Free printable St. Francis of Assisi feast day coloring pages for Catholic Christian kids

On October 4 the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Among other things under his patronage, St. Francis is the patron saint of animals. On his feast day, some Catholic churches and schools observe a charming little rite known as the blessing of pets. Visit Real Life at Home for free printable St. Francis lesson plans in a packet. Print games, coloring pages, activities and worksheets of saints. Learn connections to Pope Francis, who is a Franciscan and has taken his name from Francis of Assisi. Print a liturgical calendar of Catholic saints, including Saint Francis, free from Catholic playground. For free printable animal coloring pages, visit Coloring Book Fun. National Geographic Kids has realistic animal coloring pages from A-Z to print. This link opens on the animals A-I page but click the link at the bottom for coloring pages of animals from J-Z.

Free printable Catholic Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary coloring pages, activities, worksheets

August 15 is the Catholic Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Catholic honor Mary the Mother of God when she was assumed into heaven. This day is one of the Church's six holy days of obligation. Here are free printable Catholic Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary coloring pages and activities. Print crafts, coloring pages, lessons, games, puzzles, prayers and devotions. Orthodox Christians honor the Virgin Mary too and might use these printables.

Catholic Mom is devoted to helping Catholic parents learn more about their faith and teach children about theirs. Here are free printable Feast of the Assumption lesson plans. There are Sunday mass readings, coloring pages, worksheets, craft projects, lessons and more.

Family Holiday has dozens of free printable Assumption of Mary coloring pages plus coloring pages from the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. There are coloring pages in different designs, showing her in different apparitions and images. Some look like stained glass. Have children color these as the holiday draws near. This will help them understand who the Virgin Mary is and how she intercedes for us.

Catholic Playground has free printable Catholic lesson plans and activities pages. There are puzzles, worksheets, lessons, games, prayers, Bible readings and other activities for children to enjoy.

Create a homeschool unit on the Blessed Virgin Mary for Catholic education. Or use in parochial schools or CCD. These lessons will work for other Marian feast days like the Feast of the Immaculate Conception or Solemnity of Mary.

Catholic Guilt, Overactive Conscience and Scruples

I have struggled all my life with a hyperactive conscience. I feel vague to intense guilt constantly. As a Catholic convert, I hear cradle Catholics talk about Catholic guilt. Like the Church invented it. Well, they're not alone. I grew up Protestant and we spoke fluent "guilt."  Some guilt is healthy, but chronic isn't. That's what the catechism calls "scruples." And in psychological terms, shame. It's crucial, for mental and spiritual health, to know the difference.

What is guilt complex/scruples/shame and how does it differ from healthy guilt? Let me illustrate. Do you remember the T-A--Transactional Analysis--school of psychology? It says the self has three personas--parent, child and adult--similar to Freud's Id, ego and superego. Freud described the id (child) as immature, undisciplined and totally self-serving. The superego or parent in TA is ultra-controlled and highly critical. The ego or adult is whole and balanced. In all of us, the Parent (superego) and child (Id) struggle for control. Neither are healthy, alone. It's only when the healthier adult persona takes control and parent and child take back seat that the person is healthy.

We with guilt complexes and overactive consciences are stuck in superego- parent mode. We don't have more to feel guilty about than anyone else. Less, often. We've done our time, paid our penances, said our Mea Culpaes, received absolution. But we struggle to shake the nagging feeling that we've left something undone.

Our apologies and restitution never satisfy us. No confession is ever good enough, no penance too severe.
We don't have prickings of conscience, we have brutal stabbings. Others aren't necessarily accusing us. We accuse ourselves, sometimes to the point of dreaming up sins. I have a recurrent dream in which I have done something unspeakable, willful murder, violent assault, terrible injury. I have another where everyone is mad at me and I can't figure out what I've done wrong. When I wake, I feel sick and terrified, and it takes conscious effort for me to convince myself that it was just a dream (how's that for Freudian?)

Overactive conscience always second guesses its decisions and actions. Guilt complex causes us to be pathologically self-critical. And like so many other emotional issues, they're fear-driven and deeply subconscious (ergo the dreams). Fear of offending, upsetting others, of our own emotions, of consequences. We will sometimes lie or cheat to defend against irrational or imagined wrongs and prevent imagined consequences.

If you suffer from or love someone with guilt complex and overactive conscience, check my blog www.emotionalhealthhelp.blogspot.com.

Heart Burn, the Agony and Ecstasy (poem)

 This poem is for our stillborn baby daughters who died in utero, each at around 6 months, in 2001 and 2004. Requiescat in pace, Mary Therese and Isobella Raine. Keep each other company till mama and daddy can join you. 

I called this painful poem "ecstasy" not as in bliss. In fact, ecstasy is nothing like blissful calm. It's intense, searing spiritual awakening. It hurts like fire. The mystics St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila (who elected herself my patroness) experienced this. Our Lady felt the seven Dolores (Sorrows) piercing her heart. Any parent, especially a mother, who has lost a child knows heart burn. The Heavenly Father Heart Burn, the Agony and Ecstasy

how dare the sun have shone

on this somber, funereal grey-grime day

what were the birds thinking, chirping

when we planted my little ladies in the ground?

They grandly call it internment

like the squirrel buries a nut

but dead things do not regrow

they just lie there, alone

I felt guilty putting my babies in that box. 

What kind of mother does that?

A graveyard is cold and dark.

No place for a child to be

Not at night. Not alone. 

They might wake frightened and need mama. 

For many nights, months, years, decades after, I waked

Confused, anxious sure I heard them calling

Not knowing where they were

I am always there when my children need me

But I couldn't find these littlest ones

The ones who needed me most

Me, who couldn't let her children ride the bus

has abandoned her most vulnerable

like orphans wandering, crying for mother's arms

oh God, let death not be thus

we are told of a morning after

when the dead shall rise 

I cling to that, desperately

the way my cat grabs my leg if he feels himself falling

Perhaps I'm short sighted. 

I'm human, I cannot see with the eyes of the divine 

and Father, the burn of heart 

is pain like torture

Free Printable First Communion, Baptism, Confirmation Quinceanera, Invitations, Cards

Do you know a child who is making her first holy Eucharist (holy communion) this year? Perhaps your family is Catholic and your child is celebrating his first communion? If you're hosting a reception, here are free printable first holy Eucharist party invitations. If you're attending a first communion mass and reception, here are free printable first communion cards for the new communicant.

Hoover Web Design has several free printable first holy Eucharist invitations that could be used as free printable first communion cards. To print, the invitations, click and save to your computer. Then open the saved clipart, copy and paste in a new Paint image. Adjust so the image fits (cropped to 4.25 x 5.5 inches) and place in bottom right corner. Print and fold top half down and in half again so card opens to right. Fill in party details or for greeting cards, write your own verse and sign. You can also get other free printable religious party invitations and cards for Jewish bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah plus Catholic and Orthodox Christian baptism and confirmation.

365 Greetings has free printable first communion cards with modern and lovely vintage Catholic images. The old classic images come from holy cards and feature the Sacred Heart of Jesus offering the child holy Eucharist (holy communion). Greetings Island has attractive contemporary free printable first communion cards and holy communion invitations. Real Life at Home has several free printable first communion cards, invitations and announcements. Here's another site with more free printable holy Eucharist cards and invitations. American Greetings and Blue Mountain both havefree printable first communion cards and first holy Eucharist invitations, Some are alike and others are different. .

Free Printable Epiphany and Three Kings Day Crafts

 Jan. 6 is Epiphany, also called Three Kings Day, Dia de Reyes and Twelfth Night. On Epiphany, Catholic and Orthodox Christians celebrate the visit of the Magi (Three Kings, Wisemen) to Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Orthodox Christian churches observe the Baptism of Jesus, called Theophany "vision of God") on Epiphany as well. Twelfth Night, not Christmas, is the major gift-giving holiday in many countries. Here are free printable Epiphany lesson plans, Three Kings Day crafts and Twelfth Night activities. In French, Latin and New Orleans traditions, Epiphany kicks off Carnivale which counts down to Mardi Gras. King Cake is eaten

Throw a Twelfth Night party with free printable Dora the Explorer Three Kings Day party activities from the Dora the Explorer Saves Three Kings Day party planner. There is a free printable Magi crown craft and Dora Three Kings Day party loot bags to make. Here is a free printable Dia de Reyes coloring page and Dora Three Kings Day party invitations. There are free printable Three Kings Day games. Make recipes for Dia de Reyes.

Decorate for Epiphany star tree toppers. Here's a free printable star tree topper and a vintage star tree topper and 3D geometric star tree toppers. Or use this pretty angel Christmas tree topper. Teacher Help has a free printable Epiphany banner in Spanish for Dia de Reyes.

Explore Dia de Reyes with free printable Epiphany worksheets, Bible Christmas worksheets, coloring pages, nativity scenes, Advent activities, Bible verses, reading and writing activities and star crafts. Catholic Mom has printable worksheets for holy days. Here's the First School Christmas printables page. Apples 4 the Teacher has a free printable Epiphany unit. ABC Teach has free printable Christmas worksheets and Winter Season activities on math, spelling, handwriting, reading, vocabulary, comprehension and social studies. Use religious Christmas rebus mini-booklets to explain the visit of the Magi. Here are Bible worksheets on the Magi and free printable Bible Christmas story activities. Here's more info on Theophany and Epiphany.

Learn about Epiphany through crafts and coloring. Edupics has detailed, realistic Twelfth Night coloring pages to challenge older kids and adults. Hello Kids has a nice collection of free printableFeast of Epiphany coloring pages. Some are classic images and others are cartoons. Papa Jan has many free printable Bible Christmas coloring pages, including numerous Epiphany coloring pages to print. Catholic Icing offers free printable Three Kings crafts.

Free Printable Manger Scenes, Nativity Scenes to color

Are you looking for great Bible Christmas crafts for little ones? Here are free printable manger scenes, Bible nativity sets to color with coloring pages from the Christmas story. Catholic Icing offers free printable Bible Christmas coloring pages to make into nativity sets. Children color characters from the Bible Christmas story. Then they wrap pictures around paper towel and toilet paper tubes. This makes 3D, standup manger scenes. The blog owner created eight pages of coloring pages for so kids can make complete nativity sets and gives permission to print one for each person so long as you don't sell anything you make with it.

Children might make the entire set all at once or countdown to Christmas making and adding one new piece each day. Manger scenes have 15 parts so begin 15 days before Christmas and color one per night. Or begin later in Advent and add the wisemen and camels in Epiphany (Three Kings Day, Twelfth Night). Color nativity sets in this order--stable, palm tree, shepherd, sheep, angel, donkey, Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, wiseman, camel. Check out the other awesome Bible Christmas activities on the website.

Here are more free printable nativity sets and manger scenes (also called creche or nacimiento). Let children color their manger scenes during devotions to help them stay focused. Paper Toys is an amazing website overflowing with cool free printable models of buildings, cars and dioramas. Scroll through to find a Chanukah menorah and a gazillion other 3D paper models. 

Here are free printable nativity sets. Print in color or black and white and use for Bible Christmas coloring pages. Both manger scenes come with cut and paste stable, star, manger, Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus and the three wisemen. Use free printable manger scenes as a follow up craft activity for Advent devotions. Catholic families could use nativity sets to pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and to countdown to Christmas. Use Magi (three wisemen) images for Epiphany or Three Kings Day, celebrated on January 6. Many countries celebrate Christmas and Epiphany. In countries like Spain, Three Kings Day is the major gift-giving holiday. It is the Magi who are said, by tradition to bring gifts to children. This makes sense as it was the wisemen who brought gifts for Baby Jesus.