St. Mark Faith Formation – Homeschool Curriculum 2020

Prayers by Grade Level

July 2020

Though it may not always feel like it, summer is now in full swing. Hopefully, you are able to take some time to rest and enjoy time together as a family.

While we still have no idea how things will look in the fall, I have put together plans for classes to begin in the fall. We are fortunate to have multiple school administrators and teachers at St. Mark, and I will be relying on their significant input in putting together a plan, but my hope is that we will be able to return to gathered sessions.

I will be sending out a survey to gather valuable information from all parents in the coming weeks. Please be sure you fill it out and return it ASAP. In the meantime, there are still opportunities being offered throughout the summer.

YOUTH MINISTRY – Youth in outgoing grades 6-12 have been meeting via Zoom each Wednesday night to talk, play games, and pray together. We will continue to meet on Wednesdays through July 8. Beginning on July 12 we will switch to Sundays at 7:00 PM. Please contact me for the links to these meetings.

Time: Wednesdays – July 1 & July 8 (7:00-8:30 PM, link will open at 6:45 PM)

Time: Sundays – beginning July 12 (7:00-8:30 PM, link will open at 6:45 Pm)

RUMMAGE SALE – While we did not have our annual rummage sale last weekend, that doesn’t mean we are forgetting it completely. If you have been using your extra time to begin cleaning, downsizing, or organizing your homes and garages, we will gladly take what you no longer want. I am beginning to update our classrooms to make them more comfortable and casual. If you are thinking of getting different furniture or downsizing what you have, please consider donating to our youth programming. * Contact me to set up a time to safely drop off any of your donations at the church.

This month I plan to be at the office one day a week to work on classrooms. I will still be available other days as well. The best way to reach me is still by email or cell phone.

Prayers for your continued safety and health.
~Brenda Strayer

June 1, 2020

The day many have been waiting for has finally arrived… we are finally able to once again gather for Mass. However, we know that not everyone is comfortable with coming back yet. We encourage you to continue to do what you feel is best for your family. If there is anything I can do to assist, please do not hesitate to contact me.

This continues to be an unusual time but I hope that you have been able to find some positive in spending more time together as a family. If you have pictures partaking in any of the activities we have suggested in the newsletters or on social media, please send them our way so we can share them with others.

While we have no idea how things will look in the fall, my hope is that we will be able to return to gathered sessions. In case that is not possible, I have begun planning for a variety of circumstances. That does not mean things have stopped in the meantime…. There are still opportunities being offered throughout the summer, for now, they will not be physically gathered.

1. YOUTH MINISTRY – Youth in grades 6-12 are currently meeting via Zoom each Wednesday night to talk, play games, and pray together. This is now set as a recurring meeting so this will be the link unless we change. Email me for the link if you do not already have it.

2. SPRING CLEANING – I know many have been using their extra time to begin cleaning to downsize and organize their homes and garages. We are not sure when we will be able to have our annual rummage sale. If you have items that you are ready to get rid of, please bag them up and set aside for later drop off. One of my projects this summer is to update our classrooms to make them more comfortable and casual. If you are thinking of getting different furniture, or downsizing what you have, please consider donating to our youth programming. Contact me to set up a time to safely drop off any of your donations at the church.

3. MOST HOLY TRINITY – June 7

Review the Nicene (or Apostles) Creed. Distinguish between the three sections of the creed and label them Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. OR Read the Baptismal promises and reflect on how we profess our faith in the Trinitarian God when we renew our baptismal vows.
As a family discuss how the following symbols can explain how God is one substance, but three distinct persons. Symbols for the Holy Trinity: Shamrock, Triquetra (Trinity Knot), Shield of the Trinity (Scutum Fidei), Borromean Rings, Triangle, Trefoil, and Fleur-de-lis.

4. MOST HOLY BODY & BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI) – June 14

As a family, discuss why receiving the Eucharist is important to you.
If you are able, go to the church and spend some time in the chapel before the Blessed Sacrament.

5. MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS – June 19

Research more about this beautiful devotion.
Cut out a large heart and write Jesus on it to symbolize the heart of Jesus. Have each family member cut out and decorate a smaller heart with their own name on it. Glue them onto the larger heart to show that our hearts belong to Jesus.

6. FATHER’S DAY – June 21

Do or make something special for your Dad to honor and celebrate him.
Do something in honor of Fr, Kevin and let him know what you did (if possible, send me a picture so we can share on our social media account).
Say a special prayer to our heavenly father (suggestions will be on our Facebook page).

This month my hours will be extremely limited as I will be using up some of my vacation time. Please still, reach out with your needs, but know that my response may not be immediate. If it is an urgent matter, please call or text my cell phone.

Prayers for your continued safety and health.
~Brenda Strayer

May 6, 2020

As we reach May, our Religious Education program is also technically coming to an end for the academic year. However, same as always, there will still be faith formation activities offered in the coming months. I am currently setting up Zoom gatherings for each class, so we can say our good-byes for the summer “in person”. These will be set up per class, please watch for gathering connection information in the next few days.

While this has been an unusual year, I hope you have enjoyed some of the activities we have provided to help you grow closer together as a family and in the faith. My hope is that we will be able to return to gathered sessions in the fall, but have been looking into a variety of options just in case.

My plan is to send out monthly newsletters unless an important update comes up. I encourage you to continue watching our Facebook page (StMark Iowa-Falls) for current and upcoming events. We would love to see pictures of you engaging in any of our virtual offerings. Please send us pictures – we may even include them in collections on our social media pages.

1. YOUTH MINISTRY – Youth in grades 6-12 are currently meeting via Zoom each Wednesday night to talk, play games, and pray together. Connection information is sent out on Tuesdays, and you are welcome to join us at any time.

2. TOTUS TUUS – Unfortunately, we have been informed by the archdiocesan office that Totus Tuus will be cancelled for Summer 2020. At this time, we are not sure if there will be a “Vacation Bible School/Totus Tuus” type program offered this year. We will let you know as decisions are made.

3. MARY – We honor Mary in May. Review ideas sent out last week.

May Crowning – Crown your indoor or outdoor Mary statue.
Marian Prayers – Learn new prayers dedicated to Mary. *New ones posted on our Facebook page each day in May.
Rosary – Join us on Facebook live each Saturday at 4:30 pm.
Mary Garden – Plant a Mary garden using certain plants and depictions of our Holy Mother.

4. OUR LADY OF FATIMA – Celebrated on May 13.

Read the Fatima Story – Learn more about our Holy Mother appearing to Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco.
Celebrate the Miracle of the Sun – Make a pinwheel (a sun design is very fitting), take it outside and watch it whirl in the wind.

5. ASCENSION OF THE LORD – Celebrated May 21 (Moved to Sunday, May 24)

Read Luke 24:50-53 or Acts 1:6-11. Imagine yourselves present at Jesus’ ascension. How would you have felt?
Just before his ascension, Jesus blessed the disciples. Pray Numbers 6:24-26 together as a way of communicating his blessing to one another.
On Ascension Thursday (May 21), choose a family intention. Include this intention in your prayers while praying a novena to the Holy Spirit for the nine days till Pentecost.

5. PENTECOST – Celebrated May 31. (The birthday of the Church!)

Read Acts 2, the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. Read it in all the languages family members speak! (See the Bible translations at www.biblegateway.com/languages).

Decorate a cake with Pentecost flames and other symbols to celebrate the birthday of the church.
Talk about the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (see Isaiah 11 and 1 Corinthians 12; also the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1830-1832).
Make a Pentecost hanging or mobile that features a dove and tongues of fire.
Learn a prayer to the Holy Spirit to use in your family prayer time.
Fly a kite to celebrate the wind of the Holy Spirit.
Discuss why Sunday is holy (see John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, On Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy; Catechism, 2174-2195). Decide how you can keep the Lord’s Day as a family.

I have begun having virtual office hours and am available Tuesdays (9:00 am -noon) and Thursday (12:30-3:00 pm), or other times by appointment. Due to security measures, contact me for connection details. My prayers continue to be with you all. Blessings to you all and know you can always reach out. Please stay safe and healthy.
~Brenda Strayer

April 29, 2020

As we reach the end of April, our Religious Education program is also technically coming to an end. While this has been an unusual year, I hope you have enjoyed some of the activities we have provided to help you grow closer together as a family and in the faith.

One thing Catholics strive to do well is honoring our Mother! The entire month of May is especially given to her praise. While the earth blooms in springtime beauty, it is an ideal time for our thoughts and sentiments to be directed towards our lovely Queen of Heaven and Earth. Here are some ideas on how can you honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in a special way this month.

LEARN ABOUT MARY – The best way to increase your devotion to the Blessed Mother is simply by learning more about her. There is no shortage of great Catholic materials on Mary that unpack the mysteries of her life, virtues, and perfect union with her son, Jesus, and the treasures of grace this unfolds in the life of every Christian who turns to her in faith. FORMED is a great place to begin looking!
CROWN YOUR MARY STATUE – May crownings are one of the most popular ways to celebrate the month of Mary. Make a Crown of Flowers for your Mary Statue and/or adorn your indoor and outdoor Mary statues with fresh blooming flowers this month. Add a candle too for an extra touch.
PRAY TO OUR LADY – Take some time this month reminding or teaching yourself of our wonderful rote Marian prayer (Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen, the Angelus, the Magnificat, Memorare, etc.) Sometime during the month of May, pray a novena to the Blessed Mother for a particular intention that you want to entrust to her Immaculate Heart, for yourself or for someone else. If you don’t already have a favorite novena to Our Lady, try a Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SPREAD DEVOTION TO THE ROSARY – Outside of the Mass, there is no prayer more pleasing to Our Lady and more effective for her intercession than the Holy Rosary. If you haven’t prayed the rosary in a while, this is a great time to do so. If you already pray the rosary regularly, consider encouraging others to do the same throughout this month. There are many graces to be gained for those who preach the power of the holy rosary!
DISCOVER A NEW MARIAN DEVOTION – Our Lady is the Mother of the Universal Church. There are many ways she has affected Christians in various times and places during these nearly 2,000 years since she walked the earth. This month consider researching and adopting a special devotion to Mary under one of her many titles. For example, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady Undoer of Knots, Our Lady of Guadalupe, or Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
PLANT A MARIAN GARDEN – Mary gardens can be located anywhere and be any size. There isn’t a right or wrong location as long as it can be a place of prayer, reflection, and enjoyment. You may want to consider if the area is shaded or sunny as it may influence the kinds of plants you will have. Keep this simple and inexpensive. Find a statue or image of Mary for the center of your garden. Several plants have links to Mary by their names or through the history of devotions to Mary and church tradition. There really isn’t a right or wrong as long as it is meaningful for you and enhances your prayer life. Possible plant ideas for your Mary Garden:

Roses – The “queen of flowers” has long been associated with Mary.
Rosemary – It’s in the name!
Marigold – Marigold means Mary’s gold. Early Christians offered Mary these instead of coins.
Sweet Alyssum – These have a wonderful fragrance. Cross-shaped flowers remind us of our Lord’s cross.
Lily of the Valley – These are also known as Our Lady’s Tears.
Impatiens – Also called Mother’s Love because of their constant blooms.
Bleeding Heart – For Mary’s heart which was pierced.
Hyacinth – for its color, fragrance, and star-shaped flower.

Choose your flowers based on their preferred growing conditions. You should also consider the height that your flowers and herbs will grow. You don’t want some to be in the way of others. Place the tallest plants in the back and small ones in front.

Keep in mind our Facebook page (StMark Iowa-Falls) to stay up to date on current happenings. Also, we invite you to use the page for the following:

Send us a picture of your Mary statue crowning to post on our page. (Can be texted to Brenda or DM the Facebook page.) All pictures will be posted on the page on May 10.
To help you learn new prayers, each day during May a new Marian prayer will be posted.
The Rosary will be said live every Saturday afternoon at 4:30 PM. Join us!
Join us daily beginning on May 1 for the Our Lady Undoer of Knots Novena.
Send us a picture of your Mary Garden to post on our page. (Can be texted to Brenda or DM the Facebook page.) All pictures will be posted throughout the month of May.

My prayers continue to be with you all. Keep watching our Facebook pages for all the current updates (StMark Iowa-Falls and Mark Mary). Blessings to you all. Please stay safe and healthy.
~Brenda Strayer

April 22, 2020

I pray you have all been doing well. Oftentimes we spend all of Lent preparing for Easter. The day finally arrives as we celebrate with family, have eggs hunts, and remember Christ’s resurrection. The next day we return to our “normal” lives, however, did you know that Easter is much more than a day? The Easter season actually lasts 50 Days! Below is a list of ideas/suggestions of ways you and your family can sustain this “Easter spirit” of celebration all the way to Pentecost.

Activities:

Plan fun family activities—one for every week of Easter.
Put up a sign or banner that proclaims, “He is risen!”
Add an “alleluia” song—or three alleluias—to your grace before meals.
Make a poster of a life-giving cross. Add paper flowers and leaves to it throughout Easter.
Celebrate new life by doing something as a family to support unborn children and their parents.
Do some family acts of kindness to express thanks for the resurrection.
Talk about baptism. Tell stories of family members’ baptisms.
Drape your crucifixes and crosses with a strip of white cloth.
Learn how other cultures celebrate Easter. Try out some of their customs and foods.
Use a special container for newly blessed water from church. Show your kids how to use holy water. (Holy Water is still available in the chapel entrance, but you must bring your own container to collect it in.)
Research interesting shrines or churches. Maybe plan to visit some that are close once we are able to.
Place a resurrection icon or picture in a place of honor
Plant some seeds. (More ideas for this next week.)
Find ways to make Sunday meals special during the Easter season.
Continue the “special Sunday meal” tradition to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection all year.

Prayer/Scriptural Suggestions:

Read about the Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:13-35); take a family walk.
Discuss what it means to be Christ’s “witnesses” (Luke 24:48)? Help each family member to see that their witness matters.
Pray the Liturgy of the Hours together in the morning or evening (www.liturgyhours.org).
Read about the disciples’ amazing catch of fish (John 21:1-14). Then go fishing together.
Talk about how the disciples hid (John 20:19) until the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. Follow up by playing hide and seek.
Play “twenty questions”: Have someone choose a Bible character or thing from the Easter stories. The group gets twenty questions (yes or no answers only) to guess the right answer.
Discuss why Sunday is holy (see John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, On Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy; Catechism, 2174-2195). Decide how you can keep the Lord’s Day as a family.

I hope you understand that these weekly newsletters are full of many ideas to help provide opportunities for students of all ages. Please know I do not expect you to do all of these activities. As we have said before, you (the parents) are the primary teachers of the faith to your children. My job is to assist you in this task. I have come up with ideas that can be done “family-style” that will hopefully not only help you grow in the faith but closer as a family as well. Incorporate the lessons each week in whatever way works best for your family.

Easter Blessings!

This is an Easter we are sure to remember. While we may not have been able to gather physically to celebrate, I am delighted with how many of our families made themselves present virtually in prayer and praise. If you took pictures of yourselves during any of the activities/Masses/Service last week, please send them to me. I am putting together a compilation of pictures. If you did not take pictures but did any of the above, please let me know how they went for your family. We would love to hear from you.

I know that the students will begin having school lessons online this week, so I have put together something simple for this week. I hope you will still enjoy it and continue to grow in faith as a family this week.

As we reflect on the events of last week, I would like us to take some extra time this week to reflect on something important about Holy Thursday. It was on this day, when He sat down at table with his disciples to break bread, that Jesus instituted the priesthood. It is no surprise that we have a huge priest shortage all over the world. I also do not think it will come as any great shock that while many of us are struggling with not being able to gather and/or receive the Eucharist, this time has been a great struggle for our priests! Keeping that in mind, I am asking you to keep all our priests and our seminarians in your prayers this week. Here is a poster of current seminarians for you to put a face with the name if you’d like. Click here for the Vocation Prayers.

Monday – Say the Prayer for Priests for the priests you know. Keep in mind Fr. Kevin Earleywine, Fr. Tony Kruse, Fr. Paul Baldwin, Fr. Andy Upah, Fr. Michael McAndrew, Archbishop Michael Jackels, Pope Francis, and any other priests you know.
Tuesday – Say the Prayer for Deacons for permanent deacons you may know or anyone you know studying to become a deacon and those in religious life. Keep in mind Deacon Rob Claypool, Deacon Dan Hurt, Doug Aldinger, and Sr. Connie Howe.
Wednesday – Say the Prayer for Our Seminarians for those that will be ordained into the priesthood or transitional diaconate this year. Keep in mind Deacon Nick Radloff, Deacon Joseph Sevcik, Deacon Sean Smith, Martin Coolidge, Jake Dunne, Kyle Tietz, and Eric Zenisek.
Thursday – Say the Prayer for Our Seminarians for those studying at Mundelein Seminary
(Pre-Theology 1 – 2nd Theology). Keep in mind Casey Flack, Chris Stoker, Ben Valentine, Jeff Frieden, Michael DeClerck, Hayden Merkel, Isaac Neppel, Tim Weber, and Peter Binder.
Friday – Say the Prayer for Vocations for those considering the priesthood or religious life. Keep in mind Adam Goetz, Louis Kuchar, Stephen Richert (who joined us for Tutus Tuus last summer), Michael Manternach, Thiet Hoang, and Hung Le.

Next Sunday is also a special day in the Church. In addition to it being the octave of Easter, it is Divine Mercy Sunday. Here are some details about this special day in the church:

In 1931 a sister of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Faustina Kowalska, is said to have been personally visited by Jesus.
According to her diary, an image was revealed to her of the risen Lord, from whose heart shone two rays, one red (representing blood) and the other “pale” (symbolizing water), with the words “Jesus, I trust in you” at the bottom. Faustina wrote in her diary that Jesus told her, “I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.”
In 2000, John Paul II proclaimed that the Second Sunday of Easter would henceforth be known as Divine Mercy Sunday, widely promoting the devotional practices associated with Faustina’s visions/apparitions that continued for years. We are called to focus on God’s mercy, the call to accept God’s mercy and to be merciful, the need for conversion, and the call to trust in Jesus.
Among the practices associated with the devotion are its novena, the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy (a series of prayers organized similarly to a rosary), the Hour of Great Mercy (a time of prayer traditionally celebrated at 3 p.m.), and the plenary indulgence granted to those who receive the Eucharist and celebrate reconciliation on Divine Mercy Sunday. The celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday is an opportunity to reflect on the theme of how God’s mercy can overcome sin and the difficulties and trials that mankind will experience in the years to come.

For those interested, I will be leading the Divine Mercy Chaplet live on our Facebook page (StMark Iowa-Falls) next Sunday at 3:00 PM. I hope you will join us, but if you cannot at 3:00 PM, come back and watch the video and join in the prayer at a time that works for you. (The video will also be updated to our linkage website.) It will be helpful to have a rosary, but you do not need to have one. Here is a prayer sheet to help you follow along. I know this may be a new experience for many, so if you have any questions please feel free to reach out ahead of time.

My prayers continue to be with you all. Keep watching our Facebook pages for all the current updates (StMark Iowa-Falls and Mark Mary).

Blessings to you all. Please stay safe and healthy.
~Brenda Strayer

Holy Saturday & Easter Sunday

Happy Holy Week! Hopefully, you have been able to take some time to reflect on what these days are truly about, and maybe have a new (better) understanding of humbling ourselves and sacrificing as Christ did.

Here are the materials for Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. I do not want anyone to feel overwhelmed but want to make sure I am providing materials for those who would like them. We are all in different places and go at different paces in our faith journey. No one is better or worse. As we have been told, we are many parts but all one body in Christ.

As always, please know that you are all in my prayers. Keep watching our Facebook page for all the current updates (StMark Iowa-Falls).

Blessings to you all, have a great weekend. Please stay safe and healthy.
~Brenda Strayer

Good Friday

Happy Holy Week! Hopefully, you have been able to take some time to reflect on what these days are truly about and maybe have a new (better) understanding of humbling ourselves and sacrificing as Christ did.

Click here for the materials for Good Friday. I do not want anyone to feel overwhelmed but want to make sure I am providing materials for those who would like them. We are all in different places and go at different paces in our faith journey. No one is better or worse. As we have been told, we are many parts but all one body in Christ.

As always, please know that you are all in my prayers. Keep watching our Facebook page for all the current updates (StMark Iowa-Falls).

Blessings to you all. Please stay safe and healthy.

~Brenda Strayer

Holy Thursday

Click here for the materials for Holy Thursday. I do not want anyone to feel overwhelmed but want to make sure I am providing materials for those who would like them. We are all in different places and go at different paces in our faith journey. No one is better or worse. As we have been told, we are many parts but all one body in Christ.

Click here for live streaming opportunities for the remainder of the week. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

As always, please know that you are all in my prayers. Keep watching our Facebook page for all the current updates (StMark Iowa-Falls).

Blessings to you all. Please stay safe and healthy.
~Brenda Strayer

Palm Sunday

Happy Holy Week! What a roller-coaster week this can already be, then top it with all that is currently going on in the world. Hopefully, we can all take some time to reflect on what these days are truly about, and maybe have a new (better) understanding of humbling ourselves and sacrificing as Christ did.

As I mentioned last week, this week my emails will look a little different. I will be sending out an email prior to each significant day (after today) to help you prepare for the day. I know you have already received some ideas/materials in the mail, seen posts on our Facebook page and website. Again, please feel free to use as much or as little as works for your family. I do not want anyone to feel overwhelmed but want to make sure I am providing materials for those who would like them. We are all in different places and go at different paces in our faith journey. No one is better or worse. As we have been told, we are many parts but all one body in Christ.

Click here to find materials for Palm Sunday. If you have not already done a reflection it would still be fitting to do so during the week.

As always, please know that you are all in my prayers. Keep watching our Facebook page for all the current updates (StMark Iowa-Falls).

Blessings to you all. Please stay safe and healthy.
~Brenda Strayer

Week of April 1

There are also some ideas in our weekly bulletin. If you haven’t already, this is a great time to sign up to have the bulletin emailed to you each week. You can find the link on our linkage website. Contact Mary Quinlin or me for assistance if needed.

Since Holy Week will begin on Sunday, I plan to send out emails each day with ways to celebrate the Holy Day the next day. Again, feel free to use as much or as little as works for your family. I do not want anyone to feel overwhelmed but would like to make sure I am providing materials for those who would like them.

Prayer: Monks practice silence in order to better hear God. Many of us have become used to constantly having sounds all around us. Many times, we take comfort in having those distractions around us. It is less time to think about things that we may not want to dwell on. This week I encourage you to take about 5 minutes a day to sit in silence. If you are up to the challenge, invite God into your heart and mind and truly listen to what he has to say to you.

Fasting: Take a look around your room and count up the number of articles of clothing you have (dressers, closets, hampers, storage, etc.). Select ten percent to wear during your fast this week. Then take a closer look around, especially if it wasn’t a struggle to go down to only ten percent of your wardrobe. When was the last time you have worn some of them (seasonally excluded)? Are some in a size that realistically you will probably never fit into again? Do you really need that many items? For most of us, the answer would be no. Challenge yourself to see how much you can get rid of, ten percent would be an even greater challenge. Pack them up and set them aside to donate once life is “back to normal”. (I suggest the Thrift Shop or to the church for our Youth Ministry Rummage Sale that will hopefully be held in July.)

Alms: Come up with a helpful way to spend your “free time” or “gaming time”. Do something nice for another person. Help load or unload the dishwasher, offer to help make lunch/supper, vacuum and/or sweep the floors. Be creative and come up with your own ideas. BUT remember, when we give alms, we should NOT do it for recognition or reward. “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:3-4)

Think of others: Are there some people in your life that you have lost contact with? Whether they moved away, you have been meaning to call/text but you have been too busy, or whatever else the reason. This is a perfect time to take a few minutes to reach out to them. Whether it is a Facebook message, Snap, call, text, or a hand-written letter, take a few minutes to reach out to someone this week.

As always, please know that you are all in my prayers. Keep watching our Facebook pages for all the current updates (StMark Iowa-Falls and Mark Mary).

Blessings to you all. Please stay safe and healthy.
~Brenda Strayer

Week of March 25

My prayers continue to be with you all. I hope you understand that these weekly newsletters are full of many ideas to help provide opportunities for students of all ages. That being said, please know I do not expect you to do all of these activities. As we have said before, you (the parents) are the primary teachers of the faith to your children. My job is to assist you in this task. I have tried to come up with ideas that can be done “family-style” that will hopefully not only help you grow in the faith but closer as a family as well. Incorporate the lessons each week in whatever way works best for your family. Whether that is taking a little time each day or setting aside a larger amount of time once each week (similar to them going to RE class).

If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions for topics, or just need to talk/vent; please know that I am here for you. There are also some fun ideas in our weekly bulletin. If you haven’t already, this is a great time to sign up to have the bulletin emailed to you each week. You can find the link on our linkage website. Contact Mary Quinlin or me for assistance if needed.

I encourage you to continue to pray with your children. I realized there was an error with the 4th-grade book sent last week. The corrected version is posted above. Our main focuses during Lent are Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. It is also a time to be mindful of others. Below are new ways to incorporate these into your life this week.

Prayer: Since our older students were planning to lead a Stations of the Cross this Wednesday, I invite you to take some time this week to pray this meditation together. (Usually, 30 minutes should be plenty of time to set aside for this.) For families with very young children possibly do a couple of stations each evening if that suits the children’s attention span and family activities better. It can be a simple quiet prayerful interlude or an opportunity for conversation, sharing each other’s thoughts and meditations about the station. Here is a simple series of meditations for a family Stations of the Cross. I have included a Stations of the Cross coloring book, suitable for coloring or for creating stations for your home.

Fasting: Take a day (or longer) to fast from social media. I am not saying that all social media is bad, I know first hand how it can be used to benefit people (for example currently live-streaming Masses). I also know how consuming all these apps can be. Take a break from them and have some face-to-face conversations with your family members. Enjoy each other’s company and get to know each other better!

Alms: No two families are alike. Today, many families live from paycheck to paycheck with their finances stretched to the last penny. Giving alms is personal to every person and every family, and it may call for adaptation expressed in forms other than in money. Didn’t St. Peter tell the crowds: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 3:6)? There are hundreds of creative ways to give alms without it costing money. Find ways to bring awareness to those who are in need. To brainstorm ideas, look up the corporal works of mercy. Which organizations help those in need in these areas? How can you promote awareness for them? I would love to see your ideas. Please email or text me your ideas or pictures. You can also tag our social media accounts if you choose to go that route.

Think of others: Take the food-stamp challenge. Millions of people rely on food stamps (now called SNAP) to keep food on the table. The average daily amount for a person on SNAP is currently around $4.17 a day. Try to spend at least a one day this week living on only this amount of food.

As always, please know that you are all in my prayers. Keep watching our Facebook pages for all the current updates (StMark Iowa-Falls and Mark Mary). To keep with social distancing, I plan to work from home as much as possible but will still be checking my email and monitoring our social media accounts.

Blessings to you all. Please stay safe and healthy.
~Brenda Strayer

Week of March 18

While we have said it many times that parents are the primary teachers of the faith to their children, these next few weeks that is going to look a little differently than in the past. As I stated in my previous email, I will be sending out lessons for you to do together as a family each week. Since many families have children a variety of ages, I will be doing my best to supply materials that are fairly one size fits all. I do encourage you to encourage your older children to dig a little deeper. Also, if you would like any specific topic materials to cover, please let me know and I will be happy to provide the information.

Please feel free to incorporate the lessons each week in whatever way works best for your family. Whether that is taking a little time each day or setting aside a larger amount of time once each week (similar to them going to RE class).

First and foremost, I encourage you to pray with your children. The Catholic tradition of prayer highlights four basic elements of prayer: Prayer of Blessings and Adoration, Prayer of Petition, Prayer of Intercession, and Prayer of Thanksgiving. In each of the coming weeks, we will dive into each of these topics deeper. For now, I have attached copies of the prayer booklets our students have been using in class. My suggestions would be to begin with those that are age-appropriate for your student. As they learn these prayers feel free to add more.

Our main focuses during Lent are: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. It is also a time to be mindful of others. Below are ways to incorporate these into your life this week.

Prayer: As mentioned before, please work on the rote prayers in their booklet. Take some time to thank God for living in a place where we are blessed with medical development, access to fresh water and food, communities/neighborhoods where we take care of each other, loving friends and family, and our health. Keep in prayer those in other communities and countries where they do not have access to such things. In addition, please keep those who are currently sick and those that take care of them in your prayers.

Fasting: Take a night (or longer) to fast from technology. Put away all your phones, ipads, computers and turn off your televisions. Enjoy a meal together at the table (maybe even set it nicely) and enjoy each other’s company and conversation. You could possibly even prepare/cook the meal together. (I am learning that many of our young people do not know how to cook anymore.) Spend the evening playing games – indoors or outside, go on a walk/bike ride, sit outside and enjoy nature, read, or just talk to each other.

Alms: Along with praying for the blessings we have that others do not, spend time talking about or researching how different our lives are than those in third world countries. How do you think they are coping with all that is currently going on in the world? (A good resource is the Mary’s Meals website: marysmeals.org.) If you haven’t already, set up a jar or your blue Mary’s Meals cup, and review the Lenten calendar we handed out. Collect donations to be turned in after Easter for Mary’s Meals so we can continue to help those less fortunate.

Think of others: While this can be a scary and somewhat lonely time for all of us, think of those in care centers or permanently homebound that are not allowed any visitors. Write notes, make cards, draw or color pictures to help cheer them up. Send to loved ones you have in those situations and/or send them to me at the church and I will be happy to pass them along to our parishioners that are in the local care centers or permanently homebound.

As always, please know that you are all in my prayers. Keep watching our Facebook pages for all the current updates (StMark Iowa-Falls and Mark Mary). If you would like any resources or even just to talk (or rant), please feel free to contact me. Since we are not having any gatherings at church I will be working from home most of the time, but will still be checking my email. You can also reach me on my cell phone at 641-430-0204. Fr. Kevin is also making himself available for anyone wanting to talk, spiritual counseling, prayer, individual confession, etc. He can be reached at [email protected] or at the parish office (648-9547).

Blessings to you all. Please stay safe and healthy.
~Brenda Strayer