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Liturgical Year Resources

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It’s Movie Time!

Here's what we're watching, but just because it's here, doesn't always mean it was good!

Pray for the canonization of John Paul II

God our Father, you reward all who believe in you. May your servant, John Paul our Pope, vicar of Peter and Shepherd of your Church, who faithfully administered the mysteries of your forgiveness and love on earth, rejoice with you for ever in heaven. We ask 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!

Celebrate Vocations Awareness Week

January 9 – 14, 2012 is National Vocations Awareness Week.
Ask Our Lord for more dedicated, holy priests, deacons and consecrated men and women.  May they be inspired by Jesus Christ, supported by our faith community, and respond generously to God’s call.

 

Homeschool Goodies’ top 10 for 2011

Just for fun, here are this blog’s top 10 posts from 2011. Thanks for all the visits!

Here are the top 5, all-time search terms:

  • first communion banners
  • liturgical year
  • communion banners
  • first communion banner
  • the liturgical year

I see a trend!

Refresh! at this online homeschool conference

Beat winter burnout with Homeschool Connections’ series of FREE webinars for homeschool parents. Over 12 webinars that you attend from home, online, all free, with nationally known speakers.

On the schedule so far:

  • Finding Levity in Your Homeschool; A Chestertonian Principle — Nancy Brown
  • Simplified Writing: What Every High School Student Needs to Know to Succeed — Erin Brown Conroy
  • Science by Inquiry — Kris Correira
  • The Well Socialized Homeschooler ~ Embracing the Weird, Debunking the Myth — Mary Ellen Barrett
  • Little Flowers Girls Club: Having Fun While Learning Catholic Virtues — Rachel Watkins
  • Keep Doing What You are Doing — Laurie Gill

Check here for dates, times, and registration info.

St. Valentine’s coloring contest

Check out Illuminated Ink’s St. Valentine’s Coloring Contest. As always, our friends at Illuminated Ink have created a beautifully illustrated coloring page that just needs your kiddos’ colors, markers or paints.

Entries must be postmarked by Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 and winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 14th, 2012.

Have fun!

20 + K + M + B + 12

It’s time for the Epiphany House Blessing. Look for blessed chalk at your Church this weekend!

Using blessed chalk, the head of the household says the following prayer while inscribing 20 + K + M + B + 12 outside, above, or near, the main door of the house:

 

The 3 wise men

K

Kaspar

M

Melchior

B

and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became man

20

two thousand

12

and twelve years ago.

+ +

May Christ bless our home

+ +

and remain with us throughout this new year.

If others are present:

Almighty God, incline your ear.
May you bless us and all who are gathered here.
Send your holy angel who will defend us
and fill with grace all who live here. Amen.

You may also write ‘ora pro nobis’ (pray for us) underneath with a small crown above each of the three letters to represent the magi.

Links for the Year of Faith

This post will be updated as we approach the Year of Faith with more resources will be added as I find them.

Pope Benedict has declaired “The Year of Faith” to begin October 11, 2012. The Year of Faith is a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world. This special year will conclude November 24, 2013, the Solemnity of Christ the King.

The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. It begins with baptism (cf. Rom 6:4), through which we can address God as Father, and it ends with the passage through death to eternal life, fruit of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, whose will it was, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, to draw those who believe in him into his own glory (cf. Jn 17:22). To profess faith in the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is to believe in one God who is Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8): the Father, who in the fullness of time sent his Son for our salvation; Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world; the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church across the centuries as we await the Lord’s glorious return.

Porta Fidei, Pope Benedict XVI

added 1.7.2012:

Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions – January 2012

papal coat of arms

General Intention: Victims of Natural Disasters.
That the victims of natural disasters may receive the spiritual and material comfort they need to rebuild their lives.

Missionary Intention: Dedication to Peace.
That the dedication of Christians to peace may bear witness to the name of Christ before all men and women of good will.

From my family to yours . . .

A Visit from the Christ Child

A Visit from the Christ Child is my husband’s adaptation of the Clement Moore classic, A Visit from St. Nick. Written in 1986, the year we married and started our own family, this rewrite puts focus where it belongs — the coming of Our Savior Jesus Christ.

  • Help us put Christ back in Christmas by circulating this verse widely.
  • Add A Visit from the Christ Child banner to your blog or website.
  • Become a fan on Facebook.

A Visit from the Christ Child

by Père Robért
(for Maria, Ida, Isabel, Maxine, Crozet & Audrey)

Twas the morning of Christmas, when all through the house
All the family was frantic, including my spouse;
For each one of them had one thing only in mind,
To examine the presents St. Nick left behind.

The boxes and wrapping and ribbons and toys
Were strewn on the floor, and the volume of noise
Increased as our children began a big fight
Over who got the video games, who got the bike.

I looked at my watch and I said, slightly nervous,
“Let’s get ready for church, so we won’t miss the service.”
The children protested, “We don’t want to pray:
We’ve just got our presents, and we want to play!”

It dawned on me then that we had gone astray,
In confusing the purpose of this special day;
Our presents were many and very high-priced
But something was missing — that something was Christ!
I said, “Put the gifts down and let’s gather together,
And I’ll tell you a tale of the greatest gift ever.

“A savior was promised when Adam first sinned,
And the hopes of the world upon Jesus were pinned.
Abraham begat Isaac, who Jacob begat,
And through David the line went to Joseph, whereat
This carpenter married a maiden with child,
Who yet was a virgin, in no way defiled.

“Saying ‘Hail, full of Grace,’ an archangel appeared
To Mary the Blessed, among women revered:
The Lord willed she would bear — through the Spirit — a son.
Said Mary to Gabriel, ‘God’s will be done.’

“Now Caesar commanded a tax would be paid,
And all would go home while the census was made;
Thus Joseph and Mary did leave Galilee
For the city of David to pay this new fee.

“Mary’s time had arrived, but the inn had no room,
So she laid in a manger the fruit of her womb;
And both Joseph and Mary admired as He napped
The Light of the World in his swaddling clothes wrapped.

“Three wise men from the East had come looking for news
Of the birth of the Savior, the King of the Jews;
They carried great gifts as they followed a star –
Gold, frankincense, myrrh, which they’d brought from afar.

“As the shepherds watched over their flocks on that night,
The glory of God shone upon them quite bright,
And an angel explained the intent of the birth,
Saying, ‘Glory to God and His peace to the earth.’

“For this was the Messiah whom prophets foretold,
A good shepherd to bring his sheep back to the fold;
He was God become man, He would die on the cross,
He would rise from the dead to restore Adam’s loss.

“Santa Claus, Christmas presents, a brightly lit pine,
Candy canes and spiked eggnog are all very fine;
Let’s have fun celebrating, but leave not a doubt
That Christ is what Christmas is really about!”

The children right then put an end to the noise,
They dressed quickly for church, put away all their toys;
For they knew Jesus loved them and said they were glad
That He’d died for their sins, and to save their dear Dad.

Copyright ©1986, F.R. Duplantier

 

 

A beautiful ‘O Antiphon coloring page

Free ‘O Antiphon coloring page from Illuminated Ink:

As a special “THANK YOU” to all our loyal friends and fans, we are making our ‘O Antiphon’ coloring page available for a very short time! You have until midnight, December 23rd… and then it will disappear again, until who knows when! Just right click on the image, and select “print”. This image is for your own personal family’s use, or classroom use, ONLY.

Thank you, Frances!

Like this vid for the newlyweds!

Our newlyweds have entered a video contest. The assignment was to shoot a 2-minute video telling why you love St. Louis. The winner gets free rent for a year at downtown’s hottest new address, The Laurel.

The contest is now closed for submissions and the winner is to be announced in January. That would be a great way to start the new year! In the meantime feel free to make a comment here. And be sure to “Like” the video here so they can win Fan Favorite. Click the “Like” button under the video, not the one on the very top of the page.

Thanks!

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Join in the feast day fun and visit Homeschooling Catolico for a 2011 Fiesta de enlaces. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

For more great Guadalupan links, visit the Homeschool Goodies 2010 O+L+G feast Day Link Up.

Last week, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I found this holy card:

Our Lady of Guadalupe
Intercession of the Unborn

To help stop the anti-life push in the world, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen encouraged the spiritual adoption of an unborn child imperiled by abortion. This is done by praying that one particular, but unknown, child is spared abortion and will be allowed to continue to live. Archbishop urged the faithful to say the following daily prayer for a period of nine months:

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby whom I have spiritually adopted and is in danger of abortion.

The name I wish to give my baby is __________. During your earthly life this spiritually adopted child of yours will be known only to God, but in the world to come it is hoped that you will meet the souls your prayers saved and spend eternal happiness with them.

Jesus, may your peace and your love embrace the hearts, minds, and souls of the family, friends, and loved ones who encouraged this abortion and convert them to your sacred and Eucharist Heart.

Crusade for Life International

Prayer Request

Please pray for the repose of the soul of homeschooling father of 6, Mark Gayhart. Mark and his wife Jaynie are friends of a friend of mine. Mark’s passing was very unexpected. Please keep his family in your prayers as well.

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Refresh! at the Midwinter Virtual Homeschool Conference

In mid-January, Homeschool Connections will be offering a series of free webinars for homeschool parents.

Refresh! Midwinter Virtual Homeschool Conference begins January 17, and runs through February with over 12 webinars featuring nationally known speakers. Details on individual webinars will be posted at the Homeschool Connections blog beginning December 7.

Paper . . . rock . . . scissors

Skip the rock!

If you love paper as much as I do, you’ll love these links!

For tomorrow’s Feast of St. Nicholas, you will want to head to Paper Dali for a free, downloadable, ready to cut and color:

Then head to Papertoys.com where you’ll find more free paper stuff for kids and grown ups. Line up your little elves and get to work on these fun Christmas projects:

There’s lots more, but these were my favorites.

Enjoy!