Category: Feast Days and Solemnities

Saint of the Month: St Ignatius of Loyola

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St Ignatius of Loyola
Feast day: July 31
Patron of Dioceses of San Sebastian and Bilbao, Biscay & Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Military Ordinariate of the Philippines, Society of Jesus, Soldiers, Educators and Education.

This month, we celebrate St Ignatius of Loyola. The founder of the Jesuit order, which was important in the wake of the Reformation, he is patron of a number of communities and educational institutions throughout Spain and the Philippines, and well-known Loyola University in Baltimore MD, educators/education in general, soldiers and spiritual retreats, as well as the order he founded (SJ).

I chose to look at St Ignatius of Loyola this month because I think his Imaginative Prayer, or Ignatian Contemplation, is something we can introduce to our little ones to get them praying about the Gospels. This form of prayer lends itself so well to young minds!

I would introduce it by saying something like, “today we’re going to be in a Bible story! We’ll read it together first, and then pretend we are part of it to imagine what it might have been like for us personally”

Below is a description of how to engage in imaginative prayer.

  1. Choose a bible story – one that really has a story feel. Probably not from anything like Leviticus, Psalms, Proverbs, or the Epistles. Children’s Bibles are a great resource for this, as they tend to be much more story-oriented. There are also a few audio and a video contemplations on this website (you’ll have to scroll down a little to get to the good stuff).
  2. Ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you join in the story
  3. One person reads through the story aloud in prayer
  4. Act out the story using prompts, or for older children (or yourself!), you can simply have some silent prayer thinking about the story (in traditional Ignatian contemplation, you might choose a character or an object in the story and think about experiencing the story from their point of view) and then discuss it. It is important to consider what message God is sending them through this exercise.
  5. Read the story aloud again, but this time, ask your children to bear in mind (or act out) the new details they were able to see from the imaginative time.

Try it out and let me know how it goes!

St Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us!

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

Saint of the Month: John the Baptist

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This month’s saint at Mom Things Through Christ is St John the Baptist. This month, we remember and celebrate his birthday. Did you know there are only three people who the Catholic Church honours on their birthday? They are Jesus, Mary, and John the Baptist. While all these people had miraculous conceptions, they were not the only ones who did. The reason we celebrate their birthday is because these three people were the only ones to be born without sin in all of history.

How do we know John the Baptist was born without sin? The Gospel of Luke tells of how the Angel Gabriel came to his father, Zechariah, with a message from God, saying “even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:15). And if you are filled with the Holy Spirit, there can be no room for sin, since sin separates us from God and the Holy Spirit is God.

But this isn’t something that happened to John the Baptist because he was a special person. He was filled with God’s Spirit because God had important work to do through him, and that was to declare the coming of Jesus and call people to repentance.

How can we fill ourselves and encourage our children to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to do God’s work? If we want to be filled with His Spirit and do His work, we must stay close to God. We can do this by accessing the sacraments: go to reconciliation and receive Jesus in the Eucharist often. We can also read the word of God and meditate on the lives of saints. We should also keep praying, especially inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives. Most importantly, I think we should be sharing these spiritual activities with our children, or at least not hiding it from them.

In this way, we will be models of people working to empty ourselves of selfishness, of impatience, of fear, of all the things that take up the room we could be giving to God. It is a long and ongoing process, but if we keep at it, one day, we will also be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Talking points

  • When did you last feel like God’s Spirit was with you? What was it like?
  • What are some things taking up space in your heart that you could give to God?
  • When was the last time you asked the Holy Spirit to come into your life? Let’s take a minute now to pray together for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

To Such As These: Pentecost

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I write these “To Such As These” posts every now and then to explain some aspect of the Catholic faith to children. I try to use simple language so you can just read it directly to them instead of having to put it into your own words! The category name is inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”

Today, we will be looking at Pentecost and how the disciples were changed by this evet.

If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in this category, pop them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!

Pentecost is probably one of the biggest (if not the biggest) celebration of the Holy Spirit in the Catholic Church. This Sunday, we will remember what happened at the very first Pentecost, which was 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.

Let’s travel back in time to that first Pentecost. Jesus had gone up into heaven not too long ago. The disciples heard His words about receiving the Holy Spirit. But the disciples had seen how the authorities had unfairly killed Jesus, their leader. And what’s worse, they were known as Jesus’ followers! The disciples thought that if the soldiers found them, they would have the same fate as Jesus. They were afraid, so they all gathered together in a room and hid.

But then, a miracle happened: the Holy Spirit came into the room and into their hearts. Suddenly, they felt the urge to go out and start proclaiming the good news about Jesus! Because of this, thousands of people decided to dedicate their lives to Jesus that very day, and committed to following His teachings, and spreading the good news as well.

What changed? Did the authorities get less scary? Not at all. Did it make it that the events of a few weeks ago had never happened? No way. What changed was the disciples themselves! They became empowered by the Holy Spirit! Were they still scared? Probably. There was still a very real possibility that they would be tortured and killed because of their love for Jesus. But they went out and began to spread the good news everywhere, even though they faced life-threatening risks by doing so. It wasn’t because they were now suddenly fearless, it was because they now had courage. They did what God told them to do, even though they were scared! And it’s true that some of the disciples were locked away by authorities and many were killed because of the work they did for Jesus, but they knew that these consequences meant nothing compared with God’s reward of eternal life. So they were afraid, but they did it anyway.

You, too, received the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism. If you have been confirmed, you have been sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Everyone who has been baptised is called to do the work of God, even when we are afraid. We aren’t threatened with the same things as the disciples had to face, but we might still have to live through some pretty hard things. Maybe people will laugh at us, maybe they’ll stop being our friends, maybe we won’t get what we want if we do God’s work of doing the right thing, loving Him, and loving others. But we need to remember that we have the Holy Spirit to help us through. Anytime you want a little more courage, simply pray “Come Holy Spirit” (the words in the picture above are Latin for “Come Holy Spirit”) and God the Holy Spirit will pour His graces over you! So be brave, be courageous. Be afraid, but do what Jesus asks you to do, anyway.

Talking points

  • Do you think people can be scared and still be brave? Do you know any stories of people who were like this?
  • When was the last time you did something brave? How did you feel afterwards?
  • Think of a time when you felt God telling you to do the right thing, but it was scary. What did you do? What could you do to act more bravely if it happened again?

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

To Such As These: The Ascension

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I write these “To Such As These” posts every now and then to explain some aspect of the Catholic faith to children. I try to use simple language so you can just read it directly to them instead of having to put it into your own words! The category name is inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”

Today, we will be looking at Christ’s last words at the Ascension and how we can be His witnesses.

If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in this category, pop them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!

Today, we remember the Ascension, though many of us will celebrate it on Sunday. This is when Jesus, already risen from the dead, went up into heaven. Ascension is just a fancy word to say “going up”!

In the Bible, Jesus spoke last words to His followers at this event. He said, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

If you’re a follower of Jesus, these words were passed down from the earliest Christians through all the generations because they are for you, too. Jesus gives you the Holy Spirit and tells you to be a witness. But what is a witness?

You might be familiar with scenes from a courthouse. One person makes a claim, and to back up their story, they call someone to be a witness. This is a person who has seen with their own eyes what happened. They can show the rest of the courthouse more about the same story, perhaps in a slightly different way, but ultimately, the witness can strengthen the original message in the minds of everyone there in a powerful way.

Just like a courthouse witness, we are called to strengthen the message of Jesus. And His message is to follow Him, to love God and love other people. Pope Francis said that we are called to do this wherever we are,” right where we live, in our families, at work, everywhere, even just by giving the light of a smile, a light that is not our own – it comes from Jesus.” 

The truth is, our world is not an easy place to live for a lot of people. They experience things that make their lives lonely, heavy, and dark. By witnessing to Christ, the pope says that we bring light into the darkness of the world. The pope reminds us to be good when we are given evil, to not give in to violence and lies, to stop hatred in its tracks through obedience to God and love. He says that “in the world’s nights, these witnesses bring God’s dawn.”

What all of that means, is that we are called to share Jesus’ light that is in us, with the rest of the world. We do this through acts of love, just as He taught the first followers, and as they have taught us throughout the years.

It doesn’t have to be big. Maybe you could donate some toys that you don’t play with anymore, maybe you could comfort someone who is sad, or hold a door open for someone who has their hands full, or help other people in the family with their chores if they are tired or even for no reason at all other than to shine the light of Jesus! Like Pope Francis said, it could be as simple as a smile.

Talking points

  • Can you think of some ways that you can be a witness?
  • Have you been a witness to Christ without knowing you were a witness? What did you do?
  • What will you do to be a witness today? What about tomorrow?

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

Saint of the Month: St Rose Venerini

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St Rose Venerini
Feast day: May 7

St Rose Venerini came from a rich family. She thought she was called to the religious life, but through her circumstances, God showed her she was meant for the single life. God doesn’t just call people to the single life without a purpose. She used her time and effort, as well as her privileged position in life, to teach people about the faith, especially women and girls who were not being taught by anyone at that time. She knew that if fear, ignorance, and sin were clouding our hearts, we would not be able to see God’s plan and answer His call for us to love.

She is not associated with any patronages, but as a teacher of the young, I think St Rose Venerini is a good saint to go to for help, if you’re a mother trying to pass on the faith and help enlighten the hearts of your children.

I think she can also show us and our children something about following God’s will over our own thoughts and plans. She herself understood that while she aspired to join holy orders, she was not meant for that, and was able to humbly accept the path God had chosen for her – and look at all the blessings she was able to win for so many by doing so! If we listen to God’s voice and follow His plans for us, it can change the world!

St Rose Venerini, pray for us!

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

Monthly Devotion: May

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May is the month of Mary!

I find it so intriguing that so few words of Mary’s were recorded in the Bible. In fact, the Bible only contains four passages where we can read what she said. These words must have been mightily importantfor them to be recorded, so we must pay attention to what they tell us about God. Today, I want to take a closer look at the words she spoke at the wedding at Cana.

There they are, at a celebration. It’s a wedding! Everyone is having a great time! That’s what happens at weddings. But then Mary learns they have run out of wine -didn’t I say they were having a great time? Well, in truth, weddings back then were less of an RVSP situation, and more of a “hey, so-and-so is getting married, come celebrate!” So numbers could easily get out of hand. Anyway, upon receiving this information, she relays the message to Jesus.

I think it’s interesting that she just lets Him know there’s a problem. She doesn’t tell Him what to do, or what they need, just what is happening: that these people have run into some trouble. She knows that He knows the best way to resolve the issue; it is not her role to tell Him, as many mothers might (yes, even to their adult children), and she acts accordingly.

We, too, should be unafraid to bring Jesus our problems, in a spirit of humility, like Mary.

Jesus responds by calling her “woman”. A lot of bible scholars agree that this is more like the way we might use “ma’am” today. It is full of respect. He asks her how it concerns them. But then… He performs the miracle anyway. Jesus did this to honour his mother, all the while maintaining respect for her.

This tells us that Mary’s intercession is powerful! If you ask her to pray for you, Jesus will listen.

As well as this, with Jesus as our brother, we too must honour our spiritual mother, Mary, and heed her instructions to us. What are her instructions to us? We’ll come to that shortly.

The second phrase she says is directed at the servants (I don’t think there is any irony in that). She says, “do whatever He tells you.”

This is so telling of Mary’s nature. She is always pointing us to Jesus, and encouraging us to follow Him. When we think of Mary, she leads us to think of Jesus. Even the rosary, a gift from the Blessed Mother herself, littered with mentions of her as we ask her to pray for us, is something that makes us meditate on the life of Jesus, for 15-30 minutes, if we pray a full set of mysteries. As the Church says, ad jesum per mariam – to Jesus through Mary.

These words, then, are her instructions to us, the servants of God: “do whatever He tells you.”

As mothers, let us use this month to meditate on Mary, and learn to better imitate her. Let us humbly bring our cares and concerns to Jesus, and encourage others to do whatever He tells them.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

Divine Mercy Sunday

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This Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday! What a beautiful feast to share with your children! Mercy is such a beautiful gift, but definitely a very advanced concept. Buckle up, Mamas, this one is a little long…

I have always loved Portia’s speech on mercy in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice:

The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown:
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
Portia, in William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1

Let’s break this down a little.

The quality of mercy is not strained
The use of “strained” here is linked to the word “constrained”. What Portia is saying is that mercy is a free gift – it is not something that can be forced out of someone or limited.

It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes
Similar to forgiveness, mercy is a gift not only for the person who receives the mercy, but it is also a blessing on the one who bestows it.

it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown… mercy is above this sceptred sway; it is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God’s, When mercy seasons justice.
This part of the poem talks about the power of earthly kings. This power strikes fear into the hearts of people, but while they wield this power, they have within them an even greater power: to be merciful, like God.

…in the course of justice, none of us Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy.
I think this is the part I like most about this extract. It highlights the importance of mercy in the framework of justice.

Now, justice isn’t bad. It’s a fair way to deal, particularly human to human. In fact, it’s the stepping stone between lawlessness and mercy. But imagine if God gave us justice – what we deserved. Even the smallest sin is a stain on our souls, and God is completely and utterly perfect – would we deserve to be in His presence, let alone be welcomed into His family and called His children?

Justice is good. It is fair and it is easy to see the merit in fairness. But mercy is better – it is unfair, but it is an unfairness that is freely given to benefit the person who would be slighted by justice. Thank God we have His mercy!

Now, how to condense all of that into something digestible we can give to our children in light of Divine Mercy Sunday… What do we know?

Nobody on their own is able to go to Heaven, because you need to be perfect to do that and there is nobody who is perfect except for God. Even the best person who ever existed is evil when compared with God. If people got what they deserved, it would be to be far, far away from God.

The good news is that Jesus came to be with humans on Earth and showed us just how much God loves us by giving up His life for us. He taught that there is one absolutely sure way to get to Heaven, and that is to trust in Him, that He will not give us what we deserve. Instead of spending forever far, far away from God, if we trust in Him and do what He says, we can go back to God and become part of His family in Heaven forever!

This Sunday, we celebrate the fact that God gives us so much good, even when we deserve something much worse. We place our trust in Jesus and decide every day to follow Him, that He will keep His promise to bring us back into God’s family.

Talking points

  • Do you remember a time you were merciful to someone? What did it feel like to show the other person mercy? Why did you do it?
  • Do you remember a time that someone was merciful to you? What did it feel like to receive their mercy? Why do you think they did it?
  • What did you do after giving/receiving mercy? Did it change anything about the way you and that person interacted?
  • What do you think might have happened if you didn’t give them/get their mercy?

How would you describe mercy to your children? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!