Ordinary Time after Pentecost
Here we will be talking about the second part of Ordinary Time that occurs after Pentecost and goes through the summer and fall, ending in November.
The season of Ordinary Time is a season of walking with Christ, learning how to follow him and grow in faith. It begins after the Christmas season has come to an end, and we celebrate this season for about a month, before we enter into everyone's favorite season, Lent. After the 50 days of Easter we return to Ordinary Time and again focus on how we can grow in faith, following Jesus as his disciples.
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The first Sunday in this second part of Ordinary Time, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity. Our belief in the Holy Trinity is the fundamental dogma of our faith; and it makes sense that we would resume this season of growing in faith with Christ by contemplating and celebrating the very mystery of God himself: one God in three persons. The mystery of the Trinity can be difficult to comprehend, so try focusing on the symbols of the Trinity with your children to help them grow in understanding of this mystery of our faith.
As parishioners of St. Patrick's, we are all familiar with the story of how St. Patrick explained the mystery of the Holy Trinity to the Irish, by using a shamrock (clover). Send your kids on a hunt in the yard to find clover, if they look closely at the clover they find, they will see another symbol for the Holy Trinity on the leaves- a triangle.
You can use different kinds of food to visualize the concept of three-in-one to teach about and celebrate the Holy Trinity. Eggs- shell, yolk and egg whites. An Apple- peel, flesh of the fruit and the core/seed. Or my personal favorite- Neapolitan ice cream- strawberry, chocolate and vanilla- yummy! Or if you are really ambitious- try making a Turducken for dinner. Three kinds of meat stuffed into each other- chicken into the duck, duck into the turkey.
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At some point during your celebration of Holy Trinity Sunday, at the dinner table or during your family prayer time, pray a prayer that expresses our belief in the Holy Trinity- whether it be the Nicene or Apostles Creeds, or the Glory Be.
Clip of Episode 7 of the Catholicism Series by Bishop Barron
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The Sunday following Holy Trinity Sunday, we celebrate another mystery of our faith- Corpus Christi. Or in English, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The Holy Eucharist is a mystery our minds struggle to understand, that God the Son humbles himself and makes himself present to us in bread and wine; but with hearts of faith we accept this teaching because Jesus taught us that he is truly present in the Eucharist. In the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus gives what we call the Bread of Life discourse- "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." (Jn 6:51). If the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is a belief that you struggle with- I recommend that you listen to Bishop Barron's commentary on the Bread of Life discourse, and also check out "Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist" by Brant Pitre- he opens up the scriptures and explains how God began preparing us for the gift of the Eucharist long before the Incarnation (we have free copies at church). Also, watch "Presence: The Mystery of the Eucharist" on Formed.org
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Typically the Church celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi with a Eucharistic procession after Mass- either around the church and followed by Adoration or a procession through the streets. So how do we celebrate this great mystery of our faith at home? Try baking bread together. Bread is a staple in the diet of all cultures and available to all, as Jesus is. But make the distinction that Jesus is present in the bread consecrated by an ordained priest- not the loaf we bake at home. Have the kids color an image of the Holy Eucharist, or "make a Monstrance," and have a procession around your home, yard or take it to the streets and process around your neighborhood!
Regularly visiting the church, not just when you are coming for Mass, to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle, can help your children to develop a love and understanding for the great gift of Jesus in this Sacrament. It doesn't have to be Adoration for an hour, it can be a quick stop of a few minutes to kneel down before the Lord and say a short prayer together, or each silently pray their own intention.
Did you know? St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born saint, was raised in the Protestant faith. Her conversion to the Catholic faith was brought about in large part by witnessing a Eucharistic procession while in Itlay. She was driven to her knees by an invisible force and recognized that she had seen God! |
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Father's Day
Father's Day falls in amongst these June feast days. While you take time to honor and celebrate the dads in your life, pause and honor St. Joseph, the Patron of Fathers, as well. Pray the Rosary and include a Prayer to St. Joseph, pray a Litany of St. Joseph or offer a Spiritual Bouquet to St. Joseph.
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The feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus comes 19 days after the feast of Pentecost, it also follows our celebration of Corpus Christi because devotion to the Sacred Heart is profoundly Eucharistic. In the Mass, we unite our hearts to the Sacred Heart of Jesus when we receive Him in the Eucharist. Love is always associated with the heart and this Feast celebrates the profound love of God for us. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can be traced back to the eleventh century, but it wasn't until 1670 that the first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated in France, and in 1873 it was formally approved by the Pope.
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If you don't have an image of the Sacred Heart at home, here are some craft ideas to help you teach your children about not only the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which is celebrated the day after the Sacred Heart. When it comes to Litanies of the Church, we are perhaps most familiar with the Litany of the Saints- introduce your children to the Litany of the Sacred Heart when you observe the feast day this year.
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Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary follows directly after the Sacred Heart because devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary grew up parallel to the devotion of the Sacred Heart. While the Sacred Heart celebrates God's love for humanity, the Immaculate Heart of Mary celebrates that Mary loved God the way we all should.
In addition to the fun crafts, food and prayers you can pray with your children as you celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary, read in the Bible the story of the Annunciation and Mary's visit to Elizabeth with your children- Luke 1:26-56. Note how that while Mary doesn't claim to understand what has been revealed to her, she loves God and responds with her her whole heart, praising God. |