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Holy Week: Ideas for families
Since the early days of Christianity, the week beginning with Palm Sunday and ending at sundown on Easter has been a sacred time because it commemorates the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In today’s post you’ll find some faith-filled ideas to help you keep the holy in Holy Week.
St. Patrick’s Day: Joy during Lent
It sticks out like a sore, green thumb in the middle of a sober liturgical period. As a lifelong Catholic — and a lifelong Irishman — I struggle with squaring my prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial with a holiday (one of my favorites) whose excesses include dying an entire river green. When I’m supposed to be fasting and giving things up and attending penance services, along comes this holiday — this feast day — that contradicts the whole Lenten vibe with its parades and corned beef. Find more about Saint Patrick online.
How to teach about Lenten sacrifice
An important lesson of Lent is sacrifice. So often, this lesson is lost in the cacophony of our consumer world. Sacrifice is not easy. It’s more than giving up a bad habit. It’s about recognizing what distracts you and surrendering that yearning for what you think you want. Sacrifice can be emotionally painful and demands commitment. But doing something difficult helps us understand ourselves in a deeper, more meaningful way. How do we parents find a way back to the lesson of sacrifice? How do we instill the importance of this message when we are bombarded daily with the counter message of consumption and instant gratification? Visit us online for some help in how to explain sacrifice to your Catholic kids.
Why we pray, fast and give alms during Lent
Lent is a time to prepare for Easter, but why do we pray, fast and give alms during it? Those acts prepare us, mind and body, for the sacrifice of Lent. Head over to the web site for ideas to make praying, fasting and giving important parts of your family Lent.
