December GIFT Follow Up

December GIFT Follow Up Email

Thank you for attending our December GIFT Gatherings: Awaiting the Messiah! We hope that you enjoyed learning about our Catholic Advent traditions and the prophesies of Isaiah. If you were not able to attend the GIFT sessions this month, please click the link here to download the PowerPoint presentation from the event. The PowerPoint includes a link to the YouTube video that Fr. Craig showed for the adult session – Heritage: Civilization and the Jews, Part 2.

At this month’s gatherings, the Catechists led the K-4^th grade children through chapter 8 in their books. Please work through the remaining chapters in Unit 3 with them before the 1^st week of January, chapters 7 & 9. The website for the text is http://calltofaith.osv.com which is where you can download the home lessons for chapters 7 & 9.

The 5-8^th graders discovered that Jesus is a Model of Wisdom for us by reading some parables from Scripture. Mark 10:13-16 Jesus and the Children; Luke 15:8-10 Parable of a Lost Coin; Matthew4:23-24 Jesus Ministers to the Crowds; John 15:1-11 The Vine and the Branches; and John 3:1-10 Nicodemus Visits Jesus. We read the scripture passages, then discussed the following question, “What do you notice about Jesus and his teachings?” The young people said that Jesus cares about everyone and will do anything for us as long as we remain in him. We also talked about the season of Advent, that it lasts four weeks, that it’s a period of waiting leading up to the birth of Jesus and that we should do things to help others and to learn more about Jesus during this period. They shared ideas that they have about that on strips of paper which will be formed into chains and used to decorate the Hall.

Other Resources:

Pinterest –

Advent – Christmas – Epiphany Ideas http://www.pinterest.com/smff2013/advent-christmas-epiphany/ There are some really good ideas for creating Advent wreaths, calendars, etc.

December Family Faith Ideas http://www.pinterest.com/smff2013/december-family-faith-ideas/  

Vibrant Faith @ Home – www.vibrantfaithathome.org

Sabrina’s Blog – Do you children ever ask you faith related questions that you are just not sure how to answer? Or do really cool things related to their faith that you want to share with the community? If so, follow the blog http://faqsfaithandquestiosn.blogspot.com

Attached are the Taking Faith Home handouts for each week until we meet again on Jan 5^th or 8^th  for the January GIFT sessions: Professing our Faith: We Believe in the Holy Spirit”

Also – there are several opportunities coming up for families to celebrate Advent & Christmas. Please put these on your calendars!

·         Advent Service Project – Coin Collection for the Working Boys’ Center: A Family of Families and Casa Damien in Quito. Bring your coins to the February GIFT sessions. Here is a video about the Working Boys Center: Transforming Families. These are two of the places where our mission trip groups visit. We will be visiting again in summer 2014.

·         Nov 30^th – Dec 15^th is our annual GIVING TREE. The gifts you bring help the St. Francis Center in Redwood City. Gifts are due to the tree by 11:30am on Dec 15^th. Bring them unwrapped and place under the tree in the back of Church.

·         Dec 8^th from 5-7pm – LAS POSADAS – we re-create Mary & Joseph’s journey through the streets of Bethlehem trying to find lodging so that the Baby Jesus can be born. We celebrate in song and with a potluck dinner at the end. Sign up here.

·         Dec 11^th Middle School Youth Ministry Christmas Party from 6-8pm

·         Dec 15^th High School Youth Ministry Christmas Party from 5-7pm

·         Dec 14^th – BREAKFAST WITH SANTA from 10-12 noon. Free breakfast and pictures with Santa – donations gratefully accepted. Sign up here.

·         Dec 14-15^th – Third Annual Christmas Creche Exhibit – display your Nativity Set and have it blessed after all the Masses.

·         Dec 24^th – Christmas Eve Pageant at 4:30 pm – rehearsals on Dec 15^th from 11:30-1pm and Dec 18^th from 6-7:130 pm –children must attend at least one of the rehearsals with a parent. Sign up by emailing Sabrina at smspence2010@gmail.com

Finally, here are the SEVEN FAITH PRACTICES FOR FAMILIES

1.       Offer a prayer at meal time

2.       Call upon the saints

3.       Reach out to help a neighbor in need

4.       Savor a few minutes of silence

5.       Ask for God’s blessing each morning

6.       Receive the Holy Eucharist for strength and nourishment

7.       Give thanks to God each night

How’s your Family Faith Plan coming along? I’d love to hear what you all decided, how you’re planning to implement your ideas and if you need any support from the parish community or staff!

What happens when kids feel guilty because they don't go to Mass enough?

This afternoon, I fielded a question from one of our young people - she asked, "What should I do when I feel guilty because I don't go to Mass enough because of all my activities?" Well, the short, albeit, not so easy answer is to pick and choose what activities are truly important and make some decisions about what activities to continue or discontinue.

This question came out of a discussion the group of 5-8th graders were having about the Parable of the Vine and the Branches. We talked about how Jesus wants us to be connected to him, and that if we are, we will bear "good fruit" but sometimes, we need to "prune" away things that keep us from him.

The fact that she recognizes that her activities are keeping her from Church and that she is feeling a bit guilty about it is good, but hard to face when you're in middle school and facing all the pressures of school and home life. What I wished I would have thought of in the minute was to tell her to have a conversation about her feelings with her family and see if they can come up with any solutions. What I did tell her in the moment, was to talk to Fr. Craig or another priest about it (perhaps in Confession) to see if they could brainstorm an answer together. What I suspect would happen is that the priest would point her back to her family to have that conversation.

What struck me about this discussion was that it was initiated by a young person! So good for her!