God, thank you for loving me. You have called me to live as your child. Help all your children to love you and one another. Amen. (Loyola Press)
Let the Children Come to Me
You never know what you will find on FaceBook. This article, "The Joy of Having Loud and Messy Kids at Mass" appeared in my news feed recently, and brought me to tears. How I miss the days of wrestling with little ones at Mass and feeling like I'd better go back to another Mass without them because I hadn't prayed! Please don't ever hesitate to bring your children to Mass. As the priest says to the author of the article "I love having little kids at Mass. If you are distracted by a little kid being a little kid you are not focused on what’s holy. Little kids are holy. Let it be."
Get Ready for Lent by Making Your Own Lenten Calendar!
A helpful way to mark time for children is to use a calendar. On the Catholic Icing website, you can find a blank, printable Lenten calendar. Help your child to fill in the dates (this year, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 6 and ends on the evening of Holy Thursday, April 18). This calendar also includes the Triduum and Easter Sunday, which is April 21. Then you can help your child think of things to do to observe Lent and write them on the calendar. You can download a color version or a black and white one for your child to color. They are even available in several different languages.
Below is a set of "Lenten Action Cards" from the Catechists' Journey blog by Joe Paprocki. The cards have ideas for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for all ages, and things that can be done as a family. They are some great ideas to get you started on your Lenten calendar!
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