Feast of the Assumption of Mary

To celebrate this feast day we did a special craft; a triptych!.

The first thing I did was to cut some blue card stock into house shapes, making tabs to fold back on the sides.   I found some artwork depicting different parts of the assumption (leaving earth, entering heaven with Jesus, and standing among the clouds) and printed them out, 5x7, on card stock.  Then I set the kids up with glue sticks, cotton balls, and star stickers to decorate their pictures.  While they worked I read a description of this feast day and we said a special prayer.  After their pictures were finished I glued the side tabs together and we stood up our triptych!  To complete our centerpiece we added a white candle with ribbon, surrounded by a ring of ivy.

After their lunch I made a special treat, assumption parfaits!  That sounds much more fancy than it was; cool whip and blue jello, layered in a narrow glass, look like clouds!  I actually used quilted canning jars.  Before they ate we lit the candle and prayed a Hail Mary.

Happy feast of the Assumption!

Father in heaven,
all creation rightly gives you praise,
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness
and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

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.

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.