Family in Feast and Feria

A great mnemonic device for teaching children the rudiments of the Faith.

Catechism Clock
Religion Clock

One.

1. ONE GOD
2. One Person who is Vicar of Christ right now, Pope Benedict XVI

Two.

1. TWO NATURES IN CHRIST
human—truly man
divine—truly God

2. TWO TESTAMENTS OF THE BIBLE
Old and New testaments.

3. Two sons of Adam and Eve.
Cain
Abel

4. TWO KINDS OF SIN
Mortal
Venial

5. TWO KINDS OF GRACE
Sanctifying
Actual (includes sacramental grace)

6. TWO KINDS OF VIRTUES
Theological (Faith, Hope, and Love)
Moral (Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude…also called “cardinal virtues” or “chief moral virtues”)

7. TWO JUDGMENTS
Particular (at death when we see our sins)
General (at end of the world when we see the effect of our sins)

8. TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS THAT CONTAIN THE WHOLE LAW OF GOD.
First, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy who heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength.”

Second, “Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.”

9. TWO KINDS OF INDULGENCE
Plenary (Pays the debt of all our sins)
Partial (Pays part of the debt of all our sins)

10. TWO KINDS OF PRAYER
Mental
Vocal

Three.

1. THREE PERSONS IN ONE GOD
Father—Creator
Son—Redeemer
Spirit—Sanctifier
like a shamrock/candle flame/ice, water, steam

2. THREE ARCHANGELS
Michael
Gabriel
Raphael

3. THREE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES
Faith
Hope
Love (Charity)

4. THREE WISE MEN
Gaspar
Melchior
Balthasar

5. THREE GIFTS OF THE WISE MEN
Gold
Frankincense
Murr

6. THREE DESCRIPTIONS OF GOD.
All Powerful (Omnipotent)
All Knowing (Omniscient)
All present (Omnipresent)

7. THREE WAYS WE CAN SIN
Thought
Word
Deed

8. THREE THINGS THAT MAKE UP A SIN
Serious matter (it is wrong)
Sufficient reflection (you know it is wrong)
Full consent of the will (you do it anyway)

9. THREE CHIEF ATTRIBUTES OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (They are qualities perfecting the nature of the Church)
Authority
Infallibility
Indefectibility


10. THREE WAYS TO SEPARATE FROM THE CHURCH
Heresy
Apostasy
Schism

11. THREE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS
Poverty
Chastity
Obedience

12. THREE TYPES OF BAPTISM
Water
Blood (Killed for the Faith before baptism)
Desire (Wishes to be baptized by dies before event)

13. THREE PARTS TO A SACRAMENT
Outward sign (evident to one of more of our physical senses)
Instituted (started) by Christ
To give grace

14. THREE STEPS TO PERFECTION IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
Purgation (Reject our sinful practices)
Illumination (Open our eyes to God’s presence)
Unification (Embrace the Trinity)


Four.

1. FOUR GOSPEL WRITERS
Matthew—apostle, tax collector (Angel as symbol)
Mark—disciple of Peter (Lion as symbol)
Luke—disciple of Paul (Ox as symbol)
John—apostle, the “beloved disciple” (Eagle as symbol)

2. FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES
Prudence
Justice
Temperance
Fortitude
3. FOUR MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY
Joyful
Luminous
Sorrowful
Glorious

4. FOUR MARKS OF THE CHURCH
One
Holy
Catholic
Apostolic

5. FOUR Ways to Pray to God
Adoration
Glorification
Thanksgiving
Petition

Five.

1. FIVE WOUNDS OF CHRIST
side, hands, feet, (also the crown of thorns on head)

2. Five decades of Each Mystery of the Rosary
Joyful (Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation, Finding the Child in the Temple)

Luminous (Baptism in River Jordan, Wedding Feast of Cana, Proclamation of the Kingdom, Tranfiguration, Institution of the Eucharist)

Sorrowful (Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the pillar, Crowning of thorns, Jesus carries His cross, Jesus dies upon His cross.)

Glorious (Resurrection, Ascension, Descent of the Holy Spirit, Presentation of the Blessed Mother, Mary is crowned queen of heaven and earth.)

3. FIVE STEPS TO A GOOD CONFESSION
Examine your conscience
Contrition (Be Truly Sorry)
Resolution (Have purpose of amendment, intend to avoid the sin in the future)
Confession (Confess your sins)
Accept your penance


Six.

1. SIX HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION (IN ADDITION TO EVERY SUNDAY)
January 1–Mary, Mother of God
Ascension Thursday–(date varies)
August 15–Assumption of Mary
November 1–All Saints
December 8–Immaculate Conception
December 25–Christ’s birth

2. SIX PRECEPTS (LAWS) OF THE CHURCH
Assist at Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation
Fast and abstain on the days appointed
Confess our sins at least once a year
Receive Holy Communion during the Easter season
Contribute to the support of the Church
Observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage


Seven.

1. SEVEN SACRAMENTS
Baptism
Penance
Holy Eucharist
Confirmation
Matrimony
Holy Orders
Anointing of the Sick

2. Seven Capital Sins (PCLAGES)
Pride
Coveteousness (Greed)
Lust
Anger
Glutton
Envy
Sloth

3. SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Wisdom
Understanding
Knowledge
Counsel
Piety
Fortitude
Fear of the Lord

4. SEVEN CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Visit the imprisoned
Shelter the homeless
Visit the Sick
Bury the Dead

5. SEVEN SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY
Admonish the sinner
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Comfort the sorrowful
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive all injuries
Pray for the living and the dead.


Eight

1. EIGHT BEATITUDES
Blessed are: the poor in spirit
the meek
the sorrowing
those who hunger and thirst for justice
the merciful
the pure of heart
the peacemakers
those who suffer persecution for the sake of justice.

Nine.

1. NINE FIRST FRIDAYS
Our Lord promised St. Margaret Mary Alocoque that those who receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive First
Fridays, and receive the Sacrament of Penance will not die in God’s displeasure.

2. What is a Novena?
A devotional prayer lasting nine days.

3. Nine choirs of angels.
Seraphim
Cherubim
Thrones
Dominions
Virtues
Powers
Principalities
Archangels
Angels

Ten

1. TEN COMMANDMENTS
1. I am the Lord your God; you shall not have other gods besides Me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Eleven

ELEVEN APOSTLES REMAINED FAITHFUL
Peter, Andrew, James the Great, John, Thomas, James the Less, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon, Jude Thaddeus

Twelve.

1. TWELVE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRITCharity, joy, peace, patience, goodness, long-suffering,
humility, faithfulness, modesty, continence, chastity and
kindness.

2. TWELVE APOSTLES
Simon.
Andrew
James
John
Philip.
Bartholomew
Thomas
Matthew.
James
Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot
Judas Iscariot
Matthias

Send prayers and birthday wishes to our Holy Father and glean some ideas on how to celebrate this day at home.

Happy St. Valentine's Day! We woke up to a winter wonderland, although I am a bit disappointed that we only got sleet and ice. So we're still praying for a big snow this winter!

I'm not sure how many inches fell, but we did have a large mound of sleet on our back porch. We won't be able to use that door for a while.



And have a closer look at the bouquet my Valentine sent to me....



Blessings to you all on this St. Valentine's Day!

After attending a St. Nicholas festival on Sunday, meeting St. Nicholas, winning a Playmobil Nativity in the raffle, playing all sorts of games....ds was ready for the next St. Nicholas tradition, rolling, cutting and baking cookies! Because ds has food allergies to wheat, eggs, and milk, he hasn't had any experience in cookie baking. He had a wonderful time with his allergy safe foods...I definitely need to get some playclay that he can roll and cut.





The regular cookies turned out delicious, and even though the baked allergy free versions were a flop, we had a wonderful time.

On St. Nicholas Eve ds was too excited to sleep. He was wondering how St. Nicholas would arrive.

"I think he drives a white car....No, I know! He drives a red car because he wears red!"

To his delight, St. Nicholas left cookies and candy in the shoes! We went to Mass for St. Nick's feast day and joined some of his cousins (and my sisters and mother) for breakfast. What a delight to hear the little ones comparing notes as to what St. Nicholas left in their shoes. Ah, to be young again.

A little reading and playtime with cousins rounded out the feast of the patron of children.

The stockings are hung, the Advent wreath is ready, the Advent calendars are displayed...our house is ready for Advent. I'm watching my son just look and contemplate at the new changes. He admires the wreath, touching the candles. He notices the purple vestments and altar hangings at Church. Even though we experienced this last year, it's still relatively new to him at the age of 3. Next year it will be probably more familiar and comforting. But in watching him it confirmed in me what I'm doing for Advent. I'm going back to the beginning, starting from Letter A.

After all, it's a new Liturgical Year. This is when I like to make resolutions, especially in regarding with my duties as a daughter of God and as a wife and mother. For me, it's not the same spiritual renewal as Lent, where I'm purging, but it's looking at my "Plan of Life" and changing and tweaking. I'm not planning drastic measures--it's a short period of time, not even 4 weeks this Advent. All I'm planning is more focus on the interior while I witness the world's hustle and bustle of December.

I'm not the only one that feels this way. I've been planning this post for a while, but saw this morning that some very wise women: Amy, Alice, Elizabeth, Willa, Leonie and Karen E. echo so much more eloquently this sentiment. It's not about what you are doing or not doing. Don't be overwhelmed by all the activities. Be still and listen.

Oh sure, I could list and describe some of the activities we hope to do this Advent, but right now, I'm focused on the more quiet, spiritual aspects I NEED to do. This is the first day of Advent, and I want to lay down the tracks or a pattern for the rest of the days.

So I'm trying to add a little more prayer, perhaps from the Liturgy of the Hours, morning or evening prayer and some daily Masses.

Next, a little spiritual reading, such as meditations from the Advent volume In Conversation with God and the book Love Does Such Things by Rev. M. Raymond. I also signed up for daily messages from the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva for small, manageable bytes of meditation.

Read with my son all the wonderful books that illustrate Advent, saints and Christmas so we can both have food for thought to contemplate the birth of the Christ Child.

And my big project today is scan all my Advent music and make an Advent hymnbook, so we can add daily Advent singing.

May you all have a BLESSED and PEACEFUL Advent.

During which we go Bohemian...or at least delve into the patron saint of Bohemia.

September 28 is the Optional Memorial of St. Wenceslas, martyr, otherwise known at Christmastime as "Good King Wenceslas." This feast is usually overlooked because of several reasons, one being that understanding how he died is hard for little ones, let alone grown-ups. Another reason, the following day is the big Feast of the Archangels, and then soon after St. Therese the Little Flower, the Guardian Angels and St. Francis of Assisi -- some big feasts that overshadow this memorial.

But St. Wenceslas gives a little peek into Christmas time. Last year we had one picture book that had the words to the carol "Good King Wenceslas." My son loved it, wanted to sing it all the time and by Christmas he knew all the words to all the verses -- quite a feat considering he was only 2 at the time and I still stumble over some of the words. So before the hustle and bustle of Advent and Christmas preparation, it's nice to isolate a Christmas carol and delve in a little deeper into our Church's history. And, if St. Stephen happens to be a family member's patron saint, that's a perfect reason for finding out more about St. Wenceslas!

There's another reason why I enjoy Wenceslas and connect Christmas with this saint. When Pope John Paul II came to Czestochowa, Poland in 1991 for the World Youth Day, my sister and I joined a group pilgrimage. One of our stops along the way to Poland was in the city of Prague. I hope to go back someday -- this city is just too wonderful for words -- I think it's been called the Rome of the East? Some of the sights to see, the Charles River and Charles Bridge, the Infant of Prague and the St. Vitus Cathedral, which includes the Chapel of Wenceslas and houses his relics. One of my favorite impressions at the Cathedral was to see near one of the doors the markings of 19 + C + M + B + 91. Our family has always marked our house every Epiphany, so it was a welcome sight to see the same tradition miles away from home. Dawn had just written a delightful post on this tradition. See? I'm not the only one with Christmas on the mind.

The difficulty with St. Wenceslas is his story. It's not a charming bedtime story for children. The harshness of his reality could be hard for younger ears. He was born around the year 907, he was from Bohemia, which later became Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia and the Czech Republic. His country was filled with people who did not believe in God. His grandmother, St. Ludmilla, taught him his faith. When his mother, who was not a faithful Christian, wanted him to renounce his Christianity, he wouldn't. But she thought killing her mother-in-law would help, so Ludmilla died a martyr for her faith. Then later, Wenceslas lived a Cain and Abel story, where his younger brother Boleslav killed him because of his faith. But there is a happy ending, as Boleslav repented and converted and followed in Wenceslas footsteps to bring his country to the fullness of Christianity. Ludmilla and Wenceslas did not die in vain. And these are two saints to invoke when grandparents are helping raise their grandchildren, particularly in the Faith.

So, dwelling on the Christmas carol, and talking about Wenceslas' good works is a way to introduce St. Wenceslas to younger children. John Neale wrote the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas" because the feast of St. Stephen, December 26, was traditionally Boxing Day in England, a day money and gifts were given to poor and servants. Wenceslas' good deeds for the poor were perfect examples of Boxing Day, and so a carol was born. As the children get older we can help them understand the history and culture. But even as an adult it's hard to comprehend the harshness of this different culture and time.

We've been enjoying these books this week, preparing for his feast day. To add these to your own personal library means these books play double duty -- bringing them out September 28 and at the Christmas season, particularly on the feast of St. Stephen, December 26. Most of these were at my local library, and I know that there are many more versions of picture books that use the lyrics of the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas" (or Wenceslaus) by John Mason Neale as the text. Wenceslas was not a King, but a Duke, but it doesn't ruin the storyline. The text was set to the tune of the thirteenth-century air "Tempus adest floridum," which celebrated the flowers of spring. this site gives wonderful information about this Christmas carol.

Good King Wenceslas: A Legend in Music and Pictures by Mary Reed Newland. We began with this book last year. I'm a fan of Mary Reed Newland, so I found this out-of-print version to add to my collection. She illustrates it with beautiful black and white scratch drawings, and the calligraphy is done by Anita Karl. She begins her book with a historical introduction of the carol and the life of Wenceslas. It's not elementary reading, but it's great information. Here's a tidbit:

People in Czechoslovakia and many other places, too, have always remembered Wenceslas. It was written of him that he "kept the faith, helping the wretched, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, protecting widows and orphans, ransoming prisoners, and loving and caring for the rich and poor alike." When John Mason Neale set out to write a carol for the feast of St. Stephen which falls on December 26 his thoughts immediately went to Wenceslas. The feast of St. Stephen is the day when people in Neale's country, England, give gifts to the poor. And he saw other similarities between the two saints. So John Mason Neale, writing in in the year 1853, created a new legend of Wenceslas in his lovely carol and helped keep the young ruler's example fresh for the people of our day.

Mrs. Newland in her newly reprinted A Year with Our Children tells the story of St. Wenceslas in a different way, but you can get more flavor of her storytelling.

Good King Wenceslas by Pauline Baynes, the same illustrator of the Chronicles of Narnia. This is a short biography of Saint Wenceslas.. The text is simple, a little too advanced for my 3 yos, but fine for elementary age. This is the only picture book that I've found (in-print) that gives a larger picture of his life. It also includes the music and text of the carol. Life in Bohemia and this era was a bit harsh, so decide beforehand that you want to talk about mean mothers who kill their mother-in-law, and brother killing brother. It's how martyrs are made, but sometimes hard to discuss. Baynes incorporates different legends that illustrate Wenceslas' virtues. It's a short, small book, but the illustrations and text are wonderful. If you need one book about St. Wenceslas (that's in print), I'd recommend this one. This is also the one book that tells us that the page's name was Poidevin.

Good King Wenceslas illustrated by Tim Ladwig. This one starts in the City of Prague, showing the statue of St. Wenceslas in the town square, and relates the text from the Carol in pictures. Watercolor, liquid acrylic, and oil on paper. Includes a dog as the page's companion.

Good King Wenceslas illustrated by Christopher Manson, worth finding for the unique artwork. The illustrations are woodcuts, painted with watercolor and the text was hand lettered and cut in wood.

Good King Wencelas illustrated by Jamichael Henterly. It's a shame this is out-of-print, as this is the my favorite of the carol books. There are little touches throughout this book that illustrate Wenceslas' faith, such as crucifixes, and a little St. Agnes shrine by the fountain. The opening pages show Wenceslas looking out the window, and his page sleeping next to a table with an open illuminated manuscript, the page showing the Nativity scene with the three wise men. The final scene in the book the page and Wenceslas are in the home of the peasant. The mother is holding the illuminated manuscript and her children surround her, looking in awe. I like the idea that not only does St. Wenceslas feed them and provide warmth, but he also brings food for the soul and mind. A book is a wonderful gift! Another point of the illustrations is when Wenceslas and his page are trudging through the snow, Wenceslas' image is reminiscent of Advent and Christmas images -- St. Nicholas? Father Christmas?

Elizabeth suggested another picture book entitled Stephen's Feast
by Jean Richardson, illustrated by Alice Englander. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but it is a great one to add to the list. It tells the story of Stephen, the king's youngest page, who was celebrating his birthday on the feast of St. Stephen. King Wenceslas asks him to assist him to help the peasant. Stephen doesn't want to miss the revelry and celebration back at the castle, but helping the poor family teaches him a lesson of Christian virtue. The storyline and pictures are wonderful. This book is perfect for those named after St. Stephen.

Wenceslas by Geraldine McCaughrean illustrated by Christian Birmingham. I have not seen this book, but it has found rave reviews.

A non-picture biography on St. Wenceslas that is hard-to-find, is A King Without a Crown by Brother Roberto, C.S.C., (although this says Bro. Ernst), one of the Dujarie Press titles.

Joan Windham has a nice little story for St. Wenceslas which I found in Story Library of the Saints. Email me at jennifergmillernospam@gmail.com (remove "no spam") if you would like me to mail you a Word document of the text.

From Religion in the Home for a Preschooler comes the suggestion to act out St. Wenceslas' story.

Reading about St. Wenceslas shouldn't just stop at his story, but expand and learn more about his country and particularly the city of Prague. Most Catholics have heard or seen the devotion to the Infant of Prague (more information here), housed in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague. More sites: Prague Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, and St. Vitus Cathedral, Jewish Cemetery and Quarter to name a few.

The Three Golden Keys by Peter Sis is a wonderful picture book to give a glimpse of Prague. I chanced upon this book at a used book store...I had never heard of it before, but thrilled to find out the subject matter. The author grew up in Prague and tries to recapture his lost childhood and celebrates the wonderful cultural heritage of the city. He includes different legends tied into the city. The pictures are haunting but yet captivating, even capturing a young 3-year-old's interest. After reading this book, track down photos of the architecture to compare the picture book with reality.

For further info, see Travel for Kids in the Czech Republic.

For more on St. Wenceslas, see:
Patron Saints Index Wenceslaus
Catholic Encyclopedia
St. Wenceslas, from Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints

If you've made it this far, I thought I should mention that Wenceslas is the patron of brewers. Pilsener (or pilsner) is a pale lager that first originated in the city of Pilsen of western Bohemia (now Czech Republic). So for Wenceslas' feast, raise a glass of pilsner in the saint's name (for the adults, of course!).

St. Wenceslas, pray for us.

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.

September 19 marks the Optional Memorial of St. Januarius and Our Lady of La Salette. For most this day doesn't have great significance. After all, do you know any English children named after Januarius? Drop me a line if you do. I know Januarius is greatly loved in Italy (known as San Gennaro), especially in Naples. La Salette apparitions happened in 1846 in France, and is probably one of the lesser known approved apparitions.

But both of today's celebrations remind me of the importance of family reading, of owning and displaying books, of witnessing my parents' reading, talking about books, and having books read aoud. The day reminds me that I pursued my own rabbit trails and did independent reading from a young age. Sound like a stretch? Well, when I was about 11 or so, I thought I could start reading books on my mother's shelves. She had quite a good religious book collection. I would look at the spines and titles, ask her about them. If she thought it was appropriate or easy enough for me to read, she'd recommend it. It was through perusing her bookshelves that I found material La Salette and St. Januarius.

The story of St. Januarius the person is short -- in fact, there's not much we know except that he was an Italian bishop in the 4th century and martyred for his faith. It's his relics that have attracted so much attention since the 14th century in Naples.

On my mother's bookshelf was the book entitled The Incorruptibles: A Study of the Incorruption of the Bodies of Various Catholic Saints and Beati by Joan Carroll Cruz.
There's something quite fascinating, although I admit a bit macabre, on seeing bodies or parts of bodies that have remained untouched by decomposition. When a saint's body has been found incorrupt through miraculous means, it's like a signal from God to look at this person's life. What is the significance? Why draw our eyes to this person's life?

Having enjoyed that book so much, when Joan Cruz's next book on Relics was published, I bought my own copy....I have my name and address from 1983 written inside my book. And that is where I got the most information about the blood of St. Januarius. In the past, blood was collected in vials after the death of a holy person as a devotional item. There are vials of blood of St. Januarius, as well as his bones and his head are encased in reliquaries. From Relics:

The recurring miracle of the liquefaction of his blood 18 times a year is often reported in the secular as well as the religious press, and is the occasion of great gatherings in the Cathedral of Naples. Here the people pray fervently while the resident cardinal, who usually presides over the ceremony, holds the vials of blood. The miracle occurs when the bust reliquary containing the head of the saint is brought near. When the liquefaction is accomplished in full view of the spectators, the cardinal announces, "The miracle has happened," words that cause great rejoicing and the chanting of the Te Deum....

The blood has failed to liquefy several times, each time coinciding with the outbreak of disease, famine, war or political suppression. It is the for this reason that Neapolitans rejoice at each liquefaction.

The book continues with more historical explanation and discussion about the analysis and examinings of this miracle. It's interesting reading. Carol Field in her Celebrating Italy describes the scene in Naples on this day:

At the famous Feast of San Gennaro swarms of the faithful gather in tense crowds to wait for the annual miracle in which the saint's blood liquefies. In Naples the event is dizzying and claustrophic, but a smaller, less dramatic feast in the saint's honor takes place in Praiano, on the Amalfi Drive, just down the coast from Naples, where people eat maccheroni with eggplant and peppers and coniglio in umido, braised rabbit.

In Little Italy in New York City you can find The Festival of San Gennaro in New York City. The Shrine of the Holy Whapping has some pictures and descriptions of this wonderful festival.

I had two posts on Our Lady of La Salette and Sunday and More on La Salette.Be sure to click on Mary G.'s link in the first post for her description of her visit to the actual shrine. Helen at Castle of the Immaculate also has a post on this feast day, and the importance of personal prayer...one of the messages from Our Lady. Father Z also talks about the message of Our Lady. For more, see:

Catholic Encyclopedia
Mary Pages
Missionaries of La Salette
Shrine of La Salette. At the bottom of this page are further links to the actual shrine, but the site is only in French.

I don't have any books for younger children on this apparition, although I know that Mary Fabyan Windeatt has two titles, Our Lady of La Salette and The Children Of La Salette. It would be lovely to have a picture book to relate the story to my son.

For older I have two books I can recommend, one A Woman Clothed with the Sun edited by John Delaney, which is the book I took off my mother's shelf. Second is an OOP book from Lumen Books, The Story of La Salette by James P. O'Reilly, M.S.

Now both the miracles of the relics and also the private revelation of Our Lady of La Salette are not truths-with-a-capital-T that must believed by a Catholic, but optional. We may believe, but must also have a balance. We must ensure that believing in these that it doesn't detract from the Truths and Tradition our Catholic Faith that we Must believe and love.

For me, these feasts also remind me of the value of good books and reading in the family.

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.

Otherwise entitled "What's In a Name?"

Today is the Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary. See Women for Faith and Family for the readings and prayers of the day. In the Jewish tradition of naming the child 8 days after birth, this feast was established. The observance of the feast was moved to September 12, only four days after Mary's birthday. Crescents and coffee are traditional foods for this day.

The corresponding feastday to the naming of Mary is the Optional Memorial of the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3. Both of these feasts are wonderful opportunities to discuss the sacredness of the names of Jesus and Mary and also the importance and significance of our own Baptismal name and patron saints.

For Reading and Discussion, Young Mary of Nazareth by Marianna Mayer, the same book we used for the Birth of Mary. Retelling the stories of the naming of Jesus (Annunciation, Angel in the Dream to Joseph, Presentation in the Temple), the naming of John the Baptist ("His name is John") would be wonderful to include in discussion. I'd like to include how the Jewish customs of birth, naming the child, etc. were done in Jesus' and Mary's time.

Each person's name is his identity, significant, and the one that he will carry throughout eternity. The name of the Messiah was even more important. Catholic Encyclopedia talks about the significance of Jesus' name, with the Gospel quotes, and also from Paul: "That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil 2:10). The name of Mary is also holy and should be spoken reverently.

Two prayers to recite today:
The Divine Praises (instituted because of the blasphemies taken against the holy names of Jesus and Mary).
Litany of the Holy Name of Mary

From St. Bernard of Clairvaux I found two quotes to use for meditation, copywork and/or memorization:

In the time of danger, of difficulty, of uncertainty, think upon Mary, call upon Mary. Do not let her name depart out of your mouth or out of your heart.

and

May the lovely name of our Lord Jesus Christ and of His most blessed Mother be blessed for ever and ever. Amen.

Part of our stories today will include how we named our son. Children love hearing the stories of their birthday. For my son's birth we had to have c-section because of some high risk factors. We didn't know his gender until he was born. We had tossed names around, but nothing was firm. In that cold operating room our son was held up, a miraculous wonder to our eyes! When my husband saw him tears came to his eyes. That was the moment he declared what the name would be.

Then we will talk about WHY we chose his name. Was it a family name? Who are his patron saints? When are the feastdays for his name? And then discuss how his name is spoken at his Baptism. He loves to hear the story of the Baptismal rite, from how little he was, what he wore, his godparents, the candle, the priest and all the actions of the ritual. In future years I think I'll take out his birth certificate and his baptismal certificate, and also pictures to remember the day we officially named him.

The choosing of a Christian name is important, apparent from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

III. THE CHRISTIAN NAME

2156 The sacrament of Baptism is conferred "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."85 In Baptism, the Lord's name sanctifies man, and the Christian receives his name in the Church. This can be the name of a saint, that is, of a disciple who has lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord. The patron saint provides a model of charity; we are assured of his intercession. The "baptismal name" can also express a Christian mystery or Christian virtue. "Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to see that a name is not given which is foreign to Christian sentiment."

2157 The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior's grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.

2158 God calls each one by name. Everyone's name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it.

2159 The name one receives is a name for eternity. In the kingdom, the mysterious and unique character of each person marked with God's name will shine forth in splendor. "To him who conquers . . . I will give a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it." "Then I looked, and Lo, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads."

2165 In Baptism, the Christian receives his name in the Church. Parents, godparents, and the pastor are to see that he be given a Christian name. The patron saint provides a model of charity and the assurance of his prayer.

If we have time, we'll do some coloring of the names of Mary and Jesus. I also want to spell out the words with our magnetic letters and write it on the chalkboard, as I think these names should definitely be sight words for my son. Perhaps by January 3rd I'll have my moveable alphabet and sandpaper letters to incorporate these names into more of the senses. But other ways I'm thinking is making roll out cookie dough and cut out the letters, or just some kind of play dough and do the same.

For further reading about Baptismal names, namedays, and patron saints, see the following:

Namedays

Baptismal Names

Patron Saints and Namedays

Online text for My Nameday--Come for Dessert by Helen McLoughlin, an entire book dedicated to ideas on celebrating Namedays.

ADDENDUM: I need to give some caveats on my recommendation of Young Mary of Nazareth by Marianna Mayer. Not everything in the book is factual about Mary's life. The only things that we need to believe are what is told in the Gospels and taught by the Church. Ann and Joachim's lives and some of Mary's life have been pieced together by stories passed down through generations. It is not an element of faith to believe that Joseph was old and a widower. Marianna Mayers pieces together different stories and legends to create her book. You will find her bibliography and her introduction at the beginning explains her method.

And for the record, I don't believe that Joseph was a widower with sons, I believe he was in his 30s. I seriously doubt that Ann and Joachim would bring Mary at age 3 to the Temple and leave her there. Still trying to figure that one out.