7th Week of Easter, Tuesday

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

"The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and remind you of all I have told you,
says the Lord, alleluia."

(Communion Antiphon)

(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 two gifts of the Holy Spirit - Wisdom and Understanding.

The third gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of Fear of the Lord.

This sounds a bit strange, doesn't it? Do you think it means being afraid, or something else? Another name for this gift is Wonder and Awe. Maybe you like that name better.

What do you think this gift might help us with?

One way we can understand the gift of Wonder and Awe or Fear of the Lord is "to know who God is and who we are before Him".

When we have come to know who God is, it is natural that we wonder at how much He loves us. We are in awe of His great love.

To know "who we are before Him" - what do you think this means?

I wonder if it means to know ourselves as God knows us? 

How wonderful it would be to know who God is, and to know ourselves as He knows us!

Thank you, Jesus, for sending us your Holy Spirit. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the gift of Fear of the Lord, or Wonder and Awe.

(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."