Blessed by God

To help the children grow in love of Mary by reflecting on the events in her life

The children will identify Mary as blessed by God to be the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church.

• Chart paper or butcher paper
• Markers

• Tell the children that this activity will help them to know Mary better and to love her for being Jesus' mother and our mother.
• Tell the children that they will be working as a group to write a poem about Mary, but first you will brainstorm to recall all the reasons she is special to us.
• Ask the children to give descriptive phrases about Mary. Write them on the board as they are offered. (Examples: chosen by God to be Jesus' mother, we're all her children, she said yes to the angel Gabriel, gentle and loving, she trusted in God)
• Tell the children that you will be their recorder and write their suggestions on chart paper or butcher paper.
• Invite the children to offer suggestions and work together to make them sound just right.
• When the poem is finished, read it aloud together and post it for the children to read again. You might make copies of it for the children for the next session.
• Remind the children that Mary is blessed to be God's mother, and we are blessed to have her as our mother too.

People Smart, Word Smart

Be encouraging to the children and help them to realize that it's fine to work to improve ideas.

Try not to reject ideas, but in a positive way invite others to help by adding to or reworking ideas.