April: The Month of the Holy Spirit

There are three members of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Like the other members of the Trinity, he is all powerful, merciful, and is God. The name of the Holy Spirit makes Him sound mysterious. We don't know a lot about this member of the Trinity, but He has always been important in the Catholic Church. He is always working in our lives; He is always there. He was there at Jesus' baptism in the Jordan, and He was there at creation. He is everywhere, in all good things.

Palm Sunday

“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out:
‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel.’”

-John 12:13

Palm Sunday Meditation

YOU ARE MY KING. When You rode the donkey into Jerusalem,
You were prepared to die for us. You were well aware of the pain You would face.
You looked through the crowds. There were Your disciples, followers, and friends.
At one moment, all twelve would let You down. Judas would betray You.
Peter would deny he even knew You. All of Your followers would run away
because they were afraid. You knew that at the cross only three people would remain:
Your ever faithful mother Mary, Your beloved disciple John, and Mary Magdalene.
Almost everyone else watching Your death would be there to mock You.
That sea of people surrounding Your donkey had all committed sins You would pay for.
You paid my price, Jesus. I deserved the cross. I have earned it. Because You love me,
You will die. When someone asked who would go and be the savior, You volunteered.
You didn't try to back away. You said You would go. Everything I am is because of You,
my King. You are my King. I have abandoned You, whipped You, and sent nails through
Your skin. I hung You on that cross, but still You love me. I have done awful things, Lord,
and You still love me. Your love is bottomless. You are my King.

“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out:
‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel.’”

-John 12:13

SAINTS CORNER - The Servant to the Sick: The Story of Mother Teresa

Hey! It's Julia! In school, we are learning about people who promoted peace. It's pretty obvious that we started out with Mother Teresa because she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born on August 26, 1910. She was the youngest child in her family. When she was eight years old, her father died. When she was eighteen, she went off to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto. She had a great devotion to Saint Therese of Lisieux, so she became Sister Mary Teresa. After making her first vows, she was sent to Calcutta, India, to teach at Saint Mary's Girls School. On September 10, 1946, Mother Teresa boarded a train to attend a retreat. It was on the train that she received her "call within a call". That call was what drove Mother Teresa to her mission: serving the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. But she was not there yet.

Almost two full years passed, and Mother Teresa waited and waited for permission to leave the convent. There had never been religious sisters on the street before. It was a hard decision for Mother Teresa's superiors, but she was allowed to go serve the poor. On August 17, 1948, sporting a white sari with blue stripes, she entered the chaotic streets of Calcutta, India. At first, she worked with some medic sisters, but felt her call stronger in the slums. So, in December, Mother Teresa began what she is known for. She began each day with communion, and then set out for the slums, bearing a rosary like a sword. Soon, her old students from Saint Mary's began to come help her serve the poor.

In October, 1950, the Missionaries of Charity began. There was now a new order that did what Mother Teresa was doing. They were caring for the dying on the street, giving medicine to those who could be saved, and praying with her patients.

Soon, the world began to notice the little nun running around India, helping the sick the best they could. She received two awards: The Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and the Indian Padmashri Award in 1962. By 1997, 4,000 members of the Missionaries of Charity worked in 610 places in 123 countries!

On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa went to see God. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II, who she had met, and was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016.

Mother Teresa, PRAY FOR US!

SAINTS CORNER - The Bishop with a Breastplate: The Story of Saint Patrick

Hello! It's Julia again! We are decorating our school for our Saint Patrick's Day party! We have made shamrocks with gold glitter and have put Irish flags all over our school! Sometimes, with all this fun, it's hard to remember the story of Saint Patrick and why we celebrate it in the first place!

Saint Patrick is one of the most popular saints. His feast day is celebrated all over the world! But, did you know that Saint Patrick actually wasn't from Ireland? He wasn't! He was captured by slave traders and he had to leave his home in the country of Wales. He lived in Ireland until he was twenty, herding sheep. He left when God told him that a ship was waiting to take him back to Wales.

One night, Patrick had a dream. In the dream, he was begged to return to Ireland. Patrick was inspired to become a priest. When he was ordained a bishop, he returned to Ireland. At first, many of the Irish were skeptical about his religion. They clung to their old pagan beliefs. Saint Patrick was able to convert them, and he built many churches in Ireland. He preached in Ireland for forty years!

Saint Patrick used shamrocks to explain the Trinity to the Irish. He showed them how the shamrock has three leaves, one for each member of the Trinity. If you look close enough, you can see that each leaf on the shamrock is shaped like a heart!

Saint Patrick taught us a special prayer. It is called Saint Patrick's Breastplate.

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right, 

Christ on my left, 

Christ when I lie down, 

Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Saint Patrick, PRAY FOR US!

Sunday Check-In

On Sundays, you can try to check-in with yourself about your Lenten sacrifice(s). Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:

1. How am I growing in my faith through my Lenten sacrifice(s)?
2. Have I broken my Lenten sacrifice(s) yet?
3. Am I feeling closer to Jesus through my sacrifice(s)? 

Ask yourself these questions every Sunday. These will help you keep track of how you are doing with your sacrifice(s). 

God Bless!

Lenten Sacrifice Ideas

Sometimes, it's hard to pick something to sacrifice, so I have included in this post a list of things to get rid of and add on during Lent!

Get Rid Of...

• Candy
• Limit screen time
• Donate some toys to a local charity
• Donate some clothes to a local charity
• Long showers
• TV shows with bad content
• Using bad words
• Being sassy towards your parents/teachers
• Social media
• Gossip
• Makeup
• Sarcasm
• Being irreverent during Mass
• Checking your phone too often
• Being mean to your siblings
• Waiting until you are done doing what you were doing before doing the chores you were told to do
• Give some of your money to church or to a charity

Add...

• An extra prayer to your morning routine
• Read the readings before going to Mass
• Meditate on the Stations of the Cross
• Make time for Confession (you might have to give up some rest time!)
• Put a CRS rice bowl in your home
• Make a list of forty people to pray for
• Do a chore for one of the members in your family
• Do a secret act of kindness for someone
• Ask your teacher if you can help them with anything
• A book of spiritual readings to read every day (try some saint diaries, for example: 
• Divine Mercy in My Soul By Saint Faustina Kowalska
• Story of a Soul By Saint Therese of Lisieux
• A book of the lives of the saints
• A book of daily meditations

The Violet Vestments: Why Does the Priest Wear Violet During Lent?

During the Liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent, the priest wears violet. The priest wears violet because it is the color of penance, sorrow, suffering, and humility. Because Lent is a time of penance, it is right for him to wear this color during this Liturgical Season. Historically, violet was also the color of royalty because violet was an expensive color. So, along with being a color of penance and suffering, it also shows how Jesus is the King of Heaven.