It is May, the month of Mary. We have probably noticed songs, prayers, and homilies at Mass this month honoring our Blessed Mother. Many of our parishes have added Marian devotions, such as increased public recitation of the Rosary, processions, and a May Crowning.
"For a Catholic school teacher, there are some terms that come up repeatedly. Two are integration and Catholic identity. Integration refers to when there is cross-over between subjects in a lesson. For, example, if a class is studying a piece of literature about a period they are learning about in history, that is integration."
The Catholic Churchs liturgical calendar is one of the treasures of our Faith. Through the Churchs liturgical year, we experience the ebbs and flows of life, seasons of feasting celebration, and seasons of fasting penitence.
We now find ourselves in between two major events on the Liturgical Calendar, Advent and Lent. This time which began on the Sunday after the Lords Baptism is known as Ordinary Time. During these weeks leading up to Lent, there is no call for us to be vigil or more prayerful.
"Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
It's only November but believe it or not Advent is less than a month away! We all know that hustle and bustle that comes during the weeks leading up top Christmas. Most of us are also painfully aware how society today has shifted the focus away from the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The key to successful faith formation with young people is to meet them where they are. That can have a number of meanings, but in the case of education it means using the resources which students are familiar with. Living in the digital age that means utilizing the technology available to them, and us, to grow their love of the faith in an engaging manner.
They are PLENTY of reasons to pray the rosary but perhaps the most compelling are those given us to by the Blessed Mother herself. Our Lady revealed the following fifteen promises to St. Dominic when she first gave this saint and us the rosary in the year 1208.
As the Month of the Rosary, October is a great month to introduce and encourage children to pray the Rosary. Children may feel that the rosary can be a complex and overwhelming prayer. Through the eyes of a child they have to remember several prayers, learn what order to pray them in,
Catholic Brain is a reliable resource to find supplemental materials on nearly every topic.
Searching the Internet for good Catholic resources can be time consuming, and you can never be sure of what youll find. And even the best firewalls do not make it safe for children to search without supervision..
The holy Mass is the greatest prayer. It was given to us by our Lord Himself. The Mass is an intimate exchange we give ourselves to God, and He gives Himself to us. In fact, it is the most intimate exchange we can have this side of Heaven.
This week is the Fourth of July, Independence Day in the United States. For our children, that can mean a lot of things fireworks, picnics, parades, flag waving. All of these are wonderful, but as Catholics, we can make the celebration much more spiritual, and profound.
All around the country, the end of the school year is here. And to most children, that means only one thing: summer vacation. The normal routine is broken up for two and a half glorious months of sleeping in, summer camps, family trips, play dates with friends, or whatever unique joys summer vacation brings to a childs life.
Friday, June 8 is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, followed the next day by the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The commemoration of these two hearts occurs every year shortly after Pentecost, with a series of other important feasts, such as Corpus Christi and the Most Holy Trinity, that help transition us to Ordinary Time. What is the history of these feasts, and what can we learn from them?...
One of our favorite Catholic resources that my children and I have really enjoyed using this past school year is Catholic Brain. It is unlike anything that Ive come across while educating my five children from home. Although many aspects of it are geared toward teachers such as the lesson plans and printables found with many of the lesson videos, it also appeals to parents and kids because students can navigate about the website and explore at their leisure the many videos, songs, games, and quizzes. Catholic Brain is also a wonderful one-stop Catholic reference for everyone that includes the entire Bible, Catholic Encyclopedia of terms, and alphabetized mini biographies of the saints.
When it comes to Catholic religious education and faith formation, there is a lot to remember. There is also a lot to experience. Authentic faith formation means forming our childrens minds to know the doctrines of the Faith; it means forming their spirits by helping them develop a powerful prayer life, and it means forming their hearts by inspiring them to love one another as Christ has loved us.
We are well into the month of May, and for us Catholics, that usually means one thing Mary. May is celebrated throughout the Church, both privately and publicly, as Marys month, but why? Why is the month of May dedicated to Mary in a special way, and how can we celebrate it well?
Engaging Catholic youth is an ongoing challenge. Catechists, Catholic school teachers, and youth ministers are constantly researching best practices, and are on a perpetual search for the perfect lesson or resource to engage their students. Parents face a similar struggle. How can we get our children to understand the Bible better, to recognize what is happening during the Mass, or to participate in the life of the Church?
Hahahaha. Ha. Ha. If only this topic was as easy as a blog post. Really, if I had the answer to this Id be making millions thousands as a Catholic speaker. Id be the rockstar of Catholic mom bloggers with babys on their hips and disheveled dads bouncing their kids between baseball practice and karate recitals. Chris, Chris, Chris. Theyd whisper chant my name so as to not wake up the baby, but Id take it.
Lent seems like a lonely endeavor sometimes. Everyone has their own sins to fight and their own sacrifices to keep up with. Even Christ was in the desert alone for forty days. So can Lent be a family activity?
Its much easier for the second-biggest Catholic feast Christmas to involve the whole family. Theres making gifts, setting up the tree, and many other activities where everyone pitches in and everyone can see that Christmas is coming.
During this exciting age of technology and of faith, there is a spiritual revival that is sweeping through the entire world. People are rediscovering their faith, or discovering it for the first time, and they are becoming thirsty for ways of connecting to God. Here at BibleZon, we are committed to helping people connect to their faith in new ways that remove distraction and provide convenient access to prayer. The following are several of the reasons that people love our Catholic Tablet.
