6 Welcome to Saint thomaS more PariShSTM/STM affiliaTed dioceSan School oThercolor key:Saint thomaS more church 11822 holmeS roaD kanSaS citY, miSSouri, 64131 (816) 942-2492 WWW.Stmkc.com

Ralphlove of learning

What stimulates your curiosity and desire to learn?

Rediscover the Saints Book

the call to holiness motivates us to use the book Rediscover the Saints by matthew kelly as a way to celebrate the lives of the Saints and to build a “culture of holiness” in our world, starting at home. in this section we will provide short bios, drink recipes and activities, so we may intentionally celebrate the Saints, invoke their intercession, and follow their example. on your part, we ask you to read the chapters of the book, to pray and invoke their intercession, and to do the activities as we present them to you each week.

Celebrating the Saints in the domestic church

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Saint Ralph of Bourges was born as Raoul. after his father, in Angoumois, France and was the son of a Count. His family was prominent and he himself owned some land. Ralph had 6-7 siblings, and he was educated under Abbot Bertrand.Entering the monastery in 823, Ralph became a bishop in 840 and took part in various synods.He founded seven monasteries, including the Monastery of Beaulieu for which his family contributed land, and at least one convent, where his sister was named the first Abbess. Ralph loved to learn and cared deeply for the monks in his care. He compiled a book of instructions and taught the monks to learn more about their faith and to practice it. Ralph is remembered as a skillful diplomat and his work toward ecclesiastical reform.Saint Ralph died June 21, 866 of natural causes. His feast day is celebrated on June 21 and he is the patron saint of Catholic youth and AIDS patients and caregivers.

Bahama MamaIngredients• ½ oz rum• ½ oz coconut-flavored rum• ½ oz grenadine syrup• 1 oz orange juice• 1 oz pineapple juice• 1 cup crushed ice

how to Make ItCombine regular rum, rum with coconut flavoring, grenadine, orange juice, pineapple juice and crushed ice in an electric blender. Blend until the drink's con-sistency is slushy, serve and enjoy.For the kids: Leave out the alcohol.

activitySaint Ralph taught the monks about their faith and how to practice it. Parents are called to bethe primary teachers of their children in the faith, with the sup-port of the Catholic community. How do we pass on the faith? Here are some suggestions for famlies:Read and act out some of the Gospel stories. Talk about what it was like to be the character you played. Was it fun? sad? amazing? What can we learn from that story?Read the Gospel stories and use your senses, noting what you might see, hear, smell, feel. What character do you relate to most? least? Why? What does that story say about God? What is the writer trying to tell us?Learn a Bible story well enough to tell it like a bed-time story, like you would the story of Goldilocks or other fairy tales. Use the Bible stories as bedtime stories and have the child(ren) tell them back when they know them well enough.Through trial (and error!), try different prayer styles to see what (or what combination) works best for your family: spontaneous prayer, memorized prayer/Ro-sary, reading the Bible and drawing/writing what that passage means to you, taking turns reading verses of the Psalms, singing/listening to music, etc. (Different seasons may bring different ways of praying!)

Saint Ralph, pray for us.

7June 7, 2020 Bulletin 7STM/STM affiliaTed dioceSan School oTher :color keySaint thomaS more church 11822 holmeS roaD kanSaS citY, miSSouri, 64131 (816) 942-2492 WWW.Stmkc.com

JaMesDo Not Be afraid

how often do you forget that we are just passing through this place?

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Saint James, pray for us.

James was born in Galilee around 3 AD, to Zebedee and Salome. He was known as James the Greater (meaning older or taller, rather than more important). He and his brother John were both Apostles of Jesus. James and John were together with their father by the seashore when Jesus called them to follow him. Because of their fiery tempers, they were noted as the “Sons of Thunder.” You may recall the story of James and John asking to sit at Jesus’ left and right. It is believed that James traveled to Spain to spread the Good News after Jesus’ death before returning back to Jerusalem where he was martyred.James is the only Apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament (Acts 12:2). King Herod had James beheaded in 44 AD. His remains were carried by boat to northern Spain, to what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. El Camino de Santiago, also known as the “Way of Saint James,” is about 500 miles long if following the agreed upon routes, starting at Saint Jean Pied de Port in France. It is a network of pilgrimages/paths that stretch across Europe, ending at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Saint James' feast day is celebrated on July 25 and he is the patron saint of Spain, Guatemala, and fishermen.

Orange Cherry VodkaIngredients

• 1 ½ oz vodka• 3/4 oz cherry simple syrup• 1 ½ oz fresh-squeezed orange juice• 1/2 oz cranberry juice

how to Make ItShake all of the ingredients with ice in your shaker for 25 seconds. Strain into a glass and serve with a large ice cube.

For the kids: Leave out the alcohol.

activitySaint James and his brother John were known for their love of the Lord and dedication to the Christian mission. They learned the lesson of humble service and often preached that the pur-pose of authority is to serve. They are not to im-pose their will on others, or lord it over them. This is the position of Jesus himself. He was the servant of all; the service imposed on him was the supreme sacrifice of his own life. They also took it upon themselves to evangelize.

You have learned so much about Saints within the past few months, and now is your time to evangelize. Find someone you know, family member, loved one, or friend. Tell them about one Saint you learned about. Teach them the ac-tivity you learned to do and help them to under-stand a new Saint! This is a great activity that calls us out of our comfort zone and helps us to be a servant to others through evangelization!

all saINtsNow Is Your time

how can you recapture the wonder of childhood?

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Where will you go from here? Which Saint do you associate with most? Which one do you want to learn more about? Which one inspires you to further develop your relationship with God? (Each question may result in a different answer!) What action(s) do you feel called to consider at this time?

The refriain of an old song by Catholic-Christian artist Tom Franzak comes to mind:

We are pilgrims on earth.We're just passing through,our eyes on the kingdom in all that we do.Build up the kingdom! lift up all men,on our way to the Father in heaven. amen!

How do/will YOU build up the Kingdom and lift up all people, or at least those around you?