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An Elementary Catechetical Program

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Family Prayer Activity

Prayer Heavenly Father, creator of all, we thank you for your love, your mercy

and your faithfulness.

We ask that you bless this time we will spend together and to lead us by your spirit, that we may grow to reflect the light of Jesus Christ in our world.

Give us the wisdom, strength, and compassion to care for this wonderful world that you created with so much love.

Holy Mother Mary, we ask you to pray for our families, embrace us with your tender love and care.

We ask all of this in the name of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Discussion 1. In the U.S. we spend around $15 billion on bottled water purchases

each year. What can we do, as a family, in order to reduce or stop buying bottled water?

2. The United Nations predicts that by the year 2025, two-thirds of the global population will be facing freshwater scarcity. Since it takes so much water to produce meat, chicken and pork, how many days a week can we—as a family—agree together to eat (and make!) “meatless meals”?

3. You can save more water by not eating one pound of meat than you can by not showering for six months! Which one would you rather choose and why?

4. The average distance women and girls in Africa walk to collect water is nearly 4 miles per day. In solidarity with these women and girls, can we choose some time during the week to walk a few miles together—as a family—and pray for them?

5. A child loses his/her life every 90 seconds due to a lack of drinkable water. What organizations can we join or support in order to help make sure children get access to water?

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education.crs.org©2017 Catholic Relief Services. All Rights Reserved. 17US107

Blue Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of blueberries• 1 banana• 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk• 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla• 1 cup ice cubes• optional 1 tablespoon of flaxseed/chia seeds (fiber) and maple syrup

(sweetener)

This recipe contains healthy, delicious superfoods!

Process: Have the children wash the berries. Separate the ingredients, and share with the children the significance of the ingredients.

• Blueberries and bananas are rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B6.

• Water purifies our bodies, and can be used to make beverages. Non-dairy milk, like soymilk, is another option because it takes less water to produce this kind of milk compared to cow’s milk. Did you know it takes about 880 gallons of water for a cow to produce just 1 gallon of milk? Yikes!

Blend all ingredients together and serve. Makes 2 to 3 child-size servings. Enjoy!

Rosary for WaterPray the Holy Rosary as a family. Ask your family members who may live far away to join you electronically or pray the rosary at the same time to bring you all together in prayer!

For each decade, pray the following:

1. For the poor who do not have access to drinkable water.

2. For the children who are sick because they do not have clean, safe water to drink.

3. For the women and girls in the world who have to walk for miles to get water for their families.

4. For those in government, that they seek justice and peace for all of God’s people.

5. For each one of us, so that we may care for God’s creation, our home, Mother Earth.