Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to you all and to all of your family members!

“The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” As a friend and I discussed how beautiful the prayers we say at Mass are, she brought to my attention what a gift it is for us to say “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed” WOW! God gave us Jesus – the Word made flesh, and we shall be “healed” and receive!

From the collect:
Father, we are filled with the new light by the coming of your Word among us. May the light of faith shine in our words and actions. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

May God bless you!

I needed a GOOD reason to cry…

What an inspiration! I cried like a baby……….LOL  It is amazing what miracles God can work through others. This guy must be changing hearts and leading souls to God with a message like this 🙂
Thank you God for showing us that such good can pour out of someone, even when others may have called it hopeless.
HT goes to Maureen – thanks!

pondering this lately

Nine ways of being an accessory to another’s sin.
1.By Counsel
2.By Command
3.By Consent
4.By Concealment
5.By Defense of Evil Done
6.By Partaking
7.By Provocation
8.By Praise
9.By Silence

When we examine our  conscience do we recall all the ways we have been an accessory to another’s sin?  Warning! When you do this God will show you truth and it will disrupt your life as you know it and you may loose friends and loved ones. But, God will heal and bring good of it. Jesus, I trust in you.

kids and their ways….

My 3yr old daughter to me:

 “Mom, your eye bulbs smile at me” 

(a gift to me after days of doubting myself and wondering if she thinks I am too hard on her and that all she hears me say is “NO” and “1…2…don’t le t me get to 3!”)

Then here is another good one…

Me to my nearly 10yr old son:

Me: “she can’t be in there unless she has supervision.”

Him: “Hey, I want supervision too!”

(love seeing my boy still has his naive boyish charm and desire for super powers!)

Awesome pumpkin bread!

I am so grateful that these two ladies posted about baking pumpkin bread. I actually got off my behind and tried it. It was so easy and SO GOOD! My family now seems to think that I am amazing and made some really hard bread recipe 😉 I feel like that old Rice Krispie Treat commercial where the mom throws flour on her face to make it look like she slaved over the stove to make those easy treats….LOL!

We ate it for breakfast, snack time and dessert. It lasted for days and we didn’t tire of it. Very yummy and it  made me get in the mood to fall decorate to boot. Two scores for the pumpkin bread!!

Thank you Lord for your bountiful blessings!

praying for others selfishly?

How does the act of praying for others become vainglory for me? This isn’t a decision I make, or even notice as it is happening. I love praying for others. I really do — I can’t wait to have a quiet moment to say a rosary for the Christians being attacked in India and Iraq. I love to petition our Lord for others in need.  I love to feel like I am working with the Body of Christ and praying in union with so many others for the greater good. I especially love when I see God answering prayers. Either wanted or unwanted answers, either way I love to see his work being done — it may be a joyful answer to prayers or a sorrowful answer to prayers. Either way, his will is what I want.

Did you notice how many times I said “I” in the last few sentences! Lately I have been praying for an understanding of suffering and to understand humility more. God is good and smacked me 🙂

I went to an Abortion Clinic to pray for the first time last week. A wonderful friend of mine took me and my 2 kids with her and her kids. As I prayed, I was distracted by myself asking God to send us the face of someone who needs help. I didn’t think to ask this…it just popped in my head.  I know that for me, sometimes it is nice to see a face of a person you are praying for. Selfish, but human. I was thinking at that moment of a scared young mother, a woman in a crisis pregnancy or maybe a woman who is in a financial crisis. For the life in a mother’s womb that God allowed to be there and touched himself at the moment of conception by placing the soul there, he wants to gift the world with that life made in his own Image. Now, I am in no way prepared to be a sidewalk counselor. But I was with someone who’s mother is, so I knew we could refer anyone in need to someone who could help. As this thought of putting a face to my prayer entered my head… I dismissed it because I know that it is silly to ask this, so I just ended the thought with…”Sorry God, I didn’t mean to ask that of you, I want only your will.”

As we were getting ready to leave, a woman stopped to yell something at us. With out thinking for a second I answered “No, it’s not…it is God’s work” I don’t know if it is a good example to say anything back…it just came out. I am sure God is going to help refine me in these matters. But, there it was. My face that I prayed for, only not at all what I had thought of. I am busy praying for the mothers and the babies, they need it. But what about the angered people out there, the workers, the doctors, the security guards. If they didn’t have employees they couldn’t continue the work of evil, this culture of death. Pray for the workers of abortion agencies. After all, it is easy to pray for those we love or feel for — but what about our enemies, people who hurt us, betray us, cause harm to us or others. This is just like what Jesus teaches us in Luke 6

“But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful.

That was my first lesson in humility. To want to see what I want even in the midst of being prayerful is an act of pride. To even think that I would have any idea who my prayer would be offered up for is almost an act of disobedience to the Holy Spirit.  I hope I will learn to say in service to God “Take my prayer for good to be done through only your Divine Will, not my ownl”

 Then, this morning I was was reading Catholic Culture’s Saint of the Day, and admiring Waltzing Matilda’s coloring pages. I loved the St. Bruno coloring page. We are part German, so we are happy to learn more about St. Bruno and the Carthusians. Which lead me to this site that Catholic Culture linked too. I love the pics and I can’t wait for the movie to be shown on EWTN about the Carthusians. That is when I clicked on this pic

http://www.statcrux.co.uk/ocart/index.htm

I had never been to this site and I don’t know much about it, but the pics or breathtaking. As I looked at the pic I was admiring how beautiful yet simple it is. I thought to myself how glorious it would be to serve there and to spend a life in prayer. I noticed the dust on the gorgeous wood and how the light captured the scratches and dust on the floor. I admired the grand structure and the art, but the servant in me wanted to polish the wood! I thought what a treat to work and serve there saying prayers in silence and offering up your work to Our Lord. Then what a gift to see it all shine!  Here it is again! My selfish desire to serve God in the way that would be peaceful and fulfilling for me! Now, let me just say that when it is a suffering to me, I receive it and offer it up. It is the everyday stuff that is not a real suffering but more like an annoyance that I struggle with. This is how I am — I don’t complain when I am down right cold and it is clear that I have to be cold and to be tough about it. But, if I am a bit chilly and I don’t have to be — then I am a big ole baby! (like when hubby has the air on in the car, if he is hot and I am cold…oohh I am a bear about it!)

So here is my second lesson. It is easy to pray when you are hurt, scared, lonely or to pray when you are in a wonderful prayerful, peaceful moment. But, what about when I am cleaning up spilled tea when I warned it would spill, the dust on the mini blinds that I hate to clean,  when my kids are fussing and acting up while trying to have a peaceful moment saying the Rosary, or when a child brings you a can of pringles and by the time they get to you they have shaken it into a million tiny pieces? How about those little annoying sufferings, service and work? Do I thirst to make those moments shine like I wanted to do for the wood in the Carthusian room.

Who do I serve when I pray? Is it vainglory or charity? I know that God is polishing my scratches and hopefully I will have all my rough edges smoothed by the time God calls me home.

Or at least in time for me to joyfully serve Our Lord by offering up my house work in prayer and go get those mini blinds dusted and then not complain about it to my hubby and not fuss at my children to play nicely while I do my work. Seems I have been trying to learn this lesson for a while now! 

the politics are getting oh so interesting….

Check out this You Tube video — I got this from a friend in my homeschool group. Thank you my friend!

Also check out this great bit of info from Mary Ellen over at The Bonny Blue House. I thank Bridget for posting the link over at Our Magnum Opus.  She explains how Mary Ellen worked on Wall Street before children and has a good grasp on how this all happened. Thank you to her for putting this into an understandable post. (for simple minded people like me!)

Thank you St. Therese of Lisieux!

St. Therese’s dying words were: “I will let fall a shower of roses after my death.”

I didn’t plant this lone rose. It was a surprise when I first saw it grow up out of no where. I didn’t even know what it was until I saw the bud a couple of days ago. This was taken Monday and it is now is now in full bloom!  What a gift to me in my time of struggle! There are some struggles that you can’t share with family and friends. So, my only companions lately have been the church triumphant. This has been a real comfort to me, although sometimes my mind is tempted to feel silly – as if I have imaginary friends! Oh, how we are tempted to have no faith! I don’t know why this pops in my head sometimes, but I immediately reject it because the Saints have shown me many times that they are praying for me.  In the last few weeks I have had many little miracles (to me anyway)from the Saints to get me through tough times. They are our great friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. They help me so much by comforting me and interceding for me. Thank you Padre Pio, St. Michael and St. Therese!!!

This in one of those times! Thank you St. Therese, you have tought me so much and I hope I have made you proud in following your little way and offering up all my sufferings. Even my little daily struggles.

A quote that I love and has required much learning of me to understand is this one –

Agree to be that little child. Through the practice of all the virtues, raise your little foot to scale the stairway of holiness. You won’t succeed in reaching the first step, but God requires you only to demonstrate your good will. Soon, conquered by your futile efforts, He will descend Himself, gather you up in His arms, and carry you off to His kingdom forever… Agree to stumble at every step, even to fall, to carry your crosses weakly; love your helplessness, your soul will benefit more from it than if, sustained by grace, you accomplished with enthusiasm heroic actions which would fill your soul with personal satisfaction and pride. With Empty Hands  Thank you to a lovely friend who has helped me understand this quote more fully!

 St. Therese, please continue to pray for me!!

St. Jerome Porcupine Meatballs

This was our Lunch from yesterday for St. Jerome’s Feast Day Sept. 30th. These were so easy to make and they were yummy! My son loved the story of the porcupines of God.

I got this recipe and the below info from an email from Suzanne Fowler of the Lightweigh program. She has so many great ideas and I love the program! Here is the Recipe:

St. Jerome Porcupine Meatballs 

 

Feast Day: September 30th

 

            These look like little porcupines because the rice sticks out.  

 

Serves 4-5

  

1 beaten egg

1 can tomato soup, undiluted and divided

1/4 c. long grain rice, uncooked

1/2 t. onion powder

1/4 t. pepper

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c. water

 

     Combine egg, 1/4 c. of soup, uncooked rice, onion powder and pepper.  Add the beef and mix well.  Shape into 20 meatballs.  Place in large skillet.  Mix the remaining soup with the Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 c. water; pour this mixture over the meatballs.  Bring to boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer, stirring often for about 20 minutes or until no pink remains in the meal and the rice is tender.

 

 

St. Jerome Porcupine Meatballs

(341-420) 

 

Feast Day:  September 30th

Patron of:  Librarians and Scripture Scholars

Priest and Doctor of the Church 

 

     “For those who love nothing is hard, and no task is difficult, if your desire is great.”  ~St. Jerome

 

     St. Jerome is pictured with a lion.  When he lived in the desert, he removed a thorn from a lion’s paw and the lion remained his constant companion.  Jerome was born in Italy and raised a Catholic.  He went to school in Rome.  He was very smart and studied to become a lawyer.  Jerome had taken a Roman senator named Cicero as his model in rhetoric (the art of speaking effectively).  Traveling to Antioch in 374, Jerome became ill.  He had a very high fever and had a dream that he was standing before Jesus being judged.  Jesus asked Jerome, “Who are you?”  Jerome replied, “I am a Christian.”  Jesus responded, “You are a Ciceronian, not a Christian.”  After the dream, Jerome realized he could not serve two masters; the world and Christ.  He left to go live in the desert for four years, where he studied Hebrew and wrote the life of St. Paul of Thebes.  Later Jerome was ordained a priest and was asked to serve as secretary to Pope St. Damasus in Rome, from 382 to 385.  Pope St. Damasus asked Jerome to translate a Latin version of the Bible that could be understood by the common people.  At this time, Latin was the language of the common people, but the Bible was written in Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament.  St. Jerome set about translating the two and his version is known as the Vulgate, which meant in Latin “for the common people.”  St. Jerome had a strong temper and made many enemies because he was uncompromising in his beliefs.  He aggressively fought heresies, which were constantly trying to twist the truth and ultimately destroy the Catholic Faith.  Despite his harsh side, St. Jerome was always compassionate and gentle with those who were struggling and those who were poor.  He was a brilliant man, who was constantly trying to overcome his own weaknesses.  He performed many acts of penance and spent time living in a cave until his death.  St. Augustine said of St. Jerome, “What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known.”  St. Jerome founded, with St. Paula, a monastery for men and a convent for women in the Holy Land.  St. Jerome left this world from the city Jesus entered the world.  Jerome died in Bethlehem in 420.  St. Jerome’s scriptural works have remained unsurpassed in the history of the Church.  He was a genius. 

     These porcupine meatballs are named for St. Jerome because God needs His doves, but He also needs His porcupines!  Often times people who have a passion and love for the truth seem like porcupines to “the world.”  This is because the world pursues comfort; and it is hard to sleep around a porcupine.  St. Jerome upset people because their souls could not sleep in his presence.  A porcupine for God understands that while the truth can be hard; turning away from the truth, though it may seem easier, is always harder in the end.

 

Also, you can celebrate with your children with this fun way I made lion PB&J sandwiches. Read how I made them here

 

Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

My Patron Saint is St. Michael, so this was a special day for my family! St. Michael has shown me a few times that he himself  helps to protect me and I am forever grateful for the gift of his protection for me and for all of us.

This is the first year that we were able to celebrate this way. It is such a blessing that I homeschool and am able to spend the time centering our day around  the Liturgical year. (when I am organized enough to pull it off anyway!)

First, it is not a surprise that I go here and here to learn more and to get great ideas. I thought I would try the recipe given by both sites for St. Michael Bannocks. The recipe calls for Barley flour, oats and rye meal. Ok- I went to several stores and couldn’t find this. I did find barley, oat meal and rye flour. …I figured I’d give it a try. I ground the Barley as fine as I could get it — the oats too. I figured the rye flour would be ok but I knew I would have to add a little a lot more all purpose flour then what the recipe called for. I messed up the greased skillet technic until about half way through the batch…LOL Finaly I got the hang of it when I remembered that it was similar to making Indian Fry Bread which I had made years ago…except much less grease. It tasted good if you dip it in honey butter. Alone, it is also good — but real healthy/hearty tasting. In my house this means it will get eaten only if it has butter and honey on it!

 

Next we moved on to deviled eggs! Yum — my kids actual love egg salad sandwches so this was an easy sale 😉 We speared the deviled eggs to remember how St. Micheal threw Satan out of heaven. 

 

We also read that legend has it that when Satan was thrown out by St. Michael, he landed in a blackberry patch. So he curses all blackberry patches on this day. I have read that is why Blackberries are harvested before St. Michael’s Feast day. So, what else but to go and buy these!

Very tart! We loved them though and ate plenty. 

For dinner we had Italian styled peper beef, angel hair pasta and carrots. Carrots were traditionaly pulled up to harvest in a special ritual way by the eldest daughter of the family on St. Michaelmas Day.  I didn’t have the money to buy goose — which is the traditional meal. I just bought what was on sale, which has nothing to do with the Feast except for the angel hair pasta. I didn’t bother taking a picture of that — you all know what angel hair pasta looks like 😉

We did get lucky with this recipe for Angel food cake with pineapple cream and berries on top. This is where the blackberries were meant for. Note for those of you following the recipe — when you mix the filling, put it in the fridge for a bit before spreading it. I didn’t do this, so it dripped and gooed so much that I just made it cover the outside as well instead of just the between layers. It really was easy and was soooo yummy!

We ended the day with an Angel craft. My kids had been asking for popcorn, so this seemed fit for the craft. Also a way to teach my 3 1/2 yr old textures and colors. They had fun making their angels!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were blessed with a wonderful day! Go check our Catholic Cuisine for more ideas for next year and participate in the fairs to come. Next one is Sept. 2 for our Guardian Angels.

We also talked about St. Raphael and read  the book of Tobit. This is such a wonderful story about the Archangel Raphael, and makes me wonder how many of us have encountered an angel who came to our aid.

Also saying the Angelus is a way to celebrate St. Gabriel at the Annunciation.

St. Michael guide and pray for my family. Protect us in our struggles

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our safeguard 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 power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who wander throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.