Bilingual Mass Reflection Sheet

Using a journaling page to help kids prepare for Mass and reflect afterwards is a practical prayer tool for families and classrooms. Here's a copy of my Mass Reflection page in a Bilingual format!

You can read more ideas about how & when to use it with kids and what to use the boxes for in the original post. This post also has a set of slides with music & prayers perfect for reflection before or after Mass.

Click here for the Bilingual Mass Reflection Sheet (in English and Spanish)

Confirmation Saint Graphic Organizers

My students are just a little over a month away from receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.  I'm feeling the crunch of trying to teach-them-all-the-things, which we all know is impossible- thank goodness we have a lifetime to keep learning about the Mysteries of God!  In an effort to teach two concepts at once as well as help the students apply what they are learning, we are working through a series of tasks relating to their chosen Confirmation Saint.  Every Confirmation class requires the students to choose a Saint and using write a report or do a project about that Saint.  My students had to do the basics late last fall when they made their Saint choices, but I wanted to also help them create a keepsake which also getting to know their Saint a little better.

I had a stack of unused 8"x8" blank books (found mine in the Target dollar aisle, but they can be found on school supply websites too), and we have been creating artifacts to assemble into a Confirmation Saint book.  I'd like to share some of the pages with you today if they would be helpful in your own Confirmation prep and instruction.  My students will also add a cross curricular Math project they are making that results in a Stained Glass window of their Saint, and in Art they are working on creating an icon that will be displayed at their Confirmation Mass.  We'll print a small photo of it to include in their book, and I'll also set up a page where the students can add a photo of themselves and their sponsor, etc. 

The graphic organizers I'm sharing are intentionally blank so that you can use them any way that fits the needs of your students.  I'll also share a version that can easily be cut down to 8"x8" if you'd like to try the blank book (or nicer scrapbook) idea, or there are full page versions to use for individual tasks or in a notebook or folder.

First up, here is a basic Saint biography page.  This would be a great intro project once the students have chosen their Saint, but my students will be using this as a review and hopefully sharing genuine and detailed info after all these months of getting to know their Saints ;)  The full page version has an extra section for a quote by or about the Saint, or a Bible verse that describes them.

This project we worked on for St. Valentine's Day.  We discussed that Saints often come in pairs or groups- holiness begets holiness- and therefore they should look for friends and family members themselves who they can walk together in the faith with.  For this task, they had to connect their Saint to another Saint.  It could be (preferably) someone they knew in real life, or a Saint they looked up to and was known to ask for the intercession of.  Honestly, even I was surprised with how many connections we were able to find.  (Out of my 54 students, there was only one we really struggled with, and he has a particularly obscure Saint.)  It was really neat for the kids to see how many of the Saints had an immediate family member that also became a Saint, or for them to read about a group of friends that pursued holiness together. This has been my favorite Confirmation activity we have done so far!  The full page version has an extra box asking the student to connect their own life to the Saints.

This page was a great way to apply knowledge of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.  After doing a typical lesson learning about the Gifts (I'll have a post soon with our notes from that), the students had to apply their new knowledge by writing one way that their Saint showed the manifestation of that Gift of the Holy Spirit in their life.  This one really made them think, but hopefully helped them see how the Holy Spirit worked in their Saint and can work in them.  The full page version includes a short definition of the Gifts in the seven boxes.

I don't have my example page done for this one yet but I wanted to include it with the group. ;) This one has the students show how the Fruits of the Holy Spirit could be seen in the life of their Saint.  After learning about the Fruits (again, printables will be in another post soon), they'll apply what they know by choosing four out of the twelve fruits that their Saint particularly exemplified.  In these four boxes they will create a simple comic strip with a caption about four stories from the Saint's life.  The full page version has a spot for a reflection at the bottom.

There are tons of ways to use these printables, whether individually or as a whole project.  There will probably be a few more added to the collection, so check back for more posts! If you are currently preparing a group of students for Confirmation, please know of my prayers both for you and the Confirmands!

Click on the images below for the printables:


Saint Bio 8X8:

Saint Bio Regular:

Saintly BFFs 8x8:

Saintly BFFs Regular:

Saint & Gifts of HS 8x8:

Saint & Gifts of HS Regular:

Saint & Fruits of HS 8x8:

Gifts of the Holy Spirit Cards:

Gifts of the Holy Spirit Mini Book:

Fruits of the Holy Spirit Foldable:

Saint & Fruits of the HS Regular:

Saint and the Corporal/Spiritual Works of Mercy:

Names of God: The Blessed Trinity Graphic Organizer

January is dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus.  As an opening activity after our school's morning prayer announcements (themed right now about the Names of Jesus), I asked my students how many names of Jesus they could think of- so they brainstormed and shared some of their favorite titles. Then , because we are preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation, I asked them what other names they knew for the Holy Spirit... and they came up empty.  So I decided we needed a new tool to extend our discussion!

This simple graphic organizer could be used in lots of different ways:
-Give the students a blank copy and see how many names they can write within a certain time limit
-Then have the students share their ideas and "steal" from friends, expanding their lists
-Have them choose one name for each Person in the Blessed Trinity and research where it is used in the Bible
-Choose a name from the page and research what it means, and then write an original prayer using that title
-Discuss why we have been given so many Names for God
-Ponder and pray about the Mystery of the Trinity- Three Persons in One God

Click here to print the Blessed Trinity Graphic Organizer:

You might also be interested in these activities that would be great for teaching about the Holy Name or the Blessed Trinity. Click on the image to go to each original post for more details and printables.

Names of Jesus Collage:

Blessed Trinity Mobile:

Most Holy Name of Jesus Coloring Page:

Mass Reflection Sheet Graphic Organizer

You all responded so enthusiastically to the Lectio Divina Graphic Organizer I posted last week, so it encouraged me to update or create some of the other graphic organizers I've been meaning to share.  Here's a new one to aid kids with paying attention and reflecting on the Mass.

This graphic organizer is general and can be used for any Sunday or weekday Mass.  I also kept the info boxes vague, so they could be used for a variety of types reflections for kids of different ages/interests/abilities.

A few ideas for how you could use these pages with your children or students:
-Use to prepare before Mass.  Read the Scripture readings and write about each, preparing to later hear them at Mass.
-Plan a personal intention to offer that Mass for
-Bring a copy to Mass (could have several blank copies in a binder, 3-prong folder, or clipboard) and take notes during Mass
-Use as a post Mass reflection.  After attending Mass, reread the Scripture readings, taking notes about what stood out.  Jot down a few things from the homily, and come up with an action item for the week.

***Just a note after some feedback about this tool- you have to know your kids/students and what resources will be a help and what will be a hindrance.  Some kids need the prep before Mass, some can do the follow up after.  I think that using a Mass journal when the kids are with their families on Sundays could be a great option (I know I love my Every Sacred Sunday Journal!).  But I also understand how we'd never want to remove the reverence from the Mass and attention to the beauty of the liturgy.  This is not meant to be treated like an assignment that is completed during the Mass.  You have to decide how you encourage rapt attention during and application after attending a weekday or Sunday Mass- and it is our privilege and responsibility as parents/teachers to determine the best way to do this.***

 A few ideas for things to write in the boxes for the readings:
(You could start by requiring students follow one way of recording thoughts, then introduce another option, and eventually let them choose what fits them and the particular Mass best)
-Write a favorite verse from the reading
-Create a summary of the reading
-List questions you still have about the reading
-Describe what this reading helps you understand about God
-Write a connecting topic you want to research
-Jot down any words or ideas you still want help understanding
-Connect the reading to your own life
-Name something different you will do this week because of this reading
-Draw a picture of what happened in the reading
-Summarize the message of the reading in one phrase
-Reflect on what theme connects all of the readings

I'm sure you'll think of lots of ways this graphic organizer could be useful in your classroom or home!

Click here to download the pdf of the Mass Reflection Page:
(If you have a specific idea or wording that you think would work better for your students, email me at looktohimandberadiant (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll send you an editable version!

P.S. I offered my Mass this morning for Look to Him and Be Radiant readers, their students, and their families.  Then, we got to the Communion Antiphon, and guess what it was... "Look toward the Lord and be radiant!" God is good, and be assured of my prayers for you!