Homegrown Catholics: March 2016

Most people know I'm crafty, but some years I've been feeling burnt out. So I am humbling myself by letting go of my worries and anxieties of all that I need to accomplish. I'm dropping it all for a week of focusing on teaching my family about the most beautiful week of our liturgical year. That's at the top of my to do list. That's what I've learned this Lent. Patience and Priorities. Are you going to make it yours?

{UPDATED POST OF HOLY WEEK IDEAS AT THIS LINK}

It all starts Palm Sunday.

I always loved Catholic Icing's palm and foot craft. Finger painting is messy, but it's such a delightful way to show your children that you love them. Sometimes… it's okay to make messes. If you're not a paint person, you can trace and cut out the shape of hands and feet. It is fun to get one green handprint from all family members for a big poster or palm tree!

Our Family Palm Tree!

pALMSGIVING:

- Spirit4Teens has a good article about almsgiving with ideas for all ages. For those who gave up candy, coffee, etc for Lent they suggest giving the money you would have spend on those items to charity.
- Catholic Youth Ministry.com discusses Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Alms being not just money… it's sharing our Time, Talents and Treasure. How much of your time can you give to service in your church and community? God gave us hands for more than helping ourselves!
- Biblewise.com had these great ideas:

Help someone in need, even if it means washing feet, dishes, clothes, etc.
Join or start a club that provides community service. Help beautify by planting trees, picking up garbage, or doing something that your community needs.
Start an Easter food drive. Easter is about the resurrection - "He is risen!" What better opportunity to uplift the lives of those in need! Usually food drives are done at Thanksgiving and Christmas. But there are people who need food throughout the year. You can donate food to a local charity organization or shelter.
"Resurrect" - that is, uplift! - the thoughts and actions of those around you: refuse to take offense or be brought "down" by someone's comments or attitude. Instead, lift up the general atmosphere by loving your neighbor!

- O is for Offering Box

HOLY WEEK

Crosses We Bear Rosary Hangers

Ask your children to carry a wooden cross with them for the remainder of Lent. At times it will be hard or bothersome. It may get worn, dented, scratched or colored on. When asked to do something, they take their “cross” with them and offer it up. When they are wondering if they should do something questionable, such as watch a tv program, they need to ask themselves - “Would Jesus want to do this with me?” If the answer is no, then stop.
At Easter, we will take a good look at our crosses and talk about it. Then we will grab bright paints, painting our crosses to look bright and new as Jesus’ body on Easter morning when he rose from the dead. Attach hooks near the bottom and use these as rosary hangers.

" When you carry a Rosary, Satan has a headache.

When you use it, he collapses.

When he sees you praying it, he faints."

HOLY THURSDAY

Lessons on the Holy Eucharist

We begin our readings at sunset with The Last Supper and readings about God being the vine, and that we must attach ourselves to Him to bear fruit. Our children look forward to this special Bible time with Daddy. Then we eat grapes and bread (or round, gluten free crackers instead). Usually we bake a pan of delicious, cinnamon Communion Bread. We've had berry gelatin in wine cups. It's rather filling, so this alone is our supper before our Good Friday fast.

One of our children are usually preparing for their First Holy Eucharist, so we're going to go over a lot that they've learned. We use our Mass Kit and a home made priest's chasuble to role play. Role playing can be reenacting The Last Supper or The Liturgy of the Eucharist. Attending Mass to receive the Eucharist would be the best activity of the day!

Here are some favorite Holy Communion coloring pages for at home or in the pew. You can also visit My Modest Mommies' PINTEREST BOARDS to see all the other crafts and activities I've found! So many people have come up with great crafts from a monstrance made with a gold doily to a Host and Chalice with a peek-a-boo Jesus.

Happy Saints has 3 great e-Books about Eucharistic Miracles I can't wait to share with the kids! Without printing them, you can do a slideshow presentation on your computer just by scrolling to each page.

It will certainly be a

GOOD FRIDAY

if we remember to follow this plan!

Stations of the Cross are already set up in our main living area. You can read more about our Stations, the "Crosses we bear" and get printables on our LENT blog. We'll talk about the sacrifices we've made, especially those we pulled a "thorn" for from the Crown of Thorns. If time allows, we may make a Lego Good Friday Scene.

Stations Matchup

We have some flash cards and a matching activity for the little ones to participate in. The little ones always enjoy this hands on matching game with images and symbols of The Stations of the Cross.

Make your own Crucifix

Our Good Friday Cake

HOLY SATURDAY
We'll talk a little about Purgatory, but we'll be spending most of the day with family. That night I'll be getting ready for my Easter plans. It certainly isn't easy to celebrate Easter before it has arrived. For many families, they forget that Holy Saturday is still a solemn day.

Movies: The Passion of The Christ, The Animated Passion, Veggie Tales: Twas the Night Before Easter

Discussion: Where am I headed and how do I get there from here?
Helping children learn about Heaven, Purgatory, Hell and Earth is difficult if you don't understand it yourself. While there are no definite answers, here is my interpretation of what I've learned. Click and Print each page to read. Below are also more links to enrichment activities and resources.

Children's Books:

Tell Me About Heaven by Randy Alcorn
Heaven for Kids by Randy Alcorn
Why am I here? by Matthew Kelly
God's Covenant with You: The Bible Tells a Story by Scott Hahn
Awakening by Claudia Cangilla McAdam

Adult Books:

After this Life: What Catholics Believe About What Happens Next by Fr. Benedict Groeschel
The Great Divorce by CS Lewis
Hungry Souls by Gerard J.M. Van Den Aardweg
The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Scott Hahn
The Visions of the Children by Janice Connell

Movies (parental discretion):

What Dreams May Come (1998)
Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader [Where Narnia Meets Faith]
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Heart and Souls (1993)

Life Links:
Earth

Heaven

Medjugorje: Visions of Heaven

Purgatory

CatholicBridge.com's blog about Purgatory

Read more about visionaries who have seen Purgatory.

Hell

EASTER is a whole new liturgical season!
While Holy Week does include Easter Sunday, the Easter season lasts 50 days. That is why I want to post about Easter as a separate event.

But I'll tell you the day will include opening the sacrifice bin, making resurrection rolls, and finding where the Easter Bunny left our baskets.

Have a Happy, Humble, Holy Week!

You can follow our everyday moments on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HomegrownCatholics/

After a month of sacrifice, prayer, fasting and alms giving.... we realize that it wasn't so hard and we could really do it year round. I certainly hope so, as that is the whole idea isn't it? Changing ourselves for the better, bringing us closer to lives of holiness and full of grace. So with all this newfound joy, we celebrate!

{UPDATED HOLY WEEK & EASTER POST AT THIS LINK}

We Light up our Easter Tree

This is made from a light up tree, adding silk flowers on the ends for a cherry blossom look. Conceal cord in the vase with faux eggs and embellish vase with vinyl stickers. There are many holiday decorations in our home.

We take the Crosses We Bear and turn them into Rosary Hangers

Ask your children to carry a wooden cross with them for the Lent or Holy Week. At times it will be hard or bothersome. It may get worn, dented, scratched or colored on. When asked to do something, they take their “cross” with them and offer it up. When they are wondering if they should do something questionable, such as watch a tv program, they need to ask themselves - “Would Jesus want to do this with me?” If the answer is no, then stop.

At Easter, we will take a good look at our crosses and talk about it. Then we will grab bright paints, painting our crosses to look bright and new as Jesus’ body on Easter morning when he rose from the dead. Attach hooks near the bottom and use these as rosary hangers.

" When you carry a Rosary, Satan has a headache.

When you use it, he collapses.

When he sees you praying it, he faints."

Paschal Candle with Crown of Thorns changed into a King's Crown!

If you made a salt-dough crown of thorns, Easter is the perfect time to paint it up bright for a centerpiece. We added tissue paper lilies and a paschal candle.

Sacrifice Beans turn into Jelly Beans!

The one visitor the night before Easter we do have is Jesus. He comes to see our Sacrifice Jar full of dried beans, one for each good deed or sacrifice we made during Lent. Jesus replaces all those beans with sweet jelly beans, a sweet reward for our efforts. Perhaps a spring bunny may tag along and leave a few treats around the hosue to find too!

We read from the 50 Days of Easter Tree

Plastic eggs hang from Our Forever Tree, numbered 1-50 and holding scriptures. (Treats are no longer inside because little ones figured it out and raided the eggs.) As we open an egg a day, we read the scripture and everyone gets a simple treat.

We've had an Easter Bunny Lesson

We’re preparing for Easter and Spring. The season and religious celebration got smooshed together at some point in time, so I wanted to talk to the kids tonight about the uniqueness of each, and what makes them blend so perfectly. Many of us have heard that Spring is about new life, and that is just what Jesus gave us when he died on the cross and rose from the dead. He made all things new, and gave us hope of a new life with Him. We used these foam bunnies, crosses and lilies along with cotton balls, jelly beans and puff paint to create a visual of the combination of Spring and Easter. They turned out quite well for an impromptu craft!

Start with the Rabbit
and read The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Add the Cross
and talk about Jesus’ Passion.

Add the Lilies
and read about His Resurrection!

Glue on a pink Jelly Bean nose
and discuss the sweetness of God’s Mercy.

Fluff 3 cotton balls, and talk about how Jesus

opened the Gates of Heaven for us

so we can be with Him for all eternity!

or just let them put stickers everywhere!

We also do Traditional Easter Baskets, Dying Eggs and An Egg Hunt

Each year I do something different for their Easter Baskets. Usually I like to get them a new pail for their sandbox or carrying their favorite toys around. Inside is treats, socks, a toy, new crayons, or maybe a new Christian/Catholic movie. Simple - I like simple and homemade if possible.

Color coded Easter Egg Hunts are the best. Everyone collects the color egg that matches their basket. Everyone has the same number of eggs, so it's fair and easy to account for missing eggs. There is one Golden Egg that has a bonus gift including cash and other treasures.

I'm crafty, but I have a hard time with messes. Depending upon my mood, we either get colored eggs or devilled eggs. I'm hoping this year I'll be up to trying naturally dyed eggs. This picture was my first time dying eggs with my firstborn.

Here's some ideas we've gathered from other sources!

See so much more on our Lent & Holy Week Pinterest board.

- Biblewise.com has a lot to say about "resurrecting" or "restoring life to" ourselves spiritually and emotionally. Decide now what old thoughts do we have to purge about ourselves that don't reflect the beautiful life God gave us. What fruitful activities can we do daily to spiritually restore us? What can we do for others to help them become resurrected? Click here to read more and get great ideas: Resurrection Month: Make a Difference

- Familia Catolica used my idea for a Mini Stations of the Cross. On Easter, she replaces all the pictures with the image of the Risen Christ and white ribbons!

EVERYONE GETS HUNGRY at EASTER

http://michalekkitchen.blogspot.com/2017/04/easter-seasoned-foods.html

You can follow our everyday moments on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HomegrownCatholics/

Prioritizing Holy Week

Catholic Easter Plans