Saint Maria's Messenger | SMM Back Issues: 2007 - 2008, Volume Six

Back Issue Collection

Volume Six

SMM Back Issues: 2007 - 2008, Volume Six

	November, 2007 Volume / Issue No.: Vol. 6, First Issue Catalog Number: 112007 Issue's Theme: Avoiding the Temptations of Today Magazine's highlights: Reading Our story this time, Dear Diary, Where is My Life Headed?, takes you through the entries of a diary that belongs to a real-to-life girl. In the diary you’ll find her discerning her vocation and recording her advancement in finding the answer to that inevitable question: “What is God’s plan for me?” Note: This story is continued in the December 2007 issue. SMM talks with Angelina, a young Catholic singing artist, about the good and bad of fame, glory, and being popular. Fun SMM strives to uphold the greatest virtue of St. Maria Goretti, and that is: purity. That is why we combined a few clothing choices from stores whose primary goal is to offer women and girls modest substitutes. Turn to page 15 for: Modesty? A New Trend in Fashion? Activities It is not always fun to spend those long winter days indoors, so liven things up by making your own paper dolls. SMM has supplied the figure/dress forms, material list, and instructions for you so you’ll be clipping away in no time. Our family has done many crosswords in the past so we thought it would be the perfect puzzle to place in our School Work Fun section. But this one of course is 100% Catholic! Spiritual Sunday isn’t just a non-school day nor a day for a drive in the country. In Our Catholic Faith, Nancy and Irene will be discussing the importance and obligations associated with keeping the Sabbath holy. November 1st is the Solemnity of All Saints. But what is the history and traditions surrounding this major feast? Rebekah gives you the facts and celebration ideas for this feast in her article with the remarkably clever name: Hey, Are Super Heroes for Real? Dom Hubert Van Zeller discusses the value of suffering and bearing one’s cross in our Theological Thesis Department. Back to top
	December, 2007 Volume / Issue No.: Vol. 6, Second Issue Catalog Number: 122007 Issue's Theme: The Glorious Feast of Christmas Magazine's highlights: Reading The second and final installment of Dear Diary, Where is My Life Headed?, a story that takes you through the entries of a diary that belongs to a real-to-life girl. In the diary you’ll find her discerning her vocation and recording her advancement in finding the answer to that inevitable question: “What is God’s plan for me?” SMM talks with Karen Edmisten--a popular Catholic blogger, author, wife, and mother--about her conversion and entrance into the Church, her vocation as a mother, blogging and writing, and of course Christmas and her family’s traditions associated with the great feast. What advice would you give a girl who is embarrassed or having a difficult time being Catholic today? Read SMM’s answer to this question in our advice column: Help! Please. Religious Vocations on the Rise? In recent years the amount of women looking into the religious life has increased dramatically. That is why SMM talked with Amanda Days, who has been vocation discerning for a long time, about her thoughts on the latest statistics. Turn to page 14 for this enlightening article. Fun Want to start a new tradition or activity for this coming Christmas? We asked some of our subscribers for ideas and they shared a cornucopia of Christmas-time fun. Turn to page 13 for: Our Readers Share Their Family’s Christmas Traditions. Turn to Bookworm Food, our book review section, to learn more about an unique and practical project book written by the editors’ father: Tom Fox. Snowball Launchers, Giant Pumpkin Growers, and Other Cool Contraptions will be a perfect Christmas gift! Activities Wait! Don’t throw away those Christmas cards! Keep and reuse those greetings from family and friends by creating our Christmas Card Treasure Holders—a unique gift basket made of 99% recycled cards. Spiritual For Our Catholic Faith, the girls converse about the Holy Name of Jesus and this topic’s tie with the season of Christmas. Christmas is the highest point of the winter season (or the whole year for some ) and the Holy Eucharist is the Heart of the Church. These two are bound together in a wonderful comparison written by Fr. John A. Hardon; turn to our Theological Thesis department for this beautiful commentary. Back to top
	January, 2008 Volume / Issue No.: Vol. 6, Third Issue Catalog Number: 012008 Issue's Theme: Death and Judgment Magazine's highlights: Reading If you are new to SMM this may be the first time you will meet the Ten Little Maidens, a long running fictional series, written by the editors, about a large Catholic family living in rural Canada. In our January issue you will read about them in Zacchaeus, the Baby Bird. Note: This story is continued in following issue. Bernadette gives us a very informative account on the famous Pieta, the statue depicting the Sorrowful Mother holding her Son in her arms. Get a “Sister” view of Bella, the movie, by reading a review given by Sister Helena Raphael Burns of the Daughters of St. Paul. Learn more about the Sisters of the Poor by reading our interview with Sister Maria de la Luz. Activities Grab some sparkly beads and some cord to make this inexpensive and quick-to-make necklace designed by Catherine Fox. Turn to page 22 for Crafty Cathy’s Cross Choker. Better get your spelling and grammar hats on for this month’s School Work Fun! We have a school paper for you to proofread and the student appears to have not had a very good breakfast! Attention all you holy card collectors! Take a look on the back cover of this issue for some beautiful, full-color prayer cards to add to your stash. Spiritual Irene and Nancy from Our Catholic Faith dive into this issue’s Spotlight (Death and Judgment) by discussing the Church’s teaching on Judgment, both Particular and General. We have all been taught that a sin is an offense against God, right? But do you know everything there is to know about sin? Do you know what a mortal sin really is? Was sin different before Christ’s death? Bernadette answers these questions and more in Theological Thesis. Never Give Up! Finding the Purpose and Value of Suffering can be found on page 23. Back to top
	February, 2008 Volume / Issue No.: Vol. 6, Fourth Issue Catalog Number: 022008 Issue's Theme: Heaven and Hell Magazine's highlights: Reading If you are new to SMM this may be the first time you will meet the Ten Little Maidens, a long running fictional series, written by the editors, about a large Catholic family living in rural Canada. In this issue you will read about them in Zacchaeus, the Baby Bird. Note: This is a continuation of the story that began in previous issue. Learn about one of the members of Homeschoolers 4 Life, a club for Catholic teens who are devoted to the pro-life movement, by reading our SMM Reporter interview with fourteen year old Catherine Biewer. Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory visit Planet Earth – True Happenings in the Lives of the Saints. Read about three saints who have come in close contact with visitors from Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Fun Who’s that Saint? has a very special biography for this month; he is one of Bernadette’s favorite saints. Can you guess? We all have our embarrassing moments! Some young people who have been discerning their vocations have given us a few of their “precious” moments that they experienced while visiting Religious Communities. Turn to page 22 for Embarrassing Moments – On Retreat! Skim through our updated Catholic Girl Pen Pal List! Activities Love to sew and are looking for an easy project to do? Stop over by our Craft Shop and look at our useful, quick-to-make Compact Pocket Organizer. Many uses for this organizer . . . It can be used for storing hair accessories, school/desk supplies, craft materials, or it can be a go-to pocket assembly for all your special treasures! We give you three recipes tested and approved by our family to help fill up your table on the Fridays of Lent. Turn to page 25 for our Delicious Lenten Recipes. Spiritual Irene and Nancy, from Our Catholic Faith, untangle the mystery, misunderstanding, and beauty behind indulgences. Pope Benedict has said in a past homily, “Jesus came to tell us that He wants us all in heaven and that hell – of which so little is said in our time – exists and is eternal for those who close their hearts to His love.” SMM has seen the need Pope Benedict has proposed and delivers it in: Hell Exists and is Eternal. Pope John Paul II gives you the basics about Heaven and Purgatory. Back to top
	March, 2008 Volume / Issue No.: Vol. 6, Fifth Issue Catalog Number: 032008 Issue's Theme: Apologetics Magazine's highlights: Reading One of the greatest aids in apologetics is knowing the views and perspective of the non-Catholic. And our story for this issue does just that. Taryn Dennis, age 13, gives her amazing account of her conversion to the Catholic Faith in Spiritual Gypsy. After a wake up call at the age of 19, Sherlyn Khong's leisurely Catholic lifestyle changed dramatically. God called her to the mission of helping the poor and she answered by forming Acts29. Learn more about this mission-oriented group in our interview with its co-founder, page 17. SMM Catholic Reporter features a Catholic Navy chaplain's story of an Iraqi conversion. Fun Having lived on a farm all their lives, the editors couldn't help sharing a bit of the country with all of you! Turn to page 25 for My Most Embarrassing Moment, country-style. Activities Painting Class is Now in Session! Bernadette Fox, a skillful artist to those who know her (especially Rebekah Fox ;-) ), will be revolutionizing the art of stenciling by showing you its beauty, ease, and time-saving qualities. Color demonstrations included! Spiritual Daring David will be joining Nancy again in Our Catholic Faith. They will be discussing the heart of this issue's theme by giving you tips on how to defend your Faith. In our world today, New Age thoughts and philosophies have become extremely common. They have atheistic principles as their basis which makes it a fierce enemy of the Truth and the Church. Yet, can we define what is actually New Age beliefs? Theological Thesis this time will help you discover the errors of Modernism and the New Age philosophy. In the life of Saint Gemma Galgani, who lived during the turn of the 19th century, there is a story that illustrates the power of Mary's intercession profoundly. Read about it in Mother Mary's Corner. One of the most debated passages in the Bible is the Bread of Life discourse (John 6). Read the non-Catholic arguments and then learn how to refute each one in a clear, logical way. See page 21. Throughout Holy Week we recall Christ's Passion, especially on Good Friday when He died on a Cross for us. In the Bible there is mention of certain instruments and artifacts touched by Our Lord during His Passion. Many of these items are still around today. Learn about them in Sacred Artifacts of the Passion. Back to top
	April, 2008 Volume / Issue No.: Vol. 6, Sixth Issue Catalog Number: 042008 Issue's Theme: All Readers’ Issue, a Collection of our Subscribers' Submissions Magazine's highlights: Reading Emily's Sacrifice, a masterfully written story about a girl's love for ice skating and her Faith. Written by Catherine May Webb, age 17. Note: We love it, Catherine, keep up the great work! Rose Behe, age 15, didn't look far for inspiration for her commentary on the Carmelite Nuns of Allentown (a stone throw away from her home to be precise). Learn about these wonderful, God-filled women and their faithful vocations on page 12. (Rose Behe is also the artist who drew this issue's cover - what a talented young lady!) We have three "saintly" biographies (St. Therese, St. Camillus DeLellis, and St. Gemma) to share with you in Bookworm Food. For those who love our Subscriber of the Month feature, we have a duo for you to enjoy. Michaela and Anna share their views, lifestyle, and family with you on page 21. Sin and Temptation brings you back to Church basics by covering the Church’s teaching on sin. Written by Emma Olwell, aged 15, can be found on page 18. Note: One of our subscribers brought to our attention a typo in this article. In the paragraph: The second occasion, a sentence reads, “Born with Original Sin . . .” It supposed to be “Born without Original Sin . . .” Fun Like watching movies, but don't know which are suitable for your family? Try renting the three movies we reviewed in this month's issue; we are sure they'll become favorites! Activities Monopoly and Life are great fun but don't you wish they were more Catholic-based? Look no further then page 15, there you will find three Catholic games all reviewed by the SMM editors. Bernadette Fox, one the editors, loves to work in the family's Marian shrine situated on their property. This is why SMM brings you complete instructions on how to build your own Wayside Grotto for Mary. Spiritual Annie Harrison, age 19, (a frequent and talented contributor to the magazine) shares her thoughts on religious education in Life's Survival Guide-For Catholic Girls. With the 2008 election coming up wouldn't it be good to know what the Church teaches on politics? This is where Nancy and Irene come in, find out more in Our Catholic Faith. Back to top