October’s Virtue: KINDNESS
Are ‘nice’ and ‘kind’ the same thing? These words are often used interchangeably. There is, however, an important difference. It is ‘nice’ to be nice…but it is essential to be kind.
When I am nice, I am polite, pleasant, and generally agreeable to others. Being nice is also being good natured. We generally welcome niceness in our relationships with others. Being nice is certainly better than being its opposite: unpleasant and disagreeable.
Given the current times we live in, people are less likely to be nice to one another then in ordinary circumstances. We are under a lot of pressure and stress with Covid-19, the upcoming election, racial injustices, and economic hardships facing families – to name a few. This can put us on edge, we lose our tempers and we can fly off the handle. These days a lot of us find it difficult to even try to be pleasant not even pretending to be nice, much less civil to one other.
Kindness, on the other hand, goes well beyond a smile and a friendly hello. No matter how stressful our times, kindness is essential to being human. Kindness is love made visible, and we cannot live without love. The virtue of kindness involves going the extra step, even crossing societal barriers to demonstrate that we genuinely care about the well-being of another. Kindness is a virtue because it is offered when it is least expected, and when we have nothing to gain by it. One of the all-time best examples of kindness and ‘love made visible’ is the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan will be a model for us this month.
Lower Elementary (Gr K-3)
KNOW
Bible story: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLzdQtetedc
The Greatest Commandment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3DC9pBioQY
Who is Saint Francis of Assisi? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53EwseKjkh8
LIVE
Do you have empathy? What is it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_1Rt1R4xbM
How many acts of kindness do you see in this video? What happens at the end? What acts of kindness have you done today? https://www.lifevestinside.com/kindness-films/#more
2-minute Prayer of St. Francis meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4G2EJBd3HQ
Kindness chain craft https://sugarspiceandglitter.com/paper-chain-kindness/
(or)
Kindness bucket craft https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/24332/learning-to-be-kind/
GROW
Hands on a string craft to send to someone who needs a hug: http://lovenloot.blogspot.com/2013/01/kindness-craft.html
100 Act of Kindness challenge for children:
https://coffeeandcarpool.com/100-acts-of-kindness-for-kids-challenge/
Make and hang birdseed cookies in a tree or bush in your yard:
http://lets-explore.net/blog/2009/06/birdseed-cookies/
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Upper Elementary (Gr 4-6)
KNOW
Bible story: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37 ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLzdQtetedc
Who is Saint Francis of Assisi? How was he kind in his life? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53EwseKjkh8
How do the Ten Commandments help us to be kind? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z48J3WBHluY
LIVE
How many acts of kindness do you see in this video? Why do you think the title of the video has the word boomerang in it? https://www.lifevestinside.com/kindness-films/#more
2 minute meditation Prayer of St. Francis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4G2EJBd3HQ
What is empathy? Is it important to kindness? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icIlUdTEQnU
Kindness chain craft https://sugarspiceandglitter.com/paper-chain-kindness/
(or)
Kindness bucket craft https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/24332/learning-to-be-kind/
GROW
Hands on a string craft to send to someone who needs a hug: http://lovenloot.blogspot.com/2013/01/kindness-craft.html
100 Act of Kindness challenge for children:
https://coffeeandcarpool.com/100-acts-of-kindness-for-kids-challenge/
Make and hang birdseed cookies in a tree or bush in your yard:
http://lets-explore.net/blog/2009/06/birdseed-cookies/
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Middle School (Gr 7 & 8)
KNOW
Bible story: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37 ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhR8J-sjBO4
What is empathy? How can it help us to be kind? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFqIZP4Yb64
Who was St Francis? How was he kind in his life? https://www.youtube.com/watch.?v=peOFGInlivc&autoplay=1&list=PL58g24NgWPIzvBk2IQVES_xC4WTm6-CDI
How does kindness fit into the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching? https://www.thereligionteacher.com/principles-catholic-social-teaching/
LIVE
St Francis prayer—original version and modern version. Pray the modern version once a day in the morning for a week. https://www.cist.org.uk/pv/cm/cl6501.htm
Is this song relevant in today’s world? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6glQdaQUZ1U
How would you react? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CwCvpEMEJU
GROW
Ideas to share kindness with others: https://www.projectschoolwellness.com/how-to-be-kind-100-acts-of-kindness-every-middle-schooler-can-do/
Kindness rocks craft: https://www.treehugger.com/put-more-love-world-diy-random-acts-kindness-rocks-4861575
(or)
Kindness postcards: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas/1005-send-a-postcard
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High School (Gr 9-12)
KNOW
Bible verses: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37 ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUUxIVl3Fi0
Who was St. Francis of Assisi? In what ways was he kind in his life? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peOFGInlivc&autoplay=1&list=PL58g24NgWPIzvBk2IQVES_xC4WTm6-CDI
How is kindness a part of the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching? https://www.thereligionteacher.com/principles-catholic-social-teaching/
Empathy. How does it help us to be kind? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ-pU7ozt3g
Short article about kindness as a virtue: https://catholicexchange.com/virtue-of-kindness
LIVE
Modern Day Good Samaritan story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcRWg5po05E
How does a person’s dignity matter in Catholic Social Teaching (see above)? http://vcat.org/dignity-matters/
Is this song relevant in today’s world? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6glQdaQUZ1U
What is empathy? How can it help us to be kind? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ-pU7ozt3g
Pray this prayer each morning for one week: https://grow.ourcatholicradio.org/st-francis-prayer?gclid=CjwKCAjw8MD7BRArEiwAGZsrBdG_vP7Ai4Abv5_prOhX5CTPuX3d97ZVjvklFcEWynvUtrnj9CwGChoC7lkQAvD_BwE
(or)
Sing the Prayer of St. Francis each morning for one week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9MGN1xZuHQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agPnMxp5Occ
GROW
Share a kindness rock with someone:
https://www.treehugger.com/put-more-love-world-diy-random-acts-kindness-rocks-4861575
Simple acts of kindness to try: https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/random-acts-of-kindness/
Kindness postcards: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas/1005-send-a-postcard
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Adults and Parents
KNOW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUUxIVl3Fi0 Bible verses Luke 10:25-37: The Good Samaritan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPehw67L91w Modern day Good Samaritan video
https://thoughtfulparent.com/nature-and-nurture-origins-of-compassion.html RAISING COMPASSIONATE KIDS: THE ROLE OF NATURE AND NURTURE
LIVE
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/kindness-changes-everything Kindness Changes Everything by Steven Witmer
https://achievetmseast.com/the-power-of-kindness-during-difficult-times/ The Power of Kindness During Difficult Times by Marjorie Pierce
GROW
https://youtu.be/z6PRtEs3er4 Bringing Love & Kindness for Yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpmqjI3BMz0 Prayer of St Francis
