Sunday, January 1^st, Mary, Mother of God

This feast day actually has 3 feasts that are celebrated on this day.  The first is the Octave of Christmas or the 8^th day of Christmas. The second is the Circumcision of Our Lord.  According to Jewish tradition, all male babies were circumcised on the 8^th day after their birth.  And finally, what we are most familiar with because it is one of the Holy Days of Obligation, Mary, Mother of God. 

And we can all also include a 4^th celebration, New Year’s Day!    These 4 celebrations all can be connected and serve a similar meaning.  To state this simply, it is the dedication of our lives, particularly in this new coming year, to Christ through Mary. 

To Do:

Attending Mass together either today or yesterday evening should be a focal point of this Marian celebration.  I always quote the Old Wives’ Tale to the kids that whatever you do on the first day of the year will be the pattern for how you live the rest of this year.  I follow through with, “So how do we want to live the rest of the year?”  I get answers like, going to Mass, prayer, dedication to Mary, eating healthy, exercising, studying better in school, etc.  Surprisingly, we often try to do some or all of these things on this day, even studying in school since Christmas break is usually just about done. 

As with all Marian Feasts, it would be nice to do some kind of Marian devotion today.  This could be a short pilgrimage if you have a shrine nearby to visit.  Or, how about starting the year with a Mary picture or statue moved to a more prominent place in your home?  Another one would be to say the rosary together. 

To Do:

If you are within an hour or Emmitsburg, Maryland, near Gettysburg, take a trip to the shrine. Here is their site, http://www.setonheritage.org/.   I finally made it there this fall with part of my family, and we loved it.  The nearby Grotto of Lourdes at Mt. St. Mary’s is also well worth the stop. Take a container for the blessed spring water. (http://www.msmary.edu/grotto/)

Or take the 5-minute virtual tour from their site which also gives you a little history of Elizabeth Ann Seton and the sisters of Charity. (Click the bottom right “Your Visit to the Seton Shrine.)

Here is a short biography to read to the family at dinner quoted from American Catholic.org

Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is a true daughter of the American Revolution, born August 28, 1774, just two years before the Declaration of Independence. By birth and marriage, she was linked to the first families of New York and enjoyed the fruits of high society. Reared a staunch Episcopalian by her mother and stepmother, she learned the value of prayer, Scripture and a nightly examination of conscience. Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, did not have much use for churches but was a great humanitarian, teaching his daughter to love and serve others.

The early deaths of her mother in 1777 and her baby sister in 1778 gave Elizabeth a feel for eternity and the temporariness of the pilgrim life on earth. Far from being brooding and sullen, she faced each new “holocaust,” as she put it, with hopeful cheerfulness.

At 19, Elizabeth was the belle of New York and married a handsome, wealthy businessman, William Magee Seton. They had five children before his business failed and he died of tuberculosis. At 30, Elizabeth was widowed, penniless, with five small children to support.

While in Italy with her dying husband, Elizabeth witnessed Catholicity in action through family friends. Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ. Many of her family and friends rejected her when she became a Catholic in March 1805. To support her children, she opened a school in Baltimore. From the beginning, her group followed the lines of a religious community, which was officially founded in 1809.

The thousand or more letters of Mother Seton reveal the development of her spiritual life from ordinary goodness to heroic sanctity. She suffered great trials of sickness, misunderstanding, the death of loved ones (her husband and two young daughters) and the heartache of a wayward son. She died January 4, 1821, and became the first American-born citizen to be beatified (1963) and then canonized (1975). She is buried in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Sunday, Epiphany, January 8    

Three Kings Day!

To Do:  The Epiphany Household Blessing: Chalking of the Door

Get your house blessed today.  A priest can do this or just Dad.  You need chalk. (Which you can also get blessed by your priest at church this Sunday.  He’ll know what to do.) You write these symbols on the side or over the doorpost of your front door. (20-C-M-B-12--the initials of the three wise men [Caspar, Melchoir, Balshazzar], which can also be interpreted to mean Christus mansionem benedicat [Christ bless this home]) You can go to my web page to see ours.

Leader: At the end of these days of Christmastide, we keep this Feast of Epiphany. We celebrate Christ made known to the Magi, to John in the River Jordan, and to the disciples at the wedding in Cana. Today Christ is made known to us! Today this home is a holy place!

Leader: Peace be to this house and to all who enter here.

Leader: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst on this day manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Leader: Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee—Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.

All: And the Gentiles shall walk in Thy light and kings in the splendor of Thy rising, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.

Take (blessed) chalk (of any color) and mark on the lintel of your front door 20 + C + M + B + 11 saying:

Leader: The Magi, C Caspar, M Melchior, B and Balthasar …came from the east to Bethlehem to adore the Lord. “They went into the house, and when they saw the child with His mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to Him.” [Matthew 2:11]

20 two thousand 12 years ago.

May + Christ (Christus), + our Home (Mansionem) + Bless (Benedicat) + and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

Reader: A reading from Proverbs 24:3-4:”Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.”

Reader: A reading from Isaiah 32:16-18 : “Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, ”

Leader: Let us pray. Bless, O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, and thanksgiving to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. May this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. May we never forget Christ is present in the love and care we manifest to each other daily. May all who come rejoice to find Christ living among us as we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is Thine incarnate Word. Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Leader: Lord, remember your children and teach us to pray:

All: Our Father…

People may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of their baptism.

Leader: May the Lord watch + over our going out and our coming in, from this time forth and forevermore.

All: Amen.

 Monday, January 9, Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord

To Do: I know this feast follows immediately after Epiphany this year making it difficult to plan or do a lot of activities.  We can also renew our own baptism vows by reading them together at dinner or prayers this evening.  Remind your children that this is what you said for them when they were baptized, and they now have the responsibility of taking these vows on their own now that they are older.

 Saturday, January 21, St Agnes

To Do: Here is a short biography from HolySpiritInteractive.net to read to you family:

St. Agnes was a Roman girl who loved Jesus so much that she chose only him for her husband. She was very beautiful and when she was just twelve years old, many young men wished to marry her. But as Agnes had given her heart to Jesus, she would always say, "Jesus is my only husband."

She even turned down the governor's son, who became very angry. He tried to win her affection with gifts and promises but Agnes said to him, "I am already promised to the Lord." Agnes was accused of being a Christian and brought to the governor.

Then she was taken to a Roman temple in Minerva (Athena), and asked to sacrifice to pagan gods. When Agnes was led to the altar, she made the Sign of the Cross.

The governor tried to scare her by putting her in chains, but even then she refused to turn against God. Agnes suffered other tortures. Finally, she was condemned and killed for her faith at the young age of twelve in 304.

St. Ambrose and other well-known early Church saints have written about this brave girl. Agnes is buried in a cemetery named after her. In 354, Emperor Constantine's daughter built a large church there and had Agnes' body placed under the altar.

Monday, January 23 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn Child

“In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion. The liturgical celebrations for this day may be the Mass “For Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life””   From USCCB

This is the designated day because it is the anniversary of “Roe vs. Wade,” the case which made abortion legal in the United States. 

To Do:

 March. If you are anywhere near Washington, D.C. you should take your family to this peaceful and prayerful protest.  It is a very moving experience.  We usually go every year even though it is about an 8 hour drive for us.  Strollers are difficult, but possible.  I recommend backpacks or frontpacks for the babies and toddlers.  Sure, there are many inconveniences, but you can offer these as part of the penances for the day. 

Mass.  O.K., so you can’t make it to the March for Life this year. Attend Mass and pray for the unborn children, their mothers and for our nation to respect the rights of the unborn child. 

Write a check.  Collect a little money from everyone in the family (a true penance) then write a check to a pro-life organization.  I like: National Right to Life, American Life League, Life Issues Institute, our state's pro-life organization, and our local crisis pregnancy center.  There are many others.  This could be done after a dinner discussion appropriate for the ages of your children.  Have a teenager research some of these organizations online to make the decision of where to send the check.

 Saturday, January 28, St. Thomas Aquinas

(I know I missed 3 great saints’ days this week. . .I’ll get them next year. Sorry)

St. Thomas’ Prayer for Students:

To Do: Share this brief summary of who he is.

Saint Thomas Aquinas was born around 1224 in Roccasecca, Kingdom of Sicily. Defying his family's wishes for him to become a monk, he joined the Dominican Order while attending the University of Naples. His studies introduced him to the teachings of Aristotle, which greatly influenced his work and ideas. He is now considered one of the Roman Catholic Church's foremost theologians. Despite being referred to as a “Dumb Ox,” he wrote the Summa Theologiae, an explanation and summary of the entire body of Catholic teaching, that has been standard for centuries, even to our own day.

Teens and young adults should know and appreciate the story of St. Thomas chasing the prostitute from his room with a burning log. (She was sent by his wealthy family to tempt him away from the religious life.) After he drove away the temptress, two angels came to him and fastened a mystical chastity cord around his waist. 

Tuesday, January 31, St. John Bosco

His approach to the education of young boys was revolutionary.  As parents, we can all learn from his method: Reason, Religion, and Kindness.  

  Short biography quoted from Catholic-forum.com:

St. John Bosco was born in Piedmont, Italy in the year 1815. He was raised in a Catholic family but was too young ever to know his father who died when John was only two years old. John's mother raised four children and taught them the importance of their faith.

At the age of four, John began to do small jobs to earn money to support the household. As a child, John's favorite pastime was going to fairs and carnivals and watching the jugglers, tumblers and magicians. When he returned home, he practiced their tricks until he had mastered them, and then he would go on the street and perform asking only prayers as payment. From his childhood, St. John Bosco had a great desire to become a priest and help young boys who like him were not afforded all the pleasures in life. He worked hard so he could afford to leave his family and attend school. Eventually John entered the seminary. He excelled in his studies and served as a model to other seminarians on how to live a holy life of happiness. At the age of 26, John was ordained to the priesthood and set out to take his message to the world.

St. John began his ministry to the young by first forming catechism classes that met after Sunday Mass. At these classes he would offer schooling in the faith for free and he soon had a group of over 400 children to teach. St. John's enthusiasm and emphasis on teaching boys drew ridicule from some of his peers who did not see its value, but John saw the need to train the future of the Church and allow their youthful energy to be put to work for the greater glory of God. John's catechism school grew into a full-fledged school where boys could receive an education, learn a trade, and love Jesus. As much ridicule that John received, he also received assistance in the form of money and he also began to attract followers to his ideals. With the encouragement of Pope Pius IX, John gathered 17 men together into a community and founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales in 1859. This society is better known as the Salesians and concentrates on education and missionary work, especially aiming at the needs of the young. St. John Bosco died in 1888 after spending his whole life working for youth and is the patron of editors     

To do:  

The Salesians still help children around the world today.  Look at their work and see if you’d be interested in supporting them.  www.salesianmissions.org

Movie: We enjoyed watching the movie, St. John Bosco, Mission to Love. (2004) Maybe it could be borrowed from your parish, or it can be purchased at Ignatius.com.  It is also available on Youtube pretty good quality in 20 parts.  Just search for it

Juggle:  Get some scarves or beanbags and learn how to juggle.  (We got juggling balls from the dollar store.) Watch a video or 2 from the computer on Youtube to get you started.