What is the liturgical color during Lent? Purple.

TEXTBOOK: This week we’ll do Lesson # 7. It begins on page 69. The lesson is called, "How do we praise and thank God?" So, let's turn to page 69.

SAINT FEATURED IN CHAPTER:
Your textbook has a little paragraph about Saint Thomas the Apostle on page 75:
Thomas was one of Jesus' 12 Apostles. He is called "doubting Thomas." Thomas was the last of Jesus’ 12 Apostles to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. Thomas knew that Jesus had been crucified and had died on the cross. Thomas doubted that Jesus had overcome death and risen from the dead. Jesus showed his wounds to Thomas. Thomas saw the holes in Jesus' hands from where the nails had held Jesus on the cross, and Thomas saw the hole in Jesus' side where a soldier had shoved a spear into Jesus as Jesus was nailed on the cross. Thomas put his fingers into the nail holes in Jesus' hand, and Thomas put his fingers into the opening in the side of Jesus' body. Thomas then understood that Jesus was God. After that, Thomas traveled beyond the Roman Empire and preached the Gospel as far away as India. There’s a coloring sheet for Saint Thomas in the coloring sheets that you were given for Christmas.

COLORING: St. Francis of Assisi bookmarks

CLOSING PRAYERS: Time to say goodbye. :-) [Distribute Our Father and Hail Mary pages.] We'll begin with the Our Father. You know the words. Read them as we all say them. Reading as you say them will help you to remember the words even better. We’ll also say the Hail Mary. Read it as you say it, and soon you will know it by heart.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Saint Michael the Archangel, please defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke the devil, we humbly pray. And do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

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