My camera was on the wrong setting for these Halloween photos, the goblin shadows are not from demonic posession....

Musical Stylings of my 3 year old

A girl...her guitar...and her music....

What are the Promises of the Traditional Mass?

...as taken from the GREAT website, TheLatinMassNetwork.

Most Catholics are familiar with the promises made to those who faithfully say the Rosary everyday, the promises made to those who observe the First Friday devotions but what are the "promises" made to those who attend the Traditional Mass?


First what comes to mind are the vocations that are naturally the result of attendance at the Mass. Orders dedicated to the Mass like the Fraternity of St. Peter do not have trouble finding seminarians but in housing their seminarians. An order like the Institute of Christ the King has a 12 year formation for the priesthood and no shortage of aspirants. If you set the bar high, men will rise to the challenge. We've listed Traditional Latin Mass orders on the right bar if you want to read about the orders that are changing the Church and forming good, holy priests, religious brothers and sisters.

One reason that vocations naturally flow from attendance at the Latin Mass is that altar boys are given an opportunity to witness the priests, their mentors as they celebrate the Holy Sacrifice without the distractions of altar girls, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and lectors who invade the sanctuary and distract from the Eucharist and the sacrifice of the Mass with their variable outfits, manner and dare I say it, agendas.

In Bradford, Vermont the Latin Mass which is celebrated every Saturday has just gone from experimental and temporary to permanent. Fr. Philip LaMothe has ordered 70 Missals and altar boys are being trained. In addition to faithful attendance, what is it that has resulted in this decision? I understand the number of people who go to Confession has doubled.

Finally, the Traditional Mass with its emphasis on the Psalms, repentance and worship brings the Catholic closer to the glorious traditions that reach all the way back to the apostles. The continuity and cohesiveness of the worship brings a security and peace, a confidence in the Catholic Faith and greater trust in God.

And here's more, this from the Washington Times on the NEW and ABUNDANT interest in the Latin Mass especially among those who have no memory of it...like me!

Shark boy

Youngest son lost his first tooth today! Actually, his two lower, front adult teeth have already come through...behind his baby teeth! He's been like a shark with rows of teeth.

Sensory explosion

In love with Fall ...

Fall is a sensory explosion...it feels cooler, the mosquitos are gone and the sunset are breathtaking...you can smell burning leaves and sometimes pumpkin pies and turkeys roasting. The leaves look spectacular, orange, yellow, red and purple in my backyard. Sometimes they descend swirling like colorful confetti. When you drive they seem to run across the road. They crinkle crisp to the touch and rustle in your ears. A crackling sound and warmth comes from the fireplace again. The kids are playing hockey again in the street. The apples taste better, and pumpkins are in recipes. And it usually doesn't last too long so that makes it more treasured.

Here are some photos of our Fall that I will add to

Which Jane Austen Character are you?

Miss Eliza Bennett is my favorite...or Emma...love Jane Austen!

But it's good to be connected with Sense & Sensibility ~

Take the Quiz here!

Adultifying our children

I too wonder why the boundaries keep getting breached.. why do we want to force so much adult content and expectations on our children?

Read Tea at Trianon's post on Harry Potter's Dumbledore.

Check out my Slide Show!

Boys night out

A Saturday night game with their Dad, they ALL just love ice hockey!

Judas left early too

The Importance of Spending Time in Prayer AFTER Holy Communion as taken from http://maronitemonks.org/articles/December2004.pdf

One of the principal reasons for the spiritual darkness of many Catholics is the lack of attention shown to our Eucharistic Lord while he is intimately united with them in Holy Communion. In a private revelation, Jesus sadly explains this situation to St. Faustina Kowalska: “My great delight is to unite myself with souls…When I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, my hands are full of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not pay any attention to me: they leave me to myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize love. They treat me as a dead object” (Diary 1385).

Jesus Christ received in Holy Communion is the most powerful means through which man can be helped to know and love God more deeply. But our Lord helps us in proportion to the attention and love with which we receive him. Hence St. Mary Magdalene De Pazzi says, “The minutes that follow Communion are the most precious we have in our lives. They are the minutes best suited on our part for treating with God, and on his part for communicating His love to us” (Jesus, Our Eucharistic Lord, p. 37).



I like to pray the Anima Christi as it is an indulgenced prayer after Mass. Of course, the St. Michael prayer, that all Catholics used to pray after Mass in unison for the protection of the Church...I pray because we need that now more than ever! My missal also has introduced me to these beautiful prayers, the Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Prayer of St. Bonaventure and I seek to pray longer in Thanksgiving after Mass.

Mortification & Massage

I know...the two are diametrically opposed. But wouldn't that just fix everything?

A quiet Retreat for my soul AND a foot rub!

This blog's Saint

In a post a while back, a Saint "picked" my blog to patron. It was St. Gerard Majella and his feast is celebrated today in the Tridentine calendar. Thank you, Lord for this intercessor.

He is the saint of Motherhood and for good confessions and spoke these words...."Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?"

This blog is 6 months old and is visited from as far away as Africa, S. America, Europe, Canada & New Zealand! As of this moment it's been visited 1,700 times. Thank you! Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

Today St. Hedwig is also honored. That these two saints share the same feast is interesting to me as they BOTH share special parts of this blog and our Catholic journey as a family.

St. Gerard, St. Hedwig, ora pro nobis!

Adoring Jesus

Every 3rd Monday of the Month the homeschoolers have a Holy hour of Eucharistic Adoration at a local PEA chapel.

This Monday happened to coincide with the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila who said, "Here on earth it is impossible to perform a more meritorious act than visiting Jesus often in the Holy Eucharist."

There is nothing more important than this time of peace and love with Our Lord....who is waiting....

Adoring sons & father and little ones coloring religious images

Fall tradition breakfast

On the first Saturday in October my mother always made us Pumpkin Pancakes with Hot Apple Cider sauce. Now, I serve the same to my family. They look forward to it as I did, it's a harbinger of Fall. Yum.

Let this wash over you

15 prayers and promises of St. Bridget

On the latin calendar, today is the feast of St. Bridget of Sweden. I remembered reading about her and her 15 prayers (and promises) in the front of my small, blue Pieta prayer book. At the IHM conference in Virginia this summer, Father Pablo Straub spoke about this saint...how many Pope's believed in her vision and prayers and how we need to as well. I decided to tell the boys about her today and what the EWTN priest said. We read about how each prayer honors a blow that Christ recieved at His scourging and how this devotion is a way of the cross.

I thought they might listen, maybe utter a "wow". Instead, I recieved quite a warrior-like response from them! My oldest said he felt an invisible tap on his shoulder and a whisper that he should do this. He even recognizes that the evil one will now try to tempt him to be too lazy to pray. Second son said that I should punish him if he doesn't say the prayers, they are that important to him. I'm surprised but goosebumped by the work of the Holy Spirit. These boys want to save souls. They are all fired up about saving their family for Eternity. I pray that we can keep up this daily commitment to prayer to gain heaven for those we love.

Our Lady of the Rosary

October is the month of the Rosary.

"Airplanes must have runways before they can fly. What the runway is to the airplane, the Rosary beads are to prayer - the physical start to gain spiritual altitude."~ Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Feast of my Saint

This year, from the Saint basket, St. Faustina "chose" me. She reminds me to pray for God's Mercy in the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Today is her feast and in gratitude I post a prayer from her diary....

St. Faustina's Prayer to Have a Merciful Heart Towards Others

O Jesus, I understand that Your mercy is beyond all imagining. I ask You, therefore, to make my heart so big that there will be room in it for the needs of all the souls living on this whole earthly globe. O Jesus, my love reaches beyond the world to the souls suffering in Purgatory, and I want to exercise mercy toward them by means of indulgenced prayers. God's mercy is unfathomable and inexhaustible, just as God Himself is unfathomable. Were I to use the strongest words for expressing this mercy of God, they are nothing in comparison with what it is in reality. O Jesus, make my heart sensitive to all the sufferings of my neighbor whether they be of body or of soul. O my Jesus, I know that You act toward us as we act toward our neighbor. My Jesus, make my heart like unto Your merciful Heart. Jesus, help me to go through life doing good to everyone.
~~from St. Faustina's Diary, II, 132

Catholic Halloween

All who come to our door see our message in this pumpkin "monstrance"...

RECEIVE THE LIGHT OF CHRIST!

May God scoop out your yukky insides, empty yourself to Him. During this season, may He fill you with His light.

Wow...thank you!

Mathetes Award for Excellence in Discipleship

Kimberely at Catholic Family Vignettes has nominated me (me?) for the Mathetes Award for Excellence in Discipleship.


Wow, I'm speechless. I know I am quite undeserving as it is I who am inspired by her! I read Kimberely's blog everyday, it's a touchstone for faith enrichment.

Kimberely writes, "Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) it to make more disciples. So the rules for accepting the award are such: Winners of this award must pick five other "disciples" to pass it on to, and provide links for (1) the originator of the award (Dan King of management by God), (2) the person that awarded it to you, and then (3) name and sites of the five people that you believe are fulfilling the role of a disciple of Christ. "

I read a lot of blogs daily, it's a mortification of my will to choose just 5. But, for the volume of their Catholic content, my daily encouragement and lots of spiritual nourishment in the blog world comes from these disciples:


Of course, Kimberely at Catholic Family Vignettes


Elena Maria Vidal at Tea at Trianon

Helen at Castle of the Immaculate

Fr. Z at What Does The Prayer Really Say

PJP and those at Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony


May God richly bless these disciples as they have blessed me.

for those who cannot speak for themselves

Familiar with 40 Days for LIFE?
Read here for a full explanation of the effort.During these forty days, pro-life Americans will participate in a three-pronged spiritual battle against the evil of abortion:

1. Prayer and Fasting 2. Peaceful Vigil 3. Community Outreach.

It's not too late to consider how you and your family can participate in some or all of these efforts.Prayer and fasting are self-explanatory, and peaceful vigil might not be possible for every family.

Here are a few ideas for community outreach that families can do together:

1. SHOP for baby necessities (diapers, formula, layette clothing, wipes) and deliver them as a family to a local Crisis Pregnancy Center. Check your Yellow Pages for "Abortion Alternatives" if you need to find a location near you.

2. Join the boycott against corporate supporters of Planned Parenthood. Don't buy their stuff, and write to tell them why!

3. Donate a book to your school or public library that has a prolife perspective. Regina Doman's Angel in the Waters is one such book, written for children and intended to be a read-aloud for ages 4 to 8.

Worth reading: Michelle at Rosetta Stone's take on 40 Days for Life.
Milehimama has some ideas on this subject as well.

Thanks to Barb at http://sfomom.blogspot.com/ for all the above!

"Mommy, I'm blue"

My daughter came to me with these words, "Mommy, I'm blue." ....and then Mommy turned blue too!

Yes, it mostly came off.

I did wonder why she clowned up only her lip area? A girl with sisters would have gone for the eyes too.

When I asked her 6 year old brother if he had seen this transpiring, he thought it was no big deal. No bells went off to tell a parent, after all she had shared a little with him, a la war paint.

I hope they look less "smurfy" tomorrow.

Tridentine Mass for St. Therese

The Oblate Apostles of the Two Hearts (O.A.T.H.) invited us to a Mass in honor of St. Therese's feast day in their chapel. Six of our homeschooling families were able to make it and enjoy a lunch and afternoon with the Priests, Brothers and Sisters. This is the courtyard from the house to the chapel.

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On the wall were these photos of Father Bing with then, Cardinal Ratzinger and also with Pope John Paul II.

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Br. David, from Ireland, took on some of the boys in basketball.

We loved how many statues and relics there were everywhere....each with a story.

Most of all we take with us this feeling of gratitude for such holy and encouraging company. God Bless these Religious!

family photo

It's always hard to get a good shot of everyone so...this could be IT, this could be the Christmas card photo!