JOYfilledfamily BLOG

Saint of Light

December 13, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: St. Lucia, St. Lucy

Dad coordinated St. Lucy’s breakfast in bed. He made eggs, lil’ smokies, oatmeal and Minibon. ~~The little girls~~ St. Lucy(s) wore their crowns and delivered the food to Rose and I. It was a lovely surprise.

Dad tried to take pictures but the camera battery was dead, go figure.

Dad also made star cookies for Star Boy.

We will be doing activities from last year’s celebration and additional ones from Jessica at Shower of Roses.

I’ll be back with updates, Dad is on a roll.

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LITURGICAL PRAYER: Hear us, O God, our salvation, as we rejoice on the feast of Saint Lucy, Thy virgin and Martyr, and grant us to learn the spirit of pious devotion.

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Not much of an update. Dad capped out at the cookies but did take the kids on a procession (a.k.a.walk to the park).

Sugar and Spice…

December 13, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Recipe

and everything nice, that’s what reminds us of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

We celebrated the feast day of Our Lady Guadalupe on Sat., Dec. 11 instead of Dec. 12. Our parish was granted permission by our Bishop to move the feast day for a Solemnity and First class celebration since Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of our diocese and her original feast day fell on Gaudete Sunday (this year).

We kept it simple with a field trip to the Mexican Market and a small Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea Lunch inspired from Shower of Roses and Cottage Blessings. For dinner we had chicken tacos with rice and beans. Rose and I made Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Crispies for dessert, a family favorite. The Crispies are made with a little sugar and spice and remind us of Our lady of Guadalupe.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, ora pro nobis.

Field trip to the Mexican Market, Rancho San Miguel (St. Michael Ranch)

The girls and their friends were thrilled with the bright, yummy desserts. They had a great time looking at the ethnic dishes; cow’s tongue, “fish head with eyes” (tilapia), pig’s feet…… They decided to stick with rice and beans.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea Lunch

Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Crispies (cinnamon chips)

Flour tortillas
Cinnimon
Sugar
Oil

Directions:

heat oil on stove
mix cinnamon and sugar together
cut tortilla into triangles
fry tortilla wedges until crisp (fry a small amount at a time)
remove tortilla wedges from oil
place tortilla crisps on cooling rack, over a drip pan/cookie sheet
generously sprinkle tortilla crisps with sugar/cinnamon mixture
turn the crisps over and repeat step 7
cool and serve

One Sink At A Time

December 13, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent, Home, Organization 1 Comment

I have been somewhat overwhelmed since having our newest blessing. My home has been a reflection of my state. Nonetheless, I am determined to follow His prompting to regain order during this Advent season, one sink at a time.

Like Mother, Like Daughter is hosting a Kitchen Sink Linky Party. Thank you Auntie Leila for the gentle prompting.

Pretty over the kitchen sink ~ Share your "flow" progress and your pretty windowsill or other space above your kitchen sink! Link back here to Like Mother, Like Daughter, and leave a comment if you like! Then visit each other to show everyone sink love!

Preparing my soul and my home for the coming of Christ.

St. Lucia Crowns

December 13, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Crafts, Little Flowers, Loyalty, St. Lucia, St. Lucy

Saint Lucy
Feast – December 13

We made this crown for Little Flowers, St. Lucy and loyalty.

inspired by As Cozy as Spring & Shower of Roses

Lucy, patron of Sicily, and one of the saints of the Canon of the Mass, was martyred at Syracuse in the persecution of Diocletian about the year 304. The legend of her martyrdom says that she was denounced as a Christian by a rejected suitor. Refusing to apostatize, she was condemned to a brothel, but a mysterious force prevented the persecutors from moving her from the tribunal. After an unsuccessful attempt had been made to burn her to death, her neck was pierced with a dagger.

Supplies:

sewing machine (for optional embellishments)
artist stiff plastic canvas
strip of white fabric
cookie sticks
red felt balls
green felt
green thread (optional)
yellow felt
red ribbon
hot glue gun
scissors

Directions:

cut green leaves (i used a template and cut multiple leaves at once)

sew a vein onto the green leaves

cut yellow flames

glue the yellow flame to the tip of the cookie stick

drizzle hot glue on the stick to resemble melting wax

cut red ribbon and tie into bows

(I tie several small bows on the continuous ribbon and cut in between the bows when done. This makes tying small bows easier.)

cut plastic canvas

tie a red ribbon to each side of the cut plastic canvas

cut the white fabric the same size as the plastic canvas

adhere the plastic canvas to the white fabric. this will give the crown a smooth surface to be placed on the head and will help to secure the leaves.

begin gluing the leaves to the artist canvas

glue the red bows (created in a earlier step) onto the leaves

glue 4 cookie sticks to the crown, behind some leaves. coordinate the candles with the bows

glue the felt balls/berries as desired

tie the red ribbon to the desired size

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St. Lucy, your beautiful name signifies light. By the light of faith which God bestowed upon you, increase and preserve this light in my soul so that I may avoid evil, be zealous in the performance of good works, and abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.
By your intercession with God, obtain for me perfect vision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them for God’s greater honor and glory and the salvation of all men.
St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. Amen.

She Looks Like Me

December 13, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Sparkles

Sparkles with her Our Lady of Guadalupe statue in our first Mary Garden

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My husband and I know little about our exact heritage. We are Mexican with some Italian, French, German, Spanish Basque and… God only knows what else.

Our eldest, Rose, looks nothing like us. She was born with blue eyes and fair skin. She resembles past generations. My grandmother and great-grandmothers (on both sides) had green eyes, light hair with fair skin. My husband’s mother has fair skin with green eyes.

Our next daughter was Sparkles. She is our “Mexican baby.”

Our third daughter, Sweetie, looks exactly like Rose.

All of our children have a beautiful devotion to Our Blessed Mother. When they were younger, their devotion was driven by which Marian apparition looked most like themselves. Sparkles would always light up when she would she Our Lady of Guadalupe. “She looks just like me,” she would exclaim. Other times she would say, “That’s me!” The sheer joy that she had knowing that Mary looked like her was heart warming.

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Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, please pray for us.

St. Catherine Laboure ~ Humility

December 8, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Humility, Immaculate Conception, Little Flowers, Marian, Miraculous Medal, St. Catherine Laboure

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

In this brief prayer we find the truth of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and Mary’s intercessory power with God for us who ask for her aid.

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‘Lord, here I am, give me what You will.’ If He gives me something, I am very pleased and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him because I do not deserve anything. And then again, I tell Him all that passes through my mind; I recount my pains and my joys and … I listen. If you listen to Him, He will speak to you also, because with the good God it is necessary to speak and to listen. He will always speak to you if you go to Him simply and sincerely.

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This month’s Little Flowers meeting was on St. Catherine Laboure and Humility. There were 29 girls in attendance. I had initially planned to have the girls attend Mass with their family instead of as a group, due to the Rorate Mass*. We ended up having a nice turn out for 9am Mass.

*The “Rorate Mass,” so called because it begins with the words “Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum…” (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One…), is a votive Mass offered within the season of Advent in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated by candlelight, and traditionally held before dawn.

The girls eagerly recapped last month’s saint, St. Cecilia.

We discussed the life of St. Catherine Laboure and focused on her humility and visions of Mary. I gathered my info from the resources listed below.

Born in Fain-les-Moutiers on 2nd May, 1806, in the year 1830 Catherine became a seminary Sister with the Sisters of Charity (Rue du Bac); there she witnessed, a few months later, visions of Our Blessed Lady in the Chapel.
She later moved to Reuilly for a period of 46 years, helping the poor and elderly people. There, you may pray before her heart.

We used stations again to further instruct the girls.

Station 1

Miraculous Medal story and coloring.

Did you know that the Miraculous Medal was first called? – Medal of the Immaculate Conception

Station 2

Craft – Miraculous Medal Ornament

Station 3

Outdoor social time and play

Station 4

St. Catherine Laboure Coloring Page and binder update (refer to handouts for complete links).

Father visited the girls and spoke about the purpose of Advent and true meaning of Christmas. He instructed all the girls to put less focus on gift giving/receiving and more focus on giving gifts to Jesus. Helping the poor-those in need, was an example of a gift for Jesus. He gave the girls their usual blessing before departing.

St. Catherine Laboure, Ora Pro Nobis

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HANDOUTS:

Divider Page
Activity Sheet
Humility Memory Verse
Litany of Humility
The Medal A Gift – St. Catherine of Laboure & Miraculous Medal Info/Coloring Leaflet
Coloring Page – St. Catherine Laboure
Miraculous Medal Coloring Page – Pg 3 Front of Medal – Pg 4 Back of Medal
Miraculous Medal Coloring Page – formatted to have the front and back of the Medal on 1 page

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Miraculous Medal

The Meaning of the Front Side of the Miraculous Medal

Mary is standing upon a globe, crushing the head of a serpent beneath her foot. She stands upon the globe, as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her feet crush the serpent to proclaim Satan and all his followers are helpless before her (Gn 3:15). The year of 1830 on the Miraculous Medal is the year the Blessed Mother gave the design of the Miraculous Medal to Saint Catherine Labouré. The reference to Mary conceived without sin supports the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary—not to be confused with the virgin birth of Jesus, and referring to Mary’s sinlessness, “full of grace” and “blessed among women” (Luke 1:28)—that was proclaimed 24 years later in 1854.

The Meaning of the Back Side of the Miraculous Medal

On the reverse side of the Medal we see a Cross, the symbol of Christ’s Redeeming Sacrifice on Mount Calvary for the salvation of the world.

The twelve stars can refer to the Apostles, who represent the entire Church as it surrounds Mary. They also recall the vision of Saint John, writer of the Book of Revelation (12:1), in which “a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars.” The cross can symbolize Christ and our redemption, with the bar under the cross a sign of the earth. The “M” stands for Mary, and the interleaving of her initial and the cross shows Mary’s close involvement with Jesus and our world. In this we see Mary’s part in our salvation and her role as mother of the Church. The two hearts represent the love of Jesus and Mary for us. (See also Lk 2:35).

1st Apparition of the Miraculous Medal

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Become Humble Like Mary

Saint Catherine, you kept secret the wonderful
grace of having seen the Blessed Virgin. Pray for me
when I put myself before others.
O Mary, Mother of God and Our Mother, you who
dislikes pride, bathe me with your humility.

Becoming Like Mary – Seven Daily Prayers

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RESOURCES:

St. Catherine Laboure Humility Info Page – inspiration found here by Jessica
Miraculous Medal Novena
Photo Tour of the Shrine – In 1875, the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception was built in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s historic section of Germantown.

Hôtel de Châtillon Online Guided Tour – in this chapel the Blessed Virgin came to visit “in flesh and bone” in the words of Saint Catherine Laboure …Mother House” of the “Daughters of Charity”. It was called “Hôtel de Châtillon” in 1813 after all the torments of the Revolution. The construction of a chapel began. The solemn benediction of this chapel on 6th August, 1815 was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Saint Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal
St. Catherine Laboure Of The Miraculous Medal – EWTN
St. Catherine of Laboure – Saints & Angles
St. Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal – includes messages and symbolism of the Medal
Miraculous Medal Story
The Story of St. Catherine of Laboure
FREE Miraculous Medal – (I received my Miraculous Medal within 3 days)
FREE Miraculous Medal

RESOURCES FOR KIDS

Hard work produced much happiness in the Labouré family household ; the day finished with family prayer.

St. Catherine Laboure Bio for Kids
Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal – Here you are at a pilgrimage site visited by many. In this chapel, the Blessed Virgin appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré, a Seminary Sister (novice) in the Daughters of Charity in 1830, in order to offer the world a medal.
St. Catherine of Laboure Comic Strip
Miraculous Medal Quiz
Rosary Leaflet – Coloring and Info page

CRAFT:

Miraculous Medal Ornament

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Prayer of Saint Catherine Laboure

Whenever I go to the chapel,
I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to him
“Lord, I am here.
Tell me what you would have me do.”

If He gives me some task, I am content and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that. And then, I tell God everything that is in my heart. I tell Him about my pains and my joys, and then I listen. If you listen, God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen. God always speaks to you when you approach Him plainly and simply. ~ Catherine Labouré

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The Entire Miraculous Medal Story, told by Rev. Carl L. Pieber, C.M. from Madeline Stewart

Holy Day of Obligation

December 8, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Immaculate Conception, Marian

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
From all eternity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit chose Mary to be the Mother of the Word Incarnate. It was unthinkable that she be defiled by sin, in any way or for the least second of time. Therefore, in the instant of creating Mary’s person, the Trinity made her immaculate. This grace, like every other grace granted since the fall of Adam, was given her through the merits of Christ. She was truly saved, redeemed, not from an evil already present, but from an evil that threatened.

INTROIT Isa. 61:10I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has clothed me with the garment of salvation and covered me with the robe of justice, like a bride adorned with her jewels.
Ps. 29:2. I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, by foreseen merits of the death of Christ, You shielded Mary from all stain of sin and preserved the Virgin Mother immaculate at her conception so that she might be a fitting dwelling place for Your Son. Cleanse us from sin through her intercession so that we also may come to You untainted by sin. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the preceding Sunday

EPISTLE Prov. 8:22-35The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning. I was set up from eternity, and of old, before the earth was made. The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived, neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out. The mountains, with their huge bulk, had not as yet been established: before the hills, I was brought forth: He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.
When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law, and compass, he enclosed the depths: When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters: When he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits: when he balanced the foundations of the earth; I was with him forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him at all times; Playing in the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.
Now, therefore, ye children, hear me: blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord.

GRADUAL Judith 13:23; 15:10
By the Lord the Most High God you are blessed, O Virgin Mary, above all women upon earth.
V. You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you are the honor of our people.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Cant. 4:7
You are all fair, O Mary, and there is in you no stain of original sin.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 1:26-28
At that time, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Luke 1:28
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. Alleluia!

SECRET
Accept this saving host, O Lord, which we offer you on the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We firmly believe that she was shielded from all stain of sin by Your prevenient grace; may we be freed from all our faults through her holy intercession. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the preceding Sunday

COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Glorious things are said of you, O Mary, for He who is mighty has done great things for you.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord our God, may the Sacrament that we have received heal in us the wounds of that sin from which blessed Mary alone was preserved by her Immaculate Conception. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the preceding Sunday

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“We ask the Virgin Mary in whose womb the Son of the Most High dwelt, and who we celebrate (next) Wednesday, Dec. 8, in the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, to support us on this spiritual path, to welcome in faith and love the coming of the Savior.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI

Marian Ornament

December 7, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, Humility, Little Flowers, Marian, Miraculous Medal, St. Catherine Laboure

This ornament was made for our last Little Flowers meeting. It is in honor of Mary, the Miraculous Medal, St. Catherine Laboure and humility.

Supplies:

Tacky Glue (it’s thick and will not run)
Ornament Ball (we used plastic balls found at the Dollar Spot at target)
Scissors
Glitter
Pencil
Miraculous Medal Transfer image
Tape
Sharpie (for free hand transfer)
Ornament hook
Ribbon

Directions:

Prep:

slightly cut the top of the glue tip. do not expose the hole.
stick a pin through the tip to create a small hole/opening for the glue.

this step will ensure that the glue will not come out too quickly or create blobs.

trim transfer image
tape transfer image, face down to ornament
rub pencil on back of transfer
trace over the transferred imaged to give you a more defined image

-OR-

freehand the image onto the ornament using a Sharpie

trace the transfer image with glue

generously cover the glue image with glitter (we used rolled painters tape to secure the ornament and prevent rolling while the girls glittered their ornament)

tap the ornament until all the excess glitter is removed

let dry. insert ornament hook. embellish the ornament with a coordinating ribbon.

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Back Side of the Miraculous Medal (Ornament)

The cross can symbolize Christ and our redemption, with the bar under the cross a sign of the earth. The “M” stands for Mary, and the interleaving of her initial and the cross shows Mary’s close involvement with Jesus and our world. In this we see Mary’s part in our salvation and her role as mother of the Church.

“Now it must be given to the whole world and to every person.” ~ Blessed Mother

Necklace for Charity

December 6, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Charity, Christmas, Glass Tile Necklaces, Water4Christmas

In preparation for Christ’s coming, Christmas, we are finding ways to give what we have been blessed with. However, at this time, we are unable to purchase goods for those in need. We are able to give from what we have. We were blessed to be able to purchase a nice stock of tile necklace supplies last year.

We long to help those in real need. So when we heard of Water 4 Christmas from Meg, we knew it was an answer to our prayers. Water for Christmas is a grass roots movement bringing both awareness and real "on the ground" change to Africa’s water crisis.

We are people…Moms, Dads, Sons, Daughters. United by the desire to keep our eyes and hearts open. To increasingly live for things bigger than ourselves. So, we’re going to give up something. Big somethings. Little somethings. Going without so the people in Liberian villages can have access to clean water…the Moms, Dads, Sons, Daughters.

All money donated there goes directly to charity: water who in turn uses 100% of their donations to drill for fresh water.

Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. charity: water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of the money goes to direct project costs. With the help of exemplary organizations on the ground and individuals here, we can drill wells and provide people with this basic, essential need.

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Water 4 Christmas opened an etsy shop. Our donation is listed here. Many other items are also listed. Go check it out and make a purchase. All profits go directly to building wells for safe water in West Africa.

All orders made this week are guaranteed to be delivered by Christmas.