Teaching Catholic Kids November 2008

The grace of hope

Hope for the future

Hope can mean many things. It can bring us comfort in times of despair, the promise of one last chance, or confidence that there is more to come.

One of the three theological virtues, hope is a spiritual grace, or as the Catechism states, " Hope is expressed and nourished in prayer, especially in the Our Father, the summary of everything that hope leads us to desire" (CCC, 1820).

As our liturgical year comes to a close, at first glance the readings at Mass can give us the feeling that the end is near. Christ's promise of eternal life, however gives us endless hope in a loving and merciful God no matter when our last days on earth will be.

Share with your children that even with the uncertainty of our economy, the challenges awaiting our new president, as well as in time of war, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, there is nothing we can't handle. So, in the same way we pray at Mass, let us welcome Advent and "wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ"!

Meet Dave Dziena, TCK's new editor!

I would like to take a moment and introduce myself to our loyal readers. My name is David Dziena and I am the new Parish Acquisitions Editor at Our Sunday Visitor. I have been involved in catechetical publishing for over ten years and parish ministry for most of my life.

We'll be working at improving Teaching Catholic Kids and being more responsive to your requests. This month, we've updated our "Activities" offerings. Activity One will now focus on younger children while Activity Two has something for older kids.

As always, email us with your ideas for new products. Comment on our products. Help us shape future OSV offerings. We want to learn from your experiences. Email me at ddziena@osv.com.

Don't forget to go to our Catholic Links page to help you with all things Catholic! Just click here for Catholic Links»

To link to Teaching Catholic Kids, use our web address: www.teachingcatholickids.com.

Coming this month on TCK

Feature Article: Blessing of the Advent Wreath»

Activity One (Grades K-5): Family Memory Activity from Take Out»

Activity Two (Grade 6 and up): Differences between Halloween, All Saints and All Souls (from OSV Newsweekly)»

Teacher Pattern: Thanksgiving Puzzles»

Soul Food for Teachers: A Mother Teresa Meditation»

Cathechist Know-how: "The Souls in Purgatory" by Mary Lou Rosien»

Catholic Parent Know-How: Why Should I Go to Confession? (excerpt)»

Resources for Advent

Check out OSV's pamphlet "How to Celebrate Advent." It will give you a combination of explanation, inspiration, and motivation in just the right dose! To order, click here. . More info or order here»

More OSV Advent resources can be found here»

Year of St. Paul special web section

Celebrate the Year of St. Paul! Our special section includes a biography, history, interactive presentation, Scripture, prayers, links and more! There's special stuff for kids, too--a downloadable St. Paul coloring book and a page of activities from Take Out. Visit the Year of St. Paul by clicking here»

Prayer

Act of Hope
O my God, relying on your almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon for my sins, the help of your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

(from Catholic Family Prayer Book, published by Our Sunday Visitor. More info or order here»)

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Feedback Corner

We want to hear from you! Comment on Teaching Catholic Kids, Our Sunday Visitor products, or suggest new products by emailing Dave at ddziena@osv.com.