What is this heart all about?
It's the interior heart of Mary which felt the pain of no room in the inn and Crucifixion as well as the joy of the annunciation and the resurrection. It's the true heart of a mother. I would do well to try and have more of the heart of Mary.
On October 13th of this year, the 96th anniversary of Fatima, Pope Francis will consecrate the world to Jesus through Mary's Immaculate Heart. We've done this in our own family. In fact, my first consecration to Jesus through Mary was in 1999. I read St. Louis de Montforts book. A few years ago, my husband and I reconsecrated using 33 days to Morning Glory.
I found this old post of when we celebrated a reconsecration at a local monastery. It coincided with a Fatima celebration.
I think this year we will have a celebration too. It falls on a Sunday. It's a good thing to do during the Year of Faith...we only have about 7 weeks left!
Showing posts with label Mary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary. Show all posts
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
talk notes...
talk notes from today's presentation to a young moms group at a local parish:
I'd like to encourage you all in living our primary goal as parents, as mothers.
To help those in our home turn their hearts and minds toward God.
What is the avenue in which we connect with our God? Prayer. This prayer is both a preparation and a vehicle for arriving at the great prayer of thanksgiving: The Mass or Eucharist. Pope John Paul II in his 1994 letter to families said that parents are the primary educators of the faith to their children. Already before a child begins school or pre-school, they have begun to have a relationship with God. And we can help nurture that at home. This supports, rather than diminishes, the benefit of taking them to weekly (or daily) Mass.
All peoples of religion offer prayer, but as Christians we pray through Jesus Christ. This mystery of knowing God in prayer is a way of God revealing more of himself to us. "Unless you become like a little child you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3)
How does a child approach prayer?
What is an adult's role in assisting a child into this mystery of prayer?
Prayer, after all, is a personal response to God. We each differ in the ways that we pray. We, as adults, should not presume to teach a child to pray. The only words that Jesus offered us is the Lord's Prayer. And that was in teaching adults!
When the Holy Spirit is indwelt in the child at their baptism, their life of prayer has begun. How can we respect that interior life? By creating the atmosphere for it to flourish.
Matthew 19:13 says " Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said:' Let the little children come to me and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.' And he laid his hands on them and went on his way."
We do know that there are specific ways to adjust the atmosphere to encourage prayer.
A British educator named Charlotte Mason suggested that learning (and I'm speaking specifically to learning to pray) takes atmosphere, discipline and life. Atmosphere and discipline are the ways we as adults can make the environment for children. Life is their job. We set the foundation and then they take it over as they grow.
Let's take a look at atmosphere. A child is very much capable of silence and contemplation. If you haven't experienced children's adoration, I highly recommend it! It's amazing to see children of 2 or 3 years of age sitting for periods of silence with the Sisters of St. John. Or my own observations in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd where children sit for prayer, for personal work and prayer.
But does prayer only have to be nurtured at church or religious formation? No. You can create an atmosphere for a child's prayer in your own home.
Having a quiet space in the home. Away from the toys. Turn off the TV.
(can you pray with the TV on?)
An environment of prayer begins at birth!
Really? Yes!
How? Here are some ideas to try:
Hang religious images where the child can see them while in your arms, while nursing, when waking from a nap. This can lift their minds to things of above.
Use your own personal gestures of prayer SLOWLY. Make the sign of the cross with purpose (don't be sloppy). Perhaps use three finger tips rather than your whole hand/ all finger tips. Genuflect slowly and deliberately. Spend time on your knees at home.
Give evening blessings with a cross on the children's heads or with holy water. Let the children give you an evening blessing.
Use prayers, hymns/songs that are acquainted with the Liturgical Time of the year. (like Come Holy Spirit around Pentecost, Come Though Expected Jesus during Advent) Let music be heard often in your home.
Have a prayer space for the children or for the whole family. Place simple "prayer helps" in this area such as a rosary, a crucifix, saint peg dolls or other touchable things for children.
Take the child to Mass at a young age and take them often! If one hour is too long for them to sit, then go to daily mass as well. This begins the process to help them attain the habit of sitting still and keeping their attention forward.
Read the daily readings ahead of time for the Mass aloud. (this also helps for the Moms that miss hearing all the readings due to helping the children sit still!)
Practice a Liturgy of the Hours at home. Pray upon rising, and sitting, eating and sleeping!
Rosary. Perhaps a decade with each meal and one with bedtime and teeth brushing.
We reverence the Holy Spirit living in the child when we acknowledge their independence in their choices. We give them two or three great choices and then allow them to choose.
Example: Want to pray sitting down or standing up? Will we pray the Our Father or sing the Hail Mary?
Jesus revealed himself to a little child in the gospels. He reveals himself to us as adults. We need to acknowledge that the child has the Holy Spirit working in their life just like we do!
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd reverences the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the child. You can learn more about CGS here.
In the youngest child's Atrium (a simple, prepared space for the children), you can find liturgy work, geography of the land of Jesus, Infancy Narratives work, Parable work as well as practical life.
The central focus in the youngest child's atrium is the parable of the Good Shepherd found in John 10.
Another focal point is the prayer table. This prayer table is easily replicated in the home.
What is included in a prayer table? A low table such as a coffee table. At the child's level. This is away from the busy parts of the home, but in an easy accessible place.
We have ours in our main living room. (It might be convenient for a child to have a prayer table in their own room?) A prayer cloth that is the liturgical color for the time is appropriate. Green for ordinary time, purple for preparation for Advent or Lent. An icon or a statue that might be appropriate for the time period. I currently have a icon of the Sorrowful Mother for the month of September. Perhaps a candle or a battery operated candle if you have young children with no experience with candles.
How to introduce a prayer table? "This is a special place to develop the habit of prayer. You can come here often during the day to spend some silence and quiet with God. Maybe you'd like to change the cloth, choose a different statue or photo, read a prayer, move figures to remember a parable or a narrative from the gospel." Perhaps a child's bible is close by. Access to the readings from the daily Mass or weekly gospel. An older child might like a copy of the Magnificat or Give us this Day. Perhaps a four volume copy of the Liturgy of Hours.
How else to help the child focus on prayer? Celebrate the holy days in a special way in your home. Besides attending Mass, choose a fun meal or outing to accent the day. Celebrate the Baptism day of each of your children---this is a VERY important day. The day they became a Christian!
Mary's birthday is coming up. Choose some white or blue foods. Decorate the prayer table with blue or a statue. Have a Mary procession. Sing a song to Mary. Visit a Marian shrine nearby. The options are endless.
So there's the atmosphere. Then there's the discipline of habit. Choosing to not miss Mass. To have the rule of prayer. Meal prayers and much more each day. These are simple ways to help your children. This requires even the more of the mother and the father to have a habit, the discipline, of faith.
And then you let go.
And let the Holy Spirit do it's work.
And watch the child respond. They do in their own way. It might not look like the way we approach prayer, but it's theirs.
Practice, as the adult, getting out of the way of the work of God in the child's life.
May God richly bless you as you pray alongside your children.
I'd like to encourage you all in living our primary goal as parents, as mothers.
To help those in our home turn their hearts and minds toward God.
What is the avenue in which we connect with our God? Prayer. This prayer is both a preparation and a vehicle for arriving at the great prayer of thanksgiving: The Mass or Eucharist. Pope John Paul II in his 1994 letter to families said that parents are the primary educators of the faith to their children. Already before a child begins school or pre-school, they have begun to have a relationship with God. And we can help nurture that at home. This supports, rather than diminishes, the benefit of taking them to weekly (or daily) Mass.
All peoples of religion offer prayer, but as Christians we pray through Jesus Christ. This mystery of knowing God in prayer is a way of God revealing more of himself to us. "Unless you become like a little child you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3)
How does a child approach prayer?
What is an adult's role in assisting a child into this mystery of prayer?
Prayer, after all, is a personal response to God. We each differ in the ways that we pray. We, as adults, should not presume to teach a child to pray. The only words that Jesus offered us is the Lord's Prayer. And that was in teaching adults!
When the Holy Spirit is indwelt in the child at their baptism, their life of prayer has begun. How can we respect that interior life? By creating the atmosphere for it to flourish.
Matthew 19:13 says " Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said:' Let the little children come to me and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.' And he laid his hands on them and went on his way."
We do know that there are specific ways to adjust the atmosphere to encourage prayer.
A British educator named Charlotte Mason suggested that learning (and I'm speaking specifically to learning to pray) takes atmosphere, discipline and life. Atmosphere and discipline are the ways we as adults can make the environment for children. Life is their job. We set the foundation and then they take it over as they grow.
Let's take a look at atmosphere. A child is very much capable of silence and contemplation. If you haven't experienced children's adoration, I highly recommend it! It's amazing to see children of 2 or 3 years of age sitting for periods of silence with the Sisters of St. John. Or my own observations in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd where children sit for prayer, for personal work and prayer.
But does prayer only have to be nurtured at church or religious formation? No. You can create an atmosphere for a child's prayer in your own home.
Having a quiet space in the home. Away from the toys. Turn off the TV.
(can you pray with the TV on?)
An environment of prayer begins at birth!
Really? Yes!
How? Here are some ideas to try:
Hang religious images where the child can see them while in your arms, while nursing, when waking from a nap. This can lift their minds to things of above.
Use your own personal gestures of prayer SLOWLY. Make the sign of the cross with purpose (don't be sloppy). Perhaps use three finger tips rather than your whole hand/ all finger tips. Genuflect slowly and deliberately. Spend time on your knees at home.
Give evening blessings with a cross on the children's heads or with holy water. Let the children give you an evening blessing.
Use prayers, hymns/songs that are acquainted with the Liturgical Time of the year. (like Come Holy Spirit around Pentecost, Come Though Expected Jesus during Advent) Let music be heard often in your home.
Have a prayer space for the children or for the whole family. Place simple "prayer helps" in this area such as a rosary, a crucifix, saint peg dolls or other touchable things for children.
Take the child to Mass at a young age and take them often! If one hour is too long for them to sit, then go to daily mass as well. This begins the process to help them attain the habit of sitting still and keeping their attention forward.
Read the daily readings ahead of time for the Mass aloud. (this also helps for the Moms that miss hearing all the readings due to helping the children sit still!)
Practice a Liturgy of the Hours at home. Pray upon rising, and sitting, eating and sleeping!
Rosary. Perhaps a decade with each meal and one with bedtime and teeth brushing.
We reverence the Holy Spirit living in the child when we acknowledge their independence in their choices. We give them two or three great choices and then allow them to choose.
Example: Want to pray sitting down or standing up? Will we pray the Our Father or sing the Hail Mary?
Jesus revealed himself to a little child in the gospels. He reveals himself to us as adults. We need to acknowledge that the child has the Holy Spirit working in their life just like we do!
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd reverences the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the child. You can learn more about CGS here.
In the youngest child's Atrium (a simple, prepared space for the children), you can find liturgy work, geography of the land of Jesus, Infancy Narratives work, Parable work as well as practical life.
The central focus in the youngest child's atrium is the parable of the Good Shepherd found in John 10.
Another focal point is the prayer table. This prayer table is easily replicated in the home.
What is included in a prayer table? A low table such as a coffee table. At the child's level. This is away from the busy parts of the home, but in an easy accessible place.
We have ours in our main living room. (It might be convenient for a child to have a prayer table in their own room?) A prayer cloth that is the liturgical color for the time is appropriate. Green for ordinary time, purple for preparation for Advent or Lent. An icon or a statue that might be appropriate for the time period. I currently have a icon of the Sorrowful Mother for the month of September. Perhaps a candle or a battery operated candle if you have young children with no experience with candles.
How to introduce a prayer table? "This is a special place to develop the habit of prayer. You can come here often during the day to spend some silence and quiet with God. Maybe you'd like to change the cloth, choose a different statue or photo, read a prayer, move figures to remember a parable or a narrative from the gospel." Perhaps a child's bible is close by. Access to the readings from the daily Mass or weekly gospel. An older child might like a copy of the Magnificat or Give us this Day. Perhaps a four volume copy of the Liturgy of Hours.
How else to help the child focus on prayer? Celebrate the holy days in a special way in your home. Besides attending Mass, choose a fun meal or outing to accent the day. Celebrate the Baptism day of each of your children---this is a VERY important day. The day they became a Christian!
Mary's birthday is coming up. Choose some white or blue foods. Decorate the prayer table with blue or a statue. Have a Mary procession. Sing a song to Mary. Visit a Marian shrine nearby. The options are endless.
So there's the atmosphere. Then there's the discipline of habit. Choosing to not miss Mass. To have the rule of prayer. Meal prayers and much more each day. These are simple ways to help your children. This requires even the more of the mother and the father to have a habit, the discipline, of faith.
And then you let go.
And let the Holy Spirit do it's work.
And watch the child respond. They do in their own way. It might not look like the way we approach prayer, but it's theirs.
Practice, as the adult, getting out of the way of the work of God in the child's life.
May God richly bless you as you pray alongside your children.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Life is moving too fast.
It's sad that all I have make time for are quick snip-its of our week.
But that's how it goes. I wonder why I can't get a 52 hour day some time...
We welcomed a new cousin. What a doll she is!
Tiny, sweet feet.
Highschool Band Concert.
Proud of herself and thankful a friend came to listen.
The biggest rainfall in years and the swollen ditches to play in.
When life gives you lemons water, play in it.
Daddy making sure all wetness is gone in the cellar.
A beautiful day at the Community of St. John for a family day.
The six year olds gift at the altar.
Enjoying time with the Contemplative sisters.
Chilly, but perfect sun.
Eucharistic Procession.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
No room in the Inn
While reading our first Christmas book on the first Sunday of Advent, I reflected on the feelings Mary might have had as she and Joseph looked for a place to stay in Bethlehem. I considered how this was Joseph's extended familys town.
Why wasn't there anyone to welcome them? Had they all moved to neighboring town and they too were looking for a place to stay?
Was there some stigma in that Mary had been with child before their marriage?
What was it like to be nine months pregnant and not have a place that gives comfort?
Was Mary able to share openly with Joseph her thoughts as they were beginning their life together?
I also thought about early in my marriage how my husband and I traveled back to his college town. After an initial discussion about calling ahead for lodging, my husband convinced me that we could easily find something. It was a small town, but lots of hotels. (This was before internet reservations!)
But wouldn't you know it after a 7 hour drive, we discovered it was homecoming weekend for the other two colleges in the town. And every hotel was full.
I was unable to show the virtue which Mary did. I complained. I whined. I wasn't even pregnant. And we weren't going to see his family.
Praying this Advent to learn more from Mary...and contemplate with her at the manger.
Why wasn't there anyone to welcome them? Had they all moved to neighboring town and they too were looking for a place to stay?
Was there some stigma in that Mary had been with child before their marriage?
What was it like to be nine months pregnant and not have a place that gives comfort?
Was Mary able to share openly with Joseph her thoughts as they were beginning their life together?
I also thought about early in my marriage how my husband and I traveled back to his college town. After an initial discussion about calling ahead for lodging, my husband convinced me that we could easily find something. It was a small town, but lots of hotels. (This was before internet reservations!)
But wouldn't you know it after a 7 hour drive, we discovered it was homecoming weekend for the other two colleges in the town. And every hotel was full.
I was unable to show the virtue which Mary did. I complained. I whined. I wasn't even pregnant. And we weren't going to see his family.
Praying this Advent to learn more from Mary...and contemplate with her at the manger.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Celebrating Mary days
Today we celebrate Mary, Queen of Angels.
Simple dessert of vanilla ice cream and blueberries.
But in our hearts we have grown.
Since I was raised a Protestant, some things about my Catholic faith (only 15 years young) are still new to me. It was in those early years of marriage and Catholicism that I began to read more writings of popes and saints about Mary and her role in our lives.
I easily embraced our need to give her a place of honor in our hearts. And those we hold dear in our hearts often become images we like to see.
I keep photos of my grandmothers (and mother and mother in law) in prominent places in my house. So Mary, too, joined important places within this house. She became another mother to me who embodied attributes of who I wanted to be as a mother, as a wife.
When you enter our house, you see stairs and at the top of the stairs a 3 foot by 6 foot icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help calls down to you.
There are statues passed down through my husbands family of Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Grace. We have icons of the Dormition and Assumption in our little prayer room at the top of the stairs. We have a rosary box that takes a more central place in the month of October.
But it occurred to me today that we don't have a image of Our Lady of the Angels. Hmm.
In my early years of marriage, I was shy about Mary. I knew I wanted to learn more about her and followed in my husbands footsteps in offering my life to Jesus through Mary according to St. Louis de Montfort's consecration.
Over a month ago my husband and I began a re-consecration using a new book called 33 Days to Morning Glory. Less than a week ago we finished our retreat using this book. Wow. What a great way to deepen my friendship with Mary and all the while growing in spiritual faith alongside my husband.
As a couple we chose to have our a majority of our children baptized on Marian feast days. Now we have double reason to celebrate the Assumption, the Queen of Angels and our Lady of the Rosary feast days.
So WHO IS Mary to me today?
Someone due great respect for what she did and does.
A mother who shows me new ways to grow in my love for Jesus.
A woman who spoke less and said more.
Someone who always points others toward Jesus her son.
A mother who never makes me feel less, but always encourages me with her guidance.
I wonder if you, too, have grown in your relationship with Mary through the years?
Will you celebrate some Mary days with me?
Monday, September 12, 2011
Why birthday cake tastes so good...
Sometimes you like to eat cake your own way. And it tastes so much better when it's Mary's cake.
Pink cake with chocolate frosting eaten in hand is delightful.
The frosting sticks so well.
You must stick your whole hand into your mouth to lick off the frosting.
See?
The 4 year old noticed that this little guy had stuck his hand into the perfect cake after we sang Happy Birthday to Mary. The 7 year old boy responded "I'm sure Mary doesn't mind, she had a boy of her own." I wonder if you would have caught Jesus with frosting on his face and cake up to his elbows if you could have visited Nazareth 2000 years ago.
First official day of school. Much learning is underway.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
A little happy birthday to Mary, the mother of God...
And we'll follow up with photos of her birthday cake.
You might enjoy reading old posts....
here
And you can find out how and why we started our first day of school on her birthday rather than after.... soon.
You might enjoy reading old posts....
here
And you can find out how and why we started our first day of school on her birthday rather than after.... soon.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Simple gifts
My sink (as you might remember) faces a wall. Husband has been busy at work making a new look around the sink. First the faucet was replaced. That hot water handle had gotten so much use over the past five years that it was leaky and corroded. I am always trying to make the time at the sink more appealing.
The kitchen Madonna has fresh Rudbekia blooms. You have to look closer to see the best gift a husband could give. (click on the photo below for closeup)
Last month when he went away to school he found this is little bottle in the "give away" pile. I wonder how much this bottle witnessed of blessings over the years.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Our Lady of Fatima
The renewal of our consecration to Jesus through Mary fell on the feast of our Lady of Fatima this year. What a joy it is for my children to be in the presence of the Sisters of St. John.
There were more than 10 families this year.
Last year the rain came before the Mass, this year it came right after.
Little girl was asked to crown Mary after the Mass.
She was very proud of herself.
Remembrance cards given by the sisters to each family.
I don't know who is more joyful...sister or little boy.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Walk with me.
It's nice outside. Let's go for a walk.
Come with me to our back yard Mary garden.
Here is our Garden Mary.
She's seen better days. It's lovely to look at her and remember the priest that gave her to us.
See the white violets.
Here is the Sweet Woodruff.
The Foam Flower blooms for a short time. You are very lucky to have seen it today!
Can you see the blossoms hiding under the leaves of the Solomons Seal?
The Ajuga is a low growing early flower, isn't it?
Look up to see Red bud tree flowering.
The Bleeding Heart sure has grown.
These little ones are called Mary's eyes.
Look near those Purple violets. You can see a stone from an Atrium family.
Thanks for joining me! Let's walk again really soon.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
ATC (Artist Trading Card) Swap
Last month, 8 year old artist daughter and I came across a blog post inviting artists to send in Marian art work. She jumped right in!
Today she received her return cards! Very exciting!
Today she received her return cards! Very exciting!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
What children should value...
I have been following a new blog about living with less....this current post seems like a great list to ponder more.
Here are some shots from this week in which we wondered (and valued) some from this list.
Here are some shots from this week in which we wondered (and valued) some from this list.
Friendship over a Little Flowers Tea
Education of self (specifically a dolls quiet heartbeat)
Nature at a garden shop with benches 3 year old sized!
Spirituality -the May crowning in our backyard and First Saturday Mass with a favorite priest.
