July- The Precious Blood

After Jesus was resurrected from being dead for 3 days from being crucified, Jesus appeared to Thomas! Read about it in John 20:24-31

"Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So, the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The purpose of the gospel

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

Prayer

Grant, almighty God, that we may glory in the Feast of the blessed Apostle Thomas, so that we may always be sustained by his intercession and, believing, may have life in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, whom Thomas acknowledged as the Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Amen

Serve Swiss Cheese Today! 

An appropriate thing to have today would be something with swiss cheese. 

Swiss cheese recipes and image by The Food Network! 

Check out these Swiss cheese recipes! 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/swiss-cheese

Saint Thomas coloring page by TheCatholicKid.com

This is one of my son's favorite saints. He is known as a saint for today’s young people. He was handsome and athletic. He hiked, climbed mountains, rode horses, and skied with his many friends. He loved to laugh, and he was famous for his practical jokes. He loved life and lived it to the fullest.

developed two habits that became part of his everyday life. He went to Mass daily to receive the Eucharist, and he also prayed the Rosary. He never hesitated to share his faith with others.

Pier had a great concern for the poor, even as a child. One day a needy mother with a young son came to the Frassati home to beg for food. Pier noticed that the child was barefoot. He took off his own shoes and gave them to the boy.

He joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society as a young man and spent hours on activities that helped the poor and sick.

Because Blessed Pier Giorgio was known for being adventurous, and we love being adventourous, we always try to tap into his spirit of deep faith and adventure when we go out and adventure and snowboard or mountain bike or do anything. You see, unfortunately, society has made faith to be so ridged and serious. Faith can be and should be joyful because the reality that Jesus freed us from our sins though His life here and death and resurrection on the cross. We are free to live free from sin with God and live for God, and that should bring us so much joy, peace and fulfillment. We are free to live in union with Christ now and in heaven. To be truly free, is to live free of sin, and experience the adventure in life that God has provided and have wholesome fun in this world! Let's chnge the world's mentality on this. Faith can be fun. God is awesome! 

So, on this day and others, I bring up the fun and adventurous modern day blessed and holy man Blessed Pier Giorgio. 

We can learn so much by what a person has said and done. 

Quotes:

True happiness does not consist in the pleasures of this world, or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we only have if we are pure of heart and mind.
Every day that passes, I fall more desperately in love with the mountains… I am ever more determined to climb the mountains, to scale the mighty peaks, to feel that pure joy which can only be felt in the mountains.
Every day, my love for the mountains grows more and more. If my studies permitted, I’d spend whole days in the mountains contemplating the Creator’s greatness in that pure air.
Learn to be stronger in spirit than in your muscles. If you are, you will be real apostles of faith in God.
Faith enables us to bear the thorns with which our life is woven.
In a world gone astray from God there is no peace, but it also lacks charity, which is true and perfect love.
Nothing is more beautiful than love. Indeed, faith and hope will end when we die, whereas love, that is, charity, will last for eternity; if anything, I think it will be even more alive in the next life!

Saint Veronica 

July 12

On the day that Jesus was crucified, he had to carry his heavy cross after being beat up in the scourging of the pillar, and wearing a crown that made his head bleed. Tired, sweaty and bloody Jesus carried hid cross, and Veronica kindly gave him a cloth to wipe his face on and our savior Jesus Christ lovingly in return gave her an impression like a stamp of face for all to see his face, What a gift. 

Activity: Jesus Stamp Activity 

Directions: Hot glue stamp of Jesus, print out this worksheet, use a hot glue gun to trace the face of Jesus, wait for it to dry, use a stamp pad or watered-down paint, preferably red and brown for blood and dirt to make an impression of Jesus, then press it on to a piece of paper like a towel to be like Saint Monica and have an impression of Jesus on the towel. 

Adore our Savior's face! 

Saint Louis and Saint Zélie are the first husband and wife to be canonized together. They were the mom and dad of Saint Therese of Lisieux and 4 other daughters that entered into the religious life! Saint Louis was a skilled watched maker, and Saint Zelie was a lace maker! The most important thing to remember on this day is that in the vocation of marriage, our job is to help our spouse and family, and those around us to get to heaven. We do this in the way that we live our lives. 

Activity:

Today, have a genuine conversation with your spouse on how to be a more holy couple, how you can work on certain things and how you can help each other. It is a day of humility and growth! Think of ways in which you help your spouse, your children, your mom and dad, or your friends get to heaven. How do you live your life in the unique way that God made you to inspire holiness for others. You can also think of ways in which you can inspire others in the future! 

Activity

Make Saint Zelie "lace" (Doily) Bowls

Saint Zelie was a lace maker. A fun thing to do today is to make “lace” bowls. 

Materials 

Doilies - any size, any color 

Mod Podge Stiffy 

Aluminum foil or plastic wrap (or both) 

Real bowls a little larger than the bowl size you want to make 

Small plastic container 

Instructions

1. Cover a bowl with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Cover a cookie sheet at the same time.

2. Add Mod Podge Stiffy to a plastic bowl - enough to cover the doilies.

3. Add a doily to the Stiffy and push it around. Take it out of the Stiffy and squeeze out the excess.

4. Spread the doily out on the bowl, making sure to center it. Wrap the doily around the sides of the bowl and press down.

5. Place the bowls on the covered cookie sheet and place somewhere to dry overnight.

6. Release the doily from the bowl to use.

7. If you'd like, you can paint them any way you would like! 

Activity

Make a Native American Holy Headband! 

The website below, lays it out very nicely! https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/native-american-headband.html
On each feather you can write what holy  things you do! No matter who you are, or where you come from, you can grow to love God! 

St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church. Her mother was an Algonquin, who was captured by the Mohawks and who took a Mohawk chief for her husband. At age 19, Kateri Tekakwitha converted to Catholicism, taking a vow of chastity and pledging to marry only Jesus Christ. Her decision was very unpopular. She contracted smallpox as a four-year-old child which scarred her skin. The scars were a source of humiliation in her youth. She was devout, and would often practice self denial or self-mortification to strengthen her spirit and not let her body/flesh rule her. Her name, Kateri, is the Mohawk form of Catherine, which she took from St. Catherine of Siena.

Martha welcomes Jesus and his disciples into her home goes to work and busies herself to serve them though hospitality. Martha became frustrated when her sister, Mary, sat with Jesus to listen to Him, rather than busing her herself with Martha. Martha calls Mary out. We can think about how others and the world make us feel as we have to busy ourselves, but Jesus shows us that the most important thing we must do is to listen to Jesus, to put ourselves in His presence always. Jesus calls Martha out, and tells her she has become anxious and distracted, rather than to place Him in her presence, no matter what she does, and to not lose sight of Him in anything. Martha lost sight of Him, even when she was serving Him. Martha turned inward where it’s dark and full of anxiety, instead of to the Lord where it is light and full of Love! 

At the home of Martha and Mary

Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Activity! 

Are there things in our lives that we don’t include Jesus in? Are there things in our lives that we worry about. 

When we worry, we are holding on to them. It’s only when we turn to Jesus and we give Him our worries that we can feel peace, knowing we have chosen the better thing, between holding on to worry and letting it go to Him. 

Write the worries or things that we need to give to Jesus in His hands! Envision them there, and KNOW that He has them! 

Prayer

Saint Martha, pray for us that we might serve Jesus better.
Help us to overcome our distractions and worries to listen to his words and be present to him this day.
Amen.