Virtues by Month
Year of Hope 2023-2024
September –Hope
October—Studiousness
November—Humility
December—Patience
January—Fidelity
February—Cheerfulness
March—Temperance
April—Obedience
May—Diligence
Our September Saints are: St. Joseph, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin whose lives inspire us to trust in God's loving plan for our lives.
St. Joseph trusted that God knew what was best when He asked St. Joseph to become the foster father of Jesus. He did his best to be a steady and loving father to Jesus even when he did not know God's plan for Jesus or himself and the Blessed Mother.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton showed us what it looks like when we trust in God even when our lives seem turned upside down. She was born into a wealthy family and then happily married to a successful businessman until tragedy struck. She lost her husband and wealth; but kept her trust in God. Her faith led her to a life of sharing her faith with others through Catholic schools. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton opened the first Catholic parish school in America and became the first American-born saint.
Sts. Louis & Zelie Martin both wanted to join religious life as young people and yet they both were not able to do that. They trusted that God had a plan for their lives and in that trust they met each other, married and became the parents to nine children. Five of their daughters joined religious life--the most well-known of them was St. Therese of Lisieux. They were the second married couple to be beatified together.
“A Catholic school is a place where students live a shared experience of faith in God and where they learn the riches of Catholic culture...Catholic schools must help students to deepen their relationship with God and to discover that all things human have their deepest meaning in the person and teaching of Jesus Christ.” ~Pope St. John Paul II
In October we will learn about the virtue of Studiousness as we look at the lives of St. Albert the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Edith Stein. In our roles as students and teachers we are called to seek to know, love and serve God in all that we do each day. St. Albert the Great, the patron saint of scientists, was a great student who loved learning about God and the world around him. He became known as a Universal Doctor of the Church because he mastered every subject . He is considered one of the Church's greatest scholars and was the teacher of St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Albert wrote 38 volumes covering topics ranging from philosophy to geography, astronomy, theology, law and love.
Following St. Albert's example, we are called to put forth our best effort at developing the many gifts that God has given us. We do this in the hope and belief that our search for knowledge and understanding leads us closer to God who is the Truth.
“Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.” ~~St. Thomas Aquinas
The virtue of Humility is defined as, “accepting our limitations and our God-given talents.” This month we examine the ways in which we can improve in our studies, in our treatment of each other and in our faithfulness to God. We are reminded to explore the many God-given talents we have and to grow into these gifts, sharing them with our school community and our world. Being humble knowing the truth about ourselves---knowing what we do well and what we don't do as well. Learning about the areas in which we need to grow can challenge us to become more Christ-like.
The saints for this month's virtue are St. John the Baptist, who called people to penance and baptism; St. Pio of Pietrelcina, whose piety and care for the suffering led him to holiness; and St. Therese of Lisieux, whose “little way” inspires us to look for everyday ways to serve God. While we recognize the greatness in the way they committed their lives to God, we are reminded that they all were humble and did not want others to follow them--but to follow God instead. Their humility led them to view their gifts as gifts from God given to lead others to Him.
"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." — St. Francis de Sales
Patience is a fitting virtue for Advent---a time of watchfulness and waiting as we are reminded to make room for Jesus in our hearts and in our lives. It is also a time of year filled with excitement, lots of special Christmas activities and a busyness that can test our patience. Our saints this month: St. Monica, St. Isaac Jogues and St. Rita of Cascia provide beautiful examples of waiting patiently for God’s love to touch the lives of those around them, even when others would have long given up. St. Monica prayed every day for 30 years that her son (St. Augustine) would come to love God and follow Him. St. Isaac Jogues was the first priest to go to what is now New York to preach the Gospel to Native Americans. He first had to learn their language, which took a long time since they used a different alphabet. He did not give up and many people believed in God because of his faith. In the stories of these patient saints, we are reminded that Jesus is waiting for us to slow down and put our focus and trust in Him.
As we begin the new year with resolutions and hopes for a better year, St. Joseph students will be learning about the virtue of Fidelity. This virtue, modeled by God, is about keeping our promises and commitments to God and each other. We will study the examples of saints who were faithful to God in seemingly ordinary lives. Our saints this month include St. Cecilia, Bls. Luigi & Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi, and St. Gianna Molla. They showed faithfulness to God even when the struggles of daily life became overwhelming.
This month our saints' examples remind us of the opportunities we have for holiness in our own families and our daily lives. Bls. Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi were the first husband and wife to be beatified together as husband and wife. The Italian couple shared their intense love for God and each other with their children through praying the rosary every day with their children and through opening their home to World War II refugees. St. Cecilia was forced to marry a pagan, but prayed intently even throughout their marriage ceremony for his conversion. Her prayers were answered and they were later both martyred for their faith. St. Gianna, an Italian medical doctor, also shows us how to be faithful to God in our ordinary lives by being faithful even when facing tremendous pain and suffering. As we practice fidelity this month we can challenge ourselves to make promises that we can keep and to be faithful to God in small and big ways.
“God’s Providence is in all things, it’s always present."
~St. Gianna Molla
A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows
~Francis of Assisi
This month we will be talking about the Virtue of Cheerfulness, or looking on the bright side. When talking about this Virtue we might conclude that February is an easy month for practicing cheerfulness because our celebration of St. Valentine's Day is filled with treats and happy reminders of our loved ones. We are learning that the cheerful words and kind smiles we share with each other can make a positive impact on and brings joy to family members, classmates and the entire school community.
We learn about the cheerfulness this month of our three saints; St. John Bosco, St. Philip Neri and Bl. Miguel Pro, whose lives remind us that God’s love for us is something we can smile about again and again.
Temperance is a virtue which challenges us to ask ourselves if we are spending our time and energy on those things which will bring us closer to God. Our students will learn about the lives of St. Teresa of Avila, a Spanish Mystic who overcame physical ailments and devoted herself to prayer; St. Camillus de Lellis, an Italian priest who founded a religious order dedicated to the care ot the sick; and the Venerable Matt Talbot, whose spiritual life centered him in joy and service to others and helped him to overcome addiction.
"May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."
~St. Teresa of Avila
“Perform faithfully what God requires of you each moment, and leave the thought of everything else to Him. I assure you that to live in this way will bring you great peace.”
~~St. Jane Frances de ChantalVirtues by Month
Year of Faith 2022-2023
September –Faith
October—Reverence
November—Stewardship
December—Generosity
January—Gratitude
February—Honesty
March—Mercy
April—Justice
May--Zeal
This year we will be learning about virtues that are tied to the theological virtue of Faith. Each month our students will explore ways in which they can practice faith-filled actions every day. In addition, we will also look at the lives of different saints who have modeled these virtues. We hope that this will help our St. Joseph Catholic School students to see that through these good actions they can express their faith and promote a school climate that is caring and welcoming.
We began the school year by introducing the theological virtue of faith. In learning about this virtue, we reflected on our belief in God and all that He has revealed to us. We talked about the opportunities we have to live our faith each day through the way we treat each other. Our students were encouraged to look for opportunities to put their faith into action by showing respect and courtesy to fellow students, teachers, staff and family members. They were challenged to live their faith through kindness, patience and responsibility, and to grow in friendship.
Our September Saints were: St. Martha, St. Jerome and St. Augustine who inspire us to look for ways to grow in our faith and to share it with others through our unique gifts and talents. St. Martha showed us that sometimes our desire to be heard and recognized for our work gets in the way of really listening to Jesus and living in the present moment. St. Jerome used his talents to translate the Bible from ancient Hebrew to Latin, so that many people could read about God's love and learn more about their faith. This task took many years of dedicated work. The life of St. Augustine reminds us of the power of prayer to lead us back to our faith when we turn from God. He gave us a wonderful example of how deep dedication to our Faith can touch thos earound us and even those in years to come.
God Bless,
Mrs. Beth Henry
As we end our school year, we are reminded that God has plans for each of us. When we turn to God, we come away with so much more than we are seeking. God's love can change us like it changed St. Paul and give us the energy and enthusiasm of St. Francis Xavier and St. Dominic to follow Jesus.
This month we are learning about the Virtue of Justice. God calls to us to be fair and just toward each other in our thoughts and actions. Practicing this virtue of justice means that we pay our debts and to keep our promises. We look for ways to be welcoming and inclusive, whether that means that we ask a classmate to join us at play or make sure that everyone shares in the fun. When we share our time, our talents and our resources with others we become the family that God created us to be--sharing in the many gifts in our lives and growing together.
This month we see examples of living justly in the lives of Saint Anthony of Padua, St. Katharine Drexel and St. Thomas More. They devoted their lives to working with others in need. St. Katharine was born into a life of great wealth and privilege, yet she was moved by her parents faith in God to give up that life for one of service to others. St. Katharine ....d her life to providing for the education of minorities whose needs were not a part of the education landsape at that time. We hear of St. Anthony and St. Thomas More, who also were born into rich and powerful lives, but devoted themselves to teaching others about God and bringing others to God by their examples.
We looked at the concept of fairness and how we sometimes forget Jesus' lessons about justice in the parable about the vineyard workers in St. Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 20:1-16). We when look at what others seem to have with envy and use those comparisons to tell ourselves "it's not fair" we miss the opportunity to look insttead at the unique and special gifts in our daily lives.
This month we see examples of honesty in the face of persecution in the lives of Saints Jacinta and Francesco Marto, of Fatima; St. Kateri Tekawitha and St. Athanasius. The Marto children, along with their cousin Lucia dos Santos, were jailed and accused of being liars when others learned that the Blessed Mother had appeared to the children at Fatima in 1917. Despite being afraid and alone, they prayed the rosary in jail and soon all of the other prisoners prayed with them. The children refused to deny what they had seen and after they were released from jail they had other visions of the Blessed Mother asking them to pray the rosary for world peace and for sinners.
St. Kateri Tekawitha, the patron saint for the environment, is the first Native American saint. Her face was scarred from the smallpox that she had as a young child and was often seen with a blanket wrapped around her face to hide the scars. Both of her parents died from the disease, so she was raised by an uncle. St. Kateri converted to Catholicism when she was 19 and refused to marry. Her tribe didn’t like her conversion or her decision to devote her life to her faith, so she had to move away.
St. Athanasius, was a Greek Bishop, who lived more than 1,600 years ago. As a defender of the faith, he taught that Jesus was God and fought for this statement of our faith to be included in the Creed that we say at Mass. At the time, St. Athanasius was persecuted for fighting for this belief and he was sent into exile for 17 years.
Seeing Everything as a Gift from God and being thankful
"Gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems with joy."
~~ Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Giving Without Counting the Cost
During this season of Advent it is easy to see the gift-giving and good cheer as proof that we are practicing the virtue of Generosity. If we dig a little deeper though, we see that generosity is a virtue we are called to live everyday in many little ways. It is the kindness we show toward that person who gets on our nerves or the classmate who seems alone. We follow Jesus' examples of generosity when we share our time, our talents and the best we have to give without worrying about what we might get in return.
There are many great examples of saints who lived generously toward others. This month we are focusing on three saints who lived clear examples of this virtue. For K-2 students, our saint is St. Nicholas whose feast day we celebrate on December 6th. St. Nicholas desired to follow Jesus by giving to those in need and by sharing his riches and talents with the poor. St. Nicholas became a priest as a way of helping others to experience God’s love and to grow closer to God. When St. Nicholas’ secret generosity was discovered, he humbly told those he had helped to thank God for the goodness in their lives.
In grades 3-5, our saintly example of generosity comes from Saint Mary Magdalene, who supported Jesus' ministry and was present at His Crucifixion and Resurrection. In the 6th-8th grades, our saint for generosity is St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan Friar, who published anti-Nazi writings and hid 2,000 Jews from the Nazis at the Niepokalanow Monastery in Teresin, Poland where he lived. After he was arrested by the Gestapo, St. Maximilian Kolbe offered to take the place of a fellow prisoner in Auschwitz who was chosen for death. He is a martyr and the Patron Saint of Prisoners
In our guidance classes this month we are talking about ways that we can support each other through taking the time to listen to each other. We give the gift of respect and kindness when we let each other talk about our lives and our hopes and dreams. We are called to look for ways in which we can share the gift of God’s love each day to family and classmates by being kind and inclusive.
As we practice this virtue of generosity, we can ask ourselves if there is a “yes” that we can say to God this Advent season? A “yes” to being more generous with ourselves and our many gifts and talents to those who need that kindness and help in our daily lives.
I hope you have a very Blessed Advent & Christmas. Thank you for sharing the gift of your children with us!~~Mrs. Henry
November is a month for remembering with gratitude all that God has given us--the joy of our families, the bounty of our Thanksgiving feasts and the beauty in the changing world outside our windows. We enjoy time away from our busy schedules to relax with friends and family.
This is also a time for our students to learn about the virtue of stewardship and to reflect on the lives of three saints who clearly lived that virtue. We are called to live this virtue by giving the best of our lives---our time, talents and treasure---to God. We do this in simple small acts of kindness each day; in using caring words to support others rather than tear them down; and in being mindful of how our actions impact those around us. We practice this virtue when we recognize the gifts that God has given us and try to develop these talents as best we can. We also live this virtue when we protect the gifts of the world around us.
Our saintly examples this month include the actions of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a girl born into riches and royalty who left the palace and all it held to dedicate her life to helping the poor and hungry. Blessed Fra Angelico, the famous Renaissance artist and Dominican Friar, used his artistic talent to spotlight the greatness of God. He was humble in spite of his great talent and reminds us that our gifts can inspire others. Finally, we are learning about the example of St. Giuseppe Moscati, an Italian medical doctor known for pioneering work in biochemistry. St. Giuseppe used his skills and his compassion to treat patients who were considered “incurables.” He reminded the young doctors he taught to care for the whole person--body and soul.
At home this month help your child to think about their gifts and talents. Ask to talk to you about something they are proud of and how they can share this gift with others. As a family, come up with something you can do to share your talents and interests with others in your neighborhood, parish or community. It can be as simple as raking leaves for an elderly neighbor, picking up trash or speaking kindly to our siblings.
Wishing you a Blessed Thanksgiving!
Mrs. Henry
(October)
“Pray, hope, and don't worry."
~~Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
This month we learn about the virtue of reverence, showing our deepest respect for God and all that God has created. We are called to think about the ways in which we can show this deep love for God at Mass, in prayer and in the ways that we respect all that God has made.
This virtue reverence calls us to see the face of God in all those around us. We practice it by remembering that God made us all to be special and to be loved.
Our saints this month, St. Hyacinth, St. Tarcisius and St. Margaret Clitherow, all lived in very different times in history, and yet they all share a deep devotion to our faith. St. Hyacinth, a Domican priest who was born in a castle, fled 12th century marauders with the Eucharist and a heavy statue of the Blessed Mother to keep them from being desecrated. St. Tarcisius was a young boy who was martyred in the early days of the Roman Empire when he was caught on his way to take the Eucharist to Christian prisoners who were awaiting martyrdom. St. Margaret Clitherow was a noble woman in Elizabethan England who converted to Catholicism and raised her three children as Catholics. She refused to renounce her faith and was arrested and martyred for having Mass celebrated in her home.
At home this month ask your children how they can practice this deep respect and love for God in the way that they treat their siblings, parents, and classmates. Spend some time in quiet prayer as a family.
God Bless,
Mrs. Henry