Day 1 Virtue Demo: PATIENCE
You’ll need:
- Watermelon seed
- Small planting pot with soil
- Watering can (filled with water)
- Full grown watermelon
Ask:
Would someone like to help me plant my watermelon seed?
Choose volunteer to come up and hold the pot. Plant the seed in the soil. I’m so excited about this seed! I’m going to plant it and it’s going to grow into one of my favorite snacks ever – a watermelon!
Demonstrate:
I think my seed might need some things to help it grow. Standing next to the watering can.
What do you think it needs? Listen for children’s responses.
That’s right! Water. Water the seed/dirt.
I’m so excited! I can almost taste the watermelon already!!!
Wait a minute... (looking inside the pot) It’s not growing!
What other things might it need to grow? Listen for children’s responses.
Right. Sunlight!
Now that it’s got water and sunlight, we’ll get to have watermelon for lunch, right? No? Why not?
It takes time and patience! I have to wait and keep watering it and caring for it. Some things just don’t happen right away.
Explain:
It’s the same with our faith. It takes time and patience to understand and discover more about the mysteries of our Catholic faith and to grow closer to God.
The Bible says: “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient.” James 5:7-8
We can’t discover everything right away. To be patient means waiting without complaining.
That’s a hard thing to do sometimes.
If we’re willing to keep watering our faith with prayer and the the sacraments, and keep our hearts in the light of Jesus the Son of God, then the seeds we plant will eventually bear fruit.
Bring out full grown watermelon next to the pot.
