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Saint Francis of Assisi

by Filed Under: 10 October, 10 October Saints, St. Francis Leave a Comment

Jesus is happy to come with us, as truth is happy to be spoken, as life to be lived, as light to be lit, as love is to be loved, as joy to be given, as peace to be spread. ~St. Francis of Assisi

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Saint Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis, the son of a merchant of Assisi, was born in that city in 1182. Chosen by God to be a living manifestation to the world of Christ’s poor and suffering life on earth, he was early inspired with a high esteem and burning love of poverty and humiliation. The thought of the Man of Sorrows, who had not where to lay His head, filled h[Saint Francis of Assisi]im with holy envy of the poor, and constrained him to renounce the wealth and worldly station which he abhorred. The scorn and hard usage which he met with from his father and townsmen when he appeared among them in the garb of poverty were delightful to him. “
Now,” he exclaimed, “I can say truly, ‘Our Father who art in heaven.’” But divine love burned in him too mightily not to kindle like desires in other hearts. Many joined themselves to him, and were constituted by Pope Innocent III into a religious Order, which spread rapidly throughout Christendom. Saint Francis, after visiting the East in the vain quest of martyrdom, spent his life like his Divine Master – now in preaching to the multitudes, now amid desert solitudes in fasting and contemplation. During one of these retreats he received on his hands, feet, and side the print of the five bleeding wounds of Jesus. With the cry, “Welcome, sister Death,” he passed to the glory of his God October 4th, 1226.

Reflection – “My God and my all,” Saint Francis’s constant prayer, explains both his poverty and his wealth.

~ Pictorial Lives of the Saints

The Crucifix of San Damiano

A More Detailed Explanation

 

RESOURCES:

Children’s Activities

Liturgical

Reflections & Audio

Audio Books

Online Books

Videos

 

O God, Who by the merits of blessed Francis dost increase Thy Church by a new progeny, grant us by imitating him to despise earthly things, and ever to rejoice in the participation of heavenly gifts. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

The Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel

by Filed Under: 09 September, 09 September Saints, Archangels, Patron Saint, St. Michael 1 Comment

Holy arch­angel Michael, defend us in battle: that we may not perish in the dreadful judgment. Alle­luia.

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Our 2016 Family Patron Saint

FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

September 29

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  • RESOURCES

– Children’s Activities

– Prayers




A New School Year

by Filed Under: Homeschooling Leave a Comment

joyfilledfamily SFA 2016-17

School is officially in session at Sancta Familia Academy – 8th grade to Pre-K.

Our mission is to make our home a place that radiates His joy & peace. To serve each other, grow in our faith & virtue, and give Glory to God in all we do & learn. We pray to model the Holy Family.

JOYFILLEDFAMILY boys 16-17

Boys rule.

Papi – 9, Dragonfly – 6, Lil’ Man – 3, Gummybear – 1.5

JOYFILLEDfamily girls 16-17

The girls are proving to be wonderful upperclassmen.

Sparkles – 13 & Sweetie 11

Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. ~ Matthew 6:33

 

A Mama’s Patron Saint

by Filed Under: 08 August Saints, Edith Stein, Patron Saint, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross 1 Comment

Edith Stein motherliness

Ordinary Time: August 9th

Optional Memorial of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr

This year St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross chose me, she is my patron saint of 2016. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by without me seeking her intercession.  Below is an image and free printable of an excerpt from a prayer of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.  I’ve also included links/resources to learn more about this holy martyr & philosopher of truth. 
St. Teresa Benedicta JOYfilledfamily
St. Teresa Benedicta Printabe Prayer
Prayers of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
O Prince of Peace, to all who receive You, You bright light and peace.  Help me to live in daily contact with You, listening to the words You have spoken and obeying them.  O Divine Child, I place my hands in Yours; I shall follow You.  Oh, let Your divine life flow into me.
I will go unto the altar of God.  It is not myself and my tiny little affairs that matter here, but the great sacrifice of atonement.  I surrender myself entirely to Your divine will, O Lord.  Make my heart grow greater and wider, out of itself into the Divine Life.
O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You.  Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me.  I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me and I shall met with peace.
How wondrous are the marvels of your love, We are amazed, we stammer and grow dumb, for word and spirit fail us.

RESOURCES:

RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN:

 

Saint Edith Stein, holy martyr, philosopher of truth, defender of the human person against the evils of this age + enlighten our minds, illumine our hearts, fill our lives with the passion of your love for the Cross. Amen.

Homeschooling ~ Remain in the Cave

by Filed Under: Homeschool Meditations, Homeschooling 1 Comment

Homeschooling is a catacomb…Homeschooling is among the new deserts for many saintly souls.

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Dad and I continue to prepare our hearts and home for a new season of family life and another homeschool year.  We turn towards the resources that have been made available from solid shepherds whom are willing to lead and correct.

Our most recent mediation comes by way of Regina Prophetarum, now Sensum Fidelium.

Sloth: The Vice of Homeschoolers – Regina Prophetarum

~~~

Below is an abbreviated dictation of the audio.

WHAT TO DO {to remain in the cave—to homeschool}:

St. Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians JOYfilled -Sancta Familia Academy[6]

  1. Make an effort to be quite. All that is of this world will be burned—it will come to an end.
  2. Pursue your own affairs.We must not, out of curiosity, wish to inquire into or learn the deeds of others or that of world.  God will let us know what He wants us to know, when the time comes.  Form a rule/schedule for your homeschool.
  3. Work with your own hands.Be not idle. Do what we’re supposed to be doing, when we’re supposed to be doing it.  
  4. Walk honorably for the sake of outsiders.We should recognize that we are on display for the whole world. What we say and do, is important.  How we dress is significant.  Our homeschools ought to be, first and foremost, schools of virtue and good character.  Walk honorably for the sake of outsiders.  You represent something special.  Don’t try to be like the world!
  5. Desire nothing from anyone. Be not alarmed that you do not have all the gadgets {books, extracurriculars, technology, etc…} that other people have.  Do not long for the luxuries of the world.  Do with less and be willing to be behind the Jones and the public schools.  Having all those things doesn’t make for a devout life or a close knit family.  Many have noted how helpful it is to do with less.  To need something and, yet, not be able to get it, that’s not so bad.  This keeps us humble and always looking up and always working together to keep us going.  Stop the desiring of the ABC’s and work with what you’ve got and God will help you and you will be happy with less and you will produce more! 

REMAIN IN THE CAVE!

May we follow His call, detached from government intervention and other temptations of the evil one.

May we keep to our place and build the ark.

Let us consecrate our family and homeschool to Our Lady. 

Reposted from 9.8.13 

Homeschool Prep ~ Novena

by Filed Under: 07 July, 07 July Saints, Homeschool Meditations, Homeschooling, Homeschooling Novena, Novena, St. Ignatius of Loyola 1 Comment

 

AMDG

JOYfilledfamily-homeschool planning

Homeschool planning is in full force in our home.  We start our homeschooling year with a novena, thanks to the wise counsel of a holy Priest and the prompting of a veteran homeschooling friend.

The novena starts July 22 and ends on July 30, the eve of the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola.   It can also begin on July 23 and end on his feastday, July 31.

YOU’RE INVITED TO JOIN US!

Let us form a communion of prayer to discern God’s will, Glorify God, and raise one another up. 

It seems that no matter, how many years one has been at this, the balancing of interests and needs of our families, while ever-changing never gets any clearer or even any easier.   Each year we are faced with decisions about our children’s education, what grade, what subjects, what books along with trying to fit into a 24 hour day all the other things we do that are necessary to keeping our homes, like laundry, dishes, etc.  We wonder how many outside activities we can reasonably take on, what to make sure we include and what we may have to omit.  In the end each of us desires to do the Will of God, for ourselves and for our families, each and every member.  The desire to do His Will does not necessarily always translate though into a clear understanding at all times what exactly His Will may be and so we try very hard to balance all the decisions that our multi-faceted vocation entails and discern what He is really asking us to do.  ~G.M.

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Novena to St. Ignatius of Loyola

 

V. In the Name (✠) of the Father…

R. Amen.

 

Suscipe (Prayer by St. Ignatius)

V. Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty,

R.  My memory, my understanding * and my entire will * All I have and call my own. * Thou hast given all to me, * To Thee, O Lord, I return it. * Everything belongs to Thee; * do with it as Thou wilt. * Give me only Thy love and Thy grace, * That is enough for me. Amen.

 

Anima Christi (Prayer by St. Ignatius)

V. Soul of Christ,                                R. Sanctify me.

V. Body of Christ,                               R. Save me.

V. Blood of Christ,                             R. Inebriate me.

V. Water from the side of Christ,    R. Wash me.

V. Passion of Christ,                          R. Strengthen me.

V. O Good Jesus (☨),                         R. Hear me.

V. Within Thy wounds,                     R. Shelter me.

V. Separated from Thee,                  R. Let me never be.

V. From the evil one,                        R. Protect me.

V. At the hour of my death,             R. Call me.

V. Into Thy presence,                       R. Lead me.

V. That I may praise Thee,              R. With all Thy angels and saints, forever and ever. Amen.

 

Prayer for Generosity (by St. Ignatius)

V. Lord, do Thou teach me to be generous.

R. Teach me to serve Thee as Thou deserves: * To give and not to count the cost, * To fight and not to heed the wounds, * to toil and not to seek for rest, * to labor and not to ask for reward, * save that of knowing * that I do Thy divine and holy Will. Amen. *

 

Novena Prayer

V. O glorious Patriarch, St. Ignatius of Loyola,

R. We humbly beseech thee to obtain for us from Almighty God, * above all things else, * deliverance from sin, * which is the greatest of evils, * and next, from those scourges * wherewith the Lord chastises the sins of His people.

V. And by thy glorious merits we beseech thy benevolent intercession before the throne of Almighty God, that He may grant us:

(Pause and state your intentions)

V. May thine example, O Loyal Knight of Our Lady, enkindle in our hearts an effectual desire,

R. To employ ourselves continually in laboring for the greater glory of God * and the good of our fellowmen; * obtain for us, likewise, from the loving Heart of Jesus (☨) Our Lord, * that grace which is the crown of all graces, * that is to say, the grace of final perseverance and everlasting happiness. * Amen.

V. Laudetur Jesus (☨) Christus! (Praise be Jesus Christ)

R. Nunc et in æternum. Amen. (Now and forever)

V. In the Name (✠) of the Father…

R. Amen.

 

Printable Novena to St. Ignatius of Loyola

 

St. Ignatius, ora pro nobis

Family Pilgrimage ~ Day 1

by Filed Under: Our Lady of Bethlehem, Pilgrimage, Pilgrimage to OLOB 2016, Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Bethlehem Leave a Comment

This is the recap of the start of our journey — Our Lady of Bethlehem Pilgrimage 2016.

OLOB why we walk

 Thursday 19th of May 2016

The entire family ventured out for our Annual Our Lady of Bethlehem Pilgrimage.

We went up a day early to ease the strain on the littles.  All would have been good had there not been winds of 45mph.  You know that means trouble for a large van.  The winds and hills led to some queasy stomachs.  One stop and a custom essential oil blend  is all that was needed.IMG_9451

The journey continued and we arrived at our first destination around 10:30 pm.  We met up with two other families at a camp site close to the Mission and slept in our cars.  It was the start of reparation.  I failed to get a decent peek into our “camper,” just imagine something similar to this…

Friday 20th of May 2016

The Holy Spirit , Spirit of Holiness under the patronage of St Catherine of Sienna

The crew had an early rise, 5:30 am to be exact.  I don’t recall ever falling asleep.  We prepared for 7:30 am  Mass and the first leg of our walk.

 

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Our fellow pilgrims met at Mission San Juan Bautista.

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Our personal intentions and all intentions shared with us were collected by Fr. A, carried by him on the pilgrimage, and placed on the Altar for every Mass, Benediction, and Compline.

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It is a great blessing to have a Chaplain accompany us for the entire pilgrimage, one that we have not always had.

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My girls were committed to walking the entire 45 miles.

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I have good reason to believe that this is the last pilgrimage we will take as a complete family of 9 living under the same roof and I wanted to cherish each moment of our journey to the fullest – a new season awaits.

Dad could not walk since he is still recovering from his surgery for a ruptured achilies tendon but that didn’t stop him from serving.  He took on the primary support role for our family, taking care of the littles, preparing meals, transporting, organizing our cargo, and photography.

The journey on foot followed the blessing of pilgrims by Fr. A.


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We were off around 8:15 am, singing traditional hymns along the way.

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The tides are shifting with each year, the young children are growing and taking the lead on this journey that has become part of their upbringing.

 

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Rose and I had many opportunities to reflect on our relationship, journey, and life.

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The view at every turn was stellar.

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He was refreshed with the open spaces that spoke to his heart.

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We had an eager 5yo leader that needed to be reigned in a time or two — that’s why we put him in neon clothing when we venture out.

 

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2016 Lenten Calendar

by Filed Under: Lent, Lenten Calendar 2 Comments

2016 Lenten Calendar notice and prayerThe Lenten Calendar almost didn’t happen but I pulled it together in the eleventh hour at the request of my kids.  Its a lovely consolation that they have grown to love the simple traditions that Dad and I have implemented over the years.  Deo gratias!

This Lenten Calendar follows the Traditional Calendar (1962) with some Historical (H) feast days noted. The saints listed in bold are represented with 2016 Lenten Calendar JOYfilledfamilyan image.

We only celebrate First Class Feasts during Lent.  They other saints are included for private devotion and will be called upon for intercessory prayers. 

I print my calendar at Costco Photo in 16×20 ($5.99) for the display down stairs altar and 8×10 ($1.49) for bedrooms upstairs.  The calendar can also be printed at home.

You may download and print the calendar for your personal use.

Email me at JOYfilledfamily{at}gmail{dot}com if you need my assistance.  

Click here for a PDF of the  2016 Lenten Calendar JOYfilledfamily

 

In order to keep up the character of mournfulness and austerity which is so well suited to Lent, the Church, for many centuries, admitted very few feasts into this portion of her year, inasmuch as there is always joy where there is even a spiritual feast…During the last few centuries, she has admitted several other feasts into that portion of her general calendar which coincides with Lent; still, she observes a certain restriction, out of respect for the ancient practice. ~“The Mystery of Lent” – Extraordinary Form (Tridentine) from Dom Gueranger’s “The Liturgical Year”

+ad Jesum Per Mariam+

We seek to be fully immersed in a life a prayer within our current state of life so that we can grow an intimate union with Christ, foster the virtues of humility and charity, and properly purge ourselves of things of this world that have been hindering our union with Him.  We hope to model the Holy Family of Nazareth with the purpose of transforming our own family into a “true sanctuary of Love”.

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