Posts by CathFamily
Wonder Words
Effective literacy requires children to master both the phonics basis of written language and words learnt by ‘sight’. Analysis of written texts has identified the most commonly used words, many of which have irregular pronunciations and cannot be simply ‘sounded out’ with phonics. The Wonder Words* make up just over half of all words used…
Read MoreMary Undoer of Knots
I found the best helper in Mary Undoer of Knots. This is an image of Jesus’ mother surrounded by angels, all of whom are untying the knots of earthly problems. This image—and the prayers inspired by it—have been making the rounds in Catholic circles, partly because it’s a favorite of Pope Francis. When the pope…
Read MoreWOJ Presentation of the Lord, Year A
He is a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and to give glory to your people (Luke 2:32) Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash Feel free to share “Words of Jesus” with your networks: Tweet or post to social media Include in your organisation’s bulletin Add to your slides for reflection on the Sunday readings Print for staff inspiration…
Read More2020 Forward Planner
Stay organized and on track with our FREE printable yearly planner. Perfect for workstations and partitions, we’ve already included school holidays and important dates and it’s fully editable as well. Ideal to print in A3 format and update whenever needed. This yearly planner is an excerpt from My Teacher Diary, a product from Livingwell Media Download…
Read MoreWOJ Ash Wednesday
“Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.” (Jesus, Mt 6:18) Feel free to share “Words of Jesus” with your networks: Tweet or post to social media Include in your organisation’s bulletin Add to your slides for reflection on the Sunday readings Print for staff inspiration Add to your email…
Read MoreDiscipline with Love
When parents think of ‘discipline’ they are usually thinking in terms of ‘punishment’. But another definition is ‘instruction’. Dr Justin Coulson points out that the meaning of discipline has shifted over time. It comes from the Latin ‘disciplina’ meaning ‘teaching’, and ‘discipulus’ meaning ‘pupil.’ “When we ‘discipline’ our children, we guide, teach and instruct them…
Read MoreTeaching Children To Love What is True Value
A home is a school of love, where your children learn to put others, and ultimately God, first in their lives. What motivates you as a parent should motivate your children; children love what we love. But often our example and emotional example can undermine our best intentions. We fail to communicate the importance of…
Read More2019 Forward Planner
Stay organized and on track with our FREE printable yearly planner. Perfect for workstations and partitions, we’ve already included school holidays and important dates and it’s fully editable as well. Ideal to print in A3 format and update whenever needed. This yearly planner is an excerpt from My Teacher Diary, a product from Livingwell Media A…
Read MoreImmaculate Conception
Many people confuse the Immaculate Conception with Jesus’ conception (which is called a virgin conception or virgin birth). The Immaculate Conception, in fact, refers to Mary’s conception in the womb of her mother (Anne). However, unlike regular conceptions, Mary was conceived without sin (that’s the ‘immaculate’ part) due to the intervention by God that protected…
Read MoreAdvent and Christmas eBook
God has brought us again to this beautiful Advent season of waiting and preparing for Christ to come into the world and into our hearts. You are so good in this busy time of year to take time for some spiritual reading and planning for Christmas! Thank you for your support of CathFamily this year;…
Read MoreArchaeology of the Word
The Christian Bible has two sections: the Jewish scriptures (Old Testament) and Christian writings (New Testament). Jesus, and his mother Mary, were devout Jews, deeply immersed in the scriptures and both testaments were written or recorded by Jews (with the exception of the Gospel of Luke and The Acts of the Apostles which were written…
Read MoreWomen of Wisdom
Some fifteen years ago, I began to meet regularly with several women to support each other in prayer. Called ‘Women of Wisdom’ we committed to prioritising prayerful listening to balance our never-lost-for-words conversation. The format was simple and has been adapted here for private reflection. Breathe: Sit with your back straight and your feet firmly grounded…
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