Resource for Print-Out and Links- Traditional Prayers, Principals

SOURCE: http://www.steve-stollenwerk.com/
The following traditional prayers, plus other important principles, are also available (below) in a convenient 3-fold format where everything fits on both sides of a single sheet of paper.
I have done this to create a simple means of study, and hope that you find it useful.
Please find the downloads links further below to get either PDF (Acrobat) or MDI format print-ready files.

All 28 Most Important Catholic Prayers & Principles in a single webpage
(plus, separately:)
The Ten Commandments
The Seven Sacraments
The Our Father
The Hail Mary
The Glory Be
The Sign of the Cross
Act of Contrition
Grace (before meals)
Entering a Church
Commandments (Modernised)
Virtues (Theological & Cardinal)
Sins Against The Holy Spirit
Spiritual Works of Mercy
Corporal Works of Mercy
7 Gifts of The Holy Spirit
12 Fruits of The Holy Spirit
Stations of The Cross
Confiteor
Apostles Creed
Nicene Creed


All of Above in Print-Ready formats,
with cut-marks for making "flash" cards
(perhaps to teach your children with?)
[right-click and "save target as"]:
PDF/Acrobat (small:59k) or MDI/XP (small:34k)

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All of those prayers, plus more, can be printed on a single sheet of paper.

PDF/Acrobat (small:12k) or MDI/XP (small:33k)
Easter is the Key Celebration ! ... Stations of the Cross

It's Not Just a Hula Hoop

Today in PE as I held up a hula hoop they all exclaimed excitedly, "Hula Hoop!"
Somethings are even more fun when you get imaginations into gear.
So, then I asked the 2nd grade girls, "What else could this be?"

Here are their ingenious answers:
The full moon
A huge earring
A ring around Saturn
The planet Jupiter
A ball
A halo
A steering wheel
A bracelet

A hoop for a tiger to jump through
A huge necklace
A life saver
A cup holder
A wagon wheel
A ferris wheel


A button
A giant's wedding ring
The letter O
A zero
A head
A lasso

Well, this got me thinking . . . . hang with me here. This is a winding kind of story with 3 parts.

PART 1
Last week, on a day when I was pretty sad, I noticed a little bird outside my office window. I thought, God knows when even a sparrow falls. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:31). He knows every hair on our heads.
(Psalm 139:13) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

Trust . . just trust! Just like I used to - when I was really young - I prayed for God to send me a sign that everything would be ok.
I thought and said to God, "If I look out that window into the woods along the fence and I see a deer it is the sign, God."
Feeling a tad foolish and knowing I was being ridiculously demanding of God, but still hoping, I stood and turned to look into the woods. I had already decided that if I saw a deer it would be a miracle and that when I did not see a deer that would mean I just had to have consistent faith. God doesn't always answer in the way we want. But He always answers; He is always with us. So, in that 20 or 30 seconds of prayer-thought I had already decided to trust . . . . . God was already tending to my heartfelt plea by giving me the grace to trust.
I stood and turned and looked down the fence line slowly and with precision.
I did not see a deer.
I saw two.

PART 2
He always answers; He is always with us.
Today I killed a snake on the soccer field. I am not a snake expert but I do not want a snake biting any of my kids (biological or students). I felt I had to do it. It meant kind of stalking the thing and then carefully herding it to a place where I could crush it.
I did -- it wrapped its tail around my foot and that was creepy but I killed it.
I defeated a symbol of evil and fear. What came to my mind was that with God's help - I can defeat real evil. I can rise above fear.

Part 3
What does this have to do with hula hoops? Nothing exactly. But it does have a lot to do with perspective.
The hula hoop exercise reminded me, the teacher, to be open to other ways of seeing things. It reminded me to let God speak to me everyday, in every part of the day.

Everything will be ok (the deer)
With God we can defeat evil (the snake) and be not afraid.

Giving Thanks

"Everyone capable of giving thanks is capable of salvation."
Fr. Alexander Schmemann

Nothing is more essential to human living than the giving of thanks. According to the Apostle Paul, it is one of the very purposes for which we were created (Romans 1:21 St. Paul here upbraids us for our failure to give thanks).

Much of our understanding of thanksgiving today is deeply tied to a modern, shallow, understanding of psychology and thinks only of how we “feel” about something.

To give thanks, however, is far deeper, reaching to the very core of our being. It is a recognition from the depths of our hearts that what we have is not of our own creation (including our own life) and that all that we have is not properly enjoyed or used unless and until it is enjoyed and used with deep thanksgiving towards the One who gave us everything.

We are “eucharistic, doxological beings.” In less theological terms (or in terms translated into plain English) we are beings who are created to give thanks (”eucharistic”) and glory (”doxological”) to God.

Read the whole post here.

H/T to: Father Stephen over at Glory to God for All Things

Ecological, Social, and Spiritual Consequences

“Our personal consumer choices have ecological, social, and spiritual consequences. It is time to re-examine some of our deeply held notions that underlie our lifestyles.”

~David Suzuki
(Canadian environmentalist, scientist and broadcaster)

Assignment for TECHNOLOGY CLASSES Friday, January 18, 2008

1. Read this Sunday's Gospel reading:
Jn 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

2. Go to The Center for Liturgy Sunday . Click on and read the Study of the Readings

3. Create an Open Office word doc with your name and grade at the top. Answer the following questions using complete sentences. You MAY NOT copy and paste.

8TH GRADE QUESTIONS

1. We begin Ordinary Time each year by reading from which Gospel?
2. The identity of Jesus: In the very first chapter of his gospel, John uses several different titles to describe Jesus and his identity. What are they?
3. This Sunday’s brief gospel begins with the title “Lamb of God.” What is the primary reference to Jesus?
4. The last title in this passage is “Son of God.” John uses many titles that include the word “son.” What are they?
5. As the Son of God, Jesus does what God alone can do. According to this reading, what are those things?
6. This is our time to contemplate the mystery of Jesus’ identity: Who is Jesus for you?

5TH GRADE QUESTIONS

1. We begin Ordinary Time each year by reading from which Gospel?
2. This is our time to contemplate the mystery of Jesus’ identity: Who is Jesus for you?
3. John the Baptist had the great honor of preparing the way for Jesus. Through John's preaching and baptizing, the people's hearts were ready for the coming of the Lamb of God. John had spent his entire life listening to God's word. And when Jesus, the Messiah, finally came, God helped John to recognize him.
Very often we get so busy and noisy that God's voice is completely drowned out. We are not always prepared to recognize Jesus in our daily lives. What will you do to become a better listener?

Mum2Twelve

There is a wonderful post over at Mum2Twelve.

It is called One at a Time. I found it via AWTY.

The Catholic Mom blog-o-sphere is quite lovely. I have found it to be a grounded, family focused, strong group of woman.

I would like to know what my 7th graders think after reading this post. Come back here . . . to Catholic Notebook and reply.
(Please note: eldest child missing from this picture - photo credit Paul Tomas, to see his work click here. )