It is better to give than to give than to receive (Acts 20: 35)
(3rd Week of Lent)
Almsgiving means simply giving what we are able to those in need. It’s not just about giving money to charity however. You can give of yourself in so many ways – you can give your time, your compassion or your love to those in need and by doing so truly understand what Lent is all about.
This week our mission is to give our time to put things right with people. If you make a mistake, say sorry to God, knowing that he will always forgive you.
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In Circle Time this week, 6B really focussed in on what it means to be compassionate. We explored this word recently, but found that by returning to it, we were able to deepen our understanding of what being compassionate means and the kind of things we can do. We dug deeper than ‘being helpful’ or ‘giving to charity’ and thought about the specific actions we can do. For example, children talked about giving canned food to a Food Bank to show compassion for those living in poverty or buying Fair Trade products (where possible) to show compassion for those who produce our goods. This was a really fruitful discussion with children thinking practically about their brothers and sisters in Christ.
As part of our RE lessons this week, we have been reflecting upon the significance of what Jesus did when he sacrificed his life on the cross. We talked about how in the Old Testament God’s people were punished for their actions – but now, thanks to Jesus, we have the chance to put things right when we make a mistake and to be forgiven for our sins.
This week, we have been giving of our time by helping others when they are stuck or struggling, some children gave their time to read the Stations of the Cross at Church today, helping others overcome their fears, giving our lunchtimes to say prayers for Ukraine and to pick litter. We have also been thinking about how we show we care for others, particularly thinking about our plans for Sunday when we give thanks to to women in our lives who help us most.
During circle time, we thought about ways in which we could help others by giving our time and showing care, compassion and concern for others. We linked this to our learning in RE about the Bread of Life and how we should emulate Jesus. We spoke about when we may make the wrong choice and talked about how we could make it right. We would say sorry. If someone has done something to upset us, we would try to be like Jesus and would forgive.
This week in Year 4, we have been thinking about what Lent means to us. The Lenten call to almsgiving means making the needs of other people our own. Showing compassion for one another and helping those around us who are in need. This might mean, thinking about someone else’s point of view or trying to put ourselves in their shoes. This has helped us to be more reflective about our own actions towards others.
This week, Year 3 have dedicated extra time in their day to putting things right with their friends, showing more empathy and understanding. The mission has shown us all how important Lent is for almsgiving, the act of being merciful. Being able to forgive and show compassion towards others is a huge part of our Lenten journey, helping us move one step closer to Jesus. We know that if we make a mistake and say sorry to God, he will always forgive us.