(+ Free Download) “Way of the Cross for Children” (link below)
This morning, I woke up to a long-time-potty-trained child hugging me. With damp clothes, and the telltale smell of a bedwetting accident.
And I thanked Jesus for this opportunity to love him, and clean him up with patience.
Before you think I’m the SAINTLIEST of all mothers, let’s back up 24 hours.
I had just gone to Confession and received beautiful graces, feeling empowered to be SUCH A GOOD HOLY MOM.
And not even 12 hours later, I found myself losing MY MIND over typical kid stuff: a kid dropped a full roll of toilet paper in the toilet, a crying and clinging baby, a toddler screeching because he wanted to watch SOMETHING on TV RIGHT NOW. And I LOST IT.
Bedtime prayers were rushed, I found myself yelling more than loving my children. And I just wanted the day to be DONE.
Satan must have been so happy. I went to bed last night feeling like “I’ll just never be the holy, patient mother I’m supposed to be”.
But then, God gave me the opportunity to turn it around the VERY NEXT MORNING.
The same child who I felt so angry with - over an honest accident of dropping the toilet paper, needed my love and care to clean up an even bigger mess: the bedwetting scene.
And this time, I did it with love, empathy, and patience.
The great thing about motherhood is when you lose your patience, you’ll soon have another opportunity to show it.
God is so good. My children are good, and I am good.
We are a little more than a month away from the start of Lent, and I’ll be reflecting on these past 24 hours as I pray about what I want to do for lent as a Mother and as a family.
As we’re starting to think about Lent, I created a “Children’s Way of the Cross” with the hymn “At the Cross Her Station Keeping”.
As a mother, there is something so sad and beautiful to read its lyrics: Jesus’ Passion from the perspective of His Mother.
Children can really relate to the emotion of Our Lord’s Passion and death when they look at it through the lens of His Mother. The mother-child relationship is one every child has experienced, and can help them enter this prayer with understanding.
Here’s the download (while it's still free to access).
I recommend reading and singing it together as a family first. The children will become familiar with the tune of the hymn. And then, let the child play the music on the Playful Pitch Bars on his own. He’ll look through the pictures and interact with the story of Jesus’ redemptive love as he’s working through the music independently.