Friends Helping Friends

• Tell the children that they are going to do an activity to help them understand how important it is to have friends to help them share and act on the common goal of serving God's kingdom.
• Review the story found below of Benedict and Scholastica, who were best friends as well as brother and sister. Talk about how they prayed together and probably shared ideas to help each other with the religious orders they founded.
• Ask the children how they feel when they exchange feelings and ideas with friends (good to know someone has same ideas; get better ideas when you share; can work together).
• Invite the children to work in pairs to discuss their feelings about helping others and some specific ways that they might help others in their school or community.
• Conclude by having a sharing time in which pairs can share the results of their conversations with the large group.

Story:

Saint Scholastica and her brother Saint Benedict grew up together in the hills of northern Italy. They were best friends. When they moved apart they missed each other very much. Benedict went to study in Rome. Scholastica stayed close to home. She loved to study and to take care of people who were poor or sick. Later Scholastica started a community of nuns. It was about five miles from the monastery where Benedict had started a community of monks. Scholastica and Benedict met once  year in a little house nearby. They prayed and talked about heir love of God. At the end of one visit, Scholastica asked her brother to stay longer. When he refused, she prayed that he would stay. A powerful storm started and Benedict could not leave. Scholastica explained that since he would not listen to her, she had asked God. She said God had heard her prayer. They talked and prayed all night.

Scholastica's feast day is February 10.
Benedict's feast day is July 11.