Ahh, summer! There are so many things to love about the summer months — green grass underfoot, birds singing, piles of flip-flops at the door, family bike rides and crackling campfires under starry nights. Family road trips, vacations and camps provide new and fun opportunities to experience the excitement of summer and often create memories that last a lifetime. Summer is also a great time to add volunteering to your family to-do list and make special memories and connections you only get when you share your light with others.
Let your light shine
The Trinity: A family of love • Breaking open the word
God is the original family. The Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit are a community of love from and through whom all creation flows. Trinity Sunday’s readings break open the relationship that God offers us and sustains in us.
Meditative prayer for Catholic kids: 10 ways to get started
Teach your kids the many ways that Catholics practice meditative prayer so they can experience the fruits of this rich spiritual tradition, now and as adults. Here’s how.
Banning sporting events on Sundays is something to cheer for
During the fall our 10-year-old plays football for our parish school. Games are scheduled for 10:30 and 11:30 a.m on Sunday mornings — right in the heart of Mass times. Occasionally he and a smattering of teammates could be found kneeling in the pew at 9 a.m. Mass in cleats and football pants — their helmets and shoulder pads waiting patiently in the car. Yes, there are plenty of Mass options in our area, but it never made sense that a Catholic organization would put something in the way of families attending their preferred church at their preferred time. It seems counterintuitive to the mission of the Church. Apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Why you should take little kids to Mass
If you’re like me, going to Mass with your kids isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Prying the children away from their Sunday morning play is often a 30-minute affair, one where the race to put shoes on children’s feet functions as a replacement for any planned weekend cardio. Even devout parents occasionally wonder to themselves, “What am I doing? Why do I endure this circus from week to week?” In the midst of the current scandals of the Church, I’m sure many parents have thought to themselves at least once or twice, “Will I really be missed?”
