March 2018 C H I L D A N D FA M I LY O P P O U RT U N I T I E S Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 5:00pm Coffee House 10 :00am Mass Lenten Retreat 12:00 4 5 6 7 Saint Perpetua and Felicity 8 9 10 5:00pm Coffee House 10:00am Mass 11 12 7:00pm Taize 13 14 6:00pm Adoration 15 16 17 Saint Patrick 10 :00am Mass Solidarity Sunday 10 :00am Mass Coffee Service 18 19 20 21 All Day Confession 25 26 27 28 29 7:00pm Taize Mass of Chrism (Saint Peter s) 7:30pm Holy Thursday 22 23 5:00pm Potluck 7:00pm Stations of the Cross 30 3:00pm Good Friday 24 31 9:00pm Easter Vigil Christ the King University Parish, Office of Campus Ministry King s University College, 266 Epworth Avenue London, Ontario, N6A 2M3 Phone: 519-433-3491 EXT. 4409, Email: Ali.Neves@kings.uwo.ca
Coming Up This Month: The Lenten Season Continues I encourage you to take some time to talk about Lent as a family. Discuss how important it is to have times where we really focus on growing in our relationship with God. What are some ways you can do this together as a family and/or as individuals? How can we fast? How can we give? How can we Pray? How do those things bring us closer to God? I ve made (below) a daily calendar with different Lent challenges! Feel free to use these or make up some new challenges that better fit your family's needs/abilities. Lenten Retreat This will take place this Sunday March 4th 12:00-5:00pm at King s. There is an adult track and a kids track so you can bring the whole family! This is a great way to encourage some deeper reflection in this Lenten season and grow in faith as a family. Registration is required so if you would like to come, email Lisa at lisa.caeiro@kings.uwo.ca Stations of the Cross This will take place Friday March 23rd at Windermere on the Mount. There will be a potluck dinner at 5:30pm and our service will follow at 7:00pm. This is another great way to dive into the Lenten experience as a family. Let me know if you and your children are interested in being involved in the reading and serving. Having an active role like this can really enhance the experience for children! If you are attending the potluck, let me know what you are bringing. PRAY FAST GIVE
March 1 March 2 PRAY: Read Jeremiah 17:7. With a member of your family, take turns being blindfolded and led around your house. How does it feel to trust in the person guiding you? What can this tell you about trusting in God? FAST: Ask a parent if you can have a special treat today. Instead of eating it, give it away to someone else. March 3 GIVE: Donate $2 to support Development and Peace partners, such as Adyan in Lebanon, who work to promote dialogue between people of different religions. March 4 FAST: Give up some time that you would have spent playing today and help someone in your house to do a chore that is not your favourite. March 5 March 6 March 7 March 8 PRAY: Read Psalm 43:3. Pray this prayer with the response Lead us, Jesus Send your light and your truth. Help us to pray instead of fight. Make our home, your home. Amen. GIVE: Are there any girls or boys at school that you don t play with? Or you used to, but now don t? Reach out to them and make new friends! Build peace through play! Donate $1 to Development and Peace to promote the inclusion of one and all. PRAY: Read Deuteronomy 4:9. Tell a story of how God has shown up in your life. You can use a notebook to record it! Every once in a while, look back and read some of the ways. This is a great way to practise thankfulness. GIVE: What s something that you have more than enough of? Is it money? Your time? Clothes? Toys? Think of a creative way to use this to help someone. March 9 FAST: Is there a food that is good for you that you don t love to eat? Eat whatever is made for you today without complaint. Offer up any discomfort to Jesus.
March 10 March 11 March 12 GIVE: A number of Indigenous communities in Cambodia are struggling to make their voices heard. Donate $1 for peoples that are finding peaceful ways to defend their rights and work for equality. You can do this through Development and Peace. Pray: Read John 3:16. Spend some time in nature today and notice how beautiful YOU are in it. Watch the sun rise. Look at the stars. Dance in the rain. Remember that Jesus walked this same earth and spread his love here. Ask God to use nature s beauty to help you feel how much he loves you. Fast: Think about people in the world who don t have a comfy home like you do. Give up a pillow or favourite stuffy tonight to help you relate to them. March 13 GIVE: Have you ever hurt or insulted someone? Take a moment to reflect on this situation and put yourself in the other person s shoes. Write them a note or go see them to apologize and listen to them. March 14 FAST: Give up your snack today and try to go all the way from lunch to dinner or from dinner to bed time without eating. March 15 March 16 March 17 PRAY: Read John 5:44. Go around to the members of your family and say one nice thing to each person. Listen to the things that others say with trust that it is God who speaks in their words. Ask God to fill you up so that the things that others say, and the good things in the world, draw you closer to God. PRAY: Read Psalm 34:17. Practise asking God for help with something today and meet up later in the day with your friends or family to talk about the difference it made. Whether the help has come, or you need to wait longer. How is asking for help an expression of love? FAST: Give up secular music for the day! Instead of listening to the radio or your usual CD, find some Christian music to listen to instead. March 18 GIVE: Today is Solidarity Sunday! Bring your offerings to church today for the Solidarity Sunday collection, or donate at devp.org/give. THANK YOU!
March 19 March 20 PRAY: Read Romans 4:18. Do some research on Abraham. Who was he? Why is he important? When you are done, pray this, Dear God, help me to have hope like Abraham. Help me to trust in your ways this Lent. GIVE: What actions do you take on a daily basis for the environment (i.e. composting, recycling, using public transit, and/or carpooling)? Today, reduce your ecological footprint and have a zero waste day! March 21 FAST: Give up some of your time to play and instead, make a card for someone. Think of someone you know who is feeling sad or lonely. What kind of card can you make to brighten their day? March 22 March 23 PRAY: Read Psalm 105:4. What do you think it means to seek the Lord and his strength? Sit together with your family and light a candle. Take a moment to be quiet with the Lord and seek his presence. Take a deep breath in and out. In the moment of quiet, practise letting God pour love into you. FAST: Give up some of your time with your usual friends and talk to someone new today! March 24 GIVE: Do you have too many toys? For your next birthday, ask for money instead of toys so that you can donate some towards helping our sisters and brothers in the Global South. March 25 March 26 PRAY: Read Psalm 22 with your family. Talk about a time when you felt that you were totally alone, that no one understood you, maybe even that God was not close. How did you get through? Who reminded you that you weren t alone? FAST: Do you have any bad habits? Pick a habit that you have that keeps you from being the best you can be and give it up for today. March 27 GIVE: Find out about organizations that welcome refugees in your community. Volunteer with them for a few hours or write to them to tell them how important their work is.
March 28 GIVE: Find someone who could use a hug. Think of all the love that Jesus has for that person as you give them a big hug! March 29 March 30 PRAY: Read John 13:5. Imagine the love that Jesus felt for the disciples while he was washing their feet. How can you love people through service? Make a quiet space and wash the feet of your family members. Imagine Jesus love for you as you do it. FAST: Eat your meals with no meat today and try not to snack between meals. Think about Jesus sacrifice. March 31 PRAY: Read Romans 6:5. Turn off the lights today. Read with flashlights, eat cold food, say a prayer by candlelight. Imagine what it is like to be in a tomb. Before bed, turn the lights on as a sign that the waiting is over! Jesus is Risen! In God s world, there is an end, a purpose for our waiting.