Hallelujah

I had heard Rufus Wainwright's song by this title and was immediatley struck by the beauty of the music. I struggle with the lyrics though. Some of the verses seem to be speaking about the struggles of living a Christian life, but others are a bit confusing, and as a result I always feel conflicted when I listen to it.  So I was very happy when I found this version, written to reflect the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

If you would rather skip the intro, the song begins at 1:36.  Lyrics below the video.



A crown of thorns placed on his head

He knew that he would soon be dead

He said, did you forget me, Father, did you?

They nailed him to a wooden cross

Soon all the world would feel the loss

Of Christ the King before us, Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

He hung his head and prepared to die

Then lifted his face up to the sky

Said, I am coming home now, Father, to you.

A reed which held his final sip

Was gently lifted to his lips

He drank his last and gave His soul to glory

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

The soldier who had used his sword

To pierce the body of our Lord

Said, truly this was Jesus Christ our savior.

He looked with fear upon his sword

Then turned to face his Christ, the Lord,

Fell to his knees crying, Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

Took from His head the thorny crown

And wrapped Him in a linen gown

And laid Him down to rest inside the tomb.

The holes in His hands, His feet, His side

Now in our hearts we know He died

To save us from ourselves, Oh, Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

Three days went by, again they came

To move the stone, to bless the slain

With oil and spice anointing, Hallelujah.

But as they went to move the stone

They saw that they were not alone

The Jesus Christ is risen, Hallelujah!

Oh, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Halleluah!

Holy Thursday

I made a mini Last Supper for the kids to look at while I read the story from the Bible.

This great little craft came from Catholic Icing, of course.  ;)

We talked about how Jesus instituted the Eucharist, (Daddy's bringing home some pita bread for dinner and we'll have a little bit of wine, too.)  Also, how he knew this was his last meal and that one of his friends would betray him. This craft is based on Da Vinci's Last Supper painting, and is supposed to capture the disciples reaction after Jesus tells them that one of them will betray Him. 

We continued on in the story to the washing of the feet, talking about how Jesus wants us to care for others, even doing the dirty things that aren't very nice.  After that we had a foot washing!  Mommy went first to demonstrate, washing six little feet with a wet wipe and a small bowl of water.  

They were eager to try and took turns kneeling down, with a towel over their shoulder, to wash their siblings feet. 

There was a bit of spilled water but it was not for lack of being gentle.

The kids have said they want to wash daddy's feet when he comes home.  I'm sure he'll be... surprised.  ;)

Happy Epiphany!

We ended this Christmas season on a high note, having an Epiphany party at my parents house.  This feast day celebrates the Three Kings journey to the baby Jesus and their acknowledgment of Him as the promised Messiah.  As this feast centers around three kings and the King of Kings, crowns were a central decorating theme.

The kids helped me make a yellow paper garland, cut with a fancy border which we strung above the counter.  Front and center was the nativity cupcake scene.  I printed out cross cupcake wrappers (with my new silhouette cameo!) and nativity silhouettes for cupcake toppers.

Yesterday the kids helped me bake a couple loaves of Three Kings Bread.  A tasty sweet bread, it's packed with yummy additions of oranges, pineapple, coconut, raisins, and chocolate chips which represent the gifts offered to the infant Jesus.

Before we dug into our pizza and goodies we had a procession through the house. 

 The kids dressed up as the three kings, complete with gifts, and I held a paper star and a flashlight, leading the way.  

We marched through the house, winding through the up and downstairs, singing We Three Kings as we made our way to the baby Jesus in the manger.  When we arrived the kids all took turns placing their gift in front of him; small boxes of gold foil wrapped chocolates. 

Then we said a short prayer and made our way to the dining room for our little feast.  We all had a wonderful time, the kids even asked to march and sing some more after dinner; each taking turns being the star and guiding the way. 

Dear Jesus, as You led the Three Kings to You by the light of a star, please draw us ever closer to You by the light of Faith. Help us to desire You as ardently as they did. Give us the grace to overcome all the obstacles that keep us far from You. May we, like them, have something to give You when we appear before You. Mary, Our Mother, help us to know Your Son. Amen.

A Bump in the Road

A little over a week ago Steve went to a dermatologist to have a bump removed from his nose. Yesterday we received a call from the doctors office informing us that the results had come back as basal-cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer.

He has surgery scheduled for the end of this month.  He will be receiving Mohs Micrographic surgery, the most effective treatment for basal-cell cancer. There's a very informative video about this treatment on the ACMS (American College of Mohs Surgery) website.  His doctor actually established the Mohs surgery program at Tulane University, serving as it's director for almost a decade.

We will keep everyone posted on his situation and are hoping for the best.  In the mean time, we ask for your prayers, as we pray to the Lord for healing and strength, and pray to St. Peregrine, the patron saint of cancer, for his intercession.

The Condensed Version

Addie narrating the Easter story using the resurrection set on our mantle:

"But Mary went a tomb, but He's not in the tomb.  But then Peter, he's at a tomb but not Jesus.  But then, surprise! Jesus is alive!  Clap your hands!"'

My Little Loves

As a mom, I think about my kids all the time.  What they're doing, saying, eating, playing, learning, and loving is on my mind fairly well from morning to night.  These three little people who live in my house mean the world to me and I thank the Lord for the gift that they are.

But I also have two other children who live in God's house.  Though I never met them, I hold a deep love for them and think of them every day.  Especially now, when I would have been holding the youngest in my arms, our family adjusting to a new baby in the house.  I have several friends who were pregnant the same time as me and are now all giving birth to healthy, beautiful children.  I am genuinely happy for them, though I will probably always look at these children throughout their life and think, "My baby would have been your age...."

But it does not give me grief, for I know they are with our Lord, and I have faith and hope that I will meet them one day.  Until then, I will hold them in my thoughts and in my heart, always thankful for them and the blessings they brought to our family;  helping us to grow together in love and strengthening our faith in our Lord.

My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me
I cannot see the colours He worketh steadily.
Oft times He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper and I the underside.

Not till the looms are silent and the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver’s skilful hands
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.
~Author unknown

Candlemas

"When the day came to purify them according to the law Of Moses, the couple brought him up to Jerusalem so that He could be presented to the Lord "Every first-born male shall Be consecrated to the Lord."  -Luke 2:22-23

It was Simeon to whom Mary presented Jesus, and in his prophecy to her, he told Mary her heart would be pierced with a sword, a prophecy found in the second chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke 2:34-35:

And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.

Now, before Simeon gave this prophecy to Our Lady, he referred to her Infant Son as the Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and because of this, light and candles play an important role before and during the Mass, hence the most common name for this Feast -- "Candlemas."  
(*This is a brief excerpt from Fish Eaters' wonderful explanation of this feast day.)

Our craft for today was making candles!  We painted toilet paper rolls, used construction paper, tissue paper, and foam heart stickers for the flames, and put glitter glue, or "Spah-ker-les" as Addie would say, all over everything; silver for the candle and gold for the flame.

Lord God, you are the source of everlasting light.

Your son, our beloved Lord Jesus

was presented in the temple 40 days after his birth.

He was recognized by Simeon and Anna,

and welcomed as the promised Messiah.

May we like them, behold the glory of the Lord Jesus.

Grant that we may stand before you

with hearts cleansed by your forgiving love.

May we serve you all our days

and make your name known

as we worship you as our Lord.

So may we come by your grace

to eternal life .

Amen.

Playing Mass

The twins decided to play Mass today. Addie walked to the front of the room, placed her hands together to pray, closed her eyes, and started talking slowly with deep inflections.

"We at Church. I a priest. A priest and Jesus are friends. We come a Church to pray a Jesus and God. (incoherent mumblings) And up a cup as well."

She then sang Yes Jesus Loves Me to her congregation.

Gabe took over at this point and prayed the Our Father, actually getting a great deal of it correct. We finished with the sign of the cross and Addie offered her blessing of, "Good Job!"

Mary Video

A wonderful explanation of devotion to Mary!

Happy St Nicholas Day!

All powerful God,
you made St. Nicholas a bishop and leader of the church
to inspire your people with his teaching and example.
May we give fitting honor to his memory
and always have the assistance of his prayers.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever—and ever. Amen.


The kids and I are celebrating the day with hot cocoa, speculaas cookies, special books, and the Veggie Tales story of the saint.  When they wake up from naps later, daddy will be home and there will be special treats tucked in their stockings!

Our Jesse Tree - Revisited

Things have been really busy here lately (hence the absence of posts,) but I did manage to put together a new plan for our Jesse Tree this year.

Last year we simply used our regular sized tree, strung it with purple lights, and hung our ornaments on it each night.  It was simple... in theory.  In actuality, the kids took down the ornaments over, and over, and over.  Every day.  I also noticed that since all the ornaments were the same size and shape with the same background color, they were too similar for any of them to be eye catching.  So my plans for this year were to address those two problems. 

I started by making a tree out of stiffened felt, using hot glue to attach the pieces together.  It's approximately 3 feet tall and will be hung on our oversized bulliten board in the playroom ... out of reach of tiny hands.

Next came the ornaments.  I couldn't use the same ones as last year so I set about looking for a new (printable) set.  I found some gorgeous printouts at Catholic Artworks, (though they don't seem to be offering free downloads anymore, you can still purchase a full set.)  I was able to download about 14 ornaments from their site, each with a front and back image and brief description.  I still had several days to fill in so I made some of my own ornaments simply using pictures from Google images and adding the reading at the bottom.  I also knew I wanted to have ornaments for the O Antiphons, but since I couldn't find anything ready to print, I designed some dual sided ones using these beautiful images.

I printed all the ornaments in color, laminated them, and used a hole punch at the top to be able to hang them.  (I will use rounded push pins on the felt tree but could easily pull some ribbon through if I wanted to hang them on a real tree.)

I snapped this image as I was making sure all of the ornaments would fit, making last minute adjustments to the tree pieces before gluing anything.  It's from my phone's camera so the quality isn't very good, but you can get the idea.  The star on top has the Chi Rho symbol in it, making it the final ornament hung on Christmas Day. 

I love that this layout will allow for easier viewing of all the ornaments.

JESSE TREE SCRIPTURES AND ORNAMENTS

December 1 ~ Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4 Symbol: earth
December 2 ~ Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24
December 3 ~ Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7 and 23-24 Symbol: apple
December 4 ~ Noah: Gen. 6:5-8, 13-22; 7:17, 23, 24; 8:1, 6-22
December 5 ~ Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3
December 6 ~ Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14
December 7 ~ Jacob: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15
December 8 ~ Joseph: Gen. 37:23-28; 45:3-15
December 9 ~ Moses: Ex. 2:1-10
December 10 ~ Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18 Symbol: lamp
December 11~ Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13
December 12 ~ David: 1 Sam. 17:12-51
December 13 ~ Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-14, 16-28 Symbol: scales of justice
December 14 ~ Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25
December 15 ~ Mary: Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38
December 16 ~ John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8 Symbol: shell with water
December 17 ~ O Sapientia : O Wisdom
December 18 ~ O Adonai : O Lord
December 19 ~ O Radix Jesse : O Root of Jesse
December 20 ~ O Clavis David : O Key of David
December 21 ~ O Oriens : O Rising Dawn
December 22 ~ O Rex Gentium : O King of Nations
December 23 ~ O Emmanuel : O God-With-Us
December 24 ~ The Birth of Jesus (infant Jesus)…Luke 2:1-20
December 25 ~ Christ Our Lord (Chi Rho star)…John 1:1-18

This Day God Gives Me

A beautiful way to begin our day! (lyrics below)


This day God gives me strength of high heaven,
sun and moon shining, flame in my hearth,
flashing of lightning, wind in its swiftness,
deeps of the ocean, firmness of earth.

This day God sends me strength as my guardian,
might to uphold me, wisdom as guide.
Your eyes are watchful, Your ears are listening,
Your lips are speaking, friend at my side.

God’s way is my way, God’s shield is round me,
God’s host defends me, saving from ill.
Angels of heaven, drive from me always
all that would harm me, stand by me still.

Rising, I thank Thee, mighty and strong One,
King of creation, Giver of rest.
Firmly confessing God in three Persons,
Oneness of Godhead, Trinity blest.

Firmly confessing God in three Persons,
Oneness of Godhead, Trinity blest.

Nick Vujicic: Life Without Limbs

This is truly inspiring. You may need to keep the tissues handy.

Time to Pray

Steve is currently out of town visiting his father in the hospital.  He recently suffered a stroke but had remained in stable, though serious, condition.  Last night however he took a turn for the worse experiencing organ failure and sepsis.  His condition is precarious and uncertain.  One thing we know for sure, we must pray. 

I had taken the kids outside this afternoon and was pushing them in their swings when I reminded them that we should pray for their grandfather again.  "Do you remember how I told you that Papa Randy is very sick?  We should say some prayers for him, he may be going to see Jesus soon."  They responded with shrieks of glee and clapping, catching me off guard though only for a moment.  Truly the response we should have at the thought of meeting our Lord.

I began to pray the Our Father, slowly so that they could repeat me, and they followed right along.  We followed it up with a Hail Mary, which they asked to repeat 2 more times. At this point I remembered that I had heard a song based on the Divine Mercy prayers.  It had a good rhythm to it that matched well with the tempo of their swinging so we started praying with song, singing our way through an entire decade.  The kids really enjoyed it, and it was so wonderful to have them be focused, attentive and engaged for the prayers we offered for their grandfather.  I think God may have a soft spot for prayers from such small, innocent children... I know I do.

The Lord is my strength

My Doctor confirmed this afternoon that we lost our baby.  I am scheduled to have a D&E tomorrow morning.  I ask for your prayers for our family during this difficult time.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.   -  Jeremiah 1:5

"The child lives.  Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before Gods throne.  Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty, he sees Gods face.  He was created and lived a short time so that the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before The Lord as their personal intercessor.  He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth.  He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess.  Gods ways are not the ways of man.  He creates for His Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another.  He was created for Gods joy and his parents merits.  He has never seen pain or sin.  He has never felt hunger or pain.  The Lord breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow, and called it forth." - Mother M. Angelica

Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. I'm participating in a Lenten challenge being held over at Faith and Family. The 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge.

What are you planning on doing or giving up for the next 40 days?

A Reminder

Take some time, remember what Advent is about.

St Nicholas Day

Today... was a great day. (Unfortunately, our camera is dead so we had to make do with a phone camera, and all the pictures turned out blurry.)

We spent yesterday talking about St Nicholas, reading a book about him and trying to prep them for today. We hung their stockings and they seemed excited by their "big socks." This morning the kids came downstairs to advent music playing, stuffed stockings, and a lit tree with a special new ornament.
"Teh-yee Berrs!" (teddy bears) was the first exclamation of the morning. (They were really stuffed reindeer with tiny bags of mini candy canes but, close enough.) We said a prayer and then took their stockings down for them to go through. Aside from the stuffed animal they each got a clear bouncy ball with glitter in it, a mini board book and a little chocolate santa. The santas were eaten as soon as they heard they were "Chock-et!"
While they sucked on their santas we read The Saint Who Became Santa Claus.
We enjoyed a nice breakfast and later the kids helped to make Speculatius (German spice cookies.) I didn't have a special cookie cutter or the time to decorate them so we just made circles and they turned out well. Next time I might add a bit more cloves, I like them spicy.

We had a great time finding ways to make this day special (As the kids get older we hope to add a tradition of helping out at a local soup kitchen) and are looking forward to our kids growing up celebrating this great saint.

Beginning New Traditions

It's been a busy week. I have been working on finishing up several projects and haven't had much extra time left at the end of the day, but it's been worth it. Some of these I completed just in time for Advent. I know I had said that I wasn't going to add much to our Advent and Christmas traditions this year, but I changed my mind. If I waited until I was able to do everything just the way I want it then it would be years before my ideas came to life.
I was fortunate to happen upon a site that has printable Jesse Tree ornaments with corresponding reflections and bible passages to read each night. I printed all 28 ornaments and had my mom laminate them for me. I punched a hole in the top of each ornament, threaded some thin purple ribbon through and secured with hot glue. Done! Now all I needed was a special way to keep these items together.
As I was browsing the shelves at Michaels I saw some small wooden, hinged boxes for $3. I picked one out along with two shades of purple acrylic paint, some foam paint brushes and a spray-on sealer. I took the hinges and closures off, applied two coats of paint in each color, allowed them to dry, then used the sealer. The whole process only took one evening.

Now I have a beautiful box which holds the ornament and reading for the day along with two Hershey Kisses for the kids to enjoy. It's worked out quite well.

I don't have the extra room for a separate tree so we put up our beautiful 7.5 foot pre-lit tree and strung it with purple lights. (We'll keep the white lights off until Christmas day and put up our family ornaments on Christmas Eve.)

Each night we all come and sit by the tree with the box and our Bible. One of the kids "hangs" the ornament and then Steve reads the reflection while I help the kids with their chocolate. Then we open the Bible and read the passages while the kids wander the room. (I'm not going to push them to sit still, as long as they're quiet and in the room, I'm happy.)

I keep the box and the Bible on our mantle as the centerpiece of the decoration. I reused my glass vases from fall by surrounding glittery, snow-covered twigs with small purple and silver ball ornaments then wrapping a wide purple ribbon around the top.

Between these vases and the box stand two 8x10 frames with an image of St. Nicholas and a beautiful representation of the Jesse Tree.

My sister referred me to a wonderful blog where I saw this great idea for O Antiphon ornaments. There are several ways to incorporate the O Antiphons into your family traditions with ornaments, houses or wreaths. Perhaps if I find some more time I may try my hand at putting something together. If not, there's always next year. I am pleased with what we have put together for this year though, and am excited to be celebrating this season with my family.

Preparing For Advent

Did you know that Advent begins next Sunday? This is my favorite season in the Church's calendar; the time to reflect on the history of God's people, prepare with joy for His coming at Bethlehem, and look forward to when He will come again. There are many books, activities and prayers available not only for children but for adults looking to celebrate, learn, pray and enjoy this wonderful time.

I recently found a post by Karen Edminsten, The No-Panic Advent Series. In it she has combined all her posts about advent, making it a one-stop-shop, so to speak, of all her ideas for making this season special. She covers so many great topics; The Jesus Stocking, December Feast Days, The Jesse Tree, balancing secularity with Christian heritage, simple traditions (advent wreaths and calendars, prayers and books), Santa, last minute checklists, and the Twelve Days. It's a very long post but is simply a gold mine of tips, links and ideas.

I have posted before about wanting to start some traditions for this time with my family. The Jesse Tree is top on my list but I have come across so many more wonderful ideas, it's almost a little overwhelming. Taking the advice of more seasoned mothers though, I have started a folder compiling ideas, activities, and websites full of prayers and meditations. There is no way I can do everything in one year, nor should I try, and this will allow me to hold on to these ideas for future years. We'll try more ideas as the years go on and hold on to those that are most meaningful for our family.

As time is in short supply this year I think the only new addition to our calendar will be the celebration of St Nicholas Day. We will make and hang stockings on the 5th (St Nicholas Day Eve) and read his story. The next day they will find a few fun trinkets, fruit or candy in them. We'll read some more, bake some Speculaas cookies, say some prayers and enjoy a special dinner.

What special traditions do you have for this season?