Scenes from Christmas Day :: Christmas Brunch
Scenes from Christmas Day :: Around Our Home
Comparing Baby Pictures
There has been a bit of a debate over who Rose looks the most like, of her siblings… Hubby & I see the most resemblance between her and her oldest brother (Captain) and sister (Twinkle Toes). Most everyone else seems to think she looks just like Chiquita… What do you think?
My Daybook ~ January 4th (and 5th!)
Outside my window… the boys are playing hockey on the back patio with their Dad and their new hockey sticks
I am hearing… the hockey puck bouncing off the walls of the house. Nice!
I am thankful for… the little postcard that arrived in the mail, from a Chiropractor I saw a couple years ago, offering a free “Birthday Adjustment!” YAY!!! What perfect timing! I have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
I am praying… that Rose’s little heart really is all better and that an appointment with the echo-cardiologist opens up locally on January 19th so that we don’t have to drive so very far on February 2nd.
From the kitchen… 1/2 caff coffee and almond biscotti… I really need to eat something substantial and healthy.
From the learning rooms… I thought about starting back to school today, but when I woke up this morning (Monday), at 10am after a very sleepless night, I came to the realization that I am just not ready yet. Maybe next week.
Living the Liturgical Year at Home… we will celebrate the 12th day of Christmas, the traditional feast of the Epiphany and also known as “Little Christmas” on the 6th. I’m sure I will need to keep it much simpler than last year, but I do have a neat new Pampered Chef pan I’d love to try out and this would be the perfect opportunity!
I am creating… a Netflix Queue since we recently signed back up for their 1 DVD at a time plan. Do any of you have any great movies to suggest? I am also very curious about the Roku SD Player
I am wearing… ugh! NOTHING fits! Maternity clothes are NO WHERE NEAR as cute without that nice firm round baby tummy to fill them out, and I am a LONG WAY from fitting back into my regular clothing once again… I have my work cut out for me, that’s for sure!
I am going… to need to be the tooth fairy again tonight (Monday night)! Twinkle Toes just lost that other top tooth!! I have a little klutz book
Pondering these words… from the beautiful Novena for Homeschooling Mothers which Angela has been posting:
“Most gracious God, You have charged me with the sobering task of educating these children with which You have blessed our family. In Baptism, You have made them Your own, and now You have entrusted them to me, that I may rear them in supernatural love toward You and educate and train them in all of the knowledge required to form them into the Godly adults that you created them to become. This task so far exceeds the abilities of Your humble servant but in confidence I turn to You, O God, trusting in your almighty power and the inexhaustible graces that you make available to me. Help me to form these children to each one’s greatest potential in both intellect and virtue. Give me a greater portion of each of the fruits and gifts of Your Holy Spirit that I may perfectly execute my duties as their teacher. Grant that these children may ever look upon their divine sonship as the highest good that they possess on earth and may they at last die in full possession of it. Amen.”
I am hoping… that I have a chance to sort through, and post, some of our Christmas Day pictures soon. My sister has been asking to see them for awhile… Here’s one JoAnn:
Noticing that… I have a zillion emails to answer. I am so sorry to all of you that are waiting to hear from me… With Hubby home these past few weeks, and the kids watching some movies on Netflix, I’ve had to share the computer. Plus, I haven’t been “multi-tasking” while nursing this time around, so most all my old “computer time” is now spent nursing. I’ll start working on catching up once I have all the Christmas Cards out! 😉
Around the house… it still looks like Christmas and I love it!
One of my favorite things… my family!
A few plans for the rest of the week:
- Meet with an architect about drawing plans for a dining room & living room addition/kitchen remodel! Yay!!!
- Have my back adjusted at the Chiropractor.
- Celebrate Epiphany
- Finish mailing Christmas and Thank you Cards
- Enjoy these last few days of having Hubby off work
- Snuggle with the baby and try to sleep when she sleeps — which hasn’t been happening very often!
A Picture thought I am sharing:
On the Solemnity Feast of Mary the Mother of God…
by Mary Joslin
by Tomie DePaola
Handmade Treasures
For the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus…
to my children!
The Churching of Women
There is a tradition associated with baptism and childbirth which is part of the traditional ritual, but has fallen out of practice, at least here in our diocese, that is called the “Churching of Women”.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia:
A blessing given by the Church to mothers after recovery from childbirth. Only a Catholic woman who has given birth to a child in legitimate wedlock, provided she has not allowed the child to be baptized outside the Catholic Church, is entitled to it. It is not a precept, but a pious and praiseworthy custom (Rituale Romanum), dating from the early Christian ages, for a mother to present herself in the Church as soon as she is able to leave her house (St. Charles Borromeo, First Council of Milan), to render thanks to God for her happy delivery, and to obtain by means of the priestly blessing the graces necessary to bring up her child in a Christian manner. The prayers indicate that this blessing is intended solely for the benefit of the mother, and hence it is not necessary that she should bring the child with her; nevertheless, in many places the pious and edifying custom prevails of specially dedicating the child to God. For, as the Mother of Christ carried her Child to the Temple to offer Him to the Eternal Father, so a Christian mother is anxious to present her offspring to God and obtain for it the blessing of the Church. This blessing, in the ordinary form, without change or omission, is to be given to the mother, even if her child was stillborn, or has died without baptism (Cong. Sac. Rit., 19 May, 1896).
The churching of women is not a strictly parochial function, yet the Congregation of Sacred Rites (21 November, 1893) decided that a parish priest, if asked to give it, must do so, and if another priest is asked to perform the rite, he may do so in any church or public oratory, provided the superior of said church or oratory be notified. It must be imparted in a church or in a place in which Mass is celebrated, as the very name “churching” is intended to suggest a pilgrimage of thanksgiving to the church, and as the rubrics indicate in the expressions: “desires to come to the church”, “he conducts her into the church”, she kneels before the altar”, etc. Hence the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore (No. 246) prohibits the practice of churching in places in which Mass is not celebrated.
It is such a beautiful custom and I am so thankful that I was able to receive it once again after Rose’s baptism this past Monday!
The woman will make arrangements with her priest (ideally, the priest should know the women of his parish and make the offer to her). At the appointed time, she will kneel in the Narthex, holding a lighted candle. The priest, wearing a white stole, will bless her with holy water, and say:
V. Our help is in the Name of the Lord.
R. Who made Heaven and Earth.
ANT. She shall receive.
Psalm 23 1
The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and all they that dwell therein. For He hath founded it upon the seas; and hath prepared it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in His holy place? The innocent in hands and clean of heart, who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior. This is the generation of them that seek Him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of glory shall enter in. Who is this King of glory? the Lord Who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of glory shall enter in. Who is this King of glory? the Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.
Glory be to the Father.
ANT. She shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God her Savior: for this is the generation of them that seek the Lord.
The priest places the end of his stole in the woman’s hand and leads her into the church while saying:
Enter into the temple of God, adore the Son of the blessed Virgin Mary, who gave you fruitfullness of offspring.
Outside the sanctuary, the mother kneels before the Altar and prays, thanking God for her child.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. (Now the Our Father is said silently)
V. And lead us not into temptation.
R. But deliver us from evil.
V. Save your handmaid, Lord.
R. Who hopes in Thee, my God.
V. Send her help, Lord, from the sanctuary.
R. And defend her out of Sion.
V. Let not the enemy prevail against her.
R. Nor the son of iniquity approach to hurt her.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to Thee.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
V. Let us pray.
Almighty, everlasting God, through the delivery of the blessed Virgin Mary, Thou hast turned into joy the pains of the faithful in childbirth; look mercifully upon this Thy handmaid, coming in gladness to Thy temple to offer up her thanks: and grant that after this life, by the merits and intercession of the same blessed Mary, she may merit to arrive, together with her offspring, at the joys of everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
The priest sprinkles the mother with holy water in the shape of a Cross.
in which case it is more like a shower! 😉
The peace and blessing of God almighty, the Father + and the Son and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever.
R. Amen.
A Baptism on the Feast of the Holy Innocents
This past Monday, on the feast of the Holy Innocents, our little Rose was baptized, according to the Traditional Rite, by one of her uncles. Her Godparents were not able to make it to the baptism, so two of my siblings stood in as proxies.
After the baptism we were talking about how she started crying/screaming during the exorcism and stopped immediately after the following Imposition of Hands. Father said, “Who knows, maybe her heart is all better now that she is baptized!”
Interestingly enough, yesterday afternoon she had her 2 week appointment, and even though just last week (when I had her checked for jaundice) the doctor reconfirmed that her heart still had the murmur he could NOT hear it yesterday!!!! He kept checking and then tapping his stethoscope and then checking again, before finally giving up and saying he just couldn’t hear it anymore. I guess we will see at her next echocardiogram, but I’m thinking the holes may already be closed/closing thanks to all of the prayers and her baptism! God is so good!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
The Rite of Baptism
The priest (wearing a violet stole), sponsors, and the catechumen stand in the narthex of the church, symbolizing that at this point, the candidate is not a member of the Church.
Priest: N., what do you ask of the Church of God?
Sponsor/Catechumen: Faith.
Priest: What does Faith offer you?
Sponsor/Catechumen: Life everlasting.
Priest: If then you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments. ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.’
The priest then breathes 3 times on the candidate in the form of a Cross, recalling the Spirit (breath, wind, “ruach”) of God.
Priest: Go forth from her, unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
The priest now makes the Sign of the Cross with his thumb on the candidate’s forehead and breast.
Priest: Receive the Sign of the Cross both upon your forehead + and also upon your heart +; take to you the faith of the heavenly precepts; and so order your life as to be, from henceforth, the temple of God.
Priest: Let us pray: Mercifully hear our prayers, we beseech Thee, O Lord; and by Thy perpetual assistance keep this Thine elect, N., signed with the sign of the Lord’s cross, so that, preserving this first experience of the greatness of Thy glory, she may deserve, by keeping Thy commandments, to attain to the glory of regeneration. Through Christ our Lord.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Amen.
The priest places his hands on the candidate’s head.
Priest: Let us pray: Almighty, everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look graciously down upon this Thy servant, N., whom Thou hast graciously called unto the beginnings of the faith; drive out from her all blindness of heart; break all the toils of Satan wherewith she was held: open unto him her, O Lord, the gate of Thy loving kindness, that, being impressed with the sign of Thy wisdom, she may be free from the foulness of all wicked desires, and in the sweet odor of Thy precepts may joyfully serve Thee in Thy Church, and grow in grace from day to day. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Priest: Through the same Christ our Lord.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Amen
Now the priest puts a little blessed salt in the candidate’s mouth. Salt is the symbol of that wisdom which gives a relish for the sweetness of divine nourishment; preserves, by the teaching of the Gospel, from the corruption of sin, and prevents evil passions from growing in men’s souls. Adult catechumens might be signed on the brow, ears, eyes, nostrils, mouth, breast, and between the shoulders before the imposition of salt. If this procedure is followed, afterwards the candidate will kneel, recite the Our Father several times, and a Cross is made on his forehead, first by the sponsor and then by the priest.
Priest: N., Receive the salt of wisdom; let it be to thee a token of mercy unto everlasting life. May it make your way easy to eternal life.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you.
Sponsor/Catechumen: And with your spirit.
Priest: Let us pray: O God of our fathers, O God the Author of all truth, vouchsafe, we humbly beseech Thee, to look graciously down upon this Thy servant, N., and as she tastes this first nutriment of salt, suffer her no longer to hunger for want of heavenly food, to the end that she may be always fervent in spirit, rejoicing in hope, always serving Thy name. Lead her O Lord, we beseech Thee, to the laver of the new regeneration, that, together with Thy faithful, he may deserve to attain the everlasting rewards of Thy promises. Through Christ our Lord.
Priest: Through the same Christ our Lord.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Amen
The priest makes the Sign of the Cross over the candidate three times and says:
Priest: I exorcise thee, unclean spirit, in the name of the Father + and of the Son, + and of the Holy + Ghost, that thou goest out and depart from this servant of God, N., For He commands Thee, accursed one, Who walked upon the sea, and stretched out His right hand to Peter about to sink. Therefore, accursed devil, acknowledge thy sentence, and give honor to the living and true God: give honor to Jesus Christ His Son, and to the Holy Spirit; and depart from this servant of God, N., because God and our Lord Jesus Christ hath vouchsafed to call her to His holy grace and benediction and to the font of Baptism.
The priest again makes the Sign of the Cross on the candidate’s forehead.
Priest: And this sign of the holy Cross, which we make upon her forehead, do thou, accursed devil, never dare to violate.
Priest: Through the same Christ our Lord.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Amen
Priest: Let us pray: O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God, Author of light and truth, I implore Thine everlasting and most just goodness upon this Thy servant N., that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to enlighten her with the light of Thy wisdom: cleanse her and sanctify her, give unto her true knowledge; that, being made worthy of the grace of Thy Baptism, she may hold firm hope, right counsel and holy doctrine.
Priest:Through Christ our Lord.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Amen.
Priest: N., enter thou into the temple of God, that thou mayest have part with Christ unto life everlasting.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Amen.
Sponsor/Catechumen: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into Hell. On the third day, He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence shall He come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation: but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Solemn Exorcism
Priest: I exorcise thee, every unclean spirit, in the name of God the Father + Almighty, in the name of Jesus + Christ, His Son, our Lord and Judge, and in the power of the Holy + Spirit, that thou be depart from this creature of God N, which our Lord hath deigned to call unto His holy temple, that it may be made the temple of the living God, and that the Holy Spirit may dwell therein. Through the same Christ our Lord, who shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire.
The priest takes a little spittle and touches the ears and nostrils of the candidate with it. For health reasons, the use of spittle may be omitted. This rite comes from Mark 7:33-35, when Jesus healed the deaf-mute: “And taking him from the multitude apart, he put his fingers into his ears: and spitting, he touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him: Ephpheta, which is, Be thou opened. And immediately his ears were opened and the string of his tongue was loosed and he spoke right.”
Priest: Ephpheta, that is to say, Be opened, for an odour of sweetness. Be thou, devil, begone; for the judgement of God shall draw near.
Priest: Do you renounce Satan?
Sponsor/Catechumen: I do renounce him.
Priest: And all of his works?
Sponsor/Catechumen: I do renounce him.
Priest: And all his pomps?
Sponsor/Catechumen: I do renounce him.
The priest annoints the candidate with the oil of catechumens on the heart and between the shoulders in the form of a Cross, saying:
Priest: I annoint you + with the oil of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord, that you may have everlasting life.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Amen.
The priest removes his violet stole and puts on a white one.
Priest: N., do you believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth?
Sponsor/Catechumen: I do believe.
Priest: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, Who was born and Who suffered?
Sponsor/Catechumen: I do believe.
Priest: Do you believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting?
Sponsor/Catechumen: I do believe.
If the one to be baptized is a baby, the godparents take him to the font (the godmother holds him in her arms, the godfather touches the baby’s shoulder with his right hand); if he is an adult, the sponsor puts his right hand on the shoulder of the one to be baptized.
Priest: N., will you be baptized?
Sponsor/Catechumen: I will.
The priest pours water over the head of the candidate three times, once after each mention of the Divine Persons. The water he uses will have been consecrated during the Easter Vigil or on the Eve of the Pentecost. As he pours the water, the priest says these words (or the words of a conditional Baptism):
Priest: I baptize you in the name of the Father + and of the Son + and of the Holy + Ghost.
Sponsor/Catechumen: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you.
Sponsor/Catechumen: And with your spirit.
This priest takes a white linen cloth — symbolizing the purity of a soul cleansed from all sin, and a relic of the days when the newly baptized wore white albs for 8 days — and places it on the head of the candidate.
Priest: Receive this white garment, which mayest thou carry without stain before the judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou mayest have life everlasting.
The Lighted Candle
Priest: Receive this burning light, and keep thy Baptism so as to be without blame: keep the commandments of God, that when the Lord shall come to the nuptials, thou mayest meet Him together with all the Saints in the heavenly court, and mayest have eternal life and live for ever and ever.
Last Words of Good Will
Priest: N., go in peace and the Lord be with you. Amen.
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