LEAVE IT TO BILL DONOHUE TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS IN HIS OWN NEW YORK SORT OF WAY

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We can hardly call many progressive Catholics, Catholic, yet we obsess on the SSPX who portend to be more Catholic than the Holy Father and the Second Vatican Council. More power to them! While they can lead people into "structural schism" with the true institutional Church, they won't lead them into doctrinal and moral schism.

Not true of the progressives in the Church though. They are hypocrites who fear going into schism because they know they can do more damage remaining loosely united to the Church. But compared to the SSPX, they really are heretics not just schismatics. Someone need to publicly excommunicate them, like their local bishops, but I digress.

This is what Bill Donohue has to write about the progressives of the Church:

CATHOLIC LEFT BRACES FOR NEW POPE - Catholic League

February 21, 2013

Bill Donohue issued the following remarks today:

Here is how the Catholic Left reacted right before a new pope was elected on April 19, 2005:

E.J. Dionne blasted Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger for using “fighting words” in an address before the cardinals.
Father Richard McBrien said, “I think this homily shows he realizes he’s not going to be elected. He is a polarizing figure.”
Peggy Steinfels agreed, saying, “Oh well, that gets rid of him.”

A few hours later, he was elected Pope Benedict XVI.

Here is how the Catholic Left greeted the news:

The president of Dignity, Michael Rocks, said of the new pope, “I didn’t think he had a chance because he already was so negative.”
Sr. Donna Quinn, head of the pro-abortion group, National Coalition of American Nuns, slammed him for lacking “sensitivity” to women.
Scott Appleby of Notre Dame opined, “This is the worst nightmare come true.”
Ex-priest Paul Lakeland lamented that “this choice is nothing but backwards looking.”
Andrew Greeley’s warning was ominous: “There might be a reign of terror for those who still support the Vatican Council.”
A spokesman for Call to Action exclaimed, “People here are in a state of shock.”

The Catholic Left will again be in a state of shock once the new pope is named. Having lost on virtually every issue that excites them—and nothing excites them more than sex—they are now bracing for more bad news. What they want has already been tried: they want the Catholic Church to adopt the teachings of the mainline Protestant denominations. Someone needs to tell them (gently, of course) that it didn’t work—they’re all in free fall.

Gospel for the Mass: 3/10/13- Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

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*Be sure to check out Gospel for the Mass Year C page right below the header for other days that you need Gospel for the Mass activities.


Disclaimer: The posts below contain links to other websites and the content of these sites are evaluated before they are included. These websites can change without warning making links inactive and/or the content altered. We have no control over other websites and we are not responsible for the content that they post.




Luke 15:1-3, 11-32



Activities

catholicmom.com- Click on the month. Scroll down to the date for Coloring Page, Mass Worksheet, Crossword Puzzle, Word Search, etc.

Theresa at catholickidsbulletin.blogspot.com will post a link to an activity sheet that coordinates with the Catholic Mass. There will be pictures and activities each week to help little kids understand and appreciate the Mass. Most weeks, she will also highlight a Saint whose feast day falls within that week or a liturgical symbol they can watch for at Mass.

silk.net/RelEd/- Resources on the Sunday Readings

sadlierreligion.com- Scroll down to Gospel Reflection, Discussion Questions for the Gospel, and Proclaiming Faith Activities

loyolapress.com- Background on the Gospel and activities for groups and families

msssbible.com-- The Prodigal Son with tons of resources for illustrating the story, coloring pages/activity sheets, crafts, and songs.

sermons4kids.com- Three Wishes object lesson with group activities, coloring, puzzles, power point presentation, worship bulletin

sermons4kids.com- Lost and Found object lesson with coloring page, group activities, puzzles, quiz, worship bulletin

calvarycurriculum.com- The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) lesson #210 with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets.

childrensermons.com- Bad Boy (Prodigal Son) object lesson

sundayschoollessons.com- A Father Welcomes a Lost Son lesson

kidsclub4jesus.com- Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) lesson with puzzles, coloring sheet, Bible readings, questions, memory verses, key points, object lesson, drama, puppets, etc. (These files are set up and formatted so that they can be easily made into weekly booklets for your children's ministry, youth ministry, etc., with 4 sheets of legal paper and two staples).

daniellesplace.com- Lesson, crafts, games, etc.

dltk-bible.com- The Prodigal Son lesson with coloring pages, crafts, name tags, puzzles, games, and take home sheet.

The Catholic Toolbox- Prodigal Son/I’m Sorry lesson for Pre K – K with: Objectives, Word Wall, Bible Story with questions, Songs and/or Finger Plays, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Coloring/Puzzles, etc.

The Catholic Toolbox- The Prodigal Son lesson for 1st grade on up with: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets, etc.

textweek.com- Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links and Resources



Coloring

misslink.org- Luke 15:10 coloring

sermons4kids.com- The Lost Son Returns

emmanuel.kiev.us- The Parable of the Lost Son

coloring.ws- Luke 15:24

kidz-under-construction.com- 4 coloring pages posted: The Prodigal Son Leaves Home, The Prodigal Son Feeds the Pigs, The Prodigal Son Returns to His Father, The Father Talks to the Older Brother



Crafts

sermons4kids.com- Three Wishes group activities (crafts)

sermons4kids.com- Lost and Found group activities (crafts)


Introduce craft: What job did the son have to do when he ran out of money?

daniellesplace.com- Pig in a Basket Craft & TP Roll Pig (scroll down to these)

dltk-bible.com- Paper Bag Pig Puppet with color or black and white template

enchantedlearning.com- Paper Bag Pig Puppet (scroll down for this)

books.google.com- Pink Plate Piggy Bank- Kathy Ross Crafts Colors by Kathy Ross, page 10 – 12

kathyross.com- Another link to Pink Plate Piggy Bank craft

spoonful.com- Recycled Piggy Bank

video.about.com- Piggy Bank

books.google.com- Plastic Bottle Piggy Bank (The Everything Kids' Money Book by Diane Mayr, page 11)



Games

sermons4kids.com- Three Wishes group activities (crafts)

sermons4kids.com- Lost and Found group activities (crafts)


Introduce game: Who came home and said they were sorry?

daniellesplace.com- Feed the Pigs & Pigs Snorting Game (scroll down to these)

books.google.com- Lost and Found (The Parable of the Lost Son)- As they explore the story of the prodigal son, your kids will discover God loves each of us. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry, page 87).

The Prodigal Son Comes Home Game- A fun board game about the Prodigal Son. The object of the game is to get your markers to the banquet. (Super Bible Game Book by Linda Standke, page 95 - 106 for directions, game board markers, game board, and game cards).

Pin the Tail on the Pig- This is another way to do "Pin the Tail on the Donkey". Make a large pig out of pig paper. For the tail, use pink ribbon and pin the tail on the pig using a push pin.

The Catholic Toolbox- Prodigal Son (file folder game)- The objective of the game is to get to the father hugging his lost son.



Puzzles

sermons4kids.com-Dot-to-dot

sermons4kids.com- Maze

misslink.org- Maze

sermons4kids.com- Word Search

sermons4kids.com- Word Search

misslink.org- Word Search

joanyedwards.com- Word Search

sermons4kids.com- Word Shape

dltk-bible.com- Anagrams, cross words, cryptogram, word mining sheets, word search

sermons4kids.com- Decoder

sermons4kids.com- Crossword

sermons4kids.com- Crossword

silk.net/RelEd/- Crossword

joanyedwards.com- Crossword



Quizzes

misslink.org- Multiple Choice

sermons4kids.com- Multiple Choice

Mass Etiquette

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When people think of Mass etiquette, probably what comes to mind most are the obvious: having cell phones turned off, no chewing gum, keeping quiet etc. While these are valid points to remember, Mass etiquette is not only a listing of “do's and dont’s” but an invitation to all who come to church to remember where they are and to act accordingly.


Here are a few links about proper etiquette in Mass that might be useful that you can use in your classroom or home.

marysaggies.blogspot.com- 20 Tips for Proper Etiquette In Mass

churchnewssite.com- Mass Etiquette: How To Behave During A Catholic Mass (as told by a priest to his congregation in Canada)

saintmonicaparish.com- Mass Etiquette

saintcatherineparishnh.com- Etiquette for Holy Mass

catholic.org- Church Etiquette Review

holyspiritfresno.org- Mass Etiquette

Mass Etiquette: Most Frequently Asked Questions- Lots of people are confused by the Do’s and Don’ts during Mass. Here are a few questions with answers that might be of some help.

quizlet.com- Mass Etiquette Flash Cards

quizlet.com- Catholic Mass and Etiquette Flash Cards

Church & Respect- lesson on why and how to act in church and what it means to respect others (parents, teachers, etc.). Lesson consists of: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets, etc.



Coloring

lds.org- Color the pictures of the children who are dressed for church. Cross out the pictures of children who are not dressed for church. (scroll down to this)

dltk-bible.com- Mind Your Manners (black and white version to color)



Games

These games below are free, however they are only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words Game- A fun review game about actions during Mass.



The Holy Mass Game- Directions and questions.

Cube Signs- (To use with The Holy Mass Game). Print, cut out, and glue on die.








What ever happened to good manners in church?- Find out if you know how to behave in church. Roll the die and move that many spaces. Follow the directions on the space you land on. If the space has a Roll Play activity on it, perform it to the best of your ability. If needed, the teacher will help you understand what to do and coach you how to do it correctly. If the space has a picture of person reacting to bad behavior that they had just seen in church, draw a Game Card and read it out loud (if the student cannot read, the teacher or someone can read it for them). Answer the question to the best of your ability (the teacher can coach the student if necessary).






Puzzles, Mazes, Worksheets:

dltk-bible.com- Church and Respect Puzzles (anagrams, crosswords, cryptogram, maze, word-mining sheets, word searches, etc.)

dltk-bible.com- Mind Your Manners (black and white version to color and circle)

faith.thatresourcesite.com- In God’s House Worksheet
Help children learn how to show our Lord reverence in His house with this simple fill-in the circle worksheet. Children are given twelve statements with which they must decide to either agree or disagree. They make their selection by coloring or filling in the appropriate face. The basics of church etiquette are covered. An answer sheet is provided.



These worksheets below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.


The Church is God’s House- for younger students

Mass Etiquette Worksheet- Write True or False in the spaces provided.

Class 2/24/13

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What are you doing in your classroom or home? I think it would be great to see what others are doing to exchange some ideas. I am constantly looking for new activities to do and I know others are too.


This is what I plan on doing with my first grade CCD class:


Review & Introduce-

• Review - Sign of the Cross, Grace Before Meals, Glory Be, Our Father (Lord’s Prayer)

• Review- Last week’s Take Home Sheet

• Review- People at Mass using People at Church Cards.

• Review- Liturgical Objects at Mass (pew, stoup, altar, chalice, ciborium, Body of Christ, Blood of Christ, tabernacle, bells, lectern, ambo, Lectionary, missal, Book of the Gospels, Processional Cross, cruets, Presider’s/Celebrant’s Chair) using Liturgical Objects Used at Mass Cards.

• Introduce- new object using cards (Sanctuary Lamp)



Celebrating the Mass Lesson-

Celebrating the Mass Lesson- The Great Amen



Celebrating the Mass Activities-


catholicicing.blogspot.com- Yes Lord Craft
Make this craft as shown or write “Amen!” with a marker.





Lesson Plan-

Palm Sunday and go over vocabulary words with students. Read story: “Jesus Rides Into Jerusalem” The Usborne Children's Bible by Heather Amery and ask questions from Take Home Sheet that will be sent home today. Note: When I read the story to the students I usually sit in the chair in the corner by the board and have the students sit on the floor in front of me. After the students have answered the questions about the story, I have them go back to their seats to continue with what is on the lesson plan (activity, craft, game, puzzles/worksheets, etc.).



Craft- Introduce craft: What did the people wave at Jesus and put on the ground in front of him?




dltk-bible.com- Palm Leaf Fold and Cut Craft

Tip: Use the pattern and draw the palm branches on the paper before class.



Mini Book-

lambsongs.co.nz- “Jesus Rides A Donkey To Church” by Jill Kemp

Have students read the mini book out loud in class by taking turns (each read a page) and take home to read to their parents. Students can also color mini book.



Game- Introduce game: How are we to treat others?

Temple Bowling (Jesus Clears The Temple)- This game will help children discover God wants his house to be a place of worship. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry, page 83). *Use empty 2 liter soda bottles.



Puzzles & Worksheets- While students are doing puzzles/worksheets, etc. they may say a prayer. Students are asked to recite 5 prayers by the end of the year. A “We Know Our Prayers” chart is on the bulletin board. If the student can recite the prayer correctly, write the date on the chart, and they get to pick a prize from the prize bag.

Blessed Is the King - Hidden Pictures: Explore Hidden Treasures in God’s Word Grade 1-3 by Linda Standke, page 26



Homework- Give each student a Palm Sunday Take Home Sheet for their parents to go over with them to review what we have done in class. Parents need to help their child fill this out and bring back to class the following week. Students that complete their homework and bring it back to class will be able to play Homeworkopoly. Each Sunday the students make a mini story book and/or story wheel in class. Students need to read these to their parents (or the parents read to them) the mini book and/or story wheel for homework.



What will you do in your classroom or home? Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you do!

Holy Week

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Holy Week

Palm Sunday/Jesus Rides Into Jerusalem- lesson plan for 1st grade on up with: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets, etc.

Last Supper/Holy Thursday- activities, coloring, games, puzzles, quizzes, worksheets, etc.

Last Supper/Holy Thursday- lesson plan for 1st grade on up with: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets







Have you ever experienced a Passover Seder? For many, Seder meals are not a common part of their typical Holy Week traditions. To help children understand what was eaten during this meal, here is a game that reviews the traditional food of the Seder meal.

cajestl.org- Fill Your Seder Plate Board Game







Passover Seder Plate Crafts- Passover Seder ideas for the students to make.






Last Supper File Folder Game- Play individually or in teams and work your way around the game board answering questions about the Last Supper. If you are correct you roll a die and move your marker in your row in any direction you want. If you land on a colored space, you can move one row toward the center with “Last Supper”. Play continues until a team or player reaches “Last Supper”.









Holy Week- activities, coloring, games, puzzles, quizzes, worksheets, etc.

Holy Week- (Pre K – K) lesson plan with: Objectives, Word Wall, Bible Story with questions, Songs and/or Finger Plays, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Coloring/Puzzles, etc.

Holy Week- lesson plan for 1st grade on up with: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets, etc.



These activities below are free, however they are only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.


What Happened During Holy Week?- Label the pictures below with the correct day of Holy Week. Then color the pictures. (For younger students: Ask the students what is happening in the first picture. Discuss. Then ask them, “What day of Holy Week is it?” Write #1 on the board and Palm/Passion Sunday beside the number. Continue with pictures 2 – 4.

Holy Week Worksheet- The following days of Holy Week are in the wrong order. Number them so they are in the right order. Then draw a line to what happened on that day.

Holy Week Quiz- 20 questions with answers




Holy Week File Folder Game- The objective of the game is to go through all the days of Holy Week by answering questions about each day.

Here's a First: a Poll

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It's probably a bit messy but we'll see how it works...

Update (1/13/13): Noooooo.  The Treasury, White House, and Federal Reserve spokespeople have all said they won't use the Platinum Coin to pay off the debt if Congress remains insane.  Defeats the whole purpose of a poll.  Sniff... I can't ever have the fun toys...

What image should be on the face of the $1 Trillion Platinum Coin?
Just remember kids, the rules on coinage is that it can't be a currently living President, so all those mock-ups with Obama's face on the front, you're doing it wrong kiddo...

Presidential Character: Week Three, It's All Jefferson's Fault

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It's a hell of a way to open up a blog post, you think?  Blaming Thomas Jefferson for everything?

Well, not everything.  But still...

We're up to the example of Presidential Character for the Active-Positive types.  The one word to describe this type is Adaptive: these are the guys who enjoy not just the perks of being the President but also the duties, self-deprecating but also self-confident, self-starters who seek accomplishments and problems to solve before anyone else even realizes there's a problem, and someone willing to compromise with others in politics to get things done.

The perfect example of Jefferson's adaptive style was the biggest event during his tenure: the Louisiana Purchase.  By Jefferson's administration France fell under the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, and during his reign building up to Emperor Napoleon had negotiated Spain - then a vassal state under his brother's rule - to hand over the Louisiana Territory that took up the middle third of the North American continent.  His intent was an overseas empire combined with French holdings in the Caribbean.  However, ongoing disasters with Haiti including a slave uprising discouraged Napoleon to where he decided against keeping it.  At the same time, Jefferson had sent envoys to France to negotiate either a lease or the purchase of the City of New Orleans, the key trading port of the Mississippi River.  Jefferson feared that if Napoleon secured Louisiana, he could tie up a major waterway route for the western edge of where the United States then reached.

Instead of negotiating over New Orleans, Napoleon offered up all of the Louisiana Territory.  For $15 million.  Even in that time, this was effing dirt-cheap (roughly 3 cents for every acre) and essentially the biggest land deal of the millennium (well, for the U.S.  For the native tribes already living in the Territory, they never saw one red cent).  Napoleon either didn't know the value of land, or simply wanted to get rid of what he then saw as useless (he also probably sought to buy off American neutrality as his war against Britain was kicking into high gear again).

This quickly became a major dilemma for Jefferson, for two reasons: One, he simply wasn't prepared for such a major land-mass addition to the nation's frontier; two, there wasn't any rule for this anywhere in the Constitution.

I need to back up a bit and note how Jefferson was the leader, the banner carrier of the Democratic-Republican Party.  Unlike the Federalists who used a loose interpretation of the Constitution to establish laws and precedence, the Democrats believed in strict interpretation of the Constitution, including the limitations of powers on the Executive and ensuring the states had rights nearly comparable to the federal government.  Jefferson's original view of government was opposed to a strong Federal system.

But now here was something challenging that view.  He may have had power to conduct treaties and leasing arrangements, but there was no authority in the Constitution to make a land purchase from a foreign nation of this size.  Jefferson could have gone to Congress, explained the deal Napoleon was offering, and wait for Congress to give him the political authority via amendment to get the deal done.  But that meant working with a Congress that could bicker over every detail, delaying what was clearly an impulse buy: Napoleon could well change his mind within another week or month waiting for something to happen and kill the offer.

So Jefferson did what any Active-Positive would do: he broke his own rules.  He authorized the purchase without first securing Constitutional authority to do so, pressing Congress to get the funds lined up as quick as possible.

And so, thanks to Jefferson's A-P attitudes, we went from being a decent-sized nation made up of states into an expanding pre-formed empire with enough territory to double in size and to equal the same land-mass as most of Europe.  Before this, no one had any notion of Manifest Destiny: the Pacific Coast seemed so far off.  After this, reaching the Pacific was now a genuine possibility (and the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery proved it, although their original intent to find a Northwest Passage water route didn't pan out).  And now all of a sudden the issue of slavery, which was confined to southern states and territories and could have moved no further than the Mississippi, became a bigger hot potato... underlying the passions under the colonization of Texas by southerners, leading to their rebellion against Mexico... leading to Texas annexation into the U.S. and soon after stirring up the Mexican-American War, solidifying our nation's reach between two oceans... adding even more territory that slave-owners sought to acquire for their ever-growing reliance on slave labor economics.

This kinda needs to be pointed out that Active-Positive Presidents are NOT always good things, no matter how... positive... the wording seems.  A-Ps are active and very aggressive with their powers... and while they resolve a lot of challenges they never take into consideration the consequences of their actions (political axiom: Every political action generates an unequal and disproportionate reaction (pa < dpr) ).  In short, they are quick to act, but fail to plan ahead (Active-Negatives tend to at least put more thought into what they're doing).

Another example is Jefferson's attempt to engage Great Britain for transgressions during the Napoleonic Wars.  The United States tried to remain neutral but England kept impressing - raiding American ships and taking crewmen the British claimed were deserters - to the point of the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair.  Rather than pursue the threat of war - Jefferson knew as his predecessors did that the U.S. was in no condition for war - Jefferson tried instead a series of embargoes blocking off all trade with Great Britain.  He figured that the lost trade would hurt England enough to force them to terms.  He failed to figure that the American traders would also get hurt in the process - and that England had other trade partners and colonial holdings to keep them stocked with supplies.  The embargoes failed quickly and spectacularly, causing major rifts across the U.S., and Jefferson ended his term of office repealing those acts before they caused more damage.

Jefferson's two terms of office were very active indeed, more than the administrations of the first two Presidents Washington and Adams.  But a lot of those actions had unintended consequences, which led to things like the War of 1812, the march of Manifest Destiny - which Natives, Mexicans, and even Americans would come to loath - and the increasing debate over slavery.  Whether or not Jefferson's actions were good, the positive aspects of his actions are obvious... and the negative aspects are obvious as well.  The debates will not end here.  Not until much later...