Catholic mom Sarah Reinhard writes, “The world in mid-November is gray and dull, sometimes smattered with snow and sometimes with piles of leaves. There’s a nip in the air, both inside and out, and the days are short enough that it’s sometimes a struggle to get out of bed. I usually face this time of year with a certain rebellious denial. It happens, every single year, and there’s never a surprise. Thanksgiving comes, just as it always does, and Advent leads to Christmas, all the same. This year, I’d like to focus on the gratitude of the family feast and on the silence of the December journey through Advent.” Read Sarah’s plan online.
Thanksgiving and Advent readiness
Four quick and crafty ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with Catholic kids
This is a delightful time of year to encourage thankfulness, the in between season between the feasts of All Saints’ Day and Souls’ Day and Advent. For those of us in the Midwest, a time for wrapping up fall gardening projects and hunkering down in the rain and/or snow. What better time to get out the crayons, markers, and glitter glue and go to town on giving thanks through art? Teaching Catholic Kids has ideas.
Count your blessings: Gratitude walks
There’s a chill in the air and I know I’m going to have to wear a heavier jacket, gloves and a hat when I take my walk. My regular walking […]
The Rosary: Mysteries
To pray the Rosary: 1. Make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles’ Creed. 2. Pray an Our Father. 3. Prayer three Hail Marys and one Glory Be. […]
13 tips for praying the Rosary with kids
Catholic dad Jerry Windley-Daoust says that a lot of Catholic parents would love to say the rosary with their kids if the experience wasn’t quite so fraught. At our house, we barely make it out of the preliminaries before the littles are swinging their beads around like lassos which inevitably become airborne missiles and if you have ever been whacked in the face by a rosary mid-Hail Mary, you know it kind of ruins the mood. Our older kids are better, but I personally remember doing some groaning and eye-rolling as a teen when it came time for the rosary. Fortunately, we’ve come up with a couple insights that help us to pray the rosary as a family in a more sane and meaningful way. Find 12 ways to help kids with the Rosary online.
