The week of February 4th – During the month of February, your family will focus on the virtue of kindness. Each week you will gather together and reflect on God’s kindness and the ways you can be kind to yourself and to others. Find a time this week to gather as a family, say a prayer, read or listen to a prompt, respond as a family to what you have heard and then act on the suggestion for the week.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
February Virtue Kindness: showing others they are valuable by how you treat them
What is a virtue? A virtue is something that God does in us to change the world around us.
GATHER together in prayer
LISTEN through scripture; readings; stories; music; videos
RESPOND to what you have heard
ACT in service to what God is calling you to
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GATHER
Gather together as a family and pray this prayer:
Gracious God,
Give us a passion
for being kind
towards ourselves,
towards others,
and towards all of your creation.
Be with us,
we pray,
and help us to be ever mindful
that our acts of kindness
– no matter how small –
spread your love
in the world. Amen.
LISTEN
Have one person in your family read Mark 10:13-16.
This Bible passage can be found online at Bible Gateway via this link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10%3A13-16+&version=NRSV
Then watch the YouTube video entitled “Kindness Through Their Eyes” via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7YW9cMQrw0
RESPOND
What is kindness? Our virtue definition says that “kindness is showing others they are valuable by how you treat them.” In the Bible reading for this week, families with children have come to see Jesus. But Jesus’ disciples aren’t happy that there are children in the crowd. The disciples attempt to stop the children from approaching Jesus. But Jesus stops them. Jesus shows the children how valuable they are by treating them with honor, inviting them to come to him – even when the adults want to send the children away. How do you think this makes the children feel? How does it make the adults feel? How does it make Jesus feel?
ACT
Talk as a family about how your children feel they are treated by the adults around them including teachers, coaches, and group leaders. Do the children in your family feel valued? What can you as a family do to show kindness at home? What can you as a family do to show kindness to other children? Pick one act of kindness to do this week for a child.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Food for Thought
Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind. – Henry James
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. – Seneca
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. – Mother Teresa
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou
Jesus said “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” – Mark 10:14 (Bible)