Florida Catholic | 40 Chances to Connect

40 days, 40 chances to connect as families

DEBRA TOMASELLI | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 02.01.08

Page-a-day calendars sit on desks all over the world, keeping fans of jokes, trivia, fishing stories, Far Side cartoons and just about everything else connected to their favorites.

And all over Florida, parish schools and religious education programs are preparing for Lent — which begins on the early side, Wednesday, Feb. 6, this year — by sending home something similar to encourage family members to stay connected to one another and to God during the holy season of Lent in just minutes a day.

“A lot of families might not do things because they think the activities will take 30 minutes or more,” said Kathleen Hoffman, coordinator of faith at the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in Perdido, which ordered calendars targeted to various age groups and published by Creative Communications. “But it doesn’t take a long time. We give them these tools and it may take only three to four minutes, but it keeps God in the forefront of their day.”

While not all parishes have opted for Lenten calendars, catechists throughout the state emphasize the importance of observing the prayer, fasting and almsgiving aspects of Lent as a family and offer resources to help. The Internet is also filled with ideas for parents and grandparents who want to instill Lenten values in ways children can understand and appreciate.

For instance, the calendar Hoffman provided for younger kids opens with daily definitions for common Lenten words, such as repent, forgive, salvation and grace. On the first day, the calendar defines repent and suggests we tell God we’re sorry for our wrongdoings and ask for help to change. In conclusion, it refers to a short Scripture reading.

On another date, children are prompted to recall their baptism. Using the symbol of water, the publication recommends kids ask a parent how they can help with spring cleaning. And yet another activity illustrates a lamb, fish and a thorny crown, suggesting the child learn why the Lenten symbols are important.

“Lent is a season of growing,” said Judy Roensch, director of religious education at St. Bernadette Parish in Port St. Lucie. “It’s a season of making time for family prayer at home.”

In addition to the Lenten publications distributed by her parish, Roensch creates calendars for religious education students to take home.

For younger children, suggestions include taking nature walks and thanking God for creation, drawing hearts and phoning grandparents. Roensch’s suggestions for teens include listening to a friend, helping to cook dinner, volunteering or putting a neighbor’s trashcan away. Fasting may take the form of giving up a favorite television show.

In addition to using the information furnished by her parish, Julie Baltz, a member of St. Anne Parish in Gulf Breeze, plans to create weekly activities for her young children. Her ideas include writing letters to distant relatives, connecting with neighbors or making gift certificates redeemable for helpful deeds, such as helping wash dishes. In fact, she may construct caterpillars out of pipe cleaners and butterflies out of paper, only to replace the caterpillar with a butterfly for each good deed.

“The activities draw families together,” said Roensch.

SHARING FAMILY MEALS

Noting that a growing number of families are too busy to eat dinner together on a regular basis, Roensch suggested families consider committing to a common mealtime at least once a week during Lent. She acknowledged it might mean sacrificing something to make the commitment, but emphasized the value of family mealtimes.

Heather Felton agreed. “For Lent, families could commit to sitting down at the dinner table together as a family,” said Felton, director of faith formation at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Sarasota, “It’s so important.”

Online at www.catholicmom.com/lent.htm, viewers can find a variety of Lenten activities, including a children’s version of the Stations of the Cross, Lenten puppet show scripts, crafts to make from palm branches and recipes for Easter Story Cookies.

In addition, links can transport you to numerous Catholic Web sites packed with helpful ideas for families with older children. Suggestions include assigning family members specific days to lead prayers before meals, sharing a favorite prayer or writing one of their own. Another idea is to volunteer to serve the needy at a local charity together, preparing a poverty meal at home and experiencing hunger or sacrificing something valuable during Lent.

Tom Hofius and his wife, Grace, parishioners at St. Anne Parish in Gulf Breeze, remembered encouraging their oldest son, Anthony, to sacrifice part of his allowance for Operation Rice Bowl, a Lenten project sponsored by Catholic Relief Services.

“We showed our son that it was just a small part of his allowance and he’d still have all the other money to spend,” said Tom Hofius. “It is a small sacrifice each day, but over time it adds up.” At the end of Lent, Anthony donated the “rice bowl,” heavy with coins, to help feed a child in a Third-World country. “He felt really good and proud of what he was able to do,” said his father.

PASSING ON THE FAITH

Of course, tried-and-true traditions prevail.

Like many families, Tina and Peter Mazzella, parishioners at Holy Name of Jesus in West Palm Beach, eliminate dessert during Lent and the rhythm of the liturgical year beats throughout their household.

“Lent arrives early this year, so right after Christmas the kids started baking,” said Tina Mazzella. “‘We can’t have this in the house,’ they announced. They were determined to eat all the sweets before Feb. 6.”

She recalled praying the Stations of the Cross in their living room during Lent while the children were young. “We’d pray one station a day,” she said. “It only took 10 minutes. Sometimes they’d moan and groan, but they always did it.”

Like those who underscore the importance of family dinners, Tina Mazzella, looking back, concluded the significance of family prayer.

“It’s not so much the prayer itself, as the fact that the family is getting together to do the prayer,” she said. “I hope my children will walk away with ideas and things they can do with their children. Someday, we, as parents, won’t be here, but hopefully we’ve passed on the faith.”

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