Day 31
Saving Grace: (3 Minutes) We need game changers! Watch this video by Matthew Kelly and Dynamic Catholic and contemplate the enormous impact that would be made by reawakening this sleeping giant called the Catholic Church. http://vimeo.com/77430724
ATHLETICS: (30 Minutes) We will use the acronym S.P.O.R.T.S to focus on 6 virtues that will keep you focused all 40 days.
Virtue of the day: Teamwork...Help other souls get to heaven. Exercise for 30 minutes today and offer up your sacrifice for another soul. Remember life is a relay race. The saints ran their race. Now the baton is in your hands. Run yours.
(Looking for a more intense fitness program with Catholic values that will get you in great shape? Try Michael Walsh's fitness challenge. http://www.fitchurch.tv/)
Instructor's manual: (5 minutes) Get the memo: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/
Need to Know Him Spend some time in silence and reflect on this story (10 minutes)
The Pearl Necklace
There once was a young girl who was in the check out line with her mother. It was then that she saw it; a beautiful plastic pearl necklace! She begged her mother to buy it for her, but her mother told her that if she really wanted it she would have to earn the $1.47 herself. Her mother told her that she could help with some chores around the house to earn a few bright shiny pennies, and reminded her that her birthday was coming up soon and she would surely get a new crisp dollar bill in the birthday card from her grandmother.
So the little girl worked very hard over the next few weeks and saved up all her earnings. She asked her neighbors if she could rake their leaves for ten cents and she did extra chores around the house. One day, she finally had enough money to buy the treasured necklace. She was so happy when her mom took her to the store to buy her necklace and she got to pay the woman at the check out with her very own hard earned money. The small girl wore her necklace everywhere. It made her feel so beautiful and grown up!
Now every night the little girl’s Daddy would read her a bedtime story, say nighttime prayers with her, and put her to sleep. But one night when the little girl’s Daddy was putting her to sleep he asked her a question. He asked, “Do you love me?” She replied, “Daddy, you know I love you more than anything!” Then he asked her if he could have her pearl necklace. “Oh Daddy,” said the little girl. “I can’t give you my necklace. I love it so much and it is so beautiful. But you can have my pink unicorn, the one I got for my birthday.” “That’s ok,” He said. “Daddy loves you, darling. Goodnight.” And he kissed her gently on the forehead as he left. Every night the loving father would patiently ask his daughter for the dime store necklace and every night she would refuse, offering one of her many other toys. But her father would always say it was ok, tell her how much he loved her and give her a good night kiss ever so gently on the forehead before leaving.
Then one night when her Daddy came in to put her to sleep he noticed that his little girl was crying. “What is wrong, honey?” He asked. With tears streaming down her cheeks she held out her tiny hand, and dropped her deeply treasured necklace into her father’s hand. “Here, Daddy.” She said, her voice shaking. “You can have my necklace.” To her surprise, her Father pulled out a beautiful velvet box and gave it to her. When she opened it, a beautiful genuine pearl necklace was revealed. You see, her father was just waiting for his daughter to let go of the plastic necklace, so he could reveal the real treasure he had in store for her. (author unknown)
What is your pearl necklace? What in this world are you so afraid to let go of? Your Father's gifts for you are so much better. Let go of the counterfeits so your Father can give you the real thing.
Theology of the Body: (5 minutes) You decide....Song lyrics...(don't read this challenge with your children)
Everything I have read about Bruno Mars' Super Bowl halftime show has been people saying how great he was and how awesome he sounded and how he is a "class act"....I guess he is pretty popular these days especially with young people since his music is so attractive. I didn't watch the whole show, I left to go look up the lyrics he was singing. Here are some of the lyrics from a few of his songs......
"Baby squirrel, you’s a sexy mother f....."
At least he admits that what he sings about isn't love (love don't exist when you live like this)....he refers to women as gorillas, squirrels, ice cream, dirty little lover, delicious, and mother f..... Is this really what attracts people? Unfortunately, it does attract people because it is wrapped in an entertaining package that "feels good." People were made to be loved and things were made to be used. The problem is, we love things, and we use people. That is what these songs are all about....using people as objects.
Compare his lyrics with what St. John Chrysostom said. "A young husband should say to his bride: "I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you in such a way that we may be assured of not being separated in the life reserved for us."
What are you listening to? What are your children listening to? What TV shows are you watching? Are they filled with the same message in Bruno Mars' songs? Get rid of it. I don't care how attractive it is....it is a lie. Get rid of it. It doesn't belong in your life and in the life of your family. If you are a parent...be a parent. Know what the culture is putting in your childrens' heads. Fight for the souls of your children. God's love is not puppy love...it is parent love; and parent love fights for the good of the other.
Sacrifice and Service: (5 minutes) Questions of the Day:
Everyone at my church seems old. What are some programs that could be started at my Catholic Church for women and/or families with young children? / Why are some people chosen for seemingly greater tasks than others?/ I regularly attend mass but I feel many Catholic's need to learn more about their faith than what is able to be projected through the homily. I don't really feel like I belong to a Church community which I feel is important. Do you have any ideas that a parish might be able to implement to accomplish adult education and a real sense community among parish members?
It is true that many young people and young families have stopped coming to church. It is our obligation to try to re-engage them. That doesn't mean it is our obligation to entertain them, but we must engage them and make programs that are family friendly and get them connected. The programs must evangelize! The Church is not a business trying to please customers, she is a family trying to build disciples. When we moved to our current parish in 2006, the pastoral council asked us for ideas for new ministries. We had small children and pointed out that we would like to come to more events, but it is difficult to find babysitting and most of the programs are not geared toward children, so it is difficult to attend. We came up with the idea of Fun, Faith, and Family....which is a monthly ministry we do at our parish where we offer adult education but also an engaging activity for the children at the same time. The videos you have watched during this challenge all come from this program, and while I am speaking in the videos my wife works with the children in a program called "The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd", which is a hands on approach to teaching children the faith that they really enjoy.
The bottom line is, we need lay people to step us and utilize their gifts in many different ways. If you have a gift for working with children, use it! If you have a gift for teaching, use it! If you have a gift for making food or providing hospitality, use it! If you have a gift for creating fun crafts and games that will help teach the faith, use it! One of the most important gifts I believe we need in the church right now is marketing. It doesn't do any good to have programs and events if you can't get people there, and getting people there is one of the greatest challenges. We need tech savy, personable, friendly people who are willing to advertise, make phone calls, create flyers, send emails, use social media, and find whatever means necessary to create a buzz around the parish about what is being offered and get people excited to attend. If you have that gift, use it! We need to work together. We are one body with many parts, and in God's eyes, every task is important.
Of course, if you are going to offer programs, they have to be good! It does more damage than good to offer programs and drag people there only for them to be bored and disinterested. That is one reason people don't come. They came once and suffered through a poorly organized program run by disinterested
"volunteers" who were pushed into teaching something or organizing something that their heart wasn't into and their talents weren't geared toward. Don't be afraid of failure or afraid to try if you feel God is calling you, but be sure to try your best! If you don't volunteer your gifts, somebody else who doesn't have your gift will be probably be "talked into" trying it.
Here are 10 ministry ideas......
1. Fun, Faith, and Family....Simultaneous adult, teen, and children's education. We do this right after Sunday Mass once a month and provide a soup and salad lunch.
2. Little flowers group for girls and Blue Knights for boys: Similar to boy scouts and girl scouts, but entirely Catholic. Check it out http://www.beholdpublications.com/
3. Children's Mass or Children's Holy Hour......Perhaps one weekday Mass could be in the evening and geared toward young families, providing fellowship and activities after Mass.
4. Young families groups....The parish can take the initiative to unite young families that can meet once a month or so to discuss a book, watch a video series, etc. Give young parents a chance and opportunity to share their trials, successes, and challenges. Give young children a chance to play together or learn together more about their faith.
5. The Great Adventure movie series for Children....On this website, I have provided for you a chance to tell the story of salvation history to your children using VeggieTales movies. Make it a fun movie night. Give a brief synopsis (or have a child give a brief synopsis of the story), and then watch the movie with popcorn and treats, use a projector and big screen if you have one. Kids love it, and they learn the story! It can be done at the same time parents are meeting as suggested in number 4. Here is the link to all the movies http://www.saintsinthemaking.com/veggietales-episodes.html
6. Daddy Daughter Dances.....A great opportunity for Dad's to teach their young daughters how a man is supposed to treat her. The parish next to ours does this, they decorate the hall for a dance, provide a DJ, have pictures taken, and encourage Dad's to take their daughter(s) out for a nice dinner beforehand.
7. Mom's night out/Dad's night out/Date night.......If the parish will take the initiative to provide programs for children (such as the Veggietales movie series) and give parents the opportunity to spend time with friends or their spouse, I think young families will connect more with their parish and know the parish cares about the challenges they face.
8. Service projects....Find parishioners or people in your community, perhaps elderly or handicap, who may need some help with home projects, maintenance, grocery shopping, a visitor, etc. Ask them if they would be willing to pray for a particular family or cause. In return for their prayers, which they should know are very powerful and priceless, have families help them with their needs. It taps into the power of prayer and gives young families an opportunity to serve and make a difference. It connects different generations in the parish family and helps everyone realize their gifts and potential.
9. Form your own Saints in the Making University. You can work together as parents to present these six classes to your children....once a week, once a month, in the summer, or however you want to do it. Want to know how we do it and what resources we use? Just email me... john@extraordinarymission.com.
10. Form a ministry team at your parish whose sole purpose is to brainstorm ideas such as these, organize and promote ministries, and find ways to reach out to young adults and families in the community. I don't think there are many pastors who will say no to somebody willing to take the initiative to begin evangelizing.
Saving Grace: (3 Minutes) We need game changers! Watch this video by Matthew Kelly and Dynamic Catholic and contemplate the enormous impact that would be made by reawakening this sleeping giant called the Catholic Church. http://vimeo.com/77430724
ATHLETICS: (30 Minutes) We will use the acronym S.P.O.R.T.S to focus on 6 virtues that will keep you focused all 40 days.
Virtue of the day: Teamwork...Help other souls get to heaven. Exercise for 30 minutes today and offer up your sacrifice for another soul. Remember life is a relay race. The saints ran their race. Now the baton is in your hands. Run yours.
(Looking for a more intense fitness program with Catholic values that will get you in great shape? Try Michael Walsh's fitness challenge. http://www.fitchurch.tv/)
Instructor's manual: (5 minutes) Get the memo: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/
Need to Know Him Spend some time in silence and reflect on this story (10 minutes)
The Pearl Necklace
There once was a young girl who was in the check out line with her mother. It was then that she saw it; a beautiful plastic pearl necklace! She begged her mother to buy it for her, but her mother told her that if she really wanted it she would have to earn the $1.47 herself. Her mother told her that she could help with some chores around the house to earn a few bright shiny pennies, and reminded her that her birthday was coming up soon and she would surely get a new crisp dollar bill in the birthday card from her grandmother.
So the little girl worked very hard over the next few weeks and saved up all her earnings. She asked her neighbors if she could rake their leaves for ten cents and she did extra chores around the house. One day, she finally had enough money to buy the treasured necklace. She was so happy when her mom took her to the store to buy her necklace and she got to pay the woman at the check out with her very own hard earned money. The small girl wore her necklace everywhere. It made her feel so beautiful and grown up!
Now every night the little girl’s Daddy would read her a bedtime story, say nighttime prayers with her, and put her to sleep. But one night when the little girl’s Daddy was putting her to sleep he asked her a question. He asked, “Do you love me?” She replied, “Daddy, you know I love you more than anything!” Then he asked her if he could have her pearl necklace. “Oh Daddy,” said the little girl. “I can’t give you my necklace. I love it so much and it is so beautiful. But you can have my pink unicorn, the one I got for my birthday.” “That’s ok,” He said. “Daddy loves you, darling. Goodnight.” And he kissed her gently on the forehead as he left. Every night the loving father would patiently ask his daughter for the dime store necklace and every night she would refuse, offering one of her many other toys. But her father would always say it was ok, tell her how much he loved her and give her a good night kiss ever so gently on the forehead before leaving.
Then one night when her Daddy came in to put her to sleep he noticed that his little girl was crying. “What is wrong, honey?” He asked. With tears streaming down her cheeks she held out her tiny hand, and dropped her deeply treasured necklace into her father’s hand. “Here, Daddy.” She said, her voice shaking. “You can have my necklace.” To her surprise, her Father pulled out a beautiful velvet box and gave it to her. When she opened it, a beautiful genuine pearl necklace was revealed. You see, her father was just waiting for his daughter to let go of the plastic necklace, so he could reveal the real treasure he had in store for her. (author unknown)
What is your pearl necklace? What in this world are you so afraid to let go of? Your Father's gifts for you are so much better. Let go of the counterfeits so your Father can give you the real thing.
Theology of the Body: (5 minutes) You decide....Song lyrics...(don't read this challenge with your children)
Everything I have read about Bruno Mars' Super Bowl halftime show has been people saying how great he was and how awesome he sounded and how he is a "class act"....I guess he is pretty popular these days especially with young people since his music is so attractive. I didn't watch the whole show, I left to go look up the lyrics he was singing. Here are some of the lyrics from a few of his songs......
- I get lost under these lights
I get lost in the words I say
Start believing my own lies
Like everything will be okay
Oh, I still dream of a simple life
Boy meets girl, makes her his wife
But love don't exist when you live like this that much I know, yes I know
- You and me baby, making love like gorillas
Yeah I got a fistful of your hair
But you don't look like you're scared
You're just smiling tell me, ‘daddy it's yours’
‘Cause you know how I like it you’s a dirty little lover - "Baby, and I wanna make it right for you, (it's our first time)
Clothes are not required, for what we got planned
Ooh, girl you’re my desire, your wish is my command
Treat you like a princess, ooh girl you’re so delicious
Like ice cream on a summer day, gonna eat you before you melt away, yeah" - "I'm born again every time you spend the night
"Baby squirrel, you’s a sexy mother f....."
At least he admits that what he sings about isn't love (love don't exist when you live like this)....he refers to women as gorillas, squirrels, ice cream, dirty little lover, delicious, and mother f..... Is this really what attracts people? Unfortunately, it does attract people because it is wrapped in an entertaining package that "feels good." People were made to be loved and things were made to be used. The problem is, we love things, and we use people. That is what these songs are all about....using people as objects.
Compare his lyrics with what St. John Chrysostom said. "A young husband should say to his bride: "I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you in such a way that we may be assured of not being separated in the life reserved for us."
What are you listening to? What are your children listening to? What TV shows are you watching? Are they filled with the same message in Bruno Mars' songs? Get rid of it. I don't care how attractive it is....it is a lie. Get rid of it. It doesn't belong in your life and in the life of your family. If you are a parent...be a parent. Know what the culture is putting in your childrens' heads. Fight for the souls of your children. God's love is not puppy love...it is parent love; and parent love fights for the good of the other.
Sacrifice and Service: (5 minutes) Questions of the Day:
Everyone at my church seems old. What are some programs that could be started at my Catholic Church for women and/or families with young children? / Why are some people chosen for seemingly greater tasks than others?/ I regularly attend mass but I feel many Catholic's need to learn more about their faith than what is able to be projected through the homily. I don't really feel like I belong to a Church community which I feel is important. Do you have any ideas that a parish might be able to implement to accomplish adult education and a real sense community among parish members?
It is true that many young people and young families have stopped coming to church. It is our obligation to try to re-engage them. That doesn't mean it is our obligation to entertain them, but we must engage them and make programs that are family friendly and get them connected. The programs must evangelize! The Church is not a business trying to please customers, she is a family trying to build disciples. When we moved to our current parish in 2006, the pastoral council asked us for ideas for new ministries. We had small children and pointed out that we would like to come to more events, but it is difficult to find babysitting and most of the programs are not geared toward children, so it is difficult to attend. We came up with the idea of Fun, Faith, and Family....which is a monthly ministry we do at our parish where we offer adult education but also an engaging activity for the children at the same time. The videos you have watched during this challenge all come from this program, and while I am speaking in the videos my wife works with the children in a program called "The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd", which is a hands on approach to teaching children the faith that they really enjoy.
The bottom line is, we need lay people to step us and utilize their gifts in many different ways. If you have a gift for working with children, use it! If you have a gift for teaching, use it! If you have a gift for making food or providing hospitality, use it! If you have a gift for creating fun crafts and games that will help teach the faith, use it! One of the most important gifts I believe we need in the church right now is marketing. It doesn't do any good to have programs and events if you can't get people there, and getting people there is one of the greatest challenges. We need tech savy, personable, friendly people who are willing to advertise, make phone calls, create flyers, send emails, use social media, and find whatever means necessary to create a buzz around the parish about what is being offered and get people excited to attend. If you have that gift, use it! We need to work together. We are one body with many parts, and in God's eyes, every task is important.
Of course, if you are going to offer programs, they have to be good! It does more damage than good to offer programs and drag people there only for them to be bored and disinterested. That is one reason people don't come. They came once and suffered through a poorly organized program run by disinterested
"volunteers" who were pushed into teaching something or organizing something that their heart wasn't into and their talents weren't geared toward. Don't be afraid of failure or afraid to try if you feel God is calling you, but be sure to try your best! If you don't volunteer your gifts, somebody else who doesn't have your gift will be probably be "talked into" trying it.
Here are 10 ministry ideas......
1. Fun, Faith, and Family....Simultaneous adult, teen, and children's education. We do this right after Sunday Mass once a month and provide a soup and salad lunch.
2. Little flowers group for girls and Blue Knights for boys: Similar to boy scouts and girl scouts, but entirely Catholic. Check it out http://www.beholdpublications.com/
3. Children's Mass or Children's Holy Hour......Perhaps one weekday Mass could be in the evening and geared toward young families, providing fellowship and activities after Mass.
4. Young families groups....The parish can take the initiative to unite young families that can meet once a month or so to discuss a book, watch a video series, etc. Give young parents a chance and opportunity to share their trials, successes, and challenges. Give young children a chance to play together or learn together more about their faith.
5. The Great Adventure movie series for Children....On this website, I have provided for you a chance to tell the story of salvation history to your children using VeggieTales movies. Make it a fun movie night. Give a brief synopsis (or have a child give a brief synopsis of the story), and then watch the movie with popcorn and treats, use a projector and big screen if you have one. Kids love it, and they learn the story! It can be done at the same time parents are meeting as suggested in number 4. Here is the link to all the movies http://www.saintsinthemaking.com/veggietales-episodes.html
6. Daddy Daughter Dances.....A great opportunity for Dad's to teach their young daughters how a man is supposed to treat her. The parish next to ours does this, they decorate the hall for a dance, provide a DJ, have pictures taken, and encourage Dad's to take their daughter(s) out for a nice dinner beforehand.
7. Mom's night out/Dad's night out/Date night.......If the parish will take the initiative to provide programs for children (such as the Veggietales movie series) and give parents the opportunity to spend time with friends or their spouse, I think young families will connect more with their parish and know the parish cares about the challenges they face.
8. Service projects....Find parishioners or people in your community, perhaps elderly or handicap, who may need some help with home projects, maintenance, grocery shopping, a visitor, etc. Ask them if they would be willing to pray for a particular family or cause. In return for their prayers, which they should know are very powerful and priceless, have families help them with their needs. It taps into the power of prayer and gives young families an opportunity to serve and make a difference. It connects different generations in the parish family and helps everyone realize their gifts and potential.
9. Form your own Saints in the Making University. You can work together as parents to present these six classes to your children....once a week, once a month, in the summer, or however you want to do it. Want to know how we do it and what resources we use? Just email me... john@extraordinarymission.com.
10. Form a ministry team at your parish whose sole purpose is to brainstorm ideas such as these, organize and promote ministries, and find ways to reach out to young adults and families in the community. I don't think there are many pastors who will say no to somebody willing to take the initiative to begin evangelizing.
