Friday, February 28, 2014
Ash Wednesday, Lenten Traditions, and Link-Up All in 7 Quick Takes
Welcome Family and Friends!
I’m co-hosting and participating in the annual Catholic
Bloggers Network, Keep LOVE in
LENT Blog Link-Up 2014! We'll be
sharing tips, stories and experiences that will help us focus on Lenten
sacrifices, prayer and good deeds and
how to carry them out with LOVE instead
of a GRUMBLE.
Are you a
Christian blogger who'd like to share Lenten ideas?
You're
welcome to join in! Please
scroll to the linky at the bottom
of my post and visit the other hostesses' too so
that you can join in if you'd like!
I'm sharing some of our family's Lenten memories, traditions, and resources in this 7 Quick Takes hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary...
A Day of Repentance:
The
distribution of ashes reminds us of our own mortality and calls us to
repentance. In the early Church, Ash Wednesday was the day on which
those who had sinned, and who wished to be readmitted to the Church,
would begin their public penance. The ashes that we receive are a
reminder of our own sinfulness, and many Catholics leave them on their foreheads all day as a sign of humility.
In this article, Ash Wednesday Our Shifting Understanding of Lent, it states the following:
When we receive ashes on our foreheads, we remember who we are. We remember that we are creatures of the earth ("Remember that you are dust"). We remember that we are mortal beings ("and to dust you will return"). We remember that we are baptized. We remember that we are people on a journey of conversion ("Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel"). We remember that we are members of the body of Christ (and that smudge on our foreheads will proclaim that identity to others, too).
Here is a great 2 minute video about Ash Wednesday:
Our family will attend an Ash Wednesday Mass to help us remember that, like the Advent season, Lent is also a time of preparation and a call to conversion. It's funny to have people tell me that I have "dirt" on my forehead after we attend Ash Wednesday Mass. When this is said to me, it gives me a great opportunity to share my faith.
In this article, Ash Wednesday Our Shifting Understanding of Lent, it states the following:
When we receive ashes on our foreheads, we remember who we are. We remember that we are creatures of the earth ("Remember that you are dust"). We remember that we are mortal beings ("and to dust you will return"). We remember that we are baptized. We remember that we are people on a journey of conversion ("Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel"). We remember that we are members of the body of Christ (and that smudge on our foreheads will proclaim that identity to others, too).
Here is a great 2 minute video about Ash Wednesday:
Our family will attend an Ash Wednesday Mass to help us remember that, like the Advent season, Lent is also a time of preparation and a call to conversion. It's funny to have people tell me that I have "dirt" on my forehead after we attend Ash Wednesday Mass. When this is said to me, it gives me a great opportunity to share my faith.
Salt Dough Crown of Thorns
Next week we will be making our annual crown of thorns out of salt dough and you can find the link at Catholics United for the Faith (CUF). Click HERE to find recipe and other Lenten resources from CUF.
Here is a picture I took last year while my kid's hands mixed the salt dough ingredients
Each time our children and my husband and I make little or big sacrifices during Lent, we will pull out a toothpick to remove Jesus' thorns from his crown.
Then just before Easter, our children will paint the thorn-less crown gold and glue jewels on the crown to represent that Jesus our King has risen! The decorated crown looks lovely on the Easter table. Here is a picture of a crown we did a few years ago.
Bean Jar
Speaking of sacrifices,
another Lenten tradition our family does is the "bean jar". We have a
bowl filled with dried kidney beans, then when a family member makes a
sacrifice, they put a bean in the jar. Then on Easter morning the
children will find that the beans that have accumulated in the jar
during Lent will be changed into colorful and yummy jelly beans! I told the kids that on Ash Wednesday and every Friday in Lent they
could get a "2 for 1" deal on their sacrifices, meaning if they do
something on Fridays they can pull a toothpick and put a bean in the jar
vs. choosing one or the other like on the other Lenten days. :-)
Holy Heroes-Lenten Adventure
I
got the bean jar idea from Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure a few years ago and
we decided to try it in our home during Lent. Our family loves Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure
(and Advent Adventure) and you can register your email for free to
receive weekly links all about Lent. I have learned so much along with
my children!
Family Devotional Book
Throughout Lent our family will be reading once again, A Family Journey with Jesus through Lent by Angela M. Burrin published by The Word Among Us.
We really enjoy this book as it is written to promote family prayer and
the characters in each story for each day of Lent are children and
families that live in Jesus' time. Then after each story that is based
on scripture there is a "Jesus, Speak to Me" section where it is written
as if Jesus is speaking to us. This is a wonderful book that has been
great to read as a family each day during Lent!
Or we might try to read Amon's Adventure: A Family Story for Easter. We have really enjoyed the Advent versions of these family read alouds!
Speaking of great books to read during Lent, Patty over at Reasons for Chocolate has this great post where she lists all the wonderful books her children will be reading during Lent.
Stations of the Cross
Many
years ago, when my older two children were little I had them color
printable stations of the cross. I then glued them onto construction
paper and each Lent we tape them up in order on our dining room wall.
Each Friday as a family we pray through the stations of the cross with
these.
Several years ago, I found a simple presentation of the Stations of the Cross for kids 10 and under and this is what we use to say the stations during Lent. It was in The Word Among Us Lenten Family Edition, Lent 2006 and HERE is a link to part of the article if you would like to review it. Only subscribers to The Word Among Us can view this kid's version of Stations of the Cross in its entirety, however.
We have also made Stations of the Cross bags and pretzels for Lent in the past. I hope to read the book Walter the Baker by Eric Carle again to go along with our pretzel making like in year's past!
Meatless Meals
In the article I learned something new when it stated, "The word Lent itself is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning "Spring," and lenctentid, which literally means not only "Springtide" but also was the word for "March," the month in which the majority of Lent falls."
I'm always on the look out for meatless dishes during Lent and this Seafood Spaghetti dish is easy and delicious. You can find the recipe at my blog post HERE. I really like Jen's Roundup of Lenten Resources post HERE that includes lots of links to meatless meal ideas. I hope to try some new dishes from her list. Thanks Jen!
I linked up my Seafood Spaghetti recipe at Beth Anne Best's 2014 Lenten Meal Plan Link-Up!
Here's what we ask of those joining the Keep Love in Lent Link-Up:
1. Link your post right here between Monday, March 3 and Monday, March 10
2. Copy and paste the hostesses' blog names/links to the bottom of your post so that your readers, who may also blog, can join in the fun and link up.
Monica at Equipping Catholic Families
Equipping Catholic Families on Facebook
Chris at Campfires and Cleats
Campfires and Cleats on Facebook
Tina at Truly Rich Mom
Truly Rich Mom on Facebook
Tracy at A Slice of Smith Life
A Slice of Smith Life on Facebook
4. Mandatory Follow Frenzy~
Visit,
enjoy, be inspired by and comment on the blogs in your "group!" The Keep
Love in Lent Link-Up is not a link and run event...sorry, folks! A
requirement of participation is our follow frenzy.
Here's how it works:
* Once the
linky closes on 3/10/14, the admins of the Keep Love linky will email
ALL who've linked. We will provide you with info regarding the "group"
to which you are "assigned."
* You are
asked to visit the blogs in your group ( there will be approx 10-12 )
and leave meaningful comments within a given time frame. In this way,
traffic to all blogs is increased and we all benefit from each others' work!
~ And that's IT for the participation guidelines.~
May you have a blessed and Holy Lent!
I also linked this post to Convert Journal, New Evangelists Monthly-March 2014
I also linked this post to Convert Journal, New Evangelists Monthly-March 2014
Linky opens March 3rd~~
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Hello! Thank you for your Visit!
I'm Tracy. I love my faith, family and on most days, homeschooling my 5 blessings. When I'm not busy baking cakes for my family or making memories in real life or dreaming I had a housekeeper or professional chef, I enjoy documenting a slice of Smith life in blog land.
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14 comments:
Love it , Love it, Love it!
Great stuff here. Thanks for sharing~
HI Chris!
Thanks! This is so fun to host this Lent Link Up with you and the other wonderful ladies!
This is a great resource for families observing Lent. Thanks for including me :)
Hi Jen!
I loved your list of resources as well! So glad to link up to you! So many great things to do and ideas for Lent, so little time :) Have a blessed Lent Jen!
Hi Tra
I came back to really look around a bit more ( it only took me a week!!) Your info on the history of lent in your meatless meal section of the post is awesome! Thanks for sharing that......
I also sub to Holy Heroes this year too, thanks to you!I thought that my oldest would be "too old," but actually he is enjoying it tremendously ( we only got one, yesterday for Wed and Thurs, but it was great)
Thanks for sharing this wealth of ideas!
Hope all is well!!
xox
Hi Chris!
Great to "see" you again! So glad you enjoyed the links in this post and the Holy Heroes resource is a favorite of ours! Have a fruitful lenten journey! :)
I signed my 4th grader up for the Holy Heroes; first time.
Thank you for sharing your Lenten Traditions...especially the meatless Meals & Lenten Meal Plan Link-Up!
A blessed Lenten season to you and your family!
Hi Valerie at "Hand-Maid With Love"! Thank you for your visit and comment! I'm glad you registered with HH! Such a blessed resource! Enjoy your meatless Lenten meals also! Have a blessed Lent!
I love your family's hand-colored stations of the cross. So much meaning when they put their heart into something for devotion. Such great ideas and I love your creativity with your cakes. Have a blessed Lent :)
Hi Meredith! Thank you for your nice comments. Those colored stations are oldies, but goodies and I probably should have my younger children color some too :) Thanks for checking out the cakes too! Some of them are definitely labors of love! :) Have a blessed and fruitful Lenten season!
A family devotional for Lent is such a great idea! My husband and I do this every year and it has been such a source of strength for our marriage. We have struggled with infertility for the length of our marriage, but if God one day blesses us with children, this is most definitely a practice we feel led to continue with our "whole family".
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Pier from "newlywedlefebvres"!
When my husband and I were newlyweds (back in 1997!) we also did devotions, especially during the Advent season. Now these devotions have grown and evolved with our growing family.
May God bless your faithfulness with children of your own so you can pass down your faith to them!
Thank you for visiting and commenting! May your Lent be fruitful and blessed!
I've seen a lot of sourdough bread crowns on the Internet this past week; yours is the best--really beautiful. What a lovely tradition for your family.
Hi Grace!
Your sweet comment means alot considering that blog world is huge and there are tons of great ideas and posts out there floating around :)
We've enjoyed doing our salt dough crown of thorns each year for several years now...it's a fun and meaningful tradition for sure!
Thanks for stopping in and commenting! :) Have a blessed Lent!