Catholic Family Vignettes

What if this had been lost forever?



Or this?



Or even this?



Nearly four years of data (7.5 GB of important stuff!) trapped inside the seemingly-beyond-repair-hulk-of-a-computer...now recovered. Thanks to my dear brother. All of Rylee's baby pictures. Joseph's First Holy Communion. Michael's homeschool Kindergarten graduation. Memories, memories, memories.

Last night, we all reminisced over these lovely images. How much everyone had grown! It's amazing how much changes in a few short years.

So, thanks again, brudda! You are the best! Read more!

Who has the time to do this stuff?! Monty Python?! Legos?! This is insane...my boys are still laughing!

Read more!

What happens when an "immovable object" meets an "irresistible force?"

Grace!

Such is God's way, when the seemingly impossible is overcome by the most "irresistible force" in the universe and beyond.

Praising God for the answer to a seemingly impossible prayer!

22 And Jesus saith to him: If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 23 And immediately the father of the boy crying out, with tears said: I do believe, Lord: help my unbelief.

Luke 9:22 Read more!

A crisp 39 degree morning, a plate full of apple spice muffins, a cup of coffee and Christmas In Italy. Ah, the sweet anticipation of Advent and the many feasts we will celebrate!

Our family's approach to the season has undergone many changes, over the last two decades. The first few years were spent caught up in the manic-frenzied-howmanyshoppingdaysareleftuntilChristmas-insanity that starts sometime after All Hallow's Eve and ends with the big "Day After Christmas Sale, Don't Miss It!"

The Christmas tree was up no later than November 10th, the Christmas cards sent the day after Thanksgiving, the presents wrapped-under-the-tree-collecting-dust for no less than three weeks prior to Christmas Day. The Advent wreath was frequently neglected.

Shop, shop, shop. Bake, bake, bake. Wrap, wrap, wrap.

Pray, pray, pray? Only that everything would be finished on time!

Oh, how much has changed! For more than a decade, we have been observing a "season" that is a bit different than the one we had celebrated in the past.

December 1st: We continue a lovely tradition which we incorporated and altered a bit from A Year With God. Each child and adult will draw a slip of paper from a jar. On each slip of paper is a name: St. Joseph, the Blessed Virgin, the Angel, the Shepherd, the Ox, the Donkey, etc. During the entire month of December, each person tries to emulate the virtues of the particular "Nativity figure" whose slip was drawn from the jar. A nightly accounting is made, with particular focus on sacrifices offered. The sacrifices are written on a 6 inch long slip of paper, which will be glued (end to end) and incorporated into a chain. Every year, we try to make the chain longer than the prior year. We have also used these slips and sometimes pieces of straw, to create a "soft bed for the Baby Jesus."

December 2nd: The First Sunday of Advent, our family collects beautiful greenery to adorn our Advent wreath and the mantle. The Nativity set that belongs to our oldest son, Arthur, is always placed on the mantle. There are several Nativity sets, as each child has received their own as a gift from Grandma Martha. The various figures are placed in different locations around the room, as they will "journey" closer and closer to Bethlehem. The Advent Wreath is always placed in the front window of our home. Every evening, the entire family gathers around the wreath. Dad reads an appropriate Scripture or Psalm. The room is darkened. The candle(s) are lit according to the week and then everyone sings "O Come, O come, Emmanuel." The wreath is then carried back to the window, lit, and the family sits in darkness for a couple of minutes before extinguishing the lit wreath.

December 5th & 6th: Set out your shoes this evening! St. Nicholas is coming! We read the traditional stories about St. Nicholas and Black Peter. After the Advent Wreath ceremony, we all set our shoes on the hearth. What will St. Nicholas leave this year?

December 13th: Ah, the Feast Of St. Lucy! Before sunrise, mommy awakens Charlotte and Emily. In their white gowns with red belts, they will don their evergreen crowns (we will be using these this year) and serve the entire family these.

December 8th: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Candies shaped like roses and a lovely tea in the afternoon. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the evening. Sweet!

The Christmas Tree: We will start looking for a fresh one, sometime in the middle of December, but will not set it up until 3 or 4 days before Christmas. We never turn on the lights of the tree at night, until we have lit the Advent Wreath, first. The tree will be left up, along with the Nativity sets until the day after Epiphany. After all...that's when the "season" ends!

The Christ-Mass: The Traditional Latin Mass at Midnight! Alleluia! Christ our Savior is born! Alleluia!

Christmas Day: Where did all those presents come from?! And the stockings are full?! It must have been the Christ Child and the Angels! We just can't wait to open them after Mass! A joyful feast in the afternoon...and the "season" continues!

December 26th: The Feast Of Stephen. Our Proto-Martyr.

December 28th: The Feast Of the Holy Innocents. Arthur's birthday. We remember all the "holy innocents" on this day, particularly the littlest victims of abortion.

And that's just the month of December! January 1st marks the great Solemnity of Mary, Mother Of God. We close with Epiphany, on January 6th. The Wise Men take their place before the Holy Infant. We sing "We Three Kings" and thank God for the conclusion of the Christmas Season.

Shopping? We really don't shop much, until the week before Christmas. We don't wrap presents until a couple of days before. Usually the same day that we set up the tree. These changes have changed us...we approach the entire season with the peace and joy that I believe our Lord intended us to have. Things don't always go perfectly. There are the inevitable evenings that someone is sick, or dad is late. But the "mania" is gone.

Christ-Mass is back. Deo Gratias! Read more!

Thank heaven for the miracle of modern medicine!

Zachary spent Friday evening in the emergency room. This case of poison ivy is the worst we have yet encountered. He spent the entire day in absolute agony. Eyes swollen shut, blisters covering the majority of his face; his lips so swollen he was barely able to speak...he looked very much like a victim of chemical warfare. His body's reaction to urushiol, the toxin in poison ivy, is the same as it would be if he had suffered a severe chemical burn.

The treatment? A week long dose of very strong corticosteroids (Medrol) and a sedative/antihistamine (Atarax). The downside? Zachary apparently falls into that small percentage of individuals for whom Atarax does not have a sedative effect. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The poor young man was awake every hour, throughout the night, until 5:00 a.m. this morning.

He is looking a bit better. Hopefully, within 24 hours the swelling will have significantly decreased.

The irony of this particular case is this: Just three weeks ago, Zachary and his grandfather and siblings spent several days in the woods. Zachary didn't contract poison ivy then! A quick trip to the woods to retrieve an ax and BAM! The worst case ever. Read more!

Here is a response from Kyle Good, Vice President of Corporate Communications - Scholastic Books. The gentleman who emailed Mr. Good, is a devout Catholic who has read not one, but all three of the Philip Pullman books, the trilogy His Dark Materials. This seems to fly in the face of the assertion by Mr. Good that most of the trilogy's detractors have never even read the books.

Interestingly enough, the "Catholic" supporters that Mr. Good cites, are not known to most Catholics, and certainly are not espousing what most would consider an orthodox view regarding the anti-Catholic/anti-God elements contained within these books.

Ultimately, it comes to this: The Golden Compass equals big bucks. Scholastic will rake in the cash, should the New Line Cinema production fare as well as The Lord Of The Rings trilogy or The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.

Here is Mr. Good's email:


Subject: The Golden Compass



Your email regarding The Golden Compass was forwarded to me, and I
appreciate the opportunity to offer a thoughtful, if somewhat lengthy,
response to your concerns.



The Golden Compass is a fantasy adventure set in an alternate world
about a brave and resourceful young girl who sets out to rescue her
best friend and winds up on an extraordinary quest. It celebrates
freedom, love, courage and responsibility. The upcoming film from New
Line Cinema is based on the first book in an award-willing trilogy by
Philip Pullman. Scholastic Media and Depth of Field are also
producers of the film.



The books, published in the U.S. by Random House, have received
numerous awards and honors, including the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian
Fiction Prize, designation as an ALA Notable Book, ALA top Ten Best
Books for Young Adults, Horn Book Fanfare Honor Book, Publishers
Weekly Best Book of the Year, Texas Lonestar Reading List winner, and
Main Student Book Award among many others. They have earned
widespread critical acclaim including praise from the Archbishop of
Canterbury, and the following reviews:

"Powerful… a fantasy adventure that sparkles with childlike wonder."
—The Boston Sunday Globe

"Masterful storytelling… with a cast of instantly beguiling characters."
—The Dallas Morning News

"Extraordinary storytelling at its very best."
—The Detroit Free Press

"This is a captivating fantasy, filled with excitement, suspense, and
unusual characters."
—School Library Journal

There has been discussion swirling on the Internet and in the media
that is confusing and contradictory, even though the writers and
outspoken critics have yet to see the film which they are critiquing.
Many of those commenting admit that they have never read Mr. Pullman's
books.



Literary debate and analysis of the meaning of the Pullman trilogy,
His Dark Materials, like many other great works of fiction, has gone
on since the books were first published more than ten years ago. That
discussion frequently takes place in elementary through college
classrooms worldwide.



Take, for example, this comment from Father P.S. Naumann, S.J., a
lifelong educator from upstate New York, whom we asked for his
perspective on The Golden Compass. He wrote, "Teaching English for
thirty odd years in a Jesuit high school, I kept looking for a
contemporary novel that could, would, and should provoke questions and
discussions. Philip Pullman's book is an eye-opener and window-opener
that can bring kids, parents, and teachers together to talk. The
windows in our own minds, and in our own Church, open onto a secular
society and a multi-cultural world, as Pope John XXIII knew. How to
deal with that? Sooner or later students will open windows for
themselves; it's part of growing up. If they don't ask any questions
in the process, we may have lost our opportunity. The Golden Compass
will help in that direction, and if the book brings kids and parents
together to discuss important ideas, think of the good it's doing."
Also consider the writing of Donna Freitas, Ph.D. from Catholic
University, and Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Boston
University. Dr. Freitas is a Catholic who rejects the allegation that
Pullman's work is anti-Christian as she writes in the book she
co-authored with Jason King, Assistant Professor of Theology at St.
Vincent College, Killing the Imposter God: Philip Pullman's Spiritual
Imagination in His Dark Materials: "Pullman, despite his personal
professions of atheism, has, indeed, created within His Dark Materials
a universe replete with the divine."—pg. 34.



Philip believes in open, honest free speech and he decries corruption
and abuse of authority. He promotes love, kindness, loyalty, and
courage. He is also a master storyteller who artfully weaves these
themes into brilliant fantasy stories, and he encourages an open,
honest dialogue about his work. As Freitas and King explain, "Pullman
cares supremely about the power of the human imagination and the role
that freedom of interpretation plays in shaping it."—pg. xviii.



At Scholastic, we offer a wide range of books and materials in our
Book Fairs and Book Clubs in order to serve the diverse communities
across the nation. We recognize that not every book is for every
young person, and we always encourage parents and caretakers to take
an active interest in their children's reading choices to help
children select the materials that are right for their family and
community values as well as their age and reading level. We also
encourage families to help their children interpret whether what they
see and read in the media and on the Internet is honest, factual and
unbiased and to consider alternate views in pursuit of the truth.



If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me.



Sincerely,



Kyle Good

Vice President, Corporate Communications







Kyle Good
V.P. Corporate Communications
Scholastic Inc.
557 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
212-343-4563
fax: 212-343-6930
kgood@scholastic.com Read more!

Six children + one distracted mom + a rolling cart full of books = at least one book you would never have allowed your six year old to check out:



Different Like Coco, is on the surface, a children's book (for ages four to eight, according to Amazon) about Coco Chanel, the French Fashion diva/designer, of days gone by. I certainly have no intention to dive into the rather pathetic life of Coco Chanel; tragedy, feminism, abandonment of societal conventions: all in all, interesting "soap opera fodder."

As I opened this book to read to my two littles ones (I didn't even make the connection that "Coco" was "Coco Chanel"), I was greeted with the adorable line drawing of a thin little girl, gleefully stuffing the bodice of her white slip with toilet paper. I closed the book quickly before the inevitable questions, ensued.

Having dismissed the girls, a thorough perusal was in order. Here are a few tidbits for the four to eight year old girl to consider:

*Coco lied about everything, even her confessions because she liked to tell stories (nice little drawing of Coco in the confessional, complete with shocked expression on the face of the priest).

*The nuns at Notre Dame mistreated the poor children. Feeding them second class food and separating them from the "paying" students.

*Coco had, ahem, a "friend", whom she loved and never married. He did, nonetheless, purchase her first shop.

*Extremely unflattering depictions of over-weight women who simply didn't measure up to the Coco Chanel ideal.

And so on...

The moral of this story: when rounding up six children and checking out thirty library books, it's a good idea to take a peek inside the cover of your toddler's books before you "scan and stack."

Read more!

Hate it.

I try not to use the word hate, very often. It is an extreme word. There is no love or forgiveness in it.

That's why I'm using it now. I...HATE...poison ivy!

It is November. The temperatures have been in the 50's during the day and the 20's and 30's at night. You'd think this evil weed would die. But, no! It is as tenacious as my dear son is unwary.

He walked to the woods, two evenings ago, to retrieve his father's ax. Nearly all of the trees in the wooded grove behind our home, have lost their leaves. Zachary lingered in the woods, something he had not been able to do all summer due to his extreme sensitivity to poison ivy. He was gone such a long time, that I jumped in the van and drove down the short trail to make sure he wasn't stuck in one of the recently set traps.

In the twilight, at the entrance to the wooded path, he stood alone. Cheeks flushed red with the cold, his face radiant with the secret joy of time spent alone in nature.

Gone. Radiance has been replaced with the worst rash ever. Eyes swollen shut. Large weeping blisters cover his entire face and neck. We are now one step outside of a trip to the ER.

His greatest suffering? He thought he was safe. He felt his immunity had built up over the summer. He had been using this. He showered. He did everything that he should have. His additional concern: how on earth will he serve Mass in this condition? He most likely won't.

And that's why I HATE poison ivy. Yet another aspect of The Fall (pun intended) that reminds us that "the world is our ship, not our home"--St. Therese of Lisieux.

Please pray for my dear boy. Not even chocolate chip pancakes can ease his suffering...

Read more!

I'm sure that many of you have already read this post.

The release date for The Golden Compass is fast approaching (just in time for the season of Advent...how's that for timing?!). An outstanding interview with Steve Wood of the Family Life Center/Faith & Family Radio is available and contains an urgent plea for all parents.

I've received a few emails and comments from individuals unsure as to why Catholics are so opposed to the Pullman trilogy and upcoming movie. This interview provides, with great clarity, a concise explanation.

You may listen here.


This is not for children! Mr. Wood will be reading excerpts from the book...atheism? More like demonism...

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen. Read more!

Somehow, I missed this one:

Little Altar Boy
Little altar boy, I wonder could you pray for me?
Little altar boy, for I have gone astray
What must I do to be holy like you?
Little altar boy ,oh, let me hear you pray

Little altar boy, I wonder could you ask our Lord
Ask him, altar boy, to take my sins away
What must I do to be holy like you?
Little altar boy, please, let me hear you pray

Lift up your voice and say a prayer above
Help me rejoice and fill that prayer with love
Now I know my life has been all wrong
Lift up your voice and help a sinner be strong

Little altar boy, I wonder could you pray for me?
Could you tell our Lord I'm gonna change my way today?
What must I do to be holy like you?
Little altar boy, oh, let me hear you pray
Little altar boy please let me hear you pray!

The Carpenters

What a lovely montage...


Sweet song, but the title of this post actually refers to my youngest son, Gareth, who served the Traditional Latin Mass for the first time yesterday. Wearing a cassock two sizes too big, cinched at the waist and cleverly covered by his surplice, Gareth took his seat "in choir" with the torch-bearers. The pride of seeing this beautiful young boy in cassock and surplice, is indescribable. Pure joy radiated from his face...to his mother: he seemed such a very small boy; a small boy embarking upon a great adventure with a host of young men so much larger and certainly more experienced, than he. "Love covers a multitude of sins" as our dear Lord tells us...Gareth will certainly make up for any deficiencies, by the great love he has for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. A love fervently shared by his three older brothers.

Four sons in the service of our Lord. May God be praised! Read more!

Thanks to my dear friend, Lisa, for this one. Grab a box of tissue:

Joy and blessings to all of you, my dear friends. Read more!

Ever since this movie, my boys have been fascinated by rockets. Thanks to a dear friend, Mr. Thomas Ryan, the boys have been the grateful recipient of a number of rockets. Big ones, small ones. Shiny metallic ones. Red, blue and pink ones.

We even have the Porta-Pot Shot.

Who knew blowing things up could be such fun! The first few times were rather frustrating. The soy fields were incredibly high. Many rockets were "eaten" by those fields. Since the harvest, the remains of several rockets have been recovered.

Which refueled the boys' interest.

No more soy to contend with! The sky's the limit! Onward and upward!

Needless to say, yesterday was a "blast"...here are my very own Rocket Boys:

Read about the "real" Rocket Boys here. Read more!

Let us remember the Holy Souls, who rely on us for prayers and sacrifices:

Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great - A prayer which would release 1,000 souls from purgatory each time it is said.

"Eternal father, I offer you the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. - Amen"

V. Eternal rest grant unto them (him, her), O Lord.
R. And may perpetual light shine upon them (him, her).
V. May the souls of the faithfully departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R. Amen. Read more!

When does the next Crusade start? Right now! Meet the Knights of the Crusade.

This year we had five (Abigail was all set to be St. Joan of Arc...right up to the point that Rylee balked at being St. Elizabeth of Hungary. "Where's my sword? I don't want to be a princess!" she asked tearfully. So...the girls joined the fray. Voila! Five knights!)

While we're on the subject, check out the Ancient Oath of a Knight:

Be loyal of hands and mouth, and serve every man as best you may. Seek the fellowship of good men; hearken to their words and remember them. Be humble and courteous wherever thou go, boasting not nor talking overmuch, neither be dumb altogether. Look to it that no lady or damsel be in reproach through your default, nor any woman of whatsoever quality. And if you fall into company where men speak with disrepect of any woman, show by gracious words that it pleaseth you not, and depart.

The office of knight is to promote faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of Lords, King of Kings and the only Savior and to protect those who seek to worship in His name any where upon the face of this earth that He has made.

Ancient Prayer For a Knight's Sword:

"Hearken we beseech Thee, O Lord, to our prayers, and deign to bless with the right hand of Thy Majesty this sword with which They servant desires to be girded, that it may be a defense of churches, widows, orphans and all Thy servants against the scourge of pagans, that it may be the terror and dread of all evil-doers, and that it may be just in both attack and defense." Read more!

The Feast Of All Saints...what an encouragement! It is the hope of all who are "working out (their) salvation with fear and trembling" that they will one day share in the Communion of the Saints, to the fullest extent.

How will you mark the day? With two lovely feast days back to back (All Saints/All Souls), our family has plans for the following:

All Saints Day

*We will read Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 and discuss the Communion of the Saints.

*We will prepare soul cakes as an afternoon treat and discuss the custom of "souling" Perhaps we will learn this little song. Here's a recipe if you are interested:

Ingredients:
Two sticks butter
3 and 3/4 cups sifted flour
1 cup fine white sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or mace
1 teaspoon each, cinnamon, ginger, allspice
2 eggs
2 teaspoons malt vinegar (or cider vinegar)

Oven: 350 degrees bake 20-25 minutes

Method: Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender (or a large fork); Blend in the sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and spice; and mix to a stiff dough with the beaten eggs and vinegar. Knead thoroughly and roll out, 1/4 inch thick; cut into 3 inch rounds and set on greased baking sheets. Prick cakes with a fork and bake; sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar while still warm.

Alternative method: Cream butter and sugar. Mix in lightly beaten eggs and vinegar. Sift flour and spices, add and mix to a stiff dough. Knead thoroughly and follow the rest of the directions above.

*We will attend the Traditional Latin Mass at 8:00 p.m.

All Souls Day

*A walk through an historic cemetery two miles from our home, along with prayers for the repose of the souls of the faithful will be lovely.

*We will look for symbolic carvings on the headstones and discuss meanings.

*We will offer special prayers for our departed friends and relatives.

For the past few years we have added prayers for the souls of the faithful at the end of our supper prayer. We also pray for souls as we pass cemeteries. These prayers are so very important. How important? Read this. Read more!