Equipping Catholic Families

5 Tips to Help Adults Focus at Mass

September 28, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Advance Reading

It always helps me to focus at Mass if I have read the readings beforehand. It also helps to receive the daily readings in the Blessed Is She Devotion each morning! I usually click on the link in the email and read the readings, psalm and Gospel along with the thoughtful reflection based on them. You can subscribe to Blessed Is She here

Missal

The truth is…my hearing isn’t so great. I have a little trouble hearing the readings if the reader isn’t perfectly clear and if there is someone rustling a cough candy wrapper in the next pew. I find it much easier to focus if I’m following along with the readings as they are read.

Filed Under: Catholic Resources, Catholic Toddler Letters, family traditions, Mass Tagged With: Mass

5 Tips to Help KIDS Focus at Mass

September 28, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Our kids range from 21 years down to 7 years old. Here are a couple tips we have found that have helped kids focus at Mass.

1. Mass Mantra in the Van

When the kids were a lot younger, I found myself kind of overwhelmed at Mass with them, especially when Bill was travelling and I was going it alone…with the kids. Church is only a 5 minute drive away, but I found that when I took the time to list ‘the rules’ and get the kids to repeat them after me, sometimes a look or one word could reign them back in. After 21 years of parenting, I still haven’t achieved the look my mother-in-law mastered that could keep even the most wiggly boy in check at Church, but our Mass Mantra has helped….along with the odd ~~bout of bribery~~ good behavior reward after Mass.

Filed Under: Catholic Resources, family traditions, Mass Tagged With: Mass

Equipping Catholic Families …for October Saints!

September 26, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

NEW FEATURE: Equipping Catholic Families for October!

Welcome to our monthly summary of crafts and family traditions related to the Monthly Devotion, Key Feast Days and the appropriate Season of the Liturgical Calendar.

Key Feast Days in October:

St Therese (October 1)
Guardian Angels (October 2)
St Francis (October 4)
St Faustina (October 5)
Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7) Also see Rosary Crafts
The Divine Maternity of Our Lady (October 11)
St Teresa of Avila (October 15) St Teresa in Saint Scripts Three
St Gerard Majella (October 16)
St Luke (October 18)
St John Paul II (October 22) Canonization of St John Paul II
St John of Capistrano (October 23)
St Simon and St Jude (October 28)
I Spy…October Saints!

Monthly Devotion for October: The Holy Rosary

Book Reviews:

Season of the Liturgical Calendar: Ordinary Time

2017-2018 Planner for Sites and Blogs packed with SAINTS!
Convert your Calendar or Planner to be Catholic with 461 Saint Stickies
Catholic Prayer Bullet Journal NEW Craft Kit!
Prep for All Saints Day: Summary of Crafts and Activities
Make Ordinary Time “Extraordinary”
Family Culture in Ordinary Time
Traditions to Start in Ordinary Time
Adjustable Liturgical Calendar Craft
Minute to Win it: Birthday Party Printable
HP Party Printable

Countdown to All Saints Feast Day (November 1)

Prep for All Saints Day: Summary of Crafts and Activities

DIY Saints Votive Candles

Filed Under: #CatholicCrafts, Catholic Crafts, Feast Day Fun, Liturgical Calendar Crafts, Printables, Saints, wooden painted saints Tagged With: catholic crafts, Feast Day, Feast Day Fun, Saints, Saints Activities, Saints Craft Kits, Super saints

Feast Day Fun: Feast of the Archangels!

September 26, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Feast Day Crafts and Activities

Excerpts from A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families , various posts at Equipping Catholic Families and our Saint Scripts Craft Kits Series ONE and TWO and Saint Scripts THREE!

The three Archangels are St Michael, St Gabriel and St Raphael and their Feast Day is September 29th!

Filed Under: #CatholicCrafts, Feast Day Fun, prayer, Saints, Treasure Chest crafts and activities Tagged With: Feast Day Fun, liturgical calendar, Saints, Saints Activities, Saints Craft Kits

Praying the Rosary Like Never Before by Edward Sri {Book Review}

September 7, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Equipping Catholic Families with…Book DeBriefs is a series of book reviews on awesome Catholic books published by Franciscan Media* and its imprint Servant Books, both offering excellent spiritual reading to boost prayer life, devotion and Faith.

Filed Under: prayer, Reviews, Rosary Tagged With: prayer, review, Rosary

Healing Promises: The Essential Guide to the Sacred Heart {Book Review}

September 7, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Filed Under: prayer, Reviews Tagged With: prayer, review

Back to School 2017

September 5, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Back to School! (Check out our Back to School Craft Kit Sale…ends Sept. 10th at 11:59pm)

We finally have Emily home from England and although she’s in 4th year at the University of Ottawa, she just started her 2nd CoOp Placement in downtown Toronto.

Filed Under: #CatholicCrafts, Arma Dei Shoppe, catechism activities, Catholic Crafts, Printables, Sacraments, Saints, Treasure Chest crafts and activities Tagged With: Catholic Printables, prayer journal, Reconciliation, Sacraments, Saints

Feast Day Fun: St Monica, Patron Saint of Moms!

August 26, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

{August27} Feast Day Fun: St Monica!

St Monica is remembered as having a stressful life, between her ill-tempered husband and rebellious son! Through persistent prayer, sacrifice, patience and gentleness, St Monica’s husband converted before he died. Her rebellious son Augustine was also converted and became a bishop and saint and is recognized as a Doctor of the Church. With patience, gentleness and persistence, St Monica reminds us to pray for others, even when they are difficult to get along with …and resistant to changing their ways! She offers us hope in our prayer for those who stray from Jesus.

Filed Under: #CatholicCrafts, Feast Day Fun, prayer, Printables, Saints Tagged With: Catholic Printables, Feast Day, prayer, prayer impressions, prayer journal, printables, Saints, Saints Craft Kits

Equipping Catholic Families…for September!

August 21, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

***we apologize if you have already received the next two posts by email this week. We have been sorting through some website/RSS feed issues that have hopefully been resolved!***

NEW FEATURE: Equipping Catholic Families for September!

Welcome to our monthly summary of crafts and family traditions related to the Monthly Devotion, Key Feast Days and the appropriate Season of the Liturgical Calendar.

Filed Under: Arma Dei Shoppe, catechism activities, Catholic Crafts, Catholic Resources, Liturgical Calendar Crafts, Printables Tagged With: family fun, Feast Day, Feast Day Fun, Saints Activities

Back to School Craft Kit Sale 2017

August 21, 2017 by Monica McConkey Leave a Comment

Craft Kit Sale! Spend $40 in Craft Kit PDFs for the new school year…get $10 OFF! Use code: BTS2017

Choose from Saint, Sacrament, Catechism, Liturgical Calendar, Mass and Prayer Craft Kits! Already researched and formatted, information-packed craft kits are ready to print. All you need: scissors, pencil crayons and glue*! Limited permission to copy is included with the kit!