Family Faith News
Holy Family Parish
Week of June 7, 2020
Jesus' Message of Love & Peace...in our Modern World
As the events in recent weeks have changed our everyday world, Jesus' message of peace and love continue to hold true. In this weekend's Second Reading, 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13, this message, although over 2000 years old, is especially important today:
"Brothers and sisters, rejoice.
Mend your ways, encourage one another,
agree with one another, live in peace,
and the God of love and peace will be with you."
As Catholics, be the light and change needed in this world. Parents, we are the models to our children, as children lead the example for our future generations.
Activities for Family
Mass Readings for June 7: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
This week, we celebrate The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. We read from John 3:16-18. In this Sunday's gospel, we learn that God loved us so very much that he sent his son Jesus to teach the world the way to love.
Jesus gave his life so that we too might one day have life in heaven with God. The gospel teaches that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world, but instead to draw the world closer to himself. In Jesus and through Him, we have everlasting life.
We live in a challenging time. We are called to love the way Jesus loves - unconditionally. We are called to be peacemakers. Jesus and our Heavenly Father are counting on us to be His hands and feet, eyes and ears - and heart - in our world today.
In order to know God's will in our lives, we first must learn to make the time to sit with Him and open our hearts. Throughout this week, take time to pray, read, and discuss together the Sunday Mass Readings with your children. As age appropriate, relate these messages to the message of love and peace of today's world. Despite news and social media reports, your prayers and discussions at home with family are the special moments they will remember!
The Holy Trinity: How do I explain this to my children?
Grab an apple and share these five truths with your kids:
- An apple has three parts: the seeds, the flesh, and the skin. When you cut an apple in half, you can see that each of these three parts are different (at this point, you can cut the apple open for your kids!).
- The skin is like God the Father because He protects us.
- The flesh is like God the Son because Jesus Christ took on human flesh.
- The seeds are like God the Holy Spirit because He through His power, we grow in faith.
- Each of the parts of an apple are different, but they are ALL apple.
- So are the persons of God all different (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), yet they are ALL God.
The video above helps to relate Pentecost, our celebration discussed in our Sunday Mass Readings last Sunday, to this weekend's Holy Trinity, and into Ordinary Time.
News From Our Parish
Caritas Corner
Self-care during the pandemic
Acknowledge how hard this is! Social distancing and the loss of work and /or routine causes pressure, both physically and mentally. Many people are struggling to work full-time while simultaneously caring full-time for their family at home. Check in with yourself. During such frantic times we may tend to ignore acknowledging the loss of “the way things were.” We forget to mourn, or grieve, or simply express your sadness about not being able to socialize, see a close friend, attend a favorite exercise class, interact with neighbors and family, or worship collectively. Grant yourself the time and space to acknowledge your loss. This can help you stay grounded with the current state of life.
Fuel your body with healthy food
Move your body: Set a goal to walk outside 20 minutes a day
Prioritize Sleep: We need sleep to function.
Find ways to ease stress
Eating healthy, being active, and getting enough sleep all help us to mitigate the effects of stress and anxiety on our bodies. Another technique is positive thinking. Make it a family event. Say grace before dinner. During grace have each family member state something that they are grateful for, sometimes its silly things like cuddling with family pets or the sun shining, but it will make people smile.
Uplift Video of the Week!
Be the Light!
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
In the town of Mesa, Arizona, one neighbor left a package of chalk outside the homes of families living in her community, the Las Sendas Trailridge Community. The children in the community created pictures of hope, peace, and love throughout their streets. These pictures symbolize the hope and peace we are striving for in this time of unrest.
Musicians Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin & Keith Urban, came together to create this inspirational video with these images. Parallel to Jesus' words to us in Matthew 5:14, through their lyrics, here is their message for all of us...
"When the world needs a change, be the light.
In a place that needs change, be the difference.
When you do somebody wrong, make it right.
In a world filled with hate, be the light."
Holy Family Parish
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Email: catherinek@holyfamilyforall.org
Website: holyfamilyforall.org
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