Incredible Accomplishments
Today, help your family appreciate two people in history who experienced hearing loss and have done great things.
Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most famous composers that ever lived. He was profoundly deaf, but that didn’t stop him from composing his world-renowned music. Beethoven had lost 60% of his hearing by the age of 31 and became completely deaf at 46. Beethoven continued to write music even when deaf. He wrote his famous 5th Symphony as he was losing his hearing. You can listen to a 7-minute excerpt of this piece here: https://www.classicsforkids.co...
Thomas Edison was quite possibly the greatest inventor of all time. Many of his inventions have improved the quality of our modern day lives. During his career Edison’s inventions included the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera. Thomas Edison was completely deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other. He believed that his deafness was a benefit to his work, as it would help keep conversations short so that he could have more time for work! Plan a trip to Greenfield Village to see Edison’s laboratory and more!
5 Finger Prayer
We hear in today’s Gospel of Jesus using his finger to heal the deaf man. Pope Francis created a 5-Finger prayer where each finger has a specific intention. Name the intention for that finger and then allow family members to share any intentions they have in that area.
Thumb: Pray for those closest to you.
Index Finger: Pray for those who heal, instruct, and teach you, that God may help them as they direct others.
Middle Finger: Pray for those in authority, like our government leaders, that God may guide them.
Ring Finger: Pray for the weak among us—the poor, the sick, the excluded, and those facing other difficulties.
Pinkie Finger: Pray for yourself. It is easier to pray for your needs once you have prayed for the other four areas.
The lectors and the priest or deacon proclaim the Word of God from the ambo. Where is the ambo located in your parish?
Look for
opportunities this week to defend someone who is being treated unfairly.
© Copyright 2026 Archdiocese of Detroit. All rights reserved. Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition © 1970, 1986, 1997, 1998, 2001 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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