Sts. Louis & Zelie (Feast Day July 12) and St. Therese of Lisieux (Feast Day October 1)

St. Louis Martin: 1823 – 1894, St. Zelie Martin: 1831 – 1877, St. Therese of Lisieux: 1873 – 1897

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote, “The human family is, in a certain sense, the icon of the Trinity because of the love between its members and the fruitfulness of that love.” This week’s saints exemplify this in a particular way. Louis Martin and his wife, Marie-Azelie (Zelie), fostered a culture of faith, love, and service in their family, which nurtured the vocations of their daughters, including Saint Therese of Lisieux. They are the first-ever married couple with children to be canonized in the same ceremony. The Martin family prayed daily and helped those in need. They are the patron saints of marriage, parenting, and widowers. Their daughter, St. Therese, was affectionately called “the Little Flower.”  She found little ways to sacrifice to show love, such as smiling at someone who didn’t like her or eating whatever food was served without complaining. Therese has been a highly influential model of sanctity because of the simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life. She and her sisters were all part of the Carmelite religious order. Therese was canonized in 1925. On October 19, 1997, Pope John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church, the third woman to be so recognized in light of her holiness and the influence of her teaching on spirituality in the Church.

·      Which member of the Trinity do you typically turn to the most? Why?

·      Why did God send Jesus, his Son, into the world?

·      How does a family mirror the Trinity?

·      How can your family learn to grow in holiness together?

Build Your Family Tree

Trace your ancestry and build a family tree. Make it as simple or complex as you wish. Find a template online or draw a tree with branches showing how your family is connected. Write in the roots section where you grew up or other cities where your family has roots. Start with your immediate family and expand it to your extended family. Consult with grandparents, aunts, and uncles to get as much information as possible. Be creative and have fun!

3-Ingredient Taco Dip

Celebrate our Triune God with this delicious recipe!

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

½ cup chunky style salsa (mild or medium)

Beat the cream cheese. Add in the other 2 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Family as Image of the Trinity

God, our Father, through the holy sacrament of marriage, you have blessed us and bestowed on us the gift of families in different shapes and sizes. You created the family to be the image of the love and unity revealed to us in the Blessed Trinity. We commit ourselves to model that love and unity in our daily lives and in all our relationships.

Guide us on our journey as we read and reflect on your holy word. By your word, we are transformed, so that, by our witness, we may become leaven for the transformation of the world.

May the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us through our Baptism, shine through our interactions within our family and through our encounters with others.

May all families within our parish become hearers and followers of the word, so that our parish family might mirror the love and unity of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever,

Amen.

We honor the Trinity when we make the sign of the cross. When do we make the sign of the cross at Mass?

St. Therese found little ways to sacrifice to show love. This week, find one thing to sacrifice to show love for someone else.

June 4^th is National Cheese Day. ‘Cheese’ comes from the Latin word ‘caseus’, which has been found to mean ‘to ferment/to sour’.