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“A Parish with open arms and caring hearts!”

The ABCs of teaching your kids to read the Bible-Our Sunday Visitor

https://teachingcatholickids.com/the-abcs-of-teaching-your-kids-to-read-the-bible/

What happens during Communion?

We receive Jesus, the Bread of Life! What does this mean?

- We are united with Jesus

February 2 – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

and Candlemas Day Simon took baby Jesus in his arms and said these words, “Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, you have fulfilled your word. For my eyes have witnessed your saving deed displayed for all to see. A revealing light to the Gentile, the glory of your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-30 The presentation of the Lord is the story of Jesus being brought to the temple in Jerusalem. According to Jewish law a woman whose firstborn was a son was to stay in seclusion for forty days blessed. Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. The highlight of this visit to the temple was meeting Simeon, who was a very devout Jew. Simeon had prayed that he would not die without seeing the Messiah. As Mary and Joseph arrived at the temple Simeon was filled with the Spirit. He took Jesus in his arms, blessed him and proclaimed that this child was truly the Son of God. Prayer: Jesus you are the light of the World. We know that you are the Good News of love and hope in our lives. We know that your light and love will get us through any difficulty and dark times. Be with us. In your name we pray. Amen

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OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC PARISH

February 2020

The Feast Day known as Candlemas Day (since Jesus is called a “light for revelation”), many churches offer a blessing of candles, including those to be used in prayer at home. Ask your children to listen for more references to light. Why is the idea of light significant? How was Simeon changed by his encounter with the baby Jesus? Have you ever been changed by an encounter with God?

For family discussion:

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Share with us your thoughts, questions and your experiences a family.

Family Faith Sunday

Family Faith Sunday – February 2nd

Let There Be Light – Cultivating Gratitude and Care for God’s Creation.

The creation story is one that most children in most religions all over the world are familiar with in some way. This is the foundational story of humankind and the world we live in. Families participated in learning centers that helped to foster a deeper understanding of Pope Francis’ urgent call for all of us to care for the Earth into both our spirituality and our daily actions. Families learned about Laudato Si’, Care of our common home. Families learned to connect practical actions to the gospel and deepened their spiritual sense of our common home and how we are to care for it.

Family Faith Sunday is a multi-generational program where parents/guardians and their children (K-8th) gather to pray, play and

share their faith in community with other families in a fun way! More information here.

Next month, we will explore the deeper meaning of Lent – How do we deepen our trust in God’s love for us and how does that love, continue to

sustain us in our daily lives?

Our next Family Faith Sunday:

March 1st – First Sunday of Lent!

All families are welcome! - Don’t miss it!

You can read and hear Sunday readings at any time! Get them on your smart device!

Read them at usccb.org or listen to them at daily readings

Fr. Kevin’s homilies available online. HERE

Saint Brigid of Ireland Saint Brigid is one of the best-loved saints of Ireland. She lived a very long time ago, but there are still many stories about her. When she was a child, she was a servant in a house. She understood that Jesus wanted people to help one another and felt she must help everyone who needed food or other things. So, she gave away milk, eggs, bread and cheese – anything she could find, she gave to hungry people. Over and over she was told not to give food away, but, Saint Brigid knew Jesus was right, and kept on helping others. Finally, when she was a young woman, the people she worked for, told her to leave. They gave up trying to change her, and they were tired of having their food given away. Happily, Saint Brigid left that life behind and became a sister. Eventually, she became the head of a very large Monastery, where both sisters and monks worked and prayed. It became an important place of learning. Saint Brigid was greatly respected by both men and women. She served God and people in many ways. It is said, that sometimes, she drove around in a chariot! The Monetary that Saint Brigid began and ran was called Cil dara, or “church of the oak.” Some of the work done there was making of Bibles. Because there were no machines to print, yet, each page was written by hand, in beautiful letters. The pages were so decorated in lovely colors, with drawings of angels, eagles, lions, and other symbols. These are called “illuminated manuscripts.” They are so extraordinary that some people claimed that only angels could have made them. Saint Brigid, pray in intercession for us as a family, as we strive to serve those in need to the best of our ability.

Saint Brigid, pray for us!

Feast Day: February 1

Patron Saint of: Dairy Workers

and Scholars

Celebrated the 3rd Monday in February – President’s Day

Family Activity Corner The Gift of Love

As a family, talk about how we share and show love to people in our lives.

Answer the question, “Who loves you?” Make a list of these people on a large paper heart and display it in a place in your home that reminds you of the gift

of love.

Heart Hunt

Decorate your home with red heart cutouts. Tape them at the eye level throughout your home. At the end of the day, have a “Heart Hunt” and give an extra treat to the family member who collects the most paper hearts.

February 14 – Saint Valentine’s Day

“and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 According to Catholic history there were two martyred saints named Valentine. Little is known about either saint; however, there are legends about their lives, and both have to do with the great love they had for God and others. St. Pope Gelasius 1 named February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day in A.D. 496. In A.D. 200 the emperor of Rome thought single men made better soldiers then married ones and he prohibited young men from marriage. According to one legend, St. Valentine secretly married couples. The second St. Valentine was a very Christian man who was very good to the children in his town. When Valentine was imprisoned for refusing to worship the Roman gods, the children threw notes of love and good wishes through the bars of his jail cell. Legend also states that Valentine performed a miracle while in jail by restoring the sight of his jailer’s daughter. This Valentine’s day, as a family, in addition to giving gifts of chocolate, give a give to a needy person by passing out some of our care packages from church and add a special valentines card to the package. You will lift a stranger’s spirit!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 9, 2020 • 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time • Matthew 5:13–16

Shine Your Little Light

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Jesus gives his disciples a powerful metaphor on how they are to live their lives. They are to be a light to the world—ablaze with the Good News of the Gospel message. Wherever they go, they are to share their light.

e know from the Gospels that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. His goodness and love have the power to

obliterate the darkness of fear, poverty and oppres- sion. Matthew’s Gospel reminds us that we share Christ’s light. It is our gift as children of God, but it is not a gift meant to be stowed away or kept to ourselves.

With the light of Christ we are empowered to break through the darkness and share God’s love and goodness with all those in need. We refuse to tolerate racist talk and we shine a light through prejudice. We gather food and send it to a food pan- try, and we bring a light into the darkness of hunger and poverty. We bake some cookies, practice some songs, and bring our light to a nursing home—cast- ing out, for at least a little while, the darkness of loneliness.

The light of Christ can be shared in all sorts of simple ways: a kind letter, a phone call, a smile, or a hug. Parents share their light with their children with every story they read and every tussle of their child’s hair. And I know, firsthand, children share their light with us.

Yesterday was a bad day for me. Everything was going wrong. There were family problems and work worries, another book deadline, and some big-

time back pain. Then my son and daughter-in-law stopped by with my newest grandchild.

As I sat and rocked baby Julia and felt the won- derful weight of her four-month-old body across my chest, my body relaxed with a deep sense of peace. And when Julia brought her head back and looked at me, her beautiful smile lit up my day. Without even knowing it, Peter and Katie shared the light of their lives with me, by bringing Julia’s gentle Christ- light into my darkness.

Bringing Home the Gospel: Parent Reflections on the Sunday Gospels • Copyright © 2007, 2019 Judith Dunlap. Published by the Pastoral Center, PastoralCenter.com. All rights reserved. Scripture passages have been taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright ©1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and used by permission. All rights reserved.

PERSONAL RESPONSE

Consider the people in your life. Who could use a little of Christ’s light in their lives? How can you be that light? What do you want to remember from last week? What are you looking forward to next week? What are your concerns?

FAMILY RESPONSE

Talk about how Jesus wants you to be a light in the dark when people are in need or want. Ask family members to share a time when someone has been a light to them.