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O Antiphons

Did you know that December 17-23 are the final days of Advent and they are called the O Antiphons, which are prayers recited or sung and they are various titles for our Messiah?

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This Advent season I haven't been updating my blog as much as I'd like, but I've been updating my blog's Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter accounts with all the activities we have been doing during Advent.  We are continuing to read our Advent read-aloud books by unwrapping one Christmas book each evening under our Advent tree.  We are also enjoying the Advent storybook as a family, Ishtar's Odyssey.

There are many wonderful feast days in the Catholic Church that we celebrate as a family leading up to the celebration of our Savior's birth.  On December 13 we celebrate the Feast of Saint Lucy.


To celebrate this feast day we read the book Lucia Saint of Light and made a wreath out of cinnamon rolls from the can.


Our oldest daughter served sweet rolls as she dressed in a white gown (symbolize St. Lucy as a bride of Christ), red ribbon (symbolize martyrdom) and wearing a crown of candles.  St. Lucy was born in Sicily, but in Sweden she is loved and honored with traditions because she helped to save Sweden from a terrible famine. She was blinded by her persecutors, but her sight was miraculously restored. They then tried to burn her, but no flame touched her. Finally she died when soldiers drove a sword through her throat. All because she was a Christian. She died in 304.

We also hung our St. Lucia ornament on our Advent tree. 


And one more thing...Since Christmas is so close, maybe you are thinking of doing some baking for family and friends?  Be sure to check out my guest post on Heather's blog at Life of a Homeschool Mom where I wrote my post Yummy {and quick} Christmas Treats for the Letter "Y" in the 4th Annual ABCs of Homeschooling Through the Holidays series..... 

This post contains affiliate links.

This Advent season I haven't been updating my blog as much as I'd like, but I've been updating my blog's Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter accounts with all the activities we have been doing during Advent.  We are continuing to read our Advent read-aloud books by unwrapping one Christmas book each evening under our Advent tree.  We are also enjoying the Advent storybook as a family, Ishtar's Odyssey.

There are many wonderful feast days in the Catholic Church that we celebrate as a family leading up to the celebration of our Savior's birth.  On December 12 each year we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The more I learn about this feast day, its story and its miracles, the more in awe I am of our incredible Creator and Catholic faith.
The peasant man who received the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his tilma is named St. Juan Diego and his feast day is celebrated on December 9.   More about him and St. Juan Diego resources on my post from the archives.  We enjoy watching the CCC of America video, Juan Diego-Messenger of Guadalupe.  Below is 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.

To learn more about this miraculous event that happened in December 1531, there are many resources to use. One DVD that I discovered last year is Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message DVD .  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.

This poster is a brief summary of a long list of miracles about the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that appeared on St. Juan Diego's tilma. 


From the Catholic Company's post they list some of the many facts about the Our Lady of Guadalupe image itself:   

* The image is proven to not be painted by human hands.

* The image and fabric have miraculously lasted in its original condition for nearly 500 years.

* The weak cactus fiber, of which the tilma was made, should have decomposed several years later.

* No natural or animal mineral colorings, or paint, are found on the image.

* The image itself is iridescent, which cannot be produced by hand.

* Mary stands on a crescent moon, the same crescent moon in the sky on the day of her apparition.

* Mary’s mantel is a constellation map, the same constellations in the sky as on the day of her apparition.

* These constellations tell the story of the Gospel with the arrangements of Leo in the womb of Virgo.

* On her rose garment is a topographic map of the geographic location of her apparition.

* On Mary’s neck is a small black cross, identifying her with the Catholic missionary priests.

* Over her womb on her dress is a four-petal flower, the Aztec symbol of life and deity.

* In the image Mary is “clothed with the sun” with “the moon at her feet” as described in Revelation 12:1.

* A doctor once heard a heartbeat coming from the image through a stethoscope over the womb.

* The eyes of the image have the refractory characteristics of human eyes.

* The eyes, when examined through a microscope, reflect the images of the witnesses present at its unveiling, including Juan Diego and the bishop.

In the morning on Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast day, I decorated our kitchen table as a way to celebrate this special and festive feast day.
 

Some years we watch: 
Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message DVD
Juan Diego-Messenger of Guadalupe DVD 

We also read:
Our Lady of Guadalupe 
The Lady of Guadalupe
On my wish list is a new book titled Guadalupe Mysteries: Deciphering the Code


Our "Wandering Wisemen" from our Playmobil Nativity set rested from traveling to see Baby Jesus eventually to admire the miraculous image.

I lit 2 of our Our Lady of Guadalupe candles. 

We also love our Our Lady of Guadalupe Shining Light Doll 


I also placed the star from the Star from Afar set on our table next to a vase of a dozen red roses as the star travels also to guide the Wise Men to meet Baby Jesus.

On our Advent tree we place the Our Lady of Guadalupe ball ornament and the ornament I made from Catholic Inspired.


Our church along with so many churches around our nation and world are decorated so beautifully for this feast day in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.   We went to morning Mass this year at 8:30 AM as a way to celebrate this feast day and to admire all the roses that filled the altar.  Each year there is also a 5:00 AM celebration called Mananitas.  One year I hope to make it to this very early and lively celebration!



In the evening we ate a Mexican meal, tacos, at home! 
It was a blessed day and I just love learning more about Our Lady of Guadalupe!

And one more thing...Since Christmas is so close, maybe you are thinking of doing some baking for family and friends?  Be sure to check out my guest post on Heather's blog at Life of a Homeschool Mom where I wrote my post Yummy {and quick} Christmas Treats for the Letter "Y" in the 4th Annual ABCs of Homeschooling Through the Holidays series..... 

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This Advent season I haven't been updating my blog as much as I'd like, but I've been updating my blog's Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter accounts with all the activities we have been doing during Advent.  We are continuing to read our Advent read-aloud books by unwrapping one Christmas book each evening under our Advent tree.  We are also enjoying the Advent storybook as a family, Ishtar's Odyssey.

There are many wonderful feast days in the Catholic Church that we celebrate as a family leading up to the celebration of our Savior's birth.  On December 8 each year we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.   Do you know how solemnities, feasts and memorials differ?

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is NOT when Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit (Jesus' miraculous conception is celebrated each year on March 25, the Annunciation, which is 9 months before the celebration of His birth on December 25, Christmas Day.)   Rather, this solemnity celebrates when Mary was preserved from Original Sin from the moment of her natural conception in Saint Anne's womb.  Woah! Heavy stuff, but oh so amazing theology and wonder too!

On our Advent tree we hung up the ornament of Mary inside St. Anne's womb that we made a few years ago from Catholic Icing.  We also hung up our Immaculate Conception Advent ornament that I made a few years ago using Catholic Inspired printables.


I set up Our Lady of Lourdes Shining Light Doll in the middle of our Advent wreath since it was Our Lady of Lourdes that appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France in 1858 and our Blessed Mother told young Bernadette, "I am the Immaculate Conception."

As in years past, we celebrated Mary's immaculate conception, her purity, with a "white dinner" and used our fancy china (that happens to be white) that we got when we got married because Solemnities are a big deal!  We had chicken alfredo (from Costco) with salad and Ranch dressing.  We drank sparkling cider and for dessert we had vanilla ice cream.


Since my 9 year old daughter has a baptism anniversary on Dec. 9, we also celebrated her baptism during our dinner and she ate off of the "You are Special Today" plate that comes out (when I remember) when our children celebrate their birthdays, Name Days, and baptism anniversaries.


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.


It was a blessed day!

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This Advent season I haven't been updating my blog as much as I'd like, but I've been updating my blog's Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter accounts with all the activities we have been doing during Advent.  We are continuing to read our Advent read-aloud books by unwrapping one Christmas book each evening under our Advent tree.  We are also enjoying the Advent storybook as a family, Ishtar's Odyssey.

There are many wonderful feast days in the Catholic Church that we celebrate as a family leading up to the celebration of our Savior's birth.  On December 6 each year we celebrate the feast of Saint Nicholas.

This year St. Nicholas left small bags of chocolate gold coins, clementines, candy canes, Little Debbie Christmas cakes, Little Drops of Water charms that I won on Allison's blog at Reconciled to You, the books Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins and The Miracle of the Myrrh, Our Lady of Guadalupe ornament, Nativity snow globe, Little Drops of Water Holy Family figurine that I also won at Reconciled to You and a Saint Patrick Shining Light Doll (in anticipation for St. Patrick's Day in March)

"St. Nicholas" also displayed items that we already owned: the Star from Star from Afar that I hide (when I remember) each day so my younger children can look for it, a Saint Nicholas printout from St. Nicholas Center, the St. Nicholas Shining Light Doll, the 3 Wise Men and camel from our Playmobil Nativity set that I also hide during Advent (when I remember), and the St. Nicholas and angel Playmobil set we have. 



We also decorated our Advent tree with the St. Nicholas ornament I made a few years ago.


In the morning on St. Nicholas' Day this year, our family hosted a St. Nicholas party where we had a family come speak about their Christmas miracle when their son was very sick from bacterial meningitis in 2010.  After he was miraculously healed this family uses their story to help others by collecting "Zach Sacks" for those babies, children and families who are in the hospital over Christmas.  Be sure to read more about their story and ministry at my blog post HERE.  After the family told their story we collected gifts to fill some Zach Sacks that will be delivered at Christmas in our local hospital.


After the presentation, we had a potluck lunch.   One family brought the gorgeous cake from a local bakery.

I also displayed the books Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend and Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins along with the St. Nicholas peg doll that I received at the Saint doll exchange last year.


It was another fun St. Nicholas feast day to remember and honor the Bishop who was so loving and giving to so many and spread the Good News of the Gospel to all those he met!

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We began the second Sunday of Advent yesterday and it's been awhile since I've updated my little corner of blog land here.  I last posted about St. Cecilia's feast day on Nov. 22, then there was Thanksgiving (which was a blessing, despite our little one spiking a fever the night before Thanksgiving Day), then we had to deal with my 3 year old getting over being sick and coughing a lot and using our Kleenex box supply on her one tiny runny nose. :)  Before I knew it, it was the first Sunday of Advent on November 27!

Life is busy and life is full to say the least.  I've been updating my blog's Facebook page often and Instagram and Twitter accounts so sometimes the blog gets the back burner for many reasons.

But despite the juggling act of family life, I thought I would share some books we are enjoy during Advent because it is when I read aloud to the family that makes family life not seem so hectic (well, when I'm not telling my younger daughters to sit still a little better and to stop chattering while I'm reading or stop doing gymnastics off the couches. ;) ) 

Last year I listed many Advent traditions we do as a family and we are doing many of them this year.

On this post I wanted to share a new Advent book with you and list many of the Advent book read-alouds we use as a family.


I was first introduced to Bible Characters for Advent: The Stories That Brought Us Christmas because the authors and illustrators, Theresa & Charles Pobee-Mensah, are related to a friend of mine that I have known for several years.  Theresa and Charles were inspired to write this book because of the birth of their son (who was born on the first Sunday of Advent) and they wanted to "instill a Christ-centered focus in their Christmas tradition."

This is the first Advent book I've read that focuses on 25 Bible characters. Each chapter is short and a 2 page spread with brief information about the character and stories from Scripture that relate to the character.  With colorful, eye-catching illustrations this book appeals to young children, but even my older children and my husband and me enjoyed looking at the fun illustrations.  This book is only 58 pages long, which as a busy homeschool mom juggling a lot during Advent, the length is perfect and not overwhelming!  The book covers the more well-known characters such as Adam & Eve and Noah to maybe some characters we often don't hear a lot about like Jeroboam and Rehoboam. Here are a few photos I took of the inside so you can see how the book is laid out.


I especially liked that each Bible character's page has a reference to where you can find the story in the Bible, which encourages parents and children to connect this book with actual Bible stories and the faithful fun can be extended by finding the Scripture passage in your Bible.  In the Introduction Theresa and Charles give suggestions on how to read their book.  Since there are twenty-five characters that lead to Christmas, the authors state "you can read one each day starting on December first, or you can read a few at a time." Bible Characters for Advent: The Stories That Brought Us Christmas would make a great addition to your home and/or church library and it's a fun, meaningful way to have your children become familiar with biblical characters that center around the Advent season.

Be sure to Meet the Authors on their website My Jesse Tree. On Theresa and Charles' site you will find more information about their book, the Jesse Tree, printable Jesse Tree ornaments that go with the readings in the book and be sure to visit My Jesse Tree Shop that includes adorable My Catholic Saint magnets! My Jesse Tree is a wonderful resource and treasure chest to start or add to your Advent traditions and Bible Characters for Advent: The Stories That Brought Us Christmas is one of many treasures you can find there!  Thank you Theresa and Charles for sharing your gifts and love for our faith, family and Advent in such fun and meaningful ways!

Speaking of great books to read during Advent, we are continuing with our wrapped Christmas book tradition that we started many years ago where I wrap one Christmas book from our personal collection in purple/rose paper and my children take turns opening the books each day.

Here is our small, artificial Advent tree we put up on the first Sunday of Advent. I found my purple and rose decorations at the Dollar Store many years ago, but I recently found purple ones and rose ones on Amazon.   I also find purple and rose wrapping paper each year at the Dollar Tree.  The books wrapped in rose paper are those that will be read during the third week in Advent when the rose candle is lit on our Advent wreath.

I printed, cut and taped on the printable labels onto each wrapped book from Jessica at Shower of Roses.

The books that I have wrapped this year for our family's daily Advent read-aloud time are: