The Feast of St. Nicholas

So RA asks on the feast of St. Nicholas, how come you don't see St. Nicholas in purple, or green, or white? He was a bishop after all.

For the feast, we fill the kids stockings. It is a great way to celebrate the feast and spread the traditions of the season all throughout, instead of overwhelming them on Christmas day.

I was able to find two really good books from the library about St. Nicholas: The real Santa Claus / Mayer, Marianna and A gift from Saint Nicholas / Kismaric, Carole.

So before we went downstairs, to investigate the stockings we read about the real Santa Claus.

In each stocking, they get candy and one "big" gift. In past years at Christmas, Nana has given them snow globes. This year they got their snow globes with their stockings.

Before they got to their stockings

Sorting

This is good stuff, Mom

"A chocolate penguin?"

So I mentioned before that PG's Godparents gave him this really neat Advent calendar. If you can find one on sale, they are really amazing. But one word of advice. After attending a party with an hour and a half drive both ways, returning home at 10:30, putting excited and exhausted children to bed and then filling stockings might not be the time to assemble 24 small boxes and fill them with tiny toys.

PG got a Veggie Tale movie in his stocking. For you VG fans and for those who have small children. Run out and get St. Nicholas. It is fantastic and other than not making him a bishop is really spot on. I am so impressed. There is even a religious sister in the movie. A few years back they did a bit on St. Patrick in one of their movies (Summo of the Opera) and DG now has a huge devotion to St. Patrick. They have their saints down and do them with a great message for kids.

For those of you who are curious, RA got a VG Christmas CD. Which by the way was poor planning on my part as we don't start listening to Christmas music until the third Sunday of Advent. Opps!

DG got an Altar Gang CD about Advent. Yet another plug -- I really like the Altar Gang. This was my first experience with the CDs!

And the snow globes: PG and DG got Veggie Tales ones, they are so cute. RA got a Nutcracker one as the girls (my mom, grandma, aunt, sister, RA and I are going on the 4th Sunday of Advent to see the ballet).

Special Prayer Requests

two family members... my godmother/aunt who has to have medical tests that could have bad results and a cousin of DH who is having renal failure. St Peregrin and St. Marina pray for us

A friend named whose baby is being induced tomorrow. St. Gerard, pray for us

For the doctors and health care workers - St. Luke and Sts. Cosmas and Damian

Happy Birthday Pier Giorgio - Verso Alto!

"The end for which we are created invites us to walk a road that is surely sown with a lot of thorns, but it is not sad; through even the sorrow, it is illuminated by joy."
“To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living, but existing.”

"You ask me whether I am in good spirits. How could I not be, so long as my trust in God gives me strength. We must always be cheerful. Sadness should be banished from all Christian souls. For suffering is a far different thing from sadness, which is the worst disease of all. It is almost always caused by lack of Faith. But the purpose for which we have been created shows us the path along which we should go, perhaps strewn with many thorns, but not a sad path. Even in the midst of intense suffering it is one of joy."

"With all the strength of my soul I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Feed on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles. Because true happiness, dear friends, does not consist in the pleasures of the world or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we have only if we are pure in heart and mind."

~Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Prayer on the Feast of St. Joseph

Seven Sorrows and Joys
of St. Joseph Chaplet

1. Prayer
(All) Jesus and Mary, Saint Joseph loved you without
bounds. He achieved a union with you that no other soul
has been privileged to achieve. Use me as your earthly
instrument to honor St. Joseph. I am reciting these
prayers in union with You and the Holy Spirit.
2. Petition
(All) Glorious St. Joseph, accept this novena as our
seed of faith in your powerful intercession with Almighty
God and His Immaculate Mother.We are confident that
God will multiply this seed of faith by helping us to fulfill
the responsibilities we have taken upon ourselves.We
pray that all the members of our families and loved ones
will be spiritually and physically protected and guided to
fulfill the vocations that God has predestined for them.
We pray that all of our enterprises will be successful, and
that our parish, diocese, and be protected from error. And particularly we pray that
God will grant us the favor we now ask of you, or if it is
His will, one that is better for us.
(Pause and silently make your request.)
Pray the Apostles’ Creed, one Our Father,
three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be for the
Holy Father’s intentions.

First Sorrow and Joy — The Incarnation
(Leader) St. Joseph, chaste spouse of the Immaculate
Mother of God, by the deep SORROW which pierced your
heart at the thought of quietly leaving Mary so that she
would not be punished by the law when found to be with
child; by the deep JOY that you felt when the angel
revealed to you in a dream the mystery of the Incarnation
of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, and your
vital role as the guardian of the Holy Family,
(All) St. Joseph, obtain for me, my family from the Hearts
of Jesus and Mary, the grace for surmounting all anxiety
and the grace of total and absolute trust in God. Win for
us from the Sacred Heart of Jesus the indestructible
peace of which He is the eternal source.
Pray one Our Father, Seven Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
(All) O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from
the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those
who are in most need of Your mercy.
[We make a spiritual communion to discern and do God’s Will in each
present moment as we say:]
(All) All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of
Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart
of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.

Second Sorrow and Joy — The Birth of Jesus
(Leader) St. Joseph, faithful guardian of Jesus, by
the bitter SORROW which your heart experienced in
seeing the Child Jesus lying in a manger, and by the deep
JOY which you did feel at seeing the Wise Men recognize
and adore Him as their God,
(All) Grant through your prayers that my conscience
and the consciences of all the members of my family purified
by your protection, may become sinless cribs, where the
Savior of the world may be received with love and
respect.
Pray one Our Father, Seven Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
(All) O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from
the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those
who are in most need of Your mercy.
[We make a spiritual communion to discern and do God’s Will in each
present moment as we say:]
(All) All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of
Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart
of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.

Third Sorrow and Joy — The Circumcision
(Leader) St. Joseph, by the SORROW with which
your heart was pierced at the sight of the blood which
flowed from the infant Jesus in the circumcision, and by
the JOY that filled your soul at the privilege of bestowing
the sacred and mysterious Name of Jesus,
(All) Intercede for us, that the merits of this Precious
Blood, poured out as a Seed-Sacrifice offering for our salvation,
may be applied to my family and all the members
so that the Divine Name of Jesus may be engraved forever in our hearts.
Pray one Our Father, Seven Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
(All) O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from
the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those
who are in most need of Your mercy.
[We make a spiritual communion to discern and do God’s Will in each
present moment as we say:]
(All) All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of
Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart
of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.

Fourth Sorrow and Joy — The Presentation
(Leader) St. Joseph, by your deep SORROW when
Simeon declared that the heart of Mary would be pierced
with the sword of sorrow at the time that her Divine Son
generously sacrificed Himself for our sins, and by your
JOY when Simeon added that the Seed-Sacrifice offering
of Jesus was to bear an abundant harvest of redeemed
souls,
(All) Obtain for me, my family, the grace to unite ourselves
with the sorrows of Mary and to share in the
salvation which Jesus brought to the earth.
Pray one Our Father, Seven Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
(All) O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from
the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those
who are in most need of Your mercy.
[We make a spiritual communion to discern and do God’s Will in each
present moment as we say:]
(All) All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of
Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart
of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.

Fifth Sorrow and Joy — The Flight into Egypt
(Leader) St. Joseph, by your SORROW when told to
flee into the foreign and hostile land of Egypt, and by
your JOY in seeing their satanic idols fall to the ground
as the Living God passed by,
(All) Grant that I, the members of my family, will not fear
to do God’s will, which is distinct for each one of us, and
will always trust in Him as the total source of both our
spiritual and material security.
Pray one Our Father, Seven Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
(All) O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from
the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those
who are in most need of Your mercy.
[We make a spiritual communion to discern and do God’s Will in each
present moment as we say:]
(All) All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of
Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart
of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.

Sixth Sorrow and Joy – The Return from Egypt
(Leader) St. Joseph, by the SORROW of your heart
caused by the fear of the son of Herod after your obedient
return from Egypt, and by your JOY in sharing the company
of Jesus and Mary at Nazareth,
(All) Grant for us that, freed from all fear, we may
enjoy the peace of a good conscience, live securely in
union with Jesus and Mary, and experience your assistance
at the hour of our death.
Pray one Our Father, Seven Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
(All) O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from
the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those
who are in most need of Your mercy.
[We make a spiritual communion to discern and do God’s Will in each
present moment as we say:]
(All) All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of
Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart
of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.

Seventh Sorrow and Joy – The Finding in the Temple
(Leader) St. Joseph, by the bitter SORROW with
which the loss of the Child Jesus crushed your heart, and
by the holy JOY which filled your soul in recovering your
treasure when you re-entered the Temple,
(All) I beg you not to permit me, any member of my
family to lose our Savior Jesus through sin. Yet, should this misfortune
befall any of us, grant that we may share your eagerness
in seeking him, and obtain for us the grace of finding
Him, and never losing Him again.
Pray one Our Father, Seven Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
(All) O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from
the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those
who are in most need of Your mercy.
(All) All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of
Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart
of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.
(Leader) Behold the faithful and prudent servant,
(All) Whom the Lord set over His house.

Glorious St. Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate
Virgin, obtain for me and all the members of my family
and loved ones, a confident, sinless, generous, and patient
heart, and perfect resignation to the Divine Will.
Be our guide, father, and model throughout life, that
we may merit a death like yours, in the arms of Jesus and
Mary.
Help us, St. Joseph, in our earthly strife, to fulfill our
responsibilities and ever to lead a pure and blameless life.
Heavenly Father, please ask the Holy Spirit, Who
resides in the innermost recesses of my soul, to help me
to call to mind all of my sins and faults. Help me to
detach myself from these faults and sins so that I can be
a useful instrument in the hands of the Most Holy
Family, to achieve Your distinctive plan for my life.

Erin Go Braugh

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through the belief in the threeness,

Through the confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today

Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,

Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,

Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,

Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day.
I arise today

Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,

In obedience of angels,

In the service of archangels,

In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In prayers of patriarchs,

In predictions of prophets,

In preaching of apostles,

In faith of confessors,

In innocence of holy virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today

Through the strength of heaven:

Light of sun,

Radiance of moon,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of wind,

Depth of sea,

Stability of earth,

Firmness of rock.
I arise today

Through God's strength to pilot me:

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's host to save me

From snares of demons,

From temptations of vices,

From everyone who shall wish me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,

Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ to shield me today

Against poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness,

Of the Creator of Creation.

Feast of St. Nicholas

I know this is late but:

In many places St. Nicholas is the main gift giver. His feast day, St. Nicholas Day, is December 6, which falls early in the Advent season. Some places he arrives in the middle of November and moves about the countryside, visiting schools and homes to find out if children have been good. Other places he comes in the night and finds carrots and hay for his horse or donkey along with children's wish lists. Small treats are left in shoes or stockings so the children will know he has come.
Where St. Nicholas is prominent, his day, not Christmas, is the primary gift giving day. Parties may be held on the eve, December 5th, and shoes or stockings left for St. Nicholas to fill during the night. Children will find treats of small gifts, fruit or nuts, and special Nicholas candies and cookies. St. Nicholas gifts are meant to be shared, not hoarded for oneself. - this is from the St. Nicholas Center http://www.stnicholascenter.org/

So my kids get their stockings on the feast of St. Nicholas. They don't think they are from him just in honor of his gift giving legacy. Here are some pictures of the event. Oh RA and DG got Sacrafice beads since St. Therese has played a big role in RA's life since Oct. and since DG really needs help making sacrifices. Daddy even got Godiva coffee. Mommy got her traditional chocolate orange.

Advent Traditions

So since Christmas isn't quite upon us the Helgoths have some Advent Traditions. First is the Jesse Tree. Our tree goes up the first Sunday of Advent and we decorate it with purple lights, ribbon, and snowflakes (I found them all three years ago at Target). Then each day of advent we add a Jesse Tree ornament. For the past two years, we have been part of an exchange so I think I have all the ornaments now. This is totally the way to do it, because then you just have to make two different types of ornaments for however many people instead of making 28ish different ornaments. Great chart for ornaments at http://www.cresourcei.org/jesse.html.
Then on the third Sunday of Advent we take down the purple and put up the Christmas lights and decorations. The kids like leaving the Jesse Tree ornaments. The 3rd Sunday of Advent is also when we start listening to Christmas music.
We don't do Santa in our house. Another day for the why of that. But on the feast of St. Nicholas (Dec. 6th) the kids get their stockings filled.
We also have a creche (crib) under the tree for Jesus. It is filled with good deeds. Last year, we put in straw for each of our good deeds as mom and dad saw them and took some out if the need arose (ok when the need arose). This year we have a sacrifice jar. Each night they chose a strip of paper with a sacrifice they can make the next day. If they do it, they get to put straw in the creche.
Our letters to Santa are letters to Jesus asking for gifts: material and spiritual. We exchange gifts as immediate family on Epiphany and if no extended family is around we open their gifts then too. Christmas day we try to have a birthday party for Jesus!
We also have an Advent wreath and there are these great seek and find Advent books we use each day. http://www.printeryhouse.org/ProdPage.asp?Prod=DYK&cat=226.
Oh and you can still sign up for Holy Heros Advent Adventure. They send a daily email with activities and videos. It makes it really easy! http://www.holyheroes.com/.
Happy Advent!

Co-op (Caritas Christus) All Saints Party

My kids could not wait for the co-op All Saints Party. They dressed up like saints, gave their saint "reports" for the whole group (moms, dads, and Fr. Janko), had lunch and played games. DG did really well with Who Am I -- the name that saint game, and lucky for me guessed how many peices of dove choclate were in the container. Fun was had by all. Oh and RA cannonized Bl. Kateri. And I should explain PG's costume. When St. Jane of Aza (St. Dominic's mother) was pregnant with St. Dominic she had a dream/vision that she gave birth to a dog with a torch in his mouth who ran throughout the world setting it ablaze and in Latin the name Dominicana would be hounds or dogs of God. Thus PG's costume -- although it should be black and white. DG was St. Louis of France, who was a crusader king. Thanks to Blue knights, we had the whole costume.

Amazing Grace at a Funeral

Today we went to an amazing funeral of an amazing man, Lucious Newsom. I have linked a story about the funeral below. The funeral brought up so many good conversations and ideas. One that struck me was that I have always struggled, as a Catholic, when you go to a funeral and they say, "We know the deceased is heaven (a better place...) but with Lucious it was hard to think otherwise. As the priest who gave the homily today said (one of the 21 - that I counted), when he was thinking about which gospel they could read at the Mass all seemed to apply (When I was hungry, you gave me to eat..., go and sell all you have and give to the poor, whoever denies himself takes up his cross and follows me, those who leave mother and father, husband or wife, brother, sister will inherit 100 fold, the good Samaritan, the father in the prodigal son who forgives the man who shoots up his house and on and on and on). And I think, we should all strive when we are laid to rest to know with absolute certainty but humble submission to the will of God, that we are going to be with the Lord because we always have been.
http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=8885190#