Shrimp Po’ Boy
Fish sandwiches have become part of many restaurants’ seasonal menus. Many look forward to devouring their first fish sandwich of the year, even if they are not Catholic. Different restaurants and fast-food joints compete for the top fish sandwich of the year always trying to out do the previous years sandwich. To me, most fast-food sandwiches taste the same – deep fried and salty. You can not taste the fish, and the buns are usually mediocre and soggy at best. That is why I choose to try local restaurants around me instead.
Albus Dumbledore is one of my favorite characters from the Harry Potter series. He was a man of great intellect and faith, but he was by no means perfect. He had flaws just like the rest of us which made him more likeable and relatable. One of his most popular quotes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was, “we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy”. It is pretty similar in the choice of having faith or living in fear. The question is, how do we choose faith over fear?
Love is a very popular word this time of the year. With Valentine’s Day on Monday, we are a bit sweeter and gooier, like your favorite chocolate treat, than normal. But what happens after the holiday? Not only do we feel guilty about eating a chocolate heart, but we forget what love really means. That is why it is important to focus on unconditional love. Unconditional love helps you see the love within and without any condition. Here is how we found our unconditional love for the other 364 days of the year.
Many of us are familiar with the book and movie Eat, Pray, Love. The journey one woman went through (Eat in Italy, Pray in India, Love in Indonesia) to overcome a divorce. Well, what about the time of year where we follow Fast, Pray, Give? We Fast on Ash Wednesday, and Fridays until Easter, pray to be closer to God, and Give to those who have less, and it all takes place for 40 days of Lent. The Lenten season is only a few weeks away, and we want to make sure that you are ready for Fast, Pray and Give.
We had such a great response to our blog last week that we thought it deserved a second part! Since being back to church means truly connecting with one another in person, we thought the focus should be there – connection. We thrive on human connection and what better way to unite than through your local parish. Here are some of the ideas we have come up with!
It’s that time of the year. Christmas and Epiphany are now over, and when we see snow in the forecast, the Easter season is not in site. So, the question becomes, “how do we put our parishioners back in the pew”? Well, we think we have the answer for this – you must welcome them back and you can do it with your social media accounts. Don’t worry, we’ll show you how!
Merry Christmas from all of us at John Patrick Publishing and Parish Giving. Reflect on the true meaning of Christmas as you share in traditions with your loved ones, “to give up one’s very self – to think only of others – how to bring the greatest happiness to others – that is the true meaning of Christmas.”
It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday. It is a day in which we reflect upon the past year and see how our lives have grown and changed. We remind ourselves that we should be thankful for the things we have, rather than be upset with ourselves for what we think we are missing. It is also about gratitude – showing our appreciation for what we have. So, this is our blog dedicated being thankful for everything that we have. Hope you enjoy!
Last week I received an email from a travel company that I used pre-COVID. Exploring their different trips put the bug in me to start travelling again. They stated that “human connection is in crisis” and “collective isolation” has kept us apart. Reconnecting is what the doctor has ordered. We are happy that many of our parishes agree. Here are some of the events they wrote to us about after we released our blog last week. We hope you are able to join in the fun!
It’s beginning to feel more like 2019 again. Schools are having after school activities, youth groups are having in person activities again, and families are making plans to gather for the holiday season. It really makes you feel good inside! The question some parishioners have is how are you welcoming us back who have been streaming Mass online? Here are some of the ideas we have heard from some parishes, and we think they are great!
During the past 18-months your parishioners and you probably became quite creative when it came to weekly offerings. I have heard of giving boxes outside of the parish, people mailing their envelopes in, or some not giving because they didn’t know how. Well, why not instruct your parishioners to use Parish Giving? Each parish has their own giving page, and we can create a QR code for your parishioners to scan and take them there. You can place the QR code on the bulletin, social media sites, parish website, and constant contact emails.