August 6: Pope Saint Hormisdas

History

Hormisdas was a widower with grown children when he became a priest. When he was elected pope in 514, there was a schism in the Church. A schism is when the Church is divided because of differing beliefs. Schisms are bad, because Jesus Himself prayed that the Church would always be one, just as Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit are one (John 17). Pope Hormisdas successfully brought the divisions back together so the Church was one again.

Activity

The schism that Pope Hormisdas dealt with didn’t last very long, but other schisms have happened since then. The Great Schism in 1054 pretty much split the Church into two (Catholic and Orthodox), and the Protestant movement led to not just one schism, but thousands. All Christians should work to end divisions in the Church so that we can all be unified in the Lord, as Jesus intended. Today, pray that all Christians will become one Church once again.

Saint Hormisdas, pray for us!

ALSO...

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration. It is not commonly observed among Catholics in the U.S. and other nations, but the Transfiguration is such an awesome event, you and your family might wish to commemorate it. Read the story of the Transfiguration in Matthew 17, Mark 9 or Luke 9. Raisins and new wine are traditional feast items for this day, so try to incorporate raisins in one of your meals today, or let the kids crush grapes and drink the juice. 

More reading for parents:

Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Online
About the Feast of the Transfiguration

August 5: Saint Afra

History

Saint Afra and her mother, Hilaria, were criminals until Bishop Narcissus of Spain came to stay with them. He didn’t know what they did for a living. He only treated them respectfully and told them about Jesus. Both Afra and Hilaria were impressed with his holiness and they became Christians, even though Christians were being persecuted at that time. In fact, officers came to Afra’s house to arrest Bishop Narcissus, but she hid him under a pile of flax, long plant fibers used to make linen fabric. Eventually, Afra was arrested and killed for believing in Jesus.  

Activity

Back when Saint Afra and her mom became Christians, it was dangerous to admit you believed in Jesus. Christians tried to help the Church by hiding bishops and priests in their homes. Would your house be a good place to hide a priest if he was in danger of being arrested? Find out by playing hide and seek.

Saint Afra, pray for us!

More reading for parents:

Catholic Encyclopedia

Catholic Online

August 4: St. John Vianney

History

Saint John Vianney became a priest in 1815. He very quickly earned a reputation for being a wonderful confessor. People said that even the worst of sinners would immediately see the error of their ways once John spoke with them. He heard confessions for 16 hours a day, ministering to people who came to him from all over the world to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Activity

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most important sacraments that we have, and one of the greatest gifts that Jesus gave to the Church. For most of us, going to confession once a month is a very good way for us to become more holy. Today is Sunday, so there are no confession times, but you can make plans for your family members who are old enough to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation to go to confession later this week. And don’t forget to pray for the priests in your parish who hear confessions – they need our prayers as much as we need theirs.

Saint John Vianney, pray for us!

More reading for parents:

American Catholic

365 Rosaries

Catholic Online

August 4-10 Supply list

Here is the supply list for the suggested activities for next week, August 4-10. Feel free to improvise or to adjust activities to fit your family's preferences, skills and time allotment.

Tuesday: Optional: grapes, raisins or food with raisins incorporated, traditional meal items for the Feast of Transfiguration.

Friday: A copy of “Here There is No Why” by Rachel Roth (available at many public libraries) or another children’s book about the Holocaust.

Saturday: Food and supplies to grill for supper. 

August 3: St. Lydia

History

Saint Lydia was one of the first people who heard Saint Paul preach and believed what he said about Jesus. She became a Christian with her whole household and all were baptized. Then, Paul stayed with her for a while. She is called “Lydia Purpuraria”, which means “Lydia who sells purple cloth”, so she must have had a home business in weaving and dying cloth.

Activity

Today, weave some purple cloth of your own. All you need is some cardboard, yarn and a plastic needle big enough to feed the yarn through. Follow these instructions.

Saint Lydia, pray for us!

More reading for parents: 

Catholic Fire

Catholic Online

August 2: Saint Eusebius

History

A very long time ago, some people, called Arians, decided that Jesus wasn’t God after all. This is what’s called a heresy, a false teaching. The Arians convinced other Christians to agree with them, so it was a big problem. Saint Eusebius to a council where both sides were supposed to discuss the problem, but the Arians did not want to listen. Saint Eusebius stood up to them and slapped a copy of the Nicene Creed down on the table, because it had already been accepted by the Church as true and correct…and because it directly contradicted what the Arians claimed. For this, Eusebius was driven out of the country, tortured, starved for four days, and thrown in prison several times, but he worked hard for the rest of his life to defend the truth.

Activity

Every Sunday at Mass, we stand together and recite the Nicene Creed. It’s the perfect statement of what our faith is all about. But we don’t have to wait until Sunday. Pray the Creed together as a family right now. 

Saint Eusebius, pray for us!

More reading for parents:

Catholic Encyclopedia

Catholic Online

Nicene Creed at USCCB.org

Prep for tomorrow's activity:

If you have young children, many children, or if you work outside the home, you might want to prep for tomorrow's activity after the children go to bed. Draw a line 1/2" from the edge of two opposite sides of a square of cardboard for each child. Mark off 1/4" increments between the line and the edge for at least two inches (about the width of a bookmark). Using scissors, cut the slits 1/4" apart at the top. For preschoolers, you may want to take the additional step of stringing the loom, following these instructions. 

August 1: Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

History 

Saint Alphonsus grew up in a devout family. He became a lawyer, but after visiting a hospital for people who could not be cured, he received a vision from heaven and was told to dedicate his life to God. His family wasn’t very happy about it, but Alphonsus became a priest.  He taught many people about Jesus and started a religious community called the Redemptorists. Then he started to get sick. His body became so deformed and bent forward, he couldn’t eat and had to drink his meals through a straw. He became very sad, but he stayed close to Jesus and served people with love.

Activity

Can you imagine what it would be like for your body to become so deformed, you couldn’t even eat a regular meal? Give it a try today. Here are a couple of recipes (adapted from Livestrong.com) of healthy meals that you can drink through a straw.

Peanut Butter Banana Shake

In a blender, combine:

1/2 of a frozen banana

1 cup of milk

1/4 cup of rolled, raw oats

1 tbsp. of peanut butter

Blend until smooth and serve.

Tropical Shake

In a blender combine:

1/2 cup pineapple or orange juice

1 frozen banana

1 cup plain, low-fat Greek yogurt OR soy substitute for those with dairy allergies

1/2 cup of strawberries (or other berries)

Blend until smooth and serve

Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, pray for us!

More reading for parents: 

Catholic Online

365 Rosaries