A Slice of Smith Life: Our Lady of Guadalupe

Showing posts with label Our Lady of Guadalupe. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Advent Feast Days 2015: Feast of the Immaculate Conception, St. Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Lucy and "O" Antiphons!

8:49 PM | Posted by asliceofsmithlife | Edit Post

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Last week was a big week for celebrating some fun and faith-filled feast days during this Advent season. We haven't always celebrated so many feast days during this time of year or other times, but for the past 15 years we have gradually added new liturgical feast day celebrations as our family learns about them or if I feel inspired to "copy" fun ideas. :) Sometimes we have celebrated with other families and friends, while many times it is just with our family.

On December 6, we celebrated the feast of St. Nicholas, which is always a fun tradition for our family.

On December 8, we celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is the day in the liturgical calendar that we celebrate when Mary was conceived without original sin in Saint Anne's womb. Many are mistaken and think this is the day Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb, but that is not correct. It is 9 months from today, September 8, when we celebrate our Blessed Mother's birthday in the Church.
We had a "white" themed lunch in honor of Mary's purity. This is a tradition we just started last year. We ate our chicken alfredo (bought from Costco), salad with Ranch dressing and vanilla ice cream during my husband's lunch break so he could join us and because we had a busy evening with Mass and choir practice for my daughters. On our Advent Tree we hung the 3-D ornament of St. Anne holding Mary in her womb made by Lacy at Catholic Icing and Kristen at Drawn 2B Creative and we also hung our Advent ornament of the Immaculate Conception that I printed out and made from Jennifer at Catholic Inspired.

We also watched a favorite CCC of America DVD called Bernadette-The Princess of Lourdes.
See below for an explanation from the CCC of America website about the graces this beautiful young girl received from God and our Blessed Mother in 1858...

BERNADETTE - THE PRINCESS OF LOURDES
It’s February 11, 1858. Three girls from Lourdes, France, gather firewood in front of a grotto. Suddenly one of them, Bernadette Soubirous, 14, drops to her knees, gazes ecstatically at something beautiful only she can see, and starts to pray. Soon the town buzzes: Has Bernadette, poor, sickly, and always behind in school, really seen a Lady from Heaven? The police chief is angry, the pastor busy, and the crowd amused, but Bernadette is calm and brave. Then a spring bubbles up from nowhere and withered arms and sightless eyes are cured. At last, the Lady tells Bernadette her name: “I am The Immaculate Conception.”
BERNADETTE, THE PRINCESS OF LOURDES, is the exciting true story of a visit by the Queen of Heaven that left all the world a source of health for body and soul.

Here is a short video with Father Barron talking about Saint Bernadette and the Immaculate Conception while visiting Lourdes, France:

December 9 is Saint Juan Diego's feast day, the peasant man who received the miraculous image our Our Lady of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his tilma. More about him and St. Juan Diego resources on my post from 2014.

December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, is another fun feast day we try to celebrate each year!

To learn more about this miraculous event that happened in December 1531, there are many resources to use. One DVD that I just discovered is Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message. Watching this DVD is a great way to start learning more about Our Lady of Guadalupe. Be sure to check out my review that I posted about the film.

On the evening before December 12, I set up an Our Lady of Guadalupe poster, candles, Our Lady of Guadalupe book, Our Lady of Guadalupe Shining Light Doll and our Wandering Wisemen and camel stopped in. We left this display up during the day on December 12 and enjoyed reading the Our Lady of Guadalupe book that my children got on St. Nicholas' feast day.

Then in the evening on December 12, we had a Mexican potluck dinner with friends at our friend's home.

We were able to see our parish decorated with the Our Lady of Guadalupe image, beautiful roses and lit candles on Sunday. We didn't get to the early morning Mass and procession on December 12, but maybe one year our family will take part in the festive occasion!

December 13 is the feast day of Saint Lucy and we hung our St. Lucy ornament on our Advent tree and cooked a pastry filled with cream cheese (that was a frozen bread) and we read Lucia: Saint of Light, which is a beautiful book!

Whew! It's been a whirlwind of feast days this past week and celebrating them in simple and fun ways is a great way to focus on the Advent season as we prepare for the celebration of Christ's birth!

December 17-23 are called the "O" Antiphon Days as explained by Jennifer at Family in Feast and Feria. A few years ago we made an "O" Antiphon Lapbook with my children to learn more about these special days leading up to Christmas Day. We'll be pulling out these lapbooks to use for this year.

May the rest of your Advent season be blessed!

Labels:feast day,Immaculate Conception,Our Lady of Guadalupe,St. Juan Diego,St. Lucy,St. Nicholas | 1 comments

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message DVD Review

7:30 AM | Posted by asliceofsmithlife | Edit Post

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On December 9th, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Juan Diego, who was the first indigenous saint of the Western Hemisphere. St. Juan Diego was a lay person who lived a simple life in what is now Mexico City. On December 9, 1531, as he was walking to Mass one morning he passed Tepeyac Hill and heard music and a woman's voice. What followed was the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is celebrated on December 12th. This apparition 5 centuries ago has changed the course of history!

For several years now my children have grown up watching CCC of America's animated DVD titled Juan Diego: Messenger of Guadalupe which is a great DVD for children about St. Juan Diego's life and Our Lady of Guadalupe and I highly recommend it for all families.

But, as an adult I have been wanting to find a DVD that explained in greater detail the story and miracles surrounding this apparition since I have heard so many fascinating details about it through the years. I was pleased to find there is such a DVD and I received a copy of Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message in exchange for this review. I must say this is a must-see for children to adults!

This film was produced by Knights of Columbus and is narrated by Jim Caviezal (English version). On the menu, you can choose to watch it in English or Spanish. The English version does have Spanish speaking commentators, but there are subtitles in English. So I would recommend this DVD to children who can read subtitles well in order for them to be fully engaged in the film. It is an hour long full of fascinating and inspiring bits of history.

Here's the trailer to introduce you to it:

The documentary begins with an inside look at the beautiful St. Peter's Basilica on December 12, 2014 as Pope Francis celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and gives a homily about our beautiful Mother.

Then details are given of Saint Juan Diego's story and the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe that took place in 1531. It was interesting to learn in greater detail the symbolic meaning of the tilma and how the existence and preservation of the image has defied logic and science since it first appeared. I have always enjoyed hearing more about the miraculous image on the tilma and this film highlights the scientific research and experiments of the agave fiber cloth that continues to baffle the minds of scientists around the world.

The film continues with Mexico’s history through the Cristeros War to present day and what a significant impact this moment in history has had on the United States and the whole world. The apparition triggered the greatest conversion in the entire history of the Catholic Church as 9 million conversions took place in 7 years!

Several commentators keep your attention as they explain how Our Lady of Guadalupe has "united bitter enemies, endured as a symbol of hope and defied scientific explanation."

I enjoyed Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message and learned so much more about this beautiful apparition. I gained a greater appreciation for the devotion of Our Lady of Guadalupe as she came to show us the deep love she has for each one of us as our Mother. I highly recommend the film to "Guadalupanas". This was a term I never heard of before this film. Guadalupanas are those who are devoted to or curious about Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is a perfect film to watch on or around December 9, the feast day of St. Juan Diego, or on December 12, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

For another review, be sure to visit a fellow Catholic blogger, Martianne, who also reviewed the DVD at Training Happy Hearts. She and her children rave about the film and Martianne also included some great hands-on learning ideas using Our Lady of Guadalupe as a theme.

For more information about Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message, you can visit the site. The DVD can be purchased through Amazon.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

Labels:Our Lady of Guadalupe,review | 1 comments

Sunday, December 14, 2014

7 Quick Takes on 12/13/14

12:13 AM | Posted by asliceofsmithlife | Edit Post

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Today's not Friday, but rather it's Saturday, 12/13/14 (well, it was late Saturday night when I started writing this post, but published it EARLY Sunday morning :) ) It's a cool date to publish a blog post on so that's one of many reasons I'm just writing my 7 Quick Takes post now!

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I wrote a guest post on Home Educating Family Association (HEDUA) about the Family Fun Bucket that I published on my own blog. You can read my HEDUA post HERE. If you have followed my blog, you may remember my post here about the buckets that make a very simple, fun and low cost gift! So if you are looking for a last minute gift this Christmas season, this might be what you are looking for! Check it out and enjoy!

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photo credit: Real Life Rosary Store

Speaking of gifts, if you are in the market for rosaries and rosary prayer guides, be sure to visit Real Life Rosary Store, where James Hahn and his beautiful family make these beautiful rosaries. As stated on their "About Us" page: "We are a family-owned, small business, located in Southeastern Ohio. We are dedicated to helping others grow in their faith especially through the Rosary. All of our items are handcrafted by us." James Hahn is also the author of A Visit to Church: A Picture Journey and Rosary Meditations for Real Life. Thank you for your support for the Hahn family and their ministry and business!

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Amazon is offering another book coupon code! Use code BOOKDEAL25 to get an extra 25% off any book now through Sunday, December 14. One code per customer. I used this code just today (12-13-14) and it worked and I enjoyed the savings! I bought Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing which talks about Gaudete Sunday, which is tomorrow, 12-14-14. I won't have this book in time for tomorrow's 3rd Sunday in Advent, but I'll have it for the rest of this Advent and next year. :)

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The 2014 Homeschool Blog Awards are going on right now through 12/29 and I'm so honored that my blog here has been nominated in 2 categories: The Best Variety Blog and the Best Homeschool Mom Blog. There are so many great blogs nominated in each category, what a great honor to be listed among the many great bloggers! If you would like to vote for my blog in Best Variety category go HERE and click on circle next to "A Slice of Smith Life." If you would like to vote for my blog in Best Homeschool Mom Blog go HERE and click on my blog name. You can vote once a day in each category per device until 12/29. Thank you for your support!

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On 12-12-14, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our Wandering Wise Men and camel were checking out the image of Our Lady in the morning. We went to morning Mass and the beautiful church is decorated so lovely with roses. I've grown to love this feast day through the years!

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Today was 12-13-14, the feast day of Saint Lucy. Lucy means "light" so we went to a local garden and walked around to see the light displays and it was beautiful! I especially love the tree with glass bottles and lights. Afterward we came home and had sweet pastry bread and read Lucia: Saint of Light.

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Have a blessed 3rd Sunday of Advent!

I'm linking this post to 7 Quick Takes Link-Up.

This post is linked to Catholic Inspired Wandering Wise Men Link-Up

Labels:7 Quick Takes,feast day,Homeschool Blog Award Nominations,Our Lady of Guadalupe | 0 comments

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Advent Feast Days: St. Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Lucy

6:21 AM | Posted by asliceofsmithlife | Edit Post

This post contains affiliate links.

I caught my 16 month old daughter staring at our Advent wreath when we first set it out on our kitchen table and she was singing "Happy Birthday to you!" over and over again. :) I told her soon we will be singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus!" (and yes, she is a climber and she climbs on our kitchen picnic table benches all the time and sometimes she gets on top of table! Yikes!)

We continue to enjoy our Advent traditions and we also enjoy celebrating the many special feast days during the Advent season.

I blogged about 7 simple ways we celebrate Saint Nicholas' feast day and this past Saturday, December 6, Saint Nicholas left some goodies in our shoes.

On Monday, December 8, we celebrated the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception.

This is a busy feast day week and next up is December 9, feast day of Saint Juan Diego!

First, I just need to show you this super cute and beautiful felt ornament that Jennifer at Catholic Inspired made of Saint Juan Diego! Isn't she so talented? Jennifer has made several ornaments of the Saints and they are all so full of detail and beauty!

We enjoy watching the CCC of America video, Juan Diego-Messenger of Guadalupe. See below for a summary from CCC of America about this video and Juan Diego's true story.

JUAN DIEGO - MESSENGER OF GUADALUPE
In 1531 Juan Diego found himself between two worlds…that of the Spanish conquerors and that of his own Aztec heritage. Because of his love for his people and his strong faith, Juan Diego turned to Jesus and His Mother, Mary for help in uniting his people. The answer to Juan Diego’s prayers has become one of the greatest events in the history of the Americas.
JUAN DIEGO, MESSENGER OF GUADALUPE is the true story of how the Blessed Mother chose a hero for a key role in a beautiful miracle that would united diverse peoples and change the course of history.
In the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City the miracle of the tilma of Juan Diego may still be seen, just as it was seen by the bishop in 1531.

Holy Heroes sells a great CD with the story of Saint Juan Diego, which is currently FREE with the only cost for shipping! The CD also has the story of Blessed Imelda so you get 2 stories of 2 great saints on one CD! My children have listened to this Holy Heroes CD and others on car trips again and again! They are very well done and keep everyone's attention, children and adults!

Then on December 12 we celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which ties in well with St. Juan Diego's feast day in the same week.

Jennifer at Catholic Inspired was busy again making this felt ornament of Our Lady of Guadalup e! I just love the colors and detail!

My 16 month old loves the new Our Lady of Guadalupe Shining Light Doll she got for Saint Nicholas Day! It is something she can hold that won't break and the little story book that tells the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is great information!

We love reading this book by Tomie de Paola, but it looks like it is out of print on Amazon :(

But, I just found this title, Our Lady of Guadalupe, that looks like a beautiful book about St. Juan Diego and Our Lady's visit to him. So I'll be putting this book on my wish list!

To celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we have done several things through the years. One year we went to a Mexican restaurant and lit an Our Lady of Guadalupe candle at the table. Or if we don't make it out to a Mexican restaurant, we light the candle at home and eat tacos. Some years (2010, 2013) we have visited local churches decorated with tons of roses for Our Lady's celebration. So beautiful! Two years ago in 2012 on Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast day I announced I was pregnant with our Cupcake #5!

The image from Juan Diego's tilma is on display in Mexico and has not deteriorated since the 1500s when the image first appeared. There are many other miraculous facts about this image. To read some of these facts, you can read the post, "Little Known Facts About Our Lady of Guadalupe".

You can also read "Our Lady of Guadalupe ‘completely beyond' scientific explanation, says researcher", which is an article that explains how researchers to this day say "there is no scientific explanation for the 478 years of high quality-preservation of the Tilma or for the miracles that have occurred to ensure its preservation."

December 13 is the feast day of Saint Lucy. Lucy's name means "light", with the same root as "lucid" which means "clear, radiant, understandable." If you do not know about this young, beautiful saint you can read more about her here.We usually travel around town and look at Christmas lights to celebrate this Saint. This year we are going to a local garden for their walking Christmas light tour on the evening of December 13.

Feast Day: December 13
Born: 283 :: Died: 304

My oldest daughter especially loves this feast day because it is a Swedish tradition that the oldest daughter in the family wears a white dress with a red sash (red symbolizes martyrdom) and she wears a St. Lucy crown with candles on it. The daughter serves sweet rolls to family members. Some years I make the cinnamon rolls, while other years I forget or don't have time, but it's always a hit when the rolls are baked and eaten to celebrate Saint Lucy.

Our family just received Lucia: Saint of Light on Saint Nicholas' feast day so I plan on reading this book on her feast day.

May you have a blessed week full of faith-filled and fun feast days!

Labels:feast day,Our Lady of Guadalupe | 4 comments

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe 2013

11:18 PM | Posted by asliceofsmithlife | Edit Post

Last year on this feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe I linked up tons of great information about this special day and announced the pregnancy of our 5th baby. You can see pictures and read more on that post HERE.

Today we visited a local parish that happens to be a shrine and basilica and I wanted to show my children all the beautiful flowers and image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that was displayed in the church. Everything was decorated so beautifully as you can see from the pictures below!

At home we have an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that "travels" from family to family in our area. Our family prays 5 Hail Marys daily to pray for all the unborn and lights our Lady of Guadalupe candle during our prayer time. Here is the beautiful image...

...and my children found our Wandering Wise Men venerating the image of Our Lady this morning!
Tonight for dinner we had soft tacos as our Mexican meal since Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego on December 9, 1531 in Mexico. In year's past we have eaten out at Mexican restaurants and lit the Our Lady of Guadalupe candle at the table.

Learning about Our Lady of Guadalupe and celebrating her feast day during the Advent season is one of the many reasons I love being a Catholic!