St. Mary of Mount Carmel Catholic Church

1. Quarantine Family Photo

What? We were just socializing! 

Photo credit: Iva Hinson 6th Grade

2. Visual Art

The Holy Family

Sketch Art by: Naomi Edith Quijano González 7th Grade

3. Passion for the Gospel

The Vine and the Branches John 15:1-8

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

In these days, we are in our eighth week of not attending Mass or church. Children may not be required to get a religious education, but regardless, children are learning about the faith of their families. Just, it looks differently now. How are they getting this education about their religion, their faith, without attending church? Sure, they can come to our church website, or they could watch a movie on formed.org, or they could find something on Youtube. But these are extra-curricular in comparison to the primary source of religious education.

Now, you know what I'm going to say. It's the family. The domestic church is teaching the faith. It's true. This has always been the responsibility of parents, to hand down the faith. Some have felt insecure to teach about the faith, and some may not have the time. Regardless, today, the way we live our lives through this pandemic and the way we abide in the Vine of Jesus Christ right now will ultimately teach about our faith and about the One in whom we abide. Young disciples can learn about our faith from books and videos, but we will all learn a lot by the habits of our families at this time. A student who lacks the spiritual example of a parent or guardian at home can go directly to Christ and His Word; He is the Good Shepherd. The Church continues to be here as a support and coach for all of us to be in close relationship with Christ.

Questions to think about:

What are you doing tonight to abide in Jesus?

What are you speaking forth throughout the day that comes from the heart of Jesus?

How are you feeding your soul so that you can feed others?

Do you open up the Word of God throughout the week and talk about the Scriptures with your family?

Do you have prayer time together as a family?

Do you model the graces Christ affords to us in these uncertain times-- and have you offered Him a cooperative spirit to give you that grace?

Conclusion

Remember, Jesus said, "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine." If you're feeling tempted to stop doing home church or stop feeding yourself the Word of God, please don't stop! This is not the time to cut yourself off from the entire vine. We must keep remaining in Jesus and make extra effort to get close to Him. Even if we are unable to worship together in a large setting, we must reach out to Christ in our prayer closets and spend time with Him in worship or meditation. Your pressing in to Him will result in you wanting to reach out to others and having divine opportunities to do it. Remember, this pandemic is not the end of the story; fear is not the victor. God desires fruit in our lives. He is glorified when we produce fruit that shows we are His followers. "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Blog by Amanda Hinson

4. Music

"Amazing Grace"

Music by Sara Quillo 6th Grade

5. Seeing a Saint- Student Catechists

6. Thankful Heart

10 Things I'm Grateful For During Quarantine

Submitted by: Iva Hinson 6th Grade

7. Virtual Game Links- Try these out!

Play Pictionary with friends at https://skribbl.io

Play Pass-it Pictionary with friends at https://drawception.com/

Bible Trivia games at https://www.christianity.com/trivia/

Share your favorite game links in the comments!

Thank you to all who participated in our contest!