Day 1 Virtue Demo: COURAGE
You’ll need:
- A table
- Sand (approx. 1 cup)
- A nail
- A very strong magnet
Do a test first to make sure your magnet is strong enough to pull the nail out of the sand.
Ask:
Who can tell me what the word “courage” means? (to be brave; to face fear, danger or difficulties with strength in the Lord)
Explain:
Courage is about being strong and brave, even when we are afraid. The important thing is not to let our fears control us.
St. John Paul II often said: “Be not afraid!”
It takes a lot of courage to live out our Catholic faith. God wants us to practice courage because He needs bold disciples living out the faith.
Demonstrate:
These nails represent you and I. Show nails.
Sometimes we allow ourselves to get wrapped up in our fears and then we aren’t free to be ourselves.
Let’s imagine the sand represents our fears.
What are things we might be afraid of?
For every fear that you mention, sprinkle a bit of sand over the nail until it’s covered. (Thunderstorms, the dark, heights, spiders, mice, flying in a plane, etc.)
See what happened to the nail? We can’t even see it anymore. That’s what happens when we allow ourselves to be controlled by our fears.
It takes a lot of courage to overcome our fears! The best way is to call out to God for help. God is our magnet and He wants us to stick close to Him. Show magnet.
When we feel caught up in our fears, we can call out to God and He will come and help us.
Pass the magnet over the covered nails and show the kids the nails on the magnet.
Explain:
Isn’t that cool? Whenever we’re afraid, we need to remember to stay close to God, who is bigger, stronger and more powerful than anything that might scare us.
The more we stick with God, the more courage and strength we will have to do what is right when faced with difficult situations.
How can you be courageous in your faith? Share with others about Jesus, stand up for what is right, say a quiet prayer before lunch at school, invite your friends to Mass, etc
Many saints put themselves in danger in order to remain faithful to God, especially our saint of the day, St. John the Baptist! He preached the Good News about Jesus, even though he got thrown into prison. He didn’t let any fears keep him from speaking the truth.
(Opt.) Share a personal story of a time when you (the leader) had to conquer your fears and be courageous.
