Being Patient – session

February 2025

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Presentation

Objective

To teach early-year students the importance of patience and how it can contribute to our lives and those of others.

Introduction

Good morning and welcome everyone! I hope you all are doing great today. We will start with the sign of the cross, close our eyes for a few moments, and patiently remain still and quiet while we feel grateful for today’s gift. Try to make an effort not to move or make noise. Let’s see if you can do it. (try for 1 minute). Congratulate those who managed to keep calm and quiet because they showed that they can be patient. Explain that today, you are going to talk about being patient.

Reflection

Let’s think about a time when we had to be patient. Maybe it was waiting for your turn to play with a toy or waiting for a yummy treat. Was it easy or hard to wait? Being patient can be difficult, but it’s very important.

When we are patient, we show that we trust good things will come. We also show kindness and care for others by putting them first. Like the farmer, we must wait patiently for the crops to grow, which often takes a long time.

Activity: Building a tower together

(resources needed: blocks or cubes found at school. Ask for them to be available before the session.)

In pairs, students practise patience by using blocks or cubes and turn-taking skills to build a tall tower.

After, discuss how they felt, whether they became impatient or not, if they found any difficulties working together, and any other thoughts they want to share.

Video: Story

The Very Impatient Caterpillar | Kids Book Read Aloud [Being patient]

Discuss: What happened to the caterpillar when he was impatient and got out early from his cocoon? (He has not turned into a butterfly yet.)

Prayer

Dear God, help us be more patient with each other. Remind us that when we take too long to do something, we want people around us to be patient. Amen

Presentation

Objective: To teach primary students the importance of patience and how it can contribute to our life and to those of others.

Introduction

Good morning and welcome everyone! This month, our theme is ‘Sowing Hope – Being Patient.’ We’ll explore how hoping for a better world and patience are connected and why both are important in our daily lives.

Reflection:

Imagine planting a seed in the soil. You water it frequently, make sure it gets sunlight, shelter it when it is bad weather and wait for it to grow into a beautiful plant. This process requires patience, right? Just like farmers need to wait for their crops to grow, we also need to be patient in our lives. But patience is not just about waiting; it’s also about how we behave while we’re waiting. It often requires us to keep calm, being tolerant and maintain a positive attitude.

It also requires faith, putting others first, and sometimes, making sacrifices.

Examples: Faith: Being patient with ourselves and with others means that we need to believe in our own abilities and in those of the people around us to make things work.

Sacrifice: Sometimes, being patient means giving up something we want right now. It could be waiting our turn calmly, letting someone else go first, or saving money instead of spending it immediately.

Patience Requires Putting Others First: Being patient often means thinking about others. If someone is speaking, we wait until they are finished before we speak. This shows respect and consideration.

Activity: Working Together

Resources: a handful of match sticks (without the box) OR used paper and scissors (per two students).

Instructions: The students will practise patience by using these tiny sticks and turn taking skills to form words or names with the match sticks provided or by cutting out letters to form their names.

After, discuss how they felt, whether they became impatient or not, if they found any difficulties to work together and any other thoughts they want to share.

Video

4 Reasons Patience is Important

https://youtu.be/Y6dxZSXRMcI

Prayer

Dear God, help us be more patient in our everyday lives. Help us be more tolerant of others, more willing to keep a smile and be encouraging while we wait for our turn. Help us think of others more and be willing to do sacrifices when necessary, with a joyful heart. Amen.

Presentation

Template

Objective: Adjusting our expectations and attitudes during times that call out for our waiting.

Introduction (2 min)

The animator greets students and reminds them about the theme of Sowing Hope and the importance of committing ourselves daily to believe and act in favour of our desired results.
The animator leads students to quiet down, starting with the sign of the cross and a simple thanksgiving prayer.

Sharing (5 mins)

The animator introduces the February theme of Being Patient in the context of the plant that needs time to grow.

The animator suggests that technology has revolutionised and improved the world in many ways (showing pictures), but it doesn’t help us with the ability to wait and be patient.
The animator asks students whether they agree and to explain their answers.

Video (4 mins)

The animator proposes that waiting is even more challenging for those who may have grown accustomed to a life of instant gratification/satisfaction. It is better to learn how to wait patiently, even if that requires delaying gratification.
The animator shows clip: Marshmallow test (3:30 mins)

Reflection (7 mins)

The animator states that according to Jesus, to ‘live fast is to die young’ and reminds students that the seed that grew the quickest in the Parable of the Sower was the one that died the fastest since it fell into shallow soil on rocky ground.
The animator explains that the plant that springs up and withers quickly does so due to lack of roots and that Jesus himself likens it with those who “hear the Word (of God) and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble and persecution come because of the word, they quickly fall away” (Mk 4:16-18).
The animator concludes that to grow and mature as a person is to deepen our faith and relationships while we patiently wait for the positive outcomes of our hard work.
The animator quotes St Paul, our Father of Faith, whose feast we are celebrating in February: For we live by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7) and emphasises that the Christian life/faith is based on a relationship with an invisible God, “the evidence of realities not seen” (Heb 11:1).

Prayer (5 min)

The animator quotes St Paul again: Let your roots grow down into Christ (Col 2:7)and interprets that just as a tree’s strength depends on whether it is well rooted or not, we need to be rooted in Christ.
The animator hands a root template and asks students to think about and write down next to each root those situations in their lives that call for patience. Like roots, these are often hidden from the sight of many around us (ex. difficult relationships, particular inabilities, lack of happiness etc.)
The animator leads students to present their situations/requests to God while praying the following prayer or similar:

Dear God, thank you for the gift of faith that expresses itself in patience and hope. As we present to you these situations, please help us when we feel impatient and teach us how to grow in faith and love. Strengthen us in hope so that we may be able to see the fruit of our hard work. Amen

Presentation

Template

Objective: Adjusting our expectations and attitudes during times that call out for our waiting.

Introduction (2 mins)

The animator greets students and reminds them about the theme of Sowing Hope and the importance of committing ourselves daily to believe and act in favour of our desired results.
The animator leads students to quiet down, starting with the sign of the cross and a simple thanksgiving prayer.

Sharing (5 mins)

The animator introduces the February theme of Being Patient in the context of the plant that needs time to grow.
The animator suggests that technology has revolutionised and improved the world in many ways (showing pictures), but it doesn’t help us with the ability to wait and be patient.
The animator asks students whether they agree and to explain their answers.

Video (4 mins)

The animator proposes that waiting is even more challenging for those who may have grown accustomed to a life of instant gratification/satisfaction. It is better to learn how to wait patiently, even if that requires delaying gratification.
The animator shows clip: Marshmallow test (3:30 mins)

Reflection (5 mins)

The animator states that according to Jesus, to ‘live/grow fast is to die young’ and reminds students that the seed that grew the quickest in the Parable of the Sower was the one that died the fastest since it fell into shallow soil on rocky ground.
The animator explains that the plant that springs up and withers quickly does so due to lack of roots and that Jesus himself likens it with those who “hear the Word (of God) and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble and persecution come because of the word, they quickly fall away” (Mk 4:16-18).
The animator concludes that to grow and mature as persons is to deepen our relationships, first and foremost with God (whom we do not see) while asking ourselves, ‘Do I have a good reason to hope and wait patiently for things to materialise?’ (see Heb 11:1)
The animator highlights that what is at stake is the purification of our loves (we are in the month of St Valentine’s: love, like faith, is not a fuzzy feeling but built on trust … and waiting!) and quotes Love is Patient by St Paul (1 Cor 13:4) – we are in the month celebrating St Paul, our Father of Faith.

Prayer (2 min)

The animator hands a root template and asks students to think about and write down next to each root those situations in their lives that call for patience. Like roots, these are often hidden from the sight of many around us (ex. difficult/toxic/complicated/immature relationships, particular inabilities, lack of happiness etc.)
The animator quotes St Paul again: Let your roots grow down into Christ (Col 2:7)and leads students to present their situations/requests to God while praying the following prayer or similar:

Dear God, thank you for the gift of faith that expresses itself in patience and hope. As we present to you these situations, please help us when we feel impatient and teach us how to grow in faith and love. Strengthen us in hope so that we may be able to see the fruit of our efforts. Amen

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Being Patient – session

February 2025