Helping our children grow in their Catholic faith. March 2016 St. Joseph School Mrs. Danette Ragusa, Principal A leads to a Happy

Mark each day of Holy Week with Holy : Wednesday of Holy signi cance to help prepare for Easter. Week has been a traditional : People threw their housecleaning day in many St. Casimir of Poland cloaks on the ground before in countries. Clean from top respect as he entered Jerusalem. Collect to bottom. Born a prince of gently used coats and donate Holy Thursday: Jesus Poland, St. Casimir them. washed the Apostles’ was endowed with a : When Jesus feet to encourage his strong conscience purged the money changers followers to by a great teacher, from the temple, he humbly serve others. John Dlugosz. removed what Host an at-home foot He was separated and washing ceremony recognized for distracted people during which parents his holiness, from their worship wash children’s feet and virtue, and kindness. When his of God. Today, children do the same for father sent him to take over abstain from parents. Read the Hungary, Prince Casimir, seeing he television and story in John 13:1-11. was outnumbered, turned back out video games, : Attend of concern for his troops. He avoid excessive Stations of the Cross resolved never to go to war again, texting or phone devotions at your and devoted his life to prayer and calls, and spend time in prayer parish, if offered. Or, study. He died of tuberculosis at instead. draw pictures illustrating each of the age of twenty-three. : Jesus’ friends let him the stations and go through them down when he needed them. Talk about together at home. A saintly start loyalty and true friendship. Make a list : A day of anticipation It can be hard to speak kindly of of friends important to your family and before Easter, color eggs to symbolize the others when they get on our nerves. send them Easter cards. new life we receive on Easter morning. Yet Pope Francis says, “If you nd a person who never, never, never spoke ill of another, you could canonize him or her Why do Catholics have their immediately.” Start feet washed on Holy Thursday? today by looking for and pointing out the good The Church began the another, saying, “’I have qualities in others. practice of washing feet on given you a model to follow, “Forgive your Holy Thursday to imitate so that as I have done for neighbor’s injustice; our Lord, who washed the you, you should also do’” then when you pray, feet of the Twelve Apostles (John 13:15). Jesus showed your own sins will be at the . He did his disciples that the greatest forgiven” (Sirach 28:2). this as a sign of his of all would be the servant of commandment to love one all.

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Parent power can form a strong conscience

The Holy Spirit in each of God’s children calls us to start developing attachments. Children start to imitate the do good, but we have to understand what “good” is. mannerisms, speech, and habits of trusted adults. It is That’s where our consciences come in. “Conscience important that they see our faith in our actions. is a judgment of reason by which the human Experience is a powerful teacher. If parents are person recognizes the moral quality of a attentive, respectful, and nurturing to a child, she concrete act” (Catechism of the , learns to internalize these characteristics as the way no.1796). Forming a Catholic conscience is a to relate to others. For example, attending to a lifelong task, beginning at birth. child’s emotion pain will teach her remorse when Do as I do. Parents have the biggest impact she causes others pain. Invest active time in on our children’s development, and how their children, foster a sense of belonging, and consciences form. The process begins when children communicate love.

John 20:1-9, The

In John’s account of the rst Easter cloths were folded and arranged morning, Mary Magdalene discovered seemed familiar, spoke of Jesus’ We had such a fruitful this year, the stone had been rolled away from habits, and convinced John we wanted to keep up our good habits the tomb. She spoke with the angels that Jesus was alive again. as “Easter resolutions.” At the who informed her that Jesus was The Resurrection proved beginning of Lent, we committed to risen, and raced back to the that Jesus was really who doing one good family deed weekly. We apostles and told them he said he was. Jesus discussed the good deeds over dinner, what she knew. Electri ed rose from the dead so which gave the children a chance to pat by the news, John and Peter we would know that each other on the ran to the tomb. John was our faith in him is back. younger and arrived rst but justi ed. We also waited for Peter, the Head of What can a parent committed to the apostles. do? John’s love for Jesus praying a When they entered the tomb, helped him to see who Jesus decade of the John noticed the arrangement of the truly is. Help children to know and Rosary as a family cloths in which Jesus was buried. love Jesus. A close relationship with every night to help Instantly, John “saw and believed.” our Lord will reveal Jesus to us have a good Perhaps something in the way the youngsters. Lent. At rst, it was dif cult to make the time, but the family decade became a favorite part of our bedtime was about sixteen. He escaped several routine. years later and became a priest. He We still do good deeds every week, was ordained the bishop of Ireland but instead of discussing them, we talk March 3 – St. Katharine Drexel and is credited for having established about ways others have been kind and (1955). A Philadelphia heiress, St. the Church there. discuss how to imitate them. Katharine Drexel gave up her fortune to March 20 – Palm Sunday of the Continuing our Lenten practices of become a nun. She founded the Sisters Lord’s Passion. The Sunday before doing good deeds and praying nightly of the Blessed Sacrament for Black and Easter is called Palm Sunday of the helps us to be more patient and caring, Native American peoples. She Lord’s Passion. It recalls Jesus’ entry and has brought us closer together as a established fty missions for Native into Jerusalem when he family. Americans in several states and was greeted by crowds founded Xavier University in New waving palms and Orleans, the rst university for cheering. It marks To help parents raise faithful Catholic children African-Americans in the United States. Success Publishing & Media, LLC the beginning of Publishers of Growing in Faith™ and Partners in Faith™ March 17 – St. Patrick of Ireland Holy Week. We (540)662-7844 (540)662-7847 fax (493). Born in Scotland, St. Patrick receive palms to http://www.partnersinfaith.com (Unless noted Bible quotes and references are from was kidnapped by Irish pirates and celebrate this the Revised Standard Version and the New American Bible.) brought to Ireland as a slave when he special day. © Copyright 2016 Success Publishing & Media, LLC