Lena {JOYfilledfamily}

Merry Christmas ~ Family Christmas Cards

December 24, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas Card

May you and your family be merry on this blessed day & season. MERRY CHRISTmas!!

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Our Christmas photos were taken early this year with an impromptu trip to the park since our scheduled shoot didn’t work out. I was happy with the photos but a bit disappointed with the photo cards. I put it off for far too long then life happened and the Christmas cards almost got nixed. Dad encouraged me to get them done in the eleventh hour. I opted for a simple, less customized, inexpensive option – Costco 1hr photo. I paid $15 or 50 6×7.5 prints with sturdy silver-lined envelopes.

The cards above are some of the outtakes from Shutterfly, before Dad made his way to the hospital. The card below is a slightly modified version of my family’s Costco photo card.

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2011 I 2010 I 2009

CHRIST in Christmas

December 20, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent, Christmas 8 Comments

I’m participating in the Keeping Christ in Christmas Blog Carnival, hosted by Arma Dei/Equipping Catholic Families, Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom. We’ll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Jesus as the Reason for the Christmas season. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.

Keeping our eyes on Christ is my family’s daily goal. During Advent it becomes even more important for us to work on keeping Christ in Christmas.

Our primary objective for keeping Christ in Christmas is to observe each liturgical season in it’s entirety.

Here are a few examples on how we try to keep the focus on Him during Advent & Christmas.

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Advent 2012 – Dec. 2 – 24

The focus of Advent is preparation for the coming of the Lord — both in commemoration of His Nativity and His coming again at the end of time… The Christmas season does not begin until the first Mass at Christmas Eve, and doesn’t end liturgically until the Octave of the Epiphany on January 14. It goes on in the spiritual sense until Candlemas on February 2, when all celebrations of Christ’s Childhood give way to Septuagesima and Lent.

Sole focus is on preparing our hearts for Jesus.

Simple practices that help us keep this a penitential season.
Limited celebratory events. No extracurriculars. Similar to our Lenten practices.
Advent List, Christkindl, Jesse Tree, Christmas, Novena, and more.
We take a mock pilgrimage, Journey to Bethlehem. Journey To Bethlehem is an interactive walking tour from the recreated town of Nazareth to Bethlehem. The journey recreates the events that happened on the evening of Christ’s birth.
Decorations are focused on Christ, only. Nativities are the primary décor. The lights must wait for Christmas.
Christmas music is limited (to the best of our ability) until Christmas day.
Gift giving is not emphasized. That means no wish lists or presents stuffed under the tree. Instead, acts of charity are discussed and encouraged.
All family members receive the sacrament of Confession during the Third and Fourth Sunday of Advent.
All family members present their hearts (gifts) during the Third and Fourth Sunday of Advent. This is done by way of Adoration. Each leaves a wooden heart at the nativity manager in Church. The heart symbolizes their offering for Jesus. Our hearts are with Christ at His time of birth. The hearts are picked up during the Christmas season and placed on the family altar as a reminder of our offering.

Christmas 2012 – Dec. 25 – Feb. 2

40 days after giving birth, Mary goes to the Temple to be purified and to “redeem” Jesus per the Old Testament Law of the firstborn. Christmas truly ends as a Season with Candlemas and the beginning of Septuagesima.

Put a small offering of gifts under the tree for the children on Christmas Eve.
Visit Our Lord and Savior at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Christmas Day.
- We visit Him before we ever turn towards a present. No opening any gifts on Christmas eve or Christmas morning – CHRIST IS FIRST!
Have a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas morning.
- Happy birthday, cake, and the works.
Keep the Christmas decor up for the entire span of the Christmas season. (Many think we’re nuts or lazy but it’s done all for His glory!)
REJOICE!!! Sing and play Christmas music all season!
Increase daily Mass attendance.

It is, that, from the day itself of our Saviour’s Birth even to the day of our Lady’s Purification, there is, in the Calendar,an extraordinary richness of Saints’ Feasts, doing homage to the master feast of Bethlehem, and clustering in adoring love round the Crib of the Infant-God. ~ “The Mystery of Christmas” from Dom Gueranger’s “The Liturgical Year”

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Keeping Christ in Christmas Blog Carnival Entries:

Please take the time to visit other blog carnival participants and leave a comment on their posts! The list will be updated throughout the day, so please do come back and check on them. ALL FOR!

Save the Date ~ Outlet Sale

December 19, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: thirty-one

Shop in your slippers and stock up on discontinued Thirty-One prints and styles at great prices.

Here are the details:
Shopping starts at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday, December 26 (Feast of St. Stephen) and ends at noon EST on Friday, December 28 (Feast of the Holy Innocents).

It includes favorite discontinued prints and products from previous Catalogs, while supplies last! These products are perfect for any gift-giving occasion.

Shop early so you don’t miss out on the deals!

How to shop the Outlet Sale:

Online:

visit me at https://www.mythirtyone.com/joyfilledfamily/

select the Outlet Sale advertisement

E-mail & Phone:

Contact me via email to place your order or request a phone call.

gelfamily{at}att{dot}net

Note:

Please be certain that Lena Flores (238738) is specified as your consultant before finalizing your purchase. Thank you!

For this sale, all sales are final. No returns or exchanges will be accepted. All styles are only available while supplies last. Thirty-One Gifts reserves the right to cancel or hold an order based on the product quantity or product availability.

~ Sharing Thirty-One ~

New consultants will receive the spring enrollment kit* (above) for $116 (includes tax and shipping). In addition, all new consultants who host their first party in January will receive the exciting hostess benefits for the month of January (any party over $500 will double the Hostess credits). So in actuality a new consultant has the possibility of receiving $180 in free product as the "Hostess" and a $125 commission which in turn will cover the enrollment costs.

Contact me to find out how you can earn extra income, get great incentives, and more!

*The Spring Enrollment Kit features:

Cinch Sac in Punch Bowl
Keep-It Caddy in Turquoise Cross Pop
Large Utility Tote in Party Punch
Lil’ Expressions Mini Zipper Pouch in Natural w/ Grey
Organizing Utility Tote in Island Damask
Pocket-A-Tote in Turquoise Cross Pop
Retro Metro Bag in Lotsa Dots
Scarf in Pink Punch Bowl
Small Rosette Clip in Turquoise
Thermal Tote in Punch Bowl
Thermal Zipper Pouch in Island Damask
Timeless Wristlet in Party Punch
Top-A-Tote in Grey
Start-up business supplies

Solemn Rorate Mass

December 19, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent, Marian, Rorate 2 Comments

Solemn Rorate Mass from December 15th, 2012, at St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish. The Rorate Mass is a special votive mass for Our Lady during Advent, traditionally celebrated by candlelight in the early morning. St. Stephen’s is a parish run by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.

The piece is "Gabriel’s Message," a traditional Basque Advent carol, sung by the Choir and Choristers of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish on the album "The Little Road to Bethlehem.”

This video was created by a talented parishioner, Jennifer Rego.

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More on the Rorate Mass can be found here.

EROCRAS

December 18, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent, O Antiphons

The seven “O Antiphons” (also called the “Greater Antiphons” or “Major Antiphons”) are prayers that come from the Breviary’s Vespers during the Octave before Christmas Eve, a time which is called the “Golden Nights.”
Each Antiphon begins with “O” and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isaias and Micheas (Micah), and whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin “Ero Cras” which means “Tomorrow I come.” ~ Fisheaters

17 Dec. O Sapientia – Wisdom

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodidisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come, and teach us the way of prudence.

18 Dec. O Adonai – Lord

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento..

O Lord and Ruler the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come, and redeem us with outstretched arms.

19 Dec. O Radix Jesse – Root

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.

O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not.

20 Dec. O Clavis David – Key

O clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris.

O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: come, and lead forth the captive who sits in the shadows from his prison.

21 Dec. O Oriens – Dawn

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.

O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

22 Dec. O Rex Gentium – King

O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

O King of the gentiles and their desired One, the cornerstone that makes both one: come, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth.

23 Dec. O Emmanuel – Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: come to save us, O Lord our God.

Ero Cras

Take the first letters of each of the titles, starting with the last and working back to the first. You spell: EROCRAS or “ero cras… I will be (there) tomorrow”.