LENT

Lent is described as the season of preparation
for Easter and time of fasting, penitence,
almsgiving, prayer, and study. In the early church,
sinners who had been publicly excommunicated
from the church began a forty-day period of
penitential discipline at the beginning of Lent so
that they could be readmitted to communion on
Easter Day. This custom lies at the root of
congregational Lenten observance today, and
most Episcopal churches keep the season of Lent
with special programs, reading groups, midweek
services, and prayer groups. Lent’s climax is in
the baptismal liturgy and renewal of baptismal vows
at Easter. Many festal elements of the liturgy are
are missing from the church during the Lenten
season, such as the alleluias and the Gloria in excelsis,
and the church furnishings also reflect this austerity.
The liturgical colors are purple or unbleached linen.

Lent and the Children of Grace

Special care and planning address Lent and Easter
for the children. Many ‘hands-on’ activities are
implemented to reinforce the theme Lent as a time
of preparation for Easter. The children raise butterflies
during Lent and learn about the butterfly as a symbol
of the resurrection and “new life” that Jesus came
to give to all believers.

Palm Sunday is another opportunity to share the
gospel of our Lord in a real “hands-on” way for
children. We remember Palm Sunday as the
last Sunday in Lent, also known as the Sunday
of the Passion, and the beginning of Holy week.
The day commemorates Jesus’ triumphal procession
into Jerusalem and is marked by a blessing of palms
and a procession of the whole congregation around
the church, followed by a reading of the passion gospel
and a Eucharist that is penitential in tone.
The children of Grace receive a visit from a real donkey
on Palm Sunday, listen to the Palm Sunday story and
“live” out the gospel in meaningful way.

The Legend of the Donkey Cross

Bring me the colt of a donkey.” was the
Master’s request.

A young donkey was brought to Jesus to carry
him to Jerusalem. A week later Jesus was
ordered to be crucified.

The little donkey so loved the Lord,
that he wanted to help carry the cross.
But alas, he was pushed away.
The sad little donkey waited to say good-bye
until nearly all had left. As he turned to leave,
the shadow of the fell upon his shoulders.

And there is has remained,
a tribute to the loyalty and love
of the humblest of God’s Creatures.

The Legend of the Donkey’s Bray

After the Christ child was born long ago in a
stable that first Christmas night, An angel
warned Joseph to leave Bethlehem and so
the whole family took flight. Then, as the
three of them journeyed to Egypt,
They rested when stars filled the sky.
And while they were sleeping, their donkey’s
keen ears heard King Herod’s soldiers
nearby. He tried very hard to wake Joseph,
but donkeys were mute in those days.
Suddenly, a miracle happened…he let out
some great, piercing brays!
The family awakened in time to escape
and hurriedly slipped out of sight.
The donkey was grateful and quite humbled
too. That God chose to use him that night.
And still, to this very day, the loud piercing
bray from a donkey so gentle and mild
reminds us again of that creature’s devotion
and love for the dear Holy Child.

Activities for Lent and Easter

The activities in this section are detailed,
theme-based, and family oriented. The
activities are great ways to help families
incorporate faith learning into day-to-day
home activities.

Lenten Tree

Introduce the Lenten tree just before the season begins.
You may use an artificial Christmas tree as your Lenten
tree.

The Symbols

THE EVERGREEN TREE
Tell the children that because this tree does not
lose its needles during winter, it is a symbol of
eternal or everlasting life.

THE COLOR, PURPLE
Place a purple cloth around the base
and add purple bows to brighten your tree
as well as emphasize the color, which is
used during the Lenten season. Purple is
a symbol of royalty and, during Lent, we
are reminded about the time when people
recognized Jesus as a king.

THE MONEY BAG
The account of Judas’ betrayal can be found in
all four gospels. However, only Matthew 26:14-16,
Mark 14:10-11, and Luke 22:3-6 tell of the payment
Judas received for his act. The money bag
symbolizes the thirty pieces of silver.
You can make these by placing several pieces
of silver coins in a small square nylon net and
tying in on to the Lenten tree with yarn.

THE PRETZEL
As the time of His death drew near, Jesus went
to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The pretzel
was originally shaped to look like arms folded in
prayer and therefore has often been used as a symbol
of prayer. Your children can tie a piece of yarn through
a pretzel and hang it on their tree to remind them of the
importance of prayer.

Lenten Prayer Trail Mix

Make a Prayer Trail Mix with the children! It’s a fun project
and can serve as a reminder to pray. Each food item in the
trail mix can be a reminder of specific prayer request.
An example of a Prayer Trail Mix is listed below but,
You can also be creative and make your own!

Prayer Trail Mix Recipe

Small Pretzels – they look like little arms folded in prayer,
They remind us to pray.
Cheerios cereal – are little circles that have no beginning
and no end. They remind us of God’s never-ending love.
We can be thankful for that!
Life cereal – reminds us to be thankful for God’s gift of life
M & M’s Candy- they are sweet and good! The remind us of
God’s many sweet and good blessings.
Goldfish Crackers- remind us that God provides food for us to eat.
Gummy Bear Candy- look a bit like stained glass windows in some churches.
They remind us to thank God for churches where we come and learn about Him.

THE NAIL|
A single nail reminds us of the suffering Jesus
experienced on the cross. Tie a piece of yarn
around the head of a nail and add this somber
symbol to your tree.

THE PALM BRANCH
Palm Sunday is the perfect time to remember
Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. In
an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation,
crowds of people gathered along the road
waving palm branches as they anxiously
awaited the arrival of their king. The children
can place a live palm at the base of the tree
or make several out of green construction
paper to hang on the tree.

EASTER SUNDAY: THE BUTTERFLY
Following the gloom and despair of Holy Week,
we arrive on Easter morning to the glorious
realization that Christ has risen from the dead.
A butterfly is often used to symbolize Jesus’
resurrection. A caterpillar, entombed in a
chrysalis, seems to have died. And yet,
suddenly, as if born again, a beautiful butterfly
appears. This reminds us that Jesus was killed,
but God raised Him from death to life.

Now that Lent is over, have the children
remove all the Lenten symbols from the tree.
Replace the purple cloth with a white cloth,
symbolizing purity and joy. Make butterflies
from construction paper, tissue paper, or other
materials and fill your Easter tree with these
colorful signs of new life!

EASTER

Easter is the central and most ancient feast of
the church year. We celebrate Christ’s resurrection
from the dead. The date of Easter varies each year
according to the lunar calendar; it is the first Sunday on
or after the first full moon of spring which occurs
between March 22 and April 23 each year. The
Easter cycle of the liturgical year encompasses
everything from Ash Wednesday through Pentecost,
but its core is the Great Vigil of Easter. Easter Day
begins the Easter season, which runs for fifty days
until the feast of Pentecost. The liturgical color is
white.

JELLY BEAN PRAYER

Family members of all ages can do the
Jelly Bean Prayer at home together. This
is a great way to teach the essential
Christian message to children in a fun way!

Jelly Bean Prayer

RED is for the blood he gave
GREEN is for the grass he made
YELLOW is for the sun so bright
ORANGE is for the edge of night
BLACK is for the sins we made
WHITE is for the life he gave
PURPLE is for his hour of sorrow
PINK is for a new tomorrow.

Fill plastic eggs with one jelly bean of each color
as included in the prayer. Include a copy of
the prayer in each egg. These eggs can be
given as gifts at an Easter party or any
occasion when children gather during the
Easter season.

A L L E L U I A !

Kids love Easter! And we love Easter
because we feel especially connected
to our Savior during this holy time. We
are reminded of Jesus’ suffering, sacrifice,
and ultimate triumph. We celebrate because
Jesus brings hope into a hopeless world.

You can help children learn more about
Jesus with great ideas included in this
section. Focus on celebrating Jesus’ life,
His miracles, and His resurrection. All
of the ideas in this section are designed
with Jesus in mind. Alleluia!