New habits for Lent
© Copyright 2013 Success Publishing & Media, LLC
Helping our children grow in their Catholic faith. February 2013
Why aren’t Catholic
priests permitted to marry?
Celibacy, “the renunciation of
marriage implicitly or explicitly
made, for the more perfect
observance of chastity”
(
Catholic Encyclopedia
), allows
a priest to focus on his calling
without the practical
burdens of family life.
The goal of a celibate life is
enhancement of love; a way for
priests to “consecrate themselves
with undivided heart to the Lord
and to
‘the affairs of the Lord’
(1
Corinthians 7:32), they give
themselves entirely to God
and to men” (
CCC 1579
).
Junk food, video games, toys, and
favorite television programs can make
us happy for a while but the feeling
doesn’t last. During Lent, we are
reminded to stop going after temporary
happiness and choose
lasting happiness
that comes from
God.
A good way to
teach children
this idea is to use
colors – one for
each day of the
week to
represent a
Lenten
habit. Write
the habit on the
assigned colored paper and post it in
a prominent spot in your home.
Monday – Pink
for an increase in love
in our hearts. We start the week by
showing extra kindness to anyone we
meet that day.
Tuesday – Green
for God’s gift of
creation. To honor all that God has
given us we do chores without being
asked.
Wednesday – Yellow
to share God’s
light. We spend time reading the Bible,
a book on saints, or other spiritual
reading.
Thursday – Purple
for sorrow. Help
children perform an
examination of
conscience.
Friday – Red
for sacrifice.
In addition
to abstaining
from meat,
give up a
favorite activity,
food, toy or game.
Our sacrifice honors
Jesus’ great sacrifice on the Cross.
Saturday – White
for the joy of
forgiveness. We celebrate God’s
unending forgiveness by forgiving
anyone who has hurt us and asking for
forgiveness from anyone we may have
hurt. Attend Confession as a family.
February’s saint
This month’s Year of Faith saint
is
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne
.
Born in France she joined the
Visitation nuns at age
19. She was very sad
when convents were
closed during the
French Revolution
but rejoiced when it
ended and she could
join the Society of the Sacred
Heart. She came to the Louisiana
Territory as a missionary in 1818
and opened the first free school for
girls west of the Mississippi river,
and the first Catholic school for
Native Americans.
Your family recipe
A family is like a batch of
cookies. It won’t come out right
without the necessary raw
ingredients plus generous additions
of faith, hope, and love, and just
the right amount of “baking” in the
family oven with time and
attention.
What to give up?
Help children
make
age-appropriate
choices of what to
give up for Lent so
that they stick
with their fast for
the entire season.
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