The Eucharist as the real presence of Jesus Christ body and blood, and not just a representative thereof, is an issue debated since the beginning of the Church. For Catholics this debate is not one from which we should run. Without a proper understanding of the Eucharist, after all, one cannot properly understand the liturgy. Continue reading on Prayer to Pen Catholic Blog
Tag: 3 Liturgical Calendar
Catholic Crafts for Lent and Holy Week
Super Cute Bible Tabs to get you flipping through the Bible from Catholic Icing. I turned a soft cover Catholic Bible into a Hardcover Bible and while I was at it, a Journaling Bible.
Easy as Abacus Stations of the Cross Just released last week! Kelly Saints Stations of the Cross on a wood frame Abacus, perfect for little fingers to keep track of the Stations!
Letters of Love: A Lenten Meditation for Families I’ve signed up and I think I’m ready! I’m hoping that the colorful post it notes, index cards, notepaper, notebook and pens will entice my whole family (including our 4 kids living at home ~from 6 years to 18 years) to reflect, write and draw as soon as we receive the prompts!
You can sign up too at Not So Formulaic. I’ll be posting our progress …and any special tips we come up with, after we begin on Ash Wednesday!
Easy as Abacus Rosary for hands-on Rosary praying with Kelly Saints illustrations and chalkboard prayer intentions!
Pray, Fast, Give Printable from Look to Him and Be Radiant This is a great, FREE printable to help you Pray, Fast and Give! Pick new do-able challenges each day and avoid the discouragement of Lenten Sacrifice burnout.
…and one more #CatholicCraft! Not a printable…but a FREE Tutorial!
Simple Good Deed Bead Bracelets that even the littlest hands can help make…with beads that slide and stay in place to count special sacrifices and prayers throughout each day! FREE Tutorial at Equipping Catholic Families.
Copyright 2017 Monica McConkey.
Monica McConkey is a Mom of 5, creator of Catholic teaching tools and gifts and she is the original founder of this website. She spends most of her time posting about crafts and family fun at Equipping Catholic Families and creating things for her Shoppe
Rediscover Jesus
Remember the WWJD(What Would Jesus Do) bracelets?
They were all the rave and everywhere you turned in Christian circles you would hear “what would Jesus do?” It became the snarky answer for everything, mocking the reality that IT IS the answer for everything.
How many of us REALLY know Jesus? Sure a lot of us know about Jesus, but how many can say they know Him? I think knowing Jesus it a life long process. It is not a once and done, now let’s go out and tell everyone about Him. Sure there is a time and place for that but if that is all the deeper yo go, Do you really know Him?
You might be thinking, of course I know Jesus, I read the Bible, I know all the stories, I know Jesus. I say great start!!!
I received a copy of Rediscover Jesus by Mathew Kelly in the mail, maybe you have received on too. I started reading it and could not contain myself to just one day. It is meant to be read each day for 40 days. Hey Lent is 4o days!! I love when that happens. Anyway if you have a copy and are looking for spiritual enrichment this Lent, read along with me.
Starting tomorrow as Day 1, I will be posting thoughts, insights, reflections on the readings. I invite you to join me, feel free to leave comments as we learn best when we share our thoughts and lives with each other. We are relational beings, created to be in relationship not only with others but with Jesus as well.
Let you light shine for all to see.
Voted Off The Island 2106 All rights reserved.
Rediscover Jesus Day 1
New Beginnings
Starting each Lenten journey is in fact a new beginning. It is a chance to slow down re-evaluate, consider and ponder the state of our spiritual life. At least that how it is for me.
I always have such high expectations that just because it is Lent, I will somehow magically be able to overcome the most habitual temptations. Like Frodo and the ring, I somehow become invisible to the all Seeing Eye. The truth is that I become more aware of the habitual temptations and my habitual tendency to succumb.
Like being that poor little mouse on the wheel, running and running and never getting anywhere. At least that is how it seems with some temptations.
I like to humor myself and think awareness is progress! But it’s true….. awareness is progress. Seeing something about ourselves in the stark light of day is a precious grace of God. Bringing that which is broken within us into the light is the grace of awareness.
The question then becomes: what are we going to do with it? We could pretend we don’t know it about ourselves and try to go back into the darkness. Or we could make excuses for it, like: it’s because of my mother that I am like this. Or we could just sit with it for a while, ponder the reality of it all, maybe it was because of your mother, but that’s not helping you now.
Pondering the grace of awareness about ourselves is another grace from God. As it means He is drawing us into relationship with him and the deepest parts of ourselves. The self that only He, who created us can know.
New Beginnings.
Voted Off The Island 2016 All rights reserved.
Rediscover Jesus “Prologue”
When was the last time someone mistaken you for Jesus?
It is Ash Wednesday and this year our Adult Faith Formation group is doing Lent a little different, we are reading Mathew Kelly’s book Rediscover Jesus. It’s a series of short readings, intended to open our heart and minds to the ‘person’ Jesus. We have decided to do it in retreat form. Please feel free, at anytime, to join us.
The Prologue
As I begin reading, I am immediately drawn into the scene. The hustle and bustle of the city, the excitement of doing well, the celebration with colleagues and the anticipation of getting home to share the good news. It looks like God smiling down, you know one of those days where everything seems to being going right and you are top of the world. Your heart is enlarged, everything is possible….sun is shining ….life is good!!!
That’s how it made me feel, I guess that’s the point. God gives us those days to strengthen us, edify us, give us hope, to know that He is near and that all is well. Continue Reading
Catholic Business Directory and Exciting Catholic Giveaway!
Check out this NEW Catholic Business Directory, neatly categorized to help you find just what you’re looking for!
Each week a different Catholic Business will be featured on the site.
Check out the showcase on Almond Rod Toys and their lovely Saint focused Blessing Blocks!
Visit Shopping with Blessed Zelie Martin for your chance to win! $450 in awesome Catholic Gifts and Resources!
The Nativity- A Universal Story
The Nativity- A Universal Story
In which I reflect upon the appeal that the narrative of the journey to Bethlehem, the rejection by the Inn and the birth of Jesus has to those who are not necessarily Christian because it is an archetypal tale.
There are, I think, two chief elements which combine to universalise the appeal of the Nativity narrative and they are both centered on the figure of Mary. Firstly and necessarily she is pregnant. There are relatively few “journey” stories which feature pregnant women for reasons too numerous to list. One factor would be that pregnancy itself is a journey. Whether our Lady travelled to Bethlehem or not a child would have been born to her, her life would have been transformed. The external details of the trip are simply a reflection in the outer world of a development which in any event was taking place in her inner world. ….
Catholic Bloggers Advent LinkUp 2014
Join us!
Don’t forget to share the Catholic Bloggers Advent Linkup button, invite other Catholic Bloggers to link up their Advent posts, peruse the posts linked up, comment over on the other blogs and share your favorite other Catholic Blogger posts on social media!
Also: Don’t forget to include a link to this link-up…in your post! If you link last year’s article, please include a ***2014 Update*** with this year’s Catholic Bloggers Network Advent Link.
Let us support one another!
Blessings for Advent!
Week One:
An InLinkz Link-up
Week Two:
An InLinkz Link-up
Week Three:
Week Four:
TWO NEW Catholic Link-Ups for 2014!
Add your special posts of crafts, activities, festivities and traditions to celebrate the SAINTS each month! Join the Celebrate the Saints Link-Up!
January and February are still open!
Add your special posts of
crafts, activities, practices and parties
to celebrate the SEASONS of the Liturgical Calendar!
Advent, Christmas and Ordinary Time are still open!
WIN an Heirloom Set of Jesse Tree Ornaments!
Win this exquisite set of 28 Jesse Tree Ornaments from Jesse Tree Treasures at the
Jesse Tree Treasures GIVEAWAY over at Equipping Catholic Families.
Giveaway ends Tuesday November 12 at 11:59pm.
Will you share a link to the GIVEAWAY on your Catholic Blog or Facebook page?
Tell your friends!
Thanks!