The Mark 10 Mission leads children to Jesus. Each week, we share online Celebrations of the Word and help children experience the presence of God ๐ฅ๐
As Catholics, we believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist โ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. This mystery is so profound that even the saints spent their lives contemplating it with wonder.
St. Teresa of Calcutta once said:โจ"When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now."
When introducing children to the Eucharist, perhaps our first task is not to explain every detail, but to help them wonder.
Children have a remarkable capacity for reverence when they are invited into it. They instinctively recognise that some things are precious, sacred, and deserving of our attention.
In Alone with Christ Alone, Sr Clare Crockett recounts a moving moment when walking with a group of young children through the school chapel. One Monday afternoon, a Blessed Host was discovered beneath a chapel pew. Deeply moved, she reverently took the Host to the sacristy. When she returned, she found the children kneeling around the very spot where Jesus had been found.
There was no analysis. No discussion. Only reverence.
In a world filled with noise and distraction, the Eucharist invites us to slow down, kneel down, and simply be with Him.
If we want children to grow in love for the Eucharist, perhaps the most powerful thing we can offer is not more explanations, but opportunities for encounter. We can facilitate moments of silence, prayer, Adoration, and reverence before the One who waits for us in the Blessed Sacrament.
After all, the Eucharist is not just something we receive.โจIt is Someone we meet.โจ
Greg writes the Word of the Week as an encouragement and focus for you this week.
When leading children to Jesus, it's tempting to move past the more complex mysteries of our faith.
The Most Holy Trinity is perhaps the best example. It is impossible for us to fully explain the Holy Trinity, but it is important to remember that, a young child's faith is not rooted in analysis, but wonder.
One of the best ways to present the Holy Trinity is as a divine dance. This was first used by the Church Fathers. They described the dynamic relationship between the Father, Son and Spirit as Perichoresis, meaning 'to dance around.'
This divine dance suggests that God is not a static, solitary being. Instead, the Trinity is an eternal flow of mutual giving, receiving, and love. Each person makes room for the others.
It's been said that "God is not just the dancer; God is the dance itself."
I love to say to children that the Holy Trinity is a divine dance of never ending love... and you are invited into the very heart of it.
In your prayer times this week, invite children to close their eyes and rest within the divine dance of the Trinity, surrounded and enveloped in a love that will never end.
Greg writes the Word of the Week as an encouragement and focus for you this week.
At Pentecost, the disciples encountered the Holy Spirit and everything changed.
The same frightened followers who had hidden behind locked doors were filled with courage, joy, and faith.
So how can we gently introduce children to the Holy Spirit? Sometimes the simplest invitations are the most powerful. We can invite children to sit quietly, open their hands, and pray: โCome, Holy Spirit.โ
Children often respond beautifully to simple gestures and moments of peace. They do not need complicated explanations before they can encounter Godโs presence.
We can also gently introduce them to the gifts of the Holy Spirit โ wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
Perhaps invite them to choose one gift they would especially like the Holy Spirit to grow in their hearts.
A child might pray for courage when they feel afraid. Another may ask for wisdom, kindness, or understanding. The Holy Spirit is not distant or abstract. He is our helper, guide, and comforter โ the One who helps us grow closer to Jesus each day.
Pentecost reminds us that when we encounter the Holy Spirit in a real and personal way, we can be forever changedโฆ just like the disciples in the Upper Room.
Greg writes the Word of the Week as an encouragement and focus for you this week.
Last week, Year 2 loved celebrating our Mary Day with Mr Finn from @mark10mission. We listened carefully during The Celebration of the Word and enjoyed orienteering finding out all about Our Lady.
Before ascending to heaven, Jesus gave His disciples a mission:
โGo therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.โ โ Matthew 28:19
It makes me reflect on how we communicate the Gospel to children in a way that truly reaches their hearts.
In my experience, simply teaching rules or commandments is not enough to inspire lasting faith โ for children or adults. Real transformation usually begins with an encounter, a relationship, a response to something deeper.
Iโve come to believe there is one lasting reason why a child will continue to follow Jesus and His teachings into adulthood: love. Love is the greatest driving force in human life. When we truly love someone, we desire to know them, trust them, and follow them.
If we want children to live for Jesus, our first task is not simply to teach about Him, but to help them encounter His love.
We do this through the beauty of the faith, through prayer and the Sacraments, through the reverence of the Mass, and through the witness of our own lives.
As Dr Sofia Cavalletti wrote: โThe religious potential of the child is revealed when we allow the child to fall in love with God.โ
Invite The Holy Spirit ๐
In the Sunday Gospel, Jesus tells His friends that the Holy Spirit is with them and in them ๐ฅ
We hope you can share this beautiful promise with children through this week's Little Liturgy โฌ๏ธ
https://t.co/UKvVfsUzyZ
'Share your story'...May we not be afraid to share our faith and our own relationship with Jesus to those we meet in our schools, our communities & our world. May we be an example of faith, joy, hope and love to others. ๐ @mark10mission@ArchdiocGlasgow@apht
Year 6 love joining @mark10mission each week. โจ๐
Thank you for supporting us on our faith journey. We are so grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow, pray and share together. ๐
#Mark10Mission#FaithJourney#Grateful
Year 5 loved their visit from Greg at @mark10mission for our special Mary day in school. He always manages to bring the Word of God to life for the children in such an engaging way and we were hooked on his every word. We then prayed a decade of the rosary together.
One of the greatest ways we lead our children to faith is simply by letting them see our own relationship with Jesus in everyday life.
Share Your Storyโจ
Talk to children about your faith journey.โจTell them why your relationship with God matters to you, how He has helped you through difficult times, and the moments that have strengthened your faith.
Let Faith Be Seenโจ
Children learn so much from what they see.โจWhen they see us praying, reading Scripture, going to Mass, or making time for the Sacraments, they begin to understand that faith is part of daily life, not just something we do on Sundays.
Live What We Believeโจ
Children notice how we treat others, how we respond when things are difficult, and whether our faith changes the way we live.โจA home marked by kindness, forgiveness, generosity, and love speaks powerfully about Christ.
Pray Together Oftenโจ
Some of the most meaningful moments of faith happen in ordinary family life.โจPray together before meals, before school or exams, when someone is struggling, or at the end of the day.โจSimple prayers prayed together help children learn that they can always turn to God.
Greg writes the Word of the Week as an encouragement and focus for you this week.