Week 3 | April 1, 2020
Faith Formation from Home
What's happening at St. Thomas Aquinas?
Happy April to all of our St. Thomas Aquinas families!

As we enter this new month, we hope that you are doing well and finding time to be together as a family. Know that our hearts and prayers are with you during this challenging time. Please continue to pray for all those who have been affected by Covid-19. Keep in your prayers all healthcare workers and those who are on the front line of this situation. Know that the St. Thomas Aquinas community is here for you, whatever your need may be.

At this time, we do not have any new updates regarding sacrament dates and the re-opening of parish activities. As soon as any new information is provided, we will be contacting our 2nd and 10th grade families. For now, we continue to move forward with the hope that the sacraments will continue as scheduled.

Additionally, with the current restrictions, Mass will be filmed for Palm Sunday and the Holy Week Masses. There will be no distribution of palms at this time. Please see the parish website for up-to-date information.

May God bless you and keep you safe!
Faith Formation for Adults
New Opportunities to Grow in Faith
Many Churches and popular Catholic media forums have been offering "virtual retreats". Below is some information regarding some upcoming opportunities.

Additionally, there are many Churches and Catholic social media groups holding live rosary prayer times, Mass, and Eucharistic adoration via their social media pages.
Song of the Week
"Where are You now when darkness seems to win?
Where are You now when the world is crumbling?"
Often called the "Adele" of Christian music, two time Grammy Award winner Lauren Daigle has risen to the top of music charts with her gorgeous, soulful voice and compelling lyrics. In 2018, Lauren became a household name when her song "You Say" from her third album "Look Up Child" made it to #3 on the Billboard 200 charts! She was featured on both Jimmy Fallon and Ellen DeGeneres' TV shows much to the surprise of both Christian and secular fans.

Lauren's music has a way of addressing the hard questions and doubts that a person can have in a way that is both sincere and uplifting. Her song "Look Up Child" begins with some tough questions but quickly moves into an upbeat melody that is sure to have you singing along!

Click on the link and sing along!
Bible Basics
"How do I look up a Bible passage?"

Looking up Bible passages can seem very intimidating if this is your first time using the Bible! Think of it like a textbook.

QUESTION: Where is the first place you would go to find the chapter you need?

ANSWER: Table of Contents (at the very front of the book)

In some ways, the Bible is set-up much like the large textbooks you might use at school.

Here is a simple step-by-step guide:
  1. Identify the "Book" and find what page it starts on by using the "Table of Contents".
  2. Find the "Chapter" by skimming the larger bold numbers that divide each Book.
  3. Find where the "Verse" begins by looking for the small number at the front top of each line. If the passage includes multiple verses, then you read through the last number (verse) listed.

Use the infographic example to practice searching for Bible passages. Then, use the "BIBLE SEARCH CHALLENGE" below to discover what messages God wants to share with you!
When you find " John 3:16 ", this is the verse you will find. The wording might differ slightly depending on the Bible translation you have.
Bible Search Challenge!
Using the skills you learned above, look up the following passages. If you have multiple Bibles at home, you could turn this into a racing game!

  1. Jeremiah 29:11
  2. Philippians 4:13
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
  4. Isaiah 41:10
  5. Luke 18:16
  6. Proverbs 3:5-6
  7. Galatians 5:22-23
  8. Joshua 1:9
  9. Matthew 11:28
  10. Mark 14:37-38
Bible Story of the Week
Genesis 3

In Genesis 3, the author moves onto the questions of " What is sin?" and "What happens when I sin?" . In the two creation stories, we saw creation as it was meant to be- a place of peace, beauty, and justice where human beings were in good relationship with each other, creation, and God ( "original holiness" & "original justice" ). In Chapter 3, we learn about what happens when we use the "free will" that God gave us to disobey God.

The story of "The Fall" is a very methodical examination of the consequences of our choices. Starting with the one command "not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil" , we see how the characters choose to respond to this command. Furthermore, we see the short and long term consequences of their choices. What is interesting is that this story shows us how all the characters received a punishment whether they encouraged the sin (like the snake) or whether they actually did the wrong action (like Eve & Adam). Ultimately, it did not matter what their role was. The author shows us that it is just as bad to encourage sin as it is to engage in it. The author also emphasizes the fact that all choices have consequences, some which are seemingly bigger consequences than others.

Once again, it is important to note that the consequences are not scientific explanations for things like why snakes have no legs or why women have pain in childbirth. Rather, the consequences are used to emphasize the fact that sin can:
  1. Cause physical pain
  2. Make life harder
  3. Separate us from God and others (Damage or break our relationships)

The story of "The Fall" helps us to realize that God gives us certain commands not to make our lives more difficult, but out of LOVE for us. He wants to protect us from the pain of sin and death! And because He loves us, God gives us "free will". Love is not authentic love if it is forced or manipulated.
Reflection Questions:
  1. In this story, we learn about "free will" and "choices". What are some typical "choices" that you make every day? (Example: What time you wake up, what you eat, what you wear, etc.) What makes something a "good" choice?
  2. In the story of "The Fall", God gave Adam & Eve only 1 rule: "Don't eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.". What is the purpose of rules? Did your parents or guardians ever give you a rule that you didn't understand? Give an example of a "good rule" that keeps you safe.
  3. When God confronts Adam & Eve after they sin what was their reaction? Did you ever make a bad choice and then blamed someone else for it? What would you do if someone was trying to pressure you to make a bad choice?
  4. At the end of the story, we see that each person (even the snake!) receives a punishment for choosing to sin and/or encouraging others to sin. What did you learn about the types of consequences for sin? How can sin sometimes cause us and other people physical pain or even separate us from others?

Always remember that even if you have sinned, God loves you and wants you to come back to Him with a repentant heart! You can always ask God for forgiveness in the sacrament of Confession.
Saints and Sacraments
April Saint Feast Days
This week we are going to learn about saints who worked as doctors and medical professionals!

FUN FACT: Did you know that some orders of religious sisters (nuns) and brothers have members who have degrees in medicine? Joining a religious order does not mean that you have to give up on your gifts & talents!

Use the link below to learn about what saints' feast days are in the month of April!
Saint Gianna Molla
Life: October 4, 1922 - April 28, 1962

Feast Day: April 28th

Patron Saint of... mothers, physicians, and unborn children

Gianna Molla was born in Italy in 1922. She was the tenth of thirteen children!

From 1942-1952, Gianna pursued medicine, acquiring several degrees in the field. Her specialty was pediatrics.

In 1955, Gianna married Pietro Molla. They had four children together. It was during her fourth pregnancy that it was discovered that she had a tumor in her womb. Gianna was committed to faithfully living her Catholic values and chose the option of removing the tumor over other treatments that would risk the life of her baby girl. Sadly, Gianna died a week after her daughter's birth from complications.

Gianna is remembered as having a deep commitment to service, her Catholic faith, and her Pro-Life values.

Gianna's husband, Pietro, and their four children where in attendance when Pope John Paul II canonized Gianna in 1994. It was the first time a husband was present for his wife's canonization. Her daughter, Gianna (who was named after her), later ended up becoming a doctor as well!

To learn more about this courageously Pro-life saint, click the links on the left!
Healers & Saints
Due to the numerous amount of canonized saints, there are so many saints that remain largely unknown, overshadowed by the popularity of saints such as Saint Patrick, Saint Nicholas, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Therese of Lisieux, etc.

Click on the link below to learn about 7 more saints from around the world who were medical professionals like Saint Gianna Molla!
TV Shows, Movie, & Book Recommendations
Website Database Recommendation
The platform "Formed" was created by the Augustine Institute with the vision of providing families with downloadable books, audio, and films that would help them to grow in their understanding and love of their Catholic faith. There are options for everyone from children to adults, covering a wide variety of Catholic topics and interests. Think of it like a Catholic version of Netflix, but with more media type options!

Formed offers a free trial if you are interested in testing it out! (Link provided.)
"Faith seeks understanding."
Saint Anselm