First Communion Subway Art

One of our very talented parents, Melissa Fachin, made this beautiful First Eucharist print.  She is willing to share it with you to use for your own parties and celebrations!

St. Patrick's Day, March 17th

March 17th may seem like it's all about leprechauns, rainbows and green beer, but in truth it is a day to honor the great life of St. Patrick!  Catholic Culture explains, that Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland 1,500 years ago.  He was born about 385 in the British Isles, was carried off while still very young during a raid on Roman Britain by the Irish and sold as a slave. At the end of six years he contrived to escape to Europe, became a monk and was ordained; he then returned to Ireland to preach the Gospel. During the thirty years that his missionary labors continued he covered the Island with churches and monasteries; in 444 he founded the metropolitan see of Armagh. St. Patrick died in 461. After fifteen centuries he remains for all Irishmen the great bishop whom they venerate as their father in the Faith.  

St. Patrick is legendary for driving the snakes out of Ireland.  A fun recipe to share with your children is this calzone made in the shape of a snake:

It is also said that St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach the people about the Holy Trinity.  He used the three leafed clover to symbolize the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all in one.  Here is a great rosary shamrock to make with your kids.  So cute and easy too!




Another way to illustrate the Shamrock/Trinity analogy is with these delicious pretzel dots:



Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Lent

The forty days of Lent begin with Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 5th this year.  Lent is often seen as a time of fasting, with Catholics asking each other, "So, what are you giving up for Lent?"  But fasting from something is just one component of the Lenten journey. The Church calls us to more than fast, but also to an increase in prayer and almsgiving.  Lent is a wonderful time to help your child see all the ways that we fill our lives with noise and busyness, all the ways that we seek comfort from the world instead of God and to replace these habits with something that brings us closer to our Heavenly Father.  It is helpful to explain the purpose of our fasting is to leave more time for prayer.  It is also an important tool to train us in self discipline and unselfishness.  Becoming less attached to the world, more in control of our desires and closer to our Heavenly Father is the goal of Lent that will help us enter into the joy of the resurrection at Easter!

Here are some activities that are easy ways to reinforce the meaning of this beautiful season with your children.

1.  Salt Dough Crown of Thorns



This is my families go to activity for Lent.  We have done it for years and it never loses it's meaning.  You craft a crown out of salt dough and insert tooth picks for the thorns.  For every act of sacrifice or charity you make during Lent you break off one tooth pick.  Hopefully, all of the thorns will be removed by Holy Saturday, when you can paint and decorate your crown and use it as a part of your Easter centerpiece.  Full directions can be found at Catholic Culture.org.

2.  Holy Heroes provides kids with online devotions and activities for every day of Lent.  Check it out!

 
3. Catholic Icing has great ideas for Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving to share with your children. Make sure to check it out!

3.  A beautiful project that you can start in Lent to be ready for Easter Sunday is an Easter Garden. Check out the step by step directions on The Frugal Homemaker.

Pretzels and lent

Here is a throw back to our Family's blog circa 2009!

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2009

Pretzels for Lent

Today is Friday of the second week in Lent. We continued our new tradition of making pretzels this morning. Pretzels are traditionally made by Catholics during Lent because in ancient times a very strict fast of only bread and water was observed. The pretzels twisted shape was made to reflect arms crossed in prayer. Even today, in many places in Europe, pretzels are only sold between Ash Wedensday and Good Friday, not at every mall and big box store like here in America! I decided this would be a meaningful new tradition for our family's Lenten journey and it really has been nice. And delicious! I thought it would be a good meat free meal for the required Friday abstinence and also for adults who are fasting they make an easy light meal. The kids, of course, are not required to fast, which meant that all 12 pretzels were gone in about 15 minutes!

I have tried a couple of diferent recipes so far and this one is by far the best. So if you are interested here is the link:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buttery-Soft-Pretzels/Detail.aspx

I hope they enrich your lenten experience!

First Eucharist Parent Meeting Make-Up Session

Spread the word to your friends!  There will be a make-up Parent Meeting for First Eucharist, Saturday, February 15th at 11 am at the Ministry Center.

St. Valentine's Day, February 14th

"Everyone has heard about Saint Valentine. He's the patron saint of lovers, and on his day people send anonymous cards or presents to the one they love.

But who was Saint Valentine?

Well, there was a priest named Valentine who lived in Rome in the third century. He was put in prison because he helped some Christians who were going to be executed by a cruel emperor named Claudius. While Valentine was in prison, he healed the chief warder's daughter, who was blind, and the warder and all his family became Christians.

When Emperor Claudius heard this, he said that Valentine should be executed. And so, on February 14 in the year 269, Valentine was clubbed to death. Then his head was chopped off, just to make sure he was dead.

In the same year, another man named Valentine, who was the bishop of Terni (about sixty miles from Rome), was also put to death by Emperor Claudius for being a Christian.

Neither saint seems to have anything to do with young lovers. So where do the traditions come from? Some say it is because on this day of the year (in the northern hemisphere) birds pair up and start mating.

Others say the day is special for lovers because at that time of year there had been a pagan Roman festival named Lupercalia, when young men took part in a kind of lottery to find a partner. But Lupercalia has nothing to do with either Saint Valentine!" Loyola Press

Robert Sabuda's retelling of St. Valentine's story is a wonderful book to share with your children on February 14th.  And what would Valentine's Day be without chocolate?  These Valentine pretzel buttons are a quick, easy and delicious treat to enjoy while you read about the saint who inspires us to love, the very reason for our creation!

Prayer for Taking Down the Christmas Decorations

Catholic Vote, shares the following prayer for taking down your Christmas decorations.  What a beautiful idea!

"For many Catholics, today (or next week, the Baptism of the Lord, or Candlemas Feb. 2) is the day to take down Christmas decorations. Here’s a prayer to say to make it more meaningful:

“Lord Jesus, today we will put all of our Christmas decorations away. Soon, we will enter into Ordinary Time.

“Our house will look ordinary again, but Lord, you know and we know that our house has a secret. Deep inside it, all of our Christmas decorations are still here. The blessing of Christmas is always with us, kept in the deep, quiet places of the house.

“And Lord, our lives will become ordinary again, but you know that each of us has the grace of baptism. The grace you gave us is always with us, in the deep, quiet places of our soul.

“Help our house be a house with Christmas at its core, and help our souls be a place where Jesus always dwells. Help us live the grace of Christmas every day, only without all the trappings. Amen."