Oct. 2 was our second Little Flowers meeting of the 2010-11 Session. We had 20 girls attend Mass as a group. They wore their handkerchiefs or veils and sashes. The final head count for the meeting was 27 girls. We were missing 4 girls. It is official, we have reached the max capacity for this year’s session, 31 girls. Praise be to God! 
SAINT & VIRTUE STUDY:
We recapped on last month’s saint and virtue, St. Catherine of Sienna & Faith. HR recited the Act of Faith. MJ recited the memory verse, Hebrews 11:1. All the girls recalled the flower, saint and virtue.
Father L had perfect timing and arrived just in time to introduce the girls to St. Monica. He also recapped on his earlier talk regarding angels, with an emphasize on Guardian Angels since today 
was the Feast of Guardian Angels. The girls received a blessing before his departure.
I briefly reflected on Father’s intro to St. Monica. The girls learned that St. Monica was married to a pagan, had three children; a young pious son, a daughter who became a nun, and St. Augustine (her son) who lived a sinful life. They learned that St. Monica never lost hope in God. She continued to pray and do penance for her husband and especially her son. Her prayers were answered on this earth, her husband converted on his death bed and St. Augustine more than converted at age 29. She was filled with joy and died shortly after.
Next,I introduced the girls to the second theological virtue, hope. We discussed the definition of hope based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
I also used a diagram to display hope. The idea was shared by Jessica at Shower of Roses.
The girls eagerly shared the places that they desired to go. Majority of the girls selected Disney Land. GC selected New York. When asked what difficult task may need to be completed in order to make it to their destination, the girls responded with, “cleaning.”
They reflected on the fact that the tasks suggested would not be too difficult to complete with the hope of being able to attend their desired attraction. Their selected destinations were then replaced with our ultimate goal, Heaven. The girls were encouraged to continue to do difficult tasks with the hope that they are moving closer to Heaven.
CRAFT:
"Hope must encircle and cling to your heart like the climbing ivy." ~ The Catholic Girl’s Guide
The girls were then prepped to complete their craft, planting an ivy clipping in hope that it will take root and grow to be formed around the heart form. My dear Mr. and many of the moms provided help at the outdoor planting station. The girls are great gardeners and were very eager to get their hands dirty.
Each girl received a linen (seed starting) pot. They filled their pots 3/4 high with soil. Then they planted the ivy clipping into the soil. They placed the heart form into their soil. The girls filled their pots with more soil and watered. Each girl attempted to attach the grown ivy clipping to the heart. They are were very pleased with their creations.
The potted ivy will need to remain in the shade outside. It will need to be watered frequently. The new growth should be trained around the heart form. It will eventually need to be repotted.
The clippings should take root in 10-20 days. More links to care instructions can be found here.
MISC.
Lastly, the girls returned to the room for some housekeeping. Each girl who attended last month’s meeting received a picture for their binder cover. I will need to create new binder covers for some returning members. Each member received their Hope Handouts. Many of the handouts can be reprinted from the links below.
~~~
A special thanks to my husband, all the moms and LF sisters who provided a helping hand.
LF pictures were taken by a LF sister.
~~~
HANDOUTS:
-
Binder Cover Page (inserted in the clear cover)
-
Activity Sheet
-
Coloring Page – St. Monica
RESOURCES:
-
Hope Overview Page – inspiration found here by Shower of Roses.
-
Coloring Page – St. Augustine, St. Monica’s son
-
St. Monica Spiritual Motherhood – Prayers
-
St. Monica Bio – EWTN
CRAFT:
~~~
“Saint Monica, pray for us, that we may have hope in the Lord, as you did with your son St. Augustine.”
Prayer for Our Children
Dear Saint Monica, patroness of all parents, please take our children, especially those who have turned from the ways of Christ and His Church, under your protection. Let them always remain faithful to their Baptismal vows. Give them the strength to walk always in the ways of the Lord, despite the temptations and false values they find in the world today. Pray for them that they may share with you the joys of eternal life. Amen.
Patron: Abuse victims; alcoholics; alcoholism; difficult marriages; disappointing children; homemakers; housewives; married women; mothers; victims of adultery; victims of unfaithfulness; victims of verbal abuse; widows; wives.
Symbols: Monstrance; IHC on a tablet; veil or handkerchief; open book; girdle; staff; tears.
