Faith Formation from Home
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Dear Faith Formation Families,
Can you believe that we are now at the end of April?! We hope that you have been enjoying our weekly lessons and learning from them! Following this Sunday's Mass readings newsletter, we will be shifting our focus to developing our Faith Formation Program for the Fall. As we look ahead to Fall 2020, there are many things we need to consider about how our Faith Formation classes will run. We hope that you will continue to reach out to us via e-mail if you have any questions or needs throughout the summer.
As a reminder, this year's First Holy Communion and Confirmation days have been postponed until Fall 2020. We will be reaching out to 2nd and 10th grade families very soon!
The focus for this last Wednesday learning newsletter is
"Lectio Divina"
. This is a wonderful way to grow through prayer and study of the Bible. We hope this information will help you and your family to continue to dive into the Word of God while we continue to wait for the re-opening of Mass and parish activities.
We consider ourselves blessed to be a part of such a vibrant and caring faith community. Please know that you are in our daily prayers! And please reach out if you need anything or have any questions.
God bless,
The Faith Formation Team
Marie Masaitis, Caitlin Mack, and Kristine Smith
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Service Opportunity for Teens!
Catholic Heart Workcamp
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The St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Youth Group is searching for
10 teens
to join their service trip scheduled for July 10th, 2021 in Nashville, TN! This is a week long summer service trip that gives teens the opportunity to grow in their Catholic faith while serving alongside other teens and adult leaders from across the United States.
Teens interested must be entering 9th grade or older. The cost of the trip (including transportation, lodging, and food) is $415. Help is provided to learn how to raise money to pay for your trip.
Please contact Jen Rosher to find out more!
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"It may look like I'm surrounded,
but I'm surrounded by You!"
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This song is 10 minutes of pure PRAISE! There are so many times when we might not feel prepared to handle the choices we need to make and the challenges we face each day.
Have no fear...Christ is already fighting that battle for you!
Have faith and step into the unknown with the confidence that God is on your side.
Click on the link and let the battle for Christ begin!
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What Is "Lectio Divina"?
Lectio Divina
or "divine reading" is the spiritual practice of reading and reflecting on the Word of God. This method follows a four step process that helps you to engage in prayer with God with the reading as the foundation for your conversation.
The Bible is God's love letter to you! If you have been hesitant to dive into the Bible on your own, this is a great way to get started and hear directly from God what advice He has for you!
The 4 Steps of Lectio Divina:
- Lectio ("Reading")
- Meditatio ("Meditate")
- Oratio ("Conversation")
- Contemplatio ("Contemplation")
Use the infographic below as a guide to implement this practice into your daily prayer life!
Click on the link below to hear a beautiful explanation of this practice by Fr. Josh Johnson.
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Lectio Divina
Bible Study
This week let's look at a series of Bible passages and use the practice of
"Lectio Divina"
to dive deeper into what each passage means to you and your family!
Here are 4 ways to try this!
- Apply Lectio Divina to the daily Mass readings. (See link for Daily Readings.)
- Open the Bible at random and read whatever story you land on! This can be a fun way to explore the Bible in a more free way! The only downside is you might land on a more challenging reading that you aren't ready for.
- Use a free study such as the Lectio Divina Bible Study by Ascension Press (linked below).
- Use the suggested list of "Family Friendly Bible Passages" to try this practice out with your children of all ages.
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Family Friendly Bible Passages
Judging Others
Matthew 7:1-5
The Greatest in the Kingdom
Matthew 18:1-5
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:29-37
The Story of Martha & Mary
Luke 10:38-42
The Gift of Love
1 Corinthians 13
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"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire!"
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Happy Feast Day,
Saint Catherine of Siena!
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Life:
1347-1380
Feast Day:
April 29th
Patron Saint of...
Fire Prevention
Saint Catherine of Siena is a beloved female saint who represents the strength and influence that women can have in the Catholic Church!
Born during a plague and the 25th of her mother's children (although many did not survive), Catherine's life was not an easy one. After one of her sisters died, her parents tried to force her at the age of 16 to marry her sister's widowed husband. Catherine rebelled by cutting her hair so that she would be found less desirable.
Catherine was deeply devoted to her Catholic faith. She was known for acts of charity, fasting, and giving away her things to the poor. She ended up joining the Third Order of Saint Dominic which allowed her to associate with a religious society while living at home. (She was not a nun.)
Catherine had many mystical experiences throughout her life. At the age of 21, she is said to have entered a "mystical marriage with Christ" and was also said to have experienced the stigmata (wounds of Christ).
Most notably, Catherine is credited for her influence in helping with the reform of the Catholic Church. She wrote hundreds of letters and was even credited for helping to start a Crusade!
Saint Catherine of Siena is one of only 4 four women who have been given the title "Doctor of the Church" for her incredible influence in strengthening the Catholic Church and sharing the faith.
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Fun Fact!
The city of Santa Monica, California is named after Monica, as were the "weeping" springs outside the city.
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Saint Augustine &
Saint Monica
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Saint Augustine
Feast Day:
August 28th
Patron Saint of...
Brewers
Death:
430
Saint Augustine is notoriously known as one of the "bad boy saints"! Whenever a conversation about amazing conversion stories comes up, Augustine is often referenced as one of the most popular conversion stories. After a life of vice, Augustine converted to Catholicism and later became a bishop! He is one of the greatest Catholic writers and was recognized as a
"Doctor of the Church"
due to his theological contributions.
Saint Monica
Life:
331-387
Feast Day:
August 27th
Patron Saint of...
wives and abuse victims
Saint Monica is a striking example of the power of faith and the influence one can have on their family when they live by example. Monica was married to a Roman pagan named Patricius. Her marriage was an unhappy one as a result of Patricius' anger and abuse. Monica remained strong in her faith which eventually led to the conversion of her husband and three children (Perpetua, Navigius, and Augustine). Although Augustine's conversion took longer, all of the children entered religious life!
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"O Jesus, I surrender myself to you; take care of everything!"
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Praying Novenas as a Family
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We hope that you and your family have been enjoying
"The Novena of Surrender to Jesus"
! There are so many beautiful novenas out there for different causes and intentions as well as novenas that focus on the lives of different saints.
You can do the novenas on their typical listed start/end dates or when the need arises! Novenas are a fantastic way to get into the habit of daily prayer and to help your children to stay focused on praying for a particular intention.
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Free Virtual Faith Conferences
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Catholic Websites & Platforms
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It can be challenging at times to find reliable resources that accurately and truthfully share the wisdom of the Catholic faith. Below are some fantastic Catholic platforms and websites for you and your family to explore! Many of the suggested websites offer online video based Bible studies and Catholic teaching series to help strengthen your understanding and knowledge of your faith. Among these links are some great Catholic Theologian YouTube pages for quick answers.
NOTE:
This is a very small sampling of the many amazing websites and theologians out there! Furthermore, many of these sites are currently offering free programs and resources!
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Catholic Kids Media
(YouTube)
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This is the channel we have been referring to each week for kids cartoons about the Sunday readings! It's an awesome spot to find short videos to help your younger children better understand the Word of God.
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Ascension Press
Ascension Press
is a big name in the Catholic online community!Their study programs include a wide variety of options and topics for kids to adults. Their YouTube page is well known for offering fantastic answers to tough questions.
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish currently uses the following
Ascension Press
Programs:
Altaration
(Grade 7),
Theology of the Body for Teens
(Grade 8), and
Chosen
(Grades 9+10).
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Augustine Institute
(+Formed)
Augustine Institute
is like the nerdy older sibling of
Ascension Press
! Their study programs tend to be a more in-depth deep dive into the faith, taking into account the Bibles Jewish roots.
However, their newer platform
Formed
(which has been previously recommended) is a fantastic resource for kids movies, study programs, books, and audio material! It's basically "Catholic Netflix" but with a wider variety of digital materials.
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Aleteia
Aleteia
is a Catholic website that covers topics such as the News, Art & Culture, Inspiring Stories, Spirituality, and Lifestyle. It is your typical website with daily articles and video links. Every day, this website shares which saint's feast day it is and daily prayers. While this is obviously more of a choice for parents versus kids, it is a great resource to learn interesting information to share with your children. Also, the articles posted often cover issues of the day such as the current pandemic.
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Bishop Robert Barron
(
Word on Fire
)
Bishop Barron is well known in the Catholic theologian media circle for giving well thought out and deep answers about Catholicism through his "Word on Fire" series. His material tends to be on the more intellectual and philosophical side for those who already have a strong faith and want to go even deeper.
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Matt Fradd
(
Pints with Aquinas
)
Australian born Matt Fradd is a relatable and knowledgeable Catholic theologian who (beyond every day Catholic questions) tackles big issues such as gender & sexuality, addiction, and pornography. Fradd has a great love for the works of Saint Thomas Aquinas and is very good at engaging in thought provoking dialogue with his guest speakers. He is very relatable and a gentleman through and through!
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Jason &
Crystalina Evert
(
Chastity
)
If you want to become better prepared to engage your teens in conversations about the gift of their bodies and sexuality, there are no better speakers on this topic than Jason Evert and his wife Crystalina. Both Jason and Crystalina have spoken around the world to thousands of teens about the topic of "Theology of the Body" and have a genuine and relatable way of helping young people understand the value in waiting until marriage. Furthermore, Crystalina's platform
"Women Made New"
is a ministry that gives hope to women of all ages who want to pursue a life of virtue, especially those who have struggled with sexual sin or have been abused in the past.
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"When you pick up the Scriptures, God speaks to you."
Saint Ambrose
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