Main Dishes
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Welcome!
Welcome to Kitchen Table Faith! The menu for this month includes:
- The main course (this page)
- Two or more side dishes that fit your household members' ages and interests. Click here to go to our side dishes page.
- A dessert (or two)! Click here to go to our desserts page.
March: The Kingdom of God is Like...
March 3rd LIVE! Session
All parish households will receive a Zoom link the morning of the session in a FlockNote email. After the session, you can watch the session replay at this link: Coming soon!
Goals
- Discover the Kingdom parables.
- Listen to Jesus' preaching about the Kingdom of God in key chapters of the Bible.
- Explore the idea that Kingdom of God is here and now and in our midst.
Scripture Focus
The Kingdom parables appear most prominently in Matthew chapter 13, Mark chapter 4 and Luke chapter 13. As a family, see how many parables you can find in these chapters of the Bible that begin with our include the phrase, "The Kingdom of God is like..."
Discuss with a friend or member of your household:- What is the Kingdom of God? How would you define it?
- Where is the Kingdom of God? Who lives within the Kingdom?
- When does the Kingdom of God come? Is it here or yet to come? Or both?
- How can you live in the Kingdom today? How can you help bring it about?
- With whom could you share about the Kingdom of God?
Share your thoughts!
After each session, please complete our one-minute, three-question survey about Kitchen Table Faith at this link. Your feedback helps us improve and better meet our parish family's needs...thank you!
Sunday Gospel Reflections
Below are short video reflections on the Sunday readings with Tom Quinlan, Ministry Director at St. Joseph Educational Center in West Des Moines. These are great tools for personal prayer and reflection, and also wonderful ways to help lead a discussion about the readings among the members of your household.
Sunday, March 7, 2021, Third Sunday Lent
Link coming soon!Sunday, March 14, 2021, Fourth Sunday Lent
Link coming soon!
Sunday, March 21, 2021, Fifth Sunday Lent
Link coming soon!
Sunday, March 28, 2021, Palm Sunday
Link coming soon!
Parish Connection
Parish Connection coming soon!
Questions? Contact Amy Slick at aslick@stbonifacechurch.org or call the Faith Formation Office at 515-850-1883 ext 300.
Adult Faith Formation Video
Each month, we feature a video by a nationally known Catholic speaker for you to watch at a time convenient for you. We encourage you to discuss the video with a friend or other adults in your household. Or, set up a discussion group with others in your home, on a Facebook discussion group, or on Zoom.
Video
This month's video features Catholic speaker and musician Steve Angrisano. Steve prays with us through song to help us understand how we are the body of Christ, here to support each other during difficult times.
Steve Angrisano March Faith Formation LIVE! (Part 1, 11 min)
https://youtu.be/Dirv2a54_0c
Steve Angrisano March Faith Formation LIVE! (Part 2, 7 min)
https://youtu.be/kfArcbJrsyY
Visit our Adults Side Dishes page at this link for reflection questions based on the video.
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February: Jesus Proclaiming in Word & Deed
February 3rd LIVE! Session REPLAY
Watch the session replay at: https://youtu.be/3O8P4KwMg4o
Goals
- Examine the teachings of Jesus about the Kingdom of God
- Connect our Lenten observances to building the Kingdom
- Explore the idea that the transformation of the world is the Kingdom, and the only way to transform the world is if we are first transformed
Scripture Focus
Mark 1:9, 16-19, 21, 29-31, 32-34, The Baptism of Jesus, the call of the first disciples, Jesus cures and heals
Our formation this month highlights Jesus’ preaching about the great transformation we’ve all been waiting and praying for – the Kingdom of God! We will also reflect on the baptismal focus of Lent, which begins on February 17 (Ash Wednesday). Discuss with a friend or member of your household:- How can our household change to live more like members of the Kingdom of God?
- What does our household need to let go of, as well as what can we do better?
- What do we need to emphasize? To change?
Share your thoughts!
After each session, please complete our one-minute, three-question survey about Kitchen Table Faith at this link. Your feedback helps us improve and better meet our parish family's needs...thank you!
Sunday Gospel Reflections
Below are short video reflections on the Sunday readings with Tom Quinlan, Ministry Director at St. Joseph Educational Center in West Des Moines. These are great tools for personal prayer and reflection, and also wonderful ways to help lead a discussion about the readings among the members of your household.
Parish Connection
For our parish connection this month we will create handmade cards for the sick, lonely and elderly of our parish. Please make a card and pray for the person who will receive it. Either give your card to a neighbor or someone you know, or bring your card to Amy Slick in the parish office during the month of February. Questions? Contact Amy Slick at aslick@stbonifacechurch.org or call the Faith Formation Office at 515-850-1883 ext 300.
February Adult Faith Formation Video
Each month, we feature a video by a nationally known Catholic speaker for you to watch at a time convenient for you. We encourage you to discuss the video with a friend or other adults in your household. Or, set up a discussion group with others in your home, on a Facebook discussion group, or on Zoom.
Carole Eipers Video
Click here to watch the video.
In this month’s video, Carole Eipers challenges us to consider the signs of the Kingdom of God in our lives and our world. Visit our Adults Side Dishes page at this link for reflection questions based on the video.Dr. Carole Eipers is National Catechetical Advisor for William H. Sadlier, Inc. She served in parish ministries for over 20 years as a teacher, Director of Religious Education, Youth Minister, and Pastoral Associate.
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January: Holy Families, Imperfect Families
Our focus this month is on the Christmas season and the incarnation: God's love made flesh for us. What do we carry to the Lord to be healed, to be made whole? We will continue to emphasize the domestic church, with all our imperfections -- and with all our possibilities!
Scripture Focus
Luke 2:22-40, The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the stories of Simeon and Ana
Matthew 2:13-23, The Flight to Egypt, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Return from Egypt
Luke 2:41-52, The Boy Jesus in the TempleJanuary 6th LIVE! Session REPLAY
Watch the January 6th replay at https://youtu.be/E7Vf1CKtLsw
Share your thoughts!After each session, please complete our one-minute, three-question survey about Kitchen Table Faith at this link. Your feedback helps us improve and better meet our parish family's needs...thank you!
Goals
- Explore the promises surrounding Jesus; the hopes and dreams of Simeon, Anna, and others who encounter Christ, and their responses to Jesus
- Acknowledge that pain and sorrow are part of Jesus’ life and our lives
- Celebrate that God’s love is woven into all things
- Connect the hopes, dreams, pains, and sufferings of our household to those of the Holy Family
- Recognize -- and celebrate -- the holy in the midst of our daily lives
Sunday Gospel Reflections
Below are short video reflections on the Sunday readings with Tom Quinlan, Ministry Director at St. Joseph Educational Center in West Des Moines. These are great tools for personal prayer and reflection, and also wonderful ways to help lead a discussion about the readings among the members of your household.
Sunday, January 17, 2021, Second Sunday Ordinary Time
https://youtu.be/nlejg-HzDs0
Sunday, January 24, 2021, Third Sunday Ordinary Time
Link coming soon!
Sunday, January 31, 2021, Fourth Sunday Ordinary Time
Link coming soon!
Parish Connection
For our parish connection this month we will create a "Book of Wisdom." Think about the wisdom your family has received from wisdom figures in your lives. What wisdom would you like to share with others? Email to Amy Slick at aslick@stbonifacechurch.org your words of wisdom along with a photo of your family. We will share the wisdom at our February session!
January Adult Faith Formation Video
Each month, we will feature a video by a nationally known Catholic speaker for you to watch at a time convenient for you. We encourage you to discuss the video with a friend or other adults in your household. Or, set up a discussion group with others in your home, on a Facebook discussion group, or on Zoom.
Kathy Hendricks Video
Click here to watch the video.
Kathy Hendricks is the National Catechetical Consultant for William H. Sadlier and a contributing writer for their programs. Kathy offers talks and retreats across the country on catechesis, spirituality, and family.
In this month’s video, Kathy Hendricks discusses the difference between a perfect family and a holy family. Using personal examples and visuals , Kathy illustrates the domestic church with thoughts about Joseph's vigilance, Mary's openness and Jesus's redemptive love. Visit our Adults Side Dishes page at this link for reflection questions based on the video.
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December: Waiting in Joyful Hope
We wait as people of hope...for a vaccine, for a safer time, for opportunities to gather. We wait as Mary waited; how is she a model for us? We wait for the transformation of the world; what is God pointing us toward? How do we need to surrender control to God as we wait?
Scripture Focus
Suggested reading schedule
First Week of Advent, Luke 1:1-38 (the annunciations to Zechariah and Mary)
Second week of Advent, Luke 1:39-80 (Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, John’s birth, and the canticles)
Third week of Advent, Luke 2:1-20 (Jesus’s birth and the visit of the shepherds)
Fourth week of Advent, Luke 2:21-52 (the presentation of Jesus and the boy Jesus in the temple)LIVE! Session Link Replay
Here is a replay of our December 9th LIVE! session: https://youtu.be/PFxQMLLNqJk
Share your thoughts!
After each session, please complete our one-minute, three-question survey about Kitchen Table Faith at this link. Your feedback helps us improve and better meet our parish family's needs...thank you!
Goals
- Participate spiritually in the annunciations to Zechariah and to Mary.
- Consider how Zechariah and Elizabeth, and then later Mary and Joseph carried out the messages they received from the angel.
- Experience simplicity and quiet within the chaos of this busy time – Advent and Christmas – in the midst of a pandemic.
- Explore our hopes since we’ve been presented with the challenges of these pandemic times. What is God’s challenge for us?
Sunday Gospel Reflections
Below are short video reflections on the Sunday readings with Tom Quinlan, Ministry Director at St. Joseph Educational Center in West Des Moines. These are great tools for personal prayer and reflection, and also wonderful ways to help lead a discussion about the readings among the members of your household.
Sunday, December 6, 2020, Second Sunday of Advent
https://youtu.be/HJXwk1B-lU0
Sunday, December 13, 2020, Third Sunday of Advent
https://youtu.be/e_giqx4vbZU
Sunday, December 20, 2020, Fourth Sunday of Advent
https://youtu.be/4ZPHgfdB__Y
Sunday, December 27, 2020, Feast of the Holy Family
https://youtu.be/CCgoLSqcWEQ
Parish Connection
This month we are asking our families to create a family ornament. Please hang on your tree and take a photo to share with your parish family. You can use a template of your own or click here to use a template.
December Adult Faith Formation Video
Each month, we will feature a video by a nationally known Catholic speaker for you to watch at a time convenient for you. We encourage you to discuss the video with a friend or other adults in your household. Or, set up a discussion group with others in your home, on a Facebook discussion group, or on Zoom.
Peter Herbeck Video
Click here to watch the video.
In this month’s video, Peter Herbeck breaks open the central themes of Advent: waiting, watching, hope, resting, and anticipation to help us at the beginning of this new liturgical year and during this strange time in our world.. The pandemic is an invitation to live in a “dialed down” existence, as well as an opportunity for growth in spiritual life and family relationships. Peter Herbeck is Vice President and Director of Missions at Renewal Ministries in Ann Arbor, MI.
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November: Thanks Be to God
Even when times are tough, we explore what we have to be thankful for. This month we will draw parallels between the Thanksgiving holiday table and the Eucharistic table. We will also continue to discover joy and hope, even amidst difficult circumstances.
Scripture Focus
1 Corin 11:23-26
Luke 24:13-35LIVE! Session Link Replay
Here is a replay of our November 4th LIVE! session: https://youtu.be/vJrNbCQXGCQ
Share your thoughts!
After each session, please complete our one-minute, three-question survey about Kitchen Table Faith at this link. Your feedback helps us improve and better meet our parish family's needs...thank you!
Goals
• Continue to explore parallels between the experiences of the early Christiain households and our households.
• Compare and contrast the struggles and joys of the early Church with our own struggles and joys.
• Lift up all that the early Church had to be thankful for as we lift up the blessings we are thankful for, even in the midst of hard times.
• Explore the traditions of the Thanksgiving table, and the every day table at home, alongside the Eucharistic table at our parish.
Sunday Gospel Reflections
Below are short reflections on the readings for Sundays of November. These are great tools for personal prayer and reflection, and also wonderful ways to help lead a discussion about the readings among the members of your household.
Gospel reflection for Sun, Nov 1, 2020, Feast of All Saints
https://youtu.be/uFqm8yQQOTE
Gospel reflection for Sun, Nov 8, 2020
https://youtu.be/218OVhbLUd4
Gospel reflection for Sun, Nov 15, 2020
https://youtu.be/qOfiuSbC2Vk
Gospel reflection for Sun, Nov 22, 2020, Solemnity of Christ the King
https://youtu.be/FCzetoFMgcs
Gospel reflection for Sun, Nov 29, 2020, First Sunday of Advent
https://youtu.be/53o7y3J6pgg
Parish Connection
Click here to view and print the KTF parish cookbook. Thank you to all who contributed!
Adult Faith Formation Video
Each month we feature a video by a nationally known Catholic speaker for you to watch at a time convenient for you. We encourage you to discuss the video with a friend or other adults in your household. Or, set up a discussion group with others in your home, on a Facebook discussion group, or on Zoom.
Fr. Michael Driscoll Video
Prior to watching this month's video presentation by Fr. Michael Driscoll, please read Luke 24:13-35, the Gospel story of Jesus' appearance on the road to Emmaus, and reflect on these questions:
- What do we know about these two disciples?
- Why did they not recognize Jesus on the road to Emmaus?
- If someone invites you to “break bread” with them, what are some of the meanings for this term
Watch the video at https://youtu.be/bfkWKJ_Hya0 in which Fr. Michael:
• discusses the Emmaus story using art
• explains how Jewish table prayer influenced early Christian table prayer
• offers ideas for a Thanksgiving litany
• suggests ways to cook as a family throughout the Church liturgical year
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October: Return to our Roots
We continue to draw parallels to early Church experiences of figuring things out as they went along. We look for clues and encouragement in the epistles to inspire our households to function like the early Church: regular prayer, encountering God's love, and reaching out in love.
Scripture Focus
Phil 4:6-9
Session Replay
Here is a replay of our October 7th LIVE! session: https://youtu.be/211bn55UL8E Email Amy Slick or call 515-850-1883 to register or for more information.
Goals
- Continue to find connections between the experiences of the early Christian households and our households
- Appreciate the story of St. Paul, his travels, and his letters
- Discover wisdom and hope for our times in the epistles
- Live as disciples of Jesus in our disrupted world
Sunday Gospel Reflections
A great way to prepare for Sunday Mass is to read and reflect on, or discuss with your household, the Sunday readings. Even if you don't get to the readings ahead of time, reflecting on them during the week following Mass can help us live out the message we've heard proclaimed.
Below are short reflections on this month's Sunday readings. These are great tools for personal prayer and reflection, and also great tools to help lead a discussion about the readings among the members of your household.
10/4 Reflection - Click here!
10/11 Reflection - Click here!
10/18 Reflection - Click here!
10/25 Reflection - Click here!
Adult Faith Formation Video
Each month, we will feature a video by a nationally known Catholic speaker for you to watch at a time convenient for you. We encourage you to discuss the video with other adults in your household. Or, set up a discussion group with others in your home, on a Facebook discussion group, or on Zoom.Becky Eldredge Video
Watch this video about change and uncertainty.
https://youtu.be/JF_J4-j6J7c
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September: In the Beginning
We begin our focus on the domestic church, drawing upon stories of household churches in the New Testament. In this time of pandemic, we meet others where they are, checking in with each other and acknowledging our challenges. Our households are figuring this out as we go along, as our ancestors in faith also did.
Scripture Focus
Acts of Apostles 2:42-47
Acts of Apostles 4:32-37
Session Replay
Here is a replay of our September 16th LIVE! session: https://youtu.be/0G01BMfkJCg
Contact Amy Slick at aslick@stbonifacechurch.org or 515-850-1883 for more information.
September Goals
- To discover our households as domestic churches
- To begin to explore the New Testament
- To explore similarities between our households and those of the early Christian Church
- To create or refresh a prayer space in our households
Sunday Gospel Reflections
Steps for praying the Sunday Gospel
1. Read the Sunday Gospel.
2. Watch a video reflection.
3. Pray: Ponder in silence.
4. Act: What is God asking you to do this week in response to the gospel?
To access FORMED for FREE using our church account, visit: https://formed.org/signup and enter our parish zip code: 50263.
September Adult Faith Formation Video
Join Mike Patin as he shares about connecting to Jesus. This message is just for adults on their faith journey. https://youtu.be/Yhp0auyle0Y
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