Opening Prayer: Invite a family member to lead the prayer. Begin with the Sign of the Cross. The prayer leader reads the prayer below:
Jesus, sometimes life feels heavy and we don’t know what to do.
We feel scared, sad, or hopeless.
Help us to remember that You are always with us.
Teach us to trust You, even when things feel hard.
We place our hope in You. Amen.
Catechesis: Jesus is with us in every challenge and every situation and we can place our hope in him. One of the theological virtues is HOPE. The other two are Faith and Love. In the Bible, hope is not mere wishful thinking but a confident, sure expectation and anticipation of God's future promises, rooted in faith in Jesus Christ and his resurrection, serving as an anchor for life, even through suffering, promising eternal life and deliverance. It's a certainty about God's faithfulness, transforming desires into confident waiting for what is already secured through Christ. Hope looks to the future, is built on faith, is connected to waiting and comes from God. Hope is relational. It is a connection between us and God. Meaning that God wants to be in relationship with us and we just need to respond to his invitation with a resounding YES and have hope that God will take care of us and will guide us throughout out lives. Hope isn't just wishing; it's believing in God and taking steps to make future goals attainable.
However, sometimes we get overwhelmed and we begin to feel hopeless. When we feel hopeless, we need to teach ourselves to trust in Jesus and know he will help us through the troubled times.
Discuss: As a family discuss what hope means to each person.
Read the four Scripture passages below:
*For young children, if you have a children’s bible at home you could read the
passages from that.
- Jeremiah 29: 11
- Psalm 62: 6-9
- Romans 15: 13
- Hebrews 6: 18-19
After reading the passages, discuss the following questions:
- What does each passage say about hope?
- Which passage did you like the best and why?
Watch the videos that are age appropriate for your child/ren. After watching, discuss the questions that are related to the video. Questions are below.
Grades 1-4
Douglas: Hope in Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh9QaH-qJkM
- What did you hear Douglas say about hope?
- Why do you think trusting in Jesus is important?
Grades 5-8
What is Hope?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBgIZpqNngI
After viewing the video, discuss the following question:
- What brings you hope?
- Why is it important to have hope?
Grades 9 & 10:
What is Hope and Why Do We Need It?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgXzigsp5JM
After viewing the video please discuss the following questions:
- Why is having hope important?
- Why do you think some people feel hopeless today?
Family Discuss: How can our family turn to Jesus when things feel hard?
Closing Prayer: Choose a family member to lead the prayer. Begin with the Sign of the Cross
Jesus, thank You for being our hope.
When we feel afraid or hopeless this week,
remind us to turn to You and trust You.
Help our family to walk in hope together. Amen.