by Madison Cipoletti
An Invitation to Recommit to the Sabbath for Lent
If you are trying to find the motivation to recommit to the Sabbath, Lent is the perfect opportunity to start being intentional about your so-much-needed family rest, prayer and recreation time.
by Olivia Spears
The Four Types of Love + How to Explain Them to Children
The Valentine's Day atmosphere provides us with a good opportunity to talk with our children about love, affection and caring for others all-year-round -beyond the hearts and the chocolates. C.S. Lewis wisdom can help us on this.
by Olivia Spears
A Lenten Mother's Morning Basket
A Mother's Morning Basket has become an integral part of each day since the early years of my motherhood. While it may seem a luxury to some, I am convinced that—no matter how long it lasts or the variety of its contents—it aids in my mission of service to my family. Here's a list of what I will put in my morning basket during the Lenten season.
by Madison Cipoletti
Why We Fast: A simple way to explain it to Kids (with the help of Aesop’s “The Swollen Fox”)
Fasting is an important practice in the Catholic faith, but it can sometimes be tricky to explain to kids. One simple way to introduce it is through Aesop’s fable, “The Swollen Fox.” The Story of the Swollen Fox A Fox takes himself through a small hole to eat his fill of what's inside. Now too big to get back out, the Fox has to wait until he returns to normal size. This story teaches us an important lesson about self-control and moderation. Imagine Yourself as the Fox Picture this: You are offered an afternoon in which you can eat all the sweets you want and watch as much television as you want. You consume plates of cookies, pies, and fudge. You watch hours and hours of television. How will you feel in the evening? Likely unwell and fatigued! We know we shouldn't eat plates of treats and mindlessly watch TV for hours, yet we are still enticed to do it. This is where fasting comes in! What Fasting Teaches Us The practice of fasting grows the virtue of temperance. Temperance brings moderation and balance in the pleasures of this world. It can help us discern the proper use of created goods and regulate our desires. Dessert and TV are not necessarily bad things. They bring us pleasure! We can enjoy them. But there is a difference between the first scenario and enjoying a brownie during a movie night with your family. God’s Good Gifts God created the world good and it is filled with good things for us to delight in! The practice of fasting builds the virtue of temperance. Temperance grows self-control. With self-control, our minds and hearts remain open to God's movement in our lives and the good things He has for us! Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, You have given me so many good things to enjoy in this world! Help me to delight in Your creation with temperance so that my appetite may always be directed toward You, the One Who truly fills us with good things. Amen! More Like This Did you enjoy this? It's an excerpt from our Full-Year Resource, Level Three, aimed at 7th-9th graders and can be done independently. Explore More Lessons Like This This peek into fasting is just one of the many engaging lessons in our Level Three Full-Year Resource, designed for 7th–9th graders. Each lesson is crafted so kids can work independently while learning important virtues, Scripture, and life skills. Our Full-Year resources are: Flexible - No “falling behind.” Little prep work. Foundational - 2 lessons/week Just 15 minutes. Family-Style - Teach everyone together! Explore all of our Full-Year Resources: Click Here Ready to dive deeper? Here are 4 ways to fill your nets... 1. Memorize Bible verses with your children easily with our FREE guide: Stocking the Storehouses 2. Make your dreams of family prayer a reality with The Daily Feast framework, making it possible in just a few minutes a day. This free guide shows you how. 3. Want to steward your own prayer life? Check out this Scripture prayer journal we made just for you. 4. Looking to level-up in your family faith formation? Join over 10,000 families that use our resources. We make open-and-go, family-style resources to make your role as primary catechist easy AND delightful. Click here to browse!
by Olivia Spears
Bonding through Books and Beauty
One of the most delightful seasons of parenting is when our children gather around us with a teetering stack of picture books, ready to read together. Picture books stretch far beyond entertainment. As educator Charlotte Mason taught, "living books" illustrated and written toward the True, the Good, and the Beautiful leave a lasting impression. They help shape our children's imagination, support the development of their linguistic ability, and introduce them to heroism through acts of virtue. When parents and children spend time reading beautiful books together, connection just happens. Reading time is a wonderful place to get to know each other at a deeper level. Here we learn together, we get a closer look to our little one's hearts, and we enter the perfect atmosphere for questions about life, family and faith. One of my favorite memories is when we read "Little Women" and my kids (benevolently) poked fun at me because I cried my heart out through it all. (Of course, it's now a family inside joke!) Reading inspiring stories together as a family also contributes to point our hearts and minds to God. It helps our children to discover the truth of his love and goodness in every new story they enjoy. With this lens, we set out to assemble a mega-list of magnificent Catholic picture books. We are blessed to live in a time with rich and worthy Catholic titles, and this list offers both classics and new favorites. We’ve categorized the list to help you navigate it according to your needs. Each book is linked to Amazon, but we recommend checking your library or local Catholic bookstore first. We hope this list brings your family together around the Faith, builds beautiful memories, and helps shape an ideal of sanctity in the minds of your precious children. Which Catholic picture books have been your children's favorites through the years? Share with us in the comments below. Ready to dive deeper? Here are 4 ways to fill your nets... 1. Memorize Bible verses with your children easily with our FREE guide: Stocking the Storehouses 2. Make your dreams of family prayer a reality with The Daily Feast framework, making it possible in just a few minutes a day. This free guide shows you how. 3. Want to steward your own prayer life? Check out this Scripture prayer journal we made just for you. 4. Looking to level-up in your family faith formation? Join over 10,000 families that use our resources. We make open-and-go, family-style resources to make your role as primary catechist easy AND delightful. Click here to browse!
by Olivia Spears
AI and Sacred Art
As I learn more about AI and continue to look forward to the Church's treatment of its moral use, there is one aspect that I *will* get soap-box-y about and it is this: AI cannot create sacred art. Here's why.
by Olivia Spears
The Role of Grandparents in Faith Formation
You know we are passionate about parents as primary catechists of their children, but what role do grandparents play in the faith formation of their grandchildren? This question wades into more delicate waters, but since we have many grandparents in our community, let's dive in together.
by Olivia Spears
Three Ways to Celebrate Advent when Life is Difficult
If you're in a season where you don't have a lot of extra time or energy to devote to elaborate Advent activities, here are a few ways to intentionally mark Advent in your home
