Greetings and happy feast of the Chair of St. Peter (more on this in a moment!) Well, if you didn’t know already, we may as well be the ones to tell you- Lent starts this week! Are you groaning or rejoicing? For some, the reminder that Lent is drawing near is a cause for grudging disappointment, while others are glad for its penitential arrival! Regardless of where you are on that spectrum, our goal is to give you a shot of JOY (even in Lent), so that is our aim today!
We’ve got some great Lenten resources as well as some other interesting and pertinent things to share! So, without further ado, let’s get into this!
Yesterday, we welcomed the newest member to the Marian Center Family, Andrew Muir Moe III. Katie and baby Andrew are doing great. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they adjust to a family of four and try to keep healthy in this germy time of year.
Lenten Quiz
As we begin the prayerful thought process of deciding what sacrifice(s) to make during this Lenten season, we found a quiz from Ascension Press that could help you as you ponder what The Lord is calling you to! To access the quiz, check out this link! Who knows, maybe it will be just the perfect suggestion for growing in holiness!
The Saints and Lent
Until we saw this article, we didn’t really think about it too much, but the question is a great one: “What did the saints give up for Lent?” This short piece gives some straight-forward, simple answers to that question! As it turns out, the saints had really practical Lenten practices!
Kids’ Corner
When talking to your little ones (and not so little ones) about Lent, it can be difficult to explain the liturgical season. The explanation saying “Jesus was in the desert for 40 days so we fast and pray for 40 days,” is just fine, but if you wanted to go deeper and get some ideas for what kids of all ages can do during Lent, check out this resource from Teaching Catholic Kids. Some of the suggestions are really good, especially for teenagers!
Marian Minute
Mary is a wonderful model of holiness and simplicity, especially as we enter into a season of penance. Catholic Exchange has a great article called Walking With Mary in Lent: 10 Little Steps that we really liked. With Mary as our guide through Lent, we can’t go wrong!
Saint Spotlight
As we mentioned above, today (Saturday) is the Chair of St. Peter, which celebrates the papacy and our first pope- St. Peter! To read a quick article about the life and work of our first Holy Father, check out this link from Catholic News Agency!
Troubled Marriage?
A few years ago we were listening to a talk given by Archbishop Fulton Sheen about marriage, and in the talk he mentioned a woman named Elizabeth Leseur. The talk from Sheen (which is available here through Lighthouse Catholic Media) and the article we found recently about Elizabeth, found here, are great if your marriage is in a rough spot or you need spiritual encouragement to persevere when things seem dark. Her story is incredible and God’s answer to her prayers knocked our socks off!
For Parents
Parenting a child in our current culture is a difficult thing. Oftentimes we are left wondering if we’re doing any good and even if we’re doing it right. Doubt seems to be the constant companion of a parent. Recently we came across an article that, while more research and science-based that our typical reading, gave us some great insights into the psychology of raising children with faith in the household. Check out this article: The Best Practices – and Benefits – of Religious Parenting. We found it to have some interesting ideas.
Lent With Kids
Lent begins this week with Ash Wednesday. For some great Ash Wednesday and Lenten ideas for kids, head over to Catholic Icing.
Nifty News
A city in northern Mexico, which had been riddled with violence, is now experiencing a steady drop in crime. Fewer murders and gang/drug related incidents have been reported since 2010. The reason: perpetual eucharistic adoration! Not only has there been a dramatic drop in violence, but beautiful conversion stories are coming from the city as well! Check out the full story here on National Catholic Register!
Sunday Readings
This Sunday’s readings, the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, speak of being holy and perfect, as God is holy and perfect. A high commandment and expectation, indeed! We found 2 great reflections on Matthew’s Gospel this week. One is from Dcn. Keith Fournier, in which he discusses our call to sainthood, and the other is the usual reflection from Scott Hahn. How wonderful to be able to meditate on the readings before Mass!
Marian Center Update
March 3 – Our Lady of Guadalupe Mom’s Rosary Group, 10 a.m.-noon.
March 7 – Marian Center bookstore at Men’s Conference in Traverse City
March 21 (tentative) – Marian Center anniversary & St. Joseph celebration, Mass, talk, and luncheon.
To Christ Through Mary,
Katie Moe and Lori Mercer
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