Another Anniversary...

My husband has been blessed with ALL three of his brothers being called to serve Our Lord as priests. Only his sister (the oldest in the family) and my husband were called to the married life. It is pretty awesome to have them all for brother-in-laws. They are such great role models for my children. Speaking of children, with three priests out of their five children, my in-laws are not lacking for grandchildren. They have nine so far!

Today is the 2nd Anniversary of the second son in the family's ordination.

Happy Anniversary Father!!

This brother-in-law's favorite saint is Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. I couldn't agree more!!! St. Therese wrote a beautiful prayer for priests. Please say this prayer today for Father! God Bless!

O Jesus, eternal Priest, keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart, where none may touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch Your Sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips, daily purpled with your Precious Blood. Keep pure and unearthly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood. Let Your holy love surround them and shield them from the world's contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit and may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here and in heaven their beautiful and everlasting crown. Amen.

Don't forget to tune in...

...to EWTN to watch the Fraternity of Saint Peter Priestly Ordinations, May 30th, at 11Am Eastern/8AM Pacific.

His Eminence Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, will confer the Priestly ordinations. His Excellency, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz will be sitting in choir.

Please keep the following ordinandi in your prayers as they ascend to the altar of Our Lord:

~ Rev. Mr. Dennis Gordon, FSSP

~ Rev. Mr. Jared McCambridge, FSSP

~ Rev. Mr. Jonathan Romanoski, FSSP

~ Rev. Mr. Justin Nolan, FSSP

Prayer for Priests

by John Joseph, Cardinal Carberry

O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father [N].

Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope, and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life.

In his loneliness, comfort him. In his sorrows, strengthen him. In his frustrations, point out to him that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show him that he is needed by the Church, he is needed by souls, he is needed for the work of redemption.

O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your son who is close to you because of his priestly ordination, and because of the power which he has received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs him so much.

Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength, and especially help him to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy. Amen.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is my hubby's oldest brother's 4th Anniversary of his ordination to the holy priesthood! He was ordained on the Feast of his favorite saint no less, Saint Rita of Cascia.

Happy Anniversary
Father!

To celebrate the feast of St. Rita, the children and I will be reading a brief story about her from the Picture Book of Saints, while we enjoy a tea in her honor.

I hope you all have a blessed day!

Most gracious Heavenly Father, We thank you for our faithful priests and bishops, whose spiritual fatherhood and example of fidelity, self-sacrifice, and devotion is so vital to the faith of your people.

May our spiritual fathers be guided by the examples of Saints Peter and Paul, all the Apostles and their saintly successors. Give them valiant faith in the face of confusion and conflict, hope in time of trouble and sorrow, and steadfast love for you, for their families, and for all your people throughout the world. May the light of your Truth shine through their lives and their good works.

Assist all spiritual fathers, that through your Grace they may steadily grow in holiness and in knowledge and understanding of your Truth. May they generously impart this knowledge to those who rely on them. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Rita of Cascia ~ Pray for us!

The Feast of St. Catherine of Siena

Today is the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena. Be sure to visit Catholic Cuisine for a couple suggestions for celebrating this feast. I will be making Pasta Santa Caterina for my family, and Meredith shared a wonderful recipe for St. Catherine's Peace Bread! In fact, you could even make Lily Sandwiches for lunch or a snack, since the lily is one of the symbols associated with St. Catherine. I hope you have a very blessed day!

"O inestimable charity! Even as You, true God and true Man, gave Yourself entirely to us, so also You left Yourself entirely for us, to be our food, so that during our earthly pilgrimage we would not faint with weariness, but would be strengthened by You, our celestial Bread. O man, what has your God left you? He has left you Himself, wholly God and wholly Man, concealed under the whiteness of bread. O fire of love! Was it not enough for You to have created us to Your image and likeness, and to have recreated us in grace through the Blood of Your Son, without giving Yourself wholly to us as our Food, O God, Divine Essence? What impelled You to do this? Your charity alone. It was not enough for You to send Your Word to us for our redemption; neither were You content to give Him us as our Food, but in the excess of Your love for Your creature, You gave to man the whole Divine essence . . ." ~ St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena ~ Pray for us!

On the Feast of the Annunciation

The Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my savior because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.

Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, For the Almighty has done great things for me.

Holy is His name, and His mercy stretches from age to age for those who fear Him. He has shown the power of His arm, He has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.

The hungry He has filled with good things, the rich he has sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy according to the promise He made to our ancestor of His mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.


To read about the Annunciation click here.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For more information about Divine Mercy Sunday, visit Catholic Culture.

I hope you all have a very blessed Divine Mercy Sunday!

Speaking of Peace...

... I wanted to share this prayer by Mother Teresa with you all.

“May today be peace within. May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be... May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you... May you be content knowing you are a child of God... Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love. It is there for each and every one of you.”

Have a wonderful weekend!

Good Friday

(While looking for a Good Friday image online, I ran across this one here. This is the Carmelite Chapel where 2 of my brother-in-laws said their first Mass, and another one, Captain's Godfather, will in May! Captain will also be making his first communion then as well, God willing!)

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 had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed
was that Mother highly blessed,
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?

Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother's pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
she beheld her tender Child
All with scourges rent.

For the sins of His own nation,
saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.

O sweet 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 our 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.

By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share thy grief divine;

Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.

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;

While my body here decays,
may my soul Thy goodness praise,
safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

The Divine Mercy Novena Begins Today

Jesus asked St. Faustina, that the Feast of the Divine Mercy--which is the Sunday following Easter--be preceded by a Novena of Chaplets to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. There is a special intention for each day of the novena.

In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:

"On each day of the novena you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls. By this novena I will grant every possible grace to souls." (Diary 1209, 796)

How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Start: the Crucifix

1. Make the Sign of the Cross.

Optional opening prayer:

"You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

(3 times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!"

1. Pray the Our Father.
2. Pray the Hail Mary.
3. Recite the Apostles' Creed.

On the large bead before each of the five decades (set of ten prayers):

"Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world."

On each small "Hail Mary" bead:

"For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

After five decades, conclude by saying three times:

"Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world." (This prayer is based on the Trisagion of the Eastern tradition.)

Optional concluding prayers:

"Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen."

If you don't have your rosary handy, you can click here, and pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at the computer!

Jesus I trust in You!!

Wednesday of Holy Week

Today is my sister Jennifer's 29th birthday!! Aaahh... She will always be younger than me, even if it is only by 14 months! I wonder if birthdays that fall during Holy Week are suppressed just like the feast days?! ;)

Happy Birthday Jen!!!

I hope you have a wonderful birthday! We are looking forward to your next trip home for a visit! Love you!!!!

Wednesday of Holy Week Psalm 21:23-32

I will proclaim your name to my brethren: in the midst of the assembly I will praise you; "You who fear the Lord, praise him; all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him; revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not spurned nor disdained the wretched man in his misery Nor did he turn his face away from him, but when he cried out to him, he heard him." So by your gift will I utter praise in the vast assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him. The lowly shall eat their fill; they who seek the Lord shall praise him: "May your hearts be ever merry!" All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; All the families of the nations shall bow down before him. For dominion is the Lord's and he rules the nations. To him alone shall bow down all who sleep in the earth; Before him shall bend all who go down into the dust. And to him my soul shall live; my descendants shall serve him. Let the coming generation be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice he has shown.

Solemnity Feast of St. Joseph

St. Joseph by Captain (age 7)

The feast of Saint Joseph usually falls on March 19th. This year however, March 19th falls on the Wednesday of Holy week. Even though the feast of St. Joseph is one of the solemnity feasts, it does not take precedence over the celebration of Holy Week and the commemoration of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection. So, this year, the feast of St. Joseph was transferred to today March 15th! My day ended up being very hectic, cleaning house, going to confession, and running a few errands... However, the kids did read a short story about St. Joseph and color a couple of pictures of him as well. I hope you all had a very blessed day!

Prayer to Saint Joseph

O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most Loving of Fathers.

O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen

St. Joseph by Rascal (age 6)

Good Morning!

Is it morning ALREADY?!?!

Yes, mornings are more often than not my least favorite time of the day. That said, I am really looking forward to reading all the discussion on this second chapter of Mitten Strings For God, titled Morning.

Reading this chapter made me realize how very important my mood is in the morning, and how it effects the day for all of us. You know that old saying from the south, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" I find that my mood can set the tone for the entire family and it’s up to me to bring balance and joy to our home.

But I cheat myself if I fail to give the morning it's due. For these first waking minutes can affect the quality of the entire day, determining the way things will go for each one of us. It is a tender time. Our soul, returning from their mysterious sojourns of the night, must now become grounded once again in the here and now and the concerns of the day. If I am conscious enough to honor this process--greeting my husband and children with hugs and kisses and gentle words--then each one of us may actually experience the sense of renewal that each day offers. The mistakes of yesterday are forgiven, regrets put aside. Here, in the day's first hushed moments, our family can come together again in loving spirit, rested and refreshed.
~Katrina Kenison (page 16)

I loved that paragraph of this chapter. It was exactly what I have been needing to hear. My children are naturally inclined to be simply joyful and when I am out of sync with that, our whole family seems to fall apart.

Personally, I find that how well our mornings go really depends on whether I have gotten enough sleep! Our best mornings are the ones in which I wake up before the children refreshed and ready for the day. So much of the time I find myself up until the wee hours of the morning... Whether it be doing laundry, nursing the baby (although he does sleep with us), reading, or spending time online.

In another favorite book of mine, A Mother's Rule of Life, the author tells us to ask our self:

How much time do I sleep every night? Is this enough, or do I find myself exhausted by mid afternoon? How much time do I think I reasonably need to add to or subtract from my present sleep habits? Do I need nap times? When can I schedule these?

She goes on to tell us to:
Establish a rising hour that gives you ample time to meet your morning responsibilities. Count back from your rising time the number of hours you need to sleep, and you'll have established your bedtime.
Apply all this to the varying ages of your children too.

My children have set bedtimes, but I really need to set, and try to stick to, a bedtime for myself. Even then, sometimes things are out of our control which effect the amount of sleep we get. During these late mornings, when momma is exhausted... Why not have the kids jump into bed to just enjoy each others company for awhile? Then get up and make a nice comfort breakfast all together. This is one small benefit of home-schooling! As well as one of our favorite morning routines! :)

I find that even when I am tired, if I greet my children with love and a smile, it really helps to start our day off well.

Someday our [children] boys will decide that they have grown too old to climb into bed with Mom and Dad for cuddles before the work of the day begins. Till then, though, I will cherish this morning ritual, our small universe of [seven, so far] four, the sweet comfort of embrace.

I need to remember, especially when I am overwhelmed, that one day these precious children of mine, will no longer be living at home. They are growing so fast, and I want to cherish each moment that we have been given with them... And in the meantime, create some wonderful memories!

One of my favorite calendar pages this week said:

Children are the sum
of what mothers
contribute to their lives.
~ Anoyomous

As a mother, I pray that Our Blessed Mother will guide me in contributing, with love and joy, everything that God wants me to, to the lives of my own children.

Morning Prayer By St. Therese

O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.

O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity. Amen.

St. Therese

The Little Flower

By Twinkle Toes (age 4)

Prayer to Theresa of the Child Jesus

"St. Therese, you who are called the Little Flower, pray that I may always live as a good child of God. May I always do the little things of life extra well for the love of God. St. Therese, you love flowers and you wanted to give to Jesus the flowers of many, many souls. Now that you are in heaven, let fall upon earth a shower of roses by your prayers. Bring many more souls to Jesus. Pray to the Mother of God for us that she will smile on her children here on earth. Amen."

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

The Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes begins today, February 2nd, and ends February 10th. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is on February 11th.

A novena is a nine-day period of prayer to implore special favors, obtain special graces, or to make special petitions. The word Novena is derived from the Latin word "novem", meaning nine. As the definition suggests, the novena has always had more of a sense of urgency and neediness.

During the time frame of this Novena (Feb 2-Feb10), the Pope had granted a Plenary Indulgence to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Our Lady's appearance in Lourdes. You can read the details here.

I added the novena prayer to my top right sidebar for convenience. Please join me in praying this novena!

O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comfort to the Afflicted,

you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Deign to cast upon me a look of mercy. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors; and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal.

I come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the granting of my requests.

Through gratitude for favors, I will endeavor to imitate your virtues that I may one day share your glory.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Amen.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.)

Novena Source: EWTN
We will actually be saying the long version of this novena which you can find here.

More on the Brown Scapular...

Awhile back, I posted about the Brown Scapular. Since then, I have been given (and have read) another copy of the little booklet "Garment of Grace" by my dear mother-in-law. Thank you so much! It is such a great little book. I wanted to take a second, and share one of the stories it has in it, about a miracle due to the brown scapular:

A Priest's Life is Saved

Still another Scapular miracle concerns a French priest who had gone on pilgrimage. On the way to say Mass, he remembered that he had forgotten his Scapular. He knew he would be late if he went back to retrieve it, but he could not envision offering Mass at Our Lady's altar without Her Scapular. Later, as he was offering the Holy Sacrifice, a young man approached the altar, pulled out a gun, and shot the priest in the back. To the amazement of all, the priest continued to say the prayers of the Mass as though nothing had occurred. It was at first presumed that the bullet had miraculously missed its target. However, upon examination, the bullet was found ADHERING TO THE LITTLE BROWN SCAPULAR which the priest had so obstinately refused to be without.

Isn't that amazing? This little booklet is just filled with stories like this one! It is so inspiring!

Feast of the Holy Family

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family!

The Holy Family is the perfect model for us of family life.

Let us pray for the grace to always imitate their holiness in our own families. Through meditating on them, may our Lord also give us the grace to see the areas within our families in need of improvement.

Let us also remember to pray for ALL families, that they may be able to uphold the sanctity of the marriage bond which is so greatly under attack.

May the Holy Family continue to bless and guide you and your family!


Act of Consecration to the Holy Family

O Jesus,
Our most loving Redeemer,
Who having come to enlighten the world
With Thy teaching and example,
Didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life
In humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph
In the poor home of Nazareth,
Thus sanctifying the Family
That was to be an example for all Christian families,
Graciously receive our family as it dedicates
And consecrates itself to Thee this day.
Do Thou protect us,
Guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear,
True peace and concord in Christian love:
In order that by living according to the divine pattern
Of Thy family we may be able,
All of us without exception,
To attain to eternal happiness.

Mary,
Dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us,
By the kindly intercession
Make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of
Jesus,
And obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph,
Most holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary,
Help us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal
Needs;
That so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior
Jesus,
Together with Mary and thee,
For all eternity.

(Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory 3 times.)

Amen.

(An indulgence of 500 days. A plenary indulgence is granted, with the usual conditions, if this prayer is repeated with devotion every day for a month.)

Prayerful Craft!

Wondering what to do with all those Christmas Cards?



My friend Trina just posted a
WONDERFUL IDEA!



Hop on over to her blog to check it out!

O Antiphons ~ Dec 17 to 23

This month is going by so fast! I can't believe that Advent is almost over and Christmas is almost here! Like many Catholics, we are currently praying the "O" Antiphons. An article on Catholic Culture put it so beautifully when they said that the O Antiphons are "the seven jewels of our liturgy, dating back to the fourth century, one for each day until Christmas Eve. These antiphons address Christ with seven magnificent Messianic titles, based on the Old Testament prophecies and types of Christ. The Church recalls the variety of the ills of man before the coming of the Redeemer."

Catholic Culture also explains that:

Beginning on December 17, as the final phase of preparation for Christmas, the Church recites or chants the O Antiphons preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The O Antiphons express the Church's longing and expectation for the Messiah, her startled wonderment at the fullness of grace which the Christ-Child is about to bestow on the world. Their theme is the majesty of the Savior, His wisdom, His faithfulness and sanctity, His justice and mercy, His covenant with His chosen people, who in their ingratitude broke faith with Him. They are concerned with His power and love as King and Redeemer of the world, His relation to every soul as Emmanuel, God-with-us. (With Christ Through the Year by Bernard Strasser)

According to Professor Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one — Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia — the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion. (Fr. William Saunders)

There is an old monastic custom of providing special treats, representing each of the "O Antiphons," leading up to Christmas. This has been a tradition in our home for a few years now. It is such a fun way to teach the children about them and increase their excitement as Christmas gets closer! Here is what we have been doing so far... in addition to what we have planned for the rest of the week as we finish preparing for the Birth of Christ!

December 17th

O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence!

Since the symbol for wisdom is a book, we purchased a new prayer book for our family... I ordered it awhile back and was worried that it wouldn't arrive in time! It arrived on the 17th! How perfect was that. The prayer book we choose this year is called Novena: The Power of Prayer. I have purchased it a few times in the past for gifts, but still didn't have a copy for us! I LOVE it! Not only does it contain many novenas, it is filled with beautiful pictures and stories of the saints as well.

December 18th

O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!

We planned on making smores outside, but, due to rain, I baked a pie while my husband lit a fire in the wood stove and then we all watched a family movie together. It's very rare that we watch a movie together with the kids, and we all really enjoyed it!

December 19th

O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.

Since the symbol for today is a flower, I usually buy our Christmas Poinsettia today. However, after reading this post, I decided to pass on the real poinsettias this year and maybe make paper poinsettias ... But, instead, my husband was such a dear and brought home some beautiful red cyclamens! As the kids were smelling the flowers, I heard one of my boys say, "I don't smell anything... except someones bad breath!" (I then sent them all to brush their teeth!)

December 20th

O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

Since this is initially a monastic tradition, and on this night, the monk in charge of the wine cellar would provide a special bottle of wine. We will be having some special drinks with dinner! If I can get to the store we may even have a key lime pie!

December 21st

O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!

Since this O Antiphon refers to light, we will finish putting up our outside lights. (We wait to turn on our lights outside, as well as on our tree, till Christmas Eve. You can read my husband's post on this, if you'd like.) They are actually almost done, I just want to do a few trees in the yard and need a few extension cords. Actually, we are really lucky to have one of my brothers who actually installs Christmas lights for a living! (The rest of the year he does landscape lighting and events such as weddings) He is always super busy during the Christmas season installing lights, not only for homes, but city and business lights as well! A few years ago he had to leave my parents early Thanksgiving night "for work"... Anyways we drove home to find our house completely lit up! As one of our neighbors put it... It looked "awesome!" Each year since, he has put up our lights as a Christmas gift to our family. This year it is pretty simple, he just outlined the roof line, but still looks quite lovely!

After the kids are in there pajamas, we will surprise them with a trip to town to see some of the lights! This is always such fun, and I am looking forward to it too! :)

December 22nd

O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!

Today I am going to surprise the kids with a new "king" puppet! Actually I purchased a 4 pack from discovery toys, but I am going to save the other 3 for Christmas. My kids love acting out puppet shows. Also, during craft time, I think we will be making these crowns!

December 23rd

O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!

This is the last of the O Antiphons... Tomorrow will be Christmas Eve! The treat for today is going to be a couple new coloring books on Christ and the Eucharist. They are called Holy Name of Jesus and Eucharistic Adoration. We have the Mother of God Coloring Book from these publishers as well, and it is beautiful!





You can also listen to the O Antiphons beautifully chanted in Latin here.

Reading other blogs, I have found so many wonderful ideas that I hope to incorporate in the future. There is a wonderful post on the O Antiphons over at O Night Divine. Also, go check out Ruth's blog to see all her wonderful ways of celebrating the "O Antiphons." I just love her "O Antiphon" House. I definitely want to make one for next year!

Happy Santa Lucia Day!

Our morning got off to a rough start for a number of reasons, but after a quick trip to town for donuts sweet rolls and a BIG mocha for me, the day got much better! Twinkle Toes was so excited to wear her Santa Lucia crown and serve our teatime snack.

 

All the children really enjoyed the special treat.

 

We read Hanna's Christmas which we happened to run across at the library. It was such a darling book, and I highly recommend it!! (That is, if can find it at your library, since it is out of print, and quite expensive.) The kids did a bit of copywork and colored the beautiful picture of St. Lucy found in Fenestrae Fidei. This is our FAVORITE coloring book. The kids all love coloring pictures from it, plus I LOVE that you are allowed to copy pages for use within your family. (A HUGE plus in my book!)

  We are adding these colorings along with the ones for our Jesse Tree to our New Liturgical Year notebooks! Did Captain do a nice job? And I just have to share one more picture... I know, your thinking, enough already! But here is one last one of Chiquita trying on the Santa Lucia Crown...

  Next year I think I will definitely be making two! Oh! And if you have a second... Click here, here and here to see todays Santa Lucia posts from a few of my favorite blogs! I just love the Catholic Church and it's many traditions!

Relying on Your goodness, O God, we humbly ask you, by the intercession of your servant, Saint Lucy, to give perfect vision to our eyes, that we may serve for your greater honor and glory. And we pray for the salvation of our souls in this world, that we may come to the enjoyment of the unfailing light of the Lamb of God in heaven.

St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear our prayers and answer our petitions.

Amen.

A Christmas Rose

The Christmas Novena to St. Therese begins tomorrow, on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 12 days before Christmas. One is to pray the novena 12 times per day for 12 days to honor the 12 years of Christ's childhood. May you receive a Christmas Rose of many blessings this Christmas!

MYSTICAL ROSE NOVENA

Remember, O Gracious Little Rose Queen, your promise to spend your heaven in doing good on earth and even, if necessary, to come down to help those who ask your aid. If it is God's Holy Will, and my dispositions are pleasing to Him by their honesty and true desire for goodness, keep your promise to shower roses and send me some visible sign of your heavenly friendship for me and for those I love. In memory of the great interior enlightenment you received on a certain Christmas of your early life, ask God for a ":Christmas Rose" for me in these my urgent needs, that I may experience an increase in faith, hope and confidence. (Meditate, here upon your petitions so that St. Therese can understand why your are asking her to assist you.) I desire to know and to accept real objective truth about life and death. Give me assurance that you understand and will remain my heavenly friend, so that one day we may be together with God. Keep your promise to give some answer! Amen.

St. Therese of Lisieux ~ Pray for us!