Welcome Back for Fall Family Faith Formation here at Ss. Joachim and Anne!
As we begin our new year, let’s reflect on our main sign of being Catholic and bless our children with the following activity from Fashioning Faith:
Which prayer is the universal sign of being Catholic? Which prayer honors God as Trinity—Father, Son and Spirit? Which prayer includes words and a gesture which reminds us of the suffering of Jesus on the Cross? Yes, it is the Sign of the Cross! Take a minute to make a sign of the cross on your children’s foreheads, hands, and heart, and have them repeat after you as they make the Sign of the Cross,
“May God the Father bless you. May God the Son show you how to live and love. May the Spirit of God be with you always. Amen!”
God is so awesome, never asking us to do anything he himself wouldn’t do. God wants our families to get along, to love and care for each other. And God sets an example for us by living in community as the Trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We Catholics believe in one God, but we also believe that God exists as three Persons who live in perfect love. And the love within the Trinity isn’t selfish—it is shared with each and every person God has created, in other words all of us. So God wants us to love not just each other, but to share our family love with others in the neighborhood and in the world. And sometimes this requires sacrifice. Our Sign of the Cross reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice for us when he died on the cross.
Think of one very special thing about YOUR family which you could share with others, just the way the Trinity shares its love with all of us. Talk as a family for two minutes on what that might be.
From now on, when you make the Sign of the Cross, remember that we are called to love as the Trinity loves—even when it causes us a bit of sacrifice.
Always remember, while we at SSJA Faith Formation will do everything we can to engage your children in faith learning experiences, you are the most important people in the lives of your children. As it is true for every aspect of a child’s growth and development, no one has a stronger influence on their faith development than you do. Faith sharing at home is one of the best ways to create positive and lasting faith learning in the lives of children. Consider the following additional Home Activity on the Sign of the Cross attached here, as well as discussing the Justice Challenge for this week in honor of the upcoming Grandparents Day:
Sign_of_the_Cross-First_Steps_for_Families-Home_Activity-Joan_Weber_final
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September 5, 2021 • 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Justice Challenge:
On September 12th, we celebrate Grandparents’ Day. This is an opportunity to look at how we treat all of the elders in our communities, including but not limited to those in our own families. Your challenge this week is two-fold: do something special for the grandparents in your own family, but also identify an older person or couple in your community who suffer injustice in some way. It might be the injustice of loneliness, in which case a visit and a conversation would be great. It might be poverty; bringing a food basket or household supplies would be appropriate. Once your family identifies the elder in need, brainstorm the best way to help which also gives dignity and honor. No matter what you choose to do, find a way to let the elder share a life story or some wisdom with you from the perspective of many, many years of living. Finally, don’t forget to thank them for the gift of their wisdom.
Ss Joachim & Anne Faith Formation 2021-22
Fall Schedule
Sun 9/19 11am Formation Family Mass Attica
Mon 10/4 6:30 -8 pm Faith Formation Gym
Fri 10/15 6:30 Movie Night: Fatima Gym
Sat 10/23 4:30 Vburg: Outdoor Mass; 5:30-7:30 “Campfire Festival”
Wed 11/10 6:30 -8pm Faith Formation Gym
Sun 11/14 8 am Family Mass Attica & Breakfast in Gym w/ Activity
Sun 11/28 Time TBA afternoon Field Trip Tour OLVB
Fri 12/3 6:30 to 8 pm Faith Formation Gym and church
Sat 12/18 UPDATE after 4:30 mass Living Nativity participation w/ WACY
Parent Survey & 2021-2022 Registration Form
attached below, for folks who missed the parent meeting or misplaced them:
Please fill out completely, paying special attention to items we may not have recorded, or that may be missing from our records, such as Mother’s maiden name, Sacrament years, locations, and Godparents, as this information is transferred and recorded in the Parish records for future reference such as for marriage. (Yes, it is still handwritten in ancient ledgers going back a hundred years. If you filled these out completely and thoroughly last year, of course this detail is not necessary.) Registration fees are due at this time as well please. The rates are on the form. You may drop these forms and fees into the Sunday collection or drop off at the parish office which is open from 9 to 3 pm weekdays. We would appreciate the parent survey questions answered for planning our parent and spring sessions.
Thank you very much! Grace and Peace to you. We pray for a successful, Heathy, school year for all your children. Hope to see you at the first family mass on the 19th at 11am in Attica!
Parent survey 2021
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Registration Form 2021
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