The 2nd step of Sainthood Pope John Paul II
I found it somewhat ironic that May 1st when Pope John Paul II was being beatified our ten year battle with Osama Bin Laden was coming to an end. I don’t really know what to think about that. I can’t help but wonder the significance in that fact that none of the American soldiers were hurt and most especially, in the treatment of Bin Ladens body after his death. That showed extreme mercy. Oh did I mention this all happened on Divine Mercy Sunday.
Beatification of John Paul II from Vatican New Service:
Angel City, Wonderful book by Father Gerald Brennan
I recently finished reading a story I picked up in my Church’s library. What a delightful suprise as I poured forth the pages of this story. Angel City A book for Children six to sixty by Father Gerarld Brennan
As the story goes, Father is a great storyteller and children love to hear his stories. He is missing all the children he taught in school because it’s summertime. He goes off hunting for a place called Angel City that he had a dreamt about the previous night. I will skip the part that lets you know how he gets into Angel City. Although, I will tell you that he shares some of the best truly catholic stories with the children that make this book worth its weight in gold. All the stories he tell starts off about a particular boy or girl which then turns into a fabulous moral teaching about Jesus, Mary, Purgatory or such the like, that will keep your kids talking about the tale even after the story is over.
There are a few pictures in the 94 page book however, unlike many saint stories this book is different. I assure you children young and old including yourself will fully engage in Angel City : A Book for Children from Six to Sixty
In reviewing the book I came to realize this is not the only one Father Gerarld Brennan
Christmas Season is upon us
Hear the Story of Silent Night this Christmas Season.
The original lyrics of the song Stille Nacht were written in Austria by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber.
The carol was first performed in the Nikolaus-Kirche (Church of St. Nicholas) in Oberndorf, Austria, on December 24, 1818. Mohr had composed the words two years earlier, in 1816, but on Christmas Eve brought them to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for the church service.
Click on the link below to hear the Story or right click and down this public domain version:
Original Story of Silent Night (this audio may take a few moments to load.) This audio portion of story begins a bit rough during a Hallmark commercial however leads in to a better quality sound as the story is told.
Quite interesting and somewhat to my surprise, it was a Catholic priest who wrote the poem for Silent Night. So gather ’round the family listen to this very old Christmas Story of how the song, Silent Night came to be. The story runs approx. 25 minutes.
Bishop talks about Abraham Lincoln
Bishop Fulton Sheen was one of the most dynamic speakers of his time in early media. He was called a Prophet in Our Times. And really, those same thought came to mind after listening to several of his talks. Most of you may be too young to remember listening to Bishop Sheen on the television. However, It is amazing how his messages are so appropriate even for today’s living.
I found a collection of his videos “A Life Worth Living” on Youtube under the “catholicclips” user. In particularly a video that surprised me. Here the bishop’s talk is on Abraham Lincoln! It is a three part video. You will really enjoy this video if your interested in the life of Honest Abe.
Lincoln and Sheen come from the same region in Illinois so it should be no surprise that Bishop Sheen is able to share things the average person doesn’t know about Lincoln’s life. Plus, Fulton Sheen was born in 1895, that’s just 30 short years from the untimely death of Lincoln. The stories of Lincoln and his family must have been common dinnertime conversation around those parts of Illinois during that era. As a Catholic, what could be better than the bishop sharing a bit of US history with us.
Fulton Sheen has several other videos you can listen to under user “CatholicClips” (I am not associated with this user.) If you don’t like going on youtube, you can click on this: my catholic homeschool videos link and see all three parts. The Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdQFf0Ybm0
Hero of the Hills by Mary Fayban Windeatt
The story of St. Benedict.
This is a great story to Read Aloud together as a family or hand off to a child who reads chapter books. It especially makes a good read for those with children who are reluctant in doing their school work.
The book Hero of the Hills draws you right in at the very beginning as young Benedict wants to leave school and go off and become a hermit. His 50 year old nurse/house keeper who has been put in charge of him won’t let him get away that easily. She insists that this hermit will have a house keeper and a home cooking. She begins the journey with St. Benedict trudging through the wilderness of Italy with him. This book is so easy to read yet not childish, you and your children will love finding out more of this fascinating saint. How he struggled living in a cave at 17; his many miracles that include raising a boy from the dead. How he fights with the devil that only he can see but everyone else can hear too. How he went from living in a cave as a hermit to becoming an Abbot of several monasteries and so much more all within a book that not more then about 150 pages.
Here are some locations and prices where you can find the book.
Search title: Hero of the Hills, price $8.45
St. Benedict: Hero of the Hills: Price $9.95 from Ignatius Press links directly to book.
Search for title: Hero of the Hills from Catholic Books and Gifts price:$9.95
Catholic Free Video Collection
You may want to check out my free video collection it includes many Catholic subjects and saints. Plus other educational videos all free.
No Time for Fasting
Ok it’s not even near the liturgical time of the year that calls for all good Catholics to fast. However, if I wait until then to submit this information it may get buried in the myriad of other information out there on fasting. I am talking about a must read excerpt from Faith of our Fathers which I found in Ebook form. I believe that every Catholic parent that was raised after 1960 (most of us.) Owes it to themself to read what the Archbishop says about fasting in 1917. Then pass it on to their children. If more Catholics understood why Catholics fast there would be like putting the icing on a cake or chocolate syrup on plain ice cream. Knowledge of why we are Catholic is such a wonderful thing. For the full ebook download click here. This e-book is free.
Excerpt from…
Faith of our Fathers
By James Cardinal Gibbons Archbishop of Baltimore
Published 1917
“…On Good Friday He was crucified on Mount Calvary, and thus purchased for us redemption by His death. Hence Jesus exclusively bears the titles of Savior and Redeemer, because
“there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved.”7 ”He was wounded for our iniquities; He was bruised for our sins, … and by His bruises we are healed.”8
We are commanded by Jesus, suffering and dying for us, to imitate Him by the crucifixion of our flesh, and by acts of daily mortification. “If anyone,” He says, “will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”9
Hence we abstain from the use of flesh meat on Friday—the day consecrated to our Savior’s sufferings—not because the eating of flesh meat is sinful in itself, but as an act of salutary mortification. Loving children would be prompted by filial tenderness to commemorate the anniversary of their father’s
death rather by prayer and fasting than by feasting. Even so we abstain on Fridays from flesh meat that we may in a small measure testify our practical sympathy for our dear Lord by the
mortification of our body, endeavoring, like St. Paul, “to bear about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies.”10
The Cross is held in the highest reverence by Catholics because it was the instrument of our Savior’s crucifixion. It surmounts our churches and adorns our sanctuaries. We venerate
it as the emblem of our salvation. “Far be it from me,” says the Apostle, [Paul] “to glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”11 We do not, of course, attach any intrinsic virtue to the Cross; this would be sinful and idolatrous. Our veneration is referred to Him who died upon it.
It is also a very ancient and pious practice for the faithful to make on their person the sign of the Cross, saying at the same time: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Tertullian, who lived in the second century of the Christian era, says: “In all our actions, when we come in or go out, when we dress, when we wash, at our meals, before retiring to sleep, … we form on our foreheads the sign of the cross. These practices are not commanded by a formal law of Scripture; but tradition teaches them, custom confirms them, faith observes
them.”12 By the sign of the cross we make a profession of our faith in the Trinity and the Incarnation, and perform a most salutary act of religion…”
Catholic Lesson Planner for homeschooling – Free!
I like the lesson planner that some of the Catholic Homeschools offer for sale. However, I alway forget to purchase my planner with my order. I also run into the problem with erasing a few times before I get my planning right for the year. This year I am trying something new and thought I would pass it along to anyone else with the same lesson plans problems I have. I also wanted my planner to look and feel Catholic. So I made my own “My Catholic Planner” for homeschooling.
Here are the 3 free pdf files. The title cover, which sides in a notebook quite easily. Then pages 1 and two of the actual lesson plan pages can be found either follwing link page 1 or page 2. Feel free to download them for your personal use. (that mean don’t go selling them unless you talk to me.)
My Catholic Homeschool Lesson Plans are set up so you can enter the Week # and the date at the top of each week. Two page spans the course of a week and there is room at the end of the week to enter extra books your child has read or, what key information they learned that week. This will make it easier to reference during assessment time. Download here “My Catholic Lesson Planner”
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Free & Affordable Notebooking Pages (& More!)
Traditional Christmas Music kids can listen too for free.
Here are some traditional Christmas Songs that can be downloaded free of charge and listen to as much as you would like.
These links are to wholesome Christian Christmas music, done in either instrumentals or vocals. Some are children singing, some are organ and chimes, orchestra and some of Christmas music is even done in Latin. Great background music the whole family can sing along to.
I do not have a audio preview at this time.
Right click and “Save Link as..” to download mp3.
in Dulci Jubileo – this one sound a bit synthetic at first but stay with it the organ comes in and sounds beautiful.
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