Boxes of Hope

• Share with the children that in order to be instruments of hope and encouragement to others, we must have hope in our own hearts.
• Brainstorm some of the things that they hope for the world.
• Ask the children to choose one of the hopes listed and use pipe cleaners (or craft wire) to create a small wire sculpture to symbolize their hope. Tell them to leave about a two-inch piece of pipe cleaner or wire on one end of their symbol.
• When everyone has completed his or her symbol, gather the children around your prayer center, where you've placed the shoe box containing one to two inches of sand.
• Ask the children to reflect for a few moments on what they hope for the world and decide how to express that hope by completing the following sentence: With God's help, my hope for the world is ________________.
• Explain that as each person places his or her symbol of hope in the box, he or she will express his or her hope by repeating the above sentence and completing it in his or her own way.
• The rest of the group will respond to each person's statement of hope by saying together: Lord, show me how I can help to make this happen.
• When all the children have placed their sculptures in the box, conclude the prayer by praying together the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis, as follows:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.