share our JOY

JOY{filled}family

striving to radiate Him always

Saints of 2018

by Filed Under: 01 January, New Year, Patron Saint, St. Andrew the Hermit Leave a Comment

On the occasion of the New Year 1935 Saint Maria Faustina made this entry in her spiritual Diary: “Jesus likes to intervene in the smallest details of our life. And He often fulfills secret wishes of mine that I sometimes hide from Him, although I know that from Him nothing can be hidden. There is a custom among us of drawing by lot on New Year’s Day, special patrons for ourselves for the whole year…” ~ Saint Maria Faustina

Our 2018 Patron Saint is…

St. Andrew the Hermit.

 

We used the “Random Page” Selector from Catholicsaints.info to expand our options (the Historical and Traditional Calendars are also offered).

 

 

 

 

Holy Family of Nazareth

by Filed Under: 01 January, 01 January Saints, Holy Family, Patron Saint, Prayer, Prayer for Families, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

The Holy Family is our model.  We have consecrated our family to the Holy Family and continue to seek their intercession.  This is our family prayer….

Heavenly Father, you have given us the Holy Family - First Suday after Epiphanymodel of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth.  Help us, O Loving Father,to make our family another Nazareth where love, peace and joy reign.

May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic, revived with joy.  Help us to stay together in joy and sorrow in family prayer.

Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families, especially in their distressing disguise.

May the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus make our hearts humble like his and help us to carry out our family duties in a holy way.

May we love one another as God loves each one of us, more and more each day, and forgive each other’s faults as you forgive our sins.

Help us, O Loving Father, to take whatever you give and give whatever you take with a big smile.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, cause of our joy, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, be always with us, guide and protect us.

Amen.

~ Bl.  Mother Teresa’s Prayer for Families

A new printable of this prayer will go up in prominent places within our home today, the glorious feast of the Holy Family.  Click here for your free Prayer for Families printable.   Additional mediation resources are listed below.

Prayer for Families

Here are images that you can use on your phone and social media.

Prayer for Families banner

Prayer for Families - phone

Resources:

 

Sancta Familia ~ ora pro nobis

Epiphany 2014

by Filed Under: 01 January, 01 January Saints, Epiphany Of Our Lord 1 Comment

O my Jesus, while I beg You to reveal Yourself to the world, I also beseech You to reveal Yourself more and more to my poor soul. Let Your star shine for me today, and point out to me the road which leads directly to You! May this day be a real Epiphany for me, a new manifestation to my mind and heart of Your great Majesty. He who knows You more, loves You more, O Lord; and I want to know You solely in order to love You, to give myself to You with ever greater generosity.

~Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, OCD

~~~

Omnes de Saba venient
aurum et thus deferentes
et laudem Domino annuntiantes.
Alleluja.

Dadwrintingonthelentil14

Dad marked the lintel of the two main entries into our home with the Epiphany Chalk Blessing on the feast of The Epiphany of Our Lord.

All they from Saba will come,
bringing gold and frankincense,
and announcing the praise of the Lord.
Alleluia.

~Gradual for The Feast of the Epiphany. Isaiah 60:6

~~~

Epiphany Chalk Blessing

The lintel of the main door of the house is marked with blessed chalk by the father of the household in the following manner:chalkblessing

20+C+M+B+14 (the suffix of the current year) while saying the following prayer:

  • The Three Wise Men
  • C  Caspar
  • M  Melchior
  • B  & Balthasaar, followed the star of God’s Son who became Man
  • 20 Two-thousand
  • 14 and fourteen years ago
  • + May Christ
  • + Bless our home
  • + and remain with us
  • + through the new year.

Almighty God, incline Thine ear.  Bless us and all who are gathered here.  Send Thy holy angel who will defend us, and fill with grace all who dwell here.  Amen

~~~

JOYfilledfamilyEpiphany2014

2013  | 2012 

~~~

….O Blessed parents of the Infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph,we humbly and earnestly implore you to beg for us, at the crib of your Infant Son, that like Him and as His true and faithful followers, we may love to live in true humility, disengagement from creatures, contempt of the world and it’s vanities, constant recollection of the holy presence of God, fervour and fidelity in all of our duties, and in the practice of the tenderest charity to all persons.  May we never blush at the humility of the crib, nor at the poverty  and simplicity of Bethlehem.  May we ever rejoice at our happy lot as children of the true Church; ever in tender charity look with a compassionate eye on those who live but for this world; and continually pray that all may come to bless, to praise and to love the Saviour, who comes to redeem them…Amen

~Excerpt from the Litany from Christmas to Epiphany, taken from the MC & LMC Prayer Book.

2014 Patron Saint

by Filed Under: 01 January, New Year, Patron Saint, St. Leo the Great 1 Comment

On the occasion of the New Year 1935 Saint Maria Faustina made this entry in her spiritual Diary:  "Jesus likes to intervene in the smallest details of our life. And He often fulfills secret wishes of mine that I sometimes hide from Him, although I know that from Him nothing can be hidden. There is a custom among us of drawing by lot on New Year’s Day, special patrons for ourselves for the whole year…”  ~ Saint Maria Faustina

~~~

We are discerning a major family opportunity and felt it only fitting to enlist the intercession of a new patron saint.  We opted to select one saint for the family this year.

Our 2014 Patron Saint is…St. Leo the Great.

 

We used the Saint’s Name Generator.

Family Patron Saints from 2010 I 2011 I 2012 I 2013.

~~~

2014JOYfilledfamilyPatronSt.LeotheGreat

~~~

"Short and fleeting are the joys of this world’s pleasures which endeavors to turn aside from the path of life those who are called to eternity. The faithful and religious spirit, therefore, must desire the things which are heavenly, and being eager for the Divine promises, lift itself to the love of the incorruptible Good and the hope of the true Light." ~ St. Leo the Great

Epiphany 2013

by Filed Under: 01 January, 01 January Saints, Christmas, Epiphany Of Our Lord 1 Comment

They entered and found Him as a child as He dwelt in the house of the lowly woman; and they drew near and worshipped with gladness, and brought near before Him their treasures. ~Hymn XV for the Epiphany written by St. Ephraem

Epiphany 2013 JOY

Dad marked the lintel of the two main entries into our home with the Epiphany Chalk Blessing on the feast of The Epiphany of Our Lord. 

~~~

Epiphany Chalk Blessing

The lintel of the main door of the house is marked with blessed chalk by the father of the household in the following manner:

20+C+M+B+13 (the suffix of the current year) while saying the following prayer:

    • The Three Wise Men
    • C  Caspar
    • M  Melchior
    • B  & Balthasaar, followed the star of God’s Son who became Man
    • 20 Two-thousand
    • 13 and thirteen years ago
    • + May Christ
    • + Bless our home
    • + and remain with us
    • + through the new year.

Almighty God, incline Thine ear.  Bless us and all who are gathered here.  Send Thy holy angel who will defend us, and fill with grace all who dwell here.  Amen

~~~

blessing back entry JOY

O my Jesus, while I beg You to reveal Yourself to the world, I also beseech You to reveal Yourself more and more to my poor soul. Let Your star shine for me today, and point out to me the road which leads directly to You! May this day be a real Epiphany for me, a new manifestation to my mind and heart of Your great Majesty. He who knows You more, loves You more, O Lord; and I want to know You solely in order to love You, to give myself to You with ever greater generosity. ~Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, OCD

~~~

P1060780

The no-grain chocolate chip muffins (and cookies not pictured) are my family’s take on a King’s Cake.  It is a sweet treat (made with honey, almond flour, and coconut milk) that fits into our dietary plan.  The semi-sweet chocolate chips take the place of a bean or token.  Each family member became king/queen for the day and one request for each member was honored.

~~~

O holy Magi, who were first among the Gentiles called to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and who persevered in the faith till your deaths, obtain for us of the Lord the grace of living always in conformity to our baptismal vows, ever leading to a life of faith; that like you we may attain to the beatific vision of that God Who now is the object of our faith. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. ~Novena to Magi – Jan. 5

Subscribe to our Newsletter