How to find a moss-covered three-handled family gradunza

The Cat in the Hat visited the Kindergarten class today at St. Columbkille Catholic School courtesy of the Rose Theater.

He led a song of Jingle Bells.

With the help of students, he told

 the story of the Sneetches.

Students also help in singing Green Eggs and Ham.

Students learned how to use Calculatus Eliminatus to find a moss-covered three-handled family gradunza and saw how the Cat in the Hat finally became friends with Karlos K. Krinkelbein.

Thank you for coming to visit us!

GAMD

Each week we record our homilies and post them on the parish website. All of the homilies from April can be found here. 

If you are a user of Twitter, we'll encourage you to comment on homilies (or the parish) using the hashtag #GAMD which are the first letters of our four word Parish Mission Statement: "Go and Make Disciples."

[Fr. Damian says people will think we're a dyslexic Jesuit as their motto is Ad maiorem Dei gloriam or AMDG.]

First Communions

We just had our first of two weekends of First Communions. Our first communicants gathered on Saturday morning to find out where to sit, the order of the processions and to taste unconsecrated hosts and wine so the actual taste wouldn't be a surprise later.

Families were given the choice of making the First Communion within a regular parish Mass or on Sunday afternoon. They were part of the celebration from the entrance procession to bringing forward the communities' gifts.

It was a special event, well worth

 celebrating and remembering.

Congratulations!

My Love For Jesus Discipleship Program

Our summer session for kids ages four through entering 6th grade is "My Love For Jesus."

This fun, faith formation program will help us better understand what it means to be a disciple in a fun way.

The sessions are from June 17-19th and are available on a first come, first serve basis. You can get a registration form here.

A Zoo Visit

 On Thursday, the preschoolers went to the zoo.

We visited the aquarium first, because we had been

 learning about this at Sacred Heart Preschool.

Next, our parent helpers took

 us to visit many things. 

We thanked God for the beautiful weather!

A Fun Lunch

Today the students at St. Columbkille Catholic School had the option of getting a "Fun Lunch" for $1. The real treat was being able to eat outside.

It was a very good lunch. Thank you to the Fun Lunch committee that put it all together!

Tempus Fugit

“Life is short, God’s way of encouraging a bit of focus.”

-- Robert Brault

My preschooler recently brought home some school work that showed us he had grown an inch and a half taller since school began last fall. His work, which included self-portraits of then and now, demonstrated his leap in growth and development over eight short months.

But for me the school work contained a bonus lesson, another reminder, of how quickly children grow up, how swiftly life passes.

This time of year, when the school year is winding down, is bittersweet for me. It is filled with First Communions, Confirmations, graduations, weddings and birthdays. There is so much to do, so much to celebrate. But sometimes it seems that I’m watching from the sidelines as my children rush toward adulthood.

It’s common wisdom that life is short, but it’s also divine wisdom.

In Scripture God speaks of our lives as a passing shadow, a vanishing vapor, grass that withers as quickly as it sprouts and flowers that spring up then fade. In the Psalms we learn to pray:

“Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.”

and

“Lord, let me know my end, the number of my days, that I may learn how frail I am. To be sure, you establish the expanse of my days; indeed, my life is as nothing before you. Every man is but a breath.”

Your time is short, use it wisely, God is telling us. For slackers and procrastinators like me, the message is more urgent. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I need to be busier, but that I need to order my time better. Sometimes we need to slow down -- to pray and ponder how God wants us to spend our lives.

We have to give God priority in our time management. An hour spent at daily Mass or in Eucharistic adoration can set us on the right course for the rest of our day. At home or at work, we can offer Him little acts of love in the ordinary moments of our day, following the “Little Way” taught by St. Therese of Lisieux.

Past generations used to remind themselves of the brevity of life. tempus fugit (time flies). In religious art, images of skulls reminded them of their earthly mortality. They had clocks that were adorned with the Latin phrase

Maybe I could bring a few skulls or Latin phrases into my home décor to remind me to use my time wisely. Or maybe a house full of growing children is reminder enough.



Inspired by this Year of Faith we will be posting columns like this from Susan Szalewski about exploring and/or deepening our faith. Watch for it on Thursdays.

Spring Tea

Today the Kindergarten students each got to

 invite a special guest to their Spring Tea.

We recited a poem for our special guests, ...

... then we sang them a song.

 Then we had muffins.

 They were very good.

We gave our guests a certificate to thank them.

Then we had to get back to school.

We hope you enjoyed our Spring Tea!