Prayer

Stations of the Cross Story Book

Stations of the Cross Story Book from Catholic Sprouts

The Way of the Cross is a beautiful devotion, especially when done during Holy Week. Jesus Himself has asked His followers to come and be with Him, even today, as He walks to Calvary to make the ultimate sacrifice. At a time when most of His followers had abandoned Him, we have an opportunity to be near Him and to see all that He did for us.

The stations of the cross hang on the walls of nearly every church, they are that important! The times that Jesus fell, the people that offered a tiny bit of help, the love of His mother, the cruelty of those that crucified Him–we should never be too far from any of these things. Especially during Lent.

There are many (MANY!) versions of the Stations of the Cross out there. Lots of them are well done and beautiful. Lots of them offer profound thoughts and challenges for people of all ages and experiences. Some of them even engage the hearts of children in a powerful way.

What I desired to have for my own children, however, was a book that told the STORY of the Way of the Cross. A book that my children could pick up and read all on their own, a book that we could use formally as we pray the stations of the cross, but a book that could also be read before bedtime like other story books.

I also desired to give my children big, engaging pictures of what Jesus endured out of love on that first Good Friday. Pictures that showed the truth of Jesus’s suffering, but in a way that is appropriate for a child.

So we got to work with an artist and we created it.

The Stations of the Cross book we came up with is simple and beautiful. The focus is Jesus and we pray that as children read this book they enter into that moment with Jesus. They see Him suffering, yet they refuse to look away.

Sometimes the stations of the cross can seem formal and not for children. Jesus, of course, reminds us to ‘let the children come’ to Him. They understand more about suffering than you know. Allow them to walk with Jesus and comfort His Sacred Heart.

It is our hope that this simple, beautiful book can help Catholic Children understand better the great gift Jesus gave them, and continues to give them.

The Station of the Cross book from Catholic Sprouts is available now.

Grab one copy for $11.

We are also happy to over bulk purchasing options for parishes and schools. For more details, email us direction ([email protected])

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Holy Week: Imaginative Scripture Activity

by Nancy Bandzuch · Leave a Comment

Holy Week is one FULL week for us Christians.

Not only is there all that happened during the Tridum (Last Supper, Agony in the Garden, Way of the Cross, Crucifixion, Burial and Resurrection), but important things are happening Sunday through Wednesday as well! Holy Week really is THE WEEK that changed the world.

A few months ago our priest (Fr. K, if you remember him from the podcast) offered an hour of adoration between the Sunday masses. During that time he led us through a powerful imagination-based reflection on Scripture. That was the first time I had prayed like that, and it was amazing to sit there and feel the cold water, hear the bird and the gentle voice of Jesus, and not only for me, but for the kids loved it too! Guided imaginative prayer allows you to really dive into the events and sounds and feelings and even the smells of what is going on in that passage!

Prayer of this kind brings Jesus closer. Jesus doesn’t feel like a long-ago guy that doesn’t have much to do with the life I live. He felt so present and near!

It can be a powerful and beautiful thing to enter into all of these events, and really BE with Jesus each day of Holy Week. We do this, of course, through Scripture. Scripture is the Word of God. It is alive and has the power to transform our hearts and open our eyes to the TRUTH. But, most of these stories we have heard time and time again. It can be hard to really enter into these moments of Jesus’ life for adults, and even harder for children.

For this reason, we have been working hard on a fun but simple way for Families and Classrooms to dive into the events of Holy Week.

The Holy Week Imaginative Scripture Activity offers two powerful tools each day of Holy Week: an image and an audio file.

Everything is available for $8 (free for Patrons). Head here to grab your copy: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/products/holy-week-imaginative-prayer-activity

THE IMAGE

We worked with an artist to create a beautiful, colorful, informative and family-friendly image for each day of Holy Week. The intent with creating these images was to give children a path for entering into the event. Jesus was a real person, in a real place, at a real time. He looked a certain way and was surrounded by noises and smells and textures. Imagining all of these things is a powerful way to really enter into the scripture.

Because different families might want to use these images in different ways, even beyond Holy Week, we will send you the images both in full color and as coloring pages.

THE AUDIO

We have also create a short audio file to listen to as the family or classroom as you gaze at the image. The audio file includes a short reading of scripture (the scripture that describes the event happening that day) and then a beautiful guided mediation. The meditation will ask you to really enter into the event. Who are you in this image? What are you hearing, seeing, feeling? What do you see Jesus do, and what does that mean?

It is our hope that the guided mediation will help children enter more fully into the final days of Jesus’ life so that they are better able to stand near Him as he walks to Calvary and gives us the most beautiful gift.

The Holy Week Imaginative Scripture Activity is available for $8.

This entire activity is free for all Catholic Sprouts PATRONS. To access your files there, head here: https://www.patreon.com/catholicsprouts.

Not a Patron? Join today and get access.

Everything will arrive as a single zipped file. Within that zipped file you will find:

8 full-color images for each day of Holy Week (Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday)
8 coloring sheets of the images for each day of Holy Week
8 audio files for each day of Holy Week that include a reading of scripture and a guided imaginative reflection, beautifully woven together with music.

Print the images and turn on the audio file whenever is best for you and your family each day of Holy Week! This set of images and audio files will be a great resource for your family this year, and for years to come! Just save the file and reprint everything next year!

Give your children the gift of walking with Jesus this Holy Week with this easy to use and beautiful resource.

your sister in the small things,

There is a way to do Lent wrong.

by Nancy Bandzuch · Leave a Comment

First things first: I have a new Lenten Calendar for you! Updated with all of the 2020 feast days, it’s big, it’s full color and I’m hoping it will keep the little hearts and minds of your children engaged all Lent long.

It’s also 100% free ;).

You can download it right here: catholicsprouts.com/lenten-worksheet

Feel free to share this calendar with any family or classroom that might be interested!

And now, for the work of making it a Holy Lent…

Lent brings up all sorts of complex feelings, at least for me.

I dread Lent…but I also crave it. I dread saying ‘no’ to myself, but I also deeply, deeply need to cut ties with all of the junk that keeps creeping back into my life. Things like Netflix, sugar, Instagram…things that I seem utterly incapable of using in a balanced way.

It is a challenge, though, to live a Holy Lent for all 40 days. I can do anything for a week, but for 40 days? That’s hard.

The real key to living a Holy Lent is understanding on a fundamental level what that even means.

Because here’s the thing, in the past I have gone about setting my Lenten resolutions in completely the wrong way. I saw Lent as an opportunity to jumpstart a diet or kick a bad habit to the curb. Lent was, simply put, an opportunity for self-improvement.

But that is not what Lent is at all.

Lent is not about you, and if your resolution leads you to focus on yourself MORE, then it is not a good resolution.

Lent is about MAKING ROOM.

A lot of our Lenten Resolutions are a good start on this quest of making room, but on their own they don’t quite get the job done.

We give up Netflix.
We sign off of Facebook.
We abstain from desserts.

Cutting these things will give us more time and space…but just cutting something can create a vacuum.

What will we do INSTEAD of watching Netflix at night?
What will we do INSTEAD of scrolling Facebook in our downtime?
How will we FILL OURSELVES if not with sugar and desserts?

These are the key questions we need to answer before Lent begins.

The simple answer, of course, is that when you clear away the junk, you need to let God fill that space.

If you resolve to stop scrolling your phone while nursing the baby, then use that time to pray a Rosary.
If you resolve to stop eating out as a family, then use that extra money to feed the hungry.
If you resolve to cut Netflix, then use that 45 minutes to spend time with your husband or read a spiritual work.
And, if you resolve to limit your outside commitments as a family, consider adding an hour of Family Adoration.

Be bold in your resolution, but keep in mind that Lent reminds us that we have limitations.

We only have 24 hours each day. We are limited in our energy, resources, and emotions.

Over the past year, we have said “yes” to a million little things, and those little things have piled up. It’s time to step back and start clearing away the clutter. With each thing we clear away, we are saying “yes” to God. We are giving Him the space He needs to heal us, love us, lead us.

It’s time to make room for what is important.

So, what am I doing for Lent?

I’m getting my butt out of bed 30 minutes earlier, every day, to pray. That’s the plan, all 40 days.

I’m telling you this in the hope that you will be an accountability partner for me! It is my prayer that after 40 days I will be able to reclaim my full morning prayer, which was interrupted and derailed after baby #5 arrived.

What about you? How will you make room?

Leave a comment and let me know! I’m happy to be an accountability partner for you too!

Be well, my dear friend, and happy Lenten planning!

your sister in the small things,

PS–The FAMILY ADORATION pack is still available, but it will be disappearing on Tuesday at midnight. Grab it before then and save $10.

Adoration Materials Q&A

by Nancy Bandzuch · Leave a Comment

Hey there!

We are right in the middle of launching the FAMILY ADORATION PACK. I have been loving hearing from so many of you, and we have been getting lots of questions. So, in case you have a question too, I thought it might be a good time to do a quick FAQ.

1. How will these materials transform our time in Adoration?

Great question. After all, Jesus is there -what else do you need?

Honestly, you don’t need any of these materials to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Great saints have spent entire nights just gazing lovingly at Jesus in the monstrance, adoring Him better than I ever could. But these materials have tremendously helped me and my family for one big reason: WE NO LONGER WORRY ABOUT WHAT WE WILL DO WHEN WE GET IN THERE.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Adoration is not about doing, it is about just being there, but a whole hour with the Lord of the Universe can be daunting. And likewise, a whole hour in the silence for a kid can be daunting. Therefore, there is something so helpful about walking through that door with a holy and beautiful plan.

My older 2 look forward to using their journal and coloring book each time we go to adoration. I remind them that we pray silently for the first 10 minutes and only after that can they pull out their books, but they have a lot of peace knowing that they have an activity they enjoy that they can do while adoring Jesus. I have also found that even the younger kids can be quiet and prayerful for much longer stretches of time when they have a God-focused thing to do that they enjoy. And this gives me time to pray.

I also love to have a little guide with me. Sometimes I just don’t have the words, and reading through the Litany of Trust, or referring to St. Thomas’s prayer, is so helpful. I might just read through that one prayer over and over, dwelling on a single word or phrase, but I love having something with me to help me get into prayer. It keeps me from worrying and makes me more comfortable.

2. Are these materials only for Adoration? What if we can’t make it to adoration right now?

First of all, all of the materials in the FAMILY ADORATION PACK are first and foremost about the Eucharist, not just Eucharistic Adoration.

I have a son preparing for his First Holy Communion and we have used both the board book, which he reads to the little ones, and the coloring book to help him prepare. We do take the books into Adoration with us, but we use them equally as much at home to PREPARE for both Holy Mass and Adoration. When I first gave the coloring book to Bernadette, my first grader, we spent time reading through the saint quotes and talking about what the quotes meant, as it would be difficult to do this while in adoration. We also spend time discussing the quotes and the lives of the various saints that she has colored in adoration after we leave.

I also understand that maybe it’s impossible for you to actually get to Eucharistic Adoration, with or without the kids. Maybe your parish doesn’t offer adoration, or they do but at a time that you absolutely can’t make work. Don’t worry, you have some options.

First of all, consider praying in front of the tabernacle. Jesus is there, inside! I even have heard of moms having a particularly rough day that takes a drive and once the kids are asleep they go and park as near the tabernacle as possible, and spend time adoring Jesus in the tabernacle from their car.

Just know that there are options for adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Get creative.

Also, I encourage you to be the squeaky wheel and ask your priest to start Eucharistic Adoration. It will transform your parish and your family.

3. What ages do you recommend for each product?

Great question. Here are some general thoughts.

BOARD BOOK: Pre-school and younger.

I designed this book to help little ones connect the Monstrance they see on the altar with the stories they have heard of Jesus Christ. The wording is very simple and the images are friendly and colorful. That said, my 8-year-old enjoyed reading this book to his younger siblings, and I saw him make some connections as well.

COLORING BOOK: Kindergarten and up.

The coloring book is great for younger kids, and people of all ages that like to color. I, admittedly, have a copy squirreled away for myself, which I intend to color 💁🏼‍♀️.

CHILDREN’S JOURNAL: 7-13

Gina over at Someday Saints designed this journal for children ages 7-13. More important than age, however, is ability and willingness to read and write, as the journal is based on prompts to read and write about. So many beautiful little reflections in this journal!

PARENT’S GUIDE: Any parent, godparent, grandparent or adult that loves children 😉

4. What about other people in the Adoration Chapel? Won’t I be disturbing their hour if I walk in with my kids?

This the #1 question I have received. Many people worry about disturbing people’s peaceful Holy Hour. Others have had terrible experiences in the past with grumpy adorers. There is a lot I could say here, but I’ll let Jesus take this question instead:

And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.

Mark 10:13-16

And if we believe that it is really Jesus there, fully present in the Blessed Sacrament, then how can we feel any hesitation in bringing our children to Him, no matter what anyone else might say or think?

Should we be respectful and kind? YES! But, should we let our fears of ruining someone else’s time with Jesus keep us from going to adoration? Absolutely not.

And, for the record, I have received exactly 10 emails from kind older women that want you all to know they LOVE IT when kids walk into the adoration chapel ;).

5. Do I really have to take the kids for a whole hour to adoration?

and

But, I LOVE my hour of private adoration. Do I have to give that up?

Is Family Adoration the ONLY way that you can go to Adoration. Nope!

Do you have to take the kids for a WHOLE HOUR? Nope!

If you already have a beautiful, private hour of adoration, don’t mess with that. Keep going. I just challenge you to bring your family into the Adoration fun as well. Maybe you can stop by for 10 minutes with the kids every Thursday on your way home. Maybe you can take one kid with you each week. Whatever. There are lots of beautiful options, and family adoration will look different for each family.

I have just found that for many people bringing the kids to adoration either hasn’t occurred to them, or they assume it is impossible. My mission is to simply give you a nudge so that you figure out a way to help your children come and adore.

6. Would the coloring book make sense as a 1st Communion gift?

Yup! It’s all about the Eucharist, after all 😉

In fact, if you know me and you are making your First Holy Communion this year…well you can guess what I’ll be giving you.

The Adoration coloring book and this pencil case! Plus some colored pencils too.

7. I have a big family and would like to buy a FAMILY PACK, along with a few extra copies of a couple of books. Can I do that?

Yes indeed!

All books are available separately as well.

Okay, what did I miss? Let me know by hitting reply.

Once again, you can check out all of the materials right here: https://catholicsprouts.com/adoration

Thanks again for your support and love,

your sister in the small things,

Nancy

Learning to Adore with St. Therese

by Nancy Bandzuch · Leave a Comment

There is something so sweet about the stillness and silence of the Adoration chapel.

When I first committed to a Holy Hour, back in my 20’s, I hated when someone else would walk in. Not good, I know, but I loved being there all alone with Our Lord. I loved having Him all to myself, and even just hearing the breathing of someone else irritated me.

These days I am never in the Adoration chapel alone. I keep a Holy Hour with a hoard of noisy, impatient, loud-breathers…and if I sneak into the chapel during one of my kid-free hours, I am intruding on someone else’s hour, not that they ever seem irritated I’m there.

To be honest, I still long for that silent, still, private hour with the Lord, but these days my Holy Hour is filled with interruptions.

You read me this book?

Look at what I colored!

Is it time to go?

I have to peeeee!

He took my book!

Can I take my boots off? Can I take my socks off? Can I take my shirt off?

It’s endless.

My goal in Adoration is always to meditate on the daily Gospel passage, pray a Rosary and pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Sometimes I do it all. Sometimes I barely get through the Gospel.

In my early days of taking the kids to Adoration, I would bring LOADS of stuff with me, hoping that they would be so occupied that I would be able to pray without interruption.

HILARIOUS, right!?!

I quickly learned that more stuff=more mess and more fights. Then I tried to bring less but BETTER stuff, hoping that they would again, leave me to pray without interruptions. That helped, but the interruptions didn’t end–and how could they? Kids are kids.

But here’s the worst part. When I was interrupted in adoration, I would huff and puff and get short with the kids. Real classy mom-move, I know, right there in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

But I felt trapped…and I saw myself as a victim.

I had already given up so much for these stink’n kids…and now they were taking over my Holy Hour too!?!? Was I just supposed to be some sort of doormat that never gets anything good?

Cue the Pity-Party…

…and enter St. Therese.

You likely know already that I love St. Therese and she has given me tough-love on a number of occasions. Here, with kids in adoration, she saw another opportunity and, with the help of Fr. Jacques Philippe’s book, Interior Freedom, she introduced me to the freeing idea of CHOOSING TO BE INTERRUPTED.

Fr. Philippe writes:

[St. Thérèse] did not like having her work interrupted. Sometimes she was asked to do work requiring quite a lot of concentration … [but] the schedule of the Carmelite community was so intense that she had very little time at her disposal. When she finally found an hour or two to devote to the job, she applied herself in the following spirit: ‘I choose to be interrupted.’ If a good Sister then came by to ask her for some little service, instead of coldly sending her away Thérèse made the effort to accept the interruption with good grace. And if nobody interrupted her, she considered that a charming present from her loving God and was very grateful to him.

Interior Freedom, 56

Choosing to be interrupted.

Every fiber of my being tells me that I need to FIGHT AGAINST interruptions, that I need to DEFEND MY TIME and MY SPACE. But St. Therese smiled down on me and gently shook her head.

There is a better way.

When we go into a situation–like adoration with little kids–and we know that we will be interrupted, we can decide something right then and there.

We can choose to be interrupted.

We can choose to remain open. We can choose to give what we have, instead of clutching onto something that will be taken from us. We can choose to see Jesus in that interrupting voice. And when we choose to be interrupted, we are more free to love.

Of course St. Therese didn’t come up with this concept. This is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross. He chose suffering. He gave us His pain and anguish as a gift.

And so, with the help of St. Therese and the profound example of Jesus Christ, I am working on loosening my grip while in adoration.

If I have a minute or ten to pray in the quiet, it is a gift. If the interruptions come nonstop, then that is a grace as well. A different kind of grace, but a grace nonetheless.

Do I do this perfectly? Far from it. But this advice from St. Therese is so freeing.

Choose to be interrupted. Decide when you walk into adoration (or mass or family prayer) with little ones, that you will welcome the interruptions.

No longer are those little ones intruding on your time with God. Instead, the children are calling you to love Jesus just as present in them as He is up on the altar.

I hope this bit of wisdom from St. Therese is as helpful for you as it has been for me.

Hang in there sister. It’s not easy, but it is drenched in grace.

your sister in the small things,

Nancy

PS-Make sure to grab the Adoration Family Pack before this bundle disappears in a couple of days.

Find all of the details right here: https://catholicsprouts.com/adoration