Pope Calls Catechists To Be Witnesses

Bishop Gregory Mansour shares the following article with all catechists of the Maronite eparchies!
Pope Calls Catechists To Be Joyful, Creative Witnesses Of Christ 

Catholic News Agency     

By Elise Harris

Vatican City, Jul 12, 2017 / 02:18 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In a message sent to catechists from all over the world, Pope Francis stressed the need to not only make Christ the center of their lives, but to be creative and adaptable in finding ways to reach the people in their area.

“The catechist is creative; they search for different means and forms of announcing Christ,” the Pope said in his July 12 message.

Believing in Jesus is “beautiful,” he said, because Jesus is the way, truth and life “who fills our existence with joy and gladness.”

“This quest to make Jesus known as supreme beauty leads us to find new signs and ways of transmitting the faith,” he said, noting that while the means might be different, what's important is to imitate “the style of Jesus, who adapted to the people he had before him in order to make them close to the love of God.”

To change and adapt oneself in order to make the message closer to the people is necessary, he said, but stressed that at the same time, the message being transmitted is “always the same, because God doesn't change, but renews all things in him.”

Pope Francis said that in the quest of making Jesus known to the world, “we must not be afraid because he precedes us in this task. He is already in the man of today, and there awaits us.”

The Pope sent his message to participants in the First International Symposium on Catechesis, which is taking place July 11-14 in Buenos Aires.

The event is being offered through the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), and is organized by the Episcopal Commission for Catechesis and Biblical Pastoral Care.

Pope Francis opened his message, sent in Spanish, by referencing a quote from his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi.

He noted that at a certain point, when one of St. Francis' followers asked to be taught how to preach, the saint responded by saying: “Brother, when we visit the sick, help children and give to the poor, we are already preaching.”

“In this beautiful lesson is enclosed the vocation and task of the catechist,” he said, explaining that catechesis is not simply a job or a task external to the person of the catechist.

Rather, “their whole life revolves around this mission,” he said, noting that to be a catechist is “a vocation of service in the Church, which is received as a gift on the part of the Lord and must in turn be transmitted.”

To do this, one must return to the first encounter with Christ that changed their life. This moment, Francis said, is “the fundamental announcement that must resonate again and again in the life of the Christian, and even more in the one who is called to announce and teach the faith.”

The Pope then pointed to the importance of respecting popular piety in the people, saying it's important to “care for the potential of piety and love that popular religiosity holds so that they transmit not only the contents off the faith, but a true school of faith is created which cultivates the gift of the faith that has been received.”

A catechist is also someone who journeys both from and with Christ, he said. “They are not a person who starts from their own ideas and preferences, but who allows themselves to look to him, to this gaze that makes their heart burn.”

The more that Jesus is the center of our lives, the more he teaches us to go out of ourselves, Francis said, adding that we are then “decentralized” and able to be close to others.

“This dynamism of love is like the movement of the heart,” and Jesus himself gives us an example of how to live this when he retreats to pray, and then “immediately goes to the encounter of those who are hungry and thirsty for God in order to heal and save them.”

“From here arises the importance of the 'mystagogical' catechesis, which is the constant encounter with the Word and with the sacraments, and not something merely occasional prior to the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation,” he said.

Pope Francis closes his speech by thanking catechists for their work, “above all because you walk with the People of God,” and encouraged them “to be joyful messengers, guardians of the good and the beauty that shines forth in the faithful life of the missionary disciple.”

Don't forget to email me (cathysgeorge@gmail.com) if you would like to be on the Inter-Eparchial Committee for Religious Education.   

We need directors, teachers, media specialists, and others from both eparchies who are willing to work on a unified effort to improve and disseminate our Maronite faith to our children and their families.

July Conversations - Looking Forward!

Inter-Eparchial Committee:  Would you like to volunteer?   Bishop Mansour and Bishop Zaidan are looking for writers, DRE’s, and teachers to serve on a committee to assist with resource materials for religious education.   Please email Cathy George: cathysgeorge@gmail.com if you are interested.

At the NAM Convention, I attended Father Vincent Farhat and Father George Hajj’s session:  A Pastoral Approach to the Catechesis of the Maronite Church in the USA; Practical Resources and Challenges.   It was great to see representatives from both eparchies attending!  Father Hajj defined catechesis as the study of what we believe.  He said that we need to take these materials and the realities of the Catholic faith and put them into practice.  This is evangelization.  Father Hajj said that our students are catechized but not evangelized.  He and Father Farhat pointed out many realities in our parishes:

• We have some teachers who have been teaching for many years and refuse to try anything new.
• Sometimes teaching is done during liturgies, so children are not attending.
• For some parishioners, the most important thing is learning prayers in Arabic.
• For some parishes, they have to offer Arabic classes to bring them to religious education classes.
• Many go to sports instead of church on Sunday.
• Religions education programs from Latin churches are available online.
• Those who are enrolled in Catholic schools, often do not go to Maronite religious education programs.
• Volunteers do not have all the training they need.
• Parents often pull their students out after First Communion or after sixth grade instead of allowing them to go through high school.

Father Hajj and Father Farhat stressed that the first education in our parishes should be at Baptism for the parents and godparents.  They should receive the education to enable them to take the role of spiritual guides for the children.  The Faith of the Mountain series is available and is based on grade and subject levels.  Help is need for parishes that need to combine grades.  What are the ramifications of having it online?  The Divine Liturgy is another source of education for our families, especially the Hoosoyo - a source of the catechism.   

Several suggestions were made:  

• Implement the Maronite “Commitment to Christian Life Service” in the high school senior year.
• Have a parent religious education session at the same time as the children’s.   Have sessions on “How to parent your teens.”
• For high school students, use the YouCat (a Youth Catechism) and Kahoots (https://kahoot.com) to supplement the high school program.
• Emphasize the Maronite iconography, the lives of the saints, children’s liturgy, prayers, liturgical year, art, parts of liturgy, scripture, and how we are connected, Syriac language.
• We need an online resource center with Maronite Arabic videos translated into English.  
• Access http://maronitefaithformation.blogspot.com/ for suggestions and lesson plans.
• Creating our own vacation Bible school events:  one church adapted the Good Shepherd catechesis and made vestments as their “armor of God.”   

The session concluded with the proposal of an Inter-Eparchial Committee to work on materials for religious education.

Catechist Materials for 2017!  Please take a look at these documents!

2007 Instructions

2017 Prayer Card

2017 Poster
What is Evangelization?
Catechetical Certificate
2017 logo
Christian Discipleship
Catechist Prayer Card
Taking the First Step
By Their Fruits You Will Know Them
Catechesis and Church's Commitment to the Family
New Evangelization and Social Justice
Letter to the Pastors
2017 Table of Contents
Go & Make Disciples
Accompanying Youth and Young Adults on Their Journey

June Thoughts! Summer Camps?

            This year we had a small graduating senior class--but their qualities made such an impact on our church community!  There is Evelyn, who sings in the choir and volunteers in every activity and goes as often as she can to feed the homeless at the Salvation Army and Celeste, who always works behind the scenes at regional retreats and children’s activities with a “Cathy, we’ve got this!”  We have Joseph, who has quietly volunteered every single Sunday to set up and take down the Sunday School set-up for years;  Emily, who wanted to be King in the nativity and was our Virgin Mary this year, a model of social justice; and finally Jacob, who reminds you of Tigger at times--happy and bouncy--and came so consistently to religious education and youth activities that he became our Joseph in the Nativity! 

As I look back at their religious education from pre-school through high school, what qualities do I want our children to possess?  What Maronite values do we want to teach them that will stick with them all the rest of their days?  

I want them to know who St. Maron was - a hermit who attracted many followers, whose disciples build a large monastery from which others were founded.  His followers were always faithful to the teachings of the Pope. 

I want them to love the Maronite liturgy and participate in the “work of the people.”  I want them to love the Scriptural tradition, the hymns, the monastic spirit, the conversation between the priest and the people.  I praise my students’ parents for making liturgy a priority for them--for teaching them that Sunday liturgy is part of our very being as Maronite Catholics! 

            Above all, I want them to love the Maronite view that God is mystery!  It is acceptable to not fuly understand God, but to surround ourselves with his mystery and to discover him with wonder, communion and prayer. 

            I want them to know that prayer is being in the presence of God who is present to us all the time. Through creation and humanity and Scripture, we encounter him.  In our religious education program, we teach this a little at a time in progressive stages.  I want our students to love the symbolism of the Maronite Church and to be able to talk about it with others.  I want them to love our saints and know the impact they have had on our Church.  

            Finally, I want them to treat others with dignity, compassion, respect, and love.  I want them to come back to us after college and participate in their Maronite Church as young adults and beyond!

Vacation Bible School and Bible Camps

Are you using a program this summer with your children?  Which one?

What part of the summer do you have your program?

Is it a day or evening program?

How many attend?  Do you have difficulty getting volunteers?

What are some of your favorite/best practices?

Let us know:  cathysgeorge@gmail.com  and we will report the findings!

May Reminders!

• Remember that your NAM Vocations contest entrees need to be sent right away!
• Also remind your seniors and college students that they have an opportunity for NAM Scholarships, but the deadline is rapidly approaching:  NAM Scholarships.
• Make arrangements to go to the NAM Convention in Greenville, SC!  There are so many great workshops for religious educators.   See this link from the NAM chair people:  NAM Convention Letter

As we complete our religious education for this year, we need to evaluate our programs and our own lives as models of faith for the students we teach.

1. Have we used the Faith of the Mountain series fully in our classrooms?  How can we use the Activity Books to the best advantage next year?
2. Have we been present to all of our children, especially those who have a variety of special needs?
3. Have we encouraged the parents to attend Divine Liturgy together, pray as a family, and read the Bible together?
4. Have we encouraged them to be involved in the parish community?
5. Have we involved the parents in faith discussions or adult education or retreats? 

Think about your own parents and grandparents?   What kind of impact did they have on you?   What did they do to inspire and pass on faith in Jesus to you?   Did they make Sunday liturgy a priority?   Did they pray the rosary or read the Bible or pray together as a family?  Did they pass on their devotion to the Eucharist?  Fr. Patrick Peyton, C.S.C. frequently said, “A family that prays together stays together.”

Jared Dees in his article, “How Parents Pass On The Faith,” writes about how parents and their prayer lives have the most impact on children today.  He said,”Parents offer a great example in the way to live their faith by the way they serve the Church. They willingly serve by giving of their time, talent, and treasure.

• They spend their time at parish events. 
• They share their talents for teaching, hosting, cooking, serving, etc. by volunteering in ministries at the parish.
• They place an envelope in the collection basket each weekend and offer financial support for faith-based organizations that serve those in need.”

Parents and students need to see their teachers doing the same.  But the most important thing teachers can do today to invite the parents to liturgy, to religious education, to adult education, to retreats, to church activities.  By extending the invitation, you are being a disciple of Christ.  

Reminders for April!

     I love First Communion classes!  We meet four extra times with parents and children before First Communion day.  Their favorite class is the tour of the church that students and parents do together.  We talk about the structure of the church, the symbolism of the ship sailing into the harbor of safety, what the tabernacle and the altar are for, why we have candles, a sanctuary lamp, stained glass windows, Stations of the Cross, etc.  
      This time as we reached our Jesus, the Good Shepherd window, Matthew asked me why Jesus was carrying a lamb (I think he meant rather than a puppy or a kitten!).  I explained that we are the lamb and that Jesus holds each of us with love and compassion.  I could have gone on and on, but that seemed to be enough for him because then he asked what the staff was for.  I said that the shepherd leads the sheep and keeps them safe.  They know him and he knows each of them by name.  His next question was even more interesting:  "How could Jesus hold both without dropping the lamb?"   That is such a deep question for us to think about!  Jesus never drops us.  We might drop Jesus from time to time, but he always holds us close to his heart like in this picture!  He is always ready to lead us from pain and suffering, to joy and gladness.   What a beautiful Easter message!

Bishop Gregory Mansour wanted us to extend an invitation to all pastors, coordinators and catechists to attend the NAM 2017 Convention  Here is a message from the chairpersons!
We wish to invite each of you to prayerfully consider sending your Catechetical leaders, Catechists, School Teachers, Religious Coordinators and Educators to attend the major Maronite Catechetical Workshop at the NAM 2017 Convention in Greenville, South Carolina from June 28-July 2, 2017.  This exceptional workshop featuring Rev. Vincent Farhat and Rev. George Hajj as presenters is titled: “A Pastoral Approach to the Catechesis of the Maronite Church in the United States; Practical Resources and Challenges.”   This distinctive event hopes to gather all Catechists together from around the country to develop and further empower with reliable information, networking and excellent resources for our Catechists to spiritually instruct, ignite and guide our children and adults in the Maronite Faith.


Additionally we highly encourage your promotion to send your Choir Directors and Choir Members from your parish to gather for melodic insights and artistic instruction by gifted presenter and recently ordained Rev. Aaron Sandbothe at our major Maronite Music Workshop at the NAM 2017 Convention in Greenville, SC.  This Workshop titled: “Maronite Music – Towards a Proper Implementation of the 2005 Maronite Missal” will provide Choir Directors and Choir Members, and interested laity with the tools they need in order to fully realize the potential of Syro-Maronite chant within the parish setting and produce dignified worship that the liturgy demands and the faithful deserve.


Please support and encourage your Catechesis Instructors, Choir Directors and Choir Members to attend these two very special workshops.  Please copy and pass this information along to your parishioners.

Pray with us that many will attend these workshops and bear abundant fruit for the Kingdom of God within our Maronite parishes.  Through the love of Christ Jesus and for His glory,                                                            

Greg and Mary Anne Lepak, NAM 2017 Chairpersons                                                   Greenville, SC
     

Please share this link with your older students!  The deadline is early May!  This is a great opportunity for them!
NAM Scholarships For High School And College Students

Don't forget the NAM Vocations Contest:
Vocations Contest Brochure

Sister Therese Maria Touma has sent us the following April Going Deeper article:

What is Divine Mercy?

by Dr. Anne Borik

Divine Mercy is simply a gift from God and is the manifestation of His love for each and every one of us. We believe that the devotion itself comes directly from Jesus through apparitions received by a young Polish nun named Faustina Kowalska.  According to documents found in her diary, Jesus said, “Now is the time of mercy and I want to give especially great graces to the human race.”

This brings to mind a Scripture verse in Romans when St. Paul writes ’Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.’

How do we tap into this Divine Mercy? There are five components to the devotion and I would like to suggest a simple way to remember them. Think of CHIN- F. (The chin is on the face, that is how to remember the ‘F’.)

‘C’ is for CHAPLET: The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a simple prayer that we believe was given to us through the apparitions of Our Lord received by Sr. Faustina in 1930’s in Poland.  According to Faustina’ Diary, Jesus said, “When this Chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy is moved.

The Chaplet can be prayed on ordinary rosary beads for example:

Large bead: “Eternal Father, I offer you the body, blood, soul and divinity of your dearly beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”

(10) Small beads: “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

At the completion of all five decades, the ending prayer of the Chaplet is:

“Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

‘H’ is for HOUR of MERCY: At 3 o’clock hour, Jesus died on the cross for us. It is considered the hour of Great mercy between 3-4 p.m. During this hour, Jesus asks us to pray the Stations of the Cross. If you are unable to do that, then at least for a brief moment, think about and immerse yourself in the thought of His Passion.

‘I’ is for IMAGE: What image? The Image of Divine Mercy.  Jesus told Sr. Faustina to have this image painted with the signature at the bottom that says, Jesus, I TRUST in you.  He said, “ By means of this Image, I shall grant many graces.”

‘N’ is for NOVENA: The Novena to Divine Mercy is a nine-day prayer novena where Jesus asks that a different group of people be entrusted to him each day.

Day 1: Today bring to Me all mankind, especially sinners.

Day 2: Today bring to Me the souls of priests and religious.

Day 3: Today bring to Me all devout and faithful souls.

Day 4: Today bring to Me those who do not believe and those who do not yet know Me.

Day 5: Today bring to Me the souls of those who have separated themselves from My church.

Day 6: Today bring to Me the meek and humble souls and souls of little children.

Day 7: Today bring to Me the souls who venerate and glorify My mercy.

Day 8: Today bring to Me the souls who are detained in purgatory.

Day 9: Today bring to Me souls who have become lukewarm.

‘F’ is for FEAST Day: The Feast day is the Sunday after Easter referred to as Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus said, “On that day, the very depths of MY tender mercy are opened. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy on that day.”

In conclusion, the devotion to Divine Mercy includes praying the Chaplet, remembering the 3 0’clock hour of Mercy, reflecting on the Image of Mercy, praying the Novena and attending Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday which is the Sunday after Easter. But for whatever reason, if you can’t remember all that, remember the ABC’s. The message of Mercy is as simple as the ABC’s…

A: Ask for mercy

B: Be merciful

C: Completely Trust

Lenten Greetings!

The Season of Great Lent is upon us.  Here are some activities with which religion teachers can supplement their Faith of the Mountain lessons.  But first make sure you go through your textbook and activity book to see if there are chapters specific to Lent and Easter.  

Here are two PowerPoints that can be used to explain the difference between Lent in the Maronite Church and the Western Church:

Season of Great Lent
What Is Lent?

Pinterest has many activities that can be adapted to the classroom setting:
Lots of Lenten Activities Here!

As we prepare for Lenten retreats and confessions, perhaps you might want to use some examinations of conscience with your children, teens or adults. Try some of these links:

Teen's Examination of Conscience
Examination Based On The Beatitudes
Fill Our Lamps Reconciliation Service
Children's Examination of Conscience
Examine Your Conscience With The Ten Commandments

Randa Yazbeck writes, "During this Great Lent I gave the Sunday school children this activity calendar to post on their fridge and personalized it, in addition to learning about the Maronite Cross every day as well as the CSR Rice Bowl!" 

Maronite 2017 Lenten Calendar

Taking Up Spiritual Reading

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh and Sr. Marla Marie Lucas

“Spiritual reading is as necessary as the air you breathe,” St. Padre Pio

“Don’t neglect your spiritual reading.  Reading has made many saints,” St. Josemaria Escriva

If these two saints and many more recommend and insist on spiritual reading, then we should find out more about this powerful practice of prayer.  Spiritual reading can be explained simply as reflective reading of spiritual writings to help deepen our understanding of faith, and more so, our relationship with Our Lord.  St. Athanasius said: “You will not see anyone who is truly striving after his spiritual advancement who is not given to spiritual reading.”

The best sources of spiritual reading are the Scriptures (especially the Gospels), then the biographies of the saints, and spiritual writers from the early Church to our present day.  Many of these books can be found at Ignatius Press or Sophia Press, among several catholic sources on-line.  The lives of the saints offer a wealth of inspiration.  It is refreshing to find out that the saints are human too, just like us, with their own struggles and inner battles, giving us hope in our own.

I recently read the Life of St. Anthony of the Desert written by St. Athanasius. This Father of Monks was a formidable warrior in the struggle against demons and his approach to evil spirits was actually healthy and quite modern (considering he lived in the third century). He would often consider them of no importance at all, like flies at a picnic. These days there is so much fear surrounding demonic powers, but St. Anthony encourages us not to be afraid for they are powerless in the face of a baptized soul.

The benefits of spiritual reading are numerous. Our time in holy reading provides candid advice and counsel, and corrects and encourages us in our faith. Spiritual reading also enlightens our souls about the dangers and temptations that we may encounter, while giving us insight on how to handle these challenges. Most importantly, spiritual reading provides an opening for Our Lord Jesus to speak to our hearts to help us in our continued conversion. In the words of St. Jerome, “when we pray we speak to God; but when we read, God speaks to us”.   

The important point to remember is to go about this holy reading prayerfully, taking one’s time when reading, even if we can only devote 10 or 15 minutes a day. Spiritual reading is like meeting up with a dear friend for a chat. If there are points in your reading that have touched you, talk about them with the Lord, he is waiting to hear what you have to say because it is he who touches hearts.

Here is a site of suggestions for reading: www.listchallenges.com/50-books-every-catholic-should-read.  If you have any questions or would like suggestions of good spiritual reading, please contact the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light Sisters at 508-996-7753 or sister@maroniteservants.org

Eucharist and Gratitude!

Eucharist means "Thanksgiving."

This is the season that we prepare our students for First Communion.  Please take a moment to read Chorbishop Seely Beggiani's article on the Eucharist from www.stmaron.org:

The Eucharist in the Syriac Tradition

Try this presentation on the Eucharist based on Bishop Gregory Mansour's Pastoral Letter:  

On the Mystery of the Eucharist

Here is a great article about gratitude and how to teach it in a classroom:  

10 Classroom Activities About Gratitude

By: Janelle Cox    from Teach HUB.com,

http://www.teachhub.com/10-classroom-activities-about-gratitude

Gratitude is a powerful practice that has received quite a lot of attention lately. There are some real benefits to being a person that cultivates gratitude. Some of the many benefits of gratitude that research has found include overall happiness, stronger relationships, higher self-esteem, a better outlook on school and life in general, just to name a few. Here are ten classroom activities to help you start practicing gratitude.

1. Classroom Activities: Keep a Gratitude Journal

Have students keep their own gratitude journal. Challenge them to write down three things that they are grateful for each day. You can do this as part of your morning routine or as a quick activity for those fast finishers. If you want to make it a little more challenging for students, then ask them to expand upon what they are grateful for, and tell you why they are grateful. Allow students to share their thoughts whenever possible.

2. Create a Gratitude Jar

A gratitude jar is a great way for your shy students to be able to have a voice. As part of your morning routine, as soon as students walk into the door, have them write down one thing that they are grateful for that day. Then, when you have time, pass the jar around the classroom and have students take turns closing their eyes and picking random notes from the jar to read aloud.

3. Make Gratitude Artwork

This activity is a fun one -- the sky is the limit. There are all kinds of creative ways that students can artistically show their gratitude. The most popular way is to create a gratitude tree. This is where students trace their hands and write one thing they are grateful for on each finger of the hand they traced. Then, the hand is pinned to a fake tree called the “Gratitude Tree.” An alternative to this is to challenge students to think of one specific thing they are grateful for and draw a picture of it, then place it on the tree..

4. Model What Gratitude Looks Like

Research shows that people are more likely to value gratitude when they can see it firsthand. The best way to do this is to model it yourself. Let the students see you be grateful to others and they will know that it is a meaningful practice to you. Tell them stories about what you are grateful for, and make sure that they always hear (and see you say) thank you.

5. Implement a Gratitude Group

Gratitude groups are a great way for students to get to know one another on higher level. It helps build a strong classroom community, and students will find that the more they get to know one another, the more they will appreciate each other. Each week, change up the gratitude groups to include different students. When students are in the groups, encourage them to talk about what they are grateful for personally, as well as one thing they are grateful for, for each person in the group.

6. Show Gratitude to Others

There are many people right in your school that do so much for others. Each week, have students choose one person that they are all collectively grateful for in the school. Then have them do something nice for that person, like write a thank-you note, bake them food (if allowed at your school), or draw them a picture. Showing gratitude in a meaningful way can really make a huge impact on the overall school community.

7. Expand Upon Your Gratitude Words

Sometimes just saying the words “Thank you” is enough to make someone’s day. However, if you want to really make an impact not only on the person you are grateful for, but for yourself, you can expand upon those words. For example, the next time a student does something nice for you, instead of just saying thank you, try saying, “Thank you, Jenny, for picking up the floor around your desk without being asked, that was really thoughtful of you.” By expanding your thank you into a reason why you were so grateful, it will make it that much more powerful.

8. Learn Self-Gratitude

Self-gratitude is often the hardest to practice, but most of us learn at young age to think of others before ourselves. While putting others first is a great quality to have, it can also hinder you from being self-aware. Teach your students self-gratitude by having them think of a few things about themselves that they are grateful for. If they feel so inclined, allow them to share their thoughts with their classmates.

9. Form a Circle of Gratitude

Instruct students to sit down in a circle on the floor and invite each student to say one thing they are grateful for. Once each participant has had a turn, then invite them to say one thing they are grateful for about the person to their right, then their left. Each day, switch up where the students sit, so new students will get a chance to talk about each other.

10. Plan a Gratitude Party

At the end of your gratitude series of activities, plan a party to give thanks for all that you have accomplished. Invite all of the people that you showed gratitude towards in your school, as well as the students’ parents.

Teaching students about gratitude, as well as having them partake in daily gratitude practices, can and will change their lives.