Just Another Day In Paradise

The Transfiguration

"Glory is the fruit if grace: the grace possessed by Jesus in an infinite degree is reflected in an infinite glory transfiguring Him entirely. Something similar happens to us: grace will transform us "from glory to glory" (2 Cor 3, 18) until one day it will bring us to the Beatific Vision of God in heaven. But while grace transfigures, sin, on the other hand, darkens and disfigures whoever becomes its victim." Divine Intimacy

Confession

"Penance is the sacrament of Christ's Precious Blood in which God- according to the eloquent words of Saint Catherine of Siena- "has bathed us in order to cleanse the face of our souls from the leprosy of sin." If mortal sin is only the necessary matter of this sacrament, venial sin is sufficient matter, since al  Catholic tradition insists on frequent confession, even when one has only venial sins to confess. However, those who confess weekly must take great care lest their confessions become a mere routine, instead of the really vital acts which would enable these souls to profit fully from all the graces offered by the sacrament." Divine Intimacy

How do you make snow angels without snow?

With flour, of course ;-)

 

Examination of Conscience

"To ensure an orderly and progressive growth in the spiritual life, we must know ourselves. We have to consider our sins, our week points, our evil tendencies, as well as the progress we have already made, the favorable results we have attained, and our inclinations to good. This knowledge of our interior state is obtained through the examination of conscience. The examen considered in this way becomes one of the most important excersices of the spiritual life, since its object is to help the soul to rid itself of everything that might obstruct or delay its journey to God, and to stimulate it to quicken its pace to ward Him. Just as we cannot wage war with an unknown enemy, or make conquest of an unknown region, in the same way it is impossible to fight the evil in ourselves if we have not previously identified it." Divine Intimacy

Lenten Embertide

"Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Quadragesima Sunday (the first Sunday of Lent) are known as "Lenten Embertide," which, depending on the date of Easter, can come as early as February 11, but which is seen as associated with the season of Spring (March, April, May). Liturgically, the lessons for the Wednesday and Saturday Masses focus on the Commandments given to Moses by God, and on the promises to those who keep them well, all ending with the story of the three lads saved by an angel from Nabuchodonosor's furnace, as is so for all but Whit Embertide.

The Gospel readings speak of Our Lord discoursing on the sign of Jonas, and how exorcised spirits can return (Matthew 12:38-50), healing the paralytic (John 5:1-15), and the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9)." These three days are traditionally days of fasting and abstinence. You can read the rest on Fisheaters.com

Meatless Recipe for the first week of Lent- Mahi Mahi

I came up with this recipe last week while craving some garlic, tomatoes and feta cheese, so I decided to try this combination on the Mahi Mahi I had in the freezer for Friday's meal. It came out absolutely delicious. My husband and the kids loved it and they are very hard to please :) I'm hoping to come up with a few more meatless recipes every week during Lent for a cookbook I'm putting together with my girls.

Sautee 3 pieces of chopped garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat.

 

Fry 4-6 pieces of frozen Mahi Mahi in the garlic oil for about 10 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper before turning the fish to the other side.

Squeeze the juice of one whole lime on both sides of the fish.

Pour a can of chopped tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of fresh basil.

Crumble Feta cheese on the fish and serve over a hot plate of rice or pasta. Enjoy!

Conversion

In the Epistle of today's Mass, we read: For thus saith The Lord: Behold I Myself will seek My sheep, and will visit them... and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day...I will bring them to their own land, and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel... There shall they rest on the green grass." This is the program which the Lord wishes to accomplish in our souls during the Holy season of Lent, in order to lead us by means of it to a life of higher perfectionand closer intimacy with Him. He stretches out His hand to us, not only to save us from dangers, but also to help us climb to those higher places where He Himself will nourish us. Divine Intimacy

Birds, birds, birds

It's all about birds around here. 

 

The Great Combat

"After 40 days of rigorous fast, while He is feeling the pangs of hunger, Jesus is tempted by Satan to change stones into bread. No one can undertake a serious program of penance or mortification without feeling its discomforts; but that is the time to resist the insinuating voices which invites us to condescend to the demands of nature; that is the time to reply with Jesus, "not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the the mouth of God" (Gosp. :Mt 4, 1-11). Man's life is far more dependent on the will of God than on material food. If we are convinced of this truth, we shall have the courage to submit to privations, trusting in divine Providence for our sustenance." Divine Intimacy

You have to see it to believe it!

Our two year old Maria sat at our kitchen table and patiently strung all these beads on the flexible wire. I'm amazed at how well she did it.The holes in the beads are very small and the wire is extremely thin. I was shocked when I saw her sitting there putting all those beads on the wire. I have a hard time doing that myself :)

 
 

The Spirit of Mortification

"The spirit of mortification has more than a purely physical aspect of mortification; it also includes renunciation of the ego, the will, and the understanding. Just as in our body and in our senseswe have unruly tendencies toward the enjoyment of material things, so also in our ego there are inordinate tendencies toward self-assertion. Love of self and complacency in our own excellence are often so great that, even unconciously, we tend to make "self" the center of the universe." Divine Intimacy

The Proof of Love

"After the Incarnation, the Cross of Jesus is the greatest proof of His love for man. Similarly, mortification, which is suffering eagerly accepted for the love of God, is one of the greatest proofs of love that we can give Him. It means freely giving up a satisfaction or a pleasure in order to impose on ourselves, for love of God, something which is contrary to our own natural inclinations; we thus prove that we prefer to satisfy God rather than ourselves. Every act of voluntary mortification, whether physical or moral, says to God, "Lord, I love You more than myself!" and since a  soul in love has an ardent desire to give proof of its love, it is very vigilant not to miss a single opportunity for renunciation." Divine Intimacy

On veiling images and the veiling of women

This homily was given by our dear priest a few years ago and it's well worth reposting.

"Going back to the 3rd Century, today marks the beginning of “Passiontide”, a mini-season which begins with Passion Sunday. A very striking way this is demonstrated is the practice of covering or veiling the Crucifix, statues and holy pictures within the Church with violet/purple cloth – as asign of mourning. This practice originated in Rome, where the images in the papal chapel were veiled immediately after the deacon proclaimed today’s Gospel which conclude with the words, “Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” (Jn 8:59) So the focus from today until Easter has traditionally been on the Sacred Passion of our Lord. With the exception of the veneration of the Crucifix on Good Friday, the sacred images wouldn’t be seen again until the celebration of our Lord’s Glorious Resurrection on Easter. Certainly, we could also cover the sacred images in our homes with purple cloth as a frequent stark reminder to focus on the passion of our Lord!

The traditional practice has always been that boys and men uncover their heads when entering the Church as a sign of humility and reverence to our Lord. St. Paul says that fathers and husbands - who are heads of their families - are to uncover their heads in Church to humble themselves before Christ, who is their head. Since the early Church, Religious sisters and nuns traditionally have worn a veil as part of their habit as a sign of humility and purity and to show that they have consecrated themselves to Christ, their spiritual spouse. Until recently it was the unbroken tradition of the Church, following the writings of St. Paul, that girls and women who are not religious, wear a chapel veil – also known by its Spanish name, mantilla– or some other dignified hat - whenever they entered a Catholic Church. St. Paul argues for the use of veils especially based on the order of creation and headship. Contrary to the feminist view, covering her hair does not mean a girl or woman is ashamed of her feminine beauty, but that, following the example of our Lord in the Gospel, during divine worship, she is covering her physical glory so that God ALONE may be glorified. Furthermore, the veil fittingly expresses the dignity of woman as a life-bearing vessel. The Church veils only the sacred, such as the tabernacle, ciborium, and the chalice in the 1st part of the Mass. These sacred vessels hold the Most Blessed Sacrament, which contains Life itself. Similarly, woman was created with the privilege of bearing human life. So men and women, though equal in dignity, are distinct and so show respect and love to God in different ways. For the Catholic girl or woman, the veil is a symbol of her unique feminine dignity as an adopted daughter of God the Father. So, the chapel veil, though now apparently optional like so many other venerable traditions of Holy Mother Church – such as the biretta, is still very fittingly worn by girls and woman whenever they enter in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Also some women profit from wearing a veil during other times of prayer at home, such as the Rosary or mental prayer. The veil can also encourage girls and women to imitate the perfect model for modesty, purity, and femininity - our Blessed Mother..." Rev. R. Carr

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Lent in the home- Activities and crafts for children

Here are some ways to celebrate the holy season of Lent with your children:

Shrouding Sacred Statues and Pictures

• Count your statues and holy pictures, then cut strips of purple cloth and use as shrouds for the artwork on Passion Sunday, just as the shrouds are used in church. This reminds us that with the arrival of Passion Sunday, the last most solemn and sorrowful weeks of Lent have begun.

Crown of Thorns

 

   

 

• This year we are using a wreath from the local craft store to represent the Crown of Thorns. I think it looks more realistic than the salt dough crown. On Ash Wednesday the children will put toothpick in the wreath and whenever they do a good deed, they will take out the toothpick and on Holy saturday we will glue flowers all over the "crown."

Salt dough recipe. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5-10 minutes until satiny smooth. This prevents cracking and uneven baking. Divide into three equal sections and make three ropes. Braid the three ropes and form into a circle to form the crown of thorns. Place toothpicks around crown .After molding, bake at 300 for 30-40 minutes. Check often. Apply color by using paste food coloring mixed with eggwhites before baking for a golden brown finish.

The Stations of the Cross

• A dear friend of ours made me a stand, which holds 14 candles. We light them before we say the Stations of the Cross, and after each Station is read, we blow out the candle. When the last Station is read, the last candle is blown out and there will be total darkness in the room.
  

Resurrection Eggs

 

• Lead your kids on a fun, faith-filled Easter egg hunt this year--one that will teach them about Jesus' death and resurrection! Each egg carton is filled with a dozen colorful plastic eggs with miniature symbols of the Easter story hidden inside. These items symbolize events in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. You'll find a donkey, three coins, a cup, praying hands, a leather strip, a crown of thorns, nails, a die, a spear, linen/gauze, and a stone, as well as one empty egg, representing the empty tomb.

Lenten Sacrifice Beads:

• Draw a cross on the poster-board.
  Explain that purple is a color for royalty, for Christ is our risen King. Every time a child does an act of charity, penance, or alms, he/she will receive a bead to place in the jar. Every week in Lent, glue all the week's beads onto the poster, filling in the cross. This shows that we are all helping Jesus to carry His cross. Each bead helps Jesus carry the cross and helps us prepare for Good Friday and Christ's Passion.
  Supplies:
  1 bag purple beads
  1 large poster board
  1 jar to display on altar

Easter Story Cookies

• To be made the night before Easter. This recipe is to be made with children, to help illustrate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Do this on Holy Saturday evening, before the Easter Vigil Mass. These are meringue cookies. The oven will be hot, even though you turn it off for the night, to allow the cookies to rise and become hollow.

Works of Mercy Mobile. We have never done this, but I thought I woud share it. I read this somewhere a few years ago.

• Have your children review all of the works of mercy. Then either draw or cut out pictures from magazines to fit the description of each work. Attach to hanger with tape and string and have the children hang them in their rooms to remind them to do these good works during the remainder of Lent.

Books we'll be reading:

• "The Tale of Three Trees"

There are many resources to help Catholic families celebrate the holy season of Lent. I have been gathering these for many years. Here are some links that have been very helpful to me:

Meatless Recipes:

• Lenten Dishes from C.I.N.
• Lenten Recipes from CatholicMom.com I submitted nine recipes a few years ago.
• Lent Recipes from Catholic Culture

Activity Books we own:

• Lent and Easter in the Domestic Church
• Lent and Easter for the Christian Family
• My Catholic Lent and Easter Activity Book

Catholic Lent activities for the family:

• Lent activities for the family
• Lent activities for older children
• Lent activities for young children
• Lent for little ones from Domestic-Church
• Activities for Lent from a dear friend, Coleen Rooney

Devotions for Lent

• Prayers and Devotions from WFF
• Examination of Conscience for Children

EWTN Reflection.

• What to give up...

(Repost) Lent activity for children- Acts of love and penances

Here is an idea I came up with, to help our family perform small penances and acts of love for Jesus. I compiled a list of small sacrifices and acts of love and wrote them on small pieces of purple foam. I then attached them with velcro to the large felt cross. We've already added some for you to see.

Some of these aren't suitable for younger children. There are supposed to be 40 squares on the cross, but I made the cross too small. I'll have to make it bigger next year.I couldn't think of 40 penances/acts of love, so I made two of each. Here is a list of the things we will be working on during Lent:

• Be extra patient today
• Be helpful throughout the day
• Don't watch TV today
• Praise someone who makes you angry
• Do an extra chore without bieng asked
• Don't listen to the radio today
• Say little prayers throughout the day
• Don't tattle all day today
• Say an extra Rosary
• Don't have any sweets
• Drink only water today
• Don't complain today
• Do your chores joyfully
• Pray for those who have injured you
• Speak in a soft voice
• Control your temper
• Be kind to those who anger you
• Get up earlier today and read the Bible
• Help a younger sibbling with their chores
• Read about your patron saint

(Repost) Lent activity for children: Farewell to the Alleluia

Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight has a wonderful post on celebrating Ash Wednesday. One of the crafts she made is saying farewell to the Alleluia.

Here is our attempt at this wonderful tradition. This is a great Lenten activity to make with the children.

I bought wooden letters and a paperboard box and spray painted them gold. Then the kids glued some glittery flowers on them. This is our Alleluia before we put it away:

 

Here is the box with the Alleluia wrapped in purple tissue paper. We will open the box on Easter morning to reveal the Alleluia, which we will display during the fifty days of Easter.

The box will sit on our altar until then.

(Repost) Lent activity for children: 14 Stations of the Cross

I came up with this craft a few years ago and wanted to share it again this year. This 14 Stations of the Cross votive candle holder is very easy to make with your children and also inexpensive. The total cost was about $12.00.

I started with a piece of wood about 2 1/2 feet long and hot glued 14 glass votive candles on it.

Then I printed these black and white images of the 14 Stations of the Cross. The kids cut them and used a glue stick to paste them on the glass votives. The candles turned out absolutely beautiful.

We light all 14 candles. After we read each station, we blow out a candle, and when we get to the last station, the room is dark and somber. It has made meditating on the stations very real to us.

For the little ones, I found these printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages.

This is a great chidren's book for children ages 4 and up: The Story of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross for Children

Spotted Owl

by Joseph, age 11

The winner of the Lenten Rosary is...

Congratulations, Jessica Davies! Please email me your address and I will get the Rosary to you next week :-)

I will be having another Rosary giveaway in March for the feast of St. Patrick on March 17th. I will also give away a special First Holy Communion Rosary in April, an Olive wood Rosary in May for the feast of St. Joseph The Worker and a Sacred Heart Rosary in June.

One of the best nights of our lives!

Yesterday afternoon we lost power due to the blizzard of 2010, which dumped 18" of snow in our small little town. Luckily, we have a wood stove in the basement, which kept us warm throughout the day until we finally went to bed under a cover of many blankets. The kids had a wonderful time playing in the dark the girls had a slumber party in the girls' room and the 4 little ones slept in our bedroom where we read to the little ones by candlelight. It was so good to have silence. Such peace! No music, no videos, no phones ringing. Complete silence! Just the sound of the children talking and running around laughing and getting along like never before. I was disappointed when the electricity came back on this morning. We had such a lovely evening and I hope we can recapture that feeling again. We made such wonderful memories and I'm so glad the camera was charged before we lost power.

 

 

Dinner and keeping a journal by candlelight

 

a good book is always nice by soft light

 

eating dinner while catching up on a college essay without internet :)

Rosary by candlelight

And the best part of the night, having a big slumber party with all your sisters.

In the morning, we made breakfast and a pot of soup for lunch and dinner on the wood stove.

 

Thank you, dear Lord for all the blessings in our lives.