Signs and Wonders

To Love Again.

This past weekend my father re-married please join me in wishing the happy couple every happiness and blessing as they embark on their life together.

 

Prayer for Marriage from the Book of Common Prayer

Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life.

We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in his Name.

By the power of your Holy Spirit, pour out the abundance of your blessing upon this man and this
woman.

Defend them from every enemy.

Lead them into all peace.

Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.

Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death.

Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.
~~~~~~

 

 

2009 Catholic Home Schooling Camp

As mentioned in a previous post last week we joined a number of other families for our annual home schooling camp. 

 This is the second year that we have had a catechist from the "Catechises of the Good Shepard"

 The parable of the mustard seed, Brigid check's out just how small those seeds are.

Learning the books of the bible

Fr Terence leading a discussion with teenagers

Daily Mass

We don't have Mass offered daily were we live so it was such a blessing to be able to attend each day.

Adoration

Benediction

Fun in the sun, Amiee lines up for the running race

Each year we generally have a sports carnival but this year decided on a novelty fun day on the beach instead.

Anthony and Paddy in the backwards race

All in all a great week, Erin has done a series of posts, one for each day over at Seven little Australians Plus one. Why don't you drop over and have a look.

Our Lady of Sorrows

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows
By St. Bridget

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of  God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief, beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst co-operate in the benefit of my redemption by thy innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only-begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner. Oh! make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son. that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins; arid that, persevering till death in His grace, I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.

Mother of love, of sorrow, and of mercy, pray for us.

The seven sorrows of Mary

1. The prophecy of Simeon

Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (Luke 2: 34-35)

2. The flight into Egypt
When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. (Matthew 2: 13-14)

3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple
after they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. (Luke 2: 43-45)

4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross
A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. (Luke 23: 27)

5. The Crucifixion

There they crucified him. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." (John 19: l8, 25-27)

 

6. The taking down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross
Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus…Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth. (Mark 15: 43, 46)

 

7. The burial of JesusNow in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by. (John 19: 41-42)

First Holy Communion

Last Tuesday September 8th, the feast of our Blessed Mothers birth Brigid made her first holy communion at our annual home schooling camp. The Mass was presided over by our bishop the Most Reverend Geoffery Jarrett who in addition to the first communions also confirmed seven home educated children from our diocese.

Bishop Jarrett Blesses the confirmation candidates. Three of our boys served this Mass and in this picture Chris is holding the book for the Bishop.

  

Preparing to confirm the children, Luke is the server in this photo.

 

The candidates kneel in preparation to receive their first Communion

 

The special moment arrives and Brigid receives our Lord for the very first time.

 

Brigid and Bishop Jarrett.

 

The first Communion and Confirmation candidates with Bishop Jarrett after Mass.

 

Exaltation of the Cross

 

We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee,
for by thy cross thou hast redeemed the world.

Today is the of the Exaltation of the cross which commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross,that had been placed on Mt. Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but then had fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious relic was recovered and returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heralius in 629.

If your looking for activities for your children You will find a cross to colour and a word search puzzle here  and here

"O Jesus, keep me under the standard of your Cross."  This quote was made by St. Bernadette, the poor and ignorant child of Lourdes. Yet, for such an uneducated mind, she managed to produce a sentence layered with profound meanings.

 Read more in this post from Cassandra. She has some great suggestions for families to explore the churches teachings about the Cross. Just what does it mean to pick up our cross and follow Christ?

Have a blessed and joy filled day

 

A New Child of God

Holy Baptism holds the first place among the sacraments, because it is the door of the spiritual life; for by it we are made members of Christ and incorporated with the Church. And since through the first man death entered into all, unless we be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, we can not enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

 Parents and godparents are invited to trace the sign of the cross on Damian's forehead.Paddy thinks that this is a job for big brothers and places a cross on Damian's forehead as well.

I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Anointing with Chrism oil.

Chrism is olive oil that has been mixed with balsam and is blessed by the bishop during the chrism mass during Holy Week. The Catholic encyclopedia states that "olive-oil, being of its own nature rich, diffusive, and abiding, is fitted to represent the copious outpouring of sacramental grace, while balsam, which gives forth most agreeable and fragrant odours, typifies the innate sweetness of Christian virtue. Oil also gives strength and suppleness to the limbs, while balsam preserves from corruption. Thus anointing with chrism aptly signifies that fullness of grace and spiritual strength by which we are enabled to resist the contagion of sin and produce the sweet flowers of virtue. "For we are the good odour of Christ unto God" (2 Corinthians 2:15)."  

 

Clothing in the white garment

I was hoping to get some nice photo's of the whole family but rain made it hard to get everyone to sit still. Neither the less here we all are together.

Please Pray for the Snow Family

Baby Matthew was lovingly swept into the arms of our Lord last night. Please pray for John, Emily and their children as they mourn the loss of their sweet little boy. Emily has more photo's posted on her blog

Baby Matthew Karol - update

 Baby Matthew was born last night at 32 weeks and needs all our prayers. You can read the latest update on Emily's blog. please storm heaven for this dear little boy and his family

Prayer at the Birth of a Sick Infant

Hopeful Mother,

I turn to you in prayer

not for myself, but for baby Matthew Karol.

 

Blessed Mother,

You have walked were now his mother treads

You embraced your Son with such tenderness and love

Though your heart was filled with worry.

 

Holy Mother,

I pray that through your Son

You will bring healing to baby Matthew

That his parents, also will know that

sweet intimacy of Mother and Child.

original text by: Rev John McGivern.

Encouraging Little Ones to Pray the Rosary

Back in April Kimberlee did a lovely post about praying the rosary with little ones. I loved the crotchet roses and the rosary cards and filed the idea away with the resolution of putting together my own set of roses and cards for our own little people. Well it took longer then I would have liked but I'm very pleased to say that I have finally done it. Like Kimberlee I use this pattern for the roses and printed and laminated bookworms rosary cards found here. I have made up two sets of 11 roses, each set has ten roses for the Hail Mary's, one set blue and one pink while the Our Father rose is either blue or pink also. So the pink hail Mary's have a blue our Father and vica versa does that make sense?

 

 

Using the same rosary cards but reduced in size I have also made up this file folder game for the little one's to learn the titles of each decade.

I also want the older children to learn the various virtues/spiritual fruits associated with each decade and to that end have compiled the same format for them to match the rosary card with the various virtues.

 

Year of the Priest Faith Folder Give-Away!

Go check out Mary Ellen's blog for a chance to win this great lap book on the year of the priest.