Alright, so you may have noticed I haven't posted a Catholic Family Meeting for a few weeks.  Or you may not have noticed.  Haha.  But things have been really busy around here, and obviously blogging for a hobby is not high on the priority list.  Our family is actually attempting to simplify our family meeting a little, after listening to Matthew Kelly's Raising Amazing Children and generally feeling like we are tight on time.  

We are opting for a less formal version with many of the same parts, but less technology (ie. slideshow) and structure.  

So what are we doing?

We set aside about 30 minutes one night during the week, preferably at the beginning of the week.  We open with a prayer.  Then we read the upcoming Sunday gospel (just like we've been doing).  But, as Kelly suggests, we ask each person in the family to share a word or phrase that stood out to him or her.  Then we read it again, and discuss again.  This makes for a more kid-driven discussion of the gospel and gently forces each person to be engaged.  If we want to go further with the "meeting", like a fun activity or something we can, but we don't have to, which is kind of liberating.  At the end, we finish with prayer.  

Now we still use some internet resources for our meeting or to plan feast days during the week, so the following may be helpful this week:

Readings for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday Connection - Background on the readings

June Liturgical Calendar

10 June Activities for Catholic Families

Catholic Family Meeting {Pentecost Sunday, Cycle B}

This Sunday, with the celebration of Pentecost, completes the season of Easter.  Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit and the start of the Church.  What wonderful things to celebrate!

Imagine being present as the Holy Spirit was sent down to the apostles with a "noise like a strong driving wind" and "tongues as of fire which parted and came to rest on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues."  From there, the apostles went out and proclaimed the gospel.  (Acts 2:1-11).  

What would seem to be a terrifying event (what with wind and fire and all), leads to God providing His apostles with the only means of doing His will in the absence of Jesus - the Holy Spirit.  

Just as with the apostles, the Holy Spirit provides us with what we need in order to do God's will in our lives.  

I really love St. Augustine's Prayer to the Holy Spirit:

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.  Speak in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.  Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.  Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.  Amen.

The Holy Spirit can be difficult to understand as adults, and therefore challenging to explain to children.  The Catechism thoroughly explains the Holy Spirit.  Obviously, Pentecost and the Holy Spirit are the focus of this week's family meeting.

Click here for the Google Drive slideshow

Catholic Family Meeting {Seventh Sunday of Easter / Ascension, Cycle B}

This Sunday is the Seventh Sunday of Easter, but many parishes (including mine) also celebrate the Ascension, which is 40 days into Easter.

Jesus ends His work on earth to take His place at the right hand of the Father.  Beforehand, He tells His disciples

He does not leave them to do His work on their own, as it says in Mark 16:20, "But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs".  

We too are not alone.  We do not have to do God's will all by ourselves.  Jesus is in heaven helping us.  All we have to do is to ask and be open to His grace.

When I am attentive to my relationship with Jesus, I am best able to do His work and live out His will.  

I hope to continue to grow in this area in my own life and pass this on to my children. 

 
Click here for the Our Catholic Family Meeting slideshow document.

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B}

This week's readings seem to be about one thing: love.

In the gospel reading, we hear Jesus tell His disciples:

It sounds so simple, "love one another as I love you".  

For probably as long as I can remember, I have been struggling with my short-temper.  I like to say that I'm not that analytical, in that I don't spend a lot of time pondering and analyzing each word someone has said, what they meant or didn't mean, how I should interpret it, etc.  This also means that I don't think a whole lot before I say things myself....which often times means that my short-temper gets the words out before I've even had time to think enough to stop it.  It is something I pray about and struggle with everyday, especially with small children who tend to fight against control (which I tend to impose too much of) and who have their own God-given personalities and ideas that can sometimes run counter to mine.  Life doesn't fit into the perfect little box that I seem to be inclined to fit it into.

Needless to say, I want to live each moment of each day selflessly loving my children, my husband, my family and friends, my acquaintances, and strangers.  I know that to do this will take prayer and practice.  

Recently I heard Matthew Kelly speak, and he said that the saints didn't lead lives of complete holiness.  The saints lived many holy moments.  So from this, his idea for becoming holier was to aim to build moments of holiness.  First for 1 minute of holiness, then when you've got that, go for 2 minutes, 3 minutes, etc.   

So that's what I'm going to try to do.  Live moments of holiness in which I am loving all others as Jesus loves me.

Pray for me!   

Here is this week's Catholic Family Meeting slideshow:

Click here for to open the Google Slideshow

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B}

This week we celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Easter.  I really love how the Easter season coincides with the renewal of spring.  And what a perfect time to discuss this week's gospel reading (John 15:1-8), where Jesus instructs His disciples at the Last Supper:  

How true this is too.  There are so many examples in my life of how I was unable to "bear fruit" (solve a problem or achieve a desired result) simply because I remained in myself instead of Christ.  For most of my life, when difficulties arose, I simply turned inward to see if I could solve it, assuming that I should be able to figure out things on my own.  I was pretty smart and capable, I thought.  How proud I was.  In hindsight, I could have saved myself much difficulty throughout life by abiding in Christ.  Keeping Him close, as He keeps me close to Him.  

I realize now that the only way that anything I do or say can bear good fruit is by abiding in Christ.  

It is something I have to remind myself of daily:  To put Him first in my life.

Click here to view Our Catholic Family Meeting slideshow document

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Fourth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B}

If you didn't see it last week, I shared about the new and improved Catholic Family Meeting slideshows and how our family meets.  

This Fourth Sunday of Easter is called Good Shepherd Sunday because the gospel reading always comes from the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John on, you guessed it...the Good Shepherd.  

This year, Cycle B, the reading focuses on Jesus telling that He is the Good Shepherd, who "lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).  It is definitely worth reading up on the background of this gospel and how provocative of a statement it was.

As I read John 10:11-18 I thought of how thankful I am that Jesus is our Shepherd.  That He knows us, He laid down His life for us, and that He continues to speak to us.  He is the perfect example of selfless love.  We are also blessed as Catholics to have the shepherding of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church, that unites as one flock.  

On the other hand, there are many "shepherds" in our popular culture who are leading us and our children away from God.  I think it's imperative that we stay watchful of who we are allowing to shepherd us and whether he is a good shepherd or a "hired man" who "works for pay and has no concern for the sheep" (John 10:12-13).

Check out this week's Catholic Family Meeting slideshow:

To view the actual slideshow click here: Our Catholic Family Meeting {Fourth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B}

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Third Sunday of Easter, Cycle B}

So with an updated, simpler blog format, I was motivated to give an updated and simpler look to the Our Catholic Family Meeting slideshows.  As you can probably tell, I'm into burlap, chalkboards, and distressed wood, so yeah....

I also thought it would be a good time to give some more information on how my family uses the slideshows and links to guide our family meetings.

Here's some basic info about our Catholic Family Meeting

What

The creation of the Catholic Family Meeting came out of a desire to set aside one night each week that tied together prayer, scripture, and fun family time.  I also wanted us to be better prepared for Sunday mass by knowing the readings in advance.  I described how I came up with the various parts in my first post about family meetings.  

The reason that I made the Our Catholic Family Meeting slideshow was to have something that I could easily adapt each week and to give a visual for the various things I wanted to include.  

Time

We don't have a set day of the week because the evenings each week can look a little different, but we always aim to do it in the beginning of the week.  I find if we try for later in the week, things get crazier and we run out of time or forget.  So, typically we try to set aside about 30-45 minutes on a Monday or Tuesday evening each week.  And I usually plan them on Monday, so I hope to have them posted on the blog by Tuesday.

I've found that focusing on the readings early in the week and then referring back to them throughout the week has made a huge difference in understanding the mass for both us adults and for the girls.  Well, Grace (5) anyway.  I have been really impressed by her understanding of bible stories and her ability to remember them and key verses.  Young kids are sponges!  As for Ada (now 3!), she mostly exists in the room during the meeting, reading or quietly (sometimes) playing.

Place

Really, this could take place anywhere that has comfy seating because all we really use is my Chrome book and any books or basic materials that we've chosen from the Family Activities section of the slideshow.  For us, it usually happens in the living room.  

Yup, that's our living room.  Complete with Hello Kitty boombox and baskets of children's books.  This is pretty much exactly what it looked like when we did our family meeting last night.  But with people.  

  

A few key notes about using the slideshow:

1. They are named (from about a month ago on) by the liturgical day and year (Cycle) instead of the date.  This should make it easier to reuse them in the future, since our awesome Catholic Church goes through the entire bible in its three year cycle.  
2. Anything underlined is a hyperlink to a webpage that is either very or moderately helpful.  
3. The Family Activities page lists a variety of activities that are meant to be picked and chosen for what your family is interested in doing.  We never do all the items listed.  My girls always want to watch a video if there is one, and then I usually choose what I think will work best for us.
4. The last page has links for many of the resources used to prepare the prayers, activities, and feast days, so they are great sites to check out.
5. The things on the slideshow are just suggestions that can be used, but there is no set way to do such a "meeting".  At least not that I could find.
6. You will probably want to glance over the readings and background information before your family meeting.  It helps me tremendously to research a bit before our meeting, so that I have adequate knowledge to pass on to my family.  

So here is this week's slideshow:

To view the actual slideshow click here: Our Catholic Family Meeting {Third Sunday of Easter, Cycle B}

I'd love to hear how your family does family meetings.  Let me know in the comments below.  :)

- Jessica

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Second Sunday of Easter / Divine Mercy Sunday - Cycle B}

Happy Easter!  I love that the Easter season continues for 50 days!  It gives me time to do all the fun Easter stuff that I haven't gotten time to do yet.

This week we are preparing for the second Sunday of Easter, which also happens to be Divine Mercy Sunday.  The gospel reading tells of Jesus appearing to the disciples after His resurrection.  One disciple is missing, and would not believe the others that they had really seen Jesus.  I think you know who I'm talking about...

When Jesus reveals himself again to the disciples, Thomas is present, and sees that Jesus really is alive.  Jesus says, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (John 20:29)

I would like to think that I am not a doubting Thomas.  I have been blessed to have an unwavering faith in God's existence for as long as I can remember.  When I wonder if I need proof of God's existence, I would be quick to answer "no".  But I realize that I do have proof of God's existence.  My beautiful children, the beauty and complex perfection of nature, my selfless husband, the lives of the saints, the good that can come out of a terrible loss...  

Do I only see the proof because I have faith?  Or do I have faith because I see the proof?  I'm not really sure.  But I do know that the more I grow in my faith through conscientious actions, the more proof I see around me.  The scriptures, 2000 years of church teaching, thousands of saints that show us the way...Thomas didn't have these things.  We are blessed to have them.  May we always stay strong in our faith!

Michaela Evanow

Here's this week's Catholic Family Meeting slideshow:

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Palm/Passion Sunday - Cycle B}

This Sunday is known as Palm or Passion Sunday, and it marks the beginning of Holy Week.  It is really important to prepare our families for this mass for several reasons:

1. There will be two gospels read, one at the beginning of mass with Jesus entering Jerusalem (with people waving palms) and the other during the Liturgy of the Word.
2. The gospel reading of Jesus' passion and crucifixion will be read and it will be long.  If children can follow along, it will be easier for them...well, for everyone!
3. As it is still Lent and the focus is on Jesus' passion and death, it is a solemn occasion.
4. Your children will be given a palm, which without any guidance, could will become a toy, a way to harass their sister, or an origami lesson.

I will hopefully remember to talk with my girls about what to do with the palms, which of course can be folded later...

There are also lots of great ways to prepare our kids for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter linked in the slideshow for this week.  I know my family is really anticipating them after all these weeks of Lent. :)

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for 5th Sunday of Lent - Cycle B}

I cannot believe it is already the 5th Sunday of Lent!  I'm in a need of a little refocusing on my Lenten goals and putting God first, even when (or especially when) things get hectic.  

This week's readings explained very well by Loyola Press' website here, and all three readings are preparing us for Jesus' passion.  The gospel reading will definitely need some explanation for children (and of course, I needed it too!), as Jesus tells His disciples:

Does God really call us to hate our life?  

To children, this will be quite confusing.  What Jesus wants is for us to be detached from the things of this world.  He wants us to have an eternal perspective, and to put our love of God first.  

The awesome thing about this is that as you detach yourself from worldly things and cares, you come to love life even more.  

What a wonderful lesson to teach our children, especially if yours are like mine and have every creature comfort and live a very privileged life.  And I need to relearn this lesson everyday to keep myself from living the way of the world, attached to possessions, comforts, and even people.

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Fourth Sunday of Lent- Year B}

It's another busy week over here!  So...I'm going to be brief. 

This week's gospel is centered on John 3:16.  When I think of John 3:16, I think of...Tim Tebow

Because interestingly enough, this ^ on Tim Tebow's face was my first introduction to this scripture verse.  But what an awesome verse to know and remind ourselves of when life has become overwhelming.

My 6 year old daughter already has it memorized thanks to our family meeting in the fall when we read this same gospel reading and we sang along to the song (linked in this week's slideshow).  

This week's readings focus on God's greatest gift to us: Jesus.  The light of the world.  They are a reminder that God is merciful and forgiving.  All we have to do is ask, and we shall receive.

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for 3rd Sunday in Lent - Cycle B}

As you may have noticed in the title, I'm changing up how the family meetings are organized.  Rather than listing the date of the upcoming Sunday, I will put the liturgical day and cycle.  This should make it easier to use these again the future.

This week's gospel reading is the story of Jesus cleansing the temple.  I like this story as it shows a different side of Jesus that many people don't realize exists.  Our culture likes a light, fluffy, hippie Jesus who is fine with anything you do as long as you "love" others or believe in "peace".  Of course Jesus wants us to love others, but loving others includes upholding Truth.  When Jesus saw people disrespecting his Father's home and not following God's commandments, he acted with righteous anger.  He overturned tables and ran the animals out of the temple, all while brandishing a whip. Definitely not "light, fluffy, hippie Jesus".  

During Lent it is especially important to reflect on how we live our lives and whether we are putting God first and living the way He wants.  This reading reminds us to stay focused on God in all we do and to  honor God in our prayer and worship.  

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Sunday, March 1}

"Then from the cloud came a voice,

'This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.'"

Mark 9:7

This week we prepare for the Second Sunday of Lent with the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus.  Can you imagine if you were at the Transfiguration?  With Jesus' clothes turning a brighter white than we can even imagine, seeing Moses and Elijah, and then God speaking... 

Sometimes I catch myself reading some of the events in the bible like a fairy tale rather than the most miraculous, shocking, and world-changing events that ever occurred.  I hope to convey the importance of examining and meditating on these events to my children in this week's family meeting, so that we may never be complacent or apathetic to all that Jesus did and continues to do for us.

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Sunday, February 22}

Lent has officially begun, and there is no better time than now to put God at the center of our lives.  My goal is to do my best to avoid distractions and spend more time in prayer and doing the things that will prepare my heart and soul for Easter.  If you haven't already, see what you and your family can do to make this a fruitful Lenten season.  

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Sunday, February 15}

This week's gospel continues the telling of Jesus' healings, this time of the leper.  

Too often, I take for granted that Jesus healed people, probably because I rarely imagine what the actual event would have been like.  But if I place myself in that time and place, where lepers were outcasts with no hope, I can begin to imagine how miraculous it would have been to see not only Jesus heal the leper, but also to touch him.  What a shocking and compassionate thing to do.  

I have to be sure that I do not grow complacent with stories of Jesus' healings and miracles.  I should never lose the amazement and shock that are warranted by what Jesus did and who Jesus was and still is.  This is what I want my children to gain and keep with them, so that's what I'm hoping to impart on them with this week's Catholic Family Meeting.

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Sunday, February 8}

This week's gospel reading tells the story of Jesus healing Simon's mother-in-law.  He goes on to heal others afflicted with illness or demonic possessions, and then retreats to the desert to pray before continuing his ministry throughout the whole of Galilee.

A big focus of our Catholic Family Meeting this week is on Jesus taking time to pray.  This is another example of Jesus relying on prayer to carry out his role on earth.  

If Jesus couldn't do God's will on earth without prayer, then why do we often think we can? 

I am working on building my own prayer life by scheduling it into each day and taking that time when the idea enters into my mind.  That is God inviting me to talk with Him.  I can either answer his call or ignore Him.  

During our family meeting, I want to discuss prayer with my children and talk about how my husband and I pray by ourselves.  Sure they hear us pray together as a family everyday, but the only way for them to know how to pray on their own is to be taught ways to do so.  

I hope to save them a lot of trouble later in life by helping to guide them now. :)

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Sunday, February 1}

It's a busy week over here, so not too many thoughts on the readings this week.  I will let the family meeting slideshow speak for itself :)

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Sunday, January 25} - Fishers of Men

It's a little late in the week for me to post our Catholic Family Meeting, but better late than never!  This week's gospel is a favorite  of mine and a great one for talking with the family about what's most important in our lives.  

"Jesus said to them, 'Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.'  Then they abandoned their nets and followed him."

Mark 1:17-18

Jesus offers this to us everyday.  Not necessarily to abandon our family, jobs, or homes, but to abandon earthly attachments and do His will above all.  This is a difficult thing to do, as we live in a world of earthly things.  

What a great time though, just before lent, to think about the things that attach us to this world, that hold us back from giving our whole selves to God.  Certainly something I will be thinking a lot about in the coming weeks. 

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Sunday, January 18}

"Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."

1 Samuel 3:9

Ahhh, I aspire to this quote!  

I wish I was better at listening to God.  

In this age of technology and busyness, God would have to scream in order to be heard in my head.  I realize that in recent years with constant access to internet, that I have turned myself into someone with a fear of boredom and self-created ADD.  

At the first moment of quiet, I don't usually think to be still or to pray, I think to fill it with the next thing on my to-do list or check Facebook or read up on the news...There is no end to the other things that I can fill up my "spare" time with. 

This week's gospel tells of John the Baptist recognizing Jesus as the "Lamb of God" and the first disciples following Jesus.  Can I truly be a disciple of God, if I can't quiet enough to truly listen to Him?

I'm resolving this week to learn how to be "bored" with the quiet moments and to allow God to tell me His will.  

Catholic Family Meeting {Prep for Sunday, January 11} - Baptism of the Lord!

Christmas is almost officially over.  Although I've often heard the Christmas season is finished after the Epiphany, it's still liturgically Christmas until after this Sunday's Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  

I plan on reflecting with my family about the Christmas season and ways to bring the joy of Christmas into our daily lives for the rest of the year.

During Advent, there were a couple week's that focused on John the Baptist.  In this Sunday's gospel reading, we see John baptize Jesus in the Jordan River.  There are lots of fun and simple ways to enjoy this feast with our families, and several are included in this week's family meeting slideshow: