TEN CREATIVE IDEAS YOU CAN USE IN YOUR CLASSROOM! USING SACRAMENTALS

PERSONAL INVENTORY One thing in my daily life that reminds me of God’s presence is: One memory that you have of your Catholic faith. One thing that you have that represents/reminds you of your personal faith.

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH SAY? Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. CCC 1667 Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church's prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. CCC 1670

SACRAMENTAL ACTIONS Making the Sign of the Cross Folding your hands in prayer Genuflecting toward the Tabernacle Bowing toward the altar Blessings

SACRAMENTAL OBJECTS Rosaries Statues Holy Water Ashes Palms Crucifixes Candles Holy Cards Medals

1. TEASPOON PRAYERS TEASPOON PRAYERS: TSP Thank you, sorry, please - teaspoon prayers! Perhaps the most simple way of structuring a prayer is to use the three words thank you, sorry, please. It can be helpful to give younger children a plastic teaspoon to take home to remind them of these three basic categories for prayer.

2. THANKSGIVING PRAYER CHAIN Give each member of the classroom a strip of colored paper and encourage them to write a one- line thank you prayer. Fasten all the strips together to make a festive paper chain that you can hang across your classroom or if your parish has a Thanksgiving Dinner – add it to the decorations.

3. EDIBLE ADVENT WREATH You need: 1.A Doughnut for each student. 2.Green sugar to sprinkle. 3.Purple/blue and pink birthday candles. Idea is from Catholic Icing.com

4. SUPER HERO BIBLE CHARACTER Create a comic strip about your favorite Bible character! Just create a comic strip template for your students! Let your student choose a character or a story to illustrate.

5. Creative Writing Using Sacramentals 1. Make sure everyone has a piece of paper and something to write with. 2. Ask them to describe the room, in particular things that remind them of their faith. 3. Then have them share what they wrote with one other classmate. 4. Bring the conversation back to the larger group – talking about the sacramentals in your classroom.

6. WHO AM I? ST. FRANCISST. PATRICK PATRON SAINT OF IRELAND PATRON SAINT OF ANIMALS AND ECOLOGY

7. WHO IS MY JESUS?

8.SCATTER PRAYERS

9. BULLETIN BOARD IDEAS

10.WHAT SHOULD OUR HOMES AND OUR CLASSROOMS LOOK LIKE? Display sacramental objects in a prominent fashion: Bibles, Crucifixes Holy Water Statues in your garden Make sure your children have: Scapulars to wear Own a personal rosary Own a cross to wear Books about the saints.