Monday Motivation: Weekly Resources

This past week has presented innumerable challenges, not least of which have been those leveled at ministers in the Church, educators, and parents. Faced with indefinite social distancing, we’re all turning to the magic of the Interwebs to help us continue performing the tasks of ministry, education, and parenting to the best of our abilities. So, for the next several weeks, we’ll be providing curated lists of online resources, including each of the following categories: Prayer for the Home, Educational Opportunities, Resources (for ministers, educators, parents, etc.), and Flourishing (and Fun). 

Here are a few that caught our attention for this week:

Prayer for the Home: 

Liturgy of the Hours
As many of us struggle with the suspension of public Masses, Liturgy Training Publications has created a resource that will teach you all about the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the prayer of the Church or simply the Hours. This resource includes brief videos providing overviews to the Liturgy of the Hours in general and Morning Prayer in particular, as well as an audio recording and worship aid for Morning Prayer each Sunday. If you’ve never prayed the Hours before, this is a great introduction. Learn more here. 

Dibujar y orar con niños
Aquí están ideas para orar en familia durante esta cuarenta en hogar. Los invitamos a ver este video de Felipe Gomez rezando y enseñándoles a los niños a dibujar. Aprende más aquí.

Educational Opportunities:

Learning through Lent—free online course from Strong Foundations for Pastoral Leaders, McGrath Institute for Church Life
This course was originally designed for Catholic leaders working for the Church, whose schedules this time of year are often overloaded, leaving little time for their own spiritual formation. For those in self-isolation, it’s a great opportunity to take a deep dive into the Sunday readings of Lent. Each unit stands on its own, so you can either play catch-up this week, or just jump in with the unit for this coming Sunday. Learn more here.

Resources:

Accompanying Families with Teenagers While Social Distancing—free webinar
Roy Petitfils is a licensed counselor and an expert in raising and ministering to teenagers. A noted speaker for organizations like TedX, the National Catholic Federation for Youth Ministry, and Notre Dame Vision for Campus and Youth Ministers, Roy will be offering a free webinar this Friday, March 23 for parents of teens and the youth ministers who serve them which will “share some best mental health practices” for this challenging time. Learn more here.

Flourishing:

Social Distancing 101, according to a cloistered nun
For those of us whose lives allow us to go wherever we please whenever it pleases us, the prospect of staying home indefinitely sounds like a cruel and unusual punishment. However, there are plenty of people who have embraced lives of simplicity and rootedness and found freedom through restriction—people like Sr. Mary Catherine Perry, a cloistered Dominican nun living in New Jersey, who offers three insights for anyone who might need help adjusting to social distancing and self-isolation. Learn more here. 

And just for fun:

If you haven’t checked out Mo Willems’ lunch doodles yet, do yourself a favor.
And make a drawing for your fridge.

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Featured image: Thought Catalog on Unsplash