Walk Through Holy Week with Jesus

Holy Week is a busy time in the Church, it is also the best time to live the faith and experience

the catechism first hand.  The eight days of Holy Week from Palm Sunday to Easter are 

packed with opportunities to follow Jesus on His journey to Jerusalem, Passion, and 

miraculous resurrection.  

This is my favorite week of the year. It can also be exhausting with so many trips to church
 to participate in the liturgy.  However, I have found that the experience of walking WITH Jesus
 through Holy Week, is exhilarating and makes the miracle of Easter that much sweeter.

Each day, walk through the gospels and grow in your relationship with Our LORD, the Christ.

[Linking up with Kelly!]

Palm Sunday--Welcome Jesus to Jerusalem and, with the crowds, celebrate our amazing 
Savior.  Take an active role in the reading of the Passion. Try to imagine what it was like 
amid the crowds of bystanders waving palms and shouting “Hosanna.” When you get home
 from Mass, place your palms in a special vase for decoration for Holy Week and have a 
special meal as a family.  This is a joyous day because the prophecies have been fulfilled, 
the new king of Israel has come to Jerusalem.

Holy Monday-- The day after Jesus arrived in Jerusalem to the sound of crowds cheering Him,
He went up to the temple. However, He did not go to teach and pray.  He came to overturn the
 money changers tables and sweep clean those who offended God.

On Monday,clear out your temple. Our diocese has Reconciliation Monday this day and every
 church is open from 4pm to 8pm for confession.  This is a great blessing for sure.

Not everyone will have that opportunity, but if you can, go to confession. Even if you can’t get
to confession, there is cleaning that can be done.  Get your home in order for the great season
of Easter.

Purge the clutter. Do away with useless distractions.  Find ways to come into Easter cleaner,
lighter, and more open so you can be filled with the grace of His Resurrection.

Holy Tuesday-- Before Jesus cleaned the Temple, he cursed the fig tree.  On Tuesday, while
 heading back into the city, Peter saw how the tree had died and marveled at the authority and
 power of Christ.  Through mere words, He could give and take life.

Jesus replies, “Have faith in God. Amen I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Arise, and hurl thyself into the sea.’ and does not waiver in his heart, but believes that
whatever he says will be done, it shall be done for him.”

Today, read Mark 11:12-14, 20-26 with your children.  Eat dried figs as a snack, too.

What are the mountains in your life?   Set aside a time for intense prayer for what seems
impossible. For nothing is impossible with God!  If you have the opportunity, attend the
Chrism Mass with your family and thank God for our priests and the sacraments.

Holy Wednesday-- Halfway through Holy Week! This is called a day of silence because there
 is nothing in scripture about what Jesus did this day.  We do know that He went to Bethany to
spend time with Mary and Martha.  The night before, Mary anointed Him with perfumed oil.  

This is a perfect day to read all the parables that Jesus preached on His last visit to the
Temple.  (You can find them in Mark 12). Then take some time to write out Easter cards for
family and friends. Or send out those emails to loved ones that you keep meaning to write.
Invite over a friend or relative for tea and a chat. Take the time to remember those important
to you in prayerful love.

Holy Thursday-- My beautiful friend, Jessica, who writes at Shower of Roses, introduced me
 to liturgical teas.  So, for several years, on Holy Thursday my children and I have read
through Mark 14. Then, we eat special foods that connect with the story. 
Below is a list of what we usually have on the table for our tea:

• Palms on the road-- In years past, I have made heart of Palm salad, and eaten the
   whole thing myself. In an effort to economize and simplify, I now just put the palms
   from Palm Sunday in a pretty vase as a centerpiece.
• Costly Oil--I fill a shallow bowl with olive oil and flavor it with Italian seasoning, garlic,
   and a little onion powder. As a child, this is what we put on bread, never butter,
   of course that was only if there was no tomato sauce left to sop up.
• Unleavened bread blessed and broken-- We are use broken pieces of Matzo crackers,
   but have also used pitas cut into wedges.
• The Blessing Cup--I make a special wine spritzer that is mostly grape juice and water
   with a very little bit of red wine. The wine and water represent the blood and water
   that flowed from Christ's side.
• Mount of Olives--A pile of olives. Any kind will do.
• Garden of Gethsemane-- Dried figs
• Sleepy Apostles--Sleepytime ©  tea
• Thirty Pieces of Silver-- A bowl with thirty dimes that will then be donated to
    Mary's Meals. We have also used rice crackers, slices of carrots, and slices of string
   cheese.
• Judas' kiss--Strawberries
• The Cock Crowed Twice--We have used rotisserie chicken, chicken salad,
   and mini chicken pot pies.
• Peter's Tears--Salted sunflower seeds.  
• Cloud of Heaven--Garlic mashed potatoes, and yes, I use instant potatoes.
   I simply sauteed some garlic in oil and mix it in. The key is simplicity.

Holy Thursday Mass is a beautiful celebration of the creation of not only the Mass but the
priesthood.  If you are able, attend Mass. Even better, volunteer to have your feet washed.
Then stay after Mass to pray in silence as Jesus prayed in the garden.

Good Friday-- This is the day that Jesus suffered and died.  The earth quaked and the veil of
 the Temple was torn in two.  Take the time to walk the Stations of the Cross at your parish or
 an outdoor station garden.  Physically walking from station to station changes the experience
 and takes you on the journey that redeemed the world.

This is a day of fasting and prayer.  Keep meals simple and try to avoid unnecessary activity.
 Spend time before the empty tabernacle. The emptiness and extinguished flame is striking.
 Stop and contemplate what would have happened if that were the end. 

What would life be like without Our Risen LORD?

 It is easy to take the Eucharist for granted, today is the day to remember that it is a great gift.

Holy Saturday--This is a day of waiting, expectancy, and ordinary life continuing. Just as the
 apostles kept the Sabbath as they did every Saturday, we continue with our lives.  There are
 preparations to be done, but today is not Easter. Keep Easter decorations away until AFTER
 vigil Mass.

You could also make Resurrection Rolls or Easter Story Cookies, but don’t eat them until
 Easter!  Resurrection Rolls are a favorite Easter brunch treat in my house.

Easter Sunday--Alleluia! He is Risen! Sing and rejoice.  Belt out the Alleluia at Mass or sing it
 together as a family if you assisted at Vigil Mass. Remember to  thank God for our Risen 
Savior. Amid the egg hunts and jelly beans, remember to tell everyone the Good News. He is
 risen! He is risen, indeed!

Oh, and don’t forget, Easter lasts 50 days!  While the rest of the world is packing away all
 the pink bunnies, we are just getting started celebrating.

Do you have any Holy Week traditions to share?

Happy St Valentine's Day!!

I am jumping on here quickly to wish everyone a happy St Valentine's Day.  Little Lady is asleep in her swing and I have lots to do but, I wanted to give you a peak at our annual tea.

 

A simple one this year because of time and money constraints but everyone enjoyed it and it is always nice to have some family time apart from the normal hustle and bustle.

We signed up for the Ninevah90 yesterday--had I known we were going to, I would have planned this over the weekend instead.  I know we are supposed to be fasting but, St Valentine is a favorite saint of ours, so we are feasting in his honor. Tomorrow back to the fast!!

If you pop back tomorrow, I will have up my modified Ninevah90 that the kids and I designed for them to participate.  I did not want them to be overwhelmed by the requirements, nor me to have to keep on top of them to make sure they are following the plan.  If you have kids, this could be the perfect way for you to join in and still keep your sanity!

Until tomorrow, Little Lady wishes you a good day!

 

SQT: Advent Highlights

Linking up with Kelly to bring you some highlights of what we have been up to the past three weeks.

1

So, I'm a day late and a dollar short (but that's a different post) with my SQT.  I have a good reason though. If you keep reading, you will see where we were last night and I wanted to include that in this post.  We have been BUSY!  I really had hoped for a quiet Advent but, it's been all good things.  I am fully intending on taking off a few weeks around Christmas.  The thing with big kids is that it isn't quite so intensive in  a hands on sort of way like with toddlers and babies, but they have activities, social engagements, ideas, volunteer hours. We really try to keep activities to a manageable level.  If it meets more than once a week or interferes with Mass, we don't do it.  We only play sports that are limited to a game and a practice--not four practices and five games.  However, it still adds up and I have been trying hard to keep up with it all.  (especially when we signed up for four "once a month on Fridays activities" which my pregnant brain was unable to figure out meant we are somewhere every Friday.)

2

St Nicholas Day is always a favorite time.  We had a full day, even though I scaled back a bit.  I really wasn't feeling well that day--very uncomfortable and tired--so there aren't many pictures.  In fact, there are even less that I thought there were.  

  The kids put out the shoes on the hearth, including ours.

 Little Man worked all week making gifts to leave for St Nicholas.  Don't ask me what they are, they were apparently very important.  Thankfully, St Nick was very happy to take them away.

 

In the morning, the children awakened to treats in their shoes.  There were even treats that they left for Hubby and I.  While I usually do a big breakfast, it didn't happen this year, but the chocolate and oranges disappeared very quickly.

 

 For lunch we made homemade pizza in the shape of a bishop's miter, or at least that was the plan.  I'm not sure how obvious it is.  We also had homemade hot cocoa.

 

The day was spent making crafts and gifts as usual.  We usually make gingerbread houses, but this year we made a foam decoration instead. 

 

For dinner it was cranberry chicken, glazed carrots, sweet potato sacks, biscuits, and cranberry mors to drink.  After dinner, we relaxed by the fire and just enjoyed the warmth. 

3

We had co-op,  Immaculate Conception Mass, book report day, 4-H meeting/Christmas party, a gallery opening, Sunday Mass, and a family cookie party to round out the week.  The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe--a favorite of my children--found us scrambling to try to catch up on house work and school work after a very busy week.  We did have Mexican for dinner. Whew!

4

Next up was the feast of St Lucy.  We celebrated at night because Hubby had to go into work far too early for me to be okay with everyone being awoken.  So we shut off all the light, lit a fire and our St Lucy served us crescent rolls, gingerbread, peanut butter cookies, and tea.

 

I need to upgrade this wreath next year. While it still looks beautiful, the battery operated candles shorted out and I actually burnt my finger trying to get one closed.  So the candles had no light, but it was still a nice evening. 

5

The next day had us up and out early for orchestra practice, followed by Buddy's recital for chimes choir (like handbells).  We came home just in time to get ready to meet my children's hero, Magnus MacFarlane Barrow, founder of Mary's Meals.

 

Every kid has that hero, the person he would love to meet. The person that when she can get a ticket to even just see their celebrity, she tells everyone she knows for weeks and wears her fan shirt in the hopes of getting it autographed. I can't tell you what it does to our hearts that for our kids, that person is Magnus, founder of Mary's Meals.
School + food= Hope, that is the Mary's Meals Ambassador motto. Through the children's MM Club, over 650 children in Malawi are fed each day at school, just a small percentage of the 1.6 million fed each day by the world wide charity. Over 93% of all donations, go right to the poorest children to not only give them a meal, but to change the world. If you are looking for a charity to support, we can't say enough about Mary's Meals. Meeting the founder was such an inspirational evening.

If anyone has any questions, I know two ambassadors who are more than willing to answer them.

   

 6

Last night, we traveled down to our friends' parish, a little over an hour away, to visit the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  My children had been looking forward to this for months.

 

Not the best photo, it was very busy.  I was so happy to have a front row seat, though.

 

 

One of my children's best friends and Buddy's "future bride" helping prepare the incense.

Knights of Columbus color guard

 

 

 My favorite place to be is in front of the Blessed Sacrament in adoration.

Each family was given the opportunity to come up and do a private adoration at the foot of the monstrance.  These are our dear friends.  Wish I had a photo of the children and I praying.  It was a beautiful experience.

 

7

 That is the end of my agenda for this month. We have our TEAMS of Our Lady meeting tonight but the weather is still not great so that is up in the air.  My next plans revolve around having this baby and making it to the hospital.  Please keep us in your prayers.  Winter weather is not easy when you have to travel over an hour to a hospital in labor.  I'm praying for an easy drive and delivery.

 

If you are looking for any other Advent ideas, I have three articles posted at Seton Magazine--here, here, and here.

 

How is your Advent going so far? 

 

 

All Saint's Day 2016

Well, I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted.  The time has flown by at lightening speed--seriously the shortest month in the history of months.  We have been very busy with activities, sports, midwives' appointments, and life in general.  I have been blogging in my head but haven't had enough time to sit down and add anything to this little space of mine on the Internet.  Did you miss me?  I have missed being here.

November is a slower month for us--aside from the crazy rush to Thanksgiving that always happens.  I am trying to cut back a bit and not run myself ragged in these last weeks before baby comes.  Only 7 more to go!!!!  I am definitely in a mixed emotions season of my pregnancy.  On the one hand, I am still trying to get a grip on the fact that I am actually pregnant.  You would think with the big 7+ month belly it would be hard to forget, but there are still times that it absolutely amazes me!  Then there are the jitters and nerves of binging home a new little love, I'M JUST NOT READY.  I feel like I can't do it, this pregnancy has flown by even more quickly than this October and my brain can't process how close to the end we are.  I can't wait to cuddle this new miracle and know that everything is all right, the hard part of waiting and hoping is over, yet I don't want to rush a single moment any more than it already has been.  I want to savor every second of this miracle of deliciousness because I know that I will probably never walk this path, again.

I thought a day book might be a good way to jump back in here.  It's only been 27 months since my last one....

Outside my window...
 Autumn is in the air and leaves are all around.  I enjoy this time of year, it always reminds me of my mom.  This was her favorite season. She loved everything about it and once the trees begin to turn color, I have many teary drives around this beautiful area she loved so much.  The kids are soaking up the last bits of warm sunny play and I don't have the heart to stop them.  I know winter is around the corner and all accounts are calling for a cold, snowy one.

I am thinking...
that there is so much ugliness going on in this world.  However, my news feed on Facebook has been flooded with all the new babies from my Catholic pregnancy support group, just looking at them gives me hope and shows me how much beauty we still have.

I am thankful...
for God's provision, even when it seems we are losing the battle, He is winning the war!

Learning all the time...
Have I mentioned that I am learning to play the guitar with Buddy? It is a humbling experience to be in a class of young children and be struggling to catch up.  My body just isn't as flexible as their so it has taken a lot of practice to make some progress.  I am enjoying it though, it is something I have wanted to do for a long time.

Celebrating the Liturgical Year...
Today is the feast of All Saints.  Last night, my daughter's St Therese Scouts troop hosted an All Saints party.  We had such a great time! The kids all designed their own costumes and Cowgirl baked a delicious cake.  I made some allergy friendly dishes so that I knew I would have something to eat.  We played games, did line dancing, and shared a delicious meal with some wonderful friends.  Can you guess who the kids were dressed as?

From the kitchen...
We've been doing a lot of simple dishes with rice and beans. Trying to economize but I am not feeling very creative.  I can't wait to do some Thanksgiving baking.  I have been researching making a pumpkin delight--I delight in all things pumpkin--that is dairy and gluten free.  As much as I don't want November to go quickly, I am so looking forward to whatever pumpkin dessert I end up making.

I am creating...
some new items for my etsy shop. It has been pretty neglected this past year.  I want to breathe some new life into it and we could use the extra money so my plan for the next week is to make what I can to fill it up once more.


I am going... 
to be posting the rest of our plans for the year before the year is out, I promise!

I am hoping...
for a smooth labor and delivery.  Lately, I have been having flashbacks of Little Man's birth which was very difficult and traumatic.  I thought I had deal with all the emotions, but approaching another delivery has conjured them back up.  I am hoping to begin feeling hopeful that this time will be better and to breathe easy trusting in God's plan for this new life.

I am praying...
for our Pastor who had quadruple bi-pass surgery a couple of week ago,

for our nation and our Church that seem to need so much guidance and deliverance,

for these elections to bring our country together instead of tearing it apart,

for my goddaughter who has been having unexplained medical issues,

for our finances and my husband's new career, things are rough but God is good,

and for so many others that I hold in my heart.

I am reading...
Cardinal Sarah's book.  I am only a little more than half way through and have decided I need to read it again, too much good meat in that book to absorb it all in one reading. If you have not read it, you must!

I am pondering these words...

Lamentations 3:22-23New International Version (NIV)

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

 
I am listening to...
the boys set up for Mass on our covered porch.  Buddy is the priest and Little Man is the altar boy.  They even checked the calendar to make sure they had the colors correct.  Since I was up all night monitoring Little Man's breathing (we thought he was having an allergic reaction, turned out to be a cold) and am now coming down with his cold, this may be the only Mass I get to assist today.

Around the house...
I'm trying to nest and get ready for winter but my body is slowing me down.  With so much going on, we have fallen very far behind.  We have already had a few freezes and sleet one morning. It is time to winterize. I am hoping we get to it this weekend. I want everything clean, and neat for baby's home coming.  I don't know how to accomplish that!

One of my favorite things...
is feeling baby's wiggles and kicks, although the kick are packing a punch these days and are sometimes painful, but it never gets old.  I wish I could somehow bottle this feeling and take it out whenever I want for the rest of my life. I will miss these little love taps in a couple months. 

Plans for the week...
Wednesday- co-op all day (I hope, Little Man is feeling worse and so am I.)
Thursday- A day at home to catch up on school and cleaning.
Friday-- Well check ups for the kids, they are so thrilled!
Saturday-- Adoration and first Saturday Mass in the morning.  Going to a charity auction that Hubby is running in the evening, it will be nice to be out.
Sunday--  Mass in the morning, some rest in the afternoon, and Youth Group for Cowgirl in the evening

How is your fall going so far?