Lenten almsgiving: No-cost good deeds, donations, ROAK, volunteer work for kids | Examiner.com

 Catholics around the world enter into the penitential season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. In 2016, Ash Wednesday will be on Feb. 10. Starting after Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), until Easter, Catholics practice Lenten virtues of prayer, fasting and almsgiving (charitable giving) Catholics "give up things" in sacrifice for others and in imitation of Jesus's temptation in the desert. So abstaining--got it. But what about almsgiving if you're poor yourself? What about kids who typically don't have much money? Can they practice Lent sacrifice? Yes, because almsgiving doesn't have to involve donations of money. You can make donations of time and talent as well as treasure. Here are no-cost good deeds, ROAK (Random Acts of Kindness) and volunteer work for kids. Use this Lenten calendar of no-cost good deeds, one for every day of Lent.  Lenten almsgiving: No-cost good deeds, donations, ROAK, volunteer work for kids | Examiner.com

Pancake Day recipes, Shrove Tuesday pancakes, waffles for Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday feast

Happy Pancake Day! Also called Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, it's the day Catholics celebrate in preparation for Ash Wednesday and the sacrificial Lenten season. Catholics give up things for Lent. Traditionally that meant abstaining from meat, dairy, eggs, fat and sugar for 40 days till Easter. So they would use up or "shrive" the house of those foods and make them into pancakes. A house shriven (purged) of temptation symbolizes a soul purged of sin (Catholics also to confession before Lent to ready themselves for the penitential season). Here are delicious pancake and waffle recipes for Pancake Day. You can cheat and use pancake mix--the best is Krusteaz Honey Wheat. Krusteaz uses unbleached and whole grain flour. Pancake Day recipes, Shrove Tuesday pancakes, waffles for Mardi Gras feast 

Free printable Catholic rosary coloring: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious mysteries

Catholic and Orthodox Christians have a devotion to the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Lady taught to the Catholic faithful to pray the rosary--the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries--to turn the focus away from selfishness and onto her son Jesus Christ. Here are free printable Catholic rosary coloring pages and Marian devotional activities. The events in the rosary are called mysteries because they are so miraculous that human beings can't fully understand them.   Free printable Catholic rosary coloring: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious mysteries