Amazing Catechists

Teaching and learning the faith together

Examination of Conscience for Kids

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freekidLike us adults, in order for children to experience the freedom only found in Jesus Christ, they need the sacrament of Reconciliation. But they need our help to prepare for this precious, soul-cleansing meeting with their loving Lord.

I received this superb Examination of Conscience for kids from a colleague–educator and popular speaker Barbara Falk.

There are many excellent children’s resources available online, but I thought this one was particularly good for use with young children. Barbara holds the copyright–so please do not sell it–but she gave me permission to share it widely for everyone’s use.

Here it is!

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE FOR CHILDREN

1.    I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. YOU SHALL NOT HAVE OTHER GODS BESIDE ME.
–    Do I speak ( PRAY ) to God every day? :  when I wake up, before meals, before going to sleep.
–    As  soon as I wake up, do I give ( OFFER  ) Him my school work and all my day?
–    Do I remember to THANK God for the good things I have done or received?
–    Do I put my trust in good luck charms, palm reading and superstitions, rather than God alone?

2.    YOU SHALL NOT USE GOD’S NAME IN VAIN.
–    Have I used the words “God” or “Jesus” in anger or with lack of respect?
–    Have I used ugly words or language?
–    Have I wished evil on another?

3.    REMEMBER TO KEEP GOD’S DAY HOLY.
–    Do I go to Mass on Sunday unless I had a good reason ?  (lack of transportation, sickness)
–    Do I do all I can to make Sunday a day of rest and joy for my family?
–    Do I pay attention to Mass, or do I tease or distract others by talking or playing?
–    Do I arrive late at Mass or leave early?

4.    HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.
–    Do I respect and obey my parents?
–    Have I treated them badly by word or deed?
–    Am I willing to help round the house or must I be nagged a hundred times?
–    Do I try to get along with my brothers and sisters? Am I a tattletale or bully?
–    Do I try to give good example, especially to younger siblings?
–    Do I respect others in authority: baby-sitters, old people, teachers, priests, nuns?

5.    YOU SHALL NOT KILL.
–    Do I beat up others or hurt their bodies?
–    Do I say mean things, or make fun of others to hurt their feelings?
–    Am I willing to play with everyone? Have I stopped speaking to anyone?
–    Do I encourage others to do bad things?
–    Do I take care of my health such as eating the right food and taking care of the body God has given me?
–    Are there kids I will not play with or be mean to because they look different?

6.    YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.
–    Do I treat my body and other people’s bodies with respect and purity?
–    Do I look at television shows, movies, or pictures that are bad and hurt my soul and mind?
–    Am I modest in the clothes I wear and in my speech, remembering that I truly am a daughter/son of God?

7.    YOU SHALL NOT STEAL.
–    Have I taken things that were not mine from a store or another person?
–    Have I broken or misused another person’s property on purpose?
–    Do I return things that I borrow? In good condition?

8.    YOU SHALL NOT LIE (YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR).
–    Do I tell the truth? Do I say things about other people that are not true?
–    Did I cheat in class or in a game?
–    Do I tell lies to make myself look good?
–    Do I tell lies to protect myself from being punished?
–    Do I tell lies to make another person look bad or get them in trouble?
–    Am I a tattletale?

9.    YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR’S WIFE.
–    Do I get mad when I have to share my friends?
–    Am I jealous of my siblings and do I want my parent’s attention for myself constantly?
–    Am I willing to share my things and my time with others?

10.    YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR’S GOODS.
–    Am I thankful to God and my parents for what they have given me?
–    Do I share the things I have with my family, friends and poor people?
–    Am I jealous or envious of the things others have?
–    Am I jealous or envious of the abilities others have?

THE ACT OF CONTRITION
Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you.  I detest all my sins
because of Your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God,
who are all good and deserving of all my love.  I firmly resolve with the help of your grace,
to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.  Amen.

Faith Through Fiction Vlog Post – Sacrifice

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About the Faith Through Fiction Vlog Series.

CatholicTeenBooks.com was founded upon the desire to provide entertaining Catholic fiction that can build your faith. And with this goal in mind, authors T.M. Gaouette and Leslea Wahl have taken it a step further by creating the Faith Through Fiction video blogs. With these vlogs, we will dive into issues that teens face and present fiction that addresses relevant themes.

Lent is all about self-denial…sacrifice. It’s about giving up those things that we have come to desire or rely on. It means showing discipline, strength, and sometimes even courage. But while sacrifice is the epitome of Lent through the very pillars of prayer, fasting, and alms-giving, sacrifice is not reserved for Lent alone. It should be practiced on a regular basis. Join T. M. Gaouette and Leslea Wahl, along with guest author, Corinna Turner, and learn more about what it means to sacrifice.

 

Featured author: Corinna Turner

 

Featured Books:

 

I Am Margaret by Corinna Turner

The Kings Prey by Susan Peek

St. Magnus, The Last Viking by Susan Peek

Rightfully Ours by Carolyn Astfalk

Chasing Liberty by Theresa Linden

 7 Riddles to Nowhere by AJ Cattapan

Treachery and Truth by Katy Huth Jones

The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia T. Toney

The Perfect Blindside by Leslea Wahl

Sacrifice (catholicteenbooks.com)

Teen Book Review for Lent

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Ashes: Visible & Invisible by CatholicTeenBooks

A boy in ancient Israel, a girl in modern-day America, a young man in the far future, a dozen teenagers in different settings. What do they all have in common? Each of these otherwise unrelated young people is presented with a choice, the same choice that every teen must make at some point in their lives: God or self. Sacrifice or selfishness.

CatholicTeenBooks.com is excited to announce its newest anthology: Ashes: Visible and Invisible. This short story collection will both entertain young readers and invite them into a deeper understanding of Lent and their faith.

Some characters in this anthology risk being eaten by dinosaurs, others must simply rise to a new level of maturity in their everyday life, while some must choose a higher level of generosity. The stakes may vary, but each character learns a valuable lesson about sacrifice as they grow in their faith.

Lent is a beautiful liturgical season that is, sadly, often misunderstood. Too often, young people feel it’s just “the time when you must give something up,” but it can be so much more. Lent should be a liturgically rich season of walking with Christ, even as he approaches Calvary. The authors at CatholicTeenBooks wanted to explore some of the variety this season offers and make it more attractive and understandable to teens.

 

Ashes: Visible & Invisible by Leslea Wahl, Cynthia T. Toney, Marie Keiser, Carolyn Astfalk, Amanda Lauer, Ellen Gable, Corinna Turner, Antony B. Kolenc, T. M. Gaouette, Theresa Linden

  • When Liz’s faith journey hits a roadblock, will an unexpected detour and chance encounter set her back on track?
  • A teen’s future was all set—before his tragic loss. But his friend’s secret past just might save it.
  • Justin’s religion is outlawed. When an unbeliever asks him about the meaning of life, what can he say?
  • Could God be asking Paul to sacrifice a piece of himself for Lent—literally?
  • A modern American teen discovers what faith, life and love are like in seventeenth-century Scotland.
  • Asher’s desire to prepare for the Messiah intensifies after he’s robbed by bandits but would fighting alongside the Zealots be the best way?
  • When a risky Ash Wednesday mission to sterilize T. rex eggs goes wrong, fasting is the least of Joshua, Darryl, and Harry’s worries.
  • A medieval girl stranded on a forsaken path confronts threats from without and turmoil from within.
  • Struggling with loss, hunger, and temptation, Ethan finds himself walking in the steps of Jesus.

From the early days of the Church, objects touched to holy men and women have been linked to the miraculous, such as described in Acts: “when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.” Acts 19:12

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Faith Through Fiction Vlog Series – Finding Purpose

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About the Faith Through Fiction Vlog Series.

CatholicTeenBooks.com was founded upon the desire to provide entertaining Catholic fiction that can build your faith. And with this goal in mind, authors T.M. Gaouette and Leslea Wahl have taken it a step further by creating the Faith Through Fiction video blogs. With these vlogs we will dive into issues that teens face and present fiction that addresses relevant themes.

How do we know what the meaning of life is, or on a smaller scale, what our individual purpose in life is? We’ll never really come to any sort of answer, unless we know what the meaning of life is. This can be a huge struggle for teens who are transitioning from child to adult and who are suddenly faced with a daunting future. In this episode of Faith Through Fiction, CatholicTeenBooks authors, T.M. Gaouette and Leslea Wahl, discuss this very topic.

 

Featured Author: Leslea Wahl

Featured Books:

The Perfect Blindside by Leslea Wahl

I Am Margaret by Corinna Turner

8 Notes to a Nobody by Cynthia T. Toney

Fight for Liberty by Theresa Linden

Treachery and Truth by Katy Huth Jones

Saving Mount Rushmore by Andrea Jo Rogers 

Freeing Tanner Rose by T. M. Gaouette


Finding Purpose (catholicteenbooks.com)

Spiritual Works of Mercy Infographic

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I made an infographic to explain the Spiritual Works of Mercy to the children in the faith formation classes.  Each week I will teach about one work of mercy and then give some ideas as to how to practice it.  At the beginning of the next session, we will discuss how the spiritual work was implemented and then go on to the next one. For a more in-depth explanation, go to the USCCB site. 

spiritual works

Seven Ways to Observe Advent with Children

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Photo by Stefan Schweihofer (2018) via Pixabay, CCO Creative Commons

Perhaps you too have had the experience of preparing for Christmas, only to realize that amongst the candy-making, the letter-writing, the present-purchasing, the tree-trimming, and more, you never got around to spiritual preparation, even though you really meant to this year.

If you would like to add a more reflective or penitential note to your family’s Advent observance, check out the seven ideas below to get you started.  Choose one (or two), gather what you will need, and start a new family tradition!

Jesse tree

The idea:

Recall salvation history.  Use ornaments decorated with symbols to represent the events and stories leading up to the birth of Jesus and hang them on a tree of some kind (the tree is so named after Jesse, father of King David–see Isaiah 11:1).

What you will need:   

  • You can order a kit.  Check out Etsy for some beautiful ones.
  • You can do it yourself…you need something to be the tree, something to make ornaments, and a Bible or knowledge of Bible stories.  I use a book that has reproducible ornaments.  Each year I photocopy one set of ornaments for each child.  I cut out a large Christmas tree shape from wrapping paper and tape it on the wall.  Each day (when all goes well), the kids color their ornaments while I read to them the passage from the Bible corresponding to the symbol they are coloring.  They then cut out their ornaments and tape them on the tree.
  • The tree can also be a bare branch set into a mason jar full of stones or sand, and the ornaments can be hung on it with loops of ribbon.

Advent stockings: good works

The idea:

The family does a spiritual or corporal work of mercy (or other charitable act) each day of advent.  For example, we might give away a piece of clothing; pray for an end to abortion; pray for our priests; call someone who might be lonely, etc.

You need:

  • Slips of paper listing the good works you will do (see the end of this post for ideas).
  • Something to put them in.  I have mini stockings with numbers on them, which we hang up.  Every evening I put a slip of paper in the next day’s stocking, choosing the activity based on what can fit into our family calendar.  But you could easily do the same with numbered envelopes or, if you are really adventurous, just put them all in a mason jar and see what you pull out!

Making soft Baby Jesus’ Bed

The idea:

Family members make sacrifices and do good acts throughout Advent.  For each one, they lay a piece of straw or hay in an empty manger, trying to get the bed as soft as possible before Baby Jesus will be born on Christmas morning.

You need:

  • Raffia, hay, straw, grass, or strips of yellow construction paper.
  • Some sort of manger.
  • Baby Jesus statue.

Advent wreath

The idea:

Four candles represent the four Sundays of Advent.  Three are purple to represent penance; the fourth is pink for Gaudete Sunday (the 3rd Sunday of Advent.  Gaudete means “joy,” and the priest will wear rose-colored vestments).  On the first Sunday of Advent, light the purple candle that is diagonal from the pink one.  Say a prayer of longing for Our Savior.  Every evening light this candle, accompanied by a prayer, and each successive Sunday light an additional candle.

You need:

  • An advent wreath/candle holder
  • Candles

Salvation history candle

The idea:

Similar to a Jesse tree but for the artistic.  You will draw on a large candle (about 2 feet tall) the scenes from salvation history, starting with Adam and Eve at the top and Baby Jesus at the bottom.  You will burn the candle throughout Advent.

You need:

  • A church-style large candle, 51% beeswax, about 2’ tall.  Can be found at stjudeshop.com
  • Drawing implements

Planned read-alouds

The idea:

Read advent and nativity books during Advent: either one story per day in a book of collected Advent stories or separate books.

You need:

  • A book with a collection of 22-28 Advent stories (here is the one we have); or
  • 22-28 picture books that are Advent-related, about saints whose feast day falls in Advent, or about salvation history.  If you choose this option, you might want to wrap them in wrapping paper and number them, opening up one on each day.

Piece-by-piece nativity set

The idea:

Rather than give a little piece of candy in an Advent calendar, each day brings another object or person to add to the nativity scene, starting with the stable/cave and ending with Baby Jesus.

You need:

  • You can buy a set online that has the requisite number of pieces; or
  • You can make one yourself out of felt, bringing out one piece each day; or
  • Your children make their own paper nativity set, coloring a piece every day using free printables online.

____________________

Resources:

Here is a list of good works you might use for your family’s Advent stockings.

  • Do something nice for someone in secret today.
  • Look around your room.  Is there anything you can give away to the poor?
  • Do an extra chore today.
  • Try hard to be cheerful in everything you do today.
  • Draw a picture of the nativity.
  • Read about a saint today.
  • Pray for your priest today.  Could you offer up a sacrifice for the Church today?
  • Pray for an end to abortion today and give away something to moms in need.
  • Pray for the deceased today.  Could you make a sacrifice for the souls in purgatory?
  • Pray for persecuted Christians today and learn about a country where they do not have freedom of religion.
  • Pray for people who do not know Jesus.  Is there something you could do extra as an offering for them?
  • Pray for your family today.  What can you do to help your family be more like the Holy Family?
  • Pray a Rosary today.
  • Pray the Chaplet of Divine mercy.
  • Do an examination of conscience tonight, and if possible, schedule Confession sometime soon.
  • Take a meal to someone in need.
  • Make a card to send to someone who lives far away.
  • Call or invite someone over who might be lonely.
  • Read the Nativity story from the Bible.
  • Make ornaments to send to the nursing home.
  • Do something for someone else that you normally don’t want to do (such as offer to play a game you know he likes).
  • Eat all of your food with a good attitude (even if you don’t like it) and be grateful you have it.
  • Sing a song to baby Jesus or make up a poem for Him.
  • Act out the nativity or part of the salvation story or do a puppet show.
  • Give money to the poor.  You may do an extra chore and give away any money you earn.
  • Bake something and give away half.
  • Write or draw a thank-you card for someone.
  • Make a gift for your priest or staff at your parish church.
  • Give away food to the food pantry.
  • Give away a piece of warm clothing.
  • Work on memorizing a Bible verse.
  • Go to morning Mass.
  • Give up something you like to do or eat today and offer it up as a prayer for someone in need.
  • Wrap up something you have and give it to someone.

 

Copyright 2018 Amanda Woodiel.  This post first appeared at www.inaplaceofgrace.com.

Faith Through Fiction Vlog Series – Putting God First

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CatholicTeenBooks.com was founded upon the desire to provide entertaining Catholic fiction that can build your faith. With this goal in mind, authors T.M. Gaouette and Leslea Wahl have taken it a step further by creating the Faith Through Fiction video blogs. With these vlogs, we will dive into issues that teens face and present fiction that addresses relevant themes.

In this Faith Through Fiction vlog, T. M. Gaouette and Leslea Wahl are joined by fellow Catholic Teen Books author Carolyn Astfalk to discuss putting God first. As Christians, everything we do should be for the glory of God, and that includes the books that we read. We should constantly be bettering ourselves and finding ways to live a life that pleases the Lord. But in a world that focuses on our own happiness and successes, that’s often easier said than done.

Featured author: Carolyn Astfalk

Featured books:

Secrets: Visible & Invisible by CTB authors

Crusader King by Susan Peek

3 Things to Forget by Cynthia T. Toney

I am Margaret series by Corinna Turner

Treachery & Truth by Katy Huth-Jones

Life-Changing Love by Theresa Linden

Faith & Kung Fu series by T. M. Gaouette

Putting God First (catholicteenbooks.com)

Book Review – The Merchant’s Curse

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The Merchant’s Curse by Antony Kolenc

Review:

Antony Kolenc has a new adventure to add to his wildly popular middle-grade series, The Harwood Mysteries. The newest installment, The Merchant’s Curse, is brimming with danger and a puzzling mystery that will keep the reader guessing. If you haven’t already discovered these books, you really need to check them out. Each novel is full of intrigue, mystery, faith, and history—a winning combination that makes the books incredibly hard to put down. The target audience may be young teens, but readers of all ages will enjoy these stories.

The main character, Xan, is such a great, faith-filled character. After a heartbreaking tragedy, Xan is forced to leave the life he once knew. As he discovers truths about his past and himself, he becomes involved in several intriguing mysteries and despite his good intentions, keeps finding himself in perilous situations. His natural curiosity and inquisitiveness make him someone young teens can easily relate to.

One of the things I really love about this series are the strong female characters that assist Xan on his quests, making these stories perfect for everyone. I’ve really enjoyed seeing all the characters grow in virtue through the course of the series. In this newest book, The Merchant’s Curse, Xan attempts to understand the wisdom of Solomon as he uncovers an unsettling mystery threatening his newfound happiness.

 

Summary:

In this thrilling installment of the award-winning series, The Harwood Mysteries, Xan is living in Lincoln as a merchant’s apprentice to his uncle. But all is not well.

Uncle William’s business partner has become deathly ill after he angered a mysterious, scarred woman in the marketplace. Nigel, the reckless nephew of William’s business partner, has put them in danger by befriending an enemy of the King.

Why is there a band of brutes lurking near Uncle William’s shop?
Does the disfigured woman in the marketplace really have power over life and death?
Will Nigel stop his dealings with a known traitor?

The Rosary in Kid Speak

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Enjoy my interview with dynamic author, speaker, and educator, TJ Burdick, about his exciting new resource, The Rosary in Kid Speak.

What sparked the idea to write this book?

Every night, my family and I pray a decade of the Rosary together. When our youngest was born, we had four children, five years old and younger, which made the Rosary praying process a bit difficult. They’d get into the rhythm of the repetition of the prayers, but we never focused on the true beauty of Our Lady’s prayer- the mysteries. So, I started looking up images of Sacred Art to help my kids visualize the mysteries since they couldn’t read yet. Now, two years later, the oldest are reading, so it made since to accompany the images with easy-to-understand words that would explain the depth of each mystery to them. That’s how The Rosary in Kid Speak was born.

What’s inside?

Each Mystery includes a piece of Sacred Art and a kid-friendly description in words of each mystery. The images give children a focal point that allows them to place themselves in the scene with Jesus and Mary through the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries. The words then narrate what’s going on so as to give them a more complete experience while they contemplate the lives of Our Lord and Our Lady. On top of that, the book also includes sections on how to pray the Rosary, a Rosary schedule that tells you which days to pray which mysteries, and several more tips and tricks to help families pray the Rosary together.

Who would benefit most from this book?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the Rosary “the epitome of the Gospel” (CCC 971). That being said, EVERYONE can benefit from this book, most especially those who care for the spiritual formation of children- parents, priests, teachers, administrators, catechists, Directors of Religious Education, etc. The greatest thing we can do to help our children come closer to Christ is to lead them to Our Lady who loves them with a more perfect love than we could ever imagine. With the combined efforts of her divine motherhood and our terrestrial care, the Rosary becomes the spiritual rope that binds us all together and lassos the souls of our children into her love. Like the reigns of a horse, Our Lady guides us along the path of salvation with her most beautiful Rosary.

What others are saying about T.J. Burdick:

“T.J. Burdick is smart, faithful, passionate, and a gifted teacher and blogger–precisely the sort of leader we need for the New Evangelization.”

–Brandon Vogt, Content Director @ Word on Fire

“T.J. Burdick is a fresh voice in the New Evangelization—and one of the pioneering voices of a new generation of Christians. He is showing us exciting new ways to tell the Greatest Story Ever Told, and he’s doing it with an infectious and disarming kind of joy.”

-Greg Kandra, Aleteia.org

(You can find more of TJ Burdick’s work at tjburdick.com.)

Puppet Script: Jesus, the Greatest Gift of All!

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This week, I offer you another Advent-themed script about a grumpy kid frustrated with all the busyness and distraction of the adults during Advent.

Jesus the Greatest Gift of All-Advent

Feel free to change the names, add or subtract from the content, and share my free script in any way that helps you catechize and enjoy the season with your family, your students, or your parish. I recommend it be used as a puppet show for little ones or a skit to be performed by your confident readers!

NOTE: The only thing I ask is that you not sell the scripts. I own the copyrights and I’d like to keep them free for everyone. If you charge for performances, that’s fine. I know your ministries can use all the help they can get!

p.s.

Some of my scripts, you will notice, were inspired (many years ago) by a Christian script writer by the name of Louise Ferry. I believe this is where you can currently find her wonderful work: https://puppetscripts.tripod.com/puppet.htm