Is family prayer time a struggle?
Are your children having difficulty paying attention during Mass?
Do you want your family to journey with Jesus
through the Sunday Gospels?
Downloadable lesson plans
Printing, copywork and cursive worksheets of Scripture memory verses
Bible verse colouring pages
Audio Scripture guides
Gospel journaling reflection for older children, teens and adults
Throughout our initial weeks using Encountering Jesus, we have found ourselves deep in conversations about how the gospel parables relate to our lives, being humbled in our ways and encouraged in our efforts. My sons share in a sense of comfort and confidence when looking up passages and truly recognizing that the scripture is speaking directly to them. Their faces turn to one another and light up at Mass on Sundays when they hear the words of the weekly verse that they have memorized! What a gift for them to feel connected to the teachings of our Lord and have these lifelong lessons instilled in their hearts.
Stephanie Dumas
Mom
Donna and Lisa have created an amazing resource. The daily format has allowed our family to really dwell in the Sunday Gospel reading and give time for discoveries about God's word. Also, I love that the Gospel reading is read (and read well!) by a child! My son has been so much more attentive at Mass thanks to the build up we've been getting throughout the week, meditating upon the Word, keeping in mind the weekly word and memory verse, and being challenged to make resolutions and put the Word into action. This has made daily time with the Bible so much more doable and easy to jump into, so that rather than being an extra task or burden, it has become a simple, heart-filling touchstone of the day (and with a wiggly child, the accompanying activities are a great help!)
Naomi
Mom
I love it! It’s very easy to navigate, pretty, the layout works well. It’s practical and so very applicable. I also love how you give suggestions on how, when, and where it could fit into family life.
Regarding parish use, this can be very valuable! It could be used in a mini-retreat form, or as a session in a longer retreat. For reconciliation would be terrific! Confirmation and or youth ministry. It could be offered to families as part of a faith formation program.
Thank you for sharing and for creating this program. Come Holy Spirit.
Great idea and wonderful work!
Tiffany Haller
Director of Faith Formation
St. Ann Church Williamsport, PA
Help your children prepare for Sunday Mass - join now.
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Help your children prepare for Sunday Mass - join now!
Try a 30 day FREE trial. Only $12.99 per month, cancel anytime.
I am Lisa Price, a homeschooling mom of 4 beautiful children. As the primary educator of my kids, one of my most important goals is to instruct my children in the Catholic faith. I am extremely grateful to my mother and father who faithfully dedicated their lives to passing on their faith to me. It has been a true gift, and I deeply desired the same for my own kids.
As we began homeschooling, I enthusiastically embarked on teaching the rubrics of the faith to them, according to my own experience and learning style. But I did not anticipate the reality of coming face to face with my kids’ learning challenges.
The COVID pandemic also created a new challenge for us. We had lost the ability to directly experience and encounter the Mass in person. I began to see this effect in my kids. Thank God, through the sacrifice of our priests in rising to this occasion, we could still participate through online Mass. But this also presented a new challenge to my husband Dominic and I, to help our kids to engage with this new format. Whilst we as adults could make this shift, it was not so easy for our kids, who seemed to feel more like spectators, easily distracted and unable to engage.
With every challenge comes opportunity. Dominic and I knew that we were being called to stand in the gap for our children. To create a bridge before them and God. There’s a plaque that hangs on the wall of my living room with the simple words, ‘Ecclesia Domestica’, Latin for the Domestic Church. Whilst I had it in storage for some time after purchasing it at a Life Restoration Women’s Retreat, I had only recently put it up in my home, which in hindsight, coincided almost precisely with the start of the lockdown. It was then, more than ever, that these words rang true to our vocation. We are the Domestic Church!
Our deepest desire for our children as their parents, and the heart of the prayers that we say for them, is for a deep encounter and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We had to dig deep and we knew after some time of searching and questioning, that the answer or remedy lay in the words of Scripture, particularly the Gospels. It is there that we find Jesus, fully God and fully Man. It was through the Word that we would introduce our children to Him. And so we faithfully began.
Many years prior, when Dominic and I were courting, he had introduced me to a practice of studying and digesting the Word called ‘Lectio Divina’, Latin for ‘Divine Reading’. I had tried it a few times sporadically throughout my life. Incidentally, at the same retreat where I purchased the Ecclesia Domestica plaque, I was introduced to this practice yet again through Michelle Benzinger and Fr. Josh Johnson. And it tugged on my heart strings like you wouldn’t believe. I began to truly encounter and experience this practice yet again and I knew that it held the key to my children’s encounter with Jesus.
We embarked on a practice of studying the Gospel for the coming Sunday, throughout the week prior. Each day was devoted to a different element of the practice of Lectio Divina: Read, Reflect, Respond, Rest. And we added to this the practice of Resolve. Now that we had spent time with the same reading, 15 minutes a day, listening, digesting, praying, and resting in the Word, how did we resolve to change our lives because of it? What action could we work on in the week ahead.
It was not easy at first. As I expected, my children struggled to sit still and listen, or so I thought. It didn’t look the way I wanted it to. At times I thought that I was wasting my time. Yet I kept hearing the Holy Spirit whispering to me, to be patient, and respond in love. We began to find tools to help them to relax, sit still, engage, listen, and discuss the stories.
The feedback and discussion that these sessions generated in my children blew my mind. I knew that there was a power at work that was greater than me. All we needed to do as parents was to be obedient, to show up, and to act in the best way possible, with the seemingly limited resources at our disposal.
In a moment of weakness when I was about to give up and throw in the towel, the Lord demonstrated His power and His might. My little five-year old son, who had the greatest challenge of engaging, in the way I wanted him to, I might add, came to me and said, “Mummy I have something I want to tell you.” He began to recite a memory verse that we had learned weeks before, word for word, line by line. He was beaming! My heart filled with joy. In my human frailty I could not see the potential for any of what we were doing. Yet here it was on full display through the action of the Holy Spirit.
Having this experience with my young son got me really excited. I could not deny the transformation that was going on in me as well. I had always lamented the fact that I was not as familiar with Scripture as I would have liked to be. Yet I didn’t know how to go about incorporating this into my life. Now it felt like the Holy Spirit was doing it for me, inspiring me, and guiding me, through the many experiences leading up to this point, and through my children.
They were all being inspired in different ways, from the youngest to the oldest. Their critical thinking also began to develop as we discussed the stories and sometimes complex interactions between Jesus, his disciples, and his detractors. We discussed how this translated into our own lives and how we ought to model Jesus’ response to every person that he met and interacted with.
Their prayers also started to take on a depth that was undeniable, especially in my daughter, my eldest. I began to see a spiritual maturity unfolding and a depth of love for God, something I had wished and prayed for her from the moment she came into being. So I began to record some of these sessions in writing and fondly look back on the prayers and discussions we have had. It has become a keepsake of sorts and a prayer book which we can refer to when needed.
After seeing the fruits of our newfound encounter with Christ, I wanted to share this with other parents. I knew that there were others who desired a personal encounter with Jesus for their kids, and who were also dealing with similar challenges as we were. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” I share my story in the hopes that I may also share in your burdens and help you in carrying the weight of your vocation of parent and primary educator of your kids.
I am Lisa Price, a devoted wife, and homeschooling mom of 4 beautiful children. As the primary educator of my kids, one of my most important goals is to instruct my children in the Catholic faith. I am extremely grateful to my mother and father, Margaret and Ronald, who faithfully dedicated their lives to passing on their faith to me. It has been a true gift, and I deeply desired the same for my own kids.
As we began homeschooling, I enthusiastically embarked on teaching the rubrics of the faith to them, according to my own experience and learning style. But I did not anticipate the reality of coming face to face with my kids’ learning challenges, particularly ASD, ADHD, among others.
The COVID pandemic also created a new challenge for us. We had lost the ability to directly experience and encounter the Mass in person. I began to see this effect in my kids. Thank God, through the sacrifice of our priests who rose to the occasion in some very difficult circumstances, we could still participate through viewing the Mass online, anywhere in the world. But this also presented a new challenge to my husband, Dominic, and I, to help our kids to engage with this new format. Whilst we as adults could make this shift, it was not so easy for our younger kids, who seemed to feel more like spectators, easily distracted and unable to engage.
With every challenge comes opportunity. Dominic and I knew that we were being called to stand in the gap for our children. To create a bridge before them and God.
There’s a plaque that hangs on the wall of my living room with the simple words, ‘Ecclesia Domestica’, Latin for the Domestic Church. Whilst I had it in storage for some time after purchasing it at a Life Restoration Women’s Retreat, I had only recently put it up in my home, which in hindsight, coincided almost precisely with the start of the lockdown. It was then, more than ever, that these words rang true to our vocation. We are the Domestic Church!
Our deepest desire for our children as their parents, and the heart of the prayers that we say for them, is for a deep encounter and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We had to dig deep and we knew after some time of searching and questioning, that the answer or remedy lay in the words of Scripture, particularly the Gospels. It is there that we find Jesus, fully God and fully Man. It was through the Word that we would introduce our children to Him. And so we faithfully began.
Many years prior, in my late teens, I was introduced to my now husband to a practice of studying and digesting the Word called ‘Lectio Divina’, Latin for ‘Divine Reading’. We were then both taught with a group how to practice this exercise by a faithful gentleman name Felix Edinborough. Throughout the following years I would practice it sporadically. Incidentally, at the same retreat where I purchased the Ecclesia Domestica plaque, I was introduced to this practice yet again through Michelle Benzinger and Fr. Josh Johnson. And it began to tug on my heart strings yet again. I began to truly encounter and enter fully into this practice, at the same time knowing in my heart that it held the key to my children's encounter with Jesus. I mention these names because I feel a great deal of gratitude to the many teachers who have inspired me over the course of my life, and sincerely thank them here.
Our deepest desire for our children as their parents, and the heart of the prayers that we say for them, is for a deep encounter and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We had to dig deep and we knew after some time of searching and questioning, that the answer and remedy lay in the words of scripture, particularly the Gospels. It is there that we find Jesus, fully God and fully man. It was through the Word that we would, yet again, introduce our children to Him. And so, we faithfully began.
We embarked on a practice of studying the Gospel for the coming Sunday, throughout the week prior. Though typically done in one sitting, each day was devoted to a different element of the practice of Lectio Divina: Read, Reflect, Respond, Rest. And we added to this the practice of Resolve. Now that we had spent time with the same reading, 15 minutes a day, listening, digesting, praying, and resting in the Word, how did we resolve to change our lives because of it? What action could we work on in the week ahead?
It was not easy at first. As I expected, my children struggled to sit still and listen, or so I thought. It didn’t look the way I wanted it to. At times I thought that I was wasting my time. Yet I kept hearing the Holy Spirit whispering to me, to be patient, and respond in love. We began to find tools to help them to relax, sit still, engage, listen, and discuss the stories.
The feedback and discussion that these sessions generated in my children blew my mind. I knew that there was a power at work that was greater than me. All we needed to do as parents was to be obedient, to show up, and to act in the best way possible, with the seemingly limited resources at our disposal.
In a moment of weakness when I was about to give up and throw in the towel, the Lord demonstrated His power and His might. My little five-year old son, who had the greatest challenge of engaging, or so I thought, approached me, and said, “Mummy I have something I want to tell you...” He began to recite a memory verse that we had learned weeks before, word for word, line by line. He was beaming! I was, quite frankly, shocked and surprised, and my heart was bursting with joy! In my human frailty, I could not see the potential for any of what we were doing. Yet here it was on full display through the action of the Holy Spirit.
I could not deny the transformation that was going on in me as well. I had always lamented the fact that I was not as familiar with Scripture as I would have liked to be. Yet I didn’t know how to go about incorporating this into my life. Now it felt like the Holy Spirit was doing it for me, inspiring me, and guiding me, through the many experiences leading up to this point, and through my children.
They were all being inspired in different ways, from the youngest to the oldest. Their critical thinking also began to develop as we discussed the stories and sometimes complex interactions between Jesus, his disciples, and his detractors. We discussed how this translated into our own lives and how we ought to model Jesus’ response to every person that he met and interacted with.
Their prayers also started to take on a depth that was undeniable, especially in my daughter, my eldest. I began to see a spiritual maturity unfolding and a depth of love for God, something I had wished and prayed for her from the moment she came into being. So I began to record some of these sessions in writing and fondly look back on the prayers and discussions we have had. It has become a keepsake of sorts and a prayer book which we can refer to when needed.
After this experience and seeing the fruits of our newfound encounter with Christ, I felt a deep desire to share this with other parents. I knew that there were others who desired a personal encounter with Jesus for their kids, and who were also dealing with similar challenges as we were. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” I share my story in the hopes that I may also share in your burdens and help you in carrying the weight of your vocation of parent and primary educator of your kids.
who are helping their children
encounter Jesus
through Sunday Gospel meditations.
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Welcome, I'm Donna with INSPIRED WITH GRACE Career & Life Coaching and Consulting. Lisa and I are good friends and often share ideas on how to foster faith in our families and amongst other Catholic moms. One day, we met at Hugo's, our favourite Mexican restaurant and Lisa shared her experience about how she adapted the Lectio Divina for her children and the impact it made on them. I then told her how I loved writing and leading people through vivid guided prayer meditations and used this for helping my own kids combat stress, rest, and encounter Jesus in a more tangible way.
Over chips and salsa, an idea took form - this got us thinking, why not share this with other families so more children could be engaged and get excited about hearing the Sunday Gospels? We chatted excitedly, munched and crunched, and shortly before our fried speciality burritos arrived, we decided to create a program to make our meditations more accessible to all…thus, the seeds for the Encountering Jesus - Sunday Gospel Meditations for Families program were planted and have now begun to grow!
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The audio guides and worksheets were created for multi-aged families. The separate printing, cursive, copywork writing worksheets and colouring sheets are meant for 4 yr. - 12 yr. Additional journal meditations for younger children, older students 9 yr. - teens, as well as journaling pages for families are included. They're great for young adults and adults too!
For topics that touch on big aspects of belief we will point to the Catechism of the Catholic Church https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc/index.htm
An annual licensing agreement can be arranged for groups. For example, if a school or Parish would like to use Encountering Jesus - Sunday Gospel Meditations for Families, staff and ministry leaders would be able to present the content on site. Individual families require their own registration for personal use. Please contact us for details.
This is a comprehensive program that can satisfy a number of criteria of homeschool subject areas including:
Each homeschool program has their own requirements. If you would like more information to share with your homeschool coordinator, please contact Donna.
School & Parish Registration
Are you a member of a School, Parish or organization that has PRE-PURCHASED a membership? Welcome! All the information below including school/parish email address and permission to send communication & agreement to terms & conditions is needed to register.
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