Allow Children the Benefit of Doubts

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1 September 2016 St. Margaret Mary Religious Education News & Views Hopefully, the start of your new school year has gone smoothly! Now we re gearing up for the start of a new year of Religious Education. Our year begins with the Saturday classes on September 13th. (See the complete September calendar on page 4.) All parents who have registered their children should have already received their schedule letter. Please call the Religious Education Office at if you did not receive your letter. And if you have not, as yet, registered your child(ren), there is limited space in classes. Call the RE Office to check for availability. God bless, Sue Davey Allow Children the Benefit of Doubts POWERSOURCE ASK GOD: 1. To assure your children that doubts and questions are okay. 2. To help you listen well when your kids express doubts. 3. To offer tangible reminders of God s never-ending love and constant presence. In the groundbreaking book Sticky Faith, Kara Powell and Chap Clark explore how to instill lasting faith in kids. Research shows that when children feel safe to express doubts, their faith tends to grow stronger. Contrary to popular opinion, questioning God doesn t mean you re a weak Christian. Instead, doubts force you to examine the truthfulness of something (or someone) and consider how much you re willing to invest in it. To truly own their faith, children must critically evaluate it first. Encourage that process by making your home a safe zone for doubts and questions. Listen intently, and don t shame children for asking questions. Let them know you have questions, too. Reflect on children s words, and affirm their feelings with phrases such as You look like you have a question or You seem concerned. Tough questions help kids verbalize doubts, so don t feel threatened. View the questions not as signs of rebellion but as opportunities to teach and learn. And remember, until we get to heaven, we won t have all the answers. As author Marlene LeFever says, There are some things we just can t know for sure. We believe with all our hearts that God is trustworthy, and that allows us to make that leap of faith and accept what we can t prove.

2 No Doubt About It: Doubt Is OK As children grow, their thoughts and questions about God develop as well. Older preschoolers begin asking why? and how? Miracles, symbolism, and God s nonphysical nature are often confusing for kids ages 3 to 5. Answer questions simply, with words that mean exactly what they say. By ages 6 to 8, children begin to distinguish between fantasy and reality, and they also begin to use logical thinking. Provide answers that let kids use these skills; otherwise, they ll become frustrated. By the preteen years (9 to 12), kids start questioning some basic beliefs they ve previously accepted. They want to explore an issue from many perspectives. Share your own doubts, and help kids find a niche to put their developing faith into action. A Soon-To-Be Saint (and a famous doubter) Pope Francis will declare Blessed Teresa of Calcutta a saint at the Vatican on September 4th. Mother Teresa was known around the world as a living saint as she ministered to the sick and the dying in some of the poorest neighborhoods in the world. Her simple service touched the hearts of millions of people of all faiths. Before founding the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa was a sister of Loreto for nearly 20 years, serving as a teacher in Calcutta. On a long train ride from Calcutta to Darjeeling she experienced a powerful moment of prayer in which she received what she described as a call within a call. Jesus was asking her to give up the life she knew to care for the poorest of the poor on the streets of Calcutta. I was to leave the convent and work with the poor, living among them. It was an order. I knew where I belonged, but I did not know how to get there. Soon after, in 1948, she sought permission to leave her order and struck out on her own to begin this vocation. While not widely known during her early years of working with the poor, Mother Teresa admitted that it pained her greatly that she never again experienced the very intense knowledge of Jesus personal intervention in her life that she did on that train ride. She spent countless hours in prayer hoping to again achieve that powerful intimacy with God, but could not. In one publicly released letter to a spiritual confidant, the Rev. Michael Van der Peet, she wrote, "Jesus has a very special love for you. [But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness are so great, that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak... I want you to pray for me that I let Him have [a] free hand." The Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk, her postulator (the official responsible for gathering the evidence for her sanctification) said he thought that some might misinterpret her meaning, but her faith that God was working through her remained undiminished, and that while she pined for the lost sentiment of closeness with God, she did not question his existence. The point is everyone has doubts in some way, shape or form. Persevere in your faith in spite of them. Another September Saint and Friend of the Poor St. Vincent de Paul was born to a poor peasant family in the French village of Pouy on April 24, His first formal education was provided by the Franciscans. He did so well, he was hired to tutor the children of a nearby wealthy family. He used the monies he earned teaching to continue his formal studies at the University of Toulose where he studied theology. He was ordained in 1600 spent his life preaching missions to and providing relief to the poor. He even established hospitals for them. This work became his passion. He later extended his concern and ministry to convicts. The need to evangelize and assist these souls was so great and the demands beyond his own ability to meet that he founded the Ladies of Charity, a lay institute of woman, to help, as well as a religious institute of priests - the Congregation of Priests of the Mission, commonly referred to now as the Vincentians. The Vincentians remain with us today with nearly 4,000 members in 86 countries. In addition to his order of Vincentian priests, St. Vincent cofounded the Daughters of Charity along with St. Louise de Marillac. There are more than 18,000 Daughters today serving the needs of the poor in 94 countries. He was eighty years old when he died in Paris on September 27, On June 16, 1737, he was canonized by Pope Leo XIII. His Feast Day is the anniversary of his death. Countless parishes, including St. Margaret Mary, have St. Vincent DePaul Societies to aid the local needy.

3 September Sunday Gospel Snippets September 4, 2016 Luke 14:25-33 Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Today s Gospel is another one that sounds extremely harsh. Jesus talks about putting discipleship above everything else including love of family and one s own life. So this Gospel is about setting priorities. Discipleship will not be easy, but it must take first place on our list of commitments and it must be our life-long endeavor. September 11, 2016 Luke 15:1 32 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time The Pharisees are complaining that Jesus keeps company with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus responds with three famous parables. The first is the story of the shepherd who leaves his flock to search for one sheep who is lost. And when he finds that lost sheep, there is great rejoicing. The second is about a woman who has ten coins and loses one. After much searching, the lost coin is found and again, there is rejoicing. And the most famous of all the story of the Prodigal Son about the young son who demands his inheritance and then squanders it. He returns home hoping to be offered only a servant s position in his father s house. But, much to his older brother s chagrin, a welcome home party is given for the young man. Jesus says, There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. September 18, 2016 Luke 16:1-13 Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Today we hear another parable that is difficult to understand. A rich man finds that his financial manager has been dishonestly over-charging the rich man s debtors. The manager decides to get into the good graces of the debtors (and so ensure his future employment) by eliminating the over-charges and accepting a quick payment for debts owed to the rich man. The manager is commended by the rich man for his cleverness, and by the debtors as well for reducing their debt. Three points are made here: 1) always be prudent about the use of wealth; 2) if you handle earthly affairs responsibly, you can be trusted with the affairs of the Kingdom of God; and 3) you cannot serve two masters. Choose God over wealth. September 25, 2016 Luke 16:19-31 Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Here is another parable about how unimportant earthly wealth is to God, but how important the care of the poor and suffering is to God. A very poor man dies and goes to heaven. A very rich man who ignored the poor man s suffering during his earthly life, dies and goes to hell. The rich man begs the prophets for some small relief from the torments of hell or at least for a warning to his surviving rich family. The rich man is turned down. What we do (or don t do) during our earthly life determines how we will spend our life after our earthly death. Come to the Parish Picnic! Come one, come all to our Parish Picnic Sunday, September 11th, from noon to 5 pm on the south parking lot. There ll be fun for the whole family!! The picnic, sponsored by the SMMP Men s Club, offers food, fellowship, beverages, bingo, a silent auction, raffle, carnival games, pony rides, inflatable amusements, a chair massage, face painting, nail art, and MORE! The Men s Club donates a significant amount of the picnic proceeds to the parish and community. The picnic, raffle and silent auction are the primary sources of fundraising for the year. Donations are being accepted for the silent auction and raffle prizes. If you would like to make a donation, please contact Jeff Krebs at

4 MEDIA MADNESS MOVIE Title: Storks Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family Rating: PG Cast: Andy Samberg, Jennifer Aniston, Ty Burrell, Kelsey Grammer Synopsis: These days, storks deliver packages for an Internet retailer. When one bird accidentally manufactures an adorable but unauthorized baby girl, he must fix the situation. With a human buddy, he races to make his first-ever baby drop and to restore the true mission of his species. Our Take: This looks like a fun story with top-notch voice talent. However, the thematic element of making and delivering babies could be awkward. Parents who take their kids to see this movie should be prepared to discuss the birds and the bees. BOOK Games, Sites & Apps LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens The popular, kid-friendly LEGO gaming series returns to the franchise it began with. Players can step into scenes from the movie in LEGO form. New gameplay concepts include Multi- Build system and Blaster Battles. Rated Everyone 10+. Generationon.org/ peace To honor Martin Richard, the 8-year-old Boston Marathon bombing victim, this website encourages kids to sign up for acts of kindness and service projects. The campaign is mobilizing young people to take action to change the world and themselves. Title: Just Add Magic Network: Amazon original series; loosely based on the fiction book by Cindy Callaghan Synopsis: After Kelly and two middleschool friends discover a magic cookbook in her attic, they try to use it to figure out a mystery about Kelly s grandmother. They find that not all the effects of magic are positive. Our Take: Overall, the three preteen friends are positive role models who learn important lessons through their experiences. Because of the ties to spells and magic, however, we wouldn t recommend this show. If you discover that your preteens are watching it, though, don t panic. The show seems harmless in overall content. Busy Water With this educational app, designed for ages 6 to 8, kids tackle puzzles and games based on water physics. Each challenge has multiple solutions to spur critical thinking and creativity. The app ($3.99) uses a fun setting to boost STEM knowledge and develop fine-motor skills. CULTURE & TRENDS Pokémon Go Here to Stay? Even if the craze of walking around and collecting virtual creatures is short-lived, experts say such augmented reality games will become the new normal. Through mobile devices, players will see altered versions of the real world, requiring new safety standards and cautions. (washingtonpost.com) Gaming Diversity In other video game news, characters are becoming more ethnically diverse. Gone are the days when white people act as protagonists and heroes, leaving characters of other skin colors to play villains or supporting roles (ap.org) QUICK STATS Hand It Over! Almost half of children (47%) say they d confiscate a parent s smartphone if they could. (lifeway.com) Start Talking Four out of 10 American adults say they rarely or never talk about religion, even with their own families. (pewresearch.org) Opportunity Costs Each year that a parent opts to stay home with a child, away from the workforce, can eventually cost a family more than three times a parent s annual salary. (bloombergnews) This page is designed to help educate parents and isn t meant to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions about what your children watch, read, listen to, and play.

5 September SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Children s Liturgy of the Word begins; 9 & 10:45am Masses Parish Picnic!! 4 5 Labor Day 12 Opening Mon. 13 Opening Tue Opening Sat. RE Classes, Children s Liturgy of the Word begins; 5 pm Mass 14 Opening Wed Celebrate Catechetical Weekend 18 Celebrate Catechetical Weekend First day of autumn Protecting God s Children Wkshp; 6:30-9:30pm; Upper Room