Sharing a Prayer With My Family

To explain how All Saints Day and All Souls Day celebrate the Communion of Saints

The children will share a prayerful celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day with their families.

• Writing materials
• Copies of Prayer Service:

Leader	?	Praise be to God, who fills our lives with joy.
All	?	Praise be to God.
Leader	?	As we observe All Saints Day and All Souls Day, let us remember that God unites all his followers, living and dead, in the communion of saints.
Reader 1	?	A reading from the First Letter of John. [1 John 3:1-3]
All	?	Thanks be to God.
Leader	?	Let?s spend a few minutes talking to God. On All Saints Day we remember those who are living with God. On All Souls Day we pray for those who are in purgatory.
Reader 2	?	God, help us to live our faith in service to others so that we may grow closer to you.
Reader 3	?	God, help us to follow in the footsteps of the saints, who have shown us how to serve the Kingdom of God right here on earth.
Reader 4	?	God, help us to remember those who are already with you in heaven and help us to pray for those who are still waiting to be with you.
All	?	God, thank you for the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which unites us, your followers, in the communion of saints.

• Invite the children to review the prayer service.
• Say to the children: Celebrating All Saints Day and All Souls Day nourishes us and keeps us in contact with God and with those who have died.
• Invite the children to discuss what they have learned about living as the saints did and how we stay connected to God through the sacraments.
• Offer the children the chance to work with a partner or on their own to prepare a special prayer service to use with their families at home. Allow the children to use the prayer service as a guide.
• Encourage the children to create prayer notes for their families and to think of saints to whom they can pray and offer thanks.
• Invite the children to share their ideas with one another. Offer suggestions at any time.
• When the children are finished, encourage them to share their prayer services with their families. Suggest they set aside time when the entire family will be together.

Logic/Math Smart, People Smart, Self Smart

Remind the children of the various ways in which we can pray. Encourage the children to be creative in their planning.