“Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it.” 
-Gregory Boyle, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion
 
We recall at the Last Supper, which is read at Holy Thursday Mass, The Supper of the Lord, that Jesus took off his outer garments, wrapped a towel around his waist and proceeded to wash the feet of his disciples. Imagine what the disciple’s feet must have looked like, in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.! Their feet and sandals were no doubt filthy and smelly, from the dusty roads they walked, and their toenails filled with that same dirt, no doubt. Jesus led by example, and as he told his disciples, he came serve, not be served. He did this as an example of the life he has asked each of us to live, as Catholic Christians.
 
Service to others takes many forms – choose one way your family can offer meaningful love, service and compassion to those in need:
 
Due to Covid-19, many organizations that would offer hands-on service activities have been suspended.
 

• Sign up as a family to volunteer for a 2-hour shift at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley in Cornwall-on-Hudson, helping in the warehouse to sort and re-box food donations. This is a family friendly service opportunity. Children are welcome as young as age 5.
• Why Knot Blanket Ministry - As a family, make two or more ……include notes for each blanket, letting the recipients know that you are thinking of them and praying for them.
• Act of Random Kindness – write cards and letters to shut -ins. Tell the recipient you are thinking of them, and tell them something about yourself – your hobbies, favorite school subject, etc. Decorate your cards – be creative! Cards can be dropped off in the parish office and will be delivered to our parishioners who aren’t able to leave their homes. Make a series  to include 1 of each: Christmas,  Easter,  Thanksgiving, Valentine and Birthday
• As a family, sponsor a child through the Unbound.org program. Sponsoring a child, allows a young person in a poor county the ability to attend school, have the necessary school books and supplies and a school uniform. Go on the unbound.org website to choose a child. Throughout the school year, write letters to your adopted child – they will write back! Tell them about yourself – your age, your hobbies, your favorite school subject, your family. The cost is $40/month. Perhaps you can help assist with the sponsorship cost by donating some birthday money, money for chores, or recycling 5 cent bottles and cans, for instance.
• Mary’s Meals provides food in a place of education. For $21, a child is supported for the entire school year. Our parish has supported this organization since 2014. Join us in feeding God’s children in more than 18 countries around the world. Read the book, The Shed that Fed a Million available at the Warwick Library.

   
“According to the Catholic church, a “saint” is someone who has been canonized, or officially recognized by the church as a person who has lived a holy life, enjoys life in heaven with God, and is worthy of public veneration by the faithful” James Martin, SJ,  My Life with the Saints. 
 
No one can be sure, as all official saints in the Roman Catholic Church were not counted in the early church, but there are thousands of saints recognized by our church. Some saints lived holy, but short lives, such as Saint Maria Teresa Goretti, who died at age 12, and some, lived to be 100 or more, such as Saint Raymond Penyafort.
 
The saints of our Catholic faith are numerous, have lived in all periods of history, in all parts of our world. They are meant to be our friends, individuals who have lived who we can and should model our own lives after.
 
Take Action:
 

1. Many babies are named after saints by their parents. If you were named for a saint, discuss with your parents why they chose your saint name for you. Write one paragraph discussing what you learned from your parents. Look up information about the life of your given saint name. Share in a second paragraph what you learned about this saint.
2. Family activity – each family should choose a favorite saint and dress up as that saint. Learn 3 or 4 facts about each saint.
   1. Record a video with each member of your family dressed up and speaking as though they are that saint: For example:  My name is Saint Therese of the Little Flower. I am the youngest of nine children, born of my parents in France. At age 15, I joined the Carmelite convent and gave myself to God. I love flowers and call myself “the little flower of Jesus”. I am often seen carrying roses. I died at the young age of 24.
   2. Upload your video and share with [email protected] It will be shared on the Spotlight on the Family page of our website.
3. American Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton, said, “For me to be a saint means to be myself.” Choose a person in your life, either living or deceased, who you feel is a saint, because they have lived the best life they know how; they are/were holy, serve(d) others, focus(ed) their life on God. Share their life story and describe what aspects of their holy life you will work to incorporate into your own life.
4. Saints of the Catholic church have a given name, possess heroic virtues, such as faith, hope, charity, fortitude, justice, temperance, and prudence). Saints are known for their love of God and their love of neighbor. Many saints are patron saints of something.
   1. We are creating a Warwick book of saints and we are going to include you. Imagine you are proclaimed a saint in the Catholic church. What is your name? i.e. Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Catherine of Siena. Write your life story: tell us when you lived and what your life was growing up. What virtues will you be known for? What would you be patron saint of and why? You can be a patron saint of a place, an activity, of a profession, of a situation, i.e. sickness, missing things). We want to make a statue of you as a saint. Draw a picture of yourself as a saint.

     
Being outside, especially in this beautiful town that we live, gives us occasion to wonder. Our landscapes – the black dirt region of Pine Island, the Appalachian Trail that crosses through Warwick, the abundant ponds and lakes, to name a few, give us reasons to pause at the awe and beauty in our backyards.
 
Recently, our neighbor’s dog was in the woods between my home and my neighbors. I watched in awe as “Rascal” fixated on a creature – maybe a mouse, or a chipmunk in a hole. I recognized his keen focus and awareness, Rascal, being every bit of a Brittany Spaniel, that he is.
 
Haley Stewart, author of  The Grace of Enough Pursing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture, writes, “Catholic tradition has always taught that God made the world and that his goodness is reflected in creation….We bear responsibility for its care…Care for creation requires intentionality, sacrifice, and attention in a world that prioritizes selfishness, convenience, and distraction...Perhaps the best way to motivate these changes is to allow ourselves to fall in love with God’s creation.”
 
Pope Francis advises us to “take little daily actions” that remind us that “reusing something instead of immediately discarding it, when done for the right reasons, can be an act of love which expresses our own dignity.” Laudato Si
 
Take Action:
 

1. Take a hike as a family – walk with the intentionality of being aware of your surroundings, to experience awe and wonder of creation; what animals, insects do you see, what plants and flowers are present on the hike, what is the terrain like? What else do you notice? Bring a lunch or a snack to share as a family on the hike.
2. Spend an evening around a campfire with your family without electronic devises. Build the fire together, gathering the wood, if your surroundings allow. What do you notice about the fire – sights, sounds, smells? Listen – what do you hear? Look – what can you see in the sky? These are all gifts from God.
3. Spend the day as a family at the beach – what do you notice about the sand, the surf, the salt air, the wildlife? What creatures or other items in nature have washed up on the shore? Take a walk along the shoreline. What do you find?
4. Visit a local farm as a family, one that uses humane practices to raise animals. Ask the farmer about how they care for their animals and how their practices differ from large commercial farms.
5. Visit a farm that grows their fruits or vegetables using organic farming methods. What are the advantages of these farming practices over using pesticides? What are some advantages of buying locally grown meats, dairy and produce? How might you incorporate local produce into your diet?
6. Make a small change in your family’s lifestyle to be intentional about reusing items and/or reducing your carbon footprint. One family decided to no longer purchase paper napkins, but to change to cloth napkins. One idea, if you sew, is to make your own cloth napkins, either be using cotton fabric you have in your home, or by purchasing some fabric. What small changes can your family make? Implement the change. Was the entire family accepting of it? How did you make the change?
7. Plant a garden – Perhaps as a family you can plan and build your garden this year and while it is later in the season, there is still time to plant fall crops – including lettuce and kale. How does eating the food you grow help you to feel connected to the land? Enjoy the fruits of your labor enjoying the food you have grown for dinner. Do a taste test – visit a farmer’s market and purchase one type of produce. Purchase the same produce in the grocery store and do a blind test to see if one has more flavor than the other.

 
As we open our eyes to the wonder and awe of God’s creation, we can be encouraged by the quote, often attributed to St. Teresa of Calcutta:
 

   
The Catholic idea of sacred space is evident in many different forms in our lives; we may first think of our own church as a sacred space that we visit to participate in Mass each Sunday. Within our church is the tabernacle – that most sacred space that houses the Holy Eucharist. Other sacred spaces can include areas in our own home, or displays that we have assembled, including things like a home altar or an advent wreath. 
 
Take Action:
 

1. Join us on a virtual pilgrimage – a pilgrimage is a spiritual experience that involves visiting one or more sacred spaces. One sacred space that millions of people from around the world visit is Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Italy. 
   1. From the comfort of your home, your family is invited to take a Virtual Pilgrimage to several churches in our Archdiocese.  Log on to see some special guests who are giving this tour!
      1. Which of the places you visited did you feel at home?
      2. How are each of the churches you “visited” similar. How are they different?
      3. What was it that made you feel at home? 
2. Create a sacred prayer space in your home. Designate a table, counter area or mantle for your sacred space. Things you might include are a crucifix, candle, prayer cards, a bible, inspirations words from the bible, a statue of Mary or a favorite saint, flowers or a plant, an icon or other religious picture. Use the space to inspire family prayer. Send us a picture. Add to your prayer space during the liturgical seasons of the church. https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/
3. Build a Mary Garden in your yard. A Mary Garden is a small sacred garden enclosing a statue of the Virgin Mary. Decorate your Mary Garden with a statue of Mary. Consider adding flowers to your garden. Paint stones blue and create a decade of the rosary in the garden, with the stones. Some plants associated with Mary are marigolds, columbines, sunflowers, white clematis. https://www.scu.edu/media/offices/st-clare-garden/pdfs/Mary-Garden-Plant-List-rev.pdf
4. Using Legos, create St. Stephens Church – your creation can be of  the front of the church or inside the sanctuary. Take a photo or video of your creation and send it to us!