Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve Mass
My favorite masses of the year are Christmas Eve and Easter. We celebrated our first Christmas Eve Mass at St. Mary Magdelene's at 4pm. After speaking with some friends, we were warned about how crowded the Mass would be. So, we arrived at 3pm, with all the boys decked out in their suits, and took our seats. I had brought some books and a notebook for Jacob to draw in. By 3:30pm, the church was standing room only, and even then, most of those spots were taken too. It was such a joyous thing to see!!!! I couldn't help but pray to God that our church would look like this every week; now wouldn't that be something?! The 4pm mass was the children's mass, so it was fun to see all the kids dressed up and hear the children's choir. The boys did surprisingly well despite sitting for 2 1/2 hours. Caleb slept through most of it and Noah charmed the teenage girls in front of us.
Christmas means so much more after 5 weeks of Advent to prepare for Christ's birth. There are such wonderful books that help to quiet the noise of the world and focus on Jesus and what His birth means to us, 2000 years later. I have grown to appreciate anything written by Rev Fulton Sheen and Pope John Paul II. Both of them have such beautiful insight and message of God's love for all! Merry Christmas and may God bless you abundantly in the year to come!
The boys were so proud they were dressed up like Daddy!
Merry Christmas
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Preparing for Baby Jesus
This Advent has been fun; the most fun I've ever had! Why? My kids are finally starting to get old enough that they understand what Christmas is really about.
In our house, we do not do Santa Clause. Most people look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them that. Then they usually ask...Why not? What is the harm? But my question is this: Does Santa help us to draw closer to Christ? For our family, the answer is no. Sure, the big elf is pretty fun and what is the harm in allowing kids to believe in magic? For me, it is a lie; the whole Santa thing is. What really bothers me is this notion of being good or bad. If you are good, Santa brings you gifts, if you are bad, you get coal. Kids get threatened that they will get coal, but when push comes to shove, do parents actually follow thru? I have never met one that did. So from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve, parents are constantly telling their kids "You better be good; Santa is watching." What about God? Isn't God watching? Isn't God the ultimate authority on good and bad? Shouldn't we teach children to obey and behave properly based upon God's moral code? Every family is different and must discern God's will for their family. For us, taking Santa out of the picture has allowed us to move away from the "What am I going to get for Christmas?" to the "What can I do for Christ and how can I grow in my faith?". What a blessing that has been!
Instead of Santa, we do something different with our nativity set. I set up our criche and told the boys that we wanted to make a very soft manger for baby Jesus filled with cotton balls. The only way that they could put a cotton ball in His manger was for mommy or daddy to catch the boys in a good act. For every good deed, they got a cotton ball. You would have thought I was giving them cotton candy every time; they loved it!!! The boys were SO excited to do something for baby Jesus in preparing for his birth. At first, they tried to report to me each time they would do something for their sibling or to help me around the house. I quickly stopped that by not giving them any cotton balls. They had to get "caught" in the good deed. This was definitely a big success. The result? A lot of good behavior for Jesus!!! I really believe that it made an impression on Jacob how important it is that we do things that are pleasing to God. It doesn't earn our way into Heaven, but it helps us as we work out our own salvation. This really helped the boys to understand that everything we do must be with Christ in mind!
Our next favorite activity was the Jesse Tree. I had purchased a kit from Leaflet Missal last year and had never finished it for Advent in 2010. So this year, I decided that I would finish making the ornaments and do it with the boys each day. For each of the 29 days, there was an ornament that went on the tree and an Old Testament story. The Jesse tree begins with the creation story and follows chronologically until Jesus' birth.
Every morning, Jacob would beg me to do the next ornament. I had purchased a Catholic Children's Bible that was perfect for reading the stories. I am embarrassed to say that even I did not know all of the stories; it was a very humbling experience. Thankfully, our church is offering a bible study on the Old Testament starting in February; guess I better sign up! ;-) Regardless, we enjoyed these stories and lessons on how many men remained faithful to God; despite great struggles and suffering. Here is what it looked like at the end:
Advent is truly about the three comings of Christ, His coming at Bethlehem, His coming daily into our hearts; if we allow Him; and His final coming that we are awaiting. Here is a beautiful season in the liturgical calendar that allows us to focus on the virgin birth and Christ humbling Himself to become a man. I hope that you have had a beautiful Advent in preparation for the coming of our King!!!
In our house, we do not do Santa Clause. Most people look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them that. Then they usually ask...Why not? What is the harm? But my question is this: Does Santa help us to draw closer to Christ? For our family, the answer is no. Sure, the big elf is pretty fun and what is the harm in allowing kids to believe in magic? For me, it is a lie; the whole Santa thing is. What really bothers me is this notion of being good or bad. If you are good, Santa brings you gifts, if you are bad, you get coal. Kids get threatened that they will get coal, but when push comes to shove, do parents actually follow thru? I have never met one that did. So from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve, parents are constantly telling their kids "You better be good; Santa is watching." What about God? Isn't God watching? Isn't God the ultimate authority on good and bad? Shouldn't we teach children to obey and behave properly based upon God's moral code? Every family is different and must discern God's will for their family. For us, taking Santa out of the picture has allowed us to move away from the "What am I going to get for Christmas?" to the "What can I do for Christ and how can I grow in my faith?". What a blessing that has been!
Instead of Santa, we do something different with our nativity set. I set up our criche and told the boys that we wanted to make a very soft manger for baby Jesus filled with cotton balls. The only way that they could put a cotton ball in His manger was for mommy or daddy to catch the boys in a good act. For every good deed, they got a cotton ball. You would have thought I was giving them cotton candy every time; they loved it!!! The boys were SO excited to do something for baby Jesus in preparing for his birth. At first, they tried to report to me each time they would do something for their sibling or to help me around the house. I quickly stopped that by not giving them any cotton balls. They had to get "caught" in the good deed. This was definitely a big success. The result? A lot of good behavior for Jesus!!! I really believe that it made an impression on Jacob how important it is that we do things that are pleasing to God. It doesn't earn our way into Heaven, but it helps us as we work out our own salvation. This really helped the boys to understand that everything we do must be with Christ in mind!
Our next favorite activity was the Jesse Tree. I had purchased a kit from Leaflet Missal last year and had never finished it for Advent in 2010. So this year, I decided that I would finish making the ornaments and do it with the boys each day. For each of the 29 days, there was an ornament that went on the tree and an Old Testament story. The Jesse tree begins with the creation story and follows chronologically until Jesus' birth.
Every morning, Jacob would beg me to do the next ornament. I had purchased a Catholic Children's Bible that was perfect for reading the stories. I am embarrassed to say that even I did not know all of the stories; it was a very humbling experience. Thankfully, our church is offering a bible study on the Old Testament starting in February; guess I better sign up! ;-) Regardless, we enjoyed these stories and lessons on how many men remained faithful to God; despite great struggles and suffering. Here is what it looked like at the end:
Advent is truly about the three comings of Christ, His coming at Bethlehem, His coming daily into our hearts; if we allow Him; and His final coming that we are awaiting. Here is a beautiful season in the liturgical calendar that allows us to focus on the virgin birth and Christ humbling Himself to become a man. I hope that you have had a beautiful Advent in preparation for the coming of our King!!!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Approaching God as a Child
What does it mean to have a child-like faith? This is something that has been weighing heavily on my heart recently. As I strive to teach the Faith to my children and help them experience our Father's love each day, I see how they approach God. They approach him without question, full of love and a desire to do His will. Though signs of our inherent sinfulness start to kick in around 1 year of age, children are still an ideal example for adults to emulate when it comes to our faith. They are quick to forgive and forget, they love unconditionally, they accept whatever we teach them without question and they accept the Father's love wholeheartedly. I would argue that the only exception for us as adults is that we should question things we are taught if they are coming from an unreliable or questionable source. This is one thing I love so much about the Catholic Church. We have an entire Catechism at our fingertips that has many of the answers to our questions. If it cannot be found there, the Magesterium (clergy) are another unified source of information. This consistency in the Church provides great comfort for me and allows Catholics to be unified in our beliefs.
But what does Jesus say about the children?
Jesus loved the children, especially at a time when society did not view women and children equal to a man. When observing children, it is clear what Jesus is saying. Children approach Jesus without reserve. They openly worship and adore Him. My youngest (18 months) does that in his screams of "Jesus" during the quietest moments of mass! They are not afraid to speak of Him to others. They are not afraid to ask for forgiveness and when forgiveness is given, they quickly forget their wrongdoings and start fresh. So how can you emulate a child's approach to God?
This is one of my favorite passages from St. Frances de Sales; the book is titled Set your Heart Free. It is especially meaningful to me because I can understand the analogy of a child holding onto his/her parents hand. This is so real to me right now as I am constantly holding my childrens' hands. Just as I hold my child's hand, so does God hold tightly to each of us. Do we let go or do we cling tightly to His hand? Take some time to read it and contemplate on it. Are you holding tightly to your Father's hand and not collecting too many earthly goods? Is what you are doing pleasing to God? Do you put your total trust in God and be satisfied with what He gives you? How can you approach your Father as a child?
But what does Jesus say about the children?
"Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said "Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:13-14.
Jesus loved the children, especially at a time when society did not view women and children equal to a man. When observing children, it is clear what Jesus is saying. Children approach Jesus without reserve. They openly worship and adore Him. My youngest (18 months) does that in his screams of "Jesus" during the quietest moments of mass! They are not afraid to speak of Him to others. They are not afraid to ask for forgiveness and when forgiveness is given, they quickly forget their wrongdoings and start fresh. So how can you emulate a child's approach to God?
This is one of my favorite passages from St. Frances de Sales; the book is titled Set your Heart Free. It is especially meaningful to me because I can understand the analogy of a child holding onto his/her parents hand. This is so real to me right now as I am constantly holding my childrens' hands. Just as I hold my child's hand, so does God hold tightly to each of us. Do we let go or do we cling tightly to His hand? Take some time to read it and contemplate on it. Are you holding tightly to your Father's hand and not collecting too many earthly goods? Is what you are doing pleasing to God? Do you put your total trust in God and be satisfied with what He gives you? How can you approach your Father as a child?
If you hope to succeed
in whatever you do,
place your trust totally in God's providence.
Cooperate with him,
then rest secure
that whatever happens,
will be best for you.
Think of a little child
walking with her father.
One hand clings tightly to his,
but with the other
she gathers fruit from trees along the way.
Imitate the child.
With one hand go ahead and gather
what you need of the world's good things,
but with the other
hold on to your heavenly Father,
checking regularly
whether or not,
he approves of what you are doing with your life.
Above all,
beware of letting go of your Father
to free up both your hands
to gather more of the world's goods.
You will find
that by yourself
you will stumble and fall.
And when your gathering does not require
all your attention,
turn your mind to God as often as you can.
Like a sailor returning to port,
look to the sky
and not just to the waves that carry you.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Where am I going?
Before you begin any project, you must have a goal of where you want to end up! My children are no different. I have been contemplating making a lot of changes in our home, implementing them slowly of course, because too much change is overwhelming. However, as I started to list out the things I wanted to change, I realized that I didn't have much of a direction or idea of where I wanted to end up. So, I needed to have a goal. Brian and I have discussed often of where we hope to be in 20 years with our children and really there are two goals that we have for our lives and these transcend to our children:
1. That our lives are centered on Christ and are obedient to His will.
2. That we live a life of servitude towards others.
These two goals are based upon what Christ has commanded for us all.
"When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." Matthew 22: 34-40.
We must focus our hearts on Christ first and foremost. Every day we must spend time with God; there is no greater joy than that. Time must be spent in prayer, reflection, reading of the Scripture and gaining a deeper understanding of our faith. Through the Holy Mass, we can participate in Christ's redemption that was done for us on the cross. In Adoration, we open our hearts and minds to Christ and allow Him to permeate our inmost being. After Christ, we serve others. It is in serving others that our own true happiness can be achieved. This is so counter-cultural in a world that tells us "It's all about me" and "What's in it for me?".
I am confident that if our children live for Christ and to serve others, they will achieve a happy life with eternal salvation. Knowing that they are sinners just like all of us, they will be tempted and faced with great challenges and adversity. Following Christ is not an easy path and they will be ridiculed by others for it. But their reward in Heaven shall be great.
But how to guide them?
This is something that I will be working through for the next 18 years and I know that my plan will change and get tweaked as the years go on. For now, I am relying on the Holy Spirit to guide me. I feel that God is speaking to me more than He ever has before; or maybe I am just listening better?! My salvation and theirs is on the line and I want to make sure that I do everything I can to guide them to Christ.
As my boys grow into young men, the world will ask them "What do you want to be when you grow up?". I hope that rather than asking that, they are asking "With the skills and talents that God has given me, how can I do God's will so that I can serve others?". They must realize that we are merely God's instruments for His plan! When our will becomes God's will, true communion with Christ happens!
St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) couldn't have said it better:
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
1. That our lives are centered on Christ and are obedient to His will.
2. That we live a life of servitude towards others.
These two goals are based upon what Christ has commanded for us all.
"When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." Matthew 22: 34-40.
We must focus our hearts on Christ first and foremost. Every day we must spend time with God; there is no greater joy than that. Time must be spent in prayer, reflection, reading of the Scripture and gaining a deeper understanding of our faith. Through the Holy Mass, we can participate in Christ's redemption that was done for us on the cross. In Adoration, we open our hearts and minds to Christ and allow Him to permeate our inmost being. After Christ, we serve others. It is in serving others that our own true happiness can be achieved. This is so counter-cultural in a world that tells us "It's all about me" and "What's in it for me?".
I am confident that if our children live for Christ and to serve others, they will achieve a happy life with eternal salvation. Knowing that they are sinners just like all of us, they will be tempted and faced with great challenges and adversity. Following Christ is not an easy path and they will be ridiculed by others for it. But their reward in Heaven shall be great.
But how to guide them?
This is something that I will be working through for the next 18 years and I know that my plan will change and get tweaked as the years go on. For now, I am relying on the Holy Spirit to guide me. I feel that God is speaking to me more than He ever has before; or maybe I am just listening better?! My salvation and theirs is on the line and I want to make sure that I do everything I can to guide them to Christ.
As my boys grow into young men, the world will ask them "What do you want to be when you grow up?". I hope that rather than asking that, they are asking "With the skills and talents that God has given me, how can I do God's will so that I can serve others?". They must realize that we are merely God's instruments for His plan! When our will becomes God's will, true communion with Christ happens!
St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) couldn't have said it better:
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Monday, December 12, 2011
My Domestic Church
Why the Domestic Church?
This is a term that I came across about a year ago that describes any Christian home that centers their lives on Christ. We are all called to be Brothers and Sisters of Christ and in doing so, it begins in the home. As parents, we are given the awesome responsibility to raise our children to love, serve and obey God. This all begins in the home, the domestic church. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason the family home is rightly called 'the domestic church', a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity. (CCC,1666)".
This blog is about our family's journey of faith. I am no theologian or expert by any means; but I am on fire my faith and have this burning desire to share it!!! In order to seek better understanding of the truth, I rely upon the wisdom of the Magesterium of the Catholic Church, the Bible and the Traditions of the Church that have been passed on for almost 2000 years! I love that the Catholic Church has many early Church Fathers, Church Doctors and Saints that are able to demonstrate the path to holiness. I am a humble Christian woman who wants to serve the Lord. I desire a deeper and stronger relationship with Christ. As the mother of this home, it is my primary responsibility to teach this faith, the Catholic faith, to our children. I am anxious to share our experiences as we stumble along this journey, knowing that Jesus is always right by our side and at times even carrying us. I want to share my love of the Catholic Faith and Jesus Christ with the world. I welcome all thoughts and reactions to anything that is posted. As I continue to grow in my faith, I hope to inspire and encourage others to do the same.
Be a saint! What else is there?
This is a term that I came across about a year ago that describes any Christian home that centers their lives on Christ. We are all called to be Brothers and Sisters of Christ and in doing so, it begins in the home. As parents, we are given the awesome responsibility to raise our children to love, serve and obey God. This all begins in the home, the domestic church. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason the family home is rightly called 'the domestic church', a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity. (CCC,1666)".
This blog is about our family's journey of faith. I am no theologian or expert by any means; but I am on fire my faith and have this burning desire to share it!!! In order to seek better understanding of the truth, I rely upon the wisdom of the Magesterium of the Catholic Church, the Bible and the Traditions of the Church that have been passed on for almost 2000 years! I love that the Catholic Church has many early Church Fathers, Church Doctors and Saints that are able to demonstrate the path to holiness. I am a humble Christian woman who wants to serve the Lord. I desire a deeper and stronger relationship with Christ. As the mother of this home, it is my primary responsibility to teach this faith, the Catholic faith, to our children. I am anxious to share our experiences as we stumble along this journey, knowing that Jesus is always right by our side and at times even carrying us. I want to share my love of the Catholic Faith and Jesus Christ with the world. I welcome all thoughts and reactions to anything that is posted. As I continue to grow in my faith, I hope to inspire and encourage others to do the same.
Be a saint! What else is there?
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