Catholic Activities

Lenten fasting: Catholic diet hacks and social justice weight loss tips

2026-06-08T21:33:00.000-04:00

Are you having trouble losing weight no matter what you try? It could be because you're missing a few basic ingredients to weight loss. I know from personal experience struggling. I call these my "Catholic diet hacks" for social justice weight loss because they are based on the church's teaching on Lent. Use them to gear up your Lenten fasting. These tips are part of how I lost 100 pounds without drugs or weight loss surgery.

Mardi Gras is a Catholic festival season that culminates on Fat Tuesday and takes the faithful into Ash

Wednesday and the penitential season of Lent, The commonly known practice is Lenten fasting or

choosing something to give up for Lent and it's not just for the Catholic. Everyone, Catholic or not,

should quit feasting on Fat Tuesday and pick an addiction to give up for Lent. Don't worry, that's no

religious agenda, just common sense. Lenten fasting is healthy for everyone! Give up junk food for

Lent and you might lose weight, illness, debt, and depression! You don't have to fast for religious

reasons but a spiritual fast can be very healing.

And spiritual fasting isn't necessarily religious, it's a mind-body connection, an examination of

conscience, a personal reflection that frees the mind and soul of earthly trappings. Fasting is a very

Zen experience. Lent, Ramadan and Yom Kippur are ritual purgative fasts. Fasts such as the Buddhist

nyungne bring the elements of the self into focus and unity. Abstaining from mindless indulgences

and addictions, at least for a time, helps to align thoughts, actions, words and feelings. Lenten fasting

helps get priorities straight. Whatever addictions you give up for Lent will have less hold over you.

You find it easier to diet and lose weight as cravings aren't so intense and you are more easily

satisfied.

The Tao of Lenten fasting is inner cleansing through outward deprivation. On Shrove Tuesday and

Ash Wednesday a Catholic is "shriven" or purified and readied for prayer, meditation and almsgiving

and taking up the cross and following Jesus. Think of something negative that has a hold on you to

give up for Lent. Lenten fasting helps you concentrate on essentials. Beat depression and gain

confidence and strength knowing you're stronger than your cravings. If you offer your Lenten fasting

for particular intentions, you develop awareness of, sensitivity to and solidarity with the needs of

others. So you lose weight but also selfishness.

Being less focused on things can help you get out of

debt. You have more money to help those in poverty. This is the best medicine for depression!

Fasting is positive for health reasons. Abstaining from meat, alcohol, fats, sugar, sodium, junk carbs,

candy and dairy can help you lose weight and illness. In times past, people refrained from eating all

of these things during Lent. Now, a Catholic will generally choose one thing to fast from. If you have

trouble deciding? Pick meat or sweets to give up for Lent. You can lower bad cholesterol without

medication just by eating more fish and less meat and dairy. Drinking less alcohol helps cleanse the

liver which helps you lose weight. Try fasting on bread and water twice a week, You may shed 20

pounds during a Lenten fast, making no other lifestyle changes. Refraining from eating sweets and

caffeine, and practicing emotional health exercises can help you wean from an antidepressant and

beat depression naturally. A Lenten fast can heal obesity, depression, save you money and find your

inner joy!

Free printable Bible crafts for Catholic Christian kids' summer activities

2026-05-26T22:38:18.892-04:00

Hello my dear friends of this blog on Catholic family activities for children! Today as summer vacation approaches, Teacher Omi (that's Grandma in Dutch--me) is here with a tree fort full of free printable Bible and Catholic Christian craft projects for children. I'm aiming toward homeschool and church VBS programs with something for everyone. I'll include ideas for babies (that's you, Cassius) and toddlers (Flora and Max) to preschool (Emmett and Remus) kindergarten and early elementary (Lucian, Henry, Milo, Ezra and Juno) all the way up to the Big kahunas--Lola, Moses and Silas!

💌 A Special Message from Omi!

"Now children, sometimes Mom and Dad are just so busy that it's hard to make time to play. Why not organize your own Craft Club? You can take turns planning the 'Craft of the Week' for your siblings! You could connect it to a book you are reading! This helps everyone and you'll feel so wonderful knowing you created something special together!" (and don't forget to send Omi and Opi pictures of your art!)

Happy Crafting, my little artists! 🎨✨

🎨✎✀Teacher Omi Tip: The Crafting Advantage🎨✎✀
Color, cut, and paste projects are more than just a fun break in the school day—they are powerful developmental tools! For young learners, these activities are perfect for:
💃Building Coordination: Practicing scissors skills and precise pasting helps children refine their fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination.😍
📣Following Directions: Multi-step crafts teach the value of listening, planning, and following simple, logical sequences. 💪
🎊Boosting Confidence: Because these templates and projects are designed for high success, they give children a tangible sense of accomplishment, which is a fantastic way to boost self-esteem and encourage creativity. 😇

Whether it’s a simple paper doll or a complex diorama, every snip and glue-dot helps them grow!

Outline of Recommended Bible Craft Resources

Free Kids Crafts:
- Focus: A vast library covering Christian and Jewish themes, including VBS activities, puppets, and angel projects.
- Tip: Use the search bar or site map to filter specifically for your Bible lesson theme.
Paper Dali

Focus: Free printable Catholic coloring pages and saints paper dolls. Beautifully hand-drawn images.
Tip: Print in grayscale on the backs of recycled paper to save ink and trees!

The Toymaker

Focus: Not a specifically religious site, but still not to be missed for free printable paper craft projects for children.
Tip: Craft projects pair well with nature and animal Bible themes.

Christian Preschool Printables:
- Focus: High-quality, diverse materials suitable for all elementary ages, not just preschool.
- Offerings: Lesson plans, file folder games, board games, and felt board activities.
A Kid's Heart:
- Focus: Educational integration; combines core subjects like math and reading with Bible stories.
- Offerings: Habitat dioramas, finger puppets, mazes, and puzzles.
Making Friends:
- Focus: Diverse collection of crafts with free printable Bible paper dolls.
- Tip: Most craft projects now have a cost.

I've thrown in a few recipes for homemade, non-toxic paint. Kids love to make their own craft supplies and bonus added gets you some kitchen science experiments out of it! Oh and here's some advice from my crafty granddaughter Lola. You could do this with markers too. If you find one without a hat (top) just cover it with a piece of plastic to keep it moist. Way to be a friend to the earth, my little lady!

Additional Resources for Free Printable Bible Crafts

To expand your toolkit further, here are other trusted websites that provide high-quality, free printable religious education materials:

Ministry-to-Children: One of the most comprehensive free libraries for Sunday school teachers. They offer craft templates, coloring sheets, and lesson plans that are very easy to print and implement.
Bible Games Central: Excellent for interactive lessons. They focus on crafts that are engaging and often double as tools to help children remember the Bible story they just learned.
Sunday School Zone: Offers a wide range of printable crafts categorized by Bible story or character, making it very easy to match the activity to your specific weekly lesson.
DLTK's Bible Activities: A classic resource featuring simple, printable crafts, Bible stories written for children, and printable templates for puppets and paper dolls. (ages preschool to grade 2)
Creative Children’s Ministries: A great source for "quick and easy" crafts that don't require expensive supplies, perfect for large VBS groups where budget and time are factors.

May your summer vacation be brimming with love and fun!

Free Printable Advent Calendar Craft Project

2026-05-26T19:47:00.000-04:00

Advent is the four week period before Christmas. Advent calendars are a great way to count down the days until Christmas. You can make your own using this easy Advent calendar pattern. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, so the length of time it lasts changes each year. To make your Advent calendar reusable from year to year, simply number windows from 1-42. That will ensure that you have enough for each day before Christmas and up to Epiphany. On shorter season years, end earlier. First, I've included links for free printable advent calendars to make as kids' craft projects.

Free Printable Advent Calendars

These sites offer a variety of styles, from simple countdowns to activity-focused and religious designs:

A Hundred Affections: Offers a comprehensive bundle including calendars for daily Bible readings, acts of kindness, and family activities.
Kids Craft Room: Features a wide collection of creative countdowns, including a Nativity-focused coloring Advent calendar.
A Cultivated Nest: A curated list of 16 different printable advent calendars ranging from DIY boxes to sticker-based countdowns.
Powerful Mothering: Provides a printable DIY box template that creates a Christmas tree image as you open the boxes each day.

DIY Reusable Advent Calendar Project

Overview

What it is: A custom, reusable Advent calendar that counts down from the fourth Sunday before Christmas through Epiphany.
Capacity: 42 windows to accommodate varying seasonal lengths.

Materials Needed

Base: 4 sheets of tagboard, card stock, or construction paper (11" x 17" recommended).
Decorations: Christmas-themed images (wrapping paper or printed illustrations). Check out these sites for free printable Catholic Christian coloring pages for Christmas.
Catholic & Christian Christmas Coloring Pages
These sites provide pages specifically focused on the religious story of Christmas:
- CatholicMom.com: A fantastic resource for liturgical coloring pages, including those specifically for Advent and various saints' feast days.
- The Catholic Kid: Excellent for thematic religious pages, including a series on the "12 Days of Christmas" that explains the religious significance behind each day.
- Christian Preschool Printables: Features a large collection of Nativity scenes, angel pages, and depictions of the journey to Bethlehem.
- Religious Doodles: Offers a variety of pages based on classic Christmas carols and Nativity imagery.
Tools:
- Sharp scissors and X-acto knife.
- Scoring tool.
- Fine-point black pen.
- Markers or crayons (if coloring your own images).
Adhesives: Choose your preferred method (Glue dots for ease, or Rubber Cement for clean-up).

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the Poster Base
- Create your 11" x 17" backing by taping smaller sheets together if necessary.
Decorate one piece of tagboard using your chosen Christmas images or wrapping paper. You can print this and have children color it, as well.
Create the Activity/Verse Sheet
- On a separate piece of plain tagboard, draw 42 rectangles (each 1.5" x 1").
- Write a Bible verse or countdown activity inside each rectangle.
- The Story of the Coming King (42-Day Countdown)
  Part 1: The Promises (Old Testament Prophecy)
  Genesis 3:15 – The promise of a Savior.
  Genesis 12:3 – All nations will be blessed.
  Genesis 49:10 – The ruler will come from Judah.
  2 Samuel 7:16 – A throne established forever.
  Isaiah 7:14 – The virgin will conceive.
  Isaiah 9:2 – A people walking in darkness see a great light.
  Isaiah 9:6 – A Son is given; his name is Prince of Peace.
  Isaiah 9:7 – He will reign on David’s throne.
  Isaiah 11:1 – A shoot will come from the stump of Jesse.
  Micah 5:2 – The ruler will be born in Bethlehem.
  Numbers 24:17 – A star will rise out of Jacob.
  Malachi 3:1 – The messenger prepares the way.
  Part 2: The Announcement (Luke 1)
  Luke 1:5–7 – The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth.
  Luke 1:8–11 – The angel appears in the temple.
  Luke 1:13–15 – The promise of John the Baptist.
  Luke 1:26–27 – The angel Gabriel visits Mary.
  Luke 1:28–30 – "Greetings, you who are highly favored."
  Luke 1:31–33 – The announcement of Jesus’ birth.
  Luke 1:34–35 – "How will this be?"
  Luke 1:38 – Mary’s humble response.
  Luke 1:39–41 – Mary visits Elizabeth.
  Luke 1:46–49 – Mary’s song of praise (The Magnificat).
  Part 3: The Birth (Matthew 1 & Luke 2)
  Matthew 1:18–19 – Joseph’s dilemma.
  Matthew 1:20–21 – An angel visits Joseph in a dream.
  Luke 2:1–3 – The decree of Caesar Augustus.
  Luke 2:4–5 – The journey to Bethlehem.
  Luke 2:6–7 – The birth in the manger.
  Luke 2:8–9 – Shepherds in the fields.
  Luke 2:10–12 – "Do not be afraid; a Savior is born."
  Luke 2:13–14 – The heavenly host praises God.
  Luke 2:15–16 – The shepherds hurry to find Jesus.
  Luke 2:17–18 – The shepherds spread the good news.
  Luke 2:19–20 – Mary ponders these things.
  Part 4: The Epiphany (Matthew 2)
  Matthew 2:1–2 – The Wise Men see the star.
  Matthew 2:3–4 – Herod is disturbed.
  Matthew 2:5–6 – Seeking the Messiah in Bethlehem.
  Matthew 2:9–10 – The star leads them to the house.
  Matthew 2:11 – Worship and gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
  Matthew 2:12 – The Wise Men return home.
  Part 5: Reflection & The Word Made Flesh
  John 1:1–3 – The Word was with God.
  John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
  1 John 5:11 – God gives us eternal life through His Son.
Template and Cutting
- Place a sheet of tracing paper over the rectangle grid and trace the outlines.
- Layer the decorated poster board on top of the activity sheet.
- Place the tracing paper on top of the stack.
- Using your scoring tool or X-acto knife, cut three edges of each rectangle through the decorated tagboard to create "windows."
Final Assembly
- Number the windows 1–42 on the front of the decorated board.
- Tape the two sheets of tagboard together along the edges to create the finished calendar.

Explaining Catholic Fasting to Children: Why we give things up for Lent

2026-05-07T20:56:53.807-04:00

In the Catholic church, Ash Wednesday kicks off the penitential season of Lent. During Lent, Orthodox and Catholic Christians fast, pray and give alms to the needy, to prepare for Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday. Most of us Catholic think about fasting only during Lent. But we're called by Jesus in the gospels and Our Blessed Mother echoing her son's teaching, to fast regularly. Whether you're Catholic or not, there's a lot to be learned from these disciplines, especially for children. Here are FAQs and tips to teach children and those that aren't Catholic, about fasting and sacrifice.

What is fasting?

There are two types of sacrifice, physical (corporeal body) and spiritual (incorporeal soul) and both involve a duality or flip side. We "give up" bad and practice good habits. Educators know you can't teach what not to do without teaching replacement things to do. Instead of just "giving up" fighting, we practice the flip side which is getting along.

What is a Lenten fast?

A common question around the Lenten season is "what are you giving up for Lent?" Catholic fasting is about much more than what you're giving up for Lent. During a Lenten fast, people sacrifice, give up or abstain from foods, vices, activities or habits. Sometimes people abstain from negative, unhealthy practices (anger, swearing) Other times, they just fast from treats (candy). Parents, I recommend children choosing a physical and spiritual fast and identifying flip side practices.

Omi’s Simple Definitions:

The Physical Fast: Training the body to say "no" to what it wants (like candy) so we can focus on what we need like vegetables and fruits. (the flip side)

The Spiritual Fast: Training the soul to stop habits that hurt others (like yelling or fighting) and build healthy habits like respect, generosity and kindness.

🥖 Fasting from Food (Physical)

Fasting from food is the act of voluntarily abstaining from certain meals, specific types of food (like meat), or treats (like sweets) for a set period.

The Goal: It is a form of self-discipline designed to master physical desires. In a religious context, the "hunger" felt during a food fast serves as a reminder of spiritual hunger and a way to practice "dying to self."
Examples: Eating only one full meal a day, abstaining from meat on Fridays, or "giving up" soda or chocolate.
The flip side. Living more sustainably by eating simpler, grain and vegetable based meals.

✨ Spiritual Fasting (Interpersonal)

Spiritual fasting (often called a "fast of the heart") involves abstaining from negative behaviors, attitudes, or habits that hurt your relationship with others or your own peace of mind.

The Goal: The purpose is to "empty" oneself of toxic traits to make room for virtues like patience, kindness, and humility. It focuses on the internal landscape rather than the stomach.
Examples: Fasting from complaining, gossip, sarcasm, laziness, or angry outbursts.
The flip side: Replacing those with better habits.

So it's not just about giving stuff up and not doing things?

No and that's a good question. It's actually impossible to "not do" something. And here's why (kids, you'll love this one!)

🧠 The "White Bear" Problem

If I tell you, "Whatever you do, do not think of a white bear," what is the first thing that pops into your head? A white bear!

To check if you are successfully not thinking about the bear, your brain has to constantly "monitor" for it. This keeps the very thing you are trying to avoid right at the front of your mind.

🚫 The Vacuum Principle

🥤Vacuum in action

Think of your habits like a glass of chocolate milk. When you suck the milk out with a straw, the glass doesn't stay empty—air rushes in to fill that space immediately!

Our lives are just like that glass. You can’t just "empty" a bad habit out and leave a hole. If you don't intentionally fill that space with a new, good habit, the old one will just rush back in to fill the vacuum!

Science tells us nature abhors a vacuum. In other words there can never be nothing in a glass. When you suck the chocolate milk out with a straw air rushes in. In fact, if it doesn't like in a sealed glass, you can't suck any more milk out. Physics won't let you. It says "nope, not till you put something in there instead." A tornado is another great example.

🌪️ Tornado Myth: Do Houses "Implode"?

There is a famous myth that houses "explode" during a tornado because the low pressure (the vacuum) inside the funnel causes the air inside the house to push outward. Science tells us this isn't true.

It’s not the "nothingness" of the vacuum that destroys the house—it is the violent rush of air trying to get into that empty space. When we leave a "vacuum" in our character by simply stopping a bad habit without replacing it, we invite a spiritual windstorm to rush in and cause a collapse!

So what should I do?

Another great question! You are so smart! Instead of just emptying the old we must learn replacement behaviors. This is because:

Willpower is a limited resource: It takes a lot of energy to "stop" a thought or action. That silly white bear will keep running back in the more you try to keep him out!
Action is easier than inaction: The brain prefers to do a new task rather than try to maintain a state of doing nothing. So we think about a blue frog instead!

🎡 The Power of the Pivot

Think of your brain like a steering wheel. You can't just "not turn left" to avoid a ditch; you have to physically turn the wheel to the right to stay on the road.

Fasting works the same way. We don't just "not fight"—which keeps our minds stuck on the conflict—we pivot toward kindness. This gives our hands and hearts something active to do!

Here are things to stop doing (white bears) with friend blue frogs to start doing.

The angry outburst blue frogs get their own chart because that one's a little trickier to do. And Teacher Omi ought to know because she really struggles with that particular white bear! 💓😘😬😮😻

🔄 The White Bear & Blue Frog Swap Chart

The White Bear (Stop Doing...)	The Blue Frog (Start Doing...)	Omi’s "Pro-Tip"
Complaining	Giving Thanks	Keep a "Gratitude Jar" on the counter for the whole family.
Gossiping	Spreading Happy News	Be the one who tells a "success story" about someone else.
Negative Self-Talk	Finding 10 Nice Things	If you think one bad thought, you owe yourself 10 compliments!
Sarcasm	Genuineness & Transparency	Say exactly what you mean with kindness; skip the "backhanded" jokes.
Laziness / Avoiding	Doing the "Hard Thing" First	Tackle the task you’re avoiding right away to clear the mental fog.
Angry Outbursts	The "Cool Down" Routine	Breathe, count to 100, and ask for help before speaking.
Meat-Heavy Meals	Fish, Veggies & Alternative Proteins	Experiment with that TVP or those "Meat-Swapper" beans!
Endless TV Time	Active Family Adventures	Trade the remote for a board game or a walk to the park.
Video Games	Reading, Writing, or Praying	Dive into a story or a journal to fill that creative space.
Social Media / Phones	Face-to-Face Interaction	Put the phones in a "parking lot" basket during dinner.
Driving Everywhere	Walking	Get some fresh air and move your body for those short trips.
Throwing Stuff Away	Recycling & Repurposing

🐸 The "Angry Outburst" Blue Frog Checklist

Instead of reacting with a "White Bear" roar, pivot to these Blue Frog skills:

💨 Take a deep breath: Fill your lungs slowly to tell your brain you are safe.
🔢 Count to 10 (or 100!): Give your "steering wheel" time to turn toward calm.
🧐 The "Think" Pause: Ask yourself: "What is actually bothering me right now?"
🤝 The Help Check: Decide if this is a problem a grown-up or a friend can help you solve.
🙋 Ask for Help: Use your words to say, "I am feeling frustrated. Can you help me?"
🐢 The Turtle Talk: Mindfully speak slowly and calmly to keep the "windstorm" away.

Free printable Mothers Day greeting cards, saints holy cards and prayer cards

2026-04-18T17:22:00.001-04:00

Hello and welcome to Catholic Activities, the blog where we share all things pertaining to our Catholic faith, geared for children. I bring to it 44 years in various teaching roles, licensed in gen ed. and special education. I'm a veteran homeschooling mom of four, and now an Omi (grandma in Dutch) to 13 whom I have the pleasure of "Omschooling" via my blog "Free Printable Lesson Plans." I'm also a convert to Catholicism (class of 1993). When I began homsechooling in the early 1990s, I dove into Catholic Christianity with joy. This blog is a culmination of all that.

We just celebrated the Octave of Easter and now we make our way towards Ascension Thursday and we'll explore that further in another post. But first I want to focus on that beautiful holiday of Mother's Day which falls in May 10, 2026 in the US. In the UK it's called Mothering Sunday ( I love that way of phrasing it) and it fell on March 15 this year.

Family is at the core of our life and our faith. So I'll be sharing some Mother's Day activities for kids shortly. First I have a special intention for those who struggle at this time of year when everyone else is celebrating mom.

This is for those whose mothers have passed, who are unable to be with their mothers or who are estranged from them for whatever reason. I also offer a love to those who have lost children. My little Mary-Therese and Isobella Raine live in heaven now. The Blessed Mother holds us all in a special place. Know that I care and if you would like to share the name of a loved one in the comments, I'll offer up prayers for you all."

And now for the Mother's Day activities for kids. A great way to engage children of all ages in the festivities is by making greeting cards for mom. Even my youngest baby grands Flora, Max and Cassius can participate. Flora and Max you can color and baby Cash, your job will be to creatively fold the cards!

Free Printable Mother's Day Greeting Cards from Homemade Gifts Made Easy (they have 132 different designs!). These are free to print only for home use.
Visit HP Mother's Day Printables for coloring pages and craft projects to print free. There are games, puzzles, word games, craft projects and color your own greeting cards to celebrate mom also.
We can't forget Miss Marilyn, The Toymaker on Mother's Day! Visit her blog for charming free printable Mother's Day paper crafts. And click around because she has made free printable paper crafts for other holidays such as Valentine's Day, that you might like to make for Mother's Day.
Next, visit First Palette for an assortment of printable Mother's Day crafts for kids to make for mom. There are also free printable Catholic prayer cards for mom from the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Washington.

This image is AI generated by Google Gemini specifically for my blog and that's another source for images to print free. Just ask your AI editor to create an image based on your description and you will have a beautiful image to print and share. If you want to turn them into coloring pages, just print in grayscale. You'll love how intuitive Gemini is about choosing colors. I love the rose, blue and purple shades of flowers that represent the Blessed Mother.
Lastly, here's a site I just discovered with free printable Catholic saints holy cards and prayer cards. The site is called Holy Reflections and the artwork on the holy cards is gorgeous. It's vintage pastel like the holy cards older folks like me will recall from childhood. The Sacred Heart image is stunning. You can print confirmation and baptism holy cards for greeting cards too. My favorite are the children's prayer cards. These are free to download and print for personal use only. You could use them in homeschool classroom too.

Good Friday and Holy Saturday lesson plans: Stations of the Cross shoebox dioramas

2026-04-03T16:00:00.001-04:00

Hello my friends of this blog on Catholic Activities. The purpose of this site is to make our Catholic Christian faith more real for us all but especially our children. Here are ways to personalize Good Friday, Lent and Holy Saturday so it is relatable to children. As a Montessori educator and homeschool mom from way back I make lesson plans "hands-on" and interactive.

To do so, we make Lenten craft projects and use them as devotional aides. Here are Catholic lesson plans to make Bible Easter dioramas that show the Stations of the Cross. Make these Lenten craft projects for Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday Good Friday or any time during Holy Week or Lent. As Easter often falls in April, Earth Month, we'll use recycled materials in our recycle bin crafts for Easter. Here's a free printable old city Jerusalem map to show where the present-day Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrows--is. This can help you visualize the stations of the cross in situ.

Pro-Tip for Busy Families: Fourteen shoeboxes is a big project! Consider choosing the "Major 3" (Crucifixion, Burial, and Resurrection) or assign one station to each child in a classroom setting to create a full set together.

What You’ll Need: The Ultimate Recycled Supplies List

Here's what you'll need for Bible Easter dioramas depicting the Catholic Stations of the Cross. Your recycle bin is your best friend here

recycled shoebox with lid

egg cartons

small cardboard boxes

recycled toilet paper and paper towel tubes

foil pieces

milk rings

plastic dishes

toothpicks

broken pencils

clear orange or red plastic from bread bags

round head clothespins

fabric and yarn scraps

beads

bits of greenery

sticks or twigs

glue or glue dots

misc nuts, bolts and screws (for students to use as needed)

lentils spray painted silver for Judas's 30 pieces of silver.

free printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages and images for backdrop

Free printable Way of the Cross coloring pages

free printable stations of the cross with prayers

scrap jewelry for chains

scissors and tape

Directions for Easter shoebox dioramas.

Stand the shoebox part upright inside the lid. Tape in place. The lid becomes the stage on which to arrange characters, props and setting details in Bible Easter dioramas. The open shoebox is the theater, so to speak. Make one shoebox diorama for each of the Stations of the Cross. Small boxes and paper towel tubes become buildings in the temple courtyard, praetorium, steeples or the pillory where Jesus is whipped.

Small plastic containers, cups or egg cartons form rocks or hills. Invert and paint green or brown. Create crosses from sticks and twigs found in the yard. Glue to an inverted butter tub or dish for Golgotha (Calvary) where Christ was crucified in the Stations of the Cross.

To create the city of Jerusalem and Via Dolorosa, make a "ramp" of cardboard to show Jesus at each station of the cross. Make baskets, containers and windows from milk rings or bottle caps. Use foil and toothpicks for armor, nails, water, swords or chains. Make fire from clear orange plastic bags. Use broken pencils for logs in a fire, depending on what is at each scene.

Make characters in Bible Easter dioramas using round head clothespins. Make Jesus, Pontius Pilate, Pharisees, Mary the Mother of God, Veronica, Simon the Cyrene, Roman soldiers and other people Jesus meets at each of the Stations of the Cross. Cut Jesus's robe, character clothing and hair from fabric scraps or yarn. Make a tiny image of Jesus for Veronica's shawl. Draw wounds of Christ in red marker or paint pen.

Use yarn for Roman soldiers' whips and fabric for trees or plants. Use burlap for rocks, dirt or ground. Make a tiny crown of thorns from brown cloth or wire. Cut pictures from magazines for backdrops or figures in background. Make crosses of twigs, cardboard, sticks or clay. Use cotton for clouds. Cut chains and clasps from old jewelry. Set out assorted beads for fruit, vegetables. You might depict Stations of the Cross where Jesus falls in front of a crowded market.

Provide a "buffet table" of supplies and then let students alone to design their Easter dioramas. Use Catholic Lenten craft projects in devotions for Ash Wednesday or Holy Week. Make Bible Easter dioramas to explore history, social studies, culture study, biography, literature and religious education. Use Lenten craft projects for Sunday school, Catholic CCD, Orthodox Christian kids' groups or Vacation Bible School. You could even make Old Testament Bible dioramas for Hebrew or Islamic school, AWANA or any church school. Dioramas could depict Bible stories, lives of saints, spiritual and stories behind holy days and holidays--Rosh Hashanah, Ramadan, Passover as well as Easter.

My children really got into not only the creativity part of this Good Friday lesson plan but also the intuitive spirituality. As they "told" Jesus's story, they lived it too. It was as if they walked the way of sorrows, or Via Dolorsa with Our Lord.

Free Printable Holy Week, Good Friday, Easter Triduum activities for Lent

2026-03-29T21:24:00.006-04:00

Hello my friends! The Catholic church just celebrated Palm Sunday going into Holy Week, counting down to Easter. We are ending our Lenten observations and that is always a happy-sad time for me. I'm so joyful for another wonderful year with my dear ones. And a little sad that time passes so quickly. And on a larger scale, is the grief of the suffering our Lord endured on his way of sorrows for our sins. But without the sadness there is not joy. Without the penitential season of Lent, there is no Easter. Without the suffering there is no resurrection. So to that end, I'm vowing to make the most of every moment. Lent is a somber-glad time when we focus on Jesus in his suffering. We walk with him to the cross and resurrection.

Lent is the holiest season of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian church year. During Lent, we "follow" Jesus on His journey to Calvary. We practice prayer, fasting, giving things up and almsgiving, in imitation of Christ's suffering and in reparation for our sins. Lent counts down to Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and Holy Week. We follow the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) also called that Stations of the Cross. The last three days of Lent are called the Easter or paschal triduum. "Paschal" refers to the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. The Easter Triduum begins at sundown on Holy, or Maundy, Thursday and continues through Good Friday, Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday) and on to Easter Sunday.

Follow your Catholic Relief Services Operation Rice Bowl calendar. There are Lenten lesson plans and Holy Week countdown to Easter activities. I have used the CRS Operation Rice Bowls global recipes with my children, grandchildren and students. Print the Lenten and Holy Week calendar here. I choose one country each day to focus on and we make and enjoy a meal from that country. Check out some of the free Amazon resources on global food and zero waste cooking.

Here are more free printable Holy Week and Easter Triduum activities to explore Christ's passion. Print Catholic crafts, Christian games, Bible activities, Sunday gospel worksheets, religious puzzles and Easter lesson plans. Easter Coloring offers free printable Easter Triduum coloring pages. Scroll through the pages of Bible Easter coloring pages. Images include Stations of the Cross and Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. Print and make an Easter countdown coloring book.

DL-TK has free printable Vacation Bible School lesson plans, Bible crafts and Christian children's activities that would work very well for Holy Week lesson plans. I really like the parables of Jesus lesson plans. All of these are provided for you to use free with families.

Watch "Jesus of Nazareth" free on Britbox on Tubi. The Internet Archive has a copy as well. It's free on Amazon with Prime subscription. This is by far the very best adaptation of the Passion of Jesus. The Greatest Story Ever Told (free on Youtube) is another good one but Jesus of Nazareth is more relatable to children.

Use these free printable lesson plans to guide children's' prayers and devotions. Print one booklet per child. Tell children to take their prayer books to a private prayer spot in the home or outdoors. Go to a local park or nature trail. Have kids to spend quiet time visiting and "waiting with Jesus" as He asked the disciples to do in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion.

Children might color images and write a little meditation or prayer in response to Our Lord's passion. Perhaps they could write a letter, thanking God for sending his beloved son. Mom and Dad, you can help little ones color their booklet. Ask preschool children to tell you what they want to say to God as they look at the pictures of His Son. Remind kids that God loved Jesus (and us) like we should love each other.

Give young children one word to write for each picture: cross, Jesus, God, resurrection. Give early readers phrases: My Jesus I Love Thee Thank You, Dear Lord, Dear Jesus, I'm sorry. Good Friday after the noon mass is a great time to do this activity. These booklets make good keepsakes. Reuse each year during Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum.

Free Catholic saints activities for homeschooling lesson plans

2018-01-30T01:27:00.001-05:00

So you know that November 1 is Catholic All Saints' Day. But I say why wait till fall to get to know the saints? As Catholic homeschooling mum, I followed the liturgical calendar and tailored lessons around feast days. And you can too, using these free printable Catholic saints coloring pages, crafts and activities. Explore the lives of saints and use them to frame lesson plans.

* Catholic Mom's All Saint's Day activities page has printable crafts and coloring pages specific to that holy day, plus tips for celebrating a Catholic holidays. Visit the Catholic Kids home page for free printable liturgical lesson plans for CCD and religious education lesson plan. Each week's gospel is discussed and age-appropriate activities linked: free printable puzzles, word searches, study sheets, crafts, Bible verses, games and activities.

* ABCatholic has a free printable Catholic alphabet coloring book with images of saints, Bible stories and sacraments.

* Waltzing Matilda features handmade free printable Catholic saints coloring pages. The blog moderator has drawn images for sacraments and liturgical use also.

* Paper Dali is another mom blog with homemade free printable saints coloring pages. Some are free and some must be purchased.free her Etsy shop. Scroll around for the freebies. All are very attractive and well worth the nominal fee.

* Catholic Icing offers handmade All Saints' Day printables and crafts. Read through the blog posts and sidebar menu for crafts, games and printables.

* JClub has free printable Bible and Catholic saints coloring pages.

* EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) Kids offers free mass readings, prayer activities, crafts and coloring pages for children. Users must create a free account with user name and password.

Halloween alternative trick-or-treat activities for Catholic Christian kids: educational games, crafts, recipes, give-backs, party ideas

2017-10-03T20:05:00.001-04:00

Halloween is a top-grossing holiday and consumer spending will hit record highs in 2014 predicts U.S News and World Report. Young and old alike eagerly anticipate trick-or-treat, spending an average of $80 per person on costumes, spook house venues, decorations and candy. Not everyone looks forward to Halloween, however. Some children are terrified by scary costumes. Parents don't want them to miss out on the fun, just avoid the creepier aspects. Is it possible to celebrate a haunt-less Halloween? Absolutely! Here are alternative trick-or-treat activities.

· Truck-or-Treat/Trunk-or-Treat. Organize a group of friends to pass out candy from the trunks of their cars or truck beds. Choose a non-spooky theme, like Disney movies, and host a costume contest. Families can even decorate vehicles in keeping with theme.

· Educational costumes. There's a whole world of non-scary costume ideas to choose from. Children can dress up as characters in books, children shows or nursery rhymes. They might dress as famous people, favorite animals or in occupational attire. Encourage kids to create costumes from recycled materials. This saves money too.

· Safe houses. Ask around your neighborhood to find out who plans to decorate with a haunted theme. Map out a trick-or-treat route that bypasses those homes.

· Candy hunt. Maybe you live far from town or in a rural area? That makes trick-or-treat challenging enough as it is. So skip door-to-door. Instead, hide candy in the yard and let children hunt for it. Let children dress in costume. If you have a large piece of property, this could be a great adventure!

· LARP candy quest. Turn your backyard or house into a non-scary, live-action role play Halloween video game. Decide on a theme. Children invent a character and create costumes. Parents or older siblings might draw a treasure map, set tasks children must complete or write riddles to help little ones find candy.

· Life-size Candyland. Create a living Candyland board game in the backyard. Invite neighbors to participate. Adults dress as characters and create stations based on the game. Here's a life-sized Candyland Pinterest board with loads of costume and prop tutorials.

· Harvest gala Forego the Halloween theme altogether and focus on fall. Set up autumn crafts and game stations in your barn, backyard or garage. Make a hay maze. Hide candy in leaf piles. Carve or paint pumpkins. Bob for apples. Make popcorn balls. Serve cider and donuts.

· Nursing home trick-or-treating. Here's a win-win idea: children get to trick-or-treat in safe, controlled environments and lonely elderly folks get to enjoy Halloween with the kids. Check senior homes in your area for trick-or-treat opportunities.

· Pay it forward. Teach children that Hallween can be about giving as well as getting. Turn one of above-listed ideas into a fundraising event. Sell tickets and donate the proceeds. In lieu of a fee, collect canned goods for a food pantry. Gather animal care supplies for your local Humane Society.

Be sure to film the frolics share video copies with family far away. Halloween doesn't have to be scary to be fun. It just takes is a little ingenuity and resourcefulness for everyone to have a good time.

Free St. Francis Day activities, coloring pages lesson plans, printables

2017-09-21T17:39:00.000-04:00

October 4 the celebrates the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi in the Catholic Church

. Among other things under his patronage, St. Francis is the patron saint of animals. On his feast day, some Catholic churches and schools observe a charming little rite known as the blessing of pets. Folks bring their beloved pets to mass to be prayed over. It's an event that young and old enjoy. In the spirit of the good saint, here are free printable animals coloring pages and free printable St. Francis activities for children to celebrate! If you know of a Catholic church that blesses pets, why not bring your kids and animals--you'll all enjoy it!

Visit Real Life at Home for free printable St. Francis lesson plans in a packet. Print games, coloring pages, activities and worksheets of saints. Learn connections to Pope Francis, who is a Franciscan and has taken his name from Francis of Assisi. Print a liturgical calendar of Catholic saints, including Saint Francis, free from Catholic playground. For free printable animal coloring pages, visit Coloring Book Fun. National Geographic Kids has realistic animal coloring pages from A-Z to print. This link opens on the animals A-I page but click the link at the bottom for coloring pages of animals from J-Z.

For more detailed, educational animal coloring page printables, don't miss Edupics. There are over 1,600 animal coloring pages: some are even suitable for middle school and high school biology and science lessons! Hello Kids has hundreds of free printable animal coloring pages. Some are easier and geared for preschool or special needs students. Some are more challenging. Coloring.ws, from children's learning printables giant DL-TK has free printable coloring pages of animals from A-Z.Print every animal kingdom and phylum: insects, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Free printable saints coloring pages, activities to celebrate St Joseph, Catholic Labor Day

2017-08-23T22:25:00.001-04:00

With Labor Day approaching, Catholic families should be focusing St. Joseph the Worker. He has several feast days but May Day (the worldwide Labor Day) is the one devoted to his cult as patron saint of workers. Use these free printable Catholic saints coloring pages, crafts and lesson plans to explore St. Joseph.

* Catholic Mom's All Saint's Day activities page has printable crafts and coloring pages, plus tips for celebrating a Christian Labor Day. Visit the Catholic Kids home page for free printable liturgical lesson plans with age-appropriate activities linked: free printable puzzles, word searches, study sheets, crafts, Bible verses, games and activities.

* Catholic Playground has free printable Catholic saints coloring pages. They're alphabetized and listed according to the Catholic liturgical calendar. Check out the free printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages.

* St. John the Baptist Religious Education has a plethora of free printable saints coloring pages. There are also printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages. There are coloring pages of Bible stories, Miracles of Jesus, parables and life of Christ.

* ABCatholic has a free printable Catholic alphabet coloring book with images of saints, Bible stories and sacraments.

* Waltzing Matilda features handmade free printable Catholic saints coloring pages. The blog moderator has nicely-drawn images for sacraments and liturgical use also.

* Paper Dali is another mom blog with homemade free printable saints coloring pages. Some are free and some must be purchased.free her Etsy shop. Scroll around for the freebies. All are very attractive and well worth the nominal fee.

* Catholic Icing offers handmade All Saints' Day printables and crafts. Read through the blog posts and sidebar menu for crafts, games and printables.

* JClub has free printable Bible and Catholic saints coloring pages.

* EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) Kids offers free mass readings, prayer activities, crafts and coloring pages for children. Users must create a free account with user name and password.

Use these coloring pages to plan a Catholic Christian Halloween that celebrates All Saints Day and All Souls Day. These can help create saints costumes for All Saints' Day parties too. Use for year-round CCD, religious education, VBS and Children's Liturgy of the Word activities.

Free printable St Valentine activities, lesson plans, coloring pages for Valentines Day

2017-02-08T12:56:00.002-05:00

The story of St. Valentine has nothing to do with flowers and candy or Valentine's Day as we celebrate it on Feb. 14. Except in one way (we'll get to that). It has nothing in common with romance as we know it. But Valentine's story is spiritually romantic. Valentinius was a Roman Christian priest. In those days, this was not popular. In fact, it was downright illegal.

Then-Emperor Claudius II decided he'd make marriage illegal too--so men would give up women go fight his battles. Not exactly an even quid pro quo. But Claudius wasn't the most savvy guy. Anyway, Valentine understood human nature better. He performed underground marriages so people could keep sanctified romances and holy love. Valentine was jailed for his pains.

So, being a helpful and proactive kind of guy, Valentine wrote notes of encouragement to his fellow incarcerated. He signed them "Your Valentine." There grew the card-sending tradition--the only part of the real meaning of Valentine's Day that is practiced today. Valentine was martyred on Feb. 14. It became a holy day--holiday--in the Catholic church.

Predictably, the spiritual bits of the story are ignored for the commercial. True, Valentine's story is based on legend, but most stories of antiquity are oral tradition. Anyway, it seems a more fitting expression of the holiday than just flowers and candy. If you do too, here are free printable Catholic St. Valentine activities and lessons.

Catholic Inspired has free printable St. Valentine activities. You can print St. Valentine worksheets, games and crafts from Catholic Icing. ABC Teach has printable lesson plans based on the Legend ofSt. Valentine. Busy Teacher has over 100 free printable Valentine's Day activities. Some are the secular hearts and candy valentine crafts. But there are some Catholic history-based printables too. Lastly, Catholic Greetings has free printable Christian valentines to share.

Children might be encouraged to print valentines and send to lonely old people and shut-ins. That would be very loving. Here's how the dear saint ended his "valentines" "Be of good cheer. Don't lose hope. Your Valentine (sign name)" (very loosely translated from the Latin). So how about you? Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Or is it just too gimmicky? Let us know in comments below.

Free printable Advent Jesse Tree crafts, activities, coloring pages for Catholic Christmas countdown

2016-11-09T18:20:00.002-05:00

Advent is the Catholic Christmas liturgical season leading up to Christmas. For four weeks, we pray, fast, read Bible passages on the gospel Christmas story and give alms to the poor. The theme of Advent is to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. One way is to pray an Advent calendar. Another, related to the Advent calendar is to follow a Jesse Tree.

The Jesse Tree is an ancient visual aid the shows the lineage of Jesus. The basis comes from the Old Testament Bible passage "a root shall spring up from the stump of Jesse's lineage." This Bible foretells the birth of the Messiah and that He will come through Jesse, King David's father. . During Advent, symbols are hung on the Jesse Tree to represent Bible characters and people in Jesus's family tree.

Here are free printable Jesse Tree devotional activities. Each night, have children color one symbol place it on the Jesse Tree. Do this as you light candles on the Advent wreath and candles and read and pray from the Advent calendar. The Jesse Tree ends by adding images from the O Antiphons, another ancient Advent to Christmas series of prayers.

Life Your Way has a set of free printable Jesse Tree ornaments with Biblical symbols.

ERIERCD has several pages of Jesse Tree coloring pages to print free. Print in black and white and have kids color. Jesse Tree ornaments include apple tree (Adam and Eve). Ark and rainbow (Noah), tent (Abraham), cradle (Sarah), coat (Joseph), stone tablets (Moses), Harp (David), ladder (Jacob), tambourine (Miriam), crown (Solomon), anchor (Ruth) lion and lamb (Isaiah), mallet (Deborah), trumpet (Joshua), lion (Daniel), well (Rebecca), house (Elizabeth), lily (Mary) hammer (St. Joseph) Chi Ro (Jesus). The Reformed Church in America has more free printable Jesse Tree symbols to color. Catholic Icing has more printable Advent Jesse tree crafts.

1+1+1=1 has a free printable Jesse Tree booklet with devotions, prayers and crafts to make. The Jesse Tree can be made in many ways. In times past, it was a Christmas tree. Some families use a tree made of paper or a cloth banner with detachable ornaments. In our family I use a small table top tree with child-made ornaments and symbols. We add one each day.

Free printable Catholic All Saints Day activities for kids to enjoy instead of Halloween

2016-10-27T17:53:00.002-04:00

Most people know that October 31 is Halloween, or All Hallows Eve. Fewer know that there's only a Halloween because of the days that follow. November 1 marks the Catholic holy day of obligation, All Saints' Day and November 2 is All Souls' Day (celebrated as Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead in Mexico). Halloween was a pagan blowout that anticipated the fasting of the proceeding holy day. Use these free printable Catholic saints coloring pages, crafts and lesson plans to learn more about All Saint's Day and Halloween.
* Catholic Mom's All Saint's Day activities page has printable crafts and coloring pages specific to that holy day, plus tips for celebrating a Christian Halloween. Visit the Catholic Kids home page for free printable liturgical lesson plans for CCD and religious education lesson plan. Each week's gospel is discussed and age-appropriate activities linked: free printable puzzles, word searches, study sheets, crafts, Bible verses, games and activities.
* ABCatholic has a free printable Catholic alphabet coloring book with images of saints, Bible stories and sacraments.
* Waltzing Matilda features handmade free printable Catholic saints coloring pages. The blog moderator has drawn images for sacraments and liturgical use also.
* Paper Dali is another mom blog with homemade free printable saints coloring pages. Some are free and some must be purchased.free her Etsy shop. Scroll around for the freebies. All are very attractive and well worth the nominal fee.
* Catholic Icing offers handmade All Saints' Day printables and crafts. Read through the blog posts and sidebar menu for crafts, games and printables.

* JClub has free printable Bible and Catholic saints coloring pages. * EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) Kids offers free mass readings, prayer activities, crafts and coloring pages for children. Users must create a free account with user name and password.

Free printable St. Francis of Assisi feast day coloring pages for Catholic Christian kids

2016-08-09T11:50:00.000-04:00

On October 4 the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Among other things under his patronage, St. Francis is the patron saint of animals. On his feast day, some Catholic churches and schools observe a charming little rite known as the blessing of pets. Visit Real Life at Home for free printable St. Francis lesson plans in a packet. Print games, coloring pages, activities and worksheets of saints. Learn connections to Pope Francis, who is a Franciscan and has taken his name from Francis of Assisi. Print a liturgical calendar of Catholic saints, including Saint Francis, free from Catholic playground. For free printable animal coloring pages, visit Coloring Book Fun. National Geographic Kids has realistic animal coloring pages from A-Z to print. This link opens on the animals A-I page but click the link at the bottom for coloring pages of animals from J-Z.

Free printable Catholic Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary coloring pages, activities, worksheets

2016-08-01T13:16:00.000-04:00

August 15 is the Catholic Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Catholic honor Mary the Mother of God when she was assumed into heaven. This day is one of the Church's six holy days of obligation. Here are free printable Catholic Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary coloring pages and activities. Print crafts, coloring pages, lessons, games, puzzles, prayers and devotions. Orthodox Christians honor the Virgin Mary too and might use these printables.

Catholic Mom is devoted to helping Catholic parents learn more about their faith and teach children about theirs. Here are free printable Feast of the Assumption lesson plans. There are Sunday mass readings, coloring pages, worksheets, craft projects, lessons and more.

Family Holiday has dozens of free printable Assumption of Mary coloring pages plus coloring pages from the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. There are coloring pages in different designs, showing her in different apparitions and images. Some look like stained glass. Have children color these as the holiday draws near. This will help them understand who the Virgin Mary is and how she intercedes for us.

Catholic Playground has free printable Catholic lesson plans and activities pages. There are puzzles, worksheets, lessons, games, prayers, Bible readings and other activities for children to enjoy.

Create a homeschool unit on the Blessed Virgin Mary for Catholic education. Or use in parochial schools or CCD. These lessons will work for other Marian feast days like the Feast of the Immaculate Conception or Solemnity of Mary.

Catholic Guilt, Overactive Conscience and Scruples

2014-07-18T13:01:00.000-04:00

I have struggled all my life with a hyperactive conscience. I feel vague to intense guilt constantly. As a Catholic convert, I hear cradle Catholics talk about Catholic guilt. Like the Church invented it. Well, they're not alone. I grew up Protestant and we spoke fluent "guilt." Some guilt is healthy, but chronic isn't. That's what the catechism calls "scruples." And in psychological terms, shame. It's crucial, for mental and spiritual health, to know the difference.

What is guilt complex/scruples/shame and how does it differ from healthy guilt? Let me illustrate. Do you remember the T-A--Transactional Analysis--school of psychology? It says the self has three personas--parent, child and adult--similar to Freud's Id, ego and superego. Freud described the id (child) as immature, undisciplined and totally self-serving. The superego or parent in TA is ultra-controlled and highly critical. The ego or adult is whole and balanced. In all of us, the Parent (superego) and child (Id) struggle for control. Neither are healthy, alone. It's only when the healthier adult persona takes control and parent and child take back seat that the person is healthy.

We with guilt complexes and overactive consciences are stuck in superego- parent mode. We don't have more to feel guilty about than anyone else. Less, often. We've done our time, paid our penances, said our Mea Culpaes, received absolution. But we struggle to shake the nagging feeling that we've left something undone.

Our apologies and restitution never satisfy us. No confession is ever good enough, no penance too severe.
We don't have prickings of conscience, we have brutal stabbings. Others aren't necessarily accusing us. We accuse ourselves, sometimes to the point of dreaming up sins. I have a recurrent dream in which I have done something unspeakable, willful murder, violent assault, terrible injury. I have another where everyone is mad at me and I can't figure out what I've done wrong. When I wake, I feel sick and terrified, and it takes conscious effort for me to convince myself that it was just a dream (how's that for Freudian?)

Overactive conscience always second guesses its decisions and actions. Guilt complex causes us to be pathologically self-critical. And like so many other emotional issues, they're fear-driven and deeply subconscious (ergo the dreams). Fear of offending, upsetting others, of our own emotions, of consequences. We will sometimes lie or cheat to defend against irrational or imagined wrongs and prevent imagined consequences.

If you suffer from or love someone with guilt complex and overactive conscience, check my blog www.emotionalhealthhelp.blogspot.com.

Heart Burn, the Agony and Ecstasy (poem)

2014-02-18T23:24:00.001-05:00

This poem is for our stillborn baby daughters who died in utero, each at around 6 months, in 2001 and 2004. Requiescat in pace, Mary Therese and Isobella Raine. Keep each other company till mama and daddy can join you.

I called this painful poem "ecstasy" not as in bliss. In fact, ecstasy is nothing like blissful calm. It's intense, searing spiritual awakening. It hurts like fire. The mystics St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila (who elected herself my patroness) experienced this. Our Lady felt the seven Dolores (Sorrows) piercing her heart. Any parent, especially a mother, who has lost a child knows heart burn. The Heavenly Father Heart Burn, the Agony and Ecstasy

how dare the sun have shone

on this somber, funereal grey-grime day

what were the birds thinking, chirping

when we planted my little ladies in the ground?

They grandly call it internment

like the squirrel buries a nut

but dead things do not regrow

they just lie there, alone

I felt guilty putting my babies in that box.

What kind of mother does that?

A graveyard is cold and dark.

No place for a child to be

Not at night. Not alone.

They might wake frightened and need mama.

For many nights, months, years, decades after, I waked

Confused, anxious sure I heard them calling

Not knowing where they were

I am always there when my children need me

But I couldn't find these littlest ones

The ones who needed me most

Me, who couldn't let her children ride the bus

has abandoned her most vulnerable

like orphans wandering, crying for mother's arms

oh God, let death not be thus

we are told of a morning after

when the dead shall rise

I cling to that, desperately

the way my cat grabs my leg if he feels himself falling

Perhaps I'm short sighted.

I'm human, I cannot see with the eyes of the divine

and Father, the burn of heart

is pain like torture

Free Printable First Communion, Baptism, Confirmation Quinceanera, Invitations, Cards

2012-04-11T20:15:00.001-04:00

Do you know a child who is making her first holy Eucharist (holy communion) this year? Perhaps your family is Catholic and your child is celebrating his first communion? If you're hosting a reception, here are free printable first holy Eucharist party invitations. If you're attending a first communion mass and reception, here are free printable first communion cards for the new communicant.

Hoover Web Design has several free printable first holy Eucharist invitations that could be used as free printable first communion cards. To print, the invitations, click and save to your computer. Then open the saved clipart, copy and paste in a new Paint image. Adjust so the image fits (cropped to 4.25 x 5.5 inches) and place in bottom right corner. Print and fold top half down and in half again so card opens to right. Fill in party details or for greeting cards, write your own verse and sign. You can also get other free printable religious party invitations and cards for Jewish bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah plus Catholic and Orthodox Christian baptism and confirmation.

365 Greetings has free printable first communion cards with modern and lovely vintage Catholic images. The old classic images come from holy cards and feature the Sacred Heart of Jesus offering the child holy Eucharist (holy communion). Greetings Island has attractive contemporary free printable first communion cards and holy communion invitations. Real Life at Home has several free printable first communion cards, invitations and announcements. Here's another site with more free printable holy Eucharist cards and invitations. American Greetings and Blue Mountain both havefree printable first communion cards and first holy Eucharist invitations, Some are alike and others are different. .

Free Printable Epiphany and Three Kings Day Crafts

2011-01-04T15:27:00.000-05:00

Jan. 6 is Epiphany, also called Three Kings Day, Dia de Reyes and Twelfth Night. On Epiphany, Catholic and Orthodox Christians celebrate the visit of the Magi (Three Kings, Wisemen) to Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Orthodox Christian churches observe the Baptism of Jesus, called Theophany "vision of God") on Epiphany as well. Twelfth Night, not Christmas, is the major gift-giving holiday in many countries. Here are free printable Epiphany lesson plans, Three Kings Day crafts and Twelfth Night activities. In French, Latin and New Orleans traditions, Epiphany kicks off Carnivale which counts down to Mardi Gras. King Cake is eaten

Throw a Twelfth Night party with free printable Dora the Explorer Three Kings Day party activities from the Dora the Explorer Saves Three Kings Day party planner. There is a free printable Magi crown craft and Dora Three Kings Day party loot bags to make. Here is a free printable Dia de Reyes coloring page and Dora Three Kings Day party invitations. There are free printable Three Kings Day games. Make recipes for Dia de Reyes.

Decorate for Epiphany star tree toppers. Here's a free printable star tree topper and a vintage star tree topper and 3D geometric star tree toppers. Or use this pretty angel Christmas tree topper. Teacher Help has a free printable Epiphany banner in Spanish for Dia de Reyes.

Explore Dia de Reyes with free printable Epiphany worksheets, Bible Christmas worksheets, coloring pages, nativity scenes, Advent activities, Bible verses, reading and writing activities and star crafts. Catholic Mom has printable worksheets for holy days. Here's the First School Christmas printables page. Apples 4 the Teacher has a free printable Epiphany unit. ABC Teach has free printable Christmas worksheets and Winter Season activities on math, spelling, handwriting, reading, vocabulary, comprehension and social studies. Use religious Christmas rebus mini-booklets to explain the visit of the Magi. Here are Bible worksheets on the Magi and free printable Bible Christmas story activities. Here's more info on Theophany and Epiphany.

Learn about Epiphany through crafts and coloring. Edupics has detailed, realistic Twelfth Night coloring pages to challenge older kids and adults. Hello Kids has a nice collection of free printableFeast of Epiphany coloring pages. Some are classic images and others are cartoons. Papa Jan has many free printable Bible Christmas coloring pages, including numerous Epiphany coloring pages to print. Catholic Icing offers free printable Three Kings crafts.

Free Printable Manger Scenes, Nativity Scenes to color

2010-12-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for great Bible Christmas crafts for little ones? Here are free printable manger scenes, Bible nativity sets to color with coloring pages from the Christmas story. Catholic Icing offers free printable Bible Christmas coloring pages to make into nativity sets. Children color characters from the Bible Christmas story. Then they wrap pictures around paper towel and toilet paper tubes. This makes 3D, standup manger scenes. The blog owner created eight pages of coloring pages for so kids can make complete nativity sets and gives permission to print one for each person so long as you don't sell anything you make with it.

Children might make the entire set all at once or countdown to Christmas making and adding one new piece each day. Manger scenes have 15 parts so begin 15 days before Christmas and color one per night. Or begin later in Advent and add the wisemen and camels in Epiphany (Three Kings Day, Twelfth Night). Color nativity sets in this order--stable, palm tree, shepherd, sheep, angel, donkey, Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, wiseman, camel. Check out the other awesome Bible Christmas activities on the website.

Here are more free printable nativity sets and manger scenes (also called creche or nacimiento). Let children color their manger scenes during devotions to help them stay focused. Paper Toys is an amazing website overflowing with cool free printable models of buildings, cars and dioramas. Scroll through to find a Chanukah menorah and a gazillion other 3D paper models.

Here are free printable nativity sets. Print in color or black and white and use for Bible Christmas coloring pages. Both manger scenes come with cut and paste stable, star, manger, Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus and the three wisemen. Use free printable manger scenes as a follow up craft activity for Advent devotions. Catholic families could use nativity sets to pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and to countdown to Christmas. Use Magi (three wisemen) images for Epiphany or Three Kings Day, celebrated on January 6. Many countries celebrate Christmas and Epiphany. In countries like Spain, Three Kings Day is the major gift-giving holiday. It is the Magi who are said, by tradition to bring gifts to children. This makes sense as it was the wisemen who brought gifts for Baby Jesus.

Free Printable Jewish Calendars and Calendar Converters

2010-11-23T18:09:00.000-05:00

Calendars help mark time, but not everyone follows the same calendar. The Jewish luni-solar calendar dates time differently than the western Gregorian calendar. Here are free printable lunisolar Jewish calendars and calendar converter tools. Calendars are marked with Jewish holy days. You can print monthly calendars for each month of the Jewish year. You can also print calendars cross-referenced with the western Gregorian calendar.

For free printable Jewish calendars, visit Printable Jewish Calendar. The 12 Jewish months of the calendar include: Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishri, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar I (found only in leap years) and Adar. These months are listed in the order they occur within the Jewish calendar year. Their western equivalents are March-April: Nissan, April-May: Iyan, May-June: Tammuz, etc. Free printable Jewish calendars are dated for 5776, the current year in the Jewish calendar. Get equivalent free printable western calendars for 2016 and updated ones as each new year arrives. Free printable Jewish calendars include Hebrew holidays. You can print lunisolar Jewish calendars, with or without a calendar converter of western dates.

The Jewish calendar begins with Pesach or Passover in Nissan, but the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah takes place in Tishri (the seventh month which is equivalent to September-October in the western calendar). This is when the new year is numbered. It is difficult to make direct comparison between western Gregorian and Jewish calendars as the two calendars differ by orientation. The older Julian calendar which Orthodox Christians use and the later Gregorian calendar (western calendar now used) are solar calendars. They are based upon the earth's path around the sun. The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar. It is also called lunisolar calendar because the Hebrew calendar reconciles the phases or cycles of the moon with the earth's orbit around the sun. See Abdicate for details on how the Jewish and Gregorian (western) calendars coincide and mark time. This site also has a free calendar converter tool to convert calendars written in English or Hebrew.

Jew FAQ or Judaism 101 explains the Hebrew calendar on several levels, from basic to more advanced. Sources agree that the Hebrew calendar has the least degree of error of all the calendars. Formulab has a free calendar converter tool with converts date in the Western Gregorian calendar to dates in Jewish calendars and from the lunisolar Hebrew calendar to Gregorian solar calendar. Use these free printable calendars and calendar converter tools in Hebrew school or in social studies classes for multicultural lesson plans.

Free Printable Rosary Coloring Pages, Blessed Virgin Mary Devotions

2010-08-17T23:58:00.000-04:00

Catholic and Orthodox Christians have a devotion to the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Lady taught to the Catholic faithful to pray the rosary--the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries--to turn the focus away from selfishness and onto her son Jesus Christ. Here are free printable Catholic rosary coloring pages and Marian devotional activities. The events in the rosary are called mysteries because they are so miraculous that human beings can't fully understand them.

Family in Feast and Feria has made available in free printable PDFs a lovely little Catholic rosary devotional booklet entitled "The Rosary Color Book" written and illustrated in 1949 by Ettore Fattori. These free printable Blessed Virgin Mary rosary coloring pages feature vintage image. They evoke a prayerful, devotional sense of peace. The booklet has a prayer and meditation for each of the Joyful Mysteries, Sorrowful Mysteries, Glorious Mysteries and Luminous Mysteries of the rosary (added by Pope John Paul about 10 years ago). Each mystery is followed by a coloring page depicting each event. The booklet is one single book, but each set of mysteries of the rosary opens separately. You must open each set of mysteries of the rosary from attached links.

The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary include: The Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel (the angel announces to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she has been overshadowed by the power of the Almighty and bring forth a Son who will be savior of the world). The Visitation (the Blessed Virgin Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth who is carrying John the Baptist), The Birth of Jesus (Christmas), The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple (for circumcision and blessing) and The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Jesus, at 12 was found in the temple teaching the elders.) There are coloring pages for each

The Sorrowful mysteries of the rosary include The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging at the Pillar, The Crowning With Thorns, Jesus Carries His Cross, The Crucifixion. Free printable coloring pages details each sad event from the Bible story of the life of Jesus so they are called the Sorrowful Mysteries. Some of them are Catholic Stations of the Cross as well.

The Glorious Mysteries of the rosary include The Resurrection of Our Lord, The Ascension into Heaven, The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, The Crowing of Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Heaven. These are the events that show the divinity of Jesus, so they are called Glorious Mysteries. The Catholic rosary coloring pages were made before the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary were added, so here are other links for free printable Luminous Mysteries of the Catholic rosary.

This free printable Catholic rosary prayer book is written with meditations. It includes a place for the child to write a response or promise to Jesus while praying the rosary as she reflects on each mystery of the rosary. When you pray the rosary with children, encourage each family member to go off into a private spot to meditate. Ponder what Jesus and Our Lady may be saying to you. Write your response directly to them. For example, "My Jesus, I promise to love thee more, pray more faithfully."

Free Printable Natural Family Planning Ovulation and Fertility Charts

2010-06-30T19:31:00.001-04:00

Birth control is a very personal choice between couples but in the Catholic church and some protestant denominations, use of artificial contraception is forbidden by church law. If you're a Catholic Christian or concerned about the safety of taking the pill, oral contraceptives or using artificial birth control, why not consider NFP or Natural Family Planning?

Natural Family Planning International, a ministry of the Catholic Church, teaches couples to chart monthly menstrual cycles, using the symptom-thermal or calendar method of birth control. Fertility awareness helps couples with natural family planning without artificial birth control. It helps them achieve pregnancy by understanding a woman's monthly cycle. Here are free printable ovulation charts, also called fertility charts.

Ovulation is the time of the month when the egg is released from the ovary and begins its way down the Fallopian tube to the uterus. The uterus prepares for possible pregnancy each month and the BBT or basal body temperature rises slightly around fertile times of the month. The uterus also builds up mucus which appears in the cervix and around a woman's genital area. The consistency and type of mucus indicates more and less fertile times. Couples plot information about CM (cervical mucus) and BBT on fertility charts to know when ovulation is occurring.

Using the information on fertility charts, couples plan to when to engage in intercourse to get pregnant. Charting cervical mucus and daily BBT is called the symptothermal method of Natural Family Planning. With the health risks involved with artificial contraceptives, many couples use symptothermal birth control to know when to avoid intercourse and pregnancy, for safe and natural family planning.

Free printable medical forms has a free printable fertility charts. These BBT charts track ovulation signs using the symptothermal calendar method. There are simple free printable fertility charts and more advanced BBT charts for a cost. Just Mommies has free printable ovulation charts that use just the BBT calendar method and not the symptothermal method of birth control. Fertility charts are simple to use. Instead of writing the clinical sexual intercourse or SI used on most fertility charts, couples write BD (baby dance).

Baby Center is a great for folks trying to achieve pregnancy. Its supportive and includes a free e-newsletter to receive helpful fertility advice. Baby Center has tutorials on how to use basal thermometers and free CM and BBT fertility charts. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the free printable BBT charts. Use fertility awareness tools in natural family planning.

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Free Printable Blessed Virgin Mary Coloring Pages

2010-05-19T21:36:00.000-04:00

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is honored on several different Catholic and Orthodox Christian holidays. Some are holy days of obligation. December 8 is the Feast Immaculate Conception, January 1 is Solemnity of Mary and August 15 is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Advent and Christmas honor Our Lady. She is revered in the Sorrowful, Joyful, Glorious and Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, too.

May and October are dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Catholics believe Mary appeared as Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Our Lady of Lourdes in France, Our Lady of Medjugorie in Bosnia-Herzegovina; Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Our Lady of Knock in Ireland and Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland. There are other Marion feast days, too. Here are free printable Virgin Mary coloring pages and printables of Our Lady in her different titles and roles.

Vintage Holiday Crafts has beautiful antique religious clip art from greeting cards and holy cards. Click to print free images of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Christmasand in the nativity. Women for Family and Faith has a free printable Virgin Mary coloring page with children. The words to the Ave Maria are printed below.

Waltzing Mathilda is a blog with free printable Catholic coloring pages. There are printable images of saints, lenten calendars, Catholic games and activities. There are coloring pages of Mary, Mother or God (Jan.1), the Apparition of the Immaculate Conception (at Lourdes, Feb. 11), Our Lady of the Rosary (Oct. 8), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec.13).

Holy Spirit Interactive has several free printable Bible coloring pages with images of Jesus with his Mother, plus some other religious Christmas coloring pages with Mary. Coloring Pages has a diverse collection of Virgin Mary coloring pages to print. Printable Blessed Mother images are from stained glass, Gothic and modern pictures, holy cards, old Bibles and story books. Keep clicking for otherfree printable Virgin Mary coloring sheets.

Free Christian Wallpapers has several free printable Christmas coloring pages featuring the Blessed Mother and Baby Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph and the holy family. Family Feast and Feria offers free printable rosary coloring pages made from an old prayer book. There are printables of the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, plus a link to the newer Luminous Mysteries. Look for the link to the printable Miraculous medal coloring page, too.

Pic Gifs is mostly a secular graphics website. Click the free printable Christmas coloring pages links. Scroll through for the religious Christmas coloring pages featuring Mary and Baby Jesus and St. Joseph.