Category Archives: Lent

Arma Dei, Equipping Catholic Families, Following Frenzy, Keep Love in Lent, Lent, Truly Rich Mom

Keep LOVE in LENT

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Are you feeling pressured to have your holiest, Sacrifice and prayer-filled Lenten Journey this year? Do you ever find that you start out on Ash Wednesday with your ashes on your forehead and so many Sacrifice and prayer resolutions, but get discouraged by the second week because you can’t stick to them all?
How about focusing on one solid resolution or Lenten program or one different challenge each week: one that our families might be able to stick with, will draw all of us closer to Jesus, and one that we can carry out with love in our hearts instead of grumpy Lent faces.
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Do you want to share what your family is doing for Lent this year?
Then join us, Tina of Truly Rich Mom, and Erika of Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, and Monica of Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013.

We’re also going to incorporate a totally optional Follow Frenzy feature for those who want to be inspired by other people’s posts, with the added benefit of getting meaningful comments and new followers to your own blog.
A blog link-up is where we each write a blog post on the same theme. Everyone will get links to other bloggers’ posts to multiply your reach, and to help spread the message of Keeping LOVE in LENT!
You will have the option to participate in the Follow Frenzy, committing to visit and leave meaningful comments at 20 different blog-posts  participating in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up (and receiving 20 meaningful comments on your own blog-post!)
You don’t have to participate in the Follow Frenzy, especially if reduced blog-time is part of your Lent!
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The LInk-Up is open to all bloggers who agree with the its’ goal, particularly Catholics and Christians of all denominations who observe LENT. You may write about anything that pertains to the blog theme, e.g. share tips on how you and your family keep LOVE in LENT:  stories to encourage others to do so; books and activities (even recipes!) that help keep Lenten Observances of fasting, abstinence from meat on Fridays, extra prayer, cleaning and giving clothes away to the poor, special Catholic devotions and practices like extra weekday Masses or Stations of the Cross, etc.
To participate, please follow these steps:
1. Register by filling up the form at the end of this post or clicking here ON OR BEFORE Pancake Tuesday, February 12, 2012.
2. Write your blog post on the theme, “Keeping LOVE in LENT” in the first part of LENT and publish the blog post on February 19-20, 2013, filling out the form we send you with the direct address to your blog-post  no later than February 20, 2013 at 9AM (EST).  You will receive the complete list of Blog-post links by noon on February 20, 2013 (EST) for you to add at the bottom of your post.
At the beginning of your blog carnival post, 
write the following as your introduction and include the Love in LENT button!
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“I’m participating in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013, hosted by Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom and Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families. We’ll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds, and carrying them out with LOVE instead of a GRUMBLE.  Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of link-up entries.”
The deadline for registration for the carnival is February 12, 2013 (Pancake Tuesday). 
Posting instructions and Link-Up  rules will be e-mailed to all participants on February 14, 2013 and the link-up will go live on February 20, 2013. PLEASE PUBLISH YOUR BLOG-POSTS no later than 9am EST on February 20, 2013.
PLEASE NOTE:
Kindly write about the theme provided. We do not moderate or screen posts but we do reserve the right to exclude your entry from the list of link-up participants should your post be offensive, irrelevant to the theme, contain personal attacks, off-topic articles, articles that are anti-Christ or are articles aimed to market products or services.
Important Dates:
1. REGISTER HERE your blog by February 12, 2013.
2. Publish your blog-post on February 19 or 20, 2013. (No Later than February 20 at 9am EST).
3. Send in your direct blog-post address (by filling out the form we send you) 
as soon as you publish your blog-post, no later than February 20 at 9am EST.
4. Add the list of link-up participants to the end of your blog post by February 20, 2013 at noon. EST.
You will receive a list of link-up participants as I receive them on February 19, 2013 with the final list compiled for you to edit at the end of your blogpost by noon on February 20, 2013.
OPTIONAL FOLLOW FRENZY:
5. Specify in the registration form that you intend to participate in the FOLLOW FRENZY.
6. Receive your list of blogs to visit on February 20 by noon EST.
7. Visit, leave meaningful comments and hopefully subscribe or follow 20 newly discovered Blogs by February 24, 2013.  
Thank you very much! 
We’re excited to read your entries and help spread the word on how to keep LOVE in LENT!

     
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Book Reviews, Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa, Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle, Lent

Lent Day One: Unplugged Living

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Lent Day One: Unplugged Living


Our family is in the middle of packing for a big move across three states North of us so when I thought of what creative things to plan for Lent I fell a little short.  Then I remembered that one of my favorite Catholic authors, Donna Marie Cooper-O’Boyle had released a new book for Lent!  Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa: Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families is now a permanent fixture in my purse (since we are on the move)!

Today was our first day.  Todd and I decided we were going to do this first thing in the morning, everyone gathered around and we began.  In just two short pages, we prayed, we argued, we discussed, came to terms, and found workable solutions for things that our children individually and all of us, as a family, would do for Ash Wednesday.  We agreed (with a little kicking and screaming from the two eldest) that unplugging for the whole day would be the family sacrifice.  Then each person spoke about what they each would do individually.  It was amazing!  My seven year old looked at me as if I had lost my mind: “No computers and NO TV?  Mom what are we supposed to do with our spare time?,” he asked bewildered.  “I don’t know you tell me, what are some suggestions for your brother?,” I questioned the rest of the children.  READ!  TALK!  PLAY BOARD GAMES!  DANCE!  PLAY!  GO FOR A WALK!  ~ a wave of suggestions crashed into the room!  Smiles filled some of the faces of our five children, the others full of doubt that they could actually “survive” one day UNPLUGGED!  I ended with suggesting that each time they felt like “plugging up” that they say a prayer of thanksgiving for all of the sacrifices Christ made for them on the Cross!  My teenager shoots me a look that says, “Yeah right mom! Come on!”  I just smiled!

And the day has started!  We started our day with prayer, not rushing to get breakfast on the table, or to start school, or any of the usuals – “FIRST victory!”, I thought to myself!

Next, as I prepared breakfast I announced that it was time to get ready for the day while breakfast was being made.  This, is not anything new in our house, what SHOULD usually happen…what was different?  They were all working on today’s task: being better listeners, so they RAN to get ready.  I looked over at Todd and said, I think I like this book!

Breakfast was not an issue, everyone prayed and ate without a fuss and the rest of the day was filled with similar reactions.  We went to Mass, ran some errands, came back home, had some cheese pizza, no dessert, played some games that had lots of dust on them from sitting on a shelf, and we even danced a little, laughed a lot!

I am happy to announce that we all made it!  Yep, we survived one, whole, day:  Unplugged!  😀

I think I like this book…and unplugged living, well maybe a little (I know I’m blogging but I HAD to tell you about this amazing book!)

Oh and did I mention the book was ONLY $2.50 – yep, love it!   😀

     
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craft, davinci, holy week, last supper, Lent

A Six Year Old’s Take on daVinci’s The Last Supper

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I am totally in love with all the Holy Week action going on over at Lacy’s {Catholic Icing} and got super excited to see the activity she prepared {and shared} for Holy Thursday.  She did this based on Leonardo da Vinci’s the Last Supper:



Lacy’s craft activity is super cute:

See?  I was so excited to get it going with my six and four year olds but never did I think I’d get the reaction I got.  Before I tell you what happened, I should tell you two things:  First, about my six year old.  Our little Jojo sees the world very different than most kids his age, very different than his own Mama, actually.  He sees things VERY black and white and there are no in betweens.  I tell Todd that he’d make for a very good priest because of this natural inclination of his.  Second, when it comes to meal time, we stress eating as a family A LOT and because of my beloved’s job situation in the past three years, that means almost all three meals {he has been laid off five times}.  At the table, everyone has a place where they sit, not really assigned..it kinda just happened!  For obvious reasons, Dada’s spot is at the head of the table. 

So as I {very excitedly} explained who da Vinci was, and his painting, my six year old’s first reaction was, “mom, there is something wrong with that painting?”  Me, “there is?  What would that be?”  “Why on Earth would they sit like that, that’s not the way a family sits and Jesus and his Apostles were like family!”  {his face says it all, he is mad, frustrated, and confused!}.  “Son, this is a very famous painting and it is the artist’s interpretation of the Last Supper,” I immediately replied to him.  “Mom, Jesus was their leader, like Dada is the head of our house, and he sits at the head of the table so Jesus would have to sit there and the Apostles on the sides!” he clamored. 

Okay maybe the kid had a point {he does very often, btw}…something I never really thought about, I mean I’ve seen the painting hundreds of times and heck it is Leonardo daVinci, why would I question it?  But my lovely six year old did, he challenged the great artist’s interpretation of the Last Supper! 

So what did I do, like a good homeschool educator, I went with it!  “So Jojo, what should we do because here are the directions from Mrs. Lacy and this is how she explained we should do it so that we have a nice piece to decorate the mantle for tomorrow?”  “Mom, I have a plan!” he stated…and he did.  Here is my six year old’s version of the Last Supper’s seating arrangement, lol:

 here he is proudly looking at his handy work:

 So what’s different from Mama Lacy?  Well he placed Jesus at the head of the table {far left} and the Apostles on the sides {six on each side}.  He also gave them place settings with their names.  I was glad he did this because at one point when they were cutting them out, Katie-Anne asked me who that one was and I had to look back at Lacy’s original.  So with name settings, there were no problems identifying each one.  I did try to get him to place them in the “right” daVinci order but he went his own route on this as well.  He was very specific in wanting Peter next to Judas!  He said that Peter must have known that Judas was a traitor an needed to sit next to him so that, “he could keep an eye on him!”  In addition, he wanted a title to the scene.   I made a label that says, “Holy Thursday, The Last Supper” and we placed it at the far end of the table opposite Jesus.  Here are more pictures:

Notice they chose to not color the food at the table {and that they wanted a table clothe}, they are going to cook {color} the food tomorrow!  😉

Katie-Anne wants her picture in too 😉
aerial view, oh and the “wood” chairs:

So I hope that Mama Lacy over at the lovely CatholicIcing, doesn’t mind that Jojo changed her plan up 😉  Thanks for sharing with us, Lacy!

Tomorrow, washing of the feet…guess who will be doing it?  Yup, Jojo…well at least at our house!  😉

Enjoy!

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Lent

Lent from the Heart

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This year, Lent has a special meaning for me. I have heard our parish priest (back in Miami, our beloved Fr. Omar Huesca) tell us about prayer, fasting and alms giving many times. He always reminded us that fasting is not fasting if you don’t feel hunger. Fasting is not fasting if you don’t feel deprived of something. “Fast until it hurts in your stomach!”, he would tell us. He would follow it by reminding us that alms giving is not alms giving if it doesn’t hurt. If it is too easy to part with that amount, give more. “Give until you feel like it is too much, then you are truly giving alms”, he would say. And then he would remind us to pray with our families. Pray with fervor and devotion for those who have no one to pray for them. Pray for your children’s vocations. Pray for your spouse, for the poor, for the ill, for the weak, for the greedy…The list went on. This year, however, I am so far away from Fr. Omar that I have to make the effort to make sure we are fasting and praying and giving alms…until it hurts.

Lent’s sacrifices, as he explained year after year, are supposed to take us away from those bad habits we have allowed into our lives. They should, by the end of Lent, have become things of the past. And so, the sacrifice should become a regular practice for the rest of your life. So giving up chocolate, Facebook, sweets and things of that sort, while forcing us to restrain ourselves for a bit, don’t really habit train us. Come Easter Sunday, there is a mound of chocolate sitting at the table ready for consumption. Facebook has so many updates and new posts that the next three days are spent in seclusion catching up. And all the weight that was lost in the self-denial of deserts for 40 days (more if you still abstain on Sundays) finds its way back in a week’s time. We are called to challenge ourselves to lead better lives and be better examples of Christ’s love for us. In giving up detrimental behaviors, unhealthy foods or adding to our life of prayer, donating more of our time to charities, paying more attention to the needs of others over our own needs, we chisel away at those imperfections that keep us from full Communion with Christ. If we then continue these practices for the rest of our lives, every Lent we get the opportunity to chisel away at something else. Imagine how many great changes we can make within ourselves and in our parish or community over a life span!

This Lent, I am making sure I give up some of those really bad habits that have found their way into very prominent places in my life. I am also guiding my children to do the same. Using our religion portion of our homeschool day we are really diving into what it means to fast, pray and give alms. Taking this time to train ourselves to do better and be better for the greater glory of God provides us extra mental strength for the battle. You see, it is Lent, we are expected to give something up and keep giving it up for the entire season. So the external pressure to commit and see the sacrifice through is more present at this time of the year than any other. What is more, to do it with a higher purpose, not just for our own sake but for obedience to the Church and for the salvation of souls, well, that is just a great gift our Faith affords us.

From our family to yours, have a deep prayerful and selfless Lenten Season. May your journey with Christ bring you closer to Him and your loved ones. We pray for many graces to fall upon you over the next 40 days.
God bless,

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Lent, liturgical

Liturgical Activities for Children: Lent

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It’s hard to believe that Lent is basically at our door!  Just like Advent, it’s time to get our ducks in a row and plan the 40 days out for our family and homeschools.  Seems like everyone has been busy looking for Lent activities these past few weeks as it has become the most popular post here on Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints!  If you missed it, here is last year’s post on Lent Activities for Children.

In addition, I found some new ideas from other Catholic Blogging Mamas that you might be interested in:

If you have a post on your blog and would like to share it, please leave a message here!  I’d love to do an updated post with more ideas from our readers.

Blessings to you all,

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catholicism, Lent

Lent is Here! Activities for Children

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There is a plethora of ideas and activities to work with your home schooled children via other Catholic Blogging Mamas throughout the net. Here is the line up of what I’ve found thus far (if you find other good sites to recommend, please post a comment on here withe link). Some of these overlap a little, be aware! 🙂 Here is the line up (hover over the name of the blog to click on the link):

  • Catholic Blogging Mama Lacy @ Catholic Icing (I LOVE THIS BLOG): Not sure if Lacy is a homeschooler but I love her blog because she has tons of activities for Lent (and other Liturgical seasons for that matter). I love her ideas for kids to make sacrifices by giving up favorite toys and putting them away during Lent! What a great way to teach children sacrifice!!!
  • Holy Heroes Lent Adventures: Follow Lent with Holy Heroes! If you sign up for their program (which is FREE) you will receive a daily e-mail with what will be done next for each day of Lent. There are activities and adorable videos (the their kids), check them out!
  • Catholic Blogging Mama Liz @ Holy Family Classical Homeschool Academy: She has compiled a list of activities on her blog, very neat! You will find a Lent Lapbok, Sacrifice Beads, Prayer Jar, Pretzels, Way of the Cross candle craft, Station coloring book, family chart, Crown of Thorns, Sacrifice Jar, and a Merciful Cross.
  • Catholic Blogging Mama Erin @ Catholic Homeschool Society: Lent resource for families – Lent Journal for Children posted to view sample pages and order a copy.Includes: Liturgical Calendar, Coloring Pages of the Saints, Family Discussion for the Sunday Gospel Readings, Collection of Prayers, Family Activity Ideas during Lent, The Ten Commandments, Stations of the Cross, The Holy Rosary – focusing on the Sorrowful Mysteries, Family projects for Lent – Cooking, Sewing, Woodworking, and Gardening and more..
  • Family in Feast and Feria: They have created a printable Stations of the Cross for kids! I love it!
  • Catholic Blogging Mama Gae @ Cherished Hearts at Home: She has put together a Stations of the Cross box with ideas for each station, go to her neat blog for the list of items you probably already have around your house!
  • I Blog, Therefore I am! isn’t a homeschooler but a Faith Formation teacher and has come up with lesson plans that she will be using for Lent with her students with vocabulary and everything!
  • Catholic Blogging Mama Sally @ Castle in the Sea: Sally has details of a Stations of the Cross activity she does with her family from the printables to how to actually do it to involve your children, big and small. Thanks, Sally, for sending us this information!

Enjoy!

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