40 Days of Lent for Families

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Week 2
Week 3
week 4
Week 5
Week 6

Holy Week

Celebrate Family

Our Family Activities for Holy Week come straight out of the 1999 Celebrate Family program created by Center for Ministry Development. This Family Celebration of Holy Week promises to give you and your family a deeper look into and reflection on the Pascal Mystery, which is the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. This program is copyrighted by Center for Ministry Development. They have given us special permission to offer "A Family Celebration of Holy Week" for you and your family to use during Holy Week. For more information on the programs they have available for your parish go to their website at fashioningfaith or www.cmdnet.org.

Download A Family Celebration of Holy Week

Week 6

Why God gave us butterflies

Part of today's Gospel reads:
"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life." John 12:23-25

Our understanding of death and resurrection can be a hard concept to understand, especially when we view death as so final. How can something produce more when it is dead? How can something that is no longer alive continue to nourish us? In this great article from Your Catholic Family by Jim Merhaut, he explains death and resurrection using the example of a butterfly.

One reason God gave us butterflies is to help us understand what happens when we die. The body of the butterfly is the same body that it had when it was a caterpillar, but it has been transformed, which means it looks different. When we die, Jesus will come and take our body and make it completely new so that it will never die again.

Time and space are more limiting for a caterpillar than for a butterfly (a butterfly can fly and move quickly, while a caterpillar moves very slowly and does not travel very far on a daily basis). When Jesus makes us new, time and space will not be limits at all. We call this heaven. Heaven is living in complete happiness with God. There is no sadness or pain in heaven.

We believe this because this is what happened to Jesus when he died. God came to him and made his body completely new. Jesus promised the same eternal life for us.

All limits of time and space that Jesus experienced when he walked among us in history were erased with his Resurrection and Ascension into heaven. His Resurrection and Ascension make him present at all times in all places.

Imagine the joy that this kind of existence would bring! Without the limits of time and space, we would not have to wait to see anyone or do anything. What else can you imagine without limits of time and space?

Sunday, March 25th

Attend Mass as a Family and plan out your menu for Family Dinner night on Wednesday.

This time for your dinner, look for items that came from seeds. Breads, Vegetables, Fruits, all came from seeds that had to die in order to produce more.

Monday, March 26th
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

She said 'Yes!'…
Normally this is a phrase that we hear associated with a marriage proposal. However I imagine this line was first used when the Angel Gabriel returned to God after visiting Mary about what God had planned for her.
"The Solemnity of the Annunciation celebrates the coming of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce to her the special mission God had chosen for her in being the mother of His only son.

We are continually reminded of the importance of this feast to our salvation in various devotional prayers. Two examples that highlight the importance of this feast are the joyous mysteries of the Rosary and the Angelus.

The feast of the Annunciation began to be celebrated on this day during the fourth and fifth centuries, soon after the date for celebrating Christmas was universalized throughout the Church. This feast celebrates the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity and the salvation of all mankind. This point of our salvation was deeply discussed by many of the Church fathers, to explain it to the faithful and to show the deep love God has for us." catholicnewsagency.com

Today as a family, pray the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary. Remember to thank Mary for saying "yes" to God's special mission for her!
The Joyful mysteries are:
The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Birth of Jesus
The Presentation
Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple

Here is a link on how to pray the rosary

Tuesday, March 27th

Pretzels, the unofficial, official food of Lent.
In the early Church, Christians often prayed with their arms folded across their chests, each hand on the opposite shoulder. According to tradition, an Italian monk in the early 600s invented the pretzel as a reminder to his brother monks to pray during the season of Lent. He named his creation "little arms" which in Latin is "bracellae." From this word came the German word bretzel (eventually pretzel).

Pretzels are made using wheat, which as we heard in Sunday's gospel
"unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit." John 12:24
We are able to bake pretzels, breads, cakes, pizza's, because of the grain of what falling to the ground to make more wheat! Once again we see how something that has died, had brought forth new life.

As a family make your own pretzels tonight. A great recipe to use is here

When your pretzels are done, gather your family together in prayer and then enjoy your creation!

Wednesday, March 28th

Family Dinner Night!
As you are enjoying your dinner talk about the plight of the poor, especially those in the Agriculture industry. Check out the Catholic Relief Service website on agriculture to see how they are helping farmers across the globe.

Thursday, March 29th

Returning back to the Gospel from Sunday, gather your family together and talk on how family life is often a balancing act in which we prioritize and attend to a variety of competing needs. We learn the value of putting others' needs ahead of our own. In family life we also learn that when we make personal sacrifices to serve others, we gain so much more than we may have lost.
As you gather as a family, talk about how important it is to your family life to gladly serve one another. Ask each person to consider the last time that another family member asked for help. What was your response? Did you cheerfully try to honor the request, or did you ask "Why me?" Read today's Gospel, John 12:20-33. How do you think Jesus would want us to respond when someone in our family asks for help? Invite each family member to make a commitment for the next week to try to respond cheerfully to requests for help. Pray together, asking God's help with this commitment.

Friday, March 30th

Hot Cross Buns
Today's activity is explained by following this link
As a family include Hot Cross Buns with your meal tonight, or better yet make them as a family to share with others. Here is a recipe I have used over the last few years.

Saturday, March 31th

Plant an Easter Garden
Use potting soil, a tiny buried flower pot for the tomb, shade grass seed, & crosses made from twigs. Sprinkle grass seed generously on top of dirt, keep moistened using a spray water bottle. Spritz it several times a day. Set it in a warm sunny location. Sprouts in 7-10 days so plan ahead. The tomb is EMPTY! He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

 

Week 5

Laetare Sunday

Did you notice something different in Church today? Maybe things looked a little "rosier" then normal? That is because today is Laetare Sunday, which means we have made it half way through lent!

The fourth Sunday of Lent is sometimes called Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a Latin word that means "rejoice." Traditionally, Sundays are named after the first word of the liturgy's opening antiphon. On this Sunday, the antiphon is taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 66:10-11). Even as we observe our Lenten sacrifices, we rejoice in anticipation of the joy that will be ours at Easter.

The rose vestments on Laetare Sunday is a custom originating in the fact that, as a symbol of joy and hope in the middle of this somber Season, popes used to carry a golden rose in their right hand when returning from the celebration of Mass on this day (way back in 1051, Pope Leo IX called this custom an "ancient institution.")

Originally it was natural rose, then a single golden rose of natural size, but since the fifteenth century it has consisted of a cluster or branch of roses wrought of pure gold in brilliant workmanship by famous artists. The popes bless one every year, and often confer it upon churches, shrines, cities, or distinguished persons as a token of esteem and paternal affection. In case of such a bestowal, a new rose is made during the subsequent year.

This year Pope Benedict XVI will award a golden rose to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, patroness of Cuba, during his visit to the Caribbean island towards the end of March.

Sunday, March 18th

Attend Mass as a Family and plan out your menu for Family Dinner night on Wednesday.

This week for your dinner consider inviting over another family or a person that you as a family admire. Make it a special occasion, you may even consider offering them your own token (much like the Golden Rose) to show your appreciation of them.

Monday, March 19th

Feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary
"The silence of Saint Joseph is given a special emphasis. His silence is steeped in contemplation of the mystery of God in an attitude of total availability to divine desires. It is a silence thanks to which Joseph, in unison with Mary, watches over the Word of God, known through the Sacred Scriptures, continuously comparing it with the events of the life of Jesus; a silence woven of constant prayer, a prayer of blessing of the Lord, of the adoration of His holy will and of unreserved entrustment to his providence. It is no exaggeration to think that it was precisely from his "father" Joseph that Jesus learned — at the human level — that steadfast interiority which is a presupposition of authentic justice…. Let us allow ourselves to be "filled" with Saint Joseph's silence! In a world that is often too noisy, that encourages neither recollection nor listening to God's voice."
Pope Benedict XVI
Angelus
December 18, 2005

St. Joseph's is the Patron saint of Sicily and many customs are celebrated in Sicily and around the world to honor St. Joseph on this day. Here is a link to a St. Joseph's Day Celebration from the Center for Ministry Developments Celebrating Family program.

Here is a link for you and your family to make your own St. Joseph's Day Bread.

Tuesday, March 20th
The Gospel this past Sunday was from the Gospel of John 3:14-21. Probably the most quoted scripture passage of all time comes out of this Gospel reading: John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

Thanks to celebrities like Tim Tebow, John 3:16 has become a fashion statement. However many times we see people "wear it", but not "share it". As a family spend some time tonight praying with this scripture passage. Then share these questions:
What is the basic message that you find in this passage?
How is this message relevant to my life?
What actions can we as a family take to actualize the message of this gospel passage?
The challenge here will be to actually put those actions into action! God did just say He loved us, he showed us!

Wednesday, March 21st

Family Dinner Night!

Hopefully you and your family will be having guests join your for dinner tonight! But if it is just your family, spend some time discussing who are the people that we most admire and why?

Thursday, March 22nd

We will again be looking at the Gospel reading from Sunday, John 3:14-21.
Parents whose children are afraid of the dark are struck by John's observation that darkness is preferred to light. Perhaps this is as it should be. God made us to live in the light of his love. But this original friendship with God was corrupted by sin. Our sin causes us to shy away from Christ, the light that has come into the world. During the season of Lent, we try to fight this tendency by remembering God's great mercy and the salvation that we have received through Jesus. We do not fear confessing our sins, knowing that God forgives us, and so, during Lent, we seek out opportunities to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
After your family gathers, sit for a time in darkness, then light a candle. Invite people to talk about what it felt like to be in the darkness and to compare that to their feelings when the candle was lit. What are we able to see by the limited glow of the candlelight that we couldn't see when we were sitting in darkness? Read today's Gospel, John 3:14-21. John's Gospel teaches us that Jesus was the light that came into the world. In this light we know ourselves to be sinners, but we are not condemned. Instead we have been saved because we have been forgiven through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Conclude in prayer together, thanking God for the great gift of forgiveness we have received through Jesus. Pray together the Act of Contrition.

Friday, March 23rd

As a family attend the Stations of the Cross as a family or if the weather is nice outside take a walk as a family together and stop and meditate on the Stations along the way.

Saturday, March 24th

Light of Christ Card
Follow this link for directions on how to make a light of Christ card to thank something for sharing their light of faith with you. (From The Lent-Easter Book by Joan Marie Arbogast)

Week 4

The Exodus

The Exodus

The Exodus was the central event in Old Testament history. The Israelites, brought to Egypt under favorable conditions, had gradually been reduced to cruel slavery over the course of 400 years. God called Moses to lead them out of Egypt, but the pharaoh (king) refused to let them go, and God had to inflict a series of severe plagues on the Egyptians, culminating in the death of every firstborn male. Even when the pharaoh relented and let them go, his army pursued them, but God allowed the Israelites to cross the Red Sea on dry land and brought the waters back over the doomed Egyptians. Thus began a 40-year trek through the desert, during which the Israelites came together as a people, and God provided them with the Law. The Exodus ended with the entrance into the Promised Land.

Forty Years in the Desert

The number 40 in the Bible seems to convey a sense of a long time. Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days; it was a long fast. The prophet Elijah was given food by the Lord, and strengthened by that food, he walked for 40 days. The Israelites were in Egypt for 400 years. So the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, the length of a generation. This meant that the people who entered the Promised Land were not the same people who left Egypt. The symbolic meaning is obvious: while in the desert they had become a new people. They had been transformed from an enslaved people to God's Chosen People, dedicated by covenant to the observance of God's commandments. (www.loyalapress.com)

The first reading this week is taken from the Book of Exodus. The book of Exodus centers around how God liberates the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and the central character is Moses. If it has been a while since you as a family read about Moses, take some time this week to re-encounter this great messenger of God. Or see if you can find a copy of the Dreamworks movie The Prince of Egypt and plan a special movie night this week.

Sunday, March 11th

Daylight savings time begins!
Attend Mass as a Family and plan out your menu for Family Dinner night on Wednesday.

Monday, March 12th

The covenant God made with the Israelites is often called the Sinai Covenant. The Ten Commandments are a handy summary of the Sinai Covenant- literally handy because they can be counted off of one's fingers. Because the commandments are short (so short that they are sometimes called the Ten Words) and most of them begin with a similar phrase ("You shall not"), they are easily committed to memory. The ancient Israelites believed that everyone had to know and observe these basic rules if God's people were to live together in peace and security. Today, three major world religions- Jewish, Christian, and Islamic- continue to revere the Ten Commandments as basic building blocks of human community.

For the ancient Israelites, the Ten Commandments covered specific behaviors that made them different from the neighboring cultures. Over the centuries, Christians have applies the moral principles of the Ten Commandments to many other moral questions. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church presents the Ten Commandments as the structure for teaching about many moral issues. For Jesus' teaching on the commandments, see Matthew 5:1-7:29, 22:34-40; and Mark 12:28-34." The Catholic Family Connection Bible, St. Mary's Press

This week you as a family will look at the Ten Commandments as see how you can live them out in your family. At the end of each day write out 2 Commandments for your family that reflect the message in the commandments you just read. These are not meant to take the place of the Ten Commandments, but simply be another guide to help your family live out your Catholic identity. At the end of the week put the "10 Commandments for your Family" in the scared space you created last week.

Commandment 1:
I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
Our faith is in God alone. We love God more than anyone or anything else in life. How do, or can, you as a family show others how you put God first in your lives?

Examination of Conscience: How do you as a family fail to put God first? What are the "gods" in your life that you have put before God? Do you make time to pray everyday?

Commandment 2:
You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
We use the names of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) only in prayerful and respectful ways. We understand that words have power, so we use all words carefully. How do you as a family use the name of the Lord in a respectful and prayerful way?

Examination of Conscience: In our house is it okay if we use the name "God" or "Jesus" in vain, lightly or carelessly? Do I get away with swearing?

Tuesday, March 13th

Commandment 3:
Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
We honor God on Sunday by celebrating Mass at church. We relax and do special things on Sundays with family and friends. How do we as a family keep the Sabbath day holy?

Examination of Conscience: How do you as a family fail to keep the Sabbath day Holy? Do you see church as a "have to" instead of a "want or need to"? Do I pay attention during Mass at fully commit my thoughts and actions to God?

Commandment 4:
Honor your father and your mother.
We love, respect, obey and care for parents and all adults who care for us. We especially care for our aged parents and all elderly persons. How do we as children show our respect for our parents? How do we as parents show our respect for our children? How do we as parents, honor each other in our role as a mother or a father?

Examination of Conscience: How do we fail to honor other members of our family? Have we failed to help out at home, respect or siblings, and commit to spend time together as a family?

Wednesday, March 14th

Family Dinner Night!
Commandment 5:
You shall not kill.
We respect God's gift of life by caring for each other, all creation and ourselves. We don't solve problems with violence. How do we as a family show respect for all of God's creations? How do we show respect for all Life?

Examination of Conscience: Do we say cruel of mean things to another person? Do we start fights we each other, friends or family? Do we stand up for all life, born and unborn?

Commandment 6:
You shall not commit adultery.
We respect our bodies and the bodies of others. We are faithful in all of our relationships? How do we as a family promote modesty? What does our choice of TV show's, movies, video games and music say about how we view or respect other people?

Examination of Conscience: When we talk about others do we recognize their true beauty, or are they objects to be desired or obtained? In our choices for entertainment, are they mirroring the morals we are called to live by? Do we promote or accept actions that are in opposition to the teachings of the church?

Thursday, March 15th

Commandment 7:
You shall not steal.
We don't take things that belong others without permission. We share with the poor because our excess goods rightfully belong to them. How do we as a family share our excess with those in need? How can we as a family be better at this?

Examination of Conscience: Have we taken things from other people? Have we downloaded media from sights and didn't pay for them? Have we broken or misused other people's stuff just for fun?

Commandment 8:
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
We are truthful and honest. We don't gossip or say anything that could hurt another person. How do we as a family show that we are truthful and honest people? How do we handle a situation when others are gossiping around us?

Examination of Conscience: Do we gossip about people behind their backs? Do we cheat at work or school? Do we tell lies to make ourselves look better? Do I tell lies that might get other people in trouble?

Friday, March 16th

Commandment 9:
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
We respect the promises that married people make to each other. How do we as a family protect and promote the vocation of marriage?

Examination of Conscience: Do we as children allow our parents to spend time together? Do I get mad when I have to share my friends? Are their people I will not play with because they are different then me?

Commandment 10:
You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
If our basic needs are met, we are satisfied. We don't allow jealousy or greed to control us. How do we as a family celebrate what we have? How to we share with a world in need?

Examination of Conscience: Do we get jealous or envious or things or abilities that other people have? I am thankful for what I have? Do I share things with others, especially those in need?

As a family, you have just gone through an examination of conscience. Take some time in the next few weeks to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation together. Imagine how amazing it would feel to be forgiven as a family! Especially as we continue on this journey to see the Risen Lord!

Saturday, March 17th

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

3/17 St. Patrick – ( b.387-390, d.461-464)  Born as Maewyn Succat.  Patron of a particular country with a love of green, and invoked against snakes.  Want to go past legend and parades?  Read the Confession of St. Patrick that he wrote himself.
And check out this prayer!

It's a powerful prayer for spiritual battle.  And Patrick faced powerful druids and pagans, much as we are confronted with a new paganism and a modern love of nature religions.  Read the whole prayer out loud.  It's not long and very powerful!  The Breastplate of St. Patrick (aka Cry of the Deer or Saint Patrick's Lorica). www.saintmakers.com

Here are some great activities you can do as a family for St. Patricks Day! The website it set up for Catechists, so as parents it is the perfect place for you to go.

Week 3

Almsgiving

Almsgiving (taken from the book Your Catholic Family by Jim Merhaut, pg 260)

Almsgiving is the traditional spiritual practice of giving a portion of our financial resources to the poor. God intends for the resources of earth to be shared by all people and almsgiving is one way that Christians can help this happen. Tithing is the practice of giving away ten percent of one's income. There are many references to tithing in the Bible (see Genesis 28:22)

There's an old saying: "If you don't give when you have little, you won't give when you have much." Almsgiving is not just for wealthy people, although they have a particularly urgent calling to give alms generously. All of us are called to share what we have, even if we aren't wealthy. Children usually don't have abundant financial resources, but if they don't learn to share from their small amount now, it will be more difficult to learn to share later.

The Gospels take almsgiving to a higher level for those who have much. In Luke 18:18-22 Jesus tells a rich man that he must sell everything he has, and give it to the poor. In Luke 19:1-10 Zacchaeus promises half of his possessions to the poor as a response to the presence of Jesus in his life, and as a sign of penance and conversion.

Help your child to understand that it is just as important to share our time and talent as it is our money. Help your child figure out ways to share time with someone (perhaps a neighbor) who needs something done around the house or yard or someone who could use a little kindness.

Sunday, March 4

Attend Mass as a family! Then sit down and plan your family meal for the week; however this time make a dish that is unique to your family. Maybe it is a special recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation, or maybe cook something from your ethnic background! Whatever the case make a meal that represents your family history or origin.

Monday, March 5

Yesterday's Gospel was the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mk 9:2-10). When Peter, James and John saw the transfigured Jesus standing there with Moses and Elijah, Peter immediately wanted to build 3 tents right away to eternalize the joy he was feeling.

As a family find an area in your house where you can build a "tent", a sacred space, where you can eternalize the joy that God brings to you and your family. In that space place something that as a family reminds you of the Glory and Wonder of God. You will use this space as your family prayer space for the remainder of Lent.

Tuesday, March 6

You will need:
Plain Paper
Tape or pins
Markers, Crayons, Pencils

Once again reflecting on the Gospel from Sunday, today as a family you will create the "wonder walls" of the tent (or sacred space) you created yesterday. Have each member of your family draw pictures or write out what about God, themselves, their friends, family or even what they see or experience in the world, fill's them with wonder. (Just a reminder "wonder" here is defined as being aware of the glory and majesty of God). Take these "wonder-full moments" and decorate your "tent" with them. Throughout the week, encourage your family to add to these moments as they become more aware of God's presence in their lives. As you look at the tent, you will see how God's wonder continuously surrounds us.

Wednesday, March 7

Family Dinner Night! Prepare your family dinner tonight making sure that everyone in your family has a role to play. Tonight's dinner should represent your family history or origin.
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Perpetua and Felicity. "Two young martyrs in the year 203. Perpetua was only 22 and still nursing a baby son, and Felicity, a young slave, was 8 months pregnant when arrested. They were thrown into the arena to face wild beasts and still wouldn't back down from their intense faith. "(From www.saintmakers.com, a great family webpage hosted by Brad and Joia Farmer, be sure to check them out!). When Perpetua's father was begging her to change her mind about being a Christian, knowing that it would probably guarantee she would be killed, she said to him while pointing to a water jug, "See that pot lying there? Can you call it by any other name than what it is?" Her father answered, "Of course not." Perpetua responded, "Neither can I call myself by any other name than what I am -- a Christian."
As a family tonight, discuss the origin of your family names. What does your last name mean? What is its ethnic origin? Why did you give your kids the names that you did? What does each of your family member's names mean? Just for fun, ask your kids if they could choose their own names, what would they choose and why, or even if they could name their parents, what they would name them!
When we were baptized, we were called by the name our parents had given us and we are welcomed into the body of Christ. Our sins were forgiven and we were given the grace to fight future temptations. We were also born into a new life as a child of God and we receivde the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, guide and source of strength in living out our role in the faith community. This is the name that Jesus's uses when he calls us to take up our crosses and follow him.

Thursday, March 8th

Have you seen The Lorax by Dr. Seuss? Better yet as a family have you read the book?
Last Friday The Lorax movie opened up in theaters across the country, not that we are promoting the movie, but the Lorax does have a lot to teach us about caring for creation.
"I am the Lorax, and I'll yell and I'll shout for the fine things on earth that are on their way out!" ~The Lorax

In Genesis 1:28 it states:
God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.* Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
Man's dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life his neighbors, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation. #2415

Dominion does not mean that we can do whatever we want to creation; instead it means that we have the responsibility to care for creation, instead of destroying it. We should see the good in creation, not the greed!

On Monday and Tuesday your family talked about where we see the wonder of God! Today as a family create a list of the things you can do to ensure that future generations can experience the same wonder of all of God's creation.

Friday, March 9

As a family today, pray a rosary together. Today the mysteries of the rosary are the sorrowful mysteries which remind us of the greatest sacrifice that Christ made for us, his Crucifixion. Take turns letting each member of the family lead. In case you need a refresher on how to pray, here is one.

Saturday, March 10

Today as a family make an effort to go a visit a family member or a friend whom you have not taken the time to visit with recently. Or as a family take some time to make some "Thinking of you cards" and send them to family members or friends that you may have lost touch with. If you know of elderly or disabled people in your community give them a call and offer to come over and give them a helping hand this weekend. Remember this is a part of the Lenten discipline of Almsgiving and a great way to share the wonder of God with others.

Week 2

Catholic Lenten Practices: Pray, Give and Sacrifice

Giving up something for Lent, eating fish on Fridays and fasting from meat, almsgiving and penance throughout the forty days of Lent—these are some of the practices for which Catholics are known. But why do we as Catholics do this? Because through these commitments—known as "Lenten practices" or "Lenten disciplines"—the Catholic Church calls us each year to renew our discipleship in Christ. Specifically, each year during the liturgical season of Lent the Church asks us to pray, give alms, and fast. Find out more about each of these disciplines by reading the rest of this article here

Sunday, Feb 26th

Attend Mass as a Family and plan out your menu for Family Dinner night on Wednesday.

Monday, Feb 27th

Family activity: Unplug
As a family re-read the Gospel from yesterday (Mk 1:12-15). As Jesus began his ministry, he went out into the dessert to pray and fast. It is not that hard for those of us in Wyoming to imagine what it must have been like for Jesus to be out in a desert area, miles away from any people or even a good place to stop and eat! However Jesus knew he needed this time to prepare himself for what God was calling him to do. It wasn't any easier for him, than it would be for us! Jesus was tempted by Satan, just like we are, however he fully relied on God, and God sent his angels to minister to him.
We live in a society today that is more plugged in than ever. We literally have access to the world in the palm of our hands. Think about all of this items that we have that give us instant access; TV, cell phones, internet, iPods, Kindle's, Wii's, Nintendo DS, to name a few. As a family choose one of these items and "unplug" everyone from it for the week! Use the time that you would have been "plugged-in" to do something as a family, such as play a game, watch a movie, or go for hot chocolate! Temptation will be there to plug back in, but fully rely on God and each other and together you will get through.

Tuesday, Feb 28th

The Alleluia is missing!
Did you notice something missing at Mass this weekend? I know it might be hard to pick up, especially while we are still adjusting to the other changes, but the Alleluia is missing!
During Lent we do not say (or sing) the word "Alleluia" because it is an Easter word, which in Hebrew means "praise Yahweh". This exclamation occurs twenty four times in the Psalms! We use it in our Mass as an acclamation greeting the Word of the Lord in the Gospel. It is also seen as the main praise of the choirs of angels as they worship God in heaven. This is what makes it a term of such great joy!
During Lent though we focus on the Kingdom coming, not the Kingdom already having come, so it doesn't want sense to use the Alleluia. In order to focus on the second coming of Christ, we no longer sing with the angels, put focus on our sins and repairing our relationship with God, so that one day we may again be able to worship God as the angels do!
Materials needed:

• 1 piece of paper or fabric
• Colored markers, pencils or crayons

As a family create an Alleluia sign. Have each member participate in the drawing and coloring of the sign. When you are finished discuss as a family how you will celebrate the return of the Alleluia at Easter, and what that means and write it on the back of your sign. Then hide your sign somewhere in your house. It is okay if everyone knows where it is, after all our faith teaches us that "Christ will come again" and that one day we too will join with all of the angels and Communion of Saints and sing Glory to God! Believing as we do, knowing where the Alleluia is representative of what we are preparing for during Lent, the moment when we can proclaim Christ is Risen, Alleluia! On Easter Sunday, as a family pull it out your sign and celebrate the return of the Alleluia! Christ will have risen, the Kingdom has come and our joy is complete.

Wednesday, Feb 29th

Family Dinner Night
As a family spend tonight preparing your meal together. Make sure that everyone has a role to play in the planning, preparing and even cleaning up of the meal.
Today of course is Leap Year, which is a special day we celebrate only every 7 years in order to keep the calendar year and seasons in synch. At dinner tonight have each member of the family share what they would do if they had one whole day to do anything they wanted and why they would want to do that. Parents, this is a good time to make sure you really are in synch with what your kids hopes and dreams are. It is also a good time to make sure that your family is in synch with what you believe to be important.

Thursday, March 1st.

The Journey of Jesus
At the beginning of Lent we talk about Jesus spending 40 days praying and fasting before he began his ministry, but have you ever wondered just where Jesus's ministry took him? Using the map below, see if you can find some of the places that Jesus traveled once he began his ministry. It is important to remember that Jesus did not have a car or a plane! When the traveled from place to place he traveled by foot. To give you an idea of distance it is 48km (roughly 30 miles) from Nazareth to Capernaum, about the same distance as walking from Thermopolis, WY to Worland, WY!

• He grew up in Nazareth
• He lived and taught in Capernaum
• He walked on water near Bethsaida
• He visited with people in Caesarea Philippi
• He healed a little girl near Tyre
• He taught on the shore of the Sea of Galilee
• He healed a blind man in Jericho
• He raised Lazarus from the dead in Bethany
• He at the Passover meal with his friends in Jerusalm.

(This activity was taken from What we do in Lent by Anne Kitch)

Friday, March 2nd

First Friday
"First Friday devotions among Catholics are related to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ. First Friday practices date to the last decades of the 17th century, when Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary and spoke to her of His Sacred Heart. Among the promises Our Lord revealed to St. Margaret Mary, the 12th specifically referenced practices for Fridays:
In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart, as given to St. Margaret by Jesus, began to grow in popularity as soon as the saintly woman had died, but was officially recognized 75 years later. Though the devotion dictated to Margaret referred to 9 consecutive first Fridays, it does not need to end there. Many of the Catholic faithful continue to make the First Friday devotion beyond the nine consecutive months." Catholicinformation.aquinasandmore.com
On July 1st, 2011, Bishop Paul Etienne invited every family in our Diocese to join him in enthroning the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our homes. If your family has not already done so, today is a good today to do this with your family. Follow the link to the Diocesan Webpage to find more information, including a downloadable image of the Sacred Heart and the instructions for the enthronement in the home.

Saturday, March 3rd

Feast of St. Katherine Drexel
Today we celebrate St. Katherine Drexel. Saint Katharine Drexel, Religious (Feast Day-March 3) Born in 1858, into a prominent Philadelphia family, Katharine became imbued with love for God and neighbor. She took an avid interest in the material and spiritual well-being of black and native Americans. She began by donating money but soon concluded that more was needed - the lacking ingredient was people. Katharine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Black and Native American peoples, whose members would work for the betterment of those they were called to serve. From the age of 33 until her death in 1955, she dedicated her life and a fortune of 20 million dollars to this work. In 1894, Mother Drexel took part in opening the first mission school for Indians, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Other schools quickly followed - for Native Americans west of the Mississippi River, and for the blacks in the southern part of the United States. In 1915 she also founded Xavier University in New Orleans. At her death there were more than 500 Sisters teaching in 63 schools throughout the country. Katharine was beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 20, 1988.
Because of her lifelong dedication to her faith and her selfless service to the oppressed, Pope John Paul II canonized her on October 1, 2000 to become only the second recognized American-born saint.
Her connection to the Diocese of Cheyenne. Many people are unaware that St. Katherine Drexel made a huge impact on the people of St. Stephen's Indian Mission. It was the donation of a gift from her of $5,000 that launched the mission financially. Bob Spoonhunter has written a great history of the Indian Mission School which can be found our website by visiting the parish history page and going to St. Stephens. As a family take time to learn about St. Stephen's mission and the history of the Arapahoe and Shoshoni people. Better yet, make a plan to visit St. Stephen's as a family sometime this year!

St. Katherine Drexel , Pray for us.