Turn! Turn! Turn!

There is an appointed time for everything, 

and a time for every affair under the heavens. – Ecclesiastes 3:1 

For the leaves, a time to die.

Popularized by the Byrds in 1965 with their song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” this Bible verse is one of the most recognized from the Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament). In a strange twist, the underlying current of the Scripture passage is easy to lose amid the familiarity and popularity of the words. As the passage continues to tell us there’s a “time to be born, and a time to die” and “a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant,” a basic quality of knowing the “appointed time” screams to be recognized: discernment. Without proper time, space, and silence for discernment, it is difficult to know whether it’s “a time to keep,” or “a time to cast away;” whether it’s “a time to be silent” or “a time to speak.” In a world that places a premium on what’s now (see: the series of commercials saying “that was so 15 seconds ago”), on knowing the latest news (“did you hear about the NFL refs?”), and on having the latest gadgets (iPhone 5!), I have to work to carve out a part of my life to discern the “appointed time.” No clock, no calendar, can tell me the time or the season. Only in conversation with God and those who love me can I properly discern the time.

Image Credit: joiseyshowaa on Flickr

4 Ways to Grow in Faith this Summer

Summer and faith go hand in hand

Tomorrow we turn the calendar to June.  Children all across Fairfax County will wave goodbye to their school buildings for the summer and engulf themselves into summer activities: camps, sleep overs, and (hopefully) reading a book or ten.

The summer is also a great opportunity to continue their faith formation in the home.  Here are three ways your child (and your family) can grow in your faith this summer.

Weekday Mass
Try attending a weekday Mass once or twice a week with the family.  At St. Mark, the weekday Mass is in the chapel, providing an intimate worship setting you and your family might not be familiar with.  Make sure to place an unconsecrated host from the glass bowl to the gold ciborium for every person receiving communion.  Before going to Mass, check out the readings with your family beforehand using the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's website dedicated to Mass readings.  Use the calendar on the right hand side to find the day.

Mass is celebrated at 9:15AM Monday through Friday, at 7:30PM on Monday and 6:15AM on Friday.

Vacation Bible School

This year, give VBS a try.  It's a week full of faith, fun, and community.  Each day focuses in on a different Bible story about Jesus, with each activity reinforcing the story.  Whether it's children interacting with the story during the story time or singing songs with similar themes beforehand, they will learn about God while having fun.

This year's VBS is from July 9-13 and features Sky VBS, which focuses on trusting God in all situations.  Watch a trailer about this year's VBS to learn more information.  Or visit Our Sunday Visitor's website dedicated to the Catholic version of Sky, which we'll be using.

We also need teenage and adult volunteers to help run VBS, so the whole family can attend or help!

Read the Bible
Public schools often have "summer reading lists," with dozens of books teachers recommend (or require) their students to read during the summer.  Why not add the Bible to the list?  Read a Bible story out of a children's Bible before going to bed at night with little kids.  Or if you have older kids, pick and read a Gospel together (maybe Mark's Gospel, since he is our patron saint!).  Any Gospel is a good place to start, as are the Old Testament stories of Abraham (Genesis 11-25), Joseph (Genesis 37-50), and Moses (Exodus 1-15).  Some of the Old Testament stories can be complicated!  Talk to Isaac if you have any questions.

Watch a Movie
A few times this past year, the blog has highlighted teachable faith moments within two popular Disney movies, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast.  This summer will also feature Friday Family Movie Nights at St. Mark with kid-friendly movies focused on positive values.  Check the bulletin and information desk for more details.

What do you recommend?  How does your family grow in faith during the summer?

Image Credit: Bonnie Woodson on Flickr

Jesus' Big Question

What are you looking for?

Today's Gospel presents us with one of Jesus' biggest questions: "What are you looking for?"  If you're like those first disciples, you don't know how to answer, but instead switch the subject.  The disciples choose a topic that at first glance is a step up from asking about the weather; they ask where Jesus' is staying.  Christ responds "Come, and you will see."

We're presented with the opportunity to answer Jesus' big question.  What are you looking for?  And have you found it?  That reminds me of a song...


Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Good "No-School" Project: Thanksgiving Clothing Drive

Is this your closet?

"I get to sleep in until noon on Monday AND Tuesday!"
It's every student's favorite time of the school year, a four-day weekend.  As a child, my favorite part about long weekends was the shortened week before or after.  But now as an adult, I enjoy working on projects around the house, reading a few more chapters of my latest novel, and catching up with friends.

Pass on one of these these values to your children by planning a special project that will benefit those in need.  In a couple week's time, the annual St. Mark Thanksgiving Clothing Drive (TCD) will be up and running and will need donations from parishioners and others in the area.  Many families have come to rely on the TCD for warm coats and clothes to get through winter.  Here's how you can help:

• Go through your closet and look for warm items to donate.  Make sure the clothes are not raggedy and worn through.
• All sizes, styles, and types of clothes are accepted (but the largest need is for winter clothes).
• Collection begins in the St. Mark Activity Center on Saturday, November 19 (more details forthcoming).

You Clothed Me
Although giving clothes is a good thing in itself, give this project a faith backbone by reading Matthew 25: 31-46 (which, coincidentally, is the Gospel reading the Sunday before Thanksgiving).  Highlight the "clothing the naked" bit, noting that when we give our clothes, we are helping to clothe Christ who is present in the poor.  Jesus truly is "one of the these least brothers."  (Clothing the naked is one of the seven Corporal Works of Mercy, acts that are done to alleviate poverty and suffering in the world.)

Encourage your children (and yourself) to donate one item that you would never want to donate.  When we do that, we loosen the grasp our possessions have on us and open our lives more fully to the presence of Christ in the poor.

What will you donate this year?

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3 iPhone Apps for Catholics

Archbishop Carlson (of St. Louis) with his iPhone

This is a first in a 3 part series on iPhone apps for Catholics


Millions of apps tap in to the versatility of the iPhone. You can listen to the radio, read the news, play games, learn Spanish, and yes, even shoot, edit, and publish your own home videos. What about living out our Catholic faith? Yes, there’s an app for that too.

Here are three Catholic apps that can help you grow closer to God: