Monday, August 12, 2019
Amen
Amen. We say this at the end of every prayer that we’ve ever prayed. After the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, etc. Have you ever wondered what the word actually means? I have. So I recently researched the word, and found out some very interesting things. Amen means “so be it”. It comes from the word aman, which means faithful, or trustworthy. So when you say the Our Father, and you say “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen”, you will understand what you are saying.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
The Good Shepherd
In the gospel for today, Jesus tells the story of the shepherd that went after one sheep. He had 99 others, but he went after that last sheep. That gospel reminded me of a Saint Augustine quote: “God loves each of us as if there was only one of us.” It’s easy to think that we’re trash, that God doesn’t want us, etc., but that’s not the truth. We are all like that sheep that went astray, but Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will always go after us. If you were the last person on earth and Jesus had to be crucified again to save us, then He would, because He cares for us. He would die for you no matter how bad you behaved. Today, your challenge is to remember that you’re worth saving.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Acting Like Maximilian Kolbe
Today is the feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. He lived in Europe during World War II and spoke out against the Nazis. He was captured by the Nazis and put in a concentration camp. He eventually gave his life to save another prisoner. You can make sacrifices, just like Maximilian Kolbe. Not all of us are called to give our lives to save others (“There is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” -John 15:13), but we can small sacrifices (a good example of making small sacrifices would be the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux). So today, your challenge is to make one or two small sacrifices for someone in your life. “For Jesus I am prepared to suffer still more.” -Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Thursday, August 15, 2019
What is a Holy Day of Obligation?
A Holy Day of Obligation is a day in the year that all Catholics are required to go to Mass. It celebrates an important event in Jesus’ or Mary’s life. Today is the Feast of the Assumption. The Assumption commemorates the day that Mary went to heaven, body and soul. Today, your challenge is to get your parents to take you to Mass. If going to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation are already important in your household, then your challenge is to act like Mary today.
Friday, August 16, 2019
“His Mercy Endures Forever”
Today’s psalm is in Psalm 136. It talks about praising God. It also talks about God’s mercy and thankfulness towards God. Today, your challenge is to “create your own psalm”. Your “psalm” should be a poem or prayer. It should talk about God’s mercy, your thankfulness, and praise of God. If you would like, you can send it into katherine.orloski@gmail.com, and I will post them on Catholic Thoughts 4 Kids.
Every day, we should be praising and thanking God. Every morning and night, you should be talking to God and thanking and praising Him, because He is an amazing God. He is merciful, loving, all-powerful, and praise-worthy.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
“Let the little children come to Me.”
This biblical phrase is one of Jesus’ most popular quotes. The passage goes on to say that “the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these”. Jesus doesn’t mean that only children can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It means that in order to enter God’s Kingdom, we must become humble. How do we become humble? We accept that we make mistakes. A good example of this is Saint Therese of Lisieux. Saint Therese took the blame for things she didn't do. She made small sacrifices, and she also befriended a nun who made fun of her and frustrated her. Saint Therese lived with a smile on her face. Today, your challenge is to humble yourself. Be like Saint Therese. Let yourself go to Jesus.
