Let the Little Ones Come

Blessed Feast of the Annunciation!

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."

--St. John, 1:14

Go to Joseph!

"Go to St. Joseph, the young, strong, silent man.  His silence, once entered into, heals all it touches.  St. Joseph, mender of broken toys, furniture, houses, as well as broken hearts, souls, bodies, minds and families."

--Servant of God, Catherine Doherty, Lubov

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You can read here about how special St. Joseph is to our family.  God bless you on this most holy and special feast day and May St. Joseph send you abundant blessings for the rest of this Lenten season.

A Special Family Feast Day

On this day 15 years ago, our first-born son, Will, entered into Eternal Life.  He was 20 hours and 12 minutes old.   A dear friend always sends us flowers on Will's special day.   I took a picture of them next to a photo that Bill has had in his office for 15 years.  He brought it home a few days ago.

Daddy and Will, January 29, 1994

St. Will, pray for us!  We love you and miss you and look forward to lots of cuddle time in heaven.

Blessed Feast!

Today is the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

From Byzantine Daily Worship:

When Mary was three years of age, Joachim and Anne took her to the Temple so taht she might be consecrated to the service of the Lord.  According to legend, they invited the young girls of the town to walk before her with lighted torches.  As soon as they had reached the Temple, Mary, alone and unhesitatingly, went up the steps of the sanctuary where she was to remain, living in the contemplation of God and miraculously fed by the Archangel Gabriel, until the day she was espoused to Joseph, shortly before the Annunciation.  

The theme of the feast is that Mary the Immaculate One, the Temple of the living God, is offered to the Almighty in his holy house in Jerusalem.  The day witnesses the bond between the Word and the Virgin predestined in eternity:  this day is the fountainhead of all her privileges.

O Lady, Bride of God, you entered the temple of God in your infancy to be brought up in the Holy of Holies, for you are holy.  There the Archangel Gabriel was sent to serve you and bring you food.  All the heavenly Powers were amazed at the sight of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you.  Wherefore, O pure Mother of God, all blameless, glorified in heaven and on earth, save our race!

Happy Feast of All Saints!

Here is a pictorial peek into our last few days!

The little girls helped me make these tissue paper votive candle holders out of mason jars.  We used them as centerpieces for our homeschool group's All Hallow's Eve Party.  I just cut tissue paper into different shapes and used watered down tacky glue and a paint brush to apply the tissue paper in overlapping patterns.  Then, I applied a holy card of some of our favorite saints to the front.  I dropped in a tea light candle and voila, a perfect craft for All Saints and one that the kids can use all year long to invoke their patron saints' help.

I still only have my camera phone to take pictures, so I apologize for the fuzzy pictures!  :S  Here is Marie as her patron, St. Therese!

Here is Paul as St. Patrick--he was very popular at our party--there were three other Patrick's to keep him company!  ;)

Here is Rose as St. Agnes!

Little Joseph was St. Francis (with a little bird on his shoulder) but he wouldn't stand still for his picture.  :)

Grace was a judge for the costume party, so she didn't dress up this year (which is a good thing, since she wanted to go as St. Dymphna!  :S )

Meg didn't attend our saint party but was invited to a friend's home for a get-together.  She actually trick-or-treated this year as Captain Janeway from Star Trek:  Voyager (we are trekkies in our house!!).

It was a fun-filled few days for the family and I am always so happy to have my beautiful faith and the gift of  the saints in our lives!  May this holy feast be a blessing to you all and a reminder to always call on your heavenly friends' intercession.  :)

A Prayer in Praise of the Saints

How shining and splendid are your gifts, O Lord which you give us for our eternal well-being

Your glory shines radiantly in your saints, O God In the honour and noble victory of the martyrs.

The white-robed company follow you, bright with their abundant faith;

They scorned the wicked words of those with this world's power.

For you they sustained fierce beatings, chains, and torments, they were drained by cruel punishments.

They bore their holy witness to you who were grounded deep within their hearts;

they were sustained by patience and constancy.

Endowed with your everlasting grace, may we rejoice forever with the martyrs in our bright fatherland.

O Christ, in your goodness, grant to us the gracious heavenly realms of eternal life.

--Unknown author, 10th century

Eating Al Fresco on the Feast of St. Francis

Yummy pizza--Italian food for the Feast of St. Francis!  :)  Is that pizza slice big enough?  Can you tell Daddy was in charge of feeding the kids?  

Our Lady of Sorrows, Pray for Us!

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.  Indeed, after a summer of sorrow, it is so very comforting to be able to nestle down in Mary's mantle and rest.  She always leads me closer to her Son.  Tonight, after we pray our family Rosary, we will recite the Stabat Mater.  Our Lady of Sorrows, Pray for Us!

The Stabat Mater At the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed. O how sad and sore distressed was that Mother, highly blest, of the sole-begotten One. Christ above in torment hangs, she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son. Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ's dear Mother to behold? By the Cross with thee to stay, there with thee to weep and pray, is all I ask of thee to give. For the sins of His own nation, She saw Jesus wracked with torment, All with scourges rent: She beheld her tender Child, Saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit forth He sent. Can the human heart refrain from partaking in her pain, in that Mother's pain untold? O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above, make my heart with thine accord: Make me feel as thou hast felt; make my soul to glow and melt with the love of Christ my Lord. Holy Mother! pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified: Let me share with thee His pain, who for all my sins was slain, who for me in torments died. Let me mingle tears with thee, mourning Him who mourned for me, all the days that I may live: Let me, to my latest breath, in my body bear the death of that dying Son of thine. Virgin of all virgins blest!, Listen to my fond request: let me share thy grief divine; Wounded with His every wound, steep my soul till it hath swooned, in His very Blood away; Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, lest in flames I burn and die, in His awful Judgment Day. Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, by Thy Mother my defense, by Thy Cross my victory; When my body dies, let my soul be granted the glory of Paradise. Amen.

The Triumph of the Cross

 

When I awoke this morning on this beautiful feast, the following quote spoke to me:  "The price of souls is high--high as a cross on which we must hang."

--Servant of God Catherine Doherty

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Pray for Us!

Today is Mother Teresa's Feast Day.  We will read Demi's book on Mother Teresa and Bill has promised to take us to a local Indian restaurant to celebrate the life of this wonderful saint and missionary to the world's poorest of the poor.

Who is Jesus to me?

Jesus is the Word made Flesh.

Jesus is the Bread of Life.

Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the Cross.

Jesus is the Sacrifice at Holy Mass for the sins of the world and mine.

Jesus is the Word - to be spoken.

Jesus is the Truth - to be told.

Jesus is the Way - to be walked.

Jesus is the Light - to be lit.

Jesus is the Life - to be loved.

Jesus is the Joy - to be shared.

Jesus is the Sacrifice - to be given.

Jesus is the Bread of Life - to be eaten.

Jesus is the Hungry - to be fed.

Jesus is the Thirsty - to be satiated.

Jesus is the Naked - to be clothed.

Jesus is the Homeless - to be taken in.

Jesus is the Sick - to be healed.

Jesus is the Lonely - to be loved.

Jesus is the Unwanted - to be wanted.

Jesus is the Leper - to wash his wounds.

Jesus is the Beggar - to give him a smile.

Jesus is the Drunkard - to listen to him.

Jesus is the Little One - to embrace him.

Jesus is the Dumb - to speak to him.

Jesus is the Crippled - to walk with him.

Jesus is the Drug Addict - to befriend him.

Jesus is the Prostitute - to remove from danger and befriend her.

Jesus is the Prisoner - to be visited.

Jesus is the Old - to be served.

--Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Rose's Feast Day

Rose as her patron saint on the Feast of All Hallows' Eve, 2007

Today is the Feast of St. Anne and St. Joachim and is a special day in our home, as Rose has St. Anne as her primary patron! :)

On St. Anne's feast the family prays:

Father: We all rejoice in the Lord, As we keep holiday in honor of blessed Anne, Of her whose feast fills angels with joy, And sets them praising the Son of God.

All: Amen.

Father: Spotless Anna, Juda's glory, Through the Church from East to West Every tongue proclaims thy praises, Holy Mary's mother blessed.

All: From thy stem in beauty budded Ancient Jesse's mystic rod; Birth from thee received the Mother Of the almighty Son of God

Father: Let us pray. O God, You were pleased to bestow Your grace upon Anne so that she might fitly become the mother of her who was to bear Your only-begotten Son; grant that we who keep her feast will be helped by her protection. Through Christ, our Lord. All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!

From My Nameday, Come for Dessert

Blessed Feast to my little blondie! We love you and may St. Anne help you to grow closer to her grandson each and every day.