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The Advent of Christmas Album by Matt Maher

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Matt Maher - Gabriel's Message (Official Audio)

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Brother Francis - Advent and Christmas Cartoon Clips

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Brother Francis - Advent and Christmas Cartoon Clips

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Brother Francis is a great cartoon to introduce the Catholic Faith to our kids specifically for Advent and Christmas. Have a watch together as a family!

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Celebrating Advent differently with the Family this Year!

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Celebrating Advent differently with the Family this Year!

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This link has wonderful ideas for celebrating Advent- many of which, my family and I have done for many years. Give some a go this year!

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10 Meaningful Advent Traditions for Catholic Families

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The holiday season can be overwhelming, but there are so many wonderful Catholic Advent traditions from all over the world that can be easily implemented into your celebrations! Many of these are even easier to incorporate after you have initially started it, so add a few traditions here and there and watch your meaningful family traditions grow.

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*** Update: Click here to get the printable in Spanish and here in Dutch!

This year at our CCD Family Advent Night, we decided that we would focus on the meaning of the Advent Wreath and have the kids make their own to take home. I will post pictures of how we make that work for a group, but I wanted to make sure to share the printables before the first week of Advent. Here is how I put them all together:

1. Print out the three page printable. I like to have kids color before cutting, so they don't have to worry so much about staying in the lines or tearing edges while coloring. I colored the flames and the holly with marker to make them more vibrant, and colored the actual candle with crayon so that the words would be more visible.

Side Note: Do you know the Christian meaning of holly? The prickly leaves remind us of Christ's crown of thorns, and the red berries symbolize the blood He shed.

2. Then cut out the candles.

3. Next, wrap the candle printables around a toilet paper tube. (Note: if you or your school are not big on using toilet paper rolls, you can use paper towel rolls cut down or a cylinder of card stock.)

I first taped the printable on the little tab (which has a reminder about which Sunday of Advent it is for) and then taped the opposite edge. There is also a Scripture verse on each candle from the Sunday readings this year.

4. The candle flames can be lit or unlit. Here is the Hope candle lit...

...or you can gently fold and push the flame inside the tube...

...where it isn't visible.

I also made a Christ Candle to use during the Octave of Christmas.

5. The candles could just be set on/in an evergreen wreath on a table, or you can make a wreath to put it all together. I used a paper plate- green would have been great, but white is what I had. I traced a glass to make the circle in the middle and then drew four Xs that were about 1 3/4" in length.

6. The I cut out the circle and the Xs. I would recommend this job for adults or older kids only. Scissors work, but an xacto knife is better.

7. If you have a green plate, you could stop here, or you can add the leaves as decoration. One of the printables has holly & berries that you can use.

I also cut out some simple leaves from green paper:

8. Glue the leave and the berries on the plate, not covering up the Xs that you cut out.

9. Next, add some glue on those Xs and put the candle on top of it. To stabilize it and make the glue stick, roll up a strip of cardstock (mine was about 8" long), put a little glue on it, and stick it on the inside of the Xs. Let it unfurl and it will help everything stick together as it dries.

10. Let it all dry and use it to count down the weeks as we wait for the coming of Christ!

Another cute idea: A former coworker sent me the pictures of her kindergartners making these wreaths and she added battery operated tea lights to them! She said she used the rolled cardstock inside (that was holding the candle to the plate) tall enough that the tea lights could rest on at the top. Love it!

Click here for the free printable:

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Update: Click here to get the printable in Spanish and here in Dutch! This year at our CCD Family Advent Night, we decided that we would focus on the meaning of the Advent Wreath and have the kids make their own to take home.

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Giving without counting the cost- Biblical Hospitality 

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Giving without counting the cost- Biblical Hospitality 

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Lindsay Schlegel reconsiders her expectations as a hostess. Can we be the face of Christ without anticipating gratitude and praise?
When I hear the word "hospitality," I think of an industry of hotels, resorts, and restaurants. I think of service, but only in exchange for compensation. In Biblical times, hospitality was something very different: it was a sacred act that honored neighbor and stranger alike.

I don't recall where I learned this (perhaps in a homily?), but in Old Testament times, if someone were to come to your home, you would invite them to stay, prepare food, care for them, and so on, no questions asked. Literally no questions. You wouldn't even ask the person's name until the next morning. Today, that might sound like the set-up for a true crime drama. But if we can get out of our modern distrust of the other, hopefully we can see something beautiful and Christlike in the humility and generosity such an action requires.

As the holiday season approaches and many of us make ready to invite guests into our homes, I'm not suggesting we go so far as to put our family's safety at risk. But I do think I, for one, need to take another kind of risk: the risk of being vulnerable, the risk of offering hospitality without anticipating praise or gratitude-the risk, as St. Ignatius of Loyola would put it, of giving without counting the cost.

I love being the hostess, and due to our extended family situation, nearly every holiday is celebrated at our house. I don't love the cleaning. I do love the cooking. I don't love how snappy I get in the hours before guests arrive. I do love our home being filled with people and laughter and memories being made.

If I'm honest, too often, I also love the thanks and compliments that come from hosting the celebration. It is a good thing to want to serve my family and friends, to warmly welcome them, and to offer them yummy food and drink in a space that's comfortable and pretty. But ahead of time this year, I'm going to ask myself if I would put in the same amount of effort if I didn't have people oohing and aahing over the décor or bacon-craisin-Brussels sprouts (that particular example is probably more about the bacon than it is about me, but still). Do I need the thanks? Or is the act of serving enough for me?

For me I think this is going to look like praying for each of my guests ahead of time, asking the Holy Spirit to guide me in how I can serve each individual. It's going to look like more listening and less talking. It's going to look like a simple "thank you" when a dish is complimented and a "you're welcome" when guests express gratitude.

Perhaps the hardest part is going to be holding my tongue when things don't go as planned or someone doesn't appreciate the part of the day that meant the most to me. Can I accept that some of the things I do will go unnoticed, unpraised? Can I continue to serve with joy and grace? That kind of offering requires vulnerability that our culture doesn't value. "You do you" does not make space for the good of the other, never mind lift it up as a higher intention. "Living your best life" doesn't ask you to think about the needs of another, and it certainly doesn't suggest you even consider putting those needs before your own desires. But I can choose to love that way this year. I can choose true love and holy joy through hospitality.

Click to tweet:
I can choose true love and holy joy through hospitality. #catholicmom

The holidays will be here before we know it. I think that with more intentional preparation, I can see Christ more clearly in others this year. And perhaps, with His grace, they will experience Christ more fully in me.

What aspect of hosting or being a guest is challenging for you? How can you experience it as an opportunity to grow in holiness this year instead? Let us know in the comments!

Copyright 2022 Lindsay Schlegel
Images: Canva

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Lindsay Schlegel reconsiders her expectations as a hostess. Can we be the face of Christ without anticipating gratitude and praise? When I hear the word "hospitality," I think of an industry of hotels, resorts, and restaurants. I think of service, but only in exchange for compensation.

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Wonderful resources to celebrate All Saints Day coming up in a few days time. Let’s help our little saints in the making know about the Saints who can help them in their lives 🙏🏻❤️

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October is the month of the Holy Rosary: "13 Tips for Praying the Rosary with Kids

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October is the month of the Holy Rosary: "13 Tips for Praying the Rosary with Kids

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Some great suggestions here!

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This article is adapted from the book 77 Ways to Pray with Your Kids.

A lot of Catholic parents would love to say the rosary with their kids . . . if the experience wasn't quite so, erm . . . fraught. At our house, we barely make it out of the preliminaries before the littles are swinging their beads around like lassos . . . which inevitably become airborne missiles . . . and if you have ever been whacked in the face by a rosary mid-Hail Mary, you know it kind of ruins the mood.

Our older kids are better, but I personally remember doing some groaning and eye-rolling as a teen when it came time for the rosary.

Fortunately, we've come up with a couple insights that help us to pray the rosary as a family in a more sane and meaningful way.

1. The rosary is supposed to be a form of meditative prayer. Listen to the words of Pope Paul VI: "Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas. . . . By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord" (Marialis Cultus #47). Realizing that the rosary is primarily a form of meditative prayer opens up whole new horizons for teens . . . and adults.

2. The rosary can be adapted to kids. Mary is many things, but she is first and foremost a mom . . . a mom who undoubtedly understands what it is like to deal with kids! (Yeah, Jesus might have been a good kid, but she undoubtedly mothered the children of relatives and neighbors, too.) So why do we feel enslaved to saying the entire rosary with small kids? Realizing that we could do a mini-rosary with the littles made saying the rosary as a family do-able.

On this point, we have the words of St. John Paul as encouragement. "It could be objected that the Rosary seems hardly suited to the taste of children and young people of today," he says in Rosarium Virginis Mariae (#42). "But perhaps the objection is directed to an impoverished method of praying it. Furthermore, without prejudice to the Rosary's basic structure, there is nothing to stop children and young people from praying it-either within the family or in groups- with appropriate symbolic and practical aids to understanding and appreciation."

By the way, if you haven't prayed the rosary before, here's how to say the rosary. (Or find a one-sheet printable guide at New Advent.) And if you have been reluctant to pray the rosary because it seemed too simplistic or Mary-centered, check out the Talking Points section below for some reasons to give it a try.

So, without further ado, here are some different approaches to praying the rosary with kids.

Younger children

1. Skip the beads, or get kid-friendly ones.
If you're praying with children too young to follow direction, say the rosary without the aid of rosary beads. (Very young children may end up whipping them around.) When your kids are old enough, purchase a durable, kid-friendly rosary, such as a cord rosary. If you really want your baby or toddler to have a rosary like everyone else...or if you just want to keep them distracted long enough for you to say it, consider getting the Chews Life rosary ...it's made out of food-grade silicone.

2. Start with one decade.
Praying one decade of the rosary should take a little longer than five minutes. Be sure to introduce the mystery in advance; meditate on a different mystery each time, so that you eventually work your way through all the mysteries.

3. Shorten the decades.
Say the entire rosary, but only say three Hail Mary prayers for each decade. This is a good way of introducing your children to the order of the mysteries and the rhythm of the entire rosary; plan on spending about fifteen minutes.

4. Use pictures to aid meditation.
Find pictures (online or in a book) illustrating each mystery of the rosary. Display the pictures as you briefly explain and then pray each mystery. Or check out The Illuminated Rosary. Each book contains works of sacred art illuminating a different set of mysteries; young children can follow the rosary by looking at the pictures (one per bead), and older children can use it to help them learn the prayers. If you don't want to invest in books, pull together pictures on your own.

5. Set a prayerful mood.
Before you begin the rosary, set the mood with Smells and Bells, singing a Marian hymn, or practicing Thirty Seconds of Silence.

6. Ignore the kids and pray.
If your children act up while you're praying, ignore them as best you can and pray the rosary yourself. Someday, your kids will "grow into" the practice, and in the meantime, Mary, mother of us all, surely sympathizes. A variation: just pray the rosary by yourself, or with your spouse. Tell your kids that mom and dad are going to have their "rosary time," and shoo them away.

7. Try an edible Rosary
Edible rosaries are another fairly easy way to make our Catholic faith fun, memorable and "hands on," and to show how our our faith is not just an hour on Sunday. Rather, Catholicism lends itself to be woven into our daily lives with prayer, fellowship, food and fun using the liturgical calendar filled with feast days for inspiration. Using edible rosaries is a clever way to motivate children and families to pray the rosary, even if it's just a decade to start. To keep children's attention, I find it works best to set up the rosaries using a small treat like chocolate chips or blueberries and then as each prayer is recited, kids can eat each "bead." And if making and displaying an entire rosary is too much time, you always can make just a decade using 10 pieces of your favorite food item.

Older children and teens

In addition to the ideas above, consider the following for older kids and teens:

8. Make your own cord rosaries.
Teens have been crafting their own knotted and dyed rosaries from nylon cord since the 1980s; you can find supplies and instructions at Rosary Army ( rosaryarmy.newevangelizers.com).

9. Introduce the rosary as a form of meditation.
As Pope Paul VI says in the quote above, the rosary becomes an empty ritual if it is nothing more than the repetition of words. Instead, take time to introduce each of the mysteries very intentionally, and go over the principles of meditative prayer with your kids. You may also find that introducing other forms of meditative and imaginative prayer-and mixing up the way you pray together as a family-supports and enhances your practice of praying the rosary. And once you've introduced the principles of meditative and imaginative prayer so that kids have an idea of what they're aiming for, then for heaven's sake, slow it down. Racing through the rosary, as several popes have pointed out, is not ideal. If time is an issue, then try praying a single decade slowly and meditatively.

10. Pray the Scriptural rosary.
As the name implies, the Scriptural rosary incorporates very brief, relevant Scripture readings before each Hail Mary; for example, the first joyful mystery, the Annunciation, would be interspersed with lines from Luke 1, taking the reader through the Biblical account of the Annunciation. You can purchase a Scriptural rosary book, or find different versions online. Alternatively, focus on one mystery (and pray one decade) at a time over the course of a month, reading the corresponding Scripture before praying the decade slowly and meditatively. You could also incorporate a lectio divina component to your reflection.

11. Pray with music.
Try praying with soft instrumental music playing in the background; alternatively, preface each mystery with the relevant song from Catholic artist Danielle Rose's excellent Mysteries, in which she has composed a gently meditative song with appealing contemporary styling for each mystery of the rosary; it's well-reviewed on Amazon.

12. Get older kids and teens to lead.
Research shows that the more agency we give kids around religious practices, the more likely they are to retain and integrate those practices into adulthood. Letting kids lead prayer is always a good idea, with appropriate support and guidance, so don't hesitate to let kids lead the rosary with the help of an appropriate resource. You might begin while they're younger by inviting them to offer their own intentions.

13. Pray the rosary for your kids.
If all else fails, and you just can't convince your older kids or teens to say the rosary with you, then pray it for them. As you pray, focus on entrusting your kids to the intercession of Mary and the care of her Son, and ask for the humility and grace you need to be a good parent.

Be creative in your family practice of praying the rosary...and be persistent. As Pope John Paul II says, "If the Rosary is well presented, I am sure that young people will once more surprise adults by the way they make this prayer their own and recite it with the enthusiasm typical of their age group."

Talking points: Why pray the Rosary?

In the rosary, we ask Mary to "pray for us sinners"-in other words, to join us in our prayer. Mary is "favored" by God and "blessed among women," according to the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:28), because of the role she plays in fulfilling God's plan of salvation. So reciting the Hail Mary-a prayer rooted in the Gospel of Luke-makes sense: We ask Mary to join us in our prayer just as we would ask any close friend to pray with us, but Mary is much more than just another friend; Jesus appointed her as our "spiritual mother" (John 19:27).

At the same time, the rosary is a profoundly Christ-centered prayer. When we ask Mary to accompany us in praying the rosary, she leads us to Jesus (John 2:5). As we recite the prayers that make up the rosary (the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be), we also meditate on the "mysteries" of God's plan of salvation as described in the Gospels: the announcement of Jesus' birth, his ministry, his Passion, his Resurrection and Ascension, and so on. (There are twenty mysteries of the rosary in all.)

As even this brief explanation suggests, the rosary is a complex, multilayered form of prayer. On one level, the repetition of its vocal prayers makes it accessible even to children, as does the sensory aspect of fingering the rosary beads. But it is also a form of meditation, and when intentions are offered prior to each mystery, it also becomes a form of petition or intercessory prayer. Finally, the call-and-response rhythm of the prayers when the rosary is said in a group joins our prayers together to become the prayer of the whole Body of Christ, the Church.

Pope John Paul II on the Rosary as a family prayer

From Rosarium Virginis Mariae #41-42:

41. As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family. At one time this prayer was particularly dear to Christian families, and it certainly brought them closer together. It is important not to lose this precious inheritance. We need to return to the practice of family prayer and prayer for families, continuing to use the Rosary.

In my Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte I encouraged the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours by the lay faithful in the ordinary life of parish communities and Christian groups; I now wish to do the same for the Rosary. These two paths of Christian contemplation are not mutually exclusive; they complement one another. I would therefore ask those who devote themselves to the pastoral care of families to recommend heartily the recitation of the Rosary.

The family that prays together stays together. The Holy Rosary, by age-old tradition, has shown itself particularly effective as a prayer which brings the family together. Individual family members, in turning their eyes towards Jesus, also regain the ability to look one another in the eye, to communicate, to show solidarity, to forgive one another and to see their covenant of love renewed in the Spirit of God.

Many of the problems facing contemporary families, especially in economically developed societies, result from their increasing difficulty in communicating. Families seldom manage to come together, and the rare occasions when they do are often taken up with watching television. To return to the recitation of the family Rosary means filling daily life with very different images, images of the mystery of salvation: the image of the Redeemer, the image of his most Blessed Mother. The family that recites the Rosary together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth: its members place Jesus at the centre, they share his joys and sorrows, they place their needs and their plans in his hands, they draw from him the hope and the strength to go on.

42. It is also beautiful and fruitful to entrust to this prayer the growth and development of children. Does the Rosary not follow the life of Christ, from his conception to his death, and then to his Resurrection and his glory? Parents are finding it ever more difficult to follow the lives of their children as they grow to maturity. In a society of advanced technology, of mass communications and globalization, everything has become hurried, and the cultural distance between generations is growing ever greater. The most diverse messages and the most unpredictable experiences rapidly make their way into the lives of children and adolescents, and parents can become quite anxious about the dangers their children face. At times parents suffer acute disappointment at the failure of their children to resist the seductions of the drug culture, the lure of an unbridled hedonism, the temptation to violence, and the manifold expressions of meaninglessness and despair.

To pray the Rosary for children, and even more, with children, training them from their earliest years to experience this daily "pause for prayer" with the family, is admittedly not the solution to every problem, but it is a spiritual aid which should not be underestimated. It could be objected that the Rosary seems hardly suited to the taste of children and young people of today. But perhaps the objection is directed to an impoverished method of praying it. Furthermore, without prejudice to the Rosary's basic structure, there is nothing to stop children and young people from praying it - either within the family or in groups - with appropriate symbolic and practical aids to understanding and appreciation. Why not try it? With God's help, a pastoral approach to youth which is positive, impassioned and creative - as shown by the World Youth Days! - is capable of achieving quite remarkable results. If the Rosary is well presented, I am sure that young people will once more surprise adults by the way they make this prayer their own and recite it with the enthusiasm typical of their age group.

Learn more

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13 tips for praying the Rosary with kids - Teaching Catholic Kids

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Catholic dad Jerry Windley-Daoust says that a lot of Catholic parents would love to say the rosary with their kids if the experience wasn't quite so fraught.

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Divine Praises-  by Matt Maher and Audrey Assad

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Divine Praises-  by Matt Maher and Audrey Assad

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Divine Praises by Matt Maher and Audrey Assad lyrics video

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Celebrating Advent differently with the Family this Year!

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Celebrating Advent differently with the Family this Year!

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This link has wonderful ideas for celebrating Advent- many of which, my family and I have done for many years. Give some a go this year!

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10 Meaningful Advent Traditions for Catholic Families

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The holiday season can be overwhelming, but there are so many wonderful Catholic Advent traditions from all over the world that can be easily implemented into your celebrations! Many of these are even easier to incorporate after you have initially started it, so add a few traditions here and there and watch your meaningful family traditions grow.

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I believe that the prayers of a child are powerful.

Their pure little hearts are closer to God than ours and the things they ask for in prayer are often far less selfish and what we ask for.

Every evening we gather as a family and sit cross-legged on the floor of the kid's room.

After a few prayers recited together we go around and do intentions, starting with our 2-year-old and ending with my husband.

We have been doing this for years and very often it is a powerful thing.

It is powerful to hear dad ask for forgiveness for losing his temper, to hear mom pray thank God for each child, even after a hard day, and to name all of our beloved family members and ask God to bless them.

Gus, our oldest, has long been a prayer warrior. It all started with a little girl named Gia.

The daughter of one of my husband's cousins, Gia suffered through a long, complicated illness with few answers and months and months in a hospital far from home.

And Gus prayed for her every single night, without fail.

Remarkably, Gia is now home, healthy and we still talk about her as evidence that God really does answer prayers, something that Gus has taken to heart as he continues to pray for his new list of intentions.

Top of the list now is a little baby named Lulu that he heard about at school, that was born early and is in a NICU out in California.

But, let's just be real here.

Prayer time in this household is usually not magical.

Often we are breaking up fights or reminding kids to pay attention. Or both. And, very often the things the kids pray for sort of miss the mark.

Bedazzled by a lit candle the kids will pray for candles and their blanket and candy...

And we have to remind them, right then and there, what it means to pray for someone and why it's important.

With Advent coming right up I decided to do a little work on our intentions outside of our family prayer time.

I created these very simple My Advent Prayers Booklets. They are just one page and, through the magic of very simple origami, fold up into a booklet.

You can find the materials for this project, and MANY other Catholic projects in the Catholic Family Digital Resource Library. To get instant access, and join a thriving community of over 10,000 Catholic Parents, just enter your email address.

Here is what it looks like:

The My Advent Prayers booklets are very simple. On each of the 6 inside pages, children plan out their intentions by either listing names (for older children) or drawing an image.

The pages list the following intentions:

We just colored and put together our books this morning.

Since all of my kids are pre-readers it took a little bit of explaining, but in the end, I feel like we had a very fruitful time together.

We talked about why we pray for our family and friends.

We talked about who we know that is sick and needs our prayers.

About the ways people might be sad, and why they need God's help.

We talked about what the poor are in need of.

And finally, we talked, just a little bit, about our whole world, and how we can pray for the president and those in power that make the laws, and most especially how we need to pray to protect the little babies not yet born.

Assembling the booklets is actually very easy, once you see it done.

It's just complicated to explain, and I know if I try I'll just confuse us both.

So, I shot this super low-quality video of the process. Watch it muted unless you want to hear the chatter and racket of my house.

And yes, I have my phone taped to a chair for this video, because I thought that would be better than placing the phone in the hands of a 5-year-old.

Oh, and it's upside down. Nailed it.

We plan on pulling out these little booklets each night for prayer during Advent.

The kids can look through their books and remember all of the people that we need to pray for.

The prayers might change, as new illnesses come up or new issues in our world arise, but these big intentions will continue to be important and thanks to the pictures they drew, they can begin to recall these intentions on their own.

I really hope these booklets bear great fruit in my family. I would love it if you used it with your family, and if you do, please send me any thoughts or additions you'd like to make... Here is the link to the file, once again, if you are interested in using it.

Have a very blessed Advent!

Nancy

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My Advent Prayers: Free Printable Booklet for Children - Catholic Sprouts

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Their pure little hearts are closer to God than ours and the things they ask for in prayer are often far less selfish and what we ask for. Every evening we gather as a family and sit cross-legged on the floor of the kid's room.

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Keeping Holy the Sabbath: Why + How | Blessed is She

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It’s always hard when you have children running around, jobs to do, meals to cook, to keep Sunday holy, special, restful. Perhaps it’s about starting small with this one to make our Sunday’s more intentional. Maybe that is the longer drive after Mass or the Sunday roast or baking a cake. What might work for you and your family?

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Far too many times, I've let Sundays be my catch-all days. My "I didn't have time to get this done yet, so I'll just do it today" days. Sundays, in my home, have seen the likes of grocery store runs, loads of laundry, and last-minute dinners.

The Sunday Special

It's easy to let Sunday slip into the machine of the rest of the week. But Scripture is pretty clear when it comes to the sabbath. In fact, Jesus goes as far as commanding us to keep it holy.

Rest.

Do not do any unnecessary work.

We've got the guidelines right in front of us. But often, Sunday can fall into the same pits as Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Keeping Holy the Sabbath

As a young girl, I thought "keeping Sunday holy" meant it was extra important to pray a family Rosary or to read about the Saints. And those are great things to do on the sabbath! In my adulthood, I've added a few new methods of rest, leisure, and prayer.

Read the Gospel before Mass.

By reading and reflecting on the Gospel, either alone or with my husband, I am able to participate more fully in Mass. Plus, it serves as a moment of peaceful prayer time in the morning that can set the pace for my day.

I like to make it extra enjoyable by pouring a hot cup of coffee and playing Gregorian chant in the background. By creating an atmosphere that feels holy and restful, I am able to invite the Lord in so that He can be glorified in a special way throughout my day.

Dress for the King.

On Sundays, I try to put a little extra thought and time into my appearance. Not out of vanity, but rather because I think it's only fitting to swap my joggers for a sharper getup when I'm going to see the King!

By dressing up a bit and maybe even wearing a little eyeliner, I remind myself of Who I'm going to see! It makes it feel like a special day.

Take a drive.

Sunday drives are one of my all-time favorite rituals. This started when I was growing up in a big family, living 25 minutes away from our parish. Often, my dad would take the extra long way home from Mass. Some Sundays it drove us absolutely mad. But I've come to cherish those memories, and seek to apply them to my own life.

Taking a Sunday drive means more than tacking on a few more minutes in the car. It's the interior posture of not being in a hurry to get somewhere, noticing the passing sights through the window, and maybe listening to music through the car speakers. Taking a Sunday drive cultivates a spirit of simplicity, gratitude, and rest.

Bake.

Baking is something I have always loved to do. However, at this point in my life, it's hard to justify whipping up two dozen chocolate chip cookies every night of the week when it's just my husband and I at home.

So I've reserved Sunday as a baking day. I look forward to scrolling through my unending log of pinned recipes and carefully select one to test out. Baking on Sunday is about slowing down and being intentional. It is literally a measured activity; slow and steady. Baking fills the air with a sweet aroma that is both pleasantly hopeful and delightfully nostalgic.

Whatever you do, make it routine.

I know lots of people who keep their Sabbath holy and restful in a host of other ways besides the methods I employ. What I have found is that the rhythm of Sunday is crucial. It is, and should feel, so different than any other day of the week.

Humans are habitual. Certain actions and habits spark certain mindsets and responses. When we put on our gym clothes, we can get in the mindset of breaking a sweat. When we brew the sleepy-time tea, we settle in for bed. In a similar way, building up a Sunday routine can assist in developing a spirit of prayer through our gratitude and rest!

Sundays are not meant to be a stressful day of suppressing things we wish we had completed during the week. Rather, they are a sweet gift from God meant to order our days and reset our minds, bodies, and souls.
How do you keep holy the sabbath? Share your ideas and rhythms in the comments below!
Keeping Holy the Sabbath: Why It Matters + How to Do It #BISblog // Click To Tweet
Bridget Nohara is an Ohio girl who recently moved to Canada after marrying her policeman husband. She is a proud Franciscan University of Steubenville alum, loves low-key outdoor activities (no cliff jumping, please!), enriching podcasts, and cooking without a recipe.

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Keeping Holy the Sabbath: Why + How | Blessed is She

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Far too many times, I've let Sundays be my catch-all days. My "I didn't have time to get this done yet, so I'll just do it today" days. Sundays, in my home, have seen the likes of grocery store runs, loads of laundry, and last-minute dinners.

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Come along every Tuesday during school terms, from 930-11am, for a fun and exciting time! Meeting new friends, do some fun craft and activities, sing, dance and read a story with our Family Educator Erin. All ages welcome. See you there!

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October is the Month of the Holy Rosary! Rosary Walk- October 14th 215pm

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October is the Month of the Holy Rosary! Rosary Walk- October 14th 215pm

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Join us for a Rosary Walk around Phillips Park before school pick up on October 14th at 215pm to celebrate the Month of the Rosary

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Ideas for Celebrating the Feast of St. Matthew

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St Matthew, the first Evangelist, invites us to do what he did, answering Jesus’ call to “Follow Me”.

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Ideas for Celebrating the Feast of St. Matthew

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It has been so long since I’ve put together one of these posts! This past week I noticed that I didn’t have any ideas in the archives he...

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Our Community at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School Lurnea, is a Family of Families <3 

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Our Community at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School Lurnea, is a Family of Families <3 

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Family Activities to mark the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

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Family Activities to mark the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

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Catholic All Year, Kendra Tienery, has a wonderful clip to explain the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows and activities to mark this special day.

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Seven Sorrows of Mary Scripture Activity

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The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows - September 15th 

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The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows - September 15th 

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This is a wonderful article that gives the background to today's feast day and devotion to Mother Mary as Our Lady of Sorrow's. Well worth reading today in her honour.

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Did you know that the Church calls Our Lady Queen of Martyrs?

St. Basil said of her:

"As the sun surpasses all the stars in lustre, so the sorrows of Mary surpass all the tortures of the martyrs."

How?

Why?

The Source and Depth of Our Lady's Sorrow

Mary, mother of Jesus, was a mother more loving than all other mothers. She loved more than all mothers combined-even if their affections were united into one ineffable expression of love.

This is because both natural and supernatural love were united in the heart of Mary: she loved Jesus as her Son, and she loved Him as her God.

Since she was a perfect woman, not even the slightest self-love stained her Immaculate Heart. Therefore her capacity for love was (and is) astonishing.

This wellspring of love is intimately connected with her queenship among martyrs. Those with the greatest capacity for love also have the greatest capacity for suffering.

Our Blessed Mother's entire life was a martyrdom for, according to Simeon's prophecy, she was enlightened with regard to the intense sufferings of her Divine Son:

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul, too."
Luke 2:34-35

Mary stood-she did not collapse in anguish-at the foot of the cross, and watched her Son suffer and die.

In her anguish, where could she turn her gaze for consolation as she stood beneath the Cross?

When we suffer, we can lift our eyes to Jesus, and find solace there.

Where did Mary look for consolation in those hours of excruciating pain?
To Jesus?

It was precisely the sight of her Divine Son in anguish that caused her the most intense suffering.
In that moment, Jesus, the joy and consolation of martyrs, was the cause of His Mother's greatest sufferings.

St. Bernardine of Siena says this sorrow of Mary was so great that, if it had been equally divided among all men, they would have died immediately.

No martyrdom has ever equaled hers.

Mary was a martyr, not by the sword of the executioner, but by bitter sorrow of heart.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux

The Seven Sorrows of Mary

Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows became a standard devotion in the Church around the 14th century. It was revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) that devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary's Seven Sorrows would bring great signal graces.

The devotion consists in praying seven Hail Marys while meditating on the Seven Sorrows of Mary:

1) The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34-35)

2) The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-21)

3) The Loss of Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:41-50)

4) The Carrying of the Cross (John 19:17)

5) The Crucifixion of Jesus (John 19:18-30)

6) Jesus Taken Down from the Cross (John 19:39-40)

Pieta by William Adolphe Bouguereau, 1876

7) Jesus Laid in the Tomb (John 19:39-42)

How to Honor Our Lady's Sorrows

Our Lady once confided her sorrows to St. Bridget, asking that her suffering be remembered:

"I gaze upon the children of men to see whether anyone feels compassion for me, and alas, I see but few! ...Do not forget me. Consider how much I have suffered."
Our Lady to St. Bridget

We can honor the Blessed Mother-and learn compassion for her heart and the pain that filled it during her life on earth- through devotion to her title "Our Lady of Sorrows."

Indeed, Mary has given us seven specific sorrows to contemplate and meditate upon, for which she grants many graces in return.

The Seven Sorrows or "dolors" are particular events in the life of Mary that caused excessive sorrow in her Immaculate Heart, sorrows in which she was especially united to Jesus. We are encouraged to contemplate these events daily.

As we are under great obligations to Jesus for His Passion endured for our love, so also are we under great obligations to Mary for the martyrdom which she voluntarily suffered for our salvation in the death of her Son.
St. Albert the Great

The Seven Promises of the Seven Sorrows Devotion

1) "I will grant peace to their families."

2) "They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries."

3) "I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work."

4) "I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls."

5) "I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives."

6) "I will visibly help them at the moment of their death-they will see the face of their mother."

7) "I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy."

Prayers for the Seven Sorrows Devotion

Pope Pius VII approved a series of prayers in honor of the Seven Sorrows for daily meditation in 1815:

O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

1. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of your tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by your heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of the holy fear of God. Hail Mary...

2. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of your most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and your sojourn there. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially toward the poor, and the gift of piety. Hail Mary...

3. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried your troubled heart at the loss of your dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the gift of knowledge. Hail Mary...

4. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of your heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude. Hail Mary...

5. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which your generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother, by your afflicted heart obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of counsel. Hail Mary...
Let Us Pray:
6. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of your compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance before His Body was removed from the Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding. Hail Mary...
How familiar were you with this devotion? Has devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows been a part of your spiritual life in some way? What is your personal favorite Marian devotion? Give us your thoughts in the comment section below!
7. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched your most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the gift of wisdom. Hail Mary...

Let intercession be made for us, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Your mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Your bitter Passion. Through You, O Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

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Know The 7 Sorrows and Promises of Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Martyrs - Good Catholic™

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Did you know that the Church calls Our Lady Queen of Martyrs? St. Basil said of her: "As the sun surpasses all the stars in lustre, so the sorrows of Mary surpass all the tortures of the martyrs." How? Why? The Source and Depth of Our Lady's Sorrow Mary, mother of Jesus, was a mother [...]

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Family Activities- Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 

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Family Activities- Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 

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The cross is the main symbol of the Christian religion. It symbolizes how Jesus died and rose for us and saved us from all of our sins! The cross is a great symbol and lends itself to tons of great crafts for kids for Sunday school, at home, during Easter, or anytime! You can find all of my Bible crafts for kids here. Now let's check out these fun cross crafts for kids.

I have a mixture of cross crafts here and I'm going to break them down by age ability, although many of these could be enjoyed by any age group!

Cross Crafts For Preschoolers

Resist cross craft - literally any age group can make these, and as long as you choose paint colors that can go together, it will be a success!

Salt cross painting for kids - this is a magical process that can be enjoyed by any age group. This is more fun than you think. If you try this, you definitely have to do your own in addition to the kids painting.

Super easy doodle cross craft for kids - You would be hard pressed to find an easier cross craft for kids! The borders added at the end brings these together in a super cute way.

Fun printable "Happy Crosses" for kids - these just get colored, cut, and rolled in a tube to stand up. So fun and really cute for kids!

I always love handprint crafts, especially for preschoolers! My ebook, Holyweek In Handprints, has directions for making your own resurrection scene with a handprint, including a cross!

Cross Crafts For Older Kids

Beaded cross craft - younger kids can do these with some help. These are so cute and perfect for vacation bible school, sunday school, or beading at the end of rosaries. A classic Christian craft!

Oil pastel resist cross project -is super cute and it's very easy to be successful at this! It can be enjoyed by almost all ages, into adulthood.

Egg carton flower craft - Lydia made this dogwood flower cross years ago and it is STILL on my wall! Super cute final result!

Tie dyed paper towel crosses - one of my favorite crafts of all time! Memorizing to make, fun to unfold, and beautiful when hung in the window! This will keep kids busy for hours.

Wooden Cross Craft - Better for older kids and teens, there are a LOT of different ways to dress up a wooden crafting cross.

Did you know you can make your own cross molds from oven baked clay? I can show you how to do this yourself to reproduce your favorite crosses and crucifixes!

This set of printable Way Of The Cross for kids can be colored yourself, and the crosses stand up on their own! These crosses line up in order to tell the whole passion story, from the arrest of Jesus to the rising on Easter morning!

I have a post where I show you how to create a cross from a pool noodle! These would be so great to make with kids and could be decorated so many ways- the possibilities are endless!

This is so fun and easy to do and a great way to craft a cross with kids! Find full directions and the paint recipe here.

This Jesus is King cross craft is fun for kids and is a new twist to a typical cross craft.

This easy palm cross is usually made on Palm Sunday, but you can actually make these anytime of year, even with long skinny strips of poster board!

And if you're looking to celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, I have tons of resources on that as well!

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Cross Crafts For Kids (Ideas For All Age Groups!)

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The cross is the main symbol of the Christian religion. It symbolizes how Jesus died and rose for us and saved us from all of our sins! The cross is a great symbol and lends itself to tons of great...

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Reflection from Jamberoo Abbey: The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 

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Reflection from Jamberoo Abbey: The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 

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The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 14th

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The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 14th

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This beautiful cross was made by Sr Hildegard at the Jamberoo Abbey. Today we give thanks for the redemption and grace that flows through to us by Jesus death on the cross. We are brought to new life through it. May we always remember to take up our own crosses, big or small, and follow Christ who is our Way, Truth and Life. ❤️🙏🏻