November 2006 Extras

On this page:

This month's questions
Links to learn more about Thanksgiving
Find Resources On Line
Sunday Gospels
History of the Teddy Bear
Chocolate Chip cookie recipes
Biblical Feast in Honor of St. Andrew
Once-a-Month Cooking
An Examination of Conscience for Parents

This month's questions

How can you help your kids focus on Christ at Christmas?

Email your answers to yyoung@osv.com.

Links to learn more Thanksgiving

Plimoth Plantation »

History Channel»

Links and ways to give thanks!

Find resources on-line

Catholic Doors Ministry, an on-line resources for Catholics with everything from songs to newsletters. Click HERE.

Say HELLO (and a lot more) in more than 800 languages! Click HERE.

Send an e-mail to one of the 270,000 soldiers who are serving our nation abroad. Click HERE for more information.

November’s Sunday Gospels

November 5 – Mark 12:28b-34: Jesus tells us about the greatest thing we can do. We show our love for God by loving others.

We show our love for God by living joyfully and generously in This, God’s, world. How can I do that this week? We show our love for God by loving others. How will it be easy to love others this week? How will it be hard to love some people this week?

• Can you think of a commandment - of something that God asks us to do – that isn’t contained in these two commandments?

• Tell each family member why you love them.

• Take the first three days of this week for each family member to look around your home and find three things which say something to them about what love means. Then at dinner sometime near the end of the week tell about what you found and why you chose it.

November 12– Mark 12:38-44: Jesus tells storied about who is a good Christian.

Do we know anyone who is like the poor widow?
Have you ever had anyone ask you for something that you did not have much of?
Besides money, what can we give to others?
Who do we know that might be in need of forgiveness, friendship, or someone to talk to? What can we do to extend generosity to that person?
What can we do for widowed women? for people living on fixed incomes? for the elderly?

November 19- Mark 13: 24-32: Jesus reminds us he will come again.

If you knew for sure that Jesus were coming tomorrow what would you do?
People often say to us that they give us their word. Jesus said, “My word will never end.” How does that make you feel?
Visit together the graves of family members who have died. Share stories about them.
In our lives we have many types of little deaths (loss of pets, moving, loss of friends, separations, divorce). Talk about some of the little deaths that have been a part of your lives and what helped you to survive.

November 26- John 18:33b-37: Jesus talks about truth before Pilate.

Talk about people you know who are always truthful and honest.
Talk about people throughout the world/history that you have heard about who have spoken the truth when it’s been hard, for instance, Bishop Tutu, Archbishop Romero of El Salvador.
Was there a time it was difficult for you to tell the truth?
Are there ways we can be more truthful in our family? Is truth just about words?