When St. Dominic's mother was pregnant with him, she had a dream of a dog with a torch in its mouth, running around and setting fire to everything! She went to ask a monk what it meant and she was told the baby she carried would be a great preacher and bring light to the world. St. Dominic did indeed become a great preacher and his life in the 12th century was filled with converting many people and speaking against a heresy which said that Jesus was not both human and divine. He founded the Dominican Order of Preachers that still exists today. As a missionary preacher, St. Dominic walked many miles. In 1218, he is said to have walked entirely on foot between Rome, Spain, Paris, and Milan, totaling about 3,380 miles! St. Dominic is the Patron saint of Astronomers because it is said that when he was baptized, his Godmother saw a bright star shining on his forehead.

The Domini Canis of St Dominic painted by Claudio Coello in 1685

Honor St. Dominic, Patron Saint of Astronomers by watching the Perseid Meteor Shower August 11-13. Viewing is best in the wee hours between midnight and sunrise, so it could be a perfect time for a family backyard campout! Here are some fun family ideas to enjoy while stargazing.

This summer, share a bit of Bible study with your family. Each week, we'll provide you with a small bit of Bible literacy, a scripture passage to share with your kids, and an activity. This can be a way to wind down at the end of a day with your family, or can even be used as summer learning to keep their brains engaged a bit while away from daily schoolwork. You can fill a backpack with a simple Children's Bible, some Bible storybooks and the handouts we provide! Let's get started, backpacking through the Bible!

The Prima process is a way to help you dive into studying the Bible.

Here is the outline:

Pray: As you begin reading the Bible together, say a pray to help you draw closer to God.

Read your passage attentively, trusting that God will share with you what you need to know.

Imagine what was going on the when the passage was first written. What was the historical and cultural context? Can you place yourself in the story? What did the author want you to take from this?

Meditate or reflect on what you have read? What do you think God is teaching you? How does this reflect the church's teaching?

Apply what you have read to your life. Is God inviting you to address a particular issue or relationship?

Discuss together:

• Everyone struggles sometimes with self-control. Do you have a behavior that sometimes gets you in trouble or causes problems between you and another person? What is that behavior?
• Do you ever get frustrated at yourself for acting out that behavior even though you know it will cause a problem?
• If you were to "get rid of your old self" what would you change about your behavior? Think about those behaviors that cause problems between you and others. How might giving up those behaviors change your life?
• What behavior might have a better outcome in those situations?

Play a game such as Red Light, Green Light; Mother May I: or Simon Says. Make connections between having self-control during those games and having self control when negative behaviors start to emerge!

Story Time Suggestions:

This book about a third grader named Braden helps kids to understand the process of examining their behavior and its outcomes. This could be a great conversation starter to connect to the passage from Ephesians and open up rich discussion over thinking about our actions and behaviors that get us into trouble!

During his days of preaching against the Albigensian Heresy, St. Dominic spent three days praying and fasting in the wilderness. Our Lady appeared to him and told St. Dominic he needed to pray her Psalter to overcome the Albigensians. Her Psalter is the Rosary. Through the Rosary, Dominic was able to return many believers to our Catholic faith. Here is a kid-friendly outline for praying the Rosary!

This edition's summer pilgrimage takes us to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City!

St. Peter's is one of the holiest sites in our Catholic tradition as the burial site of St. Peter, the first Pope, and one of Jesus' most beloved of the twelve apostles. St. Peter's sits within the city of Rome, Italy, in the independent state known as Vatican City, the home of Pope Francis. Within the Basilica are many beautiful works of art including the famous Pietà sculpted by Michelangelo. Click on the link below to take a tour of this beautiful pilgrimage site! In 2025, the Holy Door of the Basilica will be opened by the Pope to begin a Jubilee Year; a special Holy Year we will explore together beginning with December's issues of The Family Zone!

You've likely seen the trend of date-night portrait painting with a big reveal of the masterpieces at the end. Why not try the trend with your family? Gather yourselves around the kitchen table with painting or other art supplies. Encourage each family member to create a portrait of the person to their right. Set a time limit and start creating! Once finished, hang the family portraits in a special location in your home! Want to take it one step further? Etsy offers paint night kits for groups that come with supplies and easels!

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester

Editor: Leslie Barkin leslie.barkin@dor.org

Email: oec@dor.org
Website: oec.dor.org
Location: Diocese of Rochester, Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210

See them all here!