Lesson 7 March: Palm Sunday

This page is for SMA Family Faith Formation Catechists only. Content for this lesson is linked below.

Family Faith Formation Lesson Seven: April 6th, 2025

Following Sunday’s Gospel: Luke 22:14—23:56 Palm Sunday

This year our focus for FFF lessons is to help the children learn about and “see” Jesus in the New Testament. Saint of the month will also be listed, but this is optional.

Date	Scripture	Summary	Saint
April 6th	Luke 22:14—23:56	“Passion Narrative”	April 25: St. Mark

Gospel Passage:

This is a long Gospel – It covers the Last Supper, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus’ arrest and Peter’s denial, Jesus before Pilate & Herod, the walk to Calvary and Jesus’ crucifixion and death. ***Please do not feel a need to read the whole Gospel, you can certainly choose to focus on one part or summarize it.

Lesson Bullet Points:

In the Last Supper, Jesus celebrates the Jewish Feast of Passover, which commemorates how the Jewish people went from being slaves to being free. Jesus himself will set all people free in an even greater way.
In the Last Supper, he blessed and gave bread and wine to the disciples saying it was his body and blood. This is why we celebrate the Eucharist and truly believe the bread and wine become Jesus’ body and blood.
Jesus prayed very deeply in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew his death was approaching and he was afraid. His answer was to pray. Jesus knows how it feels when we are afraid. We too, can pray when we are afraid.
Peter was asked three different times if he knew Jesus, and he said he didn’t. We can be different from Peter, and proclaim confidently that we do know Jesus.
Jesus was brought before Herod and Pilate. Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but he was embarrassed and afraid. He sent Jesus to be crucified.
Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus to carry the cross, and Jesus comforted some women along the way who were crying for him.
There were two other people crucified alongside Jesus: one laughed at Jesus but the other asked for forgiveness. Jesus said the second man would be with him in Heaven.
Jesus put his life in God’s hands.
Jesus died so that sin and death would be destroyed. Because of his death, we can turn away from sin and we can strive to enter Heaven.

Discussion Prompts/Questions:

Jesus was looking forward to being with the disciples at the Last Supper. Do you have a memory of a favorite meal?
Why was it important that Jesus took time to pray?
Who were the people in the Gospel story that did not believe in Jesus?
What do you think helped Jesus to keep going, even though it was hard?
How do you think praying the Stations of the Cross helps us to know Jesus?

Saint of the Month: Saint Mark April 25th

From what we know, Saint Mark did not meet Jesus personally, but he knew everything about him from St. Peter and St. Paul. He traveled with Paul and was instrumental in spreading Christianity right after Jesus died. From all he learned about Jesus, he wrote a Gospel. He was killed for his faith.