Originally published at Southern Cross
By Janelle Peregoy
If I have one prayer for families during this Holy Week, it is to take a pause.
Holy Week should feel different. We can do this with an intentional choice to spend this week differently.
Consider canceling extracurriculars or shortening the workday. Spend time together as a family. Make time to pray beyond what you would normally do together. Reading the daily Gospels can be a sacred way to enter into the week. Attend Triduum services together, although realistically the length of the Easter Vigil may be daunting for younger children. Here are some suggestions.
Palm Sunday
Have younger children color and cut out palm fronds; templates are available online. Alternatively, go on a family nature walk to collect leaves and branches from the neighborhood. With your fronds and branches, create a path into your home for Jesus. Pair this activity with a children’s book such as “The Donkey That No One Could Ride” by Anthony DeStefano, which recounts Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem from the perspective of the donkey that carried him.
Holy Thursday
Host a family foot-washing service. Read the account in John 13:1-20. This is a poignant opportunity for creating a context
