Prayer Archives - Amazing Catechists

Inspiration and Ideas to Help Children Appreciate the Real Prescence

“The consolation was for us, not just for the children,” says Corinne Addiss, a remarkable catechist from New York, recalling a day last summer when she and her Vacation Bible School team received a beautiful sign of God’s presence working powerfully through the children.

“We were on the second day of our program. Almost a hundred children nursery school age through sixth-grade children enrolled, with another thirty-something junior counselor, grades seven and above. My energy was uncharacteristically low. I wanted to just get through the week. This day’s focus was the Eucharist and one of our ‘stations’ was Adoration.

“As a teacher was finishing up with a group of about twenty little ones, they all came out of the pews and she showed them how to genuflect properly in front of the Blessed Sacrament–on both knees. As she watched, one child suddenly went down on her belly, prostrated in adoration before the monstrance. And then, one after another, the children followed until all of the children were lying with their hands extended in front of them, adoring Jesus — in a position no one in the program had taught them.”

The teacher, Corinne remembers, knelt in silence, tears streaming down her face as she gazed in awe at the sight. “There was no ‘earthly’ explanation; it was something within the children. It was their faith in God.”

It would seem the program received special graces that day. She says, “There are always graces. But that day, there were graces being accepted.”

Corinne has created many programs in her diocese over the years and has a reputation for doing creative, effective work.

“We are in competition with the world which attracts minds and souls through the senses,” she explains. “We try to appeal to the senses of sight and sound as well. Jesus used visuals – coins, mustard seeds, mountains, boats, etc. We decorate everything in an imaginative and cost-effective way using rolls of plastic table covering, brown paper bags, things from home, paint and lots of creativity! A visual teacher can produce great fruits by helping children ‘see’ and learn the truths of faith. It’s about busting the myth that faith is no fun. When great stuff is taught in fun, interesting ways, it bears fruit.”

“Most often I am flooded with ideas when I’m sitting in church in front of the Blessed Sacrament,” she says definitively. “If I try to force them, it’s useless. I’ll go to Adoration and sit with my list of projects and say, ‘Okay, God, I need your help,’ and I just start jotting down ideas. Once I’ve got an outline for the VBS, I talk it out with others and together we finalize the plan.”

Here are some of the activities that prepared the children to appreciate the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist:

Spiritual Survival Kits. “In every program we do the children make Spiritual Survival Kits. They love them! They decorate a box and put their name on it. They make their own rosaries, scapulars, and prayer books to put with the holy water, holy cards and miraculous medals we give them for the kits. We explain, ‘If we always carried a survival kit with us that was filled with the tools (flashlight, food, water) we might need in our daily lives, we would be better prepared when an obstacle or even an emergency happened upon us. But for survival and to be better prepared to deal with obstacles and emergencies in the spiritual life, we need the tools in this Spiritual Survival Kit which are called sacramentals. They help us to be more open to the sacraments — especially the Holy Eucharist, which is the source and summit of our faith.’”

Mass Confusion. “We created a game that would teach about things that are used in the Mass (chalice, paten, vestments, etc.). We put beautiful color photos of those things on 10 x 14 foam board. Each junior counselor, standing side by side, would hold a picture. In a big basket were smaller cards with names of the items. Each junior counselor gave a hint and might say, ‘I am what is used to hold the water and wine before it becomes Jesus’ Precious Blood.’ Once a clue had been given for each item, the children divided into two teams would scramble through their basket for the correct word to place beneath the corresponding picture. It’s fun and it helps them when they go to Mass to make the connection!”
Spiritual Bouquets. “We had the children decoupage flower pots with beautiful images of sunflowers and an image, in the middle, of a monstrance with angels bowing (from a vintage prayer card). Using the theme ‘Follow the Son,’ we told them that, like the sunflowers, they were ‘turning toward the Son’! We also said that priests, in a very special way, follow the Son. As they planted sunflower seeds in their pots they were reminded that sacraments and sacramentals are some of the ways God waters the seeds of faith. Then on the back of a picture of a sunflower they wrote, ‘Dear Father, Thank you for being a priest! I will pray a Hail Mary and an Our Father for you.’ We prayed the prayers all together and we encouraged them to continue praying for our pastor and all the priests. They glued each of their flowers onto a popsicle stick and at the end of the week at the offertory of the Mass, we presented a decorated pot with all the sunflowers in it – a bouquet from all the children in the program to our pastor, who was new. He kept the spiritual bouquet on the side altar of the church for a good many months afterward with the children’s promises on them.”
Tug of War. “We prepped our junior counselors to tell the children a story of good vs. evil that would make it very apparent what was good in the story and what was evil. Then we told them that the Holy Eucharist gives us strength to resist evil and had them play tug of war.”
Scavenger Hunt. “We wrote little poems that provided clues, and each one brought them to a different location on parish grounds. Finally, the last one led them to Jesus in the monstrance, their final destination. We told them, ‘We’re all looking for something, searching – but it’s really Jesus we’re looking for.’”
Adoration. “When each group came for their lesson in the church, I would kneel with them and speak in simplistic terms about the consecrated Host. I’d say, ‘That’s really, truly Jesus in what appears to be a round piece of bread.’ And then I’d ask, ‘Does that make sense to everyone?’ As some were nodding their heads with an emphatic ‘yes,’ and some just shrugging, I’d say, ‘It doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t understand it, but I believe it, I just believe it!’ Instantly a weight would slide off their shoulders as they just accepted! The relief is almost instantly visible in their faces, as is their belief as they gaze upon Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.”
Fatima Prayer. “We prayed the Fatima prayer taught to the three shepherd children by an angel during our time in from of the monstrance. [‘My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee! I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.’] The day closed with a skit by junior counselors of the Angel of Portugal appearing to the children, and Our Lady, Mother of the Eucharist.”

“All we want is to do is His will,” Corinne says, in conclusion. “And I know from experience not to expect consolations. ‘Your reward will be great in Heaven.’ But for those, young and old ‘who have eyes to see and ears to hear’ the consolations in this program are many…as are the graces which give us the energy to continue – next time!”

So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law,
or by your believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:5)

Number One #Superfood: The Eucharist, Hands Down

By Lisa Mladinich

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink . . . This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever (Jn 6:53-55, 58).

I’d like to begin my post by telling you about one of my favorite saints, St. Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859), the holy Curé of Ars, and patron of parish priests. He started his priestly life in a way that might have discouraged most of us. After a poor academic performance in seminary, he was consigned by his doubtful superiors to the tiny farming village of Ars, France. In this dingy backwater, drunkenness and frivolity were the norm, and public sin rampant. But because of his humble and persevering devotion to the Eucharist, he converted the entire town, as well as thousands of citizens from surrounding villages who flocked to him daily by the hundreds to make their confessions. To this day, his body remains incorrupt and is venerated by about 500,000 pilgrims annually.

The Eucharist Transforms

I share this because we all have moments when we feel ill-equipped to save souls, like below-average seminary students exiled to the hinterlands. And most of us truly are unremarkable in the eyes of the world; more frustrated, over-burdened, and exhausted than inspiring. But Jesus invites us to eat a seemingly ordinary meal of bread and wine that, in the hands of our beloved priests, becomes the power needed to radically empower our lives. When we partake of Him in this intimate and transformative way in the Holy Eucharist, we embrace the possibility of ordinary souls doing extraordinary things. Suddenly, there is life in us. And therein lies a path of genuine glory.

All of us are laboring to bring our students to Christ, hoping, even when all seems hopeless, to facilitate an encounter with Jesus that will save their souls. As catechists, to bear fruit that will last (Jn 15:16), we must begin with our own encounter with Christ through the Eucharist, the “source and summit” of our faith.

Consider this: With astounding humility, the Messiah came to us a poor, helpless infant born in a stable. Condescending still more, His Precious Blood was poured out in suffering and death to ransom us from our sins. In perhaps His greatest act of humility, He is offered to us daily under the appearance of bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist, a form easily overlooked, ignored, disbelieved, or taken for granted. He waits for us in the Tabernacle, calling to our hearts, longing to heal and transform our lives.

I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you . . . (Lk 22:15).

Those who do not yet have an appreciation for the strange and wonderful power of the Holy Eucharist might find it bizarre that so many Catholics run with the devotion of smitten lovers to daily Mass, day-after-day, for years on end. But for each of those lucky souls there is a unique story of suffering that has taught them a joyful dependency on Christ’s life-giving love, revealed with unspeakable beauty and tenderness in this otherworldly sacrament.

The best means to reach perfection is through receiving Holy Communion frequently. Experience sufficiently proves it in those who practice it. (St. Thérèse of Lisieux)

Consider also the many ways in which Christ is truly present to us (and through us) at Mass. Gathered as a community—as His body, the Church—with the priest standing in persona Christi, speaking Christ’s living words–Sacred Scripture, we enter into His once-for-all-time eternal sacrifice on the Cross through the Eucharist. Have you ever felt so wrapped in Christ? Are you starting to see the urgency and the unspeakable privilege of getting to Mass and participating in a whole-hearted and conscientious way?

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Lk 22:19-20).

In this holy communion with God, this new covenant in Christ’s body and blood, we are called to save souls. But He doesn’t just call us; He provides sustenance and power. His body is real food for this work, and His blood real drink.

The Eucharist thus appears as both the source and the summit of all evangelization, since its goal is the communion of mankind with Christ and in him with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
(John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia)

If we truly desire to save souls, and we do, there just isn’t a greater source of grace and inspiration than the Blessed Sacrament—our own dear Jesus in the unassuming form of bread and wine.

Mass is a Gift

If you have not been to Mass in a while, please consider availing yourself of this great gift–but first call your local parish and find out when confession is offered. We all need a fresh start now and then, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will wipe the slate clean and bring healing and refreshment to your soul. (Instructions can be found online.) You’ll be a lot more open to Jesus if you tidy up before you invite him in. Ask the great confessor, St. Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney to pray for your intention.

“I am only content,” he once said, “when I’m praying for sinners.”

To offer our trust to Christ in return for His life-giving Eucharist is a wonderful way to begin 2015. Make this the year you say yes to the number one superfood on the planet–the only one that can power up your entire life, body and soul.

See you at Mass. God bless you!

Our Weapon of Mass Conversion

By Denise Mercado

I’d like to share a fun story with you.

There was a young bride-to-be at her bridal shower. One of the gifts she opened was a roasting pan. When she opened it, she looked at her mother and said, “You know, Mom – I’ve been meaning to ask you. Every time you make a roast you always cut the end off it before putting it in the pan. Why do you do that?” Her mother said, “Your grandmother taught be everything I know about cooking, and she always did that, and I never questioned it.”

With that, the young bride turned to the grandmother and asked her the same question. The grandmother said, “My mother was the best cook in town. Everyone loved her cooking. So, when she taught me to do something in the kitchen, I never questioned it. I always just did it.”

Well, luckily, 92-year-old great-grandma was at the bridal shower. The young bride went to the great-grandma and asked the infamous question, “Why do you cut the end off of the roast before putting it in the pan?” The Great-Grandma shrugged her shoulders and said, “Because I never had a pan big enough.”

WHY Questions are IMPORTANT!

I love this story because it helps us realize that “WHY” questions are important. They’re important because they push us to dig to find answers. When we ask WHY questions concerning the things of God, it brings us closer to God if we are brave enough and persistent enough to get to the answer.

I recently read a book entitled, “Champions of the Rosary” by Father Donald Calloway. Father Calloway has an amazing conversion story. I encourage all of you to look him up on YouTube. He had no religious upbringing and then somehow after a long series of misfortunes, finds himself in a Catholic Church watching five Filipino women pray the Rosary. He had no idea what they were doing.

For those of you like me raised in the Catholic Church, I’ve seen both my mother and grandmother pray the rosary every day. But I really didn’t know what they were doing or why they felt it was important to do it every day. That WHY question led me to Father Calloway’s book.

Saint Dominic and the Rosary!

Saint Dominic is the founder of the Rosary as we know it today – five decades with meditation on mysteries of Jesus’ life. The Rosary, as stated in Father Calloway’s book, was crafted by God over a span of time. So, although Saint Dominic is the founder of the Rosary, the development of the Rosary existed decades before Saint Dominic.

The Rosary – Our Spiritual Sword

The Rosary is also a spiritual sword based on scripture which tells us that “the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword….” and encourages us to “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17)

The two main elements of the Rosary – the Hail Mary and the Our Father – are prayers found in scripture which is why the Rosary is referred to as a sword.

Prayer Beads were very important – used as early as the third century to keep track of how many prayers were said. During the first Crusade 1069-1099, monks/priests wore prayer beads – not rosary beads – but prayers beads. They wore these on the belt to understand the beads as a sword that is worn on the belt. Many of us remember the nuns and priests – back in the day – that wore the rosary beads on the side. I never knew why they wore them there – but it was to signify a sword. These prayers are the Word of God, and the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit.

Our Weapon of Mass Conversion

There is a story of Saint Mother Teresa traveling in India by train when officials boarded the train asking if anyone had weapons. Saint Mother Teresa reached in her pocket and took out her rosary. This truly is a weapon – a sword.

In 1208, Saint Dominic is struggling with a heresy in southern France without any success. His preaching was not effective. The heresy was teaching that God would never take on human form. Pope Innocent III initiated a 20-year military campaign to eliminate the heresy. Finally, Saint Dominic decides to retreat and pray for help. After three days of prayer and fasting, he receives a vision from the Blessed Mother.

Our Lady instructed Saint Dominic to take the Marian Psalter – the 150 Hail Mary’s – out of the monasteries – infuse it with sacred mysteries and meditation – and take it into the streets to become a weapon of mass conversion.

There are so many wonderful stories and detailed history in Father Calloway’s book about the Rosary. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the WHY of the Rosary.

Champions of the Rosary – EXCELLENT book by Father Donald Calloway!

An Hour of Prayer to Honor the Feast of Divine Mercy

By Annabelle Moseley

Could you not watch one hour with me? (MT 26:40)

Since my childhood, I have been deeply moved by this call. As a little girl, when I couldn’t sleep, I would pore over my Children’s Illustrated Bible, and the picture I couldn’t tear my eyes away from was the one of Jesus, shedding tears and sweating blood as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. His three trusted friends slept. I longed to be there, awake with Him.

Three years later, I suffered tragic loss and deep grief, and couldn’t sleep for the sorrow. During that time, I prayed to Jesus of Gethsemane and told Him I wanted to find some way, through prayer, to be with Him in the Garden and to stay at His side there… consoling Him. Night after night, I was drawn by His Mercy to that contemplative thought. And as I prayed to Him, Jesus of Gethsemane consoled me. He really never is outdone in generosity… or in mercy.

Saint Faustina, the “Apostle of Divine Mercy,” recognized the power of time spent in prayerful contemplation with Jesus in Gethsemane. She wrote in her Spiritual Diary (#1394), “I spent the whole night with Jesus in Gethsemane.” Faustina was deeply consoled and helped forge her very saintly journey of conveying God’s mercy… by consoling Him there.
In that same spirit and to celebrate Divine Mercy in a special way, Catholic Holy Hour is offering a free guided Holy Hour with the Divine Mercy of Jesus in Gethsemane. You can sign up here.

During this time that celebrates Divine Mercy and Paschal joy, we are called to offer all our prayers in a spirit of reparation and great love to Jesus of Gethsemane… yes, Gethsemane. As gardens and altars everywhere flower in Paschal beauty; as we joyfully proclaim, “He is Risen, indeed!” and as we harvest the fruit of the Glorious Mystery of the Resurrection: Faith… we still spiritually linger to watch and pray with Jesus in The Garden.

After all, this Mount of Olives where He has His Agony is the same Mount of Olives where, 40 days after the Resurrection from the Garden Tomb… Jesus will ascend into heaven… reminding us that no time spent lovingly in Gethsemane will ever lead to fruitless depression. No Gethsemane moment in our own life will be bleak if we offer it in sacrificial love to the Holy Gardener. Rather… it will be the very path to heaven! May the most beautiful Easter flowers be the ones we bring to Our Lord in Gethsemane. And in honor of the Feast of Divine Mercy… we will immerse ourselves in the boundless mercy to be found in The Garden.

Examination of Conscience for Kids

By Lisa Mladinich

Like 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.

6 Ways to Pray Your Way Through #Lent

By Karee Santos

With Ash Wednesday right around the corner, many of us are already pondering what Lenten resolutions we’ll choose or what resolutions we’ll suggest to our students. No resolution can succeed without prayer, however, so here’s six ways to improve your prayer life this Lent.

1. Make a daily prayer date with God. Best friends talk every day, so use the days of Lent to renew and deepen your friendship with God. If you don’t pray every day, pick a specific time and commit to spending just five minutes telling God what’s in your heart. If you already have a habit of daily prayer, add five more minutes to your regular time. For example, if you normally pray ten minutes a day, make it fifteen minutes a day for Lent. Scheduling prayer for the same time every day will help you keep your commitment. You wouldn’t break a standing date with your husband, or your mom, or your best friend, unless you absolutely had to. So try to make and keep that daily prayer date with God.

2. Add a rosary to your day. St. Louis de Montfort said that praying the rosary was like giving a bouquet of roses to the Blessed Virgin Mary. So, make your mother happy this Lent. Saying an entire set of mysteries takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how fast you recite the prayers. If that’s too much time, just say the fifth Sorrowful Mystery — one Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, and one Glory Be while meditating on Our Lord’s crucifixion. Say it with your spouse and your kids, and include your whole family in this beautiful tradition of prayer.

3. Make a morning offering. Offer your entire day to God, and he will bless you for it. First thing in the morning, connect with him and ask for his support and consolation throughout the day. You can recite this exquisite formal prayer, penned by St. Ignatius of Loyola: Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more. But you can also go a simpler route and create your own morning offering. Our family likes to say, “God please help me to do what you want today.” It takes just a few moments and can bring so much peace to your day.

4. Ask for God’s help more than usual. Sometimes when we feel stressed or overwhelmed, we forget to call on God’s strength. Mini-crises hit us more than once a day, on average, and they give us ample opportunity to request divine assistance. Even if your schedule is too harried to carve out specific times for prayer, you can choose a one-sentence prayer (also called an aspiration) to reach out to God throughout the day. Many people use the Jesus prayer, which is “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.” Other possibilities are “God, make haste to help me” or “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”

5. Keep a prayer journal. If you decide to make Lenten resolutions, it’s a good idea to keep track of how well you’re doing. Writing down your success (or your failure!) is a great way to ensure accountability. So at the end of the day, you can note down in a journal whether you kept your resolutions that day or not. It will give you extra impetus to stay on track through the whole 40 days of the season.

6. Go to weekly confession. The Church encourages us to go to confession especially during Lent. Many people go at least once, but you don’t have to stop there. Going to weekly confession during Lent will bring you an avalanche of graces. Telling the priest about your progress with your Lenten resolutions will enhance your ability to persevere. Take the whole family with you on Saturday afternoons, and everyone can benefit from this powerful sacrament.

May God bless you during this holy season of Lent! And if you have other ideas for improving prayer life during Lent, please let us know in the comments!

Copyr. Karee Santos, 2014. Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Lenten Ideas

By William O'Leary

Lent is the perfect catechetical season. A catechist, as well as a parent, can find a plethora of ideas about how to practice and live out Lent. I would like to share ideas in 3 categories (be aware that some ideas will overlap): Family Ideas, Classroom Ideas, and Personal Ideas. I hope the following links will help assist you as a parent or a catechist in assisting your students to grow closer to Christ this Lent.

Family Ideas:

Prayer

~ Pray the Rosary and/or Divine Mercy Chaplet regularly as a family – on the way to/from school, or right after dinner.
~ Read the Bible/pray with your kids before bedtime during Lent.
~ Pray the Station of the Cross at 7pm each Friday at Ascension or at home: https://catholicicing.com/2011/03/printable-stations-of-cross-for/

Fasting

~ Have a day where the TV Stays off (Maybe Fridays during Lent)

~ Fast from Cell phone use, internet, video games from after dinner until bedtime.

~ Fast from going out to eat. Give the extra money to the poor.

~ Fast from gossip or negative thoughts.

~ Fast from eating between meals.

~ Fast from dessert a few times a week.

~ Fast from being lazy (that attitude that says: someone else will do it.

~Listen to Christian Music 97.3 FM or Catholic Radio 1090AM in your car during all of Lent.

Almsgiving

~Sign up for Holy Hero’s daily Lenten email: https://www.holyheroes.com/Holy-Heroes-Lenten-Adventure-s/37.htm
~ Lenten Calendar: https://catholicicing.com/2011/02/printable-lenten-calendar-for-kids/
~ Give money as a family to the poor: Operation Rice Bowl.
~ Spend more time with family.
~ Be positive (maybe charge .25 cents for every negative comment at home and then give the money to a charity).
~ Family Chart: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1018

Classroom Ideas

~ Lent Lapbooks: https://catholicblogger1.blogspot.com/2010/02/lent-lapbooks.html
~ Printable Lenten Calendar: https://catholicicing.com/2011/02/printable-lenten-calendar-for-kids/
~ NOW Cross: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1019

Personal Ideas:

~ Take time to pray at lunchtime instead of going out with friends or surfing the internet.
~ Read a Psalm each day during Lent.
~ At 3:00 pm each day, pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet or take a moment to pause in prayer to remember the hour that Christ died.
~ Pray the Seven Penitential Psalms – maybe one each day of the week throughout Lent (Psalm 6, 31, 50, 101, 129, and 142).
~ Go out of your way to do one kind deed each day.
~ Do things for people each week without them knowing.
~ Be positive and reflect joy during Lent.

9 Questions for Lent

By William O'Leary

As you journey through Lent consider reflecting on these questions:

1. When I wake up on Easter Sunday morning, how will I be different?

2. Is there a habit or sin in my life that repeatedly gets in the way of loving God with my whole heart or loving my neighbor as myself? How do I address that habit?

3. Is there anyone in my life from whom I need to ask forgiveness or pursue reconciliation?

4. What practical steps am I taking to carve out time for daily prayer?

5. What spiritual discipline can I continue to improve upon?

6. What are some things in my life that I tell myself I need but I don’t? Can I give one or two of them up (at least for the remainder of Lent)?

7. How is what I’m doing this Lent helping me draw closer to Christ?

8. What can I tell myself even when it’s hard to deny myself?

9. What 2 virtues do I want to focus on this Lent (e.g., patience, charity, kindness, gentleness, temperance, etc.)

Even NOW, says the Lord, RETURN to me with your WHOLE heart….

This Saint Valentine’s Day, Give Your Heart to The Sacred Heart

By Annabelle Moseley

Whether you have a Saint Valentine’s Day that delights or disappoints, the most important gift of hearts is the one each of us gives to Our Lord. The most strengthening Valentine we can receive is the chance to rest our head upon the Sacred Heart of Our Lord, listening to its beat; as St. John the Beloved did at The Last Supper. After all, St. John the Beloved was the only apostle to withstand witnessing the Way of the Cross. When we draw near to the Heart of Jesus, we are capable of so much more than we could do on our own!

Here’s a few ways to make this Valentine’s Day and Valentine’s Month extra heartfelt:

Place an image of the Sacred Heart with bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table or island as a reminder of your love, and His.
Pray one of the many beautiful Sacred Heart prayers as part of grace before meals. Here’s one I like: Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Make Valentine’s food in honor of the Sacred Heart. After you make the cupcake recipe of your choice (I like chocolate with vanilla frosting!) top with strawberries cut into the shape of a heart. Or, bonus points: make Red Velvet cupcakes!
Try making an easy Sacred Heart craft with your kids. Get a grapevine wreath resembling the crown of thorns, and place in the center of your dining table. Make a large heart out of construction paper. Upon that heart, each family member can write a prayer intention or a work of mercy they will offer to the Sacred Heart all month long. Place the heart in the middle of the wreath.
Honor his Sacred Heart as present in the Eucharist through making a Holy Hour of Adoration and Reparation.
Buy a new statue, candle or image of the Sacred Heart for your home. If you already have yours, consider buying one to give someone else… especially someone in need of a little extra love this Valentine’s month!
Consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our House of the Sacred Heart is a 33-Day Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus filled with art, stories, and reflections to draw our hearts closer to His. It’s a great preparation for Lent as well as a wonderful Lenten companion. The hard cover has full color sacred art on every page. A podcast companion to the book, sent to your inbox for 33 dayshttps://www.bethanyplan.com/consecration-to-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus/ offers reflections and music corresponding to each of the book’s chapters; another resource to make our hearts more like His… with each passing day. O Jesus, Meek and Humble of Heart, make our hearts like unto thine.

Happy Saint Valentine’s Month!

Pray without ceasing?

By Deanna Bartalini

Prayer is necessary

I think most of us will agree that a prayer life is a good and necessary part of our spiritual life. St. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and that can be difficult for many of us to understand, let alone do in the intense world many of us occupy these days. As catechists and parents, we want to instill a love of prayer in those we teach, so they can see the beauty of it themselves.

There’s a book for that!

How Our Family Prays Each Day: A Read-Aloud Story for Catholic Families by Gregory K. Popcak; Illustrated by Jacob Flores-Popcak, published by Ave Maria Press is a read-aloud picture book. In it, Marty and his family talk about all the ways they pray each day. It shows typical family situations – siblings not getting along, mealtimes, going to Church, sports practice – and how to incorporate prayer into them.

The book makes the point that prayer is not reserved for Sunday Mass, but can take place all the time.

I read this book to my pre-school grandchildren, and they loved it. (The suggested age range is 4-8.) The illustrations are bold, there is the right amount of text on each page and following the pelican added to the fun of reading and talking about the book.

How can you use this book?

Read it to your class, making sure you hold it up so they can see the pictures. Then, talk about ways they can pray every day in their own life. There is a note for parents in the book as well to give you some tips and pointers. It also reveals why a pelican is the family pet!