We were discussing the liturgical year today and Nicky said, "Mom, wait, last Sunday was Ordinary Time? The day before yesterday?"
I replied in the affirmative.
Nicky's eyes got very, very wide, "There was nothing ordinary about that day!"
Remember the mantel letters that spelled "PREPARE" in purple for Advent? I picked up the letters "N" and "T" at the craft store last weekend and we're going to spell "REPENT" for Lent. My frugal child is ever so proud of me!
As we sit huddled by the fire in the cold of mid-year, I am reflecting upon our studies (and envying a bit those Teacher Workdays of the public schools--the ones where teachers work in their classrooms in perfect silence and solitude...). All in all, things are going well. The rhythm and the artistry of our academic pursuits suit our family well. And so we continue down this path. Because we are traveling in real time and blogging as we go, I will share a bump in the road with you as well. The book we chose for our saints' alphabet isn't really working for its purpose. It's a beautiful book and we have been exposed to some new saints and to different expressions of some familiar saints, but it's not a good fit for our family's Alphabet Path. I'm going to switch to An Alphabet of Catholic Saints. Several of you suggested the book and several more of you tell me you have it, so I hope this change is not terribly burdensome. I'll incorporate a picture into the story on Serendipity, so if you can't purchase the book, you can always use the picture and tell the saint's story on your own. My plan is to go back and re-write the endings of all the stories published thus far, to reflect the new book. All of Emily's beautiful saints drawing will remain in the photo albums so that you can continue to use them. It's going to take me a few days (God willing) to make the changes, so I do beg your patience.
As Katherine reflected upon her family at mid-year, she decided not to continue down the Alphabet Path, nor to teach math with Gnomes and Gnumbers. It is with profound sadness that I watch her leave our little corner of the blogosphere. I'd like to send her off with a bouquet of prayers and expressions of thanks. I know my family has been blessed by the generous outpouring of her gifts. Please join me in telling her how much she is appreciated. Comments are open below.
I have a new set of lessons ready for the next Lively language Book. Rebecca and I were able to brainstorm through the whole book while she was here and I'll put all those lessons up in one post and then update with pictures as we go. I'm really pleased with the thoroughness of these books.
Also, I highly recommend you take a chronological look at Rebecca's botany archives. These lessons dovetail so beautifully with the Flower Fairy Botany, giving the science block a very solid foundation. For my older children, I've taken these suggestions from the Boy Scout Plant Science merit badge, together with Rebecca's plans, and our own wildflower and ongoing herb studies, and created a meaningful study of plants. We'll do lots and lots of gardening soon. I'm so eager for the world to turn green!
The gnomes are going to continue their adventures on Serendipity. Colleen reminds me that math is not optional and she and I are brainstorming while begging our children for patience as they clamor for more gnomes.In the meantime, there is a treasure trove of good stuff in the Gnomes and Gnumbers archives and we continue to play the gem trading game every day, moving up to more gems and two dice.
I haven't forgotten the Serendipity-do-dah Fairy Fest. I've so enjoyed reading your links. And I promise to share them all in a post just as soon as I can. Please remember that my blogging philosophy is all about the overflow of my life here in my home.I wrote,
Serendipity represents what we are actually doing in the heart of my home. It's blogging from the overflow, the afterglow. It is a record of our learning but it is not nor will it ever be anything but the bubbling over of the good that exists in my real life with my real children. I won't rob from them to blog for someone else. I will, however, gratefully share from abundance.
I meant that then and I mean it even more now. Katherine worked incredibly hard to make Serendipity what it was. And it won't be the same without her. I can't possibly begin to do the work she did. Instead, God calls me to see what I can do and what will work within the parameters of the philosophy above. I will gratefully accept the help of kindred spirits and, together, we will continue to create something beautiful for our families. I beg your prayers for this endeavor.
Please take a moment to leave a note for Katherine.
First, there was a Super Birthday Party. The score on the cake reflects the score of the great, big backyard football game, a harbinger of things to come.
Then, there was a Super Bowl party (I forgot to take food pics). We held the first annual Foss DSRL competition.
The Big Game was everything we hoped it would be. And the Little Brother was a big winner!
Most of all, after a very long, very lonely, end-of-January stretch, Daddy's home!
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes
Prayer
Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest your shining with life, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St. Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception." A thousand times we congratulate you upon your Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants, our troubles, our sufferings deign to cast upon us a look of mercy. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors, and already many have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. We come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for us, O loving Mother, the granting of our request. (here make your request) Through gratitude for your favors, we will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that we may one day share your glory. Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your divine son while upon earth. You have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us; obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY ONE
O Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, virgin and mother, queen of
heaven, chosen from all eternity to be the Mother of the Eternal Word
and in virtue of this title preserved from original sin, we kneel
before you as did little Bernadette at Lourdes and pray with childlike
trust in you that as we contemplate your glorious appearance at
Lourdes, you will look with mercy on our present petition and secure
for us a favorable answer to the request for which we are making this
novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY TWO
Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest
yourself shining with light, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of
Lourdes, saying to the child Saint Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate
Conception!" O Mary Immaculate, inflame our hearts with one ray of the
burning love of your pure heart Let them be consumed with love for
Jesus and for you, in order that we may merit one day to enjoy your
glorious eternity. O dispenser of His graces here below, take into your
keeping and present to your Divine Son the petition for which we are
making this novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY THREE
"You are all fair, O Mary, and there is in you no stain of original
sin." O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to
thee. O brilliant star of sanctity, as on that lovely day, upon a rough
rock in Lourdes you spoke to the child Bernadette and a fountain broke
from the plain earth and miracles happened and the great shrine of
Lourdes began, so now I beseech you to hear our fervent prayer and do,
we beseech you, grant us the petition we now so earnestly seek.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY FOUR
O Immaculate Queen of Heaven, we your wayward, erring children,
join our unworthy prayers of praise and thanksgiving to those of the
angels and saints and your own-the One, Holy, and Undivided Trinity may
be glorified in heaven and on earth. Our Lady of Lourdes, as you looked
down with love and mercy upon Bernadette as she prayed her rosary in
the grotto, look down now, we beseech you, with love and mercy upon us.
From the abundance of graces granted you by your Divine Son, sweet
Mother of God, give to each of us all that your motherly heart sees we
need and at this moment look with special favor on the grace we seek in
this novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY FIVE
O Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our mother, from the heights
of your dignity look down mercifully upon us while we, full of
confidence in your unbounded goodness and confident that your Divine
Son will look favorably upon any request you make of Him in our behalf,
we beseech you to come to our aid and secure for us the favor we seek
in this novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY SIX
O glorious Mother of God, so powerful under your special title of
Our Lady of Lourdes, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore
your powerful intercession in obtaining from the gracious Heart of
Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal
welfare and for the special favor we so earnestly seek in this novena.
(make your request)
O Lady of Bernadette, with the stars of heaven in your hair and the
roses of earth at your feet, look with compassion upon us today as you
did so long ago on Bernadette in the Grotto of Lourdes.
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes,
glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto
us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be
our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY SEVEN
O Almighty God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin Mary did prepare a worthy dwelling place for your Son, we humbly
beseech you that as we contemplate the apparition of Our Lady in the
Grotto of Lourdes, we may be blessed with health of mind and body. O
most gracious Mother Mary, beloved Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer,
look with favor upon us as you did that day on Bernadette and intercede
with him for us that the favor we now so earnestly seek may be granted
to us.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY EIGHT
O Immaculate Mother of God, from heaven itself you came to appear
to the little Bernadette in the rough Grotto of Lourdes! And as
Bernadette knelt at your feet and the miraculous spring burst forth and
as multitudes have knelt ever since before your shrine, O Mother of
God, we kneel before you today to ask that in your mercy you plead with
your Divine Son to grant the special favor we seek in this novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY NINE
O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to
implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart
of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal
welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our
Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favor we seek
at this time.
(make your request)
We feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions. O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
I'm Elizabeth. I'm a happy wife and the mother of nine children. I grab grace with both hands and write to encourage myself and others to seize and nurture the joy of every day. I blog here with my daughter, Mary Beth, a wholehearted young lady on the brink of adulthood.
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