7th Week of Easter, Thursday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"May the mysteries we have received, O Lord, we pray,
enlighten us by the instruction they bring
and restore us through our participation in them,
that we may merit the gifts of the Spirit.
Through Christ our Lord."

(Prayer after Communion)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

So far we have talked about four gifts of the Holy Spirit - Wisdom, Understanding, Fear of the Lord or Wonder and Awe, and Counsel.

The fifth gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of Fortitude.

Have you ever heard this word before?

Maybe you have heard the word "courage"? Courage can be another name for fortitude.

Do you know what it means?

One way to explain the meaning of Fortitude is "to be strong in God".

What do you think it means to be strong in God?

God is very strong, isn't He? He can do anything. Do you think He wants to help us do many wonderful things? Things that maybe we couldn't do without His help?

The gift of Fortitude can help us do many wonderful things for God, and to always be strong, and brave, and courageous, and do the right thing, even when it is hard.

Thank you, Jesus, for giving us the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for all of Your wonderful gifts, especially the gift of Fortitude.


(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."