Holy Trinity ChurchBringing Faith Home
May is the Month of the Blessed Mother
Why Do We Pray To Mary?
It is important to know that, as Catholics, we do not worship Mary, but we do honor her as the mother of our Savior in many ways.
One way is that we pray to her. Why would we do that when we can just pray directly to God through Jesus? Because Mary prays for us. While we can always go directly to Jesus when we pray, asking Mary to intercede on our behalf is like asking our friends and family on earth to pray for us…Mary and the Saints are our Christian family in heaven.
As his mother, Mary knew Jesus best in his earthly life, and just as she prompted him to perform his first miracle, she can intercede on our behalf to him directly. So, she is a very strong link between us and Jesus!
Mary has more feast days, prayers and devotions than any other saint, but the month of May is very special as the whole month is dedicated to her.
This month try to learn at least one new prayer such as the Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen, the Memorare, The Angelus, The Magnificat or the Miraculous Medal Prayer to name just a few! You could also practice the prayers and special medications of the Rosary!
MARIAN GARDEN IDEAS
The spring rains are bringing out some beautiful flowers! Have you ever thought of planting a Marian Garden? The month of May is all about mothers and planting a garden in her honor is a wonderful way to celebrate our Blessed Mother Mary.
Follow the link below for a Mini Marian Garden you can do together with your children and grandchildren! www.catholicicing.com/how-to- start-a-mary-garden-at-home/
And for some creative ideas and activities to go along with your Marian Garden, check this link out! www.catholicicing.com/mary-garden-ideas-and-crafts/
And here is a list of beautiful Marian flowers that you might use in your garden! teachingcatholickids.com/common-marian-flowers/
Take a Nature Prayer Walk
A simple way to get outside with your kids and casually incorporate prayer and talking to God in an everyday activity. Going on walks or visiting parks is probably something that you already do. Why not add prayer in? This is a great “warm up” activity if you feel uncomfortable praying with your kids.
Bring your kids outside and bring a basket, bag, or bucket. Tell your child, “God created every living thing on earth. Just like you make art projects, God made nature. We are going to walk around and find things that God created and thank him! We want to celebrate God for His good work.”
Follow your child around and help them pick out items. Place each item in your basket if it fits. You may need to show them some examples first. Everything, big or small, is great! Pray and thank God for each piece of nature.
Get Creative
You can keep it simple and say, “Thank you God for making this tree.” Or be more specific and detailed, “God we love trees! Thank you that trees give us shade to sit under, branches to climb on, and leaves to jump in!” If you’re feeling stuck for words, clap! We clap when our kids do something great, why not clap for God too? He deserves to be celebrated; His work deserves to be applauded.
Ask your child questions about the items. What makes this leaf unique? What makes this flower so beautiful? Can you find a purple item?
For small children and shorter attention spans: thank God for each item as the child finds it and places it in the basket. For older children: you can pray for each item as they are found or collect all the items first and then pray for them all at once as you take them out of the basket. Maybe even make an art project with the items.
Adapted from RaisingPrayerfulKids.com
Sunday, April 19th was Divine Mercy Sunday, which originated when Our Lord appeared to Saint Faustina, a humble, Polish sister. During these visions, Jesus asked specifically that the Feast of Divine Mercy be established so that all people would turn to Our Lord and find refuge in him and in his unfathomable mercy. During one of the visions, Jesus asked Sister Faustina to paint the image of Divine Mercy pouring forth from his heart.
There are many graces and indulgences associated with Divine Mercy Sunday. It is recommended that a prayer such as, “Jesus, I Trust in You,” be added to the usual recommended prayers. You may pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary, or the Creed in front of an image of Jesus, with the addition of “Jesus, I Trust in You.”
On this special Sunday, try to do something nice for someone else. Jesus explained to Sister Faustina that we can love our neighbors through deed, word, and prayer. Teaching children the importance of works of mercy no matter how small, can help them understand how blessed it is to help others and how even the smallest deeds can help others.
BRINGING FAITH HOME
Celebrate Easter together as a family today!
Do something joyful together such as spend some time outside if possible or have an Easter egg hunt in the back yard.
For an indoor activity, check out the Shroud of Turin. Thought by many to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ, the Shroud of Turin is a linen sheet which bears a striking, ghostly image of a man. The shroud has been kept in Turin, Italy, since the 16th century. It is not generally viewable by the public and is only available for viewing during special expositions.
You can explore the Shroud of Turin on your own.
HOLY WEEK
This is a very special week. On Holy Thursday we celebrate the day that Jesus ate the Last Supper with His apostles. This was the first Mass, when He gave His Body and Blood to them in what still looked like bread and wine. He also made them priests by giving them the power to turn bread and wine into His Body and Blood to offer them to the Father.
On Good Friday we remember the suffering and death of Our Lord. He was beaten and made fun of and had to carry the heavy cross. Then He was nailed to the cross, where He hung for hours before He gave up His life to God for us.
On Holy Saturday we remember the day that Mary and the apostles and Jesus’ other friends were very sad and upset by what had happened. Their best friend and leader had just been killed! Do you think they knew what was about to happen on Easter Sunday?
And today is Palm Sunday! The waiting was over – the promised King was finally coming into Jerusalem and the people crowded the streets to cheer his arrival.
But does he come in on a big horse, or in a chariot as many kings would? NO, he comes in gently…find out how in this fun connect-the-dots picture for you as we celebrate Palm Sunday (from www.thekidsbulletin.com).
From the Faith Formation Office…
Well, I do not think we expected to give up quite this much for Lent! BUT, we have no reason to fear. We are encouraged not to be fearful 365 times in the Bible. Our Lord knows us well, He understands that due to our human nature we fear, and so reminds us to “Be not afraid”.
We all have some extra quiet time right now, and it is the perfect opportunity to listen to God’s voice. We may be surprised at what we hear. We can practice our prayers (The Our Father, The Hail Mary, The Glory Be) or just use our own words to talk to Jesus as though he were sitting right next to us…because he is!! Whether we are praying alone or with our family, reciting known prayers or just saying whatever is in on our mind…he is right there and listening to every word we say. And every word we DON’T say…because he knows exactly what is in our heart even when we can’t find the words. He is listening. Let us each take this time to quietly listen for his response.
Take this time as well to check in on elderly neighbors who may need help picking up some groceries or just someone to talk to. Give a call to your grandparents or other family…use Facetime, Zoom, Microsoft Teams or some other online format to see and hear each other.
I will close with sharing this prayer…
HOLY GOD, You are with us,
From the spinning planets in our sky,
To the tiniest microbe that lives on the tiniest paw of the tiniest mouse.
You care for the Creation and You care for US.
Whether we are out in the world,
Or tucked inside our home,
We know that You are as close as the
Air that we breath.
Thank you for being our friend and comforter.
Amen.