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Sunday afternoon at grandma’s house helping a three-year-old get dressed for 30-degree snowy weather:
“You need to put your jacket on.”
“Why?”
“It’s very cold outside.”
“Why?”
“Well, it’s winter.”
“Why?”
The “whys” are rapid fire, as if he’s expecting the volley of questions and answers. But explaining seasons and weather to a young child takes some thought. I hesitate, realizing that no matter what I say it will be followed with his adorable and frustrating query.
In a weak moment, I reply, “Look, if you don’t put your jacket on you will look just like that little snowman on the front lawn.” Now he hesitated and finally stuck an arm in one sleeve. As he slid the second arm in, he turned around with scrunched eyebrows and said, “How?”
I can never win.
Anyone who works with children knows their penchant for questions, and one of their favorites is “Why?”
It begins early and by the age of three, it’s often the most expressed question in response to just about anything you say to them. It’s also a crucial component of brain development and expansion of knowledge that helps them make sense of their world.
They also develop a sense of who they should go to for questions to be answered, who answers them best, and willingly. But educators and child psychologists recognize that once children are introduced to a school setting, their questioning often diminishes, sometimes because they are discovering the answers themselves but also because their questions are discouraged.
Answering “why” questions about religion can be challenging, because religion can be complex and the answers, especially for younger students, are sometimes difficult to understand. Finding ways to make our Catholic faith easier to understand goes a long way in helping students live their faith.
Lent is a wonderful opportunity to encourage questions, and with older students, support their efforts to discover and express their own answers, about any number of Lenten practices:
• Why do Catholics celebrate Lent?
• Why is there a season of Lent (rather than just a feast day)?
• Why do we begin Lent with ashes?
• Why is the season of Lent 40 days?
• Why are prayer, fasting and almsgiving the pillars of Lent?
• Why do we need to prepare for Easter?
If your students haven’t already asked you, ask them some “why” questions about Lent. Or have them write their own questions down. Invite the parish priest, religious sister or brother, or deacon to visit and answer some, or all of the questions.
Some thoughts from Pope Francis’ Easter message are also inspirational, especially for teachers. He speaks of the experience of the Apostles who are present for the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor, and reminds us, “During any strenuous mountain trek, we must keep our eyes firmly fixed on the path; yet the panorama that opens up at the end amazes us and rewards us by its grandeur.”
This is an image children can understand, and would do a great job or creating into Lenten art.
The Holy Father also underscored the words of God to the disciples, His voice coming through the clouds: “Listen to him.”
Pope Francis stressed “… we need to listen to Jesus. Lent is a time of grace to the extent that we listen to him as he speaks to us.” This is a lesson that even the youngest student can understand if they have been taught the lessons of Jesus.
In addition to the liturgical year section in RCL Benziger religion textbooks, which include such lessons as Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, and Holy Week, a free series of downloadable Lenten and Triduum resources are also offered here. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops also offers online resources to help answer some of the “why” questions of Lent.
What is Lent? | USCCB
Why is Lent 40 Days? | USCCB
Why Ashes? | USCCB
About the AuthorMary Clifford Morrell, mother of six and grandmother to ten, is a Catholic journalist, editor, and author who has served the Dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey; Burlington, Vermont, and RENEW International in the areas of religious education and communication.