Family in Feast and Feria

I came across a wonderful old Catholic art lesson book a few years ago. I'm not able to implement all the ideas this year, but I really loved the thoroughly Catholic approach to the Jesse Tree. Sister calls it the Advent Tree, and incorporates more of our liturgy within the plan.

I have uploaded the chapter in a .pdf file here if anyone is interested.

Today marks the closing of Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year, celebrated with the solemnity of Christ the King. Next week is the beginning of Advent.

Mary Ellen has a wonderful summary about this feast, with ideas to celebrate at O Night Divine blog.

I'm in minimalist mode in preparing for the baby. But while straightening up some things in the basement I came across a simple Christ the King image/activity I scanned and we're using today. Enjoy.

This passage from A Right to be Merry has always inspired me during Advent. I love the naming of the Advent candles in the wreath, marking the journey through time with prominent figures of our Advent Liturgy: Isaiah, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In Advent, we gather each Sunday evening in the community room under the big green wreath that swings above our heads on long purple ribbons. There are four tall candles set in the wreath, and each week Mother Abbess lights one more, first sprinkling the wreath and us with holy water and then reciting the day's collect, full of the Church's immense yearning for the coming of the little Redeemer. "Come! Come! Come!" And we stand under the wreath where the Isaias-candle burns, and the St. John Baptist-candle, and the St. Joseph-candle joined at last by the Mary-candle; and we sing: "Veni, veni, Emmanuel." The monastery is on tiptoe with expectation, and the colored ropes and bells and stars that happy-faced nuns will soon be draping and pinning all over the monastery take their meaning from these prayers and these Office chants.

The last days of Advent, we stand in our choir stalls and sing the glorious O's of the waiting Church. The youngest postulant, looking terribly important and heavy with her responsibility, goes to the tower to ring the great Maria-bell (Miguel, the smaller bell, will join Maria on Christmas Eve), while the nuns chant: "O Wisdom...O Key...O King...Come!"

from A Right to be Merry by Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C., Copyright 1973 from Franciscan Herald Press, p. 90.

Except for the third Sunday of Advent which has the St. Joseph candle, the readings from the Advent Sunday Masses reflect these named candles. These are key figures of the Advent liturgy. And for those who don't have time to do a Jesse tree this is a small way to bring in the Old and New Testament into our Advent prayers.

It's been two years since my maternal grandmother passed away. Last Friday, November 16, marked the anniversary. During November I feel very close to dearly departed loved ones, trying to offer up extra sacrifices and prayers for them, since it is the month of the Poor Souls. I wrote the following soon after we found out she had only a little time left with us.

My Grandmother’s Legacy

This past weekend my family learned that my maternal grandmother has inoperable stomach cancer and only a few months to live. This news comes as a shock. But as I’m contemplating Grandma’s departure from this world, I'm realizing how much I have to be thankful for, all rooted in my grandmother's beautiful and inspiring love of the Mass and the Eucharist.

Grandma is 89 years old and has lived a very full life. She has 4 living children, 25 grandchildren and 52 great-grandchildren. Born and raised in New Orleans, she's a genteel lady and never goes out without her dress and high heels, her hat, earrings and lipstick – even on camping trips!

She’s not your typical grandmother. She was widowed three times. She loves gadgets and innovation. If she could find a faster or seemingly more efficient way to get something done, she’d try it. She didn’t "do" needlecrafts and rarely baked. When she cooked her meals they never were done the same way twice, always trying a new idea. She rarely followed directions, which has led to many humorous consequences.

However, despite her penchant for change and variety, the entrenched anchor at the center of my grandmother’s life has always been simple but deep faith and her love for Christ in the Holy Eucharist. She has shared that love and faith with her family her entire life. Even as a young girl in grade school, Grandma walked to daily Mass alone, then home again for breakfast before school – 12 blocks each trip. This remained her first priority of each day: to go to Mass if possible. That statement speaks volumes of the sacrifices required to get to church daily.

I have been blessed to live nearby Grandma almost my entire life. For the last twenty years we belonged to the same parish, so I’ve been able to attend daily Mass with her. Over the years I’ve watched her gradually decline. First she could no longer drive herself, so family members drove her to Mass. When she couldn’t walk without assistance, she brought a walker. But if she was feeling well, she wanted to have Mass included in her day. She always sat in the back pew and greeted our Lord -- with her hat and lipstick in place. Parish members affectionately refer to her as "The Hat Lady."

Even as a young mother, Grandma made Mass a part of the daily routine for herself and her children. It wasn’t always easy. Fasting requirements were stricter, so she brought her children to church before school and then after Mass she would serve breakfast in the car -- a breakfast she had prepared at home because fast food didn’t exist back then! Inspired by her example and sacrifice, the pastor changed the school schedule making daily Mass a requirement for all students, with breakfast served afterwards in the cafeteria.

My own mother embraced this love of the Mass and passed it on to her seven children. The daily nourishment of the Body and Blood of Christ is also our own priority. It is the way we begin our celebration of all special occasions and feasts. It is coming from Mass, with Christ in our hearts, that we bring Him to the world.

I also now realize that Grandma started one of our family rituals. After participating in the Heavenly Banquet, she brought Christ to others by sharing a meal with her family. As a child I remember going to Mass and then going over to Grandma's for breakfast. Whether it was just coffee and a bowl of cereal, it was still time shared together. Now as an adult, after morning mass, any family members at Church go out to breakfast. This little ritual of a Spiritual Banquet followed by a shared meal has kept our family very close.

Over the years as the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren grew, we understood we couldn’t expect a check or a gift from Grandma. But if we got a card, it always read: "I offered my Mass and communion for you." These last ten years it was just too much for her to even buy a card, but we still had the verbal promise of prayers. Maybe as a child I didn’t understand or appreciate her spiritual bouquets, but now I’m grateful for that most generous gift and my grandmother’s legacy.

Jennifer Miller and her family live in Manassas, Virginia and belong to All Saints Parish. Her grandmother, May Corbin, died peacefully on Nov. 16 surrounded by her family.

I haven't written any posts in a long time. I'm not apologizing, just stating a fact. I put the blog on password protection for a while, as I was contemplating deleting the blog altogether. I am busy with other things, and I can't keep up with the blogging community. I write for my family and myself, and don't expect to have other readers. And lately, I'm not up to writing about anything!

The baby is due in a few weeks, around Christmastime, if all goes as planned. I have lots to do in preparation, and of course will be busy post-partum, too. I'm really looking foward to seeing the little guy. I'm on bedrest right now and will just have to learn patience and trust in God.

I just want to thank you for all the good wishes and prayers for this pregnancy. I really appreciate it.

God bless you!