by Kristofer | Sep 21, 2021 | Beth's Blog of Blessings, Catechesis, Duck Ponderings, Help, This Week's Mass Warm-Up!
What is Humility? That is the BIG QUESTION raised in this coming Sunday’s Mass Readings.
It’s hard to be humble when you are from Texas – but that’s not what God is talking about this week. Even though we are from Texas, we submit to the Highest Power.
Humility is granted to us in Baptism, but we only manifest it when we practice it. And perfect practice makes perfect, in the words of Vince Lombardi.
So how do we do that?
This week we have some fun questions and a calming prayer to download as we take up the fight against the several vices Satan uses against us when we are seeking Humility. And we have a free prayer card and bookmark for you, too! As a special bonus, you can listen to our podcast episode #38 from this past winter all about humility, right from the lesson!
by Beth & Kristofer | Sep 21, 2021 | Beth's Blog of Blessings, Catechesis, Current TWMWU, Duck Ponderings, Help, This Week's Mass Warm-Up!
This week, Jesus sounds like a cowboy out of the Ol’ West, making sure no bandits try to get any of the good stuff. Or is He?
“If you ain’t with us, yer agin’ us” is an old adage made famous by cowboys, presidents, and even ancient Romans. Jesus, in his usual style of humor and relatability, flips it over and uses it to teach us something very important: Whoever is not against us is for us.
The Truth of Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel is not ours to keep, withhold, or deny to or from others who may not have the fullness of it as we do. Many a lesson can be learned from the ignorant, unlearned, and even impious. An atheist might stumble across Truth and share it, too!
In fact, you and I are not fully versed in the Truth, no matter how much we know or how much we share. So, are we agin’ Him, or for Him?
This week’s Mass warm-up gets your thoughts and feelings flowing with things to talk about and think about, as well as our family-friendly podcast episode covering this topic. We end with a couple of prayers to join with Jesus and the whole world in praying for what Jesus is talking about in Sunday’s Mass Readings.
So, git yer boots on and saddle up, pilgrim! There’s some Truth to be rustled up!
by Beth & Kristofer | Sep 14, 2021 | Beth's Blog of Blessings, Catechesis, Duck Ponderings, Help, This Week's Mass Warm-Up!
Wow! Here’s where we take up our cross and go deep into suffering – and why and how we should handle it!
This week’s lesson is chock full of ideas prompted by the prophetic writings of Isiah about the Suffering Servant. It’s Jesus talking to the disciples, and that famous moment where he calls Peter, “Satan.”
How do we take up our cross? Why would we want to? Didn’t Jesus do that for us?
We have links galore and resources at your fingertips for this simple subject – simple once you’ve read this and shared it with your family. It just makes sense!
Video, infographic, podcasts, downloadable prayers – everything is in the week’s lesson because Holy Owned and Operated teaches about suffering and taking up our cross all the time.
C’mon – grab some wood! Let’s take up our crosses and change the world! And share some cross-bearing in the comments so we can carry your cross with you in our prayers!
by Beth & Kristofer | Sep 7, 2021 | Beth's Blog of Blessings, Catechesis, Duck Ponderings, Help, This Week's Mass Warm-Up!
Open up! This week’s readings point to the absolute Truth of Jesus being the Messiah. And this is the only place it happens in Scripture! Well, at least it is the icing on a pretty big cake of that Truth…
Jesus does something this week He does not do anywhere else in the Gospels. You gotta hear it to believe it!
This week we answer the question, “What does “ephphatha mean?” and so much more. In fact, you get to know how to pronounce it, why it is so important to our Catholic faith, and what it means to all of us!
Be opened by thes scripture readings that are so entwined we can’t help but know they are from God!
And learn a bit about Old and New Testament geography while you are at it!
Our activity this week is simple yet profound, and the follow-up activity really places us in the moment we should always be in: Open.
by Beth & Kristofer | Aug 31, 2021 | Beth's Blog of Blessings, Catechesis, Duck Ponderings, Help, This Week's Mass Warm-Up!
Being Catholic is a good start. Doing Catholic is where the supernatural happens.
This week’s readings call us to be Christ-like, which is the very essence of being a Saint.
This Sunday at Mass we are called to DO more than just HEAR the Word. It seems we can get into a habit of hearing the readings and listening to the nice homily and then go about our business. But when we are at donuts after Mass, are we even talking about the good things that we heard – let alone doing something about it?
The last words we hear at Mass are the deacon or priest telling us, “Hey, Mass is over. Go do something with what you just heard!” Okay, maybe not exactly in those words – but certainly with that meaning!
This week’s activity is a deeper discussion maybe you can have at the donut shop after Mass. And if you want to go deeper, there’s a follow-up activity that defines what a word we use all the time really means, and a couple of Saints who were great Doers of the Word.
When we are Doers of the Word we are authentic Catholics.
by Beth & Kristofer | Aug 17, 2021 | Beth's Blog of Blessings, Catechesis, Duck Ponderings, Help, This Week's Mass Warm-Up!
Making God the priority in our lives is tough these days. But what are we comparing it to?
When was the last time we needed to organize a nation and fight those who would stand between us and God?
A little perspective is needed, and Joshua and Peter give it to us this coming Sunday.
But the readings are all about that “submission” thing, so we don’t cover it (because your homilist will) except for a brief (but important) definition.
Instead, this week our disccussion is much more personal. Do you dare read? And after that, do you dare bring it up with those who are closest to you?
Our activity – and we invite you to do it while we do it – is as simple as gathering pen and paper together (remember those?!).
And then what will you do with what you wrote down?
