Easy Holy Week Activities and Read Togethers

Okay.  I admit it.  I am tired.  Incredibly tired, and, even as my children grow in excitement that we are entering Holy Week and are just seven days away from Easter, I have yet to "catch" their energy.  

I just don't have it in me this year to spend Holy Week connecting the daily Gospel readings to artwork as we have in the past...

Our 2013 Holy Week and Easter Wall

...nor to take special mini field-trips as we've done before (such as going to see a friend's chicken and rooster on the day we read about how Peter will deny Jesus three times before the cock crows.) Thus, I am planning simpler activities to make the Gospel come alive for my children as we live this Holy Week. 

Envisioning the Passion on Sunday

Today's readings tell the story of the Passion, so, after going to Mass, we will likely retell the Resurrection story using our  Sensory Smart Holy Week Eggs ...

Our DIY Holy Week Eggs

...or our Wooden Resurrection Eggs. 

  {Disclosure: Some links which follow are affiliate ones.}

 In the evening, we will likely also revisit the Gospel of John (which we reviewed last year).

Plus, we will add The Donkey and the Golden Light, The Easter Donkey and Little Colt's Palm Sunday to our daily read together time choices.

Service and Visiting Our Lord on Monday

In Monday's Gospel, we will hear about Martha anointing Jesus' feet with costly perfumed oil, Judas of Iscariot complaining about it, and Jesus responding, "Leave her alone.  Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

With the Gospel in mind, we will reflect on the fact that the poor are, indeed, still with us and put our hands to service by going to help pack Easter food boxes.  We will also chat about how Jesus is no longer present with us in person, but how He is present in the Eucharist.  Following our chat, I hope to stop by the church with the children to spend some extra time in prayer in front of the tabernacle.

During our read together time, we will read any selection from our Lent and Easter book basket.

Tuesday Examinations and Affirmations

In Tuesday's Gospel, we will hear Jesus foretell Judas of Iscariot's betrayal of Him and predict that Peter will deny Him three times before the cock crows. 

With my children, we will connect this Gospel story to the later story about how Jesus gives Peter an opportunity to affirm his love for Jesus three times.  Jesus knows our sins.  He forgives our sins.  He seeks to restore our relationship with Him. We will then make personal examinations of conscience before chatting about three extra ways we might affirm our love for Jesus through action today.  Ways decided, we will act on them.

We will also add Follow Me: Peter Lays Down His Net and Petook: An Easter Story to our read together time.

Sneaking About (With a Message of God's Love) on Wednesday

In Wednesday's Gospel, we will hear, again, about how Judas of Iscariot will betray Jesus. 

As has been our tradition in years past, we will think about Judas taking silver and sneaking around to betray Jesus, and, then, choose to do the opposite - sneak around to give something to show love for Jesus.  How?  Why, by going egging of course!

The children have been waiting all throughout Lent to go egging using our FREE printable You've Been Egged sheet.  (They will likely go after Easter using a second, post-Easter version of the sheet, too.)

We will also add The Legend of the Easter Egg to our day's reading.

Washing Feet on Thursday

In Thursday's Gospel we will hear how Jesus washed the apostles' feet and told them to do as He had done.

Of course, we will likely wash one another's feet, too, at Holy Thursday Mass or at home.

Included in our read together time will be A Child's Easter and On That Easter Morning.

Walking with Jesus on Friday 

On Good Friday, we will again hear about Our Lord's Passion.

My daughter will join the choir in singing at Living Stations of the Cross.  We will also, of course, go to Good Friday services, and, if it doe not rain, we'll go on a Good Friday nature walk using a printable from the Unlikely Homeschool using The Easter Story...

...or one I make myself using Easter in the Garden.

Or, if the weather is poor, we may use Stations of the Cross Eggs and read Benjamin's Box.

Awaiting Easter on Saturday 

In the Gospel at the Vigil Mass, we will hear of Jesus resurrected at last.  After Mass, the children will make final preparations in our home for our celebration of Easter and will read the last chapter of Amon's Adventure - a book we have been reading all throughout Lent, which the children wanted to wait until Easter was upon us to finish.

And, then, at last, it will be Easter!  

May your Holy Week be blessed!