Sponsor Introduction & Giveaway: Catholic Child

Are you, like me, looking for the perfect First Communion and Confirmation gifts this week? Ah, the Mary month of May in a Catholic home--our gift and devotional needs are just as predictable in May as they are in December. And that's a good thing! The liturgical calendar blesses us with an awareness of the sacred year 'round.

We are also blessed by shops like Catholic Child, where we can readily find just what we're looking for. Please allow me to introduce you:

Greetings, from our Catholic family to yours! We invite you to visit us at catholicchild.com and browse our collections of books, games, movies & audios, toys, music and Sacramental gifts. We hope you’ll stop by to see all the wonderful resources we offer to help your Catholic child learn about, live and love his or her faith. There’s something for everyone, from board-book toting tots, to college-bound young adults! And if you shop with us during Mary’s Month of May you can use In the Heart of my Home’s special Coupon Code 169051 and get free personalization on all of our Marian Prayer Pillowcases!

I spent some happy moments this morning looking around and discovered m favorite big books of saints' stories: The Kids' Book of Saints and The Kids' Book of Heroes. Those books are used weekly Along the Alphabet Path.

With an eye towards Marian consecration, I made note of a beautiful girl's Miraculous Medal and this lovely 4-way medal.

My favorite First Communion gift, particularly for May celebrations is a two volume set of pictures books, tied with a big, white tulle bow. The books of choice are delightful picture books written by Josephine Nobisso.

The Weight of a Mass was inspired by a true story that took place in Luxemborg. An old woman enters a bakery and begs a crust of stale bread. The baker refuses and she asks if she can offer Mass for him. He jeeringly writes "One Mass" on a scrap of paper and then tries--and fails-- to counterblalance it on his scale with an assortment of baked goods. No matter how many times we read this book, my children love it.

Take it to the Queen is a stunning tapestry of allegory, original fable, and lush illustration which honors the Blessed Mother. In the story, once favored villagers transgress against their king, then seek the intercession of the queen, who is a native of their own village. The book has won multiple awards and thrilled fans of Nobisso's earlier works. It is quite possibly her finest work. The book is a joy to share with others and truly meets the qualifications of a fine picture book: it is a story loved by every generation.

~Giveaway~

What about you? What are your favorite gifts to give during this time of year? Have a few minutes to poke around at Catholic Child? If you tell me what you'd give, you'll be entered to win a pair of Marian Prayer Pillowcases of your choice.

In the Moment: Tuesday afternoon already

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

We did some planting last week. Everyone is excited about watching the vegetable garden come to life. I love our visits to the garden store and so do the children. I relinquished the camera and let them do all the photos. Nicholas is really becoming a shutterbug and nature is his favorite subject.

We planted lots of tomatoes and plenty of basil. Caprese salad love will happen here all summer, I hope.

The peonies are now in full bloom. Must be prom time. My mother’s peonies always bloomed in time for prom.

::listening to 

a medley of accents and languages. I’m sitting at DMV, waiting for a teenager, but I might as well be in the lobby of the United Nations building.

::clothing myself in 

Clogs, jeans, and a tunic. Nothing terribly noteworthy.

::giving thanks for

a successful launch of the new studio for ESPN Deportes in Coral Gables. I’m happy for Mike; those professional successes are not to be belittled. But I’m super-happy for me. It will be nice to have him working locally again. Very, very nice.

::talking with my children about these books

Since I'm going to share my own reading on Thursdays at needle and thREAD, I thought I'd share some reading from our family's choices. 

These bee books are making the rounds in our reading rooms. I so want to keep bees. I don’t think it’s going to happen in this neighborhood. I did, however, learn that Kristin's grandfather used to keep bees and he has all the equipment and I can have it. But where to put it?

In the meantime, we’re enjoying the education:

Fruitless Fall: whether you want to be a beekeeper or not, this book is utterly fascinating.

The Backyard Beekeeper. An absolute beginner's guide. Perfect, as I am an absolute beginner.

Better Beekeeping. This is the advanced book. I'm going to pass it along to Ginny. 

 

::pondering prayerfully

In a certain sense, Consoling the Heart of Jesus is all about striving to remain at peace and in spiritual joy, striving to stay in a spirit of praise and in spiritual joy, striving to stay in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving throughout good times and bad. ~Fr. Michael Gaitley (inspiring video link here)

::carefully cultivating rhythm

We were introduced to the world of competitive dance last weekend. I’m still recovering. We had to be at the site, an hour away, at 6:30 AM. We pulled out of the parking lot at 6PM. Eleven and a half hours in an auditorium with incessant music. Quite the experience. I was there with some other mothers who also have soccer players; we all agreed that a soccer tournament with the same hours and travel is far less exhausting. My reality is that I’m usually happy to spend the day outside, but I really struggled with being in a dark auditorium. I also have never had internet access away from my house, so it was a new experience to take my iPhone along and have unlimited access throughout the day. I learned a lot about myself and that tool this weekend. More on that later this week, perhaps.

My little girls came along and loved the whole thing. Totally unfazed by the fact that we saw more than 300 dances, they came home, flipped on their ballet music, and began choreographing anew.

::creating by hand

I’m making slow progress on the Painted Portrait Blouse from Anna Maria Horner. I didn’t do the most careful job of cutting notches (and I wish I had). And I did my marking with a Frixion pen, which was just plain stupid. That pen's ink disappears completely under the heat of the iron. It’s a great choice for embroidery and a really dumb one for garment sewing. I’m struggling a bit, but I’ll persevere. Maybe you can see it for needle & thREAD on Thursday. 

::learning lessons in

nutrition. Again. Paleo or Dr. Fuhrmann? Full fat dairy or no dairy? Whole grains or all grains are bad? Sometimes I feel like nothing is good to eat...On the other hand, pretty much everyone agrees that fruits and veggies are a good thing. Salad, salad, salad.

::encouraging learning 

This is the beginning of our school year. We school year ‘round and we’ve pretty much finished all I had planned, so it’s time to start anew.

::begging prayers

for all the people who have joined our weekend prayer community. I carried your requests with me to Mass and I will keep a candle lit for you throughout the week.

for a dear friend who is discerning God’s call in her life.

for lonely missionaries.

:keeping house

I made a new chore chart last week. I haven’t really had much of a functioning chore chart in a few years. So far, it’s a disaster.

Everyone is ignoring it.

But I’m cracking the whip (metaphorically). This thing has to work.  There is too much to do for me to be the only one doing it.

::crafting in the kitchen 

I’m stumped. See “learning lessons” above.

::loving the moments

when my little girls jump into the arms of my teenagers’ friends. The younger children in my family are surrounded by really great role models.

::living the liturgy

We are using  33 Days to Morning Glory  in preparation for Marian Consecration on the Feast of the Visitation. Also in the plans for this lovely month of May: new handmade rosaries for everyone. I've ordered nearly all the necessary beads and parts. Admittedly, I've been gathering for several years now, but I think we're nearly ready to begin to make heirlooms. 

::planning for the week ahead

"There is nothing pressing this week. The idea makes me giddy." (I cannot believe I wrote that last week. It was a killer week, schedule-wise. Perhaps I should invest in a better planner? Perhaps I should consult the planner more often. Whatever the root, I got totally blindsided by the intensity of last weekend and I’m still recovering. May is exhausting. Be sure to check out the planner giveaway!)

 

Sponsor Introduction & Giveaway: The Catholic Daily Planner

Many of you will recognize this product as a classic. The Catholic Daily Planner from Family-Centered Press has become a favorite of Catholic women. The folks at Family-Centered.Com  often find that once someone uses their planner, she becomes a yearly customer for life.

The Catholic Daily Planner is a useful, annual resource designed to help you live your Faith and order your life –every day. Each day lists feasts and ferias as well as the liturgical color proper to the day for both forms of the liturgy. The weekly pages are formatted with plenty of space to record all of your tasks and appointments. Blank lined journal pages, contact/address book pages and weblog all help you order your life.

What you find inside these pages:

• Liturgical observances (i.e. First Sunday of Advent, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, etc) 
• Mass reading citations for every day (ordinary form); 
• Holy Days of obligation
• First Friday and Saturday devotions
• Daily rosary mystery reminders. 

This  beautifully designed planner includes both the Ordinary (New) and Extraordinary (Traditional) Forms of the Liturgy, the liturgical colors proper to the day, and 11 cover options.

There are two sizes available: Large (8.5" x 11") and Small (5.5" x 8.5")

You also have your choice of coil bound or hole drilled.

~ ~ ~ ~ Giveaway for You!~ ~ ~
Any planner of your choice with up to two add on options


US addresses only

~ ~ ~Shipping offer for everyone~ ~ ~


Free shipping on all orders over $25 (US addresses only)

What to do:

Pop over to Family-Centered  and peruse the offerings. Leave a comment telling me which planner you'd order. What cover would you choose? Size? Binding? Add-ons? 

You just might win it!

Winner announced next Monday.

Remember, these planners sell out every year, so if you see something you like, don't delay too long.

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

The internet is a formidable force for bringing the comfort and consolation and hope of the Lord to all of us. It can be an incredibily powerful medium for community. There is an unfathomable resource for prayer here. We have on the 'net the privilege of praying for people and of being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-fulled people pray for one another.

Let's be that community of hope and faith for one another.

But how about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

{And please, do return and let us know how prayer is bearing fruit.}

John 15:1-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

Think

"My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls ... If only they could understand that 
I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them ... Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! ... They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces" (St. Faustina, Diary 367)

Pray

Father, you are the good gardener. I know that with the pruning comes your grace to bear the pain. I know that in confession, I can be washed by the mercy of spring rains. And I know that in the Eucharist, there is abundant grace to grow in your sunshine. Thank you for the gift of faith.

Act

There are actual graces available this weekend in the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist. Make time to go to Him for them.

How can this community of prayer beg graces on your behalf this week?

Morning Walk with Mercy

My morning walks this week have been dedicated to meditations on mercy. From yard and then on to the woods this morning, I share some words for your weekend.

To me [God] has granted His infinite Mercy, and through it I contemplate and adore  the other divine perfections! All of these perfections appear to be resplendent with love; even His Justice (and perhaps this even more so than the others) seems to me clothed in love. What a sweet joy it is to think that God is Just, i.e., that He takes into account our weakness, that He is perfectly aware of our fragile nature. What should I fear then?" (Story of a Soul)

All grace flows from mercy, and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person's sins were as dark as night, God's mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary: that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God's merciful grace, and then God will do the rest. (Diary of St. Faustina)

Mercy is love when it encounters suffering. More specifically, it's two movements that take place within us when we see someone (or something) suffer. The first is an emotional movement, a movement of compassion that we feel in our hearts or even, when the suffering is particularly intense, deep in our guts. The second is a movement of action. In other words, as we see someone suffering and feel compassion for him, we soon find ourselves reaching out to alleviate his suffering. In sum: mercy is love that feels compassion for those who suffer (heart) and reaches to help them (arm). (Consoling the Heart of Jesus)

A hard heart is the opposite of mercy. How much we must implore God so our hearts do not become hardened like stone! Our hearts must not become insensitive! In fact, insensitivity is the primary sin of man against God and neighbor. Hardness of heart separates us from God, is the loss of our humanity, and causes so much suffering. It is also that which brought Jesus to the Cross and caused his death--it is that which crucified him! Only the love of God that reaches as far as the Cross can open a breach in our hardened hearts. (Christoph Cardinal Schonborn)