CATHOLIC SOCIAL TIPS
This week is a time when we all celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the birth of Christianity and for some, their own personal baptism into our faith at the Easter Vigil. The importance of this holy day is historic for your family and in the church. It’s a time to remember we have joined a family of believers that has endured for over 2,000 years. Each time we receive the Eucharist it is a reminder that our Lord remains in the world to feed our souls.
In the Diocese of Honolulu children will be accepted into the church as part of the restored order of sacraments of initiation in May and June. So many of our Catholic young people don’t have a real sense of being a part of current history. Technology can help young people see how their presence writes new pages in the history of our holy Catholic Church.
Create a slideshow, Shutterfly book or PicCollage of all the family members on the day they received their sacraments to share on loop via your TV or computer screen during the gathering after the special Mass. This will create a backdrop to foster conversations among family members about how they felt when they received their sacraments.
Make the party an opportunity for kids to create a video or build their own album celebrating the faith journey of the family. First write down a list of questions for the child to ask family members about their faith journey. Here are some examples:
- Were you scared when you received your sacraments? If yes, what were you afraid of and if no, what were you feeling on that day?
- What do you love the most about being Catholic?
- Do you believe Jesus is really in the Eucharist?
- What was your favorite part of the day you received the sacraments?
You can type up the questions and cut them into strips that can be put in a bowl for the child to present to a family member who is chosen at random. The child can capture the response using a phone to videotape the answer or use a Polaroid camera to take a picture; then, the family member can write a response on a piece of paper and attach the photo to it — to create a page in an album.
Talk about who the pope is! Share the relation of the pope to Bishop Larry Silva, monsignors and priests to the apostles. There is also a great book titled “Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World.”
“The saints were not superhuman. They were people who loved God in their hearts, and who shared this joy with others” (Pope Francis).
Introduce children to becoming a saint by having them ask family members what saint they selected for confirmation and why? Have them ask a follow-up question about how praying to a saint helped answer a prayer. Then have them Google the saints shared to learn what the patronage of each is, so they create a list to pray for their intercession.
There is also a cool tool, https://sendheirloom.com, that allows you to upload video taken from the day in a book to present as a gift.
Celebrating our sacraments, family Catholicity and membership in our holy Catholic Church shouldn’t be relegated to one day. The future of our church is in the hands of future generations. Model the faith to them and as they are on social media, be sure to share your faith on your social and encourage them to share their faith too as part of their social media story.
From my ohana to yours, Happy Easter!
Sherry Hayes-Peirce is a Catholic social media consultant based in Southern California.
