Tag: Liturgical Calendar

Ashes and Sackcloth: A new meaning

Posted: by Ellen Marie Dumer

As I live in a pile of ashes that seems to follow me through Lent this year, I have found that soulflamea flame inside me is creating them. They are ashes of sin burning away from my mortal body. They leave behind skin that is raw and painful. Denial of bodily cravings, leaving mind-numbing television behind, and dragging my feet through the mud of humility, makes me evermore aware of the the burning fire of the Holy Spirit in my soul..

womandustIt tries to breakthrough and the burning is not quenched by any salve, but only by more time in prayer, with the Eucharist, and with my eyes wide open to the trail of my past, its revelations of where holiness may be possible. I long for Easter and the new skin of purity to be worn through next year, for a taste of the glorified body that will eventually be mine to inhabit.

All praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, be merciful to my soul!

Meatless Friday Recipe: Cod Piccata

Posted: by Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS

While I try not to serve extravagant seafood (such as shrimp) during Lent, I do make an effort to serve meatless dishes my family will enjoy. I based this recipe on a favorite chicken piccata dish. Cod is inexpensive; I purchase it in individually-quick-frozen portions when it’s on sale.

cod piccata W

You can find the recipe and nutrition facts for Cod Piccata here.

Don’t forget to donate the savings from your simple Lenten meal to a worthy cause such as CRS Rice Bowl or a local food pantry or soup kitchen!

© 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.

Blog and email footer Feb 2015

 

 

 

Barb Szyszkiewicz is a Secular Franciscan wife and mom of 3. Held together by the grace of God, coffee and crazy glue, she blogs at FranciscanMom.com.

TWO NEW Catholic Link-Ups for 2014!

Posted: by Monica @ Catholic Bloggers Network
Celebrate the SAINTS Link Up

 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!

 
 
Celebrate the Seasons Link-Up
 
Add your special posts of
crafts, activities, practices and parties
to celebrate the SEASONS of the Liturgical Calendar!
Celebrate the SEASONS Link-Up!
 
Advent, Christmas and Ordinary Time are still open!

 

WIN an Heirloom Set of Jesse Tree Ornaments!

Posted: by Monica @ Catholic Bloggers Network
 
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!

NEW Craft Kits of the SAINTS!

Posted: by Monica @ Catholic Bloggers Network

I’m so excited to announce the release of the Saint Scripts Cathletics Craft Kits over at Equipping Catholic Families!

It has taken me a long time to compile these craft kits, but so worth it!…especially with the Saint pictures created by my 15 year old daughter Kelly!

These Saint Scripts Cathletics Craft Kits are available as comprehensive PDF craft kits you can print at home! Each kit contains full color cards plus black and white templates of 21 Saints!

Saints_Scripts_1_cover
Saint Scripts Series ONE contains the full color recipe cards plus blank templates with coloring picture for these Saints: St Andre, St Anthony, St Catherine, St Clare, St Dominic, St Faustina, St Francis, St John, St Jude, St Nicholas, St Pio, St Patrick, St Paul, St Peter, St Raphael, St Rita, Bl Teresa, St Therese, St Vincent AND Jesus

Saints_Scripts_2

Saint Scripts Series TWO contains the full color recipe cards plus blank templates with coloring picture for these Saints:  St Agnes, St Anne, St Augustine, St Benedict, St Bernadette, St Cecilia, St Gabriel, St George, St Gerard, St Gianna, St Joan, Bl John Paul II, St Joseph, St Juan, St Kateri, St Lucy, St Maria, St Maximilian, St Michael, St Monica AND Blessed Virgin Mary

I think that they will be great for primary grades (matching game, simple facts, coloring), middle school (more in-depth research) and older grades (they can swap out the cartoon drawings in favor of their own drawings or classic prayer cards, but still refer to the info) and families (Saint projects, Saint Timeline, Saint Day celebrations, fridge calendar)

Check the kits out here: Saint Scripts Cathletics Craft Kits
If you want to share this link on your favorite social media…you could enter to win a FREE PDF! Just leave a comment here (or on our facebook page and tell us where you shared the link with your friends!

Shining Light Dolls GIVEAWAY!

Posted: by Monica @ Catholic Bloggers Network

Wouldn’t you love to have a couple of these Mother Mary dolls to give to your kids, your Godchildren, your favorite First Holy Communicant?

There is a GIVEAWAY at Equipping Catholic Families…and you can be one of FOUR WINNERS to win their choice of TWO Shining Saint Dolls!

Enter the Shining Light Dolls GIVEAWAY at Equipping Catholic Families!
Contest closes October 19, 2013!

Guess Who?! Cardinals Edition FREE printable available!

Posted: by Monica @ Catholic Bloggers Network

Check out
Guess Who?! Cardinals Edition!
to convert to Catholic your family game of Guess Who?!
and familiarize yourself with the faces of the Cardinals
…one of them just might be our next Pope!

We do not pretend to know 
exactly who will be most seriously 
considered for the papacy…
That’s up to the Holy Spirit-GUIDED 
Conclave of Cardinals!

but YOU can quickly get familiar with the faces, names and flags of these Cardinals!  

Make sure that you subscribe to Equipping Catholic Families or “like” our Arma Dei facebook page
to receive any revisions as soon as they are available!*

The kit will likely be revised or expanded 
as the Conclave gets underway!

     

I am a wife, Mom of 5+ kids, a designer, an architecture school survivor, an author and a crafter and I think it’s cool to be Catholic! Check out the Arma Dei Shoppe for solid Catholic, fun teaching tools and gifts to celebrate and teach the Catholic Faith and subscribe to Equipping Catholic Families for family-building and Faith-centred crafts!

Lot's of Links for February Feast Days!!

Posted: by Monica @ Catholic Bloggers Network
I pulled together a huge number of arts, crafts and activities for Candlemas/the Presentation of our Lord, Our Lady of Lourdes Feast day, and St. Valentine’s Day. Come take a look and see if you find anything that you’d like to do with your kids to celebrate these holy days!
Here is the link to the Presentation/Candlemas crafts and activities. 
There’s lots of coloring pages, too!
 
Our Lady of Lourdes feast is on Feb. 11
You might like to take a look at these crafts and activities.
Celebrate Saint Valentines’s feast day before Lent starts!
Here is loads of Catholic printables for you and you kids!

Jennifer, is a wife and a mom of 9 kids (ages 14 -1) She spends her days homeschooling in PA. Whenever time allows, she blogs about the Catholic activities she creates with her kids. She likes to make all things fun with hands-on activities!  
Visit her at Catholic Inspired for more fun arts, crafts and activities, which are inspired by our Catholic faith! 

Plinko with the Happy Saints!

Posted: by Monica @ Catholic Bloggers Network
This converted to Catholic classic game has been renamed!
Please check out Plunk! with the Saints!
for 10 ways to use this printable and the tutorial for how to make the game!

Does anyone remember Plinko? It was on The Price is Right…which began in 1956, was revamped in 1972, hosted by Bob Barker and since 2007, is now hosted by Drew Carey. Plinko was a cool game where these little disks are dropped at the top of a steep platform with little pegs.  Depending on which path the disk zigzags down, money was won by which exit route the disk took. It looked like this:

Look at that pink carpet!
How about playing PLUNK! to learn about the SAINTS?

I’ve had my eye on the little Happy Saints for a while and now that I finished my Happy Saints Tokens Tutorial, (adding these awesome Saint images to poker chips) I present…Plinko with the Saints!

I ended up making the PLUNK! with the SAINTS game with an empty picture frame and double suction cups from the dollar store.      
    
 
I also put a few little graphics together for my PLUNK! PRINTABLE that you will also find in my PLUNK! tutoriall at Equipping Catholic Families. This printable does not include the awesome Happy Saints, but it does have a cool Saint Token Template that I think you will find helpful for other Saint crafts and activities as well! 




Monica is a wife, Mom of 5+ kids, a designer, an architecture school survivor, an author and a crafter who thinks it’s cool to be Catholic! Check out the Arma Dei Shoppe for solid Catholic, fun teaching tools and gifts to celebrate and teach the Catholic Faith and subscribe to Equipping Catholic Families for family-building and Faith-centred crafts!

Year of Faith and October Saints Link-Ups and Resources

Posted: by Monica @ Catholic Bloggers Network

Join us at Equipping Catholic Families for the first ever Year of Faith Link Up!  Add your reflections, activities, Catechism teaching strategies and other Year of Faith posts here and help us build an awesome resource!

Do you have activities, crafts, celebrations or reflections on any of the awesome OCTOBER saints?
Please link your ideas at Cele-LINKY with the SAINTS: OCTOBER
and check out the ideas of other Catholic Bloggers!
Watch for a Cele-LINKY: ALL SAINTS Edition coming soon at Equipping Catholic Families.
Monica is a wife, Mom of 5+ kids, a designer, an architecture school survivor, an author and a crafter who thinks it’s cool to be Catholic! Check out the Arma Dei Shoppe for solid Catholic, fun teaching tools and gifts to celebrate and teach the Catholic Faith and subscribe to Equipping Catholic Families for family-building and Faith-centred crafts!