Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Patron saint of expectant mothers (among many other things)
...pray for us St. Anthony! Help us to love the poor as you did and to learn to deprive ourselves of some material comforts for the name of Jesus and love of neighbor.Here is a prayer for the gift of children:
We salute and honour thee, O powerful helper, St. Anthony! The Christian world confidently turns to thee and experiences thy tender compassion and powerful assistance in so many necessities and sufferings, that we are encouraged in our need to seek thee also United in the bonds of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, we ask thee to obtain God's blessing in our union so that we may rejoice in the gift of children and bring them up in the fear and love of His holy name. We shall consecrate our little ones to thee, St. Anthony, and place them under thy protection, that thou mayest lead them along the paths of virtue to heaven. Amen.
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
9:18 AM ::
2
Comments
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
St. Isidore
St. Isidore, pray for us!!I don't have much experience in the world of farming, but I did spend a solid few years tending an acre of land in Ohio where I grew vegetables and flowers, mulched our fruit trees and built compost piles. I got up every morning to weed and do whatever work there was to do before it got too hot outside. After 2 pm I'd go back outside and work till dusk. All day it was silent, save the sound of the birds, the bees, the distant barking dogs. It was just the earth and myself. I was very in tune with the weather. I always knew when it would rain, when a storm was coming. I can't think of another time in my life when I was more alive, more in-tune with God's voice. I was at peace in my heart, mind and whole being. It was, spiritually, probably the richest time in my life I can remember.
I miss having land to cultivate. However, I am also now a mother of 2 babies and seem to have a lot less time now to devote to anything other than the simple humble, everyday tasks such as cleaning, cooking, laundry, diapers and nursing. I don't think I'd be capable of tending lots of land right now anyway! I have a new path to holiness, which is through my new tasks. However, I still think it very important to get one's hands in the dirt every so often. In Russia, as Catherine Doherty points out, a farmer is called Krestianin. This means "Christian", which fits: a farmer should be the epitome of a Christian. Farmers, Shepherds and such live very close to the natural created world in which there is unique peace-- one which is hard to find amidst our noisy culture of today. I may not be able to be a farmer, but I can try to find those bits of peace and give them to my children through doing little bits of contemplative gardening outside in our little suburban plot of dirt here in our own backyard.
Here, working with what we have, we have taken out the old play structure and replaced it with a large portion of dirt, which is now our vegetable garden. (We can always go to the playground!)We compost all vegetable matter, which I carry out and top with leaves. Currently I have lots of large containers going for this decomposition step, but within a few weeks I hope to "build" a compost pile, using wet matter and dry matter, with the help of the sun. We have wildflowers, herbs and berries bordering the yard and now perennials in large pot containers to cheer up our tiny concrete patio. I'd like to have goats and chickens, too-- just to get our neighbors out of their little suburban comfort zone-- ;)-- but for now this is enough. It is enough to stay in touch with the outdoor world, trying to hear the geese, the birds, the bees in the midst of the deafening silence of Suburbia.
~Sia
Prayer to St. Isidore the Farmer:
Lord God, all creation is yours, and you call us to serve you by caring for the gifts that surround us. May the example of St. Isidore urge us to share our food with the hungry and to work for the salvation of mankind. Amen.
Labels: feastdays, Reflections
one of us ::
4:43 PM ::
2
Comments
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
St. Joseph the Worker
Christ the Lord allowed Himself to be considered the son of a carpenter: come, let us adore Him, Alleluia!-- Invitiatory Antiphon for Saint Joseph the Worker day
Come to Joseph! Come to gentle, humble St. Joseph. Lets pray to him for our husbands, that they will always be good providers, hard workers and faithful husbands, as Joseph was.
Go to Catholic Culture's site to read more about this feast and for ideas on cooking, activities and such. He is such a powerful patron for families.
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
8:50 AM ::
0
Comments
Monday, April 23, 2007
St. George and fairy tales
Today is the feast day of St. George; all that we know for sure was that he was a soldier and a martyr. But there are many legends that are fun to entertain about him, especially his slaying of a dragon. We've honored this day by checking out a book called St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges. Don't expect a particularly pious rendition of George's story, but this is a fairy tale in it's finest complete with lovely vocabulary and gorgeous illustrations. Never underestimate the greatness of fairy tales! (On that note, Andrew Lang has compiled some of the finest if you need a recommendation; his "colored" fairy tale books are wonderful!) They are traditionally filled with accurate conceptions of Good and Evil and help to foster appreciation for the virtues of nobility, honor and truth.St. George pray for us!
Labels: Books Music Culture, feastdays
one of us ::
10:14 AM ::
0
Comments
Monday, March 19, 2007
St. Joseph
I think, despite being one of the most popular saints, St. Joseph and his intercession, still don't receive their deserved recognition. A lot of people just think of him as a good guy, a good father and companion to Mary. But think about the divine implications of all this! St. Joseph was deliberately chosen to help raise the Divine Child Jesus and be the husband to the Queen of Heaven. Aside from our Blessed Mother, he had the most important job in the entire history of salvation! His patronage includes MANY things, places and causes... most relevant to this site being families, fathers, married people and pregnant women.This feast day is pretty big in Italy and an abundance of traditional Italian and Sicilian foods are usually enjoyed on this day. Visit this awesome website for recipes, coloring pages, and symbolism for today. What we'll be doing here, is pretty simple: coloring pictures, reading our Fr. Lovasik book, and talking about how to mimic St. Joseph while my kids carry around their dolls. I'll also be asking for his intercession while my husband undergoes some important medical testing today.
Traditionally prayers to consecrate your family to St. Joseph are often recited on Wednesdays:
Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, You came to enlighten the world with Your teaching and example. You willed to spend the greater part of Your life in humble obedience to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth. In this way You sanctified that Family which was to be an example for all Christian families.Jesus, Mary, Joseph! Graciously accept our family which we dedicate and consecrate to You. Be pleased to protect, guard, and keep it in sincere faith, in peace, and in the harmony of Christian charity. By conforming ourselves to the Divine model of Your Family, may we all attain to eternal happiness.
Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, by your merciful intercession make this our humble offering acceptable to Jesus, and obtain for us graces and blessings.
Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, help us by your prayers in all our spiritual and temporal needs so that we may praise Jesus, our Divine Savior, together with Mary and you for all eternity.
-Ellie
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
7:14 AM ::
2
Comments
Saturday, March 17, 2007
St. Patrick's Day
Today is celebrated Ireland's greatest saint. Legends true and tall are endless about this man. But we do know that he is responsible for the conversion of Ireland and the propagation of Catholic education in all of Europe. Great prayers, including his famous breastplate invocation can be found on Domestic-Church. Today consider making authentic Irish Soda Bread. This recipe is from Jesuit Brother Rick Curry who says he couldn't get the recipe from his Irish brothers because they said "It's like boiling water, you don't need a recipe." He had to wait until returning to the States before getting it.Irish Soda Bread
5 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 stick butter
2 1/2 cups light and dark raisins, soaked for 15-20 minutes and drained.
3 TBS. caraway seeds
2 1/2 cups buttermilk*
1 egg, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter two 9 x 5 inch bread pans. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, soda, and powder. Cut in butter and mix thoroughly with hands until grainy. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. Add buttermilk and egg to the flour mixture. Stir until well moistened. Shape dough into two loaves and place in pans. Bake for 1 hour. Test with toothpick for doneness. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.
*You can make your own buttermilk substitute by adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every cup of regular milk. OR you can use sour cream but this may alter the texture a bit.
-Ellie
Labels: feastdays, Seasonal, yummies
one of us ::
8:09 AM ::
5
Comments
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Valentine's Day and questions
Happy Valentines Day! Many peoeple don't celebrate this holiday, as, like many feast days, it has been taken over by the secular world. But Valentine was a saint. The stories of St. Valentine, such as the one of him marrying two lovers in secret, are very romantic.Also, corny as the shape of a heart has become, it is indeed a very physical and Catholic shape. It is the physical shape of the very organ that beats to keep us alive; it's the symbol of the emotional aspect we all posess: that which gives us sentiment, compassion... it is used to represent the hearts of Jesus and Mary... the list goes on. Just as we see cartoon depictions of Santa Claus in the secular world and must interpret these as depictions of St. Nick, so must we do with the shape of the heart filling the public windows of the post offices and grocery stores all over the place.
On a side note, celebrating Valentine's day can be a delight in itself in color and decorations! What a fun time, in the middle of winter, to bring out those cheery doilies and summer-y plates and teacups... to make heart-shaped pancakes... to spread out the pink or red tablecloth. Symbols of St. Valentine include birds and roses.In the New Calendar, this is the feast of the Memorial of Sts. Cyril, monk and St. Methodius, bishop . However, St. Valentine's feast is in the old Calendar which is where we get the name "Valentine's Day".
While in prison, Valentine was tended by the jailer, Asterius, and his blind daughter. Asterius' daughter was very kind to Valentine and brought him food and messages. They developed a friendship and toward the end of his imprisonment Valentine was able to convert both father and daughter to Christianity. Legend has it that he also miraculously restored the sight of the jailer's daughter.The night before his execution, the priest wrote a farewell message to the girl and signed it affectionately "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lives on even to today.
The valentine has become the universal symbol of friendship and affection shared each anniversary of the priest's execution -- St. Valentine's Day. Valentine has also become the patron of engaged couples.
~(above taken from catholic culture.org)
Go to CatholicCulture's site to read more about this saint.
I could go on with ideas of how to celebrate Valentine's day but I'd like to hear from our readers in the question of the Week responses first...
Do you celebrate Valentines Day? If not, why not? If so, how do you celebrate?
~Sia, Vancouver, WA
Labels: feastdays, Questions, Reflections
one of us ::
6:42 AM ::
7
Comments
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Don Bosco
This patron saint of youth is a wonderful example for us. I highly recommend the book "Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco" for your young boy or even yourself; it's chock full of good spiritual messages found in his prophetic dreams. We've posted this quote before, but it's worth repeating:"Do you want our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want him to give you few graces? Visit him seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you."
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
7:26 AM ::
0
Comments
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Should I put sugar on my cereal?
I wanted to point out today's feast day of St. Francis de Sales because he has so many incredible thoughts for us to ponder. The title of this post sort of indicates that this isn't your average feast day announcement we do. So read on and look at some of of the things he said and apply them to our lives as mothers. Here are a few that stuck out to me along with my commentary:"There are many who say to the Lord, "I give myself wholly to Thee, without any reserve," but there are few who embrace the practice of this abandonment, which consists in receiving with a certain indifference every sort of event, as it happens in conformity with Divine Providence, as well afflictions as consolations, contempt and reproaches as honor and glory."
Well if this isn't the story of MY life! How easy it is to consecrate ourselves to God each day, but how many of us actually LIVE that conviction?! If we truly wanted to be one with Him, the trials we encounter wouldn't phase us so much as they do. God allows ALL THINGS for a reason. He is trimming our unwieldy branches with hard times...
"Every moment comes to us pregnant with a command from God, only to pass on and plunge into eternity, there to remain forever what we have made of it."
We have opportunities at every waking moment. Achieve sainthood by making the most of them.
"An action of small value performed with much love of God is far more excellent than one of a higher virtue, done with less love of God."
This is especially encouraging to me, who has such a difficult time with "big" things like fasting. When I struggle with tormenting thoughts on whether or not to sacrifice sprinkling sugar on my Cheerios--and I choose to eat them plain in atonement for my sins or for the holiness of my husband, or for an end to abortion etc.-- that's when I've conquered a little piece of myself to give to HIM. It sounds so silly and trivial... but with love it is made great.
"The highest degree of meekness consists in seeing, serving, honoring, and treating amiably, on occasion, those who are not to our taste, and who show themselves unfriendly, ungrateful, and troublesome to us."
I don't think anything more needs to be said.
"To be perfect in one's vocation is nothing else than to perform the duties and offices to which one is obliged, solely for the honor and love of God, referring to His glory. Whoever works in this manner may be called perfect in his state, a man according to the heart and will of God."
There is no magic wand that some mothers have and others don't. We can't measure how "good" a mother is by most objective standards. I used to think I wasn't cut out for maternal things. But this just was my muddy excuse for being impatient and annoyed with my kids. But if I turn that around and see that this is what I'm CALLED to--and I do it with love-- there my perfection will be.
"Consider all the past as nothing, and say, like David: Now I begin to love my God."
This is beautiful. There is no time like today. Forget all the imperfections you've struggled with and just DO IT! Just love God and live your vocation and purge your flaws slowly from your life. The saints aren't just some nice legends to be admired in picture books. They are REAL people who struggled with real problems. We can get there. There are no excuses... the sacraments can help us. We are all called to be saints.-Ellie
Labels: feastdays, Reflections
one of us ::
7:11 AM ::
0
Comments
Monday, January 08, 2007
Baptism of the Lord
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Baptism of our Lord. This day marks the end of the Christmas season. And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water; and lo, the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him. And behold a voice from heaven saying, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased."
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
9:00 AM ::
0
Comments
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Happy Epiphany
Happy Feast of the Epiphany! This feast marks the day when the three kings arrived in Bethlehem to present their gifts to our Lord. Prayer: Father, you revealed your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. Lead us to your glory in heaven by the light of faith. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.
The children in our homes can now place the kings by the manger...they have been traveling around the house and now have arrived in Bethlehem. Some popular traditions include:
~This inscribing above the doorways of our home (in chalk):
20 + C + M + B + 07
The initials (of the Magi Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar) are separated by crosses and the year above the door. The initials CMB also stand for the words "Christus Mansionem Benedicat" which means "May Christ bless this house". This inscription above the entry of our house should be a reminder to us that we should be with and go to Christ in all our comings and goings.
The colors of the table settings or decorations for this feast can be gold and white. The color of white is the color of the liturgical linens (white signifies rejoicing in the church) and gold is the color of royalty, the 3 kings.
~Twelfth Night Cakes~Twelfth Night Bread
~Twelfth Day Cake
Go to Catholic culture.org for more reading. They have activities, blessings, prayers, the recipes above and more.
Happy Feast Day!
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
12:01 AM ::
0
Comments
Monday, January 01, 2007
Mary, Mother of God
Today the Church celebrates the solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. I love this day!! Every year it comes, I feel that the whole day is hers, that it is filled with her beauty and glory. She is our Mother clothed in the sun, crowned with stars... most importantly, she was chosen by God Himself to be His Mother. That still is a great mystery and awesome aspect of our faith. We could take the day and think of that alone. It is so beautiful and fitting that it falls on the first day of the year. May our year be turned towards her radiance, her guidance, her tenderness!Fill the house with candles and flowers to honor her... perhaps have the children make her a crown of flowers, placing it on the head of her statue or at the foot of an image you have of her.
(I have put up here the image of Mary, Mother of God, Ever-Blooming Rose, by Daniel Nichols of Eighth Day Icons.) Click here to see an incredibly beautiful icon of Mary the Mother of God I found online!)
Happy Feast day!
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
10:59 AM ::
0
Comments
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Feast of the Holy Family
Happy feast of the Holy Family (on Sunday)!This is a special feast for we families! We must remember to always pray to the Holy Family for their wisdom and holy example.
Jesus and Mary may have only had one child, but they are still our examples of holiness. We shouldn't forget the fact that they, too, lived simple, humble lives as we do. Joseph was a carpenter, Mary a homemaker.
The following is taken from the Holy Father's Prayer for Families:
Grant that love, strengthened by the grace of the sacrament of marriage,may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trialsthrough which our families sometimes pass.
Through the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth,grant that the Church may fruitfully carry out her worldwide missionin the family and through the family.
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
12:45 PM ::
1
Comments
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
St. Stephen
Happy Feast of St. Stephen! St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr... He was one of the seven deacons who helped the apostles; he was "filled with faith and with the Holy Spirit," and was "full of fortitude." The Church draws a comparison between the disciple and his Master, emphasizing the imitation of Christ even unto the complete gift of self. His name is included in the Roman Canon. (~from Catholicculture.org)
Some traditional recipes for this feast, including St. Stephen's scrambled eggs, stew, whiskey punch and horns...these recipes can be found on Catholic culture's site (link provided above).
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
8:32 AM ::
0
Comments
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
St. Lucy pray for us
Today is the feast of one of our blog's patronesses: St. Lucy of Syracuse. Since she is associated with light, it is easy to incorporate activities into our Advent season, particularly with candles and such. I for one will be praying to St. Lucy today for her intercession with my son's eye infection.Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of our day. Amen
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
8:52 AM ::
0
Comments
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe! What a huge feast this is for the Americas! The Miracle of Guadalupe converted literally millions of Mexicans at the time. This miracle brought roses in the winter and belief to men's hearts... it baffled scientists and still does. It is a miracle which still works in the souls of unbelieving folks throughout the world. May she continue to hold the Americas in her mantle of stars and lead us all closer to her Son.
The link above takes you to Catholic cultures' site, where you can refresh yourself with the story as well as see prayers, recipes, activities and more.
This is the day when for years, my family and another family got together and cooked a Mexican feast for dinner in celebration, including homemade tortillas and flan. Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
8:22 AM ::
0
Comments
Friday, December 08, 2006
Immaculate Conception
Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception! This feast day often gets confused with the Annunciation. The term, Immaculate Conception refers not to Mary's conception of Christ but to the conception of Mary within St. Anne's womb. The conception was Immaculate because Mary was conceived without sin:"The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin." — Catechism of the Catholic Church
The link above will take you to Catholic Culture's site where you can find recipes, prayers, and readings for this feast. Remember, this is a Holy Day of Obligation!
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
7:40 AM ::
0
Comments
Thursday, December 07, 2006
speaking of beeswax
Today is the feastday of the "Honey-Tongued Doctor" of the Church: St. Ambrose. What a great way to celebrate his feast by making beeswax candles and ornaments as Sia wrote about earlier! I think this is a wonderful new little Christmastime tradition I'd like to start in my own family... and the day for it could be no better! The title of this man came from his eloquent preaching ability (which helped to convert St. Augustine) but evolved into his association with bees, beekeepers, and candlemakers.St. Ambrose has spoken many brilliant things that are applicable today. I especially loved this little nugget of wisdom:
"To avoid dissensions we should be ever on our guard, more especially with those who drive us to argue with them, with those who vex and irritate us, and who say things likely to excite us to anger. When we find ourselves in company with quarrelsome, eccentric individuals, people who openly and unblushingly say the most shocking things, difficult to put up with, we should take refuge in silence, and the wisest plan is not to reply to people whose behavior is so preposterous. Those who insult us and treat us contumeliously are anxious for a spiteful and sarcastic reply: the silence we then affect disheartens them, and they cannot avoid showing their vexation; they do all they can to provoke us and to elicit a reply, but the best way to baffle them is to say nothing, refuse to argue with them, and to leave them to chew the cud of their hasty anger. This method of bringing down their pride disarms them..."
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
7:50 AM ::
0
Comments
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
St. Nicholas Day
Happy Feast of St. Nicholas! This a very special day for children...He was known to have secretely helped those in need by placing bags of gold in homes through the windows. It is from St. Nicholas legends that the world has adopted the stories of "Santa Claus". Many families on this day honor St. Nicholas by filling the childrens' shoes with treats, gold coins, etc. The children leave the shoes or stockings out the night before (eve of this day) and awake to them filled. This is a fun kick-off to the Advent season.
~Considered primarily as the patron saint of children, Nicholas is also invoked by sailors, merchants, bakers, travelers and pawnbrokers, and with Saint Andrew is honored as the co-patron of Russia.
~St. Nicholas did his charitable works secretly. Suggest that your children do one hidden act of kindness in imitation of the saint.
Click HERE for some good reading on how to celebrate St. Nicholas day in your homes. As I will be gone for over 3 weeks over the season this year, I am taking today to do some special Christmas baking for our relatives in the area. This way, although it's an early Christmas sweets plate, at least I can write, "Happy St. Nicholas Day!"...
One of my new favorite children's books, as of the last few years, is The Miracle of Saint Nicholas.
~sia
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
9:42 AM ::
2
Comments
Monday, December 04, 2006
Memorial of St. John Damascene
Today is the optional memorial of St. John Damascene, (or St. John of Damascus,) priest and doctor. He was a theologian and composer of many liturgical hymns. As with many Saints, I cannot do his work justice by merely listing it all... There is so much to learn about and from him, so much to read and discover! He died in 749. Read more about him by clicking on the link above.
Lord, may the prayers of St. John Damascene help us, and may the true faith he taught so well always be our light and our strength. Amen.
Labels: feastdays
one of us ::
12:00 AM ::
0
Comments
