Family in Feast and Feria

Inspired by Elizabeth Foss' preschool posts, particularly It's a Wonderful Thing, our son received a two-sided art easel for his third birthday. One side has a chalkboard, the other a whiteboard and capability of putting attaching paper and painting. By far it is one of his favorite gifts. He wants to paint all the time. He enjoys wielding the paint brush and using the brilliant primary colors. Each page is a masterpiece. Yesterday he stepped back from his work and said "I'm looking at my painting." After a little quiet surveillance, he declared: "It needs more paint."

And his cousins, near the same age, feel the same tug, the same attraction for this easel. A chalkboard has such wonderful possibilities, but the paint -- Oh! it's just wonderful. One nephew (my darling godson) spied it immediately walking into the house. There was a painting my son had already completed still hanging on the easel. Such oohs and ahhs and "He painted that? Wow, that's beautiful." And it was.

I watched another niece and nephew this week for a little while. I thought that they would be spending most of their time playing Thomas & Friends, as there was a lovely track set up and a roundhouse that was so appealing the last visit. Yes, it was attractive, but the magnetic appeal of the easel was even stronger. We ended up painting, and it was their first time, too. What concentration on their work, and what pride at the completed masterpieces!

And this is my favorite gift, too. For the first time in my memory, I am using tempera paints. Yes, you read that correctly. I mean it's MY first time. My kitchen and dining room have the wonderful odor of tempera paints. It brings back a flood of memories. I remember walking by the art supply room, smelling that aroma. I remember seeing those large jars of those brilliant colors and wondering, wishing, hoping that one day I could paint. In all those years of Catholic school, I must have teachers who didn't want the mess, because I never experienced the joy of using tempera paint. So now I have, and it's even better than I ever dreamed.

It's the olfactory sense that really triggers memories of my childhood art supplies. The smell of Crayola Crayons, PlayDoh, Paste, Elmers Glue, Construction Paper, Scotch Tape, fingerpaints, pencil leads....all have a distinct and delightful aroma. And smelling any of these takes me on a delightful trip down memory lane...and reminds me that I need to provide opportunities for my son to make these kind of memories, also.

And for ds, the chalkboard and painting have ignited other artistic pursuits. The creative floodgates have been opened. He now can't get enough of using markers and crayons...he even talks about being an artist. The artist part is in thanks to the inspiration of The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola, one of his favorite books right now.

Now, I have to admit, I have been wondering why some of these Tempera paints have labels that say "Really and Truly" washable paints. I couldn't understand, because our paint is washable. It says so...right on the label. Well, this week I figured it out. The paints don't come out as easily as just washing the clothes. But do these "really and truly" washable paints smell like traditional tempera paints? Are they as brilliant and have the same texture? Any recommendations for brands?

Next stop, fingerpainting. I'm a bit nervous on this endeavour. It's not the mess. I loved fingerpaints, mostly because of the smell (I tell you, my little nose really plays a prominent role in my life) and the lovely texture of the paints and special paper. But I had a disappointing experience with my little sister (13 years younger than I). When she was about 3 or 4, I thought she would LOVE trying her hand(s) at fingerpainting, so I bought a little kit. After setting her all up, she placed her fingers in the paint, dabbled a little and then was done. She wanted her hands cleaned. It was way too messy for her.

I can't tell if my son would have the same reaction. I thought I would start "small" and if successful, I would buy larger tubs of fingerpaint. My problem is I can't find a simple fingerpaint kit with small jars and paper. If you have a source, please share!

Today is the feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.

For some information, see Catholic Culture
Patron Saints Index
Women for Faith And Family for the prayers and readings of the day

As my husband is a CPA, this is one of his patron saints. It's also the nameday of one of my nephews.

Reading: Catholic Mosaic by Cay Gibson suggested the book The Twelve Apostles by Marianna Mayer for the Solemnity of Pentecost, but it's the perfect book for all the feasts of the Apostles. I haven't found a reasonably priced copy yet, but I was just THRILLED to see it in my local library. The text is a little much for my 3 yos, so it was mostly introducing the Apostles, their images and a brief story about each, with the main focus on St. Matthew and to pray for Daddy on his feast day.

I always wonder what went through Matthew's mind to immediately leave his table and money behind and follow Jesus. All He had to say was "Follow Me" and Matthew did. And he didn't leave Jesus. He gave up his money, his comforts, his habits, his lifestyle and followed Jesus. Could I have done the same? What am I doing today to relinquish my creature comforts and follow Jesus?

The Calling of Saint Matthew is quite a moving image. St. Matthew in black points to himself increduously "Who, Me?" This painting is so realistic, that you can imagine the astonished faces of his assistants when he just leaves them behind, probably without a word of explanation.

Food: We're keeping it simple today...I'll make sure dh has some of his favorite food and definitely some ice cream for dessert.

A perfect little symbol and treat would be a bags of gold foil chocolate coins. I just saw some this week when shopping for a certain person's birthday. I passed them by, because they contain milk. If ANYONE has a source of dark chocolate without milk products gold chocolate coins, please let me know! Could there be such a thing? Has anyone attempted making their own "coins" of chocolate?

If you have the time, Apostle Cookies, as suggested by Mary Reed Newland would be so much fun. For nameday dessert, a cake in the shape of a book is perfect, as he was the evangelist.

Activities: This feast would seem to be the perfect catapault in discussing budgeting, taxes, accounting, money, financial stewardship.... For the littles, just learning the values of money, both face value, like recognizing coins, adding up or a little deeper about saving and spending. Lots of math and economics lessons today!

But also Matthew was a writer, so journaling and calligraphy would also fit the bill today.

St. Matthew, pray for us.

We adore You, O Christ, and praise You.
Because by Your Cross You have redeemed the world. (from the Stations of the Cross)

This is the Wood of the Cross, on which hung the Savior of the World
Come, let us worship! (From the Good Friday Liturgy)

1 Cor 1:23: For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

September 14 is the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, also called "Exaltation of the Cross", and the following day is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. These are interconnected feast days.

As usual, I have lots of thoughts and ideas on how to celebrate the upcoming feast, but something else has come up and I have to trim away some extra plans. I'll do the bare-boned celebration this year, but I'm including all the ideas I have so I can remember for next year.

Today's feast is triumphant, as we celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death through his dying on the cross. We remember Good Friday. But that is a solemn day. Today is triumphant -- we rejoice that this instrument, the cross, brought our salvation. So thinking of the cross in all different forms is on our mind today.

And in thinking of the cross, of the crucifixion, we cannot separate the image of his mother standing there, watching her Son die. Then to take Him into her arms and bury Him. Although she rejoiced that He, as the Messiah, would open the Gates of Heaven for all men, it must have been very hard as a mother to endure the loss and separation, to witness the cruelty and ugliness of sin.

First stop, attending Mass. The Mass is the representation of Jesus at Calvary -- that's the whole point of this feast -- pointing back to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Then our picture book reading. Cay Gibson has included ideas for the Triumph of the Cross in her wonderful Catholic Mosaic. This is a must-have book for all Catholic moms. How wonderful to have a book, discussion questions, and activities for special feasts already compiled?

As per Cay's suggestions, we are reading The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale by Angela Elwell Hunt, illustrated by Tim Jonke.

The Jesus Garden: an Easter Legend by Antoinette Bosco, illustrated by Patricia Mattozzi. The book covers different legends associated with Christ's passion: the robin redbreast, bleeding hearts, morning glories and the dogwood. I do find some of the text a little wordy at spots to read to my young son, but the illustrations are gorgeous. Both books my 3 year old asks to read, and is deeply moved.

For Our Lady of Sorrows, the reading will be from Mary: The Mother of Jesus by Tomie de Paola. Not all seven sorrows are included in the stories, but enough to discuss.

There are also corresponding Bible stores and quotes to use to illustrate these sorrows:
1. The Prophecy of Simeon. Luke 2: 25-35.
2. The Flight into Egypt. Matthew 2: 13-15.
3. The Child Jesus Lost in the Temple. Luke 2: 41-50.
4. Mary meets Jesus carrying the cross. Luke 23: 27-29.
5. Mary at the foot of the cross. John 19: 25-30.
6. Mary receives the body of Jesus, the Pieta. Psalm 130.
7. Mary buries Jesus. Luke 23: 50-56.

Of final note, September 14 is also part of the Ember Days, one of the four set of days reserved in the Church year, September's focus on the harvest. This explanation is the most helpful. Since Vatican II, the ember days are celebrated only if the local bishop's conference chooses to do so. Since ember and rogation days are tied to the seasons, they are normall celebrated in more rural areas.

Two sites to not miss for information and inspiration:

Catholic Culture, Triumph of the Cross and Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Women for Faith and Family, Exaltation of the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows.

And This thread from 4Real Learning has some fabulous ideas.

From these sites there are ideas about decorating or cooking with basil, learning about the finding of the true cross by St. Helen, and the history of the feasts themselves. The Golden Legend includes the Story of the Exaltation of the Cross.

Prayers today and tomorrow: As simple as it is, the Sign of the Cross will be our pivotal discussion for prayer. Discussing the symbolism, significance, demonstrating the correct form.

We will also be discussing and perhaps doing a few of the Stations of the Cross. We have a flip chart, easel style that have illustrations of the mysteries of the rosary on one side and the Stations on the other which help with the visuals. We also will pray as a family the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary. Discuss and meditate on the seven sorrows of Mary.

Appropriate hymns: "Lift High the Cross" is a triumphal hymn perfect for the feast of the Cross. "Stabat Mater" or "At the Cross Her Station Keeping" is a prayer that is also set to music and used for the Stations and the most appropriate for Our Lady of Sorrows. This site compiled a list of 212 different versions of Stabat Mater!

Activities:
For food, I will be posting some simple ideas at my food blog for some ideas.

Art: Find different masterpieces depicting the Triumph of the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows. Catholic Culture had some links for the 7 Sorrows that could be both an art and religious study. Michelangelo's Pieta is one that immediately comes to mind. Also discussing and drawing Mary's Immaculate heart pierced with seven swords.

The San Damiano Cross is one of my favorite versions of crosses. Actually, it would be considered a crucifix because Christ is painted on the cross. This would be a great day to discuss the symbolism. See San Damiano Cross for ideas.

There are all sorts of ideas for arts and crafts with crosses, besides the standby of coloring. I'm just mentioning one. On Good Friday my son painted wooden cross (scroll down). My sister picked up several plain crosses at the Dollar Store, spray painted them gold, and each cousin painted their own. I really liked the idea, and ds LOVED painting it. We also both like the finished product. It was easy, cheap and fun.

September 8 the Church celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is definitely a feast that little children can understand and embrace....after all, who loves birthdays the most? This is one of only three birthdays celebrated in the Liturgical Year. The other two feasts are Christmas, Christ's Birthday and the Birth of John the Baptism, June 24. All other feasts we celebrate their birth into eternal life in Heaven, which is the day they died on earth. But these three people are unique in our Faith.

As a family we're celebrating simply today. We're attending morning Mass, going to breakfast with extended family members (for ds to see his cousins is the most fun). If I can I'm going to practice making a "safe" birthday cake (and chocolate does seem to be okay) for ds' upcoming birthday, but it will be for Our Lady today. After all, you can't have a birthday without cake and candles and singing?

Our decorations will also be simple. I'll use the Fleur-de-Lys trivet, and perhaps some of my fleur-de-lys napkin rings for symbols of Mary.

The book we're reading today to focus on Mary's birth and childhood is a lovely OOP book I mentioned yesterday, Young Mary of Nazareth by Marianna Mayer. Mayer combines the stories from various sources and legends to tell the story of Ann and Joachim and the Blessed Virgin Mary's earlier life. It continues on to the Birth of Jesus. The illustrations are what makes the book, as they are art masterpieces depicting the story. A wonderful book, and definitely can double as art study.

We plan on saying the rosary as a family, and incorporate some extra Marian hymns for the day.

For more reading, see Maria Bambina devotion
Women for Faith and Family Birthday of Mary
Catholic Culture's Nativity of Mary
From Dictionary of Mary
Catholic Encyclopedia, Nativity of Mary

For more fabulous ideas for your Domestic Church, see the 4Real Learning forum in Birthday of Mary and Mama Mary's Birthday.

Image Information: WGA, The Birth of Mary, by Master of the Pfullendorf Altar, early 15th century, Wood.

I'm not as crafty as Alice or Dawn or the dozens of other creative 4Real Moms, but this is something I've been mulling over that I thought I'd share. It's a work in progress....

For our daily dinners, we usually gather at a small kitchen table. I've tried decorating the table to reflect the Liturgical Season in the past. I have tried using tablecloths and placemats without success. Cloth napkins would be a possibility, but right now, because of a little person, these aren't a perfect fit. The temptation to pull the placemats and tablecloths off the table is too great, and the added laundry from all the experimental eating is just too much. I don't have enough variety of items to replace every day, and I can't speed up the turn-around time in the washing process. So I've been pondering another solution, and I've decided to make ceramic trivets for the Liturgical Year. I use trivets every evening when I put out the hot serving bowls and platters, so this solution is perfect for our family.

This idea came to me slowly. My son and I have had several get-togethers with my sisters and their children at a paint-your-own-ceramic-pottery place, the one located right nearby. Each visit I've painted a small square tile -- the least expensive choice, but it also is a blank canvas feel. I'm under pressure to finish quickly, so it's not a gorgeous piece of art. My son finishes his tile much quicker than I do mine, so I need to hurry! But it's still a lot of fun.

Supplies:
Unfired and Unglazed Ceramic Tile -- I've been doing 6" tiles
Pottery Paints, brushes, glaze and Kiln (that's why I use the place)
Cork Backing (Con-Tact Brand adhesive back)
Adhesive (E6000 craft adhesive works best)

Painting tile is a different technique. You start with the lightest color and then go to the darker colors. And the more layers you paint the darker the color will be when it is fired and glazed. It's hard to gauge exactly what it will look like until it is completely done.

I love Christian symbolism, and have posted before on this. I could spend hours pouring over books explaining and picturing symbols of Christian art. Here's where I mainly get the inspiration for ideas for the tiles.

After the tile is painted and is glazed and fired, it needs a no-slip backing. I bought some thin cork board in a roll made by Con-Tact. I tried using 6 inch cork tiles, but they were too thick and also shed cork more readily than the Con-Tact cork. The E6000 was recommended to me as the best to work with the ceramic, and it's readily available at Wal-Mart and other craft stores.

I only have 3 tiles made so far:

Advent -- this is the one I want to redo. I need less dark background to make the candles stand out, and include some words, like "Veni, Veni Emmanuel" around the wreath.

Christmas -- This one is my favorite. I started with a foam stamp the store had available.

Marian Feast Days (also the Trinity) -- The Fleur-de-lis is a symbol of the Holy Trinity and of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to Church Symbolism by F.R. Webber, "It is thought by many authorities to be a conventionalized form of the Annunciation lily. Many forms of the fleur-de-lys exist....Their details may vary, but there is always the erect, spear-like vertical petal, and two other petals which curve downward on either side. Sometimes stamens are shown, and even the tips of two more petals."

I'm thinking of the others I need to make, and some ideas: one for Lent -- purple and a plain cross; Holy Week -- red background and a crown of Thorns; Easter -- gold or white background, with an Easter symbol like a lily, bursting pomegranate, peacock, eggs; and perhaps one with a symbol of Christ like a monogram IHS to display for feast days of Our Lord. I should make something for Ordinary Time of course -- maybe two, one to reflect pre-Lent (Mardi Gras) and after Pentecost. And later on I would like to have a tile for each member of the family with the symbols of their patron saint(s).

Just in case you think I don't allow creative juices to flow for my son, have a peek at his work. We just came from the beach, and so he was originally striving to recreate a beach scene. I actually love the colors and the free flow. He's only 3 years old. If you want to purchase his artwork you'll need to get in line...I already have a buyer lined up for this one. ;-)


There are a few other suggestions to use the tile if trivets aren't your thing. There are wooden frames available to frame the tile, so it can be displayed either standing or hanging on the wall. There are also trays that hold a number of tiles (different sizes). I would love to fill a tray with decorated tiles and use it for the birthday and nameday celebrations. I'm even toying with the idea of a hand-painted backsplash, but I haven't quite got the design in mind.

There are places to purchase unfired tiles (in smaller or larger sizes, too). There might be a local pottery class that rents out use of a kiln, so this could be a larger family hands-on art project than just a tile here and there.

August 11 is the feast of St. Clare of Assisi. This day has special meaning to members of my family in many ways.

Clair was a first name of the family on my mother's side. French Louisiana tradition would reuse to keep them in the family. My Great Great Aunt Clair Rousseau was named after an uncle, Father Clair Francis Rousseau. Although she was a woman, they named her after this priest uncle, Marie Clair Francis Rousseau, keeping the masculine spelling.

Aunt Clair is pictured here with one of her sisters, Margaret (Aunt Peg). Both Clair and Peg were maiden aunts and had much love to give their niece, my maternal grandmother, and her children (pictured here) and grandchildren (including me). Aunt Clair has the white hat on the middle right, and Aunt Peg in the far right. My mother is the front left. She was named after both these beloved aunts. Then my mother had Clair as a middle name for one of her daughters, and now my goddaughter Claire celebrates her nameday today.

The celebration doesn't stop there. My mother is a Secular Franciscan and celebrates this feast doubly: as her name day and as a great Franciscan Feast of her holy Mother St. Clare of Assisi.

Basilica of St. Clare. This site is in Italian, but go through the links to see the rich pictures of St. Clare's Basilica in Assisi. There is where the San Damiano cross (that spoke to St. Francis) hangs, and also one can view St. Clare's body and relics, including her long hair.

For further information on this feast day, see:

Catholic Culture on St. Clare
Patron Saints Index: Clare of Assisi
Domestic Church: St. Clare
Women for Faith and Family: St. Clare
Celebrating St. Clare of Assisi By Sister Claire André Gagliardi, O.S.C. (August 2003)
A Letter from St. Clare
Rule of Life by St. Clare
Testament
Blessing of St. Clare
Especially don't miss Canticle of Chiara blog. The last few weeks she's posted a Chiara countdown of writings and inspirations on St. Clare.

When I think of St. Clare, the Poor Clares come to mind, of course. One book that really touched me in my teen years was A Right to Be Merry by Mother Mary Francis. I was hooked and have reread that and everything else Mother Mary Francis wrote. Ignatius Press currently carries 4 of her titles.

In researching a little on Mother, I found out that she passed away this past February 11th. See 'Be not afraid' Remembering a holy St. Louisan by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke and this press release and this article for more information.

Mother Mary Francis was the Abbess of the Poor Clare Federation of Mary Immaculate Cloistered Poor Clare Nuns. One of the convents in the province is in Alexandria, Virginia, nearby to us. These Poor Clares are discalced (without shoes), abstain from meat, chant the Divine Office throughout the day and night and stay behind their cloistered walls and grille. A friend and member of our community, Shelley Pennefather, is a sister in this convent. She made quite a few headlines when she gave up her record breaking college basketball career at Villanova and professional basketball career to enter the cloister. See Pennefather heeds her calling and Picking God Over Basketball and Sister of mercy.

All the ramblings about this feast day...what about St. Clare's influence on me? What can I learn from this saint for today? Her love of poverty, her simplicity and humility and love of Christ, especially in the Eucharist are continual lessons in my spiritual life. This painting portrays St. Clare turns the Saracens away from the convent and Assisi by taking carrying a Monstrance. If I had just one bit of that faith (the size of a mustard seed) I would be able to move mountains.

St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us!

(Image information: Giuseppe Cesari, St Clare with the Scene of the Siege of Assisi)

Today (August 10) is the Feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr in the early Church. He cared for sick, poor and abandoned. Under the Emperor Valerian he was grilled to death on a gridiron. (Image information: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, "Martyrdom of St Lawrence" 1614-15 WGA).

His patronage is huge, but he seems like the perfect saint for mothers. He is the patron of confectioners, cooks, laundry workers, and librarians. That covers quite a few of the hats a mother wears. Being patron of students, he's one that both children and parents can implore!

He is also the patron of brewers and vintners, so a cold beer or nice glass of wine, toasted to St. Lawrence would very fitting today. Because he died on a gridiron, many countries have cold meals for his feast. Other imitate the gridiron -- waffles, pizzelles, grilled foods bringing to mind the fiery death he endured.

Near this feast day one can observe the Perseid meteor shower, also known as Tears of St. Lawrence, or his fiery tears.

"A picture paints a thousands words." This phrase rings true. I have a young son who can't read yet. Picture books are our constant companion and a doorway into new worlds of learning. But using them won't end when he starts reading. The pictures relate stories and deeper meanings than just mere words. Art can speak to the soul, and relate messages that I could never accomplish through any amount of talking. Art can sear visual images in the brain, making it easier to recall facts and other memories.

I realize this isn't a new thought or discovery. The ladies at 4Real Learning Forum are a testament to that. And Cay Gibson's fabulous new book Catholic Mosaic is a perfect example of this. Teaching one's faith through picture books.

And even without words or books, beautiful art can teach a lesson. That was the purpose of frescoes and stained glass windows throughout Church history -- to relate a story, a lesson, an article of the faith just through the image.

I came across a wonderful series of frescoes depicting the life of St. Lawrence by Fra Angelico at Web Gallery of Art. The Frescoes in the Cappella Niccolina of the Palazzi Pontifici in Vatican (1447-49) were commissioned by Pope Nicholas V. The walls of the chapel depict the lives of two of the most famous deacons in the church: St. Stephen and St. Lawrence. Click on the description below the image to bring up a larger, more detailed version:

St Sixtus Entrusts the Church Treasures to Lawrence

St Lawrence Distributing Alms

Condemnation of St Lawrence by the Emperor Valerian

Martyrdom of St Lawrence

For more ideas on this saint: see St. Lawrence at 4RealLearning and links within the thread.

For more on this saint, see Catholic Culture and Patron Saints Index.

As I mentioned in my previous post, today (July 26) is my nameday. Or rather, my middle nameday. (But it is spelled Ann without an "e").

While looking through some paintings of Saints Anne and Joachim, I was struck by the role St. Anne plays as grandmother. She is pictured many times helping out her daughter, Mary. It's the traditional role of mother and daughter that come into play in these beautiful paintings.

How often is this replayed over and over in families' lives -- the daughter is having a baby, the mother (now a grandmother) comes over to help. Beautiful. I am blessed to have a mother who did (and does) just that. Her generosity doesn't end after two weeks postpartum...she manages to always be there to help out her daughter or son in need (and there are seven of us).

What a wonderful ministry that St. Anne could fulfill, taking care of her grandson, the Messiah, and what a great example. Caring for my child doesn't end when he leaves the nest and starts his own family. It just readjusts.

And what a special place in the grandchild's heart there is for their grandmother!

These are just a few examples of St. Anne with the Mary and Jesus or the Holy Family. See Web Gallery of Art for more information and other paintings. Click on the image for a larger view:

UNKNOWN MASTER, Hungarian: Saint Anne with the Virgin and the Child, c. 1520


MASACCIO: The Madonna and Child with Saint Anne, 1424


SARACENI, Carlo: Madonna and Child with St Anne, 1610


CLAEISSENS, Antoon: Virgin and Child with St Anne


DÜRER, Albrecht: St Anne with the Virgin and Child, 1519


GRECO, El: Holy Family with St Anne, 1600s


LEONARDO da Vinci: The Virgin and Child with St Anne, c. 1510


UNKNOWN MASTER, Flemish: Virgin and Child with St Anne, 1490s

I love symbolism. I love to use graphic symbols to explain or illustrate our faith. I posted yesterday a graphic by Ade Bethune, who used symbolism for her illustrations. (For more, try to find a copy of her Clip Art Book.) One small illustration, even a simple line drawing, can teach volumes. Children respond well to "reading" symbols, too.

Here is one website of some Christian Symbols drawn by Rudolf Koch (1876-1934) that can be used without permission. Hat tip to Catholic Faith Education Blog.

My extended family uses lots of symbol books and ideas for our elaborate Easter egg decorating. We love poring over all the symbol books for ideas. And many of these books are helpful throughout the year in celebrating feast days and saints days. Many times the symbol of a saint can unfold stories and legends about the saint.

Here is a list of the symbol books in my library, and also some websites with Christian symbols. Be aware that not all of these are Catholic publications, but most of the symbols are from Catholic roots.

Websites:
Christian Symbols & Articles

Gallery of Christian Symbols

Christian Symbols

Symbols in Christian Art and Architecture

Books:

Bethune, Ade Eye Contact With God Through Pictures: A Clip Book of Pictures from the Ade Bethune Collection, Sheed and Ward, 1986.

Bradner, John. Symbols of Church Seasons and Days. Morehouse-Barlow Company, 1977.

Dilasser, Maurice. The Symbols of the Church, Liturgical Press, 1999.

Ferguson, George. Signs & Symbols in Christian Art by George Ferguson, Oxford University Press.

Guardini, Romano Sacred Signs, Pio Decimo Press, 1956.

Griffith, Helen Stuart. Sign Language of Our Faith: Learning to Read the Message of Christian Symbols, Copyright 1939.

Parsch, Pius. The Church's Year of Grace, 5 volumes. Liturgical Press, 1962.

Pfeiffer, S.J. The Catholic Picture Dictionary, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1948.

Post, W. Ellwood. Saints, Signs and Symbols, Morehouse Publishing, 1974.

Rest, Friedrich. Our Christian Symbols, Christian Education Press, 1959.

Schmidt, Clemens. Clip Art for the Liturgical Year. The Liturgical Press, 1988.

Strasser, Rev. Bernard Strasser, O.S.B. With Christ Through the Year: The Liturgical Year in Word and Symbols, Bruce Publishing, 1947.

Stuckenschneider, Placid More Clip Art for the Liturgical Year and Even More Clip Art for the Liturgical Year. Liturgical Press.

Trapp, Maria von. Around the Year with the Trapp Family, Pantheon Press, 1955.

Webber, F. R. Church Symbolism, 1938, 1971.

Wetzler, Robert P. Seasons and Symbols: a Handbook on the Church Year. Augsburg Publishing House, 1962.

Whittemore, Carroll E. Symbols of the Church together with Saints and their Emblems. Whittemore Associates, 1959.