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Summer 2020 :: The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Feb 20, 2021 | , | 5 Comments


During our visit to the East Coast last summer, my brother and I were able to visit the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born United States citizen to be canonized a saint. 


The Stone House is one of the very first houses that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lived in after arriving in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

 


Unfortunately, we arrived to the Stone House and White House after hours so they were locked but we were able to look in the windows to see the rooms in which St. Elizabeth Ann Seton taught, cooked, went to Mass, and (maybe) died.

 

Some of the pictures didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped but here is the chapel. 


We tried to figure out if this is the bed where St. Elizabeth Ann Seton died but there are also rooms upstairs in the White House so we weren’t sure. If any of you know which room she passed away in, let me know!


 

In the picture to the right, you may notice a small building in the cemetery. That’s the Mortuary Chapel where St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s body was eventually placed. Her son, William Seton, was away at sea at the time of her death but when he returned six months later, he had this chapel built in honor of his mother. Her body was then transferred to the chapel’s vault until the time of her beatification. 


St. Elizabeth’s body is now inside the Shrine’s Basilica (we were also not able to enter due to after hours). It was such a blessing to be able to visit this shrine. Having written a paper on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton a few months before this trip, I was so excited to be able to see her home and learn more about her life in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

If you’d like to learn more you can Explore the Shrine and find many Resources on their website. 

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pray for us!

Summer 2020 :: Our First Flight & Washington DC

Feb 13, 2021 | , , , | 20 Comments

I’ve asked our eldest daughter to share some of her recent adventures here on the blog. She’ll be sharing one or two posts a week, as time allows. It’ll be a great opportunity for her to learn how to blog and share some of what we’ve been up to at the same time! Thank you, “Twinkle Toes!” 

 


Last summer I traveled back east for a college visit (I’ll share more about that soon) which provided the opportunity to visit cousins, go sightseeing, experience my first flight across the country with my younger brother, and more. 

 

         

It was so amazing to see the breathtaking views looking down from 30,000 feet up in the sky!
On the third day of our trip, my cousins, younger brother, and I explored Washington D.C. Most of the museums were closed due to covid but we were able to still see the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, Second Division Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the White House, Washington Monument, and the United States Capital.  
While we were at the Vietnam Memorial, we had the privilege to meet the Archbishop of Washington D.C. You can spot him (in plain clothes) in the middle of the picture above. 

  

 

Snuggles, who is studying about World War I this year, was so excited to see the familiar names on the monument and explained what the flaming sword symbolizes to his cousins and me. 

   
  

Having grown up on the other side of the country from our cousins, it was wonderful to spend time with their family and get to know them a little better!


“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Celebrating Candlemas

Feb 4, 2021 | , | 14 Comments

“Our lighted candles are a sign of the divine splendor of the one who came to expel the dark shadows of evil and to make the whole universe radiant with the brilliance of his eternal light. Our candles also show how bright our souls should be when we go to meet Christ.” 🕯

January was hard. I didn’t mean to disappear but it was one thing after the next and I’ve been too overwhelmed to spend time online… I think we can maybe see the light at the end of this round of challenges… I was finally able to make it to Mass last night for the first time in nearly a month, and then back for Mass again this afternoon which was followed by the blessing of throats! 



We arrived to the church 45 minutes early last night since our older girls are in the choir and had a pre-Mass practice… I loved overhearing our nine year old when he leaned over, while holding his Candlemas Candle with the drip plate, and whispered to his dad, “This looks just like the cookies we made this afternoon!”

Candlemas Cookies with Drip Plates

Traditionally called Candlemas, candles are blessed on this day (February 2nd) to help us remember the words of holy Simeon who called the babe in his arms, “A light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel.” Luke 2: 32. 

 These Candlemas Cookies with Drip Plates are a fun way to celebrate this feast with children!

 
 
“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Another Hobbit Birthday Party!

Dec 21, 2020 | , , | 16 Comments

 

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hold, and that means comfort.”

We just celebrated a special little boy’s 9th birthday with a family party based on one of his very favorite books: The Hobbit! His birthday was the second of our two pre-Christmas birthdays. He was actually due on Christmas day, just like his older sister two years before, as well as the baby I miscarried a couple years later, but he arrived a little early. I never have hit my due date with any of our babies… Anyway, despite Christmas preparations and his sister’s birthday party a few days before (pictures hopefully coming soon), everything somehow fell into place at the last minute and he had such an amazing day! 
This isn’t the first time this theme has been used in our home. Looking back, I can’t believe how little everyone looks at our first Hobbit Birthday Party back in February of 2013… So much has changed in the past seven years – two more spunky little girls have joined our family and our move to a new home/state after living in our last home for over 18 years – and I can’t help but reflect on how many more changes the next seven years will bring. 
Following that first Hobbit Birthday, we also had A Long Expected Party (Lord of the Rings themed) back in 2013 as well, and then a Bilbo Baggins Birthday in 2018 which I still haven’t added to the blog. We reused the banner yet again in 2019 for a WWI Birthday too, incorporating a bit of Tolkien. Someday I sure hope to find the time to add the rest of our past birthday celebrations to the blog… In the meantime, in an effort to not fall even further behind, here are some of the pictures from our little guy’s “An Unexpected Party” Hobbit Birthday! 
While my teens created a tree and hung up the banner and silhouette I had printed out, I got started on baking and decorating a cake and a few other things for the party. 
The birthday boy was so excited when he woke up in the morning. He had a quick breakfast, headed off to church for daily Mass, then came home for “Second Breakfast” of scrambled eggs and donut Rings!
One of his birthday gifts was his own Sting Sword which was immediately taken into battle. 
“Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.”

  
While the pot pies were baking we all headed outside for some target practice using one of his older sister’s bows.  (We’ve used the bow for a Chronicles of Narnia Birthday Party in the past too.. So fun!) 
I printed out an image of Smaug that I found online onto six pieces of card stock, pieced it together, and then Sean attached it to the front of the archery target. 
 
 
“There are no safe paths in this part of the world. 
Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now, 
and in for all sorts of fun wherever you go.”

 
“My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, 
my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, 
my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!”
“Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!”
“I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.’  I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”
These were some of my favorite pictures of the day. I love that our older children are all such good sports and will still willingly participate in family pictures with all their younger siblings! 
“But I don’t think I ought to leave my friends like this, after all we have gone through together.”
Next we headed back inside for the birthday feast! Our 13 year old helped me come up with the menu based on the food items requested at the “Unexpected Party” and incorporating some other book details.

“There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

“Is it nice, my preciousss? Is it juicy? Is it scrumptiously crunchable?”

“Gandalf, dwarves, and Mr. Baggins! We are met together in the house of our friend and fellow conspirator, this most excellent and audacious hobbit–may the hair on his toes never fall out! 
All praise to his wine and ale!”
 
 
I wanted to try and make something a little different than our original Hobbit Hole Cake so I did a google search and ended up using this cake as inspiration. The older boys pulled out some of their minifigures from their display case to use as decorations. It was pretty easy to pull together and the birthday boy had fun rearranging the mini-figures throughout the day! 
In addition to the Sting Sword, he also received a couple lego sets, the Playmobil Medieval Tailor Shop and Group of Outlaws, and a darling gift from his Godparents. 
 
“May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.”

The Great O Antiphons, The Golden Nights

Dec 17, 2020 | , , | 62 Comments

Ever since our oldest children were very little, we have been implementing an old monastic custom in our home by providing special treats, representing each of the “O Antiphons” on the days leading up to Christmas. The O Antiphon prayers begin on December 17th and end on the 23rd, which is the last Vespers of Advent, since the evening prayer on the 24th is the Vigil of Christmas.

The Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one – Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia – the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.

Each night, following our family rosary, we pray the O Antiphon for the day, sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, which was inspired by this ancient tradition, and then give the children a special treat.

The “treats” have varied from year to year. Some years it has been little gifts or activities for the family, some years it is all food related, and some years it is a mix of both, depending on our schedule and budget. It doesn’t need to cost much or even anything at all! Be creative!

Sometimes the treats are a bit of a stretch, but my goal is try and find gifts that will either help increase our faith (Catechism books, holy family, saints, prayer, etc) or encourage family time (games, puzzles, going to look at Christmas lights, etc). You can find some of our past O Antiphon treats by scrolling through the archives and visiting Catholic Cuisine.

Our family loves this tradition. It is such a fun way to teach the children about these beautiful prayers of the church and also increase their excitement as Christmas gets closer.

In case you are looking for some inspiration, I’ve listed some of the treats I’ve given my family over the years (along with my picks for this year)… Special food ideas, activities and gifts (or you can simply decorate chocolate coins!) for each of the O Antiphons can be found below.

Once again I am hosting an O ANTIPHON GIVEAWAY! One lucky visitor here at Shower of Roses will receive a gift package including seven Cookie Stamps, one to represent each of the seven O Antiphons! I also have a sweet hand-painted nativity set to give away as well. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the details and to enter.

.: December 17th – O Sapientia (O Wisdom) :.
O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence!
Since the symbol for wisdom is a book, I usually choose a new Catholic book for our family. This year I went with a game focusing on the time period most of our children are currently studying. Looks fun!
A Few Ideas: 
 
.: December 18th – O Adonai (O Lord) :.
O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!
In the past we would always emphasize the word “house” in this Antiphon, and have made our Gingerbread Houses or Gingerbread Cookies on this night.  Now that we have two birthdays this week (and two birthday cakes to bake and decorate!) we usually wait until Christmas Eve, or sometime during the 12 Days of Christmas to decorated Gingerbread Houses, but I have more of these delicious Gingerbread House Cookies (made with this cookie cutter) from the birthday party yesterday that are all ready to decorate along with some Pre-Built Tiny Homes!

A Few Ideas: 

.: December 19th – O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) :.
O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.
Our 2020 Family Ornament is wrapped up for the 19th.
Now to see if we can manage to get a family picture to add to it this year!
This year the birthday boy choose a Hobbit Theme Birthday! This gives me so many additional options, but it’s also Ember Saturday so that makes it challenging…  I’ll include meat at the main meal and probably keep treats to a minimum so it’s not too tempting for those of us who will be fasting. Roasted Root Veggies, Root Beer, and a small Hobbit Hole Birthday Cake are on the menu.
A Few Ideas:
.: December 20th – O Clavis David (O Key of David) :.
O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.
Christmas Jingle Bells! I was gifted with a set of these from Pinecone Leather Co this year.
(I love the description over on Etsy sharing their family’s tradition.) 
I also have a Key Lime Pie and some Sparkling Ciders to pull out and enjoy after our Sunday dinner.
A Few Ideas:
.: December 21st – O Oriens (O Dayspring) :.
O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!
I’ll give them all their new Christmas pj’s and make hot cocoa too. 
A Few Ideas:
.: December 22nd – O Rex Gentium (O King of the Gentiles) :.
O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!
A Few Ideas:
.: December 23rd – O Emmanuel (O With Us is God) :.
O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!
Nativity Icon from Clear Creek Abbey
A Few Ideas:

 
 
.: O ANTIPHONS GIVEAWAY :. 

Win a Set of Cookie Stamps

Here are the cookie stamps I picked out to go along with each of the O Antiphons.
The winner will receive one of each!

Wisdom: #460 – Triune God
House: #214 – Home Sweet Home
Root of Jesse: #520 – Willow Tree
Key of David: #543 – Key to My Heart
Dayspring: #291 – Moravian Star
King: #448 – Norwegian Wedding Crown
Emmanuel: #368 – Nativity

(7 cookie stamps with recipe booklet @ $12.99 ea = $90.93 value) 

Enter the Giveaway using the Rafflecopter Box below: 
Read more about our family’s traditions here:

Saintly Heart :: Franciscan Friends Lacing Set

Dec 14, 2020 | , , , | 2 Comments

I was recently given this sweet set of woodland creatures, along with St. Francis and St. Clare, from Saintly Heart! I ended up saving it to give to our little girls on the feast of St. Nicholas.
It was an instant hit and they have been having so much fun lacing together all the little animals.
Right now you can save 15% with coupon code Roses15

On the Feast of St. Andrew

Dec 3, 2020 | , , | 4 Comments

 

The beginning of Advent is always determined by St. Andrew’s Day. The Sunday nearest to his feast is always the First Sunday in Advent. If November 30th falls on a Monday through Wednesday, Advent begins the Sunday preceding his feast day, if it falls on Thursday through Saturday Advent begins the Sunday following.

The beautiful 2020 Advent Calendar pictured above can be found here.


This feast is a name-day (patron saint’s feast day) for one of our boys! This year he requested fish, broccoli and rice for dinner, with our St. Andrew Cupcakes, decorated with an X-shaped Cross and Fish, for dessert. 🧁🎣


After dinner and our family rosary it was (finally!) time to unwrap another book from the Advent Book Basket. Our baby girls love this so much this year! Early yesterday morning I woke up to our three year old climbing into my bed and asking “Please can I open another present?!?”  They are going to be pros at unwrapping by the time Christmas arrives! 

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Read more about our family’s traditions here:

The Advent Season In Our Catholic Home

Nov 30, 2020 | , | 8 Comments

The Advent Season in our Catholic Home

“Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.… It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.”  – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Earlier this month the women in my parish’s homeschool group somehow talked me into (or rather cornered me into!) giving a presentation at the November meeting, something I’ve only agreed to once before (The 2015 Rocky Mountain Home Educators Conference), checked it off the bucket list, and said never again! I really love visiting with other moms, but public speaking makes me so incredibly nervous, not to mention life is just so full already… I didn’t have much time to prepare, basically just the day prior, so I ended up starting this month’s presentation with part of my previous talk – “A Little Way of Celebrating the Feasts and Seasons of the Liturgical Year in the Home” – and then followed it up with specific ideas for Advent! I survived the talk, despite my nerves, and hopefully I was able to pass along a little inspiration to some of the families in our parish.  

Nearly everything I shared can be found here in the archives, but I thought I’d take some time today to compile my notes and slides into one post for easy reference.

In the past I have joked with a friend that sometimes I will look through my own blog archives and think “How does she do it?!” 😉 Please remember that you see here is a compilation of 20 years of celebrating the saints and seasons, those celebrations have slowly grown over the years. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by all the ideas out there on the internet including here at Shower of Roses! 

Introduction to Advent & The New Church Year

In Family Advent Customs published back in 1954, author Helen McLoughlin writes:

“Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year. It is a season of spiritual preparation, marked by eager longing for the coming of the Saviour through grace at Christmas, and for His second and final coming. It is also an ideal time to establish in our homes liturgical customs which will restore our children to Christ… Secularism has invaded our households. The Bishops of the United States (back in 1954) have warned us that “the Christian must make his home holy–the Christian must realize the Christian ideal.” ….. Children, who love the beauty and simplicity of family religious practices, make the traditions easy to establish. As a rule it is best to begin with one or two customs and add others in years to come.”

Over the years our family has adopted and established many Advent traditions in our home. I’ve been spending a little time these past couple weeks finalizing our plans for this upcoming season of Advent. Before I start sharing ideas with you I want to emphasize that every year has looked a little different, and we are never able to “do it all”… Some years we have done more, and other years we focused keeping it extra simple and preparing for and welcoming our own Christmastime babies! I hope that in sharing all these ideas it might inspire you to incorporate one of two of them into your own domestic church this Advent! 

The Feast of St. Andrew

The beginning of Advent is determined by St. Andrew’s Day. The Sunday nearest to his feast is always the First Sunday in Advent. If November 30th falls on a Monday through Wednesday, Advent begins the Sunday preceding his feast day, if it falls on Thursday through Saturday Advent begins the Sunday following.

This feast is a name-day (patron saint’s feast day) for one of our boys! Some past treats have included Cross and Fish Cupcakes, Goldfish with Pretzel Rods and Peanut Butter, and Andreasherzen (St. Andrew’s Hearts) from Cooking With the Saints. 

Scroll through all past posts for St. Andrew the Apostle’s Feast Day here.

Christmas Anticipation Prayer

Beginning on St. Andrew the Apostle’s feast day, November 30, the Christmas Anticipation Prayer (also referred to as the St. Andrew Novena) is traditionally recited fifteen times a day until Christmas. This beautiful meditative prayer helps us increase our awareness of the real focus of Christmas and helps us prepare ourselves spiritually for His coming.

You can find printable prayer cards to download online.  

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Imprimatur +MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York, New York, February 6, 1897

The Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath is packed with symbolism and is a great way to teach the children about God, Christ and the Christmas season. The round shape stands for God’s eternity. Like God, it has no beginning and no end. The greens used to make the wreath are EVERgreen, and therefore unchanging, just like God. The four candles symbolize the four centuries that man waited for the coming of our Savior. Three of the candles are purple since Advent is a time of penance. It was because of our sinfulness that we needed a Savior, and so we must prepare ourselves through sacrifice and penance during Advent for Christ’s coming at Christmas. However, we know that Christ HAS and IS coming again, and so our penance is a joyful one! We are joyfully anticipating and preparing ourselves for the celebration of Christmas, as well as Christ’s second coming. Therefore, one candle is pink to represent our joy. 

At the beginning of Advent my husband blesses the wreath, and leads the prayers each Sunday of Advent as we light each additional candle.

We have two Advent Wreaths in our home. One on the coffee table in the family room which we light during our rosary each evening. Originally we always used a live homemade wreath, but they dried out so quickly (and my husband, being a firefighter didn’t like the potential hazard) so we switched to a wreath from Costco. I bought candle holders at the dollar store and we use pillar candles so they last all of Advent for our family rosaries… 

… and one on the dining table which we light during dinner.

One year we hung it like the VonTrapps. I’m hoping to figure out how to hang it again in our new home!

Scroll through all past Advent Wreath posts here.   

Advent Music

Singing as a family is a great addition to evening prayers during Advent. We always begin with O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Our collection of music for Advent and Christmas also includes:

First Sunday of Advent and our Nativities

On the First Sunday of Advent we set out family Nativity and other nativity sets. We add to our nativity a little each week, beginning Advent with the Stable, Ox, Tree and Pinecones decorations. On the second Sunday the angel, shepherd and lamb are added, on the third Sunday Joseph and Mary arrive, and on the fourth Sunday the wise men start making their way towards the nativity. Baby Jesus is added on Christmas following Midnight Mass! 

Candle in the Window – An Old Irish Tradition

Another Advent decoration I wanted to share is our candle in the window. Teresa Zepeda, in her book Celebrating the Faith in the Home, describes the tradition as follows:

“This simple touch has both symbolic and historical significance. It symbolizes that, unlike the inn at Bethlehem, we do have room in our homes and hearts for the coming Christ. And it also calls to mind that throughout history great sacrifices have been required of God’s faithful people. During the persecutions in Ireland following the Reformation, fugitive priests would travel from house to house offering Mass in the night. Every Irish family deeply wished to be honored with a priest’s visit on Christmas eve, and the candles in the window were a secret welcome to any priest who might be near. The doors were left unlocked so the priest could enter silently and wake the family. The lighted candles and unlocked doors were explained to the English authorities as symbols of welcome to Jesus, Mary & Joseph, who allowed it as “harmless superstition.””

With the way things are going this year, it might not be too long before we have to resort to this again…

Preparing our Hearts: Crib & Straw, Christmas Creche

Each Advent, as we prepare for Christmas, the Church individually encourages us to prepare our hearts for a personal and spiritual encounter with Christ. During Advent we are then encouraged to perform good works and increase our prayers and sacrifices.

One method of getting the children involved is to make these acts an offering of love for the Christ Child by adding a piece of straw (or raffia) in a manger for each of their extra prayers, good works, and sacrifices. By preparing their hearts for Christ, they are also preparing the manger scene and a soft place for the Infant Jesus to arrive on Christmas.

At the beginning of Advent we set our manger for Baby Jesus with hay to be added for their good deeds and sacrifices. On Christmas after attending Mass our children place Baby Jesus in the manger they have prepared.

Christkindl

About 8 or 9 years ago we decided to expand on the Christmas Creche tradition by incorporating the Christkindl (Christ Child) tradition which Maria von Trapp shares in her book Around the Year with the Trapp Family. (This book was out print until recently but the complete text was – and still is – available on the EWTN website… Many years ago I printed it out in it’s entirety before finding a used copy on ebay!) Growing up my family enjoyed doing this during Advent, and it was also encouraged at Christendom College when I was a student! 

Mrs. Von Trapp explains the tradition much better than I ever could: Read all about it here.

Our children actually just tuck their letters into their shoes on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas so that he can pick them up and deliver them to the Christ Child!

The Advent Calendar

Every Advent our family counts down the days until Christmas with picture books, Advent Calendars, and the Jesse Tree.

I really love this Advent Calendar but wish I was able to be customized with the correct number of days of Advent each year…

Advent Book Baskets & Spiritual Reading

What IS customizable is our annual Advent Book Basket.

Years ago, when we didn’t have enough Christmas themed picture books to wrap one for each day of Advent, I would check some Christmas books out from the library just before Advent began. We have added many books to our home library since then, giving one Christmas themed book to each of our children on the feast of St. Nicholas, and our collection has definitely grown. 

Each year I share labels to attach to the books for anyone who would like to use them as well. 

Years ago I wrapped the books in pink and purple paper. Now I just reuse ribbons each year with brown paper or brown bags!

Scroll through past Advent Book Baskets here. 

A New Favorite Advent Calendar

This beautiful calendar based on the Traditional Calendar is a new addition to our home this Advent and I love it so much! I’ve printed out the color version to display downstairs and a couple black and white versions for my children to color and display in their bedrooms.

The Jesse Tree

“There shall come forth a shoot form the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” ~ Isaiah 11:1-2

The Jesse Tree provides a meaningful way for us to count down the days until Christmas. Moreover, it increases our understanding of this portion of salvation history and is an effective way to prepare spiritually for Christmas.

I can’t remember exactly when I made our Jesse Tree, it was a long time ago, before I had a blog (or a digital camera) and started documenting every craft we make. 😉 It was either in 2003 or 2004, those first few years of our marriage, with three babies in three years, are somewhat of a blur… Anyway, it is around 17 years old now and has been well-loved by my little ones.

My goal, when making the Jesse Tree was to have something that I would be able to use every year, but wouldn’t cost much or require any sewing. I had considered the kit from Leaflet Missal, but even that was out of the question at the time. Since I already had a collection of colored felt, I ended up picking up some blue and green felt from the fabric store for just a few dollars and made my own! 

Detailed pictures of each individual ornament can be found on in the archives if you are up for crafting one for your family! 

One year I was gifted with a wooden Jesse Tree set in exchange for sharing a review of it on the blog. If it fits in your budget I highly recommend it as well! 

For many years we used the New Catholic Picture Bible for our daily readings, along with free printable coloring pages I would round up online. As the children got older some of them would read the passages directly from the Bible.

Another option is reading through Amy Steedman’s Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories (originally published between 1907 and 1922 as The nursery book of Bible stories, republished with minor editorial revisions in 2009 by Sophia Institute Press) and adding in some extra picture books as well!

Jesse Tree Ornament Exchanges are fun too, though our felt and wood sets will always be my favorite. We made a Choir of Angels for the swap!

Scroll through all past Jesse Tree posts here.

The Jesse Tree Path

A few years ago I decided to create a path down the center of our table for Advent using the ornaments for each day. The first year was actually just a countdown path out doilies … the next year I incorporated our wooden Jesse Tree Ornaments! 

Jesse Tea

A Jesse “Tea” is another thing we have incorporated a few times over the years, inspired by Alice Guther, with various food items representing different things included on the Jesse Tree! 

Pictures from past years can be found here and here. 

Feast of St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas’ feast day, on December 6th, is one of the highlights of the Advent season.

Stockings, slippers, or shoes can be placed outside bedroom doors or near the fireplace the night of December 5 with the anticipation of finding a coin purse full of chocolate coins from the kind bishop with his mitre, staff, and bag of gifts!

The story St. Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins, or other books about the Real Santa Claus, can also be read aloud to and enjoyed by children to give special meaning to this season of preparation for our personal spiritual encounter with Christ.

Scroll through all past St. Nicholas posts here.

Every year on December 6th our children wake up to find new slippers (or sometimes as new pair of shoes for winter) filled with little treats, chocolate gold coins, candy canes, and new Christmas books.

Gift Ideas for the Feast of St. Nicholas:

  • Gold coins, other money or gift certificate representing the money he threw into the window of a poor family’s house.
  • Candy Cane to represent his bishop’s staff.
  • A toy representing the toys he had commissioned a toymaker to make for poor children.
  • Something to represent his devotion to God: a spiritually oriented book, icon, cross, or other object.
  • Something to represent the food he would give to the poor (fruit, nuts, gift certificate, etc).
  • An item of clothing representing his clothing the poor.
  • Something representing the gingerbread he liked to bake and give away.
  • Something representing the ship he saved through his prayers.

In addition to the gifts received on this feast, the Christ-Child and His angels bring other gifts on Christmas Eve; and the Magi a few more (Stacks of Books/Wisdom) on Epiphany.

St. Nicholas Books

Our children (and teens!) have always received a new Christmas book from St. Nicholas, which has helped us build an amazing collection over the last twenty years. It will be so great to pass each of their collections down to them when they eventually start families of their own. 

You can find this year’s picks, along with links to many past years, here. 

St. Nicholas Coins

St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins make a special treat for the feast of St. Nicholas, symbolizing the gold he gave to provide dowries for the impoverished maidens. Decorate chocolate gold coins with images of this generous saint from the printable document found at Catholic Cuisine, then place the coins in shoes or stockings to be discovered by family and friends on St. Nicholas Day!

Printable Images to attach to coins are available in the archives. My newer updated version is here and my older original version is here. 

St. Nicholas Brunch & Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake

Brunch on the feast of St. Nicholas always includes peppermint cocoa (sometimes homemade), scrambled eggs, oranges, and Cherry Cheese Candy Cane Coffeecake shaped like the bishop’s staff!

St. Nicholas Surprise

Last year we all discovered a bag on the front porch!

The note read: Happy Feast of St. Nicholas! We hope that you will be blessed by our ‘secret’ gift, given to honor the spirit of the day. It is our hope that you will have a blessed Advent and Christmas season. Ho Ho Ho and all of that! 

St. Nicholas Cookies

We have lots of favorites! You can find the links to recipes here: 

St. Nicholas College Edition

It put a huge smile on my face when my boys sent me these pictures from college last year! They set up a fire on their laptop, put out their slippers, and then filled them with the care package I had sent to them, complete with sprinkling chocolates on the floor! I’m so very happy to have them home this Advent. We’ll have this whole Advent season with all nine of our children for the first time! 

Feast of St. Ambrose

Sometimes on December 7th my little ones help bake a Honey Bun Coffee Cake in our Honeycomb Pull Apart Cake Pan in honor of the St. Ambrose, the honey-tongued doctor.

Legend says that when St. Ambrose was a baby, a swarm of bees flew in the window and clustered around his mouth, indicating that he would grow up to become a famous writer and speaker, one whose words would be as sweet as honey.

Christ Candle

Since he is the patron saint of beekeepers, bees, and candlemakers we also start creating our Christmas “Christ Candle” on his feast or on the following day which is the feast of the Immaculate Conception! Sometimes we will wrap it in a blue ribbon for Our Blessed Mother, covering the baby Jesus until Christmas when the ribbon is removed.

We started with just adding stickers to our candle… Since 2009 we have used gold decorating wax and a tiny baby Jesus made from wax (from Blumchen) to decorate our Christmas Candle.

Immaculate Conception *Holy Day of Obligation*

After Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception I’ll have some sort of craft for the children –sometimes making homemade Christmas cards or ornaments to gift to their godparents and grandparents.

The special treat for the day is gingerbread. It is baked on this day because it reminds us of the passage in the Book of Sirach, 24:20-21 that describes Mary smelling like spices: 

I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aromatical balm; 

I yielded a sweet odor like the best myrrh; 

and I perfumed my dwelling as store, and galbanum, and onyx, 

and aloes, and as the frankincense not cut, and my odor is as the purest balm.

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

A Mexican tradition begins at the break of dawn with the signing of Las Mananitas a la Virgen de Guadalupe followed by Holy Mass. According to tradition, afterwards everyone returns home for feasting and celebration.

In the past we’ve had dinner or brunch with an Our Lady of Guadalupe theme and all the details for those can be found on the blog. 

Scroll through all past Our Lady of Guadalupe posts here.

The Christmas Rose Novena

The Christmas Rose Novena to St. Therese also begins on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 12 days before Christmas. One is to pray the novena 12 times per day for 12 days to honor the 12 years of Christ’s childhood.

Remember, O Gracious Little Rose Queen, your promise to spend your heaven in doing good on earth and even, if necessary, to come down to help those who ask your aid. If it is God’s Holy Will, and my dispositions are pleasing to Him by their honesty and true desire for goodness, keep your promise to shower roses and send me some visible sign of your heavenly friendship for me and for those I love. In memory of the great interior enlightenment you received on a certain Christmas of your early life, ask God for a “:Christmas Rose” for me in these my urgent needs, that I may experience an increase in faith, hope and confidence. (Meditate, here upon your petitions so that St. Therese can understand why your are asking her to assist you.) I desire to know and to accept real objective truth about life and death. Give me assurance that you understand and will remain my heavenly friend, so that one day we may be together with God. Keep your promise to give some answer! Amen.

Santa Lucia Day

Santa Lucia (St. Lucy) was a young Italian girl who was martyred for her faith in 304 AD. During Advent in Sweden, one of the biggest celebrations is Santa Lucia’s Day originating from the stories told by the holy Monks who first brought Christianity to Sweden. Traditionally ‘Lussekatter’, St. Lucia’s Day Buns flavored with saffron and dotted with raisins, are served by a girl dressed in a white dress with a red sash around her waist and a crown of candles on her head. 

Scroll through all St. Lucy posts here.

Here once again I want to remind you to start small! These celebrations will grow organically along with your children! 

Here is a photo of our very first St. Lucia Day celebration! We crafted a crown made out of cardstock and drove into town to pick up some donuts. 

A couple years later a box from a dear and generous blog reader arrived from Norway filled with a couple crowns for my two girls, star boy wands and hats, and other goodies to celebrate this special feast of one of my daughter’s patron saints.

Now that daughter is the one who stays up late baking for the family! 

Santa Lucia Braided Bread 

A recipe for Santa Lucia Braided Bread, inspired by the candle-covered crown she is said to have worn to light her way as she brought food to the persecuted Christians hiding in the catacombs, can be found at Catholic Cuisine.

Bambinelli Sunday

On the third Sunday of Advent we read Amy Welborn’s charming picture book which introduces readers to a wonderful Italian tradition that takes place on the Third Sunday of Advent—when children from around the world gather in the piazza of St. Peter’s to present their Baby Jesus to the Pope for his special blessing. 

Advent Ember Days

Advent 2020 Ember Days are December 16, 18, and 19.

According to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Missal (1962), the Advent Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of the third Week of Advent.

Ember Days are three days (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) set apart in each of the four seasons for fasting, abstinence and prayer. Tied to the seasonal cycles of farming and harvesting, the purpose of Ember Days is to render thanks to God for the gifts of Creation and to ask His help in using them well. Since 1966, the fasting and abstinence are no longer prescribed but still encouraged.

In Catholic England, there was a verse to help people remember when they fell: “Fasting days and Emberings be Lent, Whitsun, Holyrood, and [St] Lucie,” and a shorter mnemonic that went: “Lenty, Penty, Crucy, Lucy.”

On these days, Catholics traditionally fast as they would on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, except they are permitted to eat meat as part of the main meal on the Wednesday and Saturday.

Ember Wednesday – Traditional day of partial abstinence
Ember Friday – Traditional Day of fast and abstinence
Ember Saturday – Tradtional Day of Fast and partial abstinence

Additional Advent Activities from Past Years

· Create Advent Lap Books

· Christmas Mosaic Books and Activities

· Create 3D Nativity Scenes

· Holy Heroes Advent Adventure

· Assemble puzzles: Noah’s Ark, Our Lady of Guadalupe Puzzle, Holy Family Puzzle, Nativity in the Woods, Glorious Nativity,  Twelve Days of Christmas, 

· Make Advent Candles

· Service Projects – Make Rosaries, etc. 

· This year we are looking forward to the Rorate candlelit Votive Mass at our parish! 

The Great O Antiphons – The Golden Nights

The O Antiphon Prayers are chanted or recited at Vespers, prior to the Magnificat, beginning on December 17th and ending on the 23rd, which is the last Vespers of Advent.

Ever since our oldest children were very little, we have been implementing an old monastic custom in our home by providing special treats, representing each of the “O Antiphons” on the days leading up to Christmas.

The Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one – Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia – the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.

Scroll through all O Antiphon posts here.

O Antiphon Treats

Each night, following our family rosary, we pray the O Antiphon for the day, sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, which was inspired by this ancient tradition, and then give the children a special treat.

The “treats” have varied from year to year. Some years it has been little gifts or activities for the family, some years it is all food related, and some years it is a mix of both, depending on our schedule and budget. It doesn’t need to cost much or even anything at all! Be creative!

Sometimes the treats are a bit of a stretch, but my goal is try and find gifts that will either help increase our faith (Catechism books, holy family, saints, prayer, etc) or encourage family time (games, puzzles, going to look at Christmas lights, etc). You can find some of our past O Antiphon treats by scrolling through the archives and visiting Catholic Cuisine.

Our family loves this tradition. It is such a fun way to teach the children about these beautiful prayers of the church and also increase their excitement as Christmas gets closer.

In case you are looking for some inspiration, I’ve listed some of the treats I’ve given my family over the years… Special food ideas, activities and gifts (or you can simply decorate chocolate coins!) for each of the O Antiphons can be found in the archives.

O Antiphon House

A little over ten years ago I made this O Antiphon House, which is a variation on the Advent Houses mentioned in Helen McLoughin’s Advent Family Customs book, to go along with the prayers each day, as we count down these final days of Advent! 

The transition from the liturgical season of Advent to the new season of Christmas can be accentuated in our home so that every family member recalls that good works and charity doesn’t end on Christmas Day. The purple and pink Advent candles can be changed to white, or a Christ Candle (white pillar or taper candle) can be inserted in the middle of the wreath and used for evening prayers until the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord which marks the day before Ordinary Time.

Be sure to also visit my annual Christmas Gift Guide and enter this year’s Giveaway! 

I hope you all have a truly blessed Advent this year!


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-24, Ranger-22, Twinkle Toes-21, Chiquita-19, Snuggles-17, Rose-14, Bud-12, Grace-7 and Joy-5 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

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Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-24, Ranger-22, Twinkle Toes-21, Chiquita-19, Snuggles-17, Rose-14, Bud-12, Grace-7 and Joy-5 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

All About Spelling
All About Reading
All About Reading Pre-reading
All About Reading Giveaways
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our Advent & Christmas Books

Shower of Roses Christmas Gift Guides

Looking for Something?

looking-back

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Posts About:

Shower of Roses Alphabet of Saints

A Papal Unit Study & Lap Book

Shower of Roses Easter Gift Guides



All Saints Party Printables

All original photographs and written material are ©2007-2025 Shower of Roses. I'd love for you to link back to me, but please do not copy or take content from this blog without permission. Click here for my Copyright Terms & Conditions. Thank you for visiting!