Merry Christmas!
LIVE THE EUCHARIST
St. Mother Teresa said "We must pray to Jesus to give us the tenderness of the Eucharist. Unless we believe and see Jesus in the appearance of bread on the altar, we will not be able to see him in the distressing disguise of the poor." How does your family share your blessings with the poor during the Christmas season and throughout the year? When we are sent forth from the Mass, we are charged to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. Our Catholic faith also calls us to pay special attention to those in need, in our midst. Don't let the Christmas season pass your family by without making a plan to help those in need.
READ!
SUNDAY READINGS:
Click on the link below for the readings that you will hear at the Sunday's Mass for the coming two weeks. This will give you a chance to prepare your heart and mind for full and active participation in Mass this weekend! For a Mass schedule in our diocese click on the gold button below.
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010322.cfm
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010922.cfm
Family Stories: Story Time with a Positive Message.
- The Story of the Wise Men by Patricia Pingry
- The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie DePaola
- Babushka: A Christmas Tale by Dawn Casey
- The Last Straw by Frederick Thury
Parenting Articles: Understanding the Full Christmas Season: https://www.catechist.com/merry-christmas-again/
WRITE!
- Write thank you notes to all who made your Advent and Christmas season special including those who ministered at church! This is a great time to share your family's gratitude!
- Send Christmas Cards to shut-ins in your parish family.
- Write a social media post about how your family brought the true meaning of Christmas into your lives this year!
For fun: Try this word search about Epiphany from Catechist Magazine!
LISTEN!
CREATE!
- https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/grandma-s-star-cookies/
- https://www.cookstr.com/recipes/la-befanarsquos-stars
- https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/linzer-star-christmas-cookies/50a34d57-13c1-46f9-839e-1876419ce623
- https://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/recipes/twinkling-star-treats-recipe.html
- https://somethingsweetsomethingsavoury.com/cheese-stars/
PRAY!
PLAY!
- Spend some time during Epiphany weekend stargazing as a family! Play an eye spy game with the constellations if you know them!
- When we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, you can reinforce the moment at home with this fun matching game using images from the Bible story. It's free and easy to download!
BE WELL!
TEACHABLE MOMENT
Epiphany is also a perfect time to pay attention to God's message of Peace and have hope in that for our world. We all know it has been a tough few years for our country. How might we create more peaceful communities? It always starts with us, as individuals, first. CIVILIZE IT is a program from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that encourages people to reach across the aisle, pray for civility and mend broken relationships. If you'd like to learn more about it visit: https://www.usccb.org/civilizeit
WONDER
- The Wise Men were sent to find Jesus. They worked very hard and traveled for many days to reach him. Do you ever seek Jesus in your life? When have you wanted to be closer to God?
- If you could bring Baby Jesus a gift, what would it be?
- Who else do you think was gazing at the bright Star of Bethlehem in the sky and wanted to follow it? Did you ever see a star so big and bright you wished you could reach right into the sky for it?
Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Debtor in Possession