7/7/07 our LUCKY day!

The whole of the Catholic Church "wins" when it recognizes and liberates it's history and traditions....the beauty that is the "old latin Mass".

Would you open a family photo album and NOT generously acknowledge and respect the role of your grandparents and ancestors? Certainly you wouldn't make it seem difficult or odd for your children to connect with their lineage and "past"?

This Mass deserves it's place of honor. This is the Mass of the saints. We are not the first to attend out of respect and curiousity and find ourselves hopelessly in love with it.

Vatican City, Jun 27, 2007 / 03:21 pm (CNA).- Pope Benedict XVI intends to publish his Motu Proprio liberating the Mass of St. Pius V on July 7, 2007

What good news on the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual HELP!

Our plans? On that INDEPENDENCE weekend we will open a bottle of 1990 Opus One we've been holding on to for just such an occasion. It'll pour often into our little-used Rosenthal fishbowl size goblets of wedding crystal. We'll sit on the deck, maybe even throw some church incense into the the firepit and giddily raise a toast to our Papa and annoy the neighbors with a blast of Latin chant music. Won't everyone be celebrating like that?? OREMUS...

With arms wide open

“After the Incarnation of the Word within her virginal body, Our Lady then began to accomplish her first act, an act of mediation. She went to visit St. Elizabeth bringing Jesus into that home in order to instill sanctifying grace into the soul of John the Baptist while still being carried within his mother’s womb. Our Lady brings Jesus to us and takes us to Jesus. That is why we call her Mediatrix between Jesus and ourselves, between grace and souls.”
Father Stefano Manelli, FI, Devotion to Our Lady, 55.

This 32 foot steel, Our Lady Queen of Peace, statue graces Holy Spirit Parish in Delaware. Come to see her and she will lead you to her Son.

Books read 2006/2007 school year

Thomas Finds a Treasure, by Joan Stromberg - My sons LOVED this Catholic historical novel. It led us to a whole "rabbit trail" on the Erie Canal and a love of St. John Neumann! ~~~~~

On to Oregon by Honore Morrow - Another rabbit trail on the Oregon Trail. Incredible, true story of real children who made the journey themselves! ~~~~~

The Lewis & Clark Expedition (Landmark book #15) by Richard L. Neuberger - Wonderfully captures the personalities of these adventurers. We rented the whole PBS series as well. ~~~~~

Davy Crockett, Young Rifleman by Aileen Wells Parks - Davy could shoot a flame off a candle wick...and now the boys want to as well! ~~~~~

Catholic Mosaic from HillsideEducation.com by Cay Gibson - Living the liturgical year with literature. We enjoyed the 52 library book suggestions, guided questions and projects, especially The Miracle of St. Nicholas by Gloria Whelan. I could barely get thru it, dismally holding back the tears, it was so moving! Such a tribute to Priests. ~~~~~

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - This Newberry Medal winner was riveting. after seeing jpII movies of his youth during Nazi times, the boys wanted to read more about the Holocaust. ~~~~~

The Giver by Lois Lowry - Opened us up to conversations about Life issues...conception to natural death. They'll be on the lookout for a "world like this" coming. (Parental discretion) ~~~~~

Outlaws of Ravenhurst by Sister Imelda Wallace - No wonder this is recommended on so many reading lists! The love for Our Lady is so poignant, as is the battle to hold on to the faith, no matter the cost! ~~~~~

Pope John Paul II Young Man of the Church by George E. Stanley - Enjoyed for the lesser known facts from JPII's youth. ~~~~~

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater - My 4th grade son read this Newberry honored book. He's rated it the best book he's ever read. He was able to narrate 5 pages to me retelling the story! ~~~~~

Lost in Peter's Tomb by Dianne Ahern - Having read some Roman history and many JPII movies, this story of children at the Vatican connected well for the boys. Much about papal art and history is imparted. ~~~~~

Knights of the Round Table adapted by Gwen Gross - Arthurian legends capture the imagination...and a love for Lancelot. We rented Camelot to watch too. ~~~~~

Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary - this ALA notable was enjoyed by my 4th grader but Mr. Popper's Penguins is better, he wants you to know. He's reading Henry & Beezus next to continue the saga.... ~~~~~

St. Catherine of Siena by Mary Fabyan Windeatt - My eldest chose this saint from the saint basket this New Year's...rather, the saint chose him! I am pleased that this inspiring Doctor of The Church is "sharing" this year with my son...and so is he! ~~~~~

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - I now understand why HEMINGWAY said. "All modern literature stems from this one book." Reading it again now, as an adult, I realize that it stands as truly great literature. The characters and their conversations are so rich. The boys were literally enchanted! They made forts in the woods and truly rolled on the floor laughing at times. Maybe the most fun we've had together all year. We'll never forget it...especially when their Popsy came to read chapters to them. ~~~~~

Home Altar

This is our home altar.
Recently, the Holy Father spoke about the need for silence in our hectic world. Starting the day here, in prayer, makes all the difference. The altar is filled with prayer cards, little prayer books, images of Jesus and Mary and Joseph and our other family favorite saints. Prayers are posted everywhere! Surrounding the walls of "the sacred room" are framed art of the Stations of the Cross. In another life, this was used as a make-up table. We put the double Prie Deux kneeler in front of it and it now serves a *much greater purpose*.... A quiet retreat. UPDATE: Below is how our prayer space looks now.

See this Catholic Decor Link-up for more ideas , from other blogs, on decorating Catholic.

My PIRATES of the VANibbean

These scallywags, with their lovin' smiles....don't let them fool you! They're mutinous! (Even without seeing the movie.)

How we got here

http://totustuusfamily.blogspot.com/2010/06/letter-to-mom-with-homeschool-doubts.html


We’d felt drawn to homeschooling since the beginning. Like many parents, we had doubts…could we do it?

There were so many families (in books I had read) who had those same doubts and I wish we had delved into how they became convinced they could do it…not given up so quickly. But God had a plan…

Our years in our local Catholic school were happy ones. Those years were meaningful. I knew a handful of Catholic friends who were homeschooling and a few pages into a recommended book, Catholic Homeschooling by Mary Kay Clark, and I was QUICKLY convicted. I bought a second copy for my husband and asked him to tell me if he didn’t feel the same strong reaction.

He did.

We started researching Catholic homeschooling online and talking to homeschoolers. I remember reading aloud to him from Kimberly Hahn’s book, Homeward Bound on a long car ride. Her encouragement fortified us. One of those books had a quote, “It’s not about getting you’re children into Harvard, it’s about getting them into HEAVEN.” I think that put my husband over the top. We realized we’d be taking a leap of faith. Also, for me especially, I admitted that it was a call I had felt God had been leading me to for quite some time. That adage, If He leads you to it, He’ll lead you through it has been so true!

So many wonderful books later and we’re homeschooling 3 of our 4 children ( our 2 year old is auditing) since September now and just about everyday, we remark how great it is! Every day we feel blessed, closer, less stressed, more connected to our faith. God has provided. We organized with 30 other local Catholic families to form a support group under the title, and mantle, Our Lady Queen of Peace. With these like-minded families, we share monthly devotions like First Friday Sacraments and children’s Holy Hours as well as social events.

In this blog I hope to journal our journey. I wish to capture memories from these precious days in Thanksgiving to The One who brought us to this happiness. Praise God.


CURRICULUMS WE HAVE USED AND RECOMMEND:
http://totustuusfamily.blogspot.com/2010/03/chc-olvs-modg-seton-and-our-catholic.html

http://totustuusfamily.blogspot.com/2010/03/chc-olvs-modg-and-seton-catholic_14.html

ALSO ON THE TOPIC OF HOMESCHOOLING:
http://totustuusfamily.blogspot.com/2007/05/is-it-requirement-for-heaven.html
http://totustuusfamily.blogspot.com/2008/09/homeschooling-studies-just-keep-getting.html
http://totustuusfamily.blogspot.com/2007/11/socializing-my-homeschoolers.html