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Thursday, March 1, 2012

sacrifices for lent

I'm not catholic but I greatly admire the honor and respect that they give for the Easter season. 


I baby-sit for a wonderful Catholic family and they have a beautiful tradition that I would love to incorporate into my future family. 


Each Lent the family has an empty jar and some pinto beans. It is a sacrifice jar. The point is to teach your child about how Jesus was obedient to the Father and sacrificed Himself for us, even though it was hard. 


 As children (and adults!) go through the Lenten season they add a pinto bean to the jar each time they make a sacrifice. 


Then, on Easter morning, when the kids enter the kitchen they see their jar filled with jelly beans! 


You can then explain, on Easter morning, how God can take our obedience, even when it is a painful thing, and turn it into something beautiful! I think another good thing would be to make sure that you use a large jar that you know your family would never be able to fill on their own with the pinto beans. Then, on Easter fill the jar to the brim with jelly beans. You can talk about how there are more jelly beans than Easter beans because God gives us grace; something that we can never earn. 

I think the important thing would be to focus on Jesus, not the "good deeds" we can do. However, I do believe that it is a beautiful visual, especially for children. :) 

5 comments:

  1. LOVE THIS! I am going to get a canning jar from downstairs today. We have all given up something for lent and read the bible every morning, but this would be something great for dinnertime. Thank you for the wonderful idea!!! I'm going to pin it just to share with others.

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  2. I'm glad you like the idea and I hope it becomes a wonderful family tradition for you! :)

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  3. I like this idea! How true it is that our obedience to God brings us blessings. (Found you through WFMW.) :)

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  4. I have a jar and beans - and it's only the second week of lent - iwonder how many beans we can accumulate int he next few weeks!
    Blessings
    http://bit.ly/vcvDaA

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  5. Oh, I really like this tradition. Thanks for sharing it. I may start it this coming week! Why not? I know we are already in the middle of the Lenten Season but it would be such a great visual reminder and lesson.

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