Lent comes around every year, and it is a good thing! We are all called to continually be renewing our faith and growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ and with one another. We are called to be better Christians today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today. This call to ongoing conversion can be described in the word, Metanoia. Metanoia is a Greek word the Gospels use for that two-fold process of turning from sin and toward God.

Along with us adults, children first need to hear again and again the proclamation of the Good News, “the mighty works of God” (Evangelization in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI, 15). If our faith is alive, it will be aroused again and again as we mature as disciples.

What experiences can arouse the faith of children? Our faith formation classes in school and in the parish are a vital source of those faith experiences. We aim to make the most of the time we spend with our students and their families. Having programs and resources like Be My Disciples and Blest Are We Faith in Action, gives us the tools to be systematic about providing the content for formation that is ongoing. Download a worksheet on Repenting for Lent that works for multiple age groups.

Having Mercy on Ourselves. Growth and change can be hard. Along with teaching children about repentance and renewal, we need to teach them to be patient with themselves when they sometimes fail to be kind and loving. God is gentle with people, and we need to be gentle with ourselves. Teach children that God loves their efforts to do better each day.

Nurture Hope for Human Nature. We can change, and so can other people. Research has found that children who have a belief that people have the potential to change are more likely to show resilience when things get tough. Compared to kids who believe that bullies will always be bullies and victims will always be victims, kids who believe that people can change report less stress and anxiety, better feelings about themselves in response to social exclusion, and better physical health.

Testimonies to Growth. Stories from the Bible, like the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), teach children that God is always eager and waiting to receive back one who wants to change. Not every saint started out saintly, either. Some people whom we revere today changed their lives to follow Jesus: St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Augustine of Hippo, Servant of God Dorothy Day.

Dramatize Metanoia. In the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32) the son rashly wastes his inheritance, but the loving father, like God, welcomes him back when he repents and changes his life (metanoia). Read the parable as a class. A short video of the story is available with the Blest Are We Faith in Action, Grade 4, Unit 4 in Flourish (you will need to be logged into your account to see this). Ask for volunteers to portray each of the characters in their own words. Ask the rest of the class for their reactions and lessons they take away from seeing the story in action.