striving to radiate Him always
Our little Dragonfly turned 4 months old on September 17.
16.5 lbs
26.25 in
rolls over sweet disposition sleeps through the night teething loves his fist enjoys being put to sleep by sweetie darling dimples does not like loud voices (that rules out basketball games) content wears size 6 month curly hair takes cat-naps if away from his bed loves outdoors bionic nails that grow by the min. JOY
Permit me, O Mary, to remain near the Cross, that I may share with you in the Passion of Jesus.
John 19:25-27
At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: "Woman, behold thy son." After that, he saith to the disciple: "Behold thy mother." And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.
The Seven Graces:
GIVEN TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MEDITATE ON THE SEVEN SORROWS OF THE VIRGIN MARY
As revealed to Saint Bridget by the Blessed Mother
Fr. Faber on the Seven Sorrows
God vouchsafed to select the very things about Him which are most incommunicable, and in a most mysteriously real way communicate them to her. See how He had already mixed her up with the eternal designs of creation, making her almost a partial cause and partial model of it. Our Lady’s co-operation in the redemption of the world gives us a fresh view of her magnificence. Neither the Immaculate Conception nor the Assumption will give us a higher idea of Mary’s exaltation than the title of co-redemptress. Her sorrows were not necessary for the redemption of the world, but in the counsels of God they were inseparable from it. They belong to the integrity of the divine plan. Are not Mary’s mysteries Jesus’ mysteries, and His mysteries hers? The truth appears to be that all the mysteries of Jesus and Mary were in God’s design as one mystery. Jesus Himself was Mary’s sorrow, seven times repeated, aggravated sevenfold. During the hours of the Passion, the offering of Jesus and the offering of Mary were tied in one. They kept pace together; they were made of the same materials; they were perfumed with kindred fragrance; they were lighted with the same fire; they were offered with kindred dispositions. The two things were one simultaneous oblation, interwoven each moment through the thickly crowded mysteries of that dread time, unto the eternal Father, out of two sinless hearts, that were the hearts of Son and Mother, for the sins of a guilty world which fell on them contrary to their merits, but according to their own free will.
— Fr. Frederick Faber, The Foot of the Cross.
Resources
Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
Discourse IX Of The Dolours Of Mary by St. Alphonsus Ligouri
Meditation from Divine Intimacy
Feast of the Seven Sorrows – New Advent
Litany of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows
How to pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows
Rosary of the Seven Sorrows – Part 1 of 3 – You Tube Video
Part 2 of 3 – 4th – 6th Sorrowful Mystery
Part 3 of 3 – 7th Sorrowful Mystery
Stabat Mater – Various versions
English Propers for the Tridentine Mass
Mother Angelica on the Seven Sorrows – Click on the audio link for Sept. 15, 1998
Coloring Pages
Seven Sorrows – a page for each sorrow
Our Lady of Sorrows – Waltzing Matilda
Our Lady of Sorrow Crafts – Catholic Icing
Pictures
The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin
Pieta – Michelangelo
Pieta – Van Gogh
Pieta – Bellini
Presentation at the Temple – Various
Flight into Egypt – Various
Stabat Mater Dolorosa
At the Cross Her Station Keeping
Stabat Mater Dolorosa is considered one of the seven greatest Latin hymns of all time. It is based upon the prophecy of Simeon that a sword was to pierce the heart of His mother, Mary (Lk 2:35).
AT, the Cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.
O how sad and sore distressed
was that Mother, highly blest,
of the sole-begotten One.
Christ above in torment hangs,
she beneath beholds the pangs
of her dying glorious Son.
Is there one who would not weep,
whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ’s dear Mother to behold?
Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother’s pain untold?
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
she beheld her tender Child
All with scourges rent:
For the sins of His own nation,
saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.
O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord:
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ my Lord.
Holy Mother! pierce me through,
in my heart each wound renew
of my Savior crucified:
Let me share with thee His pain,
who for all my sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.
Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live:
By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of thee to give.
Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share thy grief divine;
Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.
Wounded with His every wound,
steep my soul till it hath swooned,
in His very Blood away;
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in His awful Judgment Day.
Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
by Thy Mother my defense,
by Thy Cross my victory;
While my body here decays,
may my soul Thy goodness praise,
safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
Feast: September 13
We will be silently reflecting on the life and works of St. John Chrysostom.
His intercession has been faithfully sought since the moment that he was given to us as our family’s patron saint for the year 2010.
He is also a patron saint of education. God knew I would be in need of this particular intercession this year as I have faced many struggles. I trust St. John Chrysostom has been with my family through it all.
St. John Chrysostom, Ora pro nobis.
+++
"…Everything is carried out joyfully and one can educate their children to virtue. When the first child is born, this is “like a bridge; the three become one flesh, so that the child links the two parts (Homily 12:5 “On the Letter to the Colossians”), and the three make up “one family, a little Church” ~ Chrysostom (Homily 20:6 “On the Letter to the Ephesians”).
"From the tenderest age, arm children with spiritual weapons and teach them to make the Sign of the Cross on their forehead with their hand" ~ Chrysostom (Homily, 12, 7 on First Corinthians).
"This is the principle of our social life… not to be solely concerned with ourselves!" ~ Chrysostom (Homily 9, 2 on Genesis).
“Do you fast? Prove it by doing good works. If you see someone in need, take pity on them. If you see a friend being honored, don’t get jealous of him. For a true fast, you cannot fast only with your mouth. You must fast with your eye, your ear, your feet, your hands, and all parts of your body.” ~ St. John Chrysostom
“You can call happy those who saw Him. But, come to the altar and you will see Him, you will touch Him, you will give to Him holy kisses, you will wash Him with your tears, you will carry Him within you like Mary Most Holy.” ~ St. John Chrysostom
Saint John Chrysostom instructed women of all times about dress (modesty) when in the fourth century he declared: "You carry your snare everywhere and spread your nets in all places. You allege that you never invited others to sin. You did not, indeed, by your words, but you have done so by your dress and your deportment. … When you have made another sin in his heart, how can you be innocent? Tell me, whom does this world condemn? Whom do judges punish? Those who drink poison or those who prepare it and administer the fatal potion? You have prepared the abominable cup, you have given the death dealing drink, and you are more criminal than are those who poison the body; you murder not the body but the soul. And it is not to enemies you do this, nor are you urged on by any imaginary necessity, nor provoked by injury, but out of foolish vanity and pride." ~ St. John Chrysostom
“What the soul is in the body, let Christians be in the world.” – St. John Chrysostom
RESOURCES:
Office of Readings for the Memorial of John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor
Audio – St. Anthony’s Saint of the Day
Coloring page (insert into a word document and resize for coloring)
(turn off music at the bottom of screen before playing)
Glory to God for all things.
~ St. John Chrysostom
Prayer of St. John Chrysostom According to the Hours of the Day and Night
1. O Lord, deprive me not of Thy heavenly blessings;
2. O Lord, deliver me from eternal torment;
3. O Lord, if I have sinned in my mind or thought, in word deed, forgive me.
4. O Lord, deliver me from every ignorance and heedlessness, from pettiness of the soul and stony hardness of heart;
5. O Lord, deliver me from every temptation;
6. O Lord, enlighten my heart darkened by evil desires;
7. O Lord, I, being a human being, have sinned; do Thou, being God, forgive me in Thy lovingkindness, for Thou knowest the weakness of my soul.
8. O Lord, send down Thy grace to help me, that I may glorify Thy holy Name;
9. O Lord Jesus Christ, inscribe me, Thy servant, in the Book of Life, and grant me a blessed end;
10. O Lord my God, even if I have done nothing good in Thy sight, yet grant me, according to Thy grace, that I may make a start in doing good.
11. O Lord, sprinkle on my heart the dew of Thy grace;
12. O Lord of heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful servant, cold of heart and impure, in Thy Kingdom.
13. O Lord, receive me in repentance;
14. O Lord, leave me not;
15. O Lord, save me from temptation;
16. O Lord, grant me pure thoughts;
17. O Lord, grant me tears of repentance, remembrance of death, and the sense of peace;
18. O Lord, grant me mindfulness to confess my sins;
19. O Lord, grant me humility, charity, and obedience;
20. O Lord, grant me tolerance, magnanimity, and gentleness;
21. O Lord, implant in me the root of all blessings: the fear of Thee in my heart;
22. O Lord, vouchsafe that I may love Thee with all my heart and soul, and that I may obey in all things Thy will;
23. O Lord, shield me from evil persons and devils and passions and all other lawless matters;
24. O Lord, Who knowest Thy creation and that which Thou hast willed for it; may Thy will also be fulfilled in me, a sinner, for Thou art blessed forevermore. Amen.
I held my first Little Flowers meeting for the 2010-2011 year on Saturday, Sept, 11. My parish’s Little Flowers groups has doubled. I now have 27 girls, 23 of which were present.
I have decided to complete Wreath I this year. Our first meeting was on St. Catherine of Siena & Faith. As always, we attended mass prior to our meeting.
This is a virtue memory page. My inspiration was taken from Jessica.
The meeting started with some social time and snack. They ate their sunflower seeds as we discussed the significance of the sunflower.
“Our faith may be compared to this flower, since its gaze is ever fixed above, and turned towards the glorious sun of divine truth.” ~ Fr. Lasance – Catholic Girl’s Guide
St. Catherine of Siena was then introduced. She was the last one standing. That is , she had the most siblings out of all the Little Flowers present, 24. CP was a close second with 11 siblings. The girls were amazed with this little fact about St. Catherine of Siena.
Saint Catherine of Sienna Exchanging Her Heart with Christ ” by Giovanni di Paolo, part of a three part altar panel, hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
We covered; St. Catherine of Siena’s early call to serve God at age 6; her joyful demeanor and willingness to please; her nick name – Joy; her parents’ wish for her to marry; her hair cutting episode in response to her parents constant desire for her to marry*; St. Catherine’s private visions; the ring that was placed on her hand by Mary and Jesus which was invisible to all; her call to inform the Pope to move back to Rome; and the stigmata that did not become visible until the time of her death at age 33.
Father L visited the girls. He spoke of the LF’s patron saint, St. Therese and St. Catherine of Siena. He clarified a concern that one of the Little Flowers had regarding St. Catherine cutting her hair to show her parents that she was not going to marry. The Little Flower questioned if this act was disobedient.* Father explained that we are all to follow God’s call and that parents are supposed to lead us to God’s will. Parents are not supposed to force their children into a vocation. He of course, put it much more eloquently.
Father gave the girls a special blessing (that extends to their family) before departing. We are blessed to have devoted shepherds. Please continue to keep Father L and all the FSSP priests in your prayers.
Before moving on to our craft we played a a nice game of musical chairs. We used the Little Flowers Memory Verse CD as music. MB, AA, Sweetie and EH were the winners (displaced from their chairs first). They were awarded the privilege of taking the craft supplies to their table.
I chose a simple craft to start with, Key Tag Necklace. The girls did a great job assembling their necklaces and were pleased with their creations.
Each new member received their Little Flowers binder. This binder is to be used for their entire stay as a LF. All members were given the handouts for Faith. They are to work on the activity sheet as mom sees fit. If participating, each girl will report back to me once their mom/father deems them worthy of having earned the badge for the virtue of Faith.
The binder is an Avery Durable 1.5 inch binder. I purchase the binders at Wal-Mart once the school items go on clearance. I do not pay more than $2.50 per binder. I’m able to find them there every year in a variety of colors.
The meeting was wrapped up with a treat, sunflower cupcakes. They speak for themselves…..YUMMY! (Just ask EH! She loved them so much that she wanted to eat the paper.)
The meeting was a success!
I give all thanks and praise to GOD.
Handouts (in order)
Bio
MISC.
Additional Sunflower Activities:
~~~
Patron: Against fire; bodily ills; Europe; fire prevention; firefighters; illness; Italy; miscarriages; nurses; nursing services; people ridiculed for their piety; sick people; sickness; Siena, Italy; temptations.
Symbols: Cross; heart; lily; ring; stigmata.
St. Catherine of Siena, Ora pro nobis.
My Little Flowers group has started their 2010-2011. There are 27 girls ranging in ages from 5 to 8. My returning girls are skilled crafters. However, I wanted to gauge the skill level of the new LF girls. This was the perfect craft, key tag necklaces. I found my inspiration from another blog.
Craft Level: 1-2 (1 being the easiest)
Majority of the prep is done by the parent ahead of time.
Cost per craft*: $.80/necklace $21/30 necklaces
*this does not include the crafting tools
SUPPLIES
hole puncher
Xyron sticker maker or glue
Key Tags (Avery 11025) - $8/50 tags $0.16/tag
Sunflower pictures (represents the virtue of faith)
Faith Sheet on decorative yellow paper
Bright Yellow Ribbon (represents the virtue of faith) – $0.50/10 yards $0.05/necklace
St. Catherine of Siena medal – $0.60/medal
STEPS:
1. Print sunflower sheet
1.a. Cut out 1 in circles of your desired sunflower clip
2. Print Faith Sheet on decorative yellow paper
2.a. Cut out 1 in circles around “faith”
3. Create stickers of the cutouts from steps 1.a. and 2.a. I used the Xyron create a sticker tool.
4. Adhere the stickers to the key tag. Faith on one side and the sunflowers on the other.
5. Punch a hole in the top of stickers where the original key tag hole is located
6. String a pre-cut yellow ribbon through the St. Catherine of Siena medal and the created key tag.
7. Tie a knot at the end of the ribbon, fit-to-size.
“Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
Hi! I'm Lena, mama of JOYfilledfamily.
We are a traditional Catholic family striving to live for Jesus Christ in everything we do. We pray to completely surrender our will to His and to become His servants. Our mission of this blog is to share our JOY.
This blog serves as a journal of us making good memories, living the liturgical year, and our spiritual journey.
