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

Free printable Catholic Advent calendars for a Christian Bible Christmas

 The Catholic Christian season of Advent begins November 30, 2014 and goes for four weeks till Christmas. Many families follow Advent calendars. Some contain candy or prizes to countdown to Christmas. The Daily Mail, on November 24, listed even more lavish commercial Advent calendars prizes: nail polish, gifts, toys, jewelry, cosmetics, even beer! While there's nothing wrong with a little treat, materialism defeats the Advent purpose: to focus on God. Constantly receiving teaches children (and adults) to be even more aquisitory than they already are at Christmas. If they're getting all season long, where's the magic of Christmas morning? Advent is about preparing for the coming of Christ with acts of charity. Free printable Catholic Advent calendars for a Christian Bible Christmas | Examiner.com

Free Catholic Bible printables, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week coloring pages

Catholics celebrate several special religious days, referred to as holy days of obligation. These days center around a Bible event in the life of Jesus or His Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. Holy Days are All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), Christmas (preceded by the holy season of Advent), Solemnity of Mary (Jan 1), Ash Wednesday (movable feast which kicks of the holy season of Lent and leads up to Easter), Ascension Thursday (movable feast) and the Assumption of Mary (August 15). Here are free printable Catholic coloring pages featuring Bible stories. prayer, sacraments, mass, Gospel, saints, Lent, Advent, holidays and holy days, life of Jesus, Catholic saints' feast days, rosary and stations of the cross.Free Catholic Bible printables, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week coloring pages | Examiner.com

   

Free printable Lenten calendars, Catholic liturgical calendars, Lent activities and printables

 Our Lenten journey in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and follows Jesus Christ for forty days of suffering in the desert, up to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. Here are free printable Lenten calendars to help your experience of Lent.Free printable Lenten calendars, Catholic liturgical calendars, Lent printables

Free printable Jesse Tree ornaments and Christmas Bible coloring pages for Advent

Advent is the Catholic Christmas liturgical season leading up to Christmas. It's a minor penitential season like Lent. For four weeks, we pray, fast, read Bible passages on the gospel Christmas story and give alms to the poor. The theme of Advent is to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. One way is to pray an Advent calendar. Another, related to the Advent calendar is to follow a Jesse Tree.  Free printable Jesse Tree ornaments and Bible coloring pages for Advent 

Keep Lenten Virtues Alive, Plant a Memory Garden

For years, my husband and I have maintained graves of loved ones. We always felt a special connection to them when we put flowers on their graves. It's a sore spot, however that once planted, we never got to enjoy the flowers. The only way to take care of them was to make time to visit the cemetery, which in this hectic time is virtually impossible.

So we devised a plan to keep our loved ones' memory sacred by keeping them near. We've developed a memory garden which we maintain right in our backyard. You can make a memory garden easily and inexpensively in any size yard, even make on your patio or deck if you live in an condo or apartment. Here is a step-by-step guide. Keep the Lenten Virtues alive all year in spiritual works of mercy by "praying for the living and the dead."Plant a Memory Garden for Earth Day or Memorial Day

Free Printable Palm Sunday Lessons, Bible Crafts, Coloring, Activities

Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians commemorate Palm Sunday as the Biblical triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem one week before His crucifixion. It starts out Holy Week and the countdown to Easter. Palm Sunday is a floating holiday; linked as it is to Lent and Easter which fall at a different time each year. In  2014, it's Sunday, April 13 and Easter is April 20. Here are crafts, coloring and activities for parents to use with children. Use as lessons in homeschool, Christian school, Sunday school or Catholic religious education. These printables provide inexpensive, hands-on ways to explore and celebrate the Palm Sunday.  Free Printable Palm Sunday Crafts, Coloring, Activities

Free printable Jesse Tree Advent Devotional Craft

'And a shoot shall spring forth from the stump of Jesse: a branch out of his roots.' Isaiah 11:1. This Biblical passage from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah is foretelling the coming of a new branch in the family tree of King David. Jesse was the father of David. David was the king of Israel during her Golden Age. After Solomon, David's son died, the kingdom fell to quarreling and heathen practices. The two kingdoms finally split and ultimately were carried off into slavery by a succession of eastern rulers from Assyria, Babylon, Media and Persia.  Jesse Tree Advent Devotional Craft

Free Easter Printables, Crafts, Devotions, Prayers, Games for Catholics

Easter is the major feast day in the Catholic church. For forty days of Lent we've fasted, prayed and journeyed with Our Lord in His walk to Golgotha. Lent is like an inward spiritual pilgrimage that takes place amid our everyday lives. Children in the Catholic faith take part in this journey as well. Some are making first reconciliation and are preparing for first Holy Eucharist. At the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, catecumens and candidates will be welcomed into the Church. Many will be baptized. The new Easter candle is lit for the first time. The sacred oils are blessed on Holy Thursday. The parish priest renews his vows of ordination. The Holy Eucharist is placed in repose for the three days of the triduum in a solemn and lovely pageant.

These are only a few of the awesome and significant events we Catholics celebrate in at Easter and the Holy Week preceding it. Children see, hear and celebrate many wondrous experiences at Eastertide. Some may be new or unremembered from last year. Here are several websites for you to print free Easter materials for your students or children to explore the lovely symbolism and ritual of Easter in the Catholic Church.  Read more

Almsgiving Game, Activity for Lent

In the gospels, Jesus tells a story about a man who gave each servant a certain number of talents (money in those days). He instructed them to find ways to make his investment grow. The man wanted to see how his servants would use the money he gave them. He gave out sums of 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000 based upon his trust in each servant. The servants who were given the larger amounts each doubled theirs, but the third servant hid the money in the ground because he was angry with his master. The master was pleased with the first two and gave over to them all the money they had made. The master took the third servant's sum away and rebuked him for his vengeful spirit. The 1,000 was given to the other servants.

Each year our priest uses this passage as an object lesson. He gives out envelopes with amounts of $10 and $20. Whoever accepts the envelopes must come up with creative ways to make the money grow. As each envelope is returned, the person must tell what she did with the money. The money is donated to our sister parish of St. Simon and St. Jude at Morne Hopital in Haiti. Over the years that Fr. Bill has done this, we've heard numerous creative ideas. Here they are Almsgiving Lenten Activities

Free Printable 2016 Lenten Calendars

Our Lenten journey in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and follows Jesus Christ for forty days of suffering in the desert, up to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. In 2016, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February, 10. Here are free printable Lenten calendars to help your experience of Lent.  Read on for Free Printable Lenten Calendars

Bible Almsgiving Activity for Lent

In the gospel, Jesus tells a story about a man who gave each of his servants a certain number of talents (money in those days). Catholic teachers, parents, homeschool families--use this parable in your lent devotions with an easy almsgiving activity. Here's the conclusion of the parable plus lesson plans to accompany.

In the Bible story, the master instructed his servants to find ways to make the investments he gave them grow. He wanted to see how his servants would use the money. He gave out sums of 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000 based upon his trust in each servant. The servants who were given the larger amounts each doubled theirs, but the third servant hid the money in the ground because he was angry with his master. The master was pleased with the first two and gave over to them all the money they had made. The master took the third servant's sum away and rebuked him for his vengeful spirit. The 1,000 was given to the other servants. Read  more Bible Almsgiving Activities for Lent

Free Printable Palm Sunday Crafts, Coloring, Activities

Palm Sunday, in the Christian faith, celebrates the Biblical triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem one week before His crucifixion. It begins Holy Week and the countdown to Easter. Palm Sunday is a floating holiday; linked as it is to Lent and Easter which fall at a different time each year. Here are crafts, coloring and activities for parents to use with children. Use as lessons in home school, Christian school, Sunday school or Catholic religious education. These printables provide inexpensive, hands-on ways to explore and celebrate the Palm Sunday. Read more at Free Printable Palm Sunday Crafts, Coloring, Activities 

Free Printable Palm Sunday, Holy Week Activities

Holy Week, the week preceding Easter, begins on Palm Sunday of the liturgical church year. Holy Week is the culmination of Lent. The Easter Triduum, consisting of Maundy or Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday bring christians to the highest point in the church year, Easter. Holy Week is also referred to as the Passion or Paschal celebration. Here are free printable crafts for families. Read more at Free Printable Holy Week Activities

Vegetarian Tuna and Fish Recipes for Lent

This Lenten season, my husband and I are working toward a vegetarian diet. Some vegetarians do not eat fish; we are eating fish, but trying to avoid eggs and eat less dairy. Here are Lenten tuna recipes. Tuna is loaded with protein and Omega-3 oils and low-fat. Unfortunately, tuna also earns a great deal of frowns from fish haters. In these recipes, we concentrate on preparing delicious tuna recipes that will appeal to everyone. One of the biggest complaints leveled at tuna, is that it tastes and smells so 'fishy'. The best way to avoid the fishier smelling canned tuna is to choose 'solid white albacore' tuna packed in water. This style of tuna is slightly more expensive than chunk light, but it's nutritionally better and doesn't smell like cat food. Read more at The Lenten Kitchen: Vegetarian Tuna Recipes

Vegetarian Lenten Fast for Health, Weight Loss, Sustainability, Solidarity

For my Lent observances this year, I gave up eating meat. By the time Easter arrived, I was very comfortable with a meatless, vegetarian diet. I decided to become a vegetarian and here's why: health benefits, to fight corporate greed, environmental issues and solidarity with the poor. Health Benefits of Eating a Vegetarian Diet: Eating less meat and more grains and vegetables reduces LDL (low density lipid) cholesterol. Reducing meat, dairy and egg consumption lowers triglyceride levels and improves circulation. Eating a vegetarian diet helps with weight loss. Reducing meat, dairy, eggs and animal by-products in the diet reduces consumption of the steroids, growth hormones and antibiotics with which animals are treated. Eating a vegetarian diet helps prevent spread of blood born and feces transmitted pathogens and disease: trichinosis, e. coli, etc. Read more at Why Am I a Vegetarian? Health Benefits, Weight Loss, Consumerism, Solidarity with the Poor

Free Printable Bible Craft Activities

Do you want activities for Sunday School, homeschool, VBS or CCD that involve more than coloring? Here are free printable hands-on crafts. Children get to cut, assemble, paste, color and fold puppets, paper dolls and other crafts. Read more

Free Printable Bible Coloring Page Activities

Teaching VBS- Vacation Bible School this summer? Or maybe your gearing up for Sunday School, Christian school, Hebrew school or homeschool in the fall? Here are free printable Bible story, old and new testament coloring pages. These Bible story coloring pages come from the old and new testament and are great devotions lessons. Use for Stations of the Cross, Lent, Holy Week and Easter. Read more

Free Printable Rosary Coloring Pages

The rosary and stations of the cross are often shown in stained glass on church window. They tell the story of Our Lord's passion. Here are free printable coloring pages of images from the rosary, made from stained glass window images. As we enter the major season of ordinary time, summer, now is a perfect time to prepare for the upcoming seasons of the Catholic liturgical calendar and holy days. Here are twenty-one free printable stained glass window style coloring pages. Read more...

Stations of the Cross Devotional Art Project with free printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages

Holy or Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum: the final three days of Holy Week which begins on Palm Sunday. Here is a Stations of the Cross art and devotional activity to use for Lent, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday or Easter. Read on...