"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard..." -Matthew 20:1
Director's Thoughts
My 7 year old loves looking at pictures. He recently found the photo album from my and my husband’s wedding. We looked through every page and he commented on everything. He saw the pretty dresses, his young looking parents, aunts and uncles, dancing, eating, and more. He had all kinds of questions and wanted to know all about what the day was like. I told him the story of how we spent so much time just trying to figure out the centerpieces for the tables, and how it took so much planning and thinking about the details before the day. He loved the idea of the wedding and the party, but he really didn’t want to hear all about the preparation part.
It is so easy to get caught up in the celebration and the event that we forget that we have to prepare ourselves. At the same time, maybe we don’t even want to be part of an event, so we look for reasons to avoid it. Then we don’t have to prepare or even go. Our relationship with God can be like this, too. Either we want to only have the event (going to Church) or we just want to ignore it and not deal with it. It may not be like this all the time, but there are times when other parts of our lives get in the way.
So, how do we prepare ourselves for God, keep holy the Sabbath, and then continue our relationship with Him? Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to seek God, and other times we have to remind ourselves to just stop and sit in the peace of the Lord. When the world swirls around you this week, remember to take a moment to experience the peace of the Lord. After you have taken that moment, you may choose to ask God what he has planned for you in that moment, that day, or that week. Very often, that invitation to God is all that we need to be able to take the next step in our relationship with Him.
“Be still and know that I am God” - Psalm 46:10
Catechist's Corner
Does your child need their own prayer space at home? Ms. Connie shares a great craft that your child can do to make their own "church" at home!
From the Pastor
Coming soon...
This site is separated into four sections. Each section offers a variety of resources and opportunities to enhance family faith life. Ideally, we would take one or two things from each section each week and work them into family life, but we also know that that may not happen. What we do encourage is that you make sure that you are getting pieces from each section included into your life at some point in each month. All four points are important, and all four points balance each other. Over the course of this year you will receive various resources, but should always come back to making sure that you are keeping the balance with Praying, Learning, Living, and Reflecting.
|
|
|
Pray It
Daily Readings - A good source to find the readings for Sunday Mass.
Guided Mediation of walking with Jesus through baptism and the Eucharist- From St. Mary's Press
3 Minute Retreats - From Loyola Press, provides a short prayer experience for adolescents and adults
Sunday Connection - From Loyola Press, the weekly Sunday readings with activities and discussions for all ages/grades and families
Children's Prayers - From Loyola Press, a list of various prayers for different occasions for children
Reflections on Saints - Saint reflections are a great way to learn about the saints and, through them, to deepen our relationship with God
Lectiotube - Catholic videos, podcasts, tweets and more. Includes weekly videos with the Sunday Gospel and a homily for children
Strong Catholic Family Faith - Links to various prayer resources, a blog, and resources for parents
|
|
|
Study It
Pflaum Gospel Weeklies - Access to various resources to enhance the pamplet program sent home to use each week
Pflaum Family Resources - The supplemental page for our base program for teaching children. Families will receive a handout based on the Gospel for each week and a page of how to teach from these pages. The website offers additional resources to use during lessons and tips for caregivers presenting lessons
Wanderlight Video Game - a new way to continue faith formation while remote learning, Wanderlight meets students where they are and provides a safe and healthy space for them to explore their faith and learn more about the Catholic church. Wanderlight reinforces Catholic doctrine and practices.
The Chime Travelers - Books for those in grades 2-5, to travel back in time and meet Saints! Free Activity & Coloring pages available on the website
Pray2gether - An app available through Apple and the Google PlayStore, originally designed for military families to be able to study their faith even when apart. Offers prayers and lessons on scripture.
St. Mary's Press - Resource Center with free online activities, printable pages, and more
|
|
|
Live & Share It
Faith in the Age of Social Media - An article from Yale Divinity School
Youth Service America - Ideas of how youth can help their communities even during a pandemic
Feeding America -National Organization Fighting Hunger and Food Insecurity
Catholic Outlook - 19 positive Suggestions for Christians During the Pandemic
|
|
|
Reflect On It
Pope's Reflection on Faith in Troubling Times - “'Having faith means keeping your heart turned to God, to his love, to his fatherly tenderness amid the storm,' the pope told his visitors."
Daily Examen - Review this explanation of St. Ignatius' Daily Examen for adults before trying to start a daily reflection with your child
Daily Examen for Teens and Children - A wonderful way for young people to wind down their day. This also creates an opportunity for parents to check in with their children and create opportunities for God to enter into relationships
A Family Daily Reflection - This combines a daily examen with prayer for each member of the family
Henri Nouwen Society - Free Daily Meditations for Adults