By Susan Ciancio
Today is All Saints’ Day—a day to remember our brothers and sisters who lived faithful lives and who are now spending eternity in heaven with God. These are the people we should strive to emulate. These are the friends we can go to for intercession. These are the people we can teach our children about as they navigate the highs and lows of life.
Children need role models who live moral lives and who understand the faith. Social media, immoral television shows and movies, and messages from celebrities bombard our children. We must counteract this negative culture with examples of Godly men and women. Our children and grandchildren need glimpses into the lives of real people who faced real challenges and who chose to do good for others. They need to learn about—and befriend—the saints.
The Culture of Life Studies Program understands this. That’s why we have created dozens of lessons for students from preschool through high school, including lessons on many well-known saints. These downloadable lessons are flexible and can be done at home; it doesn’t matter if your child goes to a traditional public school or a Catholic school. We created our lessons so that any family can implement them into their daily lives.
When children learn about saints, they learn morality. They become witnesses to the actions of great men and women who put God before all else. Children see that, even in the face of adversity—and sometimes death—these heroes never wavered. They never denied God or His will to do what may have been easier or more comfortable for their earthly bodies.
When children learn about saints, their relationship with God deepens. Their eyes are opened to a God they are only beginning to understand, and they more fully experience the love He has for His children.
When children learn about saints, they learn how to pray, and they learn the importance of prayer. They see that prayer is not just something these men and women did at night before bed or before meals but something they integrated into every part of their day because it strengthened their relationship with God.
When children learn about saints, they learn how to stand up for those who are weaker than they are. They become participants in God’s plan for the world and in shining His light to others. And they learn courage in the face of opposition as they honor His command to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
These amazing friends in heaven are there to guide us, to protect us, and to pray for us. We need their intercession now more than ever.
So, as we celebrate this holy day, let us remember that the saints are people we should learn about every day of our lives. And they are people we should never stop teaching our children about.
Below are some descriptions of a few of our favorite lessons, including two new ones. Each is a positive example of a person in love with our Catholic faith and who shows love for others because of a love of God.
Blessed Carlo Acutis: Extraordinary in the Ordinary teaches high school students about the short yet impactful life of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a youth who used his exceptional computer skills to create a website cataloging the Catholic Church’s approved Eucharistic miracles. Carlo is a beautiful example of how living an ordinary life can become extraordinary because of faith, love of Jesus in the Eucharist, and generosity toward others.
Unconditional Love and Respect for Everyone: St. John Bosco teaches students about the life of St. John Bosco and how he created a home and school for young boys who had nowhere to go and no one to care for them. Through stories about his lessons and his life, students will learn to reflect on potential prejudices they have toward certain people based on their appearances, behaviors, or financial status.
Do Small Things with Great Love: Saint Teresa of Calcutta explores the life of one of the greatest pro-life saints of all time. We also offer a lesson entitled Serving the Poorest of the Poor: St. Teresa of Calcutta for 5th grade and older that teaches kids how to live the Corporal Works of Mercy.
When Heroes Become Saints: Saint Damien de Veuster of Molokai teaches middle schoolers the story of this heroic priest who volunteered to serve the lepers on the desolate peninsula of Molokai.
Embracing a Culture of Life: Blessed Chiara Luce Badano explores the life of a joyful young Italian girl who bravely battled a painful bone cancer. This lesson teaches high school students how suffering brings us closer to God.
No Greater Love: Saint Maximilian Kolbe teaches middle school students about the vocation of St. Maximilian Kolbe and about his martyrdom for the sake of another man.
The saints all help us as we travel our own path to sainthood! Now is the perfect time to introduce them to your children and to foster a lifelong friendship.
All CLSP saints lessons are on sale through today! Visit our store to see all that we offer!
