January 2012

A Holy Epiphany!

The month of January brings us to the manger again at Epiphany. Christ, who was in every way perfect, was born in the most imperfect of settings, a manger – literally an animal trough. The miracle of the incarnation is not only that God came down to walk among us, but that God chose to be born and walk with us in the middle of our messy, human world. We should be careful not to dismiss the manger as a pleasant, peaceful scene. Think about what made the Holy Family holy, and think about how your family is also holy in all of the good things, the bad things, the ordinary things, and the extraordinary things that make up your daily life. Our messy families may actually be much holier than we think!

E-mail Heidi

--Heidi Busse and the OSV staff
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This month on Teaching Catholic Kids

New feature! January at a Glance (PDF download)

Activity One: (Grades K-5): Epiphany Activities

Activity Two (Grade 6 and up): Follow That Star!

Questions:

How do you choose which “stars” to follow?
Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit guiding you? How did you respond?

Lifelong Catechesis Corner:
Mark 1:14-20: Come, Follow Me
Mark's Gospel reveals Jesus to be the fulfillment of the promised Messiah. Jesus is, indeed, the Good News sent to lead us in our everydays. In today's passage, the first disciples respond immediately to Jesus call to have faith in the Good News. How do we respond to the call, “Come, follow me!” Activities online at Lifelong Catechesis page.

Catholic Stewardship for Kids:

Elizabeth Seton was the first person born in the United States to be declared a saint, but she was not born to a Catholic family. Her stepmother taught her to pray and read Scripture, and her father taught her to love and serve the poor. These lessons stayed with her as her life brought her much upheaval and change. Wealthy and happily married at age nineteen, Elizabeth was widowed and penniless, with five children, within a few years. She turned to God, and found she was being called to join the Catholic Church. She dedicated her life to serving God. In addition to raising her own children, she opened the first American Catholic school, started an orphanage, and founded a religious order of women, the Daughters of Charity.

Discussion Starter: What are some ways we can serve the poor like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton?

Soul Food for Teachers: I Am The New Year

Catechist Know-How: A Fresh New Start for 2012 from Mary Lou Rosien

Prayer

A bright star guided the Magi to the place where Jesus was born.
They were very happy to see the new baby and give Him gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh.
We are thankful for the gift God gave us, his Son, Jesus.
We are also thankful for the gifts we received and were able to give to others this holiday season.
We ask that in the days ahead, we remember others and continue the spirit of giving all year long.
Amen.

Also on www.TeachingCatholicKids.com: