Our Great Journey

Welcome to our weekly summer digital post, designed to share ideas for Living the Gospel at Home. This blog is meant to be interactive, so please share ideas, photos and resources that you have tried at home. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most meaningful.

This weekend, We read about the Transfiguration of the Lord, Matthew 17:1-9.

In the Transfiguration, Jesus reveals his true nature – truly God and truly human at the same time – to his followers Peter, James, and John. His face and clothing became brilliant, and Moses and Elijah were conversing with him as an equal. The voice of God declares that Jesus is his beloved Son. The Transfiguration gives us a foretaste of Christ’s glorious coming, when he “will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body”.

Things to talk about:

• Why do you think Jesus wanted Peter, James, and John to see him transfigured?
• Imagine you were on the mountain with Peter, James, and John. What would it be like to hear the voice of God say, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him”?
• Jesus loved the apostle John very much. Jesus loves you just as much. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus knows and loves you?

Things to do:

• As the first week of school is completed, take the time as a family to Go Fishing! Casting a line with the kids is a classic, relaxing way to spend a Saturday. Find a local lake or stream, and enjoy the opportunity to get away from the hectic schedules. God is present in so many ways through nature and through quiet time together!
• How can you watch real items be transformed into something else? Build a Root Beer Float. Add 3 scoops of vanilla Ice Cream to a tall glass, pour root beer over ice cream and serve. What began as 2 separate ingredients transforms into a delicious treat.
• As a family, read a passage from the Gospel of Matthew and spend 5 minutes listening to what God wants to say to you through this passage.
• In mass this week, find the Transfiguration window. Talk about who is depicted in the beautiful art. Discuss how art can give us a sense of awe and wonder for our faith. Churches found all over the world are amazing works of art themselves – take a journey HERE.

Fun Fact – August 6th is National Root Beer Float Day!

Blessings for an awesome week!

Start off the new Faith Formation season at the Parish Mission—RESTORED

Friday, August 11—Saturday, August 12. Adult/Teen & Middle School & Elementary sessions. Childcare available. Join us for the entire mission, Friday or Saturday. Take this opportunity to look at RESTORING ourselves, our relationships, our community. Come and be inspired by John Edwards, Just a Guy in the Pew. Registration closes August 7.

Remember to register for Our Great Journey.

Weekly sessions begin August 27. We can’t wait to see you.

Click HERE to Register

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Our Great Journey

Welcome to our weekly summer digital post, designed to share ideas for Living the Gospel at Home. This blog is meant to be interactive, so please share ideas, photos and resources that you have tried at home. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most meaningful.

This weekend, Jesus talks about the kingdom of God, Matthew 13:44-52.

We are shown that the kingdom of heaven is of such value that nothing should stand in the way. This path shows us a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven now, and we are assured of knowing the fullness of life in Christ in the age to come. Jesus is asking us to prioritize our faith and our relationship with him. As we identify things that are important to us, we grow in our willingness to spend time working at them, whether it’s a sport, musical instrument or our relationship with Christ.

Blessings to all of our Cobb and Cherokee students & staff as they begin a new school year and building up the kingdom of God.

Things to talk about:

• Is there anything that is SO valuable that you would sell all that you have to purchase it? If so, what is it?
• Did you ever lose something important and then find it later? What did that feel like?
• What is Jesus trying to teach us in today’s Gospel?

Things to do:

• A treasure hunt is a great way to keep kids entertained and reinforce this Gospel. Consider creating a treasure hunt at your home; it takes some time to prepare it, but it’s well worth it! Have kids invite their friends. Click HERE for some tips!
• Build your own pizza! Make your own edible treasure by building your pizza, recipe ideas HERE.
• Look around our Church, there are many treasures. What do you think is the most valuable?
• Work on being thankful this week. Wake up each morning and thank God for all your treasures (your family, home, friends, faith!
• As a family, talk about whether your lives reflect the importance of faith in Christ. How does your family put Mass, Reconciliation and time for prayer first? What about service, care for the environment? Create a family list of priorities and actions. Post the list on the refrigerator as a reminder.
• Come to Conversations with Clergy this Wednesday, August 2, 7:00 p.m. to learn more about THE MASS. Sign up HERE.

Fun Fact – The most valuable earthly treasure ever found (The Cuerdale Hoard) was discovered in 1840 by a group of workmen in a river near Preston in England. Inside was one of the biggest hoards of Viking treasure ever found—more than 8,600 items were documented, including silver coins, various bits of jewelry, and silver ingots. It has an estimated worth of $3.2 million.

Blessings for an awesome week!

St. John Vianney, August 5, Patron Saint of Priests

Start off the new Faith Formation season at the Parish Mission—RESTORED

Friday, August 11—Saturday, August 12. Adult/Teen & Middle School & Elementary sessions. Childcare available. Join us for the entire mission, Friday or Saturday. Take this opportunity to look at RESTORING ourselves, our relationships, our community. Come and be inspired by John Edwards, Just a Guy in the Pew. Registration closes August 7.

Remember to register for Our Great Journey.

Weekly sessions begin August 27. We can’t wait to see you.

Click HERE to Register

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Our Great Journey

Welcome to our weekly blog, designed to share ideas for Living the Gospel at Home. This blog is meant to be interactive, so please share ideas, photos and resources that you have tried at home. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most meaningful.

This weekend, Jesus talks about The Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat in Matthew 13:24-43. 

This Gospel calls us to be vigilant gardeners, strong in faith and always ready to deal with the weeds. The “weeds” in our daily lives take away our focus, or are choices that may look good at first but in reality choices that choke the life out of our faith. God’s Word has to be planted deep in our hearts, in the good, rich soil of who God wants us to be. 

Things to talk about:

• What do you enjoy about going to Mass on Sunday?
• In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about wheat and weeds. What does the wheat represent? What do the weeds represent? 
• Why do you think Jesus doesn’t want to pull up the weeds until the harvest?

Things to do:

• Watch this video and learn how to draw wheat, click HERE.
• Pull weeds in your garden or landscaping. Make it a competitive family activity to see who can pull the most weeds and award a prize for the winner. Be sure to instruct children on the difference between weeds and plants/flowers!
• Clean out your garage, shed, or storage area, and consider giving things away to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store or Goodwill. Alternatively, sell old things and consider using your proceeds to purchase something for your new outdoor sacred space
• Count how many songs we sing at Mass today that contained the word “wheat”.

Fun Fact: Wheat is the third largest crop produced in the United States, following corn and beans. One bushel of wheat contains approximately one million individual kernels, and it weighs about 60 pounds!

St. Christopher – July 25

St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers, having a St. Christopher medal in your car is a great idea because statistically, traveling is one of the most dangerous things we do. Bless your family car with holy water and a simple blessing. Click HERE. Then go out for a quick drive and grab some ice cream or milkshakes to eat while you “travel.”

Saints Anne and Joachim, Mary’s parents Feast Day July 26

Joachim and Anne represent that entire quiet series of generations who faithfully perform their duties, practice their faith, and establish an atmosphere for the coming of the Messiah, but remain obscure.

This is the “feast of grandparents.” It reminds grandparents of their responsibility to make and keep our faith traditions alive for generations to come. There is also a message for the younger generations too; older people can have great perspective, lots of experience and great wisdom. Let’s pray for all our grandparents today. If you are lucky enough to have grandparents who are still here, call or text them and tell them you love and treasure them.

Remember to register for Our Great Journey.

Click Here to Register

Start off the new Faith Formation season at the Parish Mission—RESTORED

Friday, August 11—Saturday, August 12. Adult/Teen & Middle School & Elementary sessions. Childcare available. Join us for the entire mission, Friday or Saturday. Take this opportunity to look at RESTORING ourselves, our relationships, our community. Come and be inspired by John Edwards, Just a Guy in the Pew.

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Our Great Journey

Welcome to our weekly summer blog, designed to share ideas for Living the Gospel at Home. This blog is meant to be interactive, so please share ideas, photos and resources that you have tried at home. 

Today’s Gospel, Matthew 13:1-29,  includes the “Parable of the Sower.” The Parable of the Sower is a story told by Jesus that teaches us about the condition of our hearts and how we respond to the Word of God. Jesus tells this parable and then tries to explain to his disciples how his words can produce a great harvest of good works.

Knowing Jesus, the disciples immediately realize that a seemingly straightforward parable has a deeper meaning than what we understand on the surface. They also recognize that not everyone will read a more profound message into a simple parable, so they ask Jesus why he teaches like this.

Things to talk about:

• Why does Jesus often use parables to teach?
• Who is the sower in this parable?
• At this point in your life, what kind of soil would you say you are?

Things to do:

In today’s Gospel Jesus is calling us to see, hear, grow and produce.

• Find some “good soil” in your backyard or community garden and plant seeds of vegetable and herbs that are great to start planting in July. Find out what seeds you can plant now! Take pictures of what you plant to share on this blog.
• Use the fruit that grew from a lemon seed to make this delicious lemon bar dessert!
• In the Parable of the Sower, a sower scatters seed which falls on four different types of ground. Take a walk in a garden, park, or greenspace and look for hard ground (where plants can’t grow at all), stony ground, (where plants wither in the sun) thorny ground (where plants are “choked” by surrounding thorns) and the good ground (which allows plants to grow and produce.) Take pictures of each to share on this blog.

Jesus’ parable of the sower predicts that Jesus’ word will yield a great harvest. This yield, however, does not happen in the gospel narrative. It happens much later, when the followers of Christ begin to spread the good news of his teaching and Resurrection from the dead.

We can be a part of this mission to grow, produce, and spread the Good News. Participate in our Parish Mission on August 11-12 to jump start a renewal and new growth within the parish of Transfiguration. More…

Our Great Journey

Welcome to our weekly summer blog, designed to share ideas for Living the Gospel at Home. This blog is meant to be interactive, so please share ideas, photos and resources that you have tried at home. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most meaningful.

In today’s Gospel, Matthew 11:25-30, Jesus teaches us how we can know God. 

Jesus teaches us that those who know Him will know the Father.  As a faith filled family, we can come to know God and Jesus better through our encounters in faith together. Knowing God happens as we follow Jesus and learn more about what it means to be a disciple. Jesus invites us to follow Him saying, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Summer is a great time to rest and recharge our family spiritual life so that we can better follow Jesus and know the Father.

Things to talk about:

• What is God the Father like to you?
• What are some ways your family likes to relax and recharge during the summer?
• In the gospel, Jesus tells us to take His yoke upon ourselves. What kind of yoke is He talking about?

Things to do:

In today’s Gospel Jesus is calling us to discipleship. To know the Father is to follow Christ and encounter Him in prayer.

• As a family design a Sacred Space in your backyard by converting a shed to a chapel or a space in your garden into a grotto. Use this space to rest in prayer and reflection. Search the internet for inspiration.

Family Chalenge: Make a time this week to relax and recharge together as a family. Take time to pray and play together so you can encounter Christ in one another.

Tuesday, July 11 is the Feast Day of St. Benedict. Make Eggs Benedict for breakfast (or brinner) to celebrate his Feast Day.  (Eggs Benedict Recipe)

Feast Day July 11

Early in life, St. Benedict was drawn to live like a monk. At first, he became a hermit, but he soon realized that he could not live a hidden life in a small town, so he withdrew to a cave high in the mountains for three years. Some monks chose Benedict as their leader for a while but did not like his strict lifestyle. He had an idea of gathering various families of monks into one “Grand Monastery” to give them the benefit of unity, fraternity, and permanent worship in one house. Finally, he began to build what was to become one of the most famous monasteries in the world—Monte Cassino. Benedict developed a “Rule” that prescribed a life of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor, and living together in community. During the Middle Ages, all monasticism in the West was gradually brought under the Rule of St. Benedict.

Fun Fact: St. Benedict had a twin sister and she is a saint too! St. Scholastica’s Feast Day is on February 10.

The United States is in the midst of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival to remind us of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and restore our understanding of, and devotion to, the Eucharist. Come as a family to the Chapel and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is truly present. READ MORE…

Looking for some family faith fun for the summer?  Check out the Summer Bucket List for Families from CatholicMom.com. 

Remember to register for Our Great Journey. Early registration discount ends July 15.

Click Here to Register

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Our Great Journey

Welcome to our weekly summer blog, designed to share ideas for Living the Gospel at Home. This blog is meant to be interactive, so please share ideas, photos and resources that you have tried at home. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most meaningful.

In today’s Gospel, Matthew 10:37-42, Jesus explains the cost and rewards of discipleship.  The conditions outlined for discipleship may sound harsh at first, but Jesus is helping those who choose a life of discipleship to understand that our relationships must be looked at through a lens of love for Christ first.  When we choose to love Christ, our relationships with our family and our friends should reflect that love as well.  Jesus explains that his disciples are hospitable and welcoming of others.  This is one way we can show others Jesus’ love through our kindness.

Things to talk about:

• What do you think Jesus means when he says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it?”
• How would you describe a disciple of Jesus?
• How can you become a better disciple?

Things to do:

In today’s Gospel Jesus explains that we should be hospitable and welcoming to others. Think about when you have guests over to your home. What are ways you make them feel welcomed?

• As a family, plan a play date or get together with family friends. Plan what you will do, what foods and beverages you will serve, how you will invite your guests, and what will you do to make your guests feel welcomed in your home.

As disciples, we are called to help others to feel Jesus’ love.  Who is someone you know that needs help today?  How can you help them?

Fireworks!  Tuesday is July 4^th, Independence Day.  Take the family to a fireworks display and enjoy celebrating our freedoms.  Take time on this day to pray for our country.

Happy 4th of July!

Prayer for Our Nation

God our Father, giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people.

Send Your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the “culture of death.” Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The United States is in the midst of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival to remind us of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and restore our understanding of, and devotion to, the Eucharist. Come as a family to the Chapel and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is truly present. READ MORE

Looking for some family faith fun for the summer?  Check out the Summer Bucket List for Families from CatholicMom.com. 

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Our Great Journey

Welcome to our weekly summer blog, designed to share ideas for Living the Gospel at Home. This blog is meant to be interactive, so please share ideas, photos and resources that you have tried at home. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most meaningful.

This weekend, Jesus talks about Courage in Matthew 10:26-33

Jesus seeks to draw his followers out of fear and spur them to trust and hope in him! Rooted in the promise of eternal life with God, Christian hope flourishes even in the midst of hardship. With such faith and hope, Christians can proclaim the good news always.

For the good of our souls we must speak God’s Word. This is not just a moral requirement, or some ideal behavior for which we must strive. Jesus equates eternal life with words we speak in the light, inside our homes, and before others. Jesus is reminding us that our speech reveals the state of our soul. Every word a person utters communicates something about our beliefs. Jesus promises eternal life to those who speak his words with courage – fearless speech reveals the faith within!!

Things to talk about:

• In today’s Gospel, Jesus begins by saying, “Fear no one.” Are you afraid of anyone? If so, why are you afraid of that person?
• How many hairs do you think you have on your head? Do you think that you can count them? How does it make you feel to know that God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head?
• Jesus says, “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.” Talk about what that means to you as you go through your everyday life. Are you showing your Jesus, are you sharing your Jesus, are you proud to be a follower of Christ?

Things to do:

In today’s Gospel Jesus is calling us to stand strong against fear. Invite each of your family members to think of something that may be causing them anxiety or fear and bring it before Jesus each night. Pray this prayer together:

• Lord Jesus, draw near to me now and hear my prayer. Lord, you know my heart and my innermost thoughts. You see the struggle within me and the battle between mind and heart. I ask you, O Lord, please release me from this fear. Let me bask in your Holiness and remain calm, knowing that you are Lord and Savior. You died for my sins, and you will never abandon me. Send your Spirit upon me to comfort me and give me peace. I thank you for your everlasting love. Amen.

Jesus mentions sparrows in today’s Gospel; challenge your family to become Bird Watchers!! Make a game of it and offer a prize to the first person who can spot 5 different birds.

• Bird watching is something that the whole family can enjoy. The best place to start bird watching is in your own backyard. Set the garden up to be bird friendly so your family can sit and enjoy watching birds any time they like. Here are some ideas:
• Set up a bird bath.
• Set up a bird feeder.
• Set up nesting boxes.
• Get a children’s bird reference book or make your own by searching the Internet for birds in your local area and printing pictures of them.
• Get some binoculars.
• Talk about how amazing our God is for creating all the beauty we experience in nature. Each bird is created to be unique and beautiful – just like us!

Feast Day June 27

St. Cyril was born about 376 in Alexandria, Egypt. He became archbishop when his uncle, the former archbishop, died. During his first years in the position, Cyril was severe with heretics (baptized members of the Church who refuse to acknowledge or accept a revealed truth) and other people who caused trouble for the Christians. Later, he grew in compassion. Cyril became famous for his action at the Council of Ephesus. He tried to make the heretic Nestorius understand that Christ was truly God and man. He defended the teaching that Mary is the Mother of God and insisted on calling her Theotokos, a Greek name meaning “God-bearer” or “Mother of God.” Cyril died in 444. Because of his struggle with heretics and his forceful writing about doctrine, Cyril was later named a Doctor of the Church.

The United States is in the midst of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival to remind us of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and restore our understanding of, and devotion to, the Eucharist. On June 10-11, 2023, parishes across the country are intentionally celebrating and highlighting Adoration, the real presence of Jesus, on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. …READ MORE

Join us or an Evening of Encounter, Wednesday, June 28, after the 6:30 p.m. Mass. Praise & Worship, Adoration and a witness story of God’s amazing love.,

Looking for some family faith fun for the summer?  Check out the Summer Bucket List for Families from CatholicMom.com. 

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Our Great Journey

Welcome to our weekly summer blog, designed to share ideas for Living the Gospel at Home. This blog is meant to be interactive, so please share ideas, photos and resources that you have tried at home. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most meaningful.

This weekend, Jesus declares, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9:36-10:8 

Jesus shares his motivation for why he has disciples and why he is teaching them what he is teaching them. We hear that Jesus has compassion as his heart was moved with pity for the people who were gathered because they were troubled. He sees his people as lost sheep that he needs to help.

Jesus tells his disciples that they need to provide God’s care, healing, and teaching to those crowds. He is giving the disciples a chance to experience the reason they are learning what he has been teaching them, which will then increase their own motivation to keep learning.

Things to talk about:

• Why do you think Jesus is moved with pity for the crowds?
• What does Jesus mean when he says, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few”?
• Jesus appoints the apostles to help the crowds and lead others to Christ. In what way do ordained clergy (bishops, priests, deacons) help and lead people to Christ today?

Things to do:

• In today’s Gospel, Jesus sent out the twelve to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This week, proclaim the good news of Jesus to someone you don’t know. Ask the Lord to send someone to you that has an open heart and is ready to receive the good news.

• Evangelizing by drawing crosses or writing Scripture verses with some sidewalk chalk in front of your house is a great way to get kids outside, and it also lets them practice writing in a fun and creative way.

• Search your church building to see if any works of art depict any of the twelve apostles. You may want to bring a list of their names to help your search! (Hint: Look at the Transfiguration window, can you find Peter, John and James?)

FUN FACT: Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington is credited with starting Father’s Day after hearing a sermon on Mother’s Day while attending church with her father. Dodd wanted to honor her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran, who raised six children after his wife died during childbirth.

The United States is in the midst of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival to remind us of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and restore our understanding of, and devotion to, the Eucharist. On June 10-11, 2023, parishes across the country are intentionally celebrating and highlighting Adoration, the real presence of Jesus, on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. …READ MORE

Join us or an Evening of Encounter, Wednesday, June 28, after the 6:30 p.m. Mass. Praise & Worship, Adoration and a witness story of God’s amazing love.,

Looking for some family faith fun for the summer?  Check out the Summer Bucket List for Families from CatholicMom.com. 

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June 11, 2023

Our Great Journey

Welcome to our weekly summer blog, designed to share ideas for Living the Gospel at Home. This blog is meant to be interactive, so please share ideas, photos and resources that you have tried at home. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most meaningful.

This weekend, we are celebrating the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. 

John 6:51-58 

Jesus tells the crowd of people gathered that he is the living bread that came down from heaven. He tells them that when they eat his flesh and drink his blood, they will remain connected to him forever.

These are difficult words, but they are important because they seek to show us our intimate connection with Jesus. Christians consume the Body and Blood of Christ and then go out to share Christ with others through their generosity, courage, love and faith. 

Things to talk about:

• What types of bread does your family enjoy? How is bread important to your family’s life?
• What do you think Jesus means when he says “I am the living bread”?

Things to do:

• Break bread with your family. At your family meal, pass the bread around the table and, as each family member takes a piece, have them tell what they remember about their first Communion and what the Eucharist now means to them. 

• Eucharistic Adoration is one way to proclaim belief in the Real Presence. Even if you can’t devote a whole hour to Adoration, spend a few minutes in front of the Blessed Sacrament talking about how Jesus is truly there.  Learn ways to pray during adoration…

• Jesus shares bread with a hungry crowd. As a family assemble a “Mercy Bag” or two. Place nutritional items such as protein or breakfast bars, water bottles, canned macaroni with a pop-top lid in a gallon-sized, sealable storage bag. Also include a spoon or fork and a napkin or wipes! Keep the Mercy Bag in your trunk for when you need to give it to person or family in need that you encounter in a shopping center parking lot or in the city.

The United States is in the midst of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival to remind us of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and restore our understanding of, and devotion to, the Eucharist. On June 10-11, 2023, parishes across the country are intentionally celebrating and highlighting Adoration, the real presence of Jesus, on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. …READ MORE

Looking for some family faith fun for the summer?  Check out the Summer Bucket List for Families from CatholicMom.com. 

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