The celebration of Ash Wednesday comes every year just before spring. It is called Ash Wednesday because we receive ashes on our foreheads in the sign of the cross.  When we receive these ashes on our forehead, we pray that we will change our hearts from sometimes being hard to being a place for Jesus to live in us.

 Lent is a six week journey where we take time to think about ways we can be even better people. It is a time to listen to God calling us to open our hearts to him and to receive his love. Whatever we choose to do during lent we are preparing ourselves for Easter and trying to be more like Jesus.

 For this reason the Grade One class at St. Monica school did a special project for the journey of Lent. We made daily footsteps to the joy of Easter! Each morning following the prayer a Grade One student would read a footstep to Easter. It was our way of trying to be more like Jesus. To follow in Jesus’ footsteps:

 1)      We brainstormed as a class and came up with many ways to be more like Jesus. We wrote our good deeds on manila tag that was in the shape of a curved stepping stone.

2)      Students made a large winding path out of brown bulletin board paper. We sponge painted our long path with green, brown and black paint. We put our path on the bulletin board.

3)      Our path was winding towards Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross. Students then drew a picture of Jesus on the cross. We put it at the end of our Lenten journey.

4)      After Jesus rose from the dead we decided to put up signs of spring and new life. Students made Easter eggs with beautiful patterns and colourful flowers. We added to our Lenten Journey and bulletin board every week.

 It was a wonderful “Lent” activity to share as a school. As we were getting closer to Easter, we could all visualize that we were indeed following in Jesus’ footsteps.

 
Here are some examples of our Footsteps to Easter! 

v     Tell your mom you love her!

v     Read a story with your brother or sister!

v     Say, “I’m sorry to someone you’ve hurt.”

v     Do your very best work at school today.

v     Be kind and thoughtful!

v     Pray for Peace in the world.

v     Make a new friend today.

v     Pray for the sick people in the hospitals.

v     Say a prayer for your grandparents.

v     Keep the world beautiful: don’t litter!

v     Help your teacher clean up your classroom.

v     Don’t laugh when someone makes a mistake, offer to help them instead.

v     Try to make someone smile today.

v     Be happy! ☺

v     Share a smile with your teacher.

v     Take a walk with someone. Take a bag and pick up litter as you go.

v     Hug your parents!

v     Remember to do your homework.

v     Pray for all the people who are hungry today.

v     Go to bed on time without complaining.

v     Forgive someone who has hurt you.

v     Tell your parents you love them.

v     Set the kitchen table tonight.

v     Give up dessert tonight.

v     Remember to practice using self-control.

v     Remember to say thank-you to God!

v     Make someone an Easter Card.

v     Share your games and toys with others.

v     Ask others to join you when you are playing outside.

v     Rejoice in being one of God’s children.

v     Do something for the poor today.

v     Read a story about Jesus in your Bible.

v     Give warm fuzzies away today.

v     Compliment every member of your family.

v     Pray that God will bless each person in your family.

v     Remember to say thank-you.

v     Ask before you borrow someone else’s things.

v     Be nice to your fiends and don’t say mean things.

v     Say thank-you to your teacher.