Sunday, March 5, 2023

Holy Role Models: Saintly Friends and Heavenly Heroes


Children’s role models form their value systems and viewpoints of the world. From toddlers to teens, we want to make sure our kids are surrounded by friends that challenge them to be the person God intends them to be, and in return, we hope that our kids model virtue and inspire the best in others.

How can we help young hearts cultivate friendships? Real-life relationships are crucial, but we also can cultivate friendships with the holy men and women who’ve gone before us: the saints. Through both their prayer and example, the saints are the heavenly heroes we want every kid to emulate.

I shared a collection of ideas about helping kids grow in friendship with the Saints in an article for the National Catholic Register. You can read the whole thing here!

The Offering of One Holy Mass

I'm honored to be contributing to the Heart of the Revival, the newsletter for the National Eucharistic Revival. Last month I wrote about Pope Benedict XVI's Legacy of the Love for the Eucharist, including quote coloring pages for kids.

This month's article is titled The Offering of One Holy Mass. Perfect for Lent, but applicable anytime, it helps explain in kid friendly terms why and how we can offer the gift of a Mass for the intentions of our loved ones, living and dead. Like the offering of the little boy at the Feeding of the 5000 in the Gospel of John, no gift is too small for Jesus to change hearts and lives. 

After offering our Mass for someone, it can provide a beautiful opportunity for evangelization. We can let that person know we've been praying for them with a text or call, or even with a little happy mail. These cards are meant to add intentionality to making a personal Mass offering, while also encouraging our loved ones about the gift of the Mass. You can read all the details about how to talk about this with kids here!

If you'd like to sign up to receive the Heart of the Revival Weekly Newsletter, sign up here.


Click here for a general Mass Offering card:

Click here for a Mass Offering card for a departed loved one:

Click here for a coloring page with St. John Vianney's quote about the Mass:

And these resources are also available in Spanish!


March Radiant Roundup: The Month of St. Joseph

Here's a list of ideas to help you and your kids have a holy and purposeful Lent, as well as celebrate some of the important March Feast Days for St. Patrick, St. Joseph, and the Annunciation.


Feast of St. Katharine Drexel: March 3rd

Feast of St. Patrick: March 17th
St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer Cards*

Solemnity of the Annunciation: March 25th



The Season of Lent
Lent: Ideas for 40 Days* (Round-up Post of Links)
What Lent Looks Like* Coloring Page/Printable
What the Triduum Looks Like* Coloring Page/Printable
Lent: Pray, Fast, Give Foldable* (Also in Spanish)
Lenten Prayer Challenge Board* (Also editable)
Lent Family Weekly Plan*- Pray with Sunday Gospels and Fasting/Giving using the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy (editable)
Holy Week Family Retreat & Journal* (In English, Spanish, and French, and with an editable schedule

Here's a list of great books for March:

And Stations of the Cross books for kids:

Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family, pray for us!

March Books for Catholic Kids



March Catholic Kids Book List
Below are a few favorite titles that fit well with devotions and feast days this month! This list contains Amazon Affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no cost to you. I'd also love to encourage you to shop directly with the publisher or with your local bookshop, or try to request these at your local library! I'm sure I've missed some books that would be great for this month, so feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments! You can find my giant list of Catholic Kid Books by topic here.

The Month of St. Joseph

Saint Feast Days this Month
3/3- St. Katharine Drexel
3/17- St. Patrick
3/19- St. Joseph
See list above
3/25- The Annunciation
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Tomie de Paola

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Memento Mori- Classroom Lesson with Video, Art, Quotes, & Scripture

The phrase Memento Mori, “remember your death,” helps us keep in mind that this life is only temporary and that we were made for Heaven. I talk with my students about these three elements of Memento Mori:

  • For the future: Remember that one day you will die and your life on earth will end
  • For the Present: Live each day aiming for Heaven with hope, joy, and peace
  • For the Past: Remember you have died with Christ through your Baptism- Die to sin and rise to new life

I've used these Memento Mori Printables in my classroom for years, but this year deepened my study with my 8th graders. In our unit on the Four Last Things, we used this slideshow about Memento Mori. It includes a video, collection of art for Visio Divina, and a set of quotes from Saints & Scripture for discussion.

We did this lesson in my classroom in November, the Month of All Souls, but it also would be a great reflection for junior/senior high during Lent!

Click here to open the Memento Mori slides:


If you'd like a reflection sheet to help your students record their thoughts, click here:

Paired with the Memento Mori study, you also could use this study of the Bone Church, St. Mary of the Conception of the Friars Minor Capuchin in Rome:


Remember you are dust and to dust you will return. 
May your Lent be a prayerful retreat leading up to Easter!

Monday, February 20, 2023

Prayers and Mysteries of the Rosary in Portuguese- O Meu Livro das Orações do Rosário

I'm thrilled to be offering resources in more languages thanks to the generous time of LHBR readers! Today I have all the pages needed to make a Rosary book, complete with the prayers, Mysteries, and where to find them in the Bible. It is my hope that these are helpful, especially to teachers and catechists teaching kiddos in bilingual classrooms!

Click here to print the Prayers of the Rosary Book:



You can find the original activity in English here:


Pray Fast Give Activity in Portuguese: Quaresma- Rezar, Jejuar, Oferecer

This Pray Fast Give printable is a great resource for helping kids find practical ways to enter into the season of Lent. You can read about the original idea and applications in this post, but today thanks to the generosity of a LHBR reader, I'm happy to offer a new version in Portuguese!

(This is meant to be printed two sided, then fold up the bottom of the back side to form the pockets for the ideas. They can be stapled into place. Alternately, if unable to print double sided the pockets can be cut off the second page and stapled on to the main page.)


Click here for the Lent coloring page:

Click here for the original post in English:

Click here for the Pray Fast Give Activity in Spanish: