Can you believe that Ash Wednesday is just next week? Every year I start off in pursuit of the best Lent evaa (queue any one of my kids quoting Matt Kelly) and I start out with resolutions for giving up things, taking on things and elaborate programs for my kids. This year will be no different, although I feel a little better prepared!
Equipping Catholic Families with a NEW Hands-On Prayer-packed Craft Kit for LENT!
So, even though I have 50 Cathletics Craft Kits in my Arma Dei Shoppe, it’s hard to believe that I don’t actually have one craft kit dedicated to LENT! Well, that is, until NOW!
Hands-On Lenten Pack of Prayers
This craft kit focuses mainly on the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet and offers more inventive ways to get kids hands-on praying! Prayers are counted as beads are colored or laced up with a shoelace! Our Super Saints illustrations are kid-friendly and enticing and help to focus our prayers just a little bit more! Plus, they’re just fun to look at!
Book Review: The Sacred That Surrounds Us: How Everything in a Catholic Church Points Us to Heaven
I’m so excited about this book!
This is a beautiful 125 page Catholic reference book as beautiful as any photographic coffee table book. It explains the historical and symbolic significance of each vessel, vestment, linen, devotional, Church furnishing and architectural component found within a Catholic Church. Each sacred article is presented with exquisite photography and meticulously described with infused Catholic teaching to relay the deeper meaning and ethereal qualities and purposes from our rich Tradition and Faith. As we learn more about these vessels, vestments and articles within the sacred spaces of our Church, we can come to a better appreciation of the beauty and significance they lend to the remarkable Sacraments we receive. This book will help to foster reverence and awe within the Faithful, as we are called to approach the Altar of the Lord.
Book Review: The Word of the Lord
The Word of the Lord: A Child’s First Scripture Verses by Katie Warner and illustrated by Meg Whalen is a delightful little board book introducing little ones to Scripture. Each of the eleven verses of Scripture is paired with a simple and inviting illustration, with bright colors and durable board book pages. The verses selected are key to our Catholic Faith: perfect references to memorize as they guide us to live in virtue and remind us of God’s profound Love for each one of us.
Equipping Catholic Families…to live liturgically all year long!
Book Review: The Catholic All Year Compendium by Kendra Tierney
With Lent beginning in just a little over two weeks, this is an excellent time to order your copy of The Catholic All Year Compendium* if you haven’t purchased it already!
Catholic All Year Compendium is available at Ignatius Press or Amazon*.
What the Catholic Church has to offer: Equipping Catholic Families with the Catechism!
This is part of a special blog series through Reconciled to You exploring the rich Traditions and Teaching of the Catholic Church.
We are so blessed to have the wisdom, traditions and teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church! There isn’t much that the Magisterium of the Church hasn’t worked out under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Equipping Catholic Families for FEBRUARY Saints, Monthly Devotion and Ordinary Time!
Equipping Catholic Families for February Saints!
Welcome to our monthly summary of crafts and family traditions related to the Monthly Devotion, Key Feast Days and the appropriate Season of the Liturgical Calendar. As our kids get older, our activities and commitment to Catholic crafts has changed and adjusted (at least for our tween, teen and young adult kids)! While we haven’t exactly been adding a lot of Catholic crafts around here, we do enjoy pulling out the crafts and programs we’ve developed over the years, sometimes sharing them with younger families in our parish!
Equipping Catholic Families …with Traditions for Ordinary Time!
Sometimes we feel a little down when the official Christmas season is over. It’s hard to jump enthusiastically into Ordinary Time, because it sounds so, well, ordinary! But Catholic living can add so much richness to our every day life and celebrating our Faith and family culture can be an active pursuit all year long! Here are ten ideas to foster your own family culture…while integrating the richness of our Catholic Faith with Saints, Sacraments, Scripture, Catechism and Prayer! All of our Cathletics Craft Kits come with permission to copy for family use and they’re packed with Catechism, Saints, Sacraments and Prayer to get you started, but we’ve included other helpful links too!
Top FOUR Resolutions for 2019
It’s that time of year again, our second chance to start the new year (the Liturgical Calendar began with Advent in 2018).These are the big four resolutions that I’m compelled to commit to and I’ve included some resource, article and affiliate links that I’ve found helpful. This is not an exhaustive list! I might even edit and add to these lists throughout January…and I’m happy to check out your recommendations!
Equipping Catholic Families for January 2019
Equipping Catholic Families for January 2019 Saints!
Welcome to our monthly summary of crafts and family traditions related to the Monthly Devotion, Key Feast Days and the appropriate Season of the Liturgical Calendar.
- Feast of the Holy Family (December 30)
Key Feast Days in January:
- Solemnity of Mary (January 1) Mary Crafts, In the Arms of Mary
- World Day of Peace (January 1)
- St. Basil the Great (January 2)
- St. Gregory Nazianzen (January 2)
- Most Holy Name of Jesus (January 3)
- St. Genevieve (January 3)
- St. Elizabeth Seton (January 4)
- St. John Neumann (January 5)
- St. Andre Bessette (January 6)
- Epiphany of the Lord (January 6) Felt Kings Tutorial
- St. Raymond of Penysfort (January 7)
- Baptism of the Lord (January 13)
- St. Hilary (January 13)
- St. Anthony of Egypt (January 17)
- St. Sebastian (January 20)
- St. Agnes (January 21)
- Day of Prayer for the Unborn (January 22)
- St. Francis de Sales (January 24)
- Conversion of St. Paul (January 25)
- St. Timothy and St. Titus (January 26)
- St. Angela Merici (January 27)
- St. Thomas Aquinas (January 28)
- St. John Bosco (January 31)
Monthly Devotion for January: Holy Name of Jesus
- Holy Name of Jesus by PBandGrace
Season of the Liturgical Calendar: Christmas!
- 12 Days of Christmas ends January 5th
- Sock Baby Jesus
- Nativities
New Year Resolutions and
Season of the Liturgical Calendar: Ordinary Time!
Just a reminder, the readings for Sunday Masses come from Year C and Cycle 1 for the Weekday Masses.











































