The quiet of January is often a notable contrast to all the busy-ness of the Christmas season and we encourage your family to take advantage of it! This month, we are making a particular effort to listen for the voice of the Lord and listening requires quiet and attention. Fortunately, this is also a great time of year to cozy up to a story (hello, Bible!). You might want to start by reading some of the great Scripture references in the Authority and Obedience lesson, but then continue the habit through the month as your family develops the habit of reading God’s Word and listening for His voice.
This month families are learning about submitting to God's will for our lives, hearing the story of Samuel to see this in action in Scripture, and learning about the lives of Saints who exemplify listening for God's voice and following his will.
What do you need for home lessons this month?
This month there are 4 home lessons for FAMILY FORMATION: 1. Authority and Obedience: Bible, Catechism of the Catholic Church, tape (optional: permanent markers, construction paper, glue, scissors) 2. The Call of Samuel:Bible, pencils, crayons, scissors (optional: costumes and props for play) 3. God's Call to Us: Bible, pencils, crayons 4. Saint Stories: device to listen to audio file
For FIRST RECONCILIATION - Make sure that the Reconciliation Home workbook is complete before the First Reconciliation retreat and service on January 21. Review any concepts that your child may be struggling with and the Act of Contrition prayer.
Family Formation Home Lesson Overview Videos
Additional Resources
Just about everything you need for your home lessons is included in your take home packets or home workbook. You do not have to do additional research outside of what is given to you. Sometimes you might want to go a little deeper into the topic because that is where curiosity takes you. Below you will find additional resources. There are articles, videos, and audio programs. Some of these resources are aimed more for adults, some for children. For FORMED resources you will need to have a FORMED account. FORMED is FREE to all parishioners and easy to set up. Go to FORMED.com to set up your account as a parishioner. If you need assistance, contact Kelley Tansey at the parish office or email [email protected].
FORMED: "Why a Priesthood?" - Doesn't every baptized believer have a priestly role in the Kingdom of God? Are Catholic priests lonely? Fr. John Riley and Chris Stefanick dive into why the Catholic Church has priests.
FORMED: "Parenting a Child with a Religious Vocation" - Taylor Kemp sits down with Tom Kissel, Founder of Parents of Vocations, to discuss what it is like to be a parent of a child who has a religious vocation. Tom speaks from the experience of his own daughter discerning and, eventually, entering religious life and what the process was like for him and his wife. Throughout that process they found themselves asking major questions to which they could not find answers. From that need grew the idea of Parents of Vocations, which exists to serve parents whose children are discerning religious life.
FORMED: Called: Discerning Your Vocation by YDisciple- God has created each of us uniquely – to play a unique role in our time and our world. But how do we figure out what God is asking us to do? If he is calling us, why can’t we hear him more clearly? What will we have to take on or give up if we follow his call? These are the questions we’ll explore together in Called: Discover Your Vocation. With firsthand accounts and insights from presenters who’ve lived out these questions, Called walks through the importance of vocation, how to discern vocation as more than just a job, considering the priesthood and consecrated life, and the deeper meaning of marriage.