Staff Report

April showers are said to bring May flowers but May brings a host of opportunties to grow in faith. A late Easter continues the Easter season far into a month where we honor mothers, veterans, Blessed Mother Mary and more.

Mother’s Day

Though not an official Catholic holiday, Mother’s Day (May 11, 2014) is a great time to pray for our mothers.

For Children: Write a prayer for your mom and recite it on Mother’s Day, or make a video for Mom (get Dad to help!) and say 10 things you love about your mom, and recite a prayer. Make a rosary for your mother and grandmother.
For those family and friends who have lost their mother, write them a note on Mother’s Day and pray for them.

For Mothers: Make a video and pray for your children, writing a prayer for them.

For Mothers to be: Make a video for your child, read the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), and pray as a family and reflect on the joy of life.

Pray, fast & celebrate new priests

On Saturday, May 17, Brian Phelps, and James Riehle will be ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains. Fast: Choose a day in May on which the family will fast and abstain for our new priests. Pray: On May 17, take some time during the day and spend time in prayer for our newly ordained. Celebrate: have the family compose a note to the newly ordained and mail it to the Athenaeum of Ohio, 6616 Beechmont Ave., Cincinnati OH 45230 celebrating their ordination.

Memorial Day

Have the family make a banner and place names on that banner in memoriam for our loved ones in the family who have served our nation. On Memorial Day weekend, plann a small prayer service to pray for those that have gone before us. Additionally, attend a Memorial Day Mass at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Cincinnati, or Calvary Cemetery in Dayton.

Date with the grandparents

Have young adults in the family choose a day in May, preferably on the weekend, and have them set up a date night with their grandparents.

With the warm weather finally arriving, it is a great time to take them to Mass and afterwards to dinner, or a Sunday brunch or picnic.

Recite the Regina Coeli during the Easter Season as a family

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia,  for he whom you were worthy to bear, alleluia,
Has risen, as he foretold, alleluia;
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
For the Lord has indeed risen, alleluia.
God our Father, you give joy to the world by the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the prayers of his mother, the Virgin Mary, bring us to the happiness of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

This Family Life Activities feature originally appeared in the May 2014 print edition of The Catholic Telegraph.