...on Earth as it is in Heaven.

O blood and water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You.

Thy will be done...

"My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. " (Matt 26:39)

Did He know how bad it was going to be?  I think He did.  I mean, He IS God and all.  And yet.  He still did it.  He loves us THAT much.  Totally incomprehensible.  Incredibly amazing.  Completely wonderful.

We watched the Passion of the Christ the other night.  Actually we split it between 2 nights, it was so hard to watch.  According to hubby, the damage inflicted is realistic given what we know of Roman methods of torture.  This just bowls me away.  It gave me a whole new view of just how bad sin truly is.

body, blood, soul and divinity

Thank you, Lord, for the immense gift you give us each and every day.  Totally undeserved.  Totally amazing.

Hosanna!!!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the Highest!  

"Happy" Palm Sunday Everyone!

Lent traditions

Since what we're doing this year is basically that same as last year (I guess that's why they're called traditions...), most of this is from last year...

Our countdown calendar...

 

The Crown of Thorns...

 

How would you like one of these shoved into your head?!?

 

OUCH!!!

They are actually only toothpicks painted black and glued in place, but you get the point

(he he ~ no pun intended)

Our food for thought is now on the crown molding over our back room

And of course we have our Jesus tree too!

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

Week Five

Week Six

Week Seven

We completed the Lenten lapbook that I meant to do last year.  I'll post pictures soon.

We've decided to give up a few things for this Lent.  Crazy bread and sweets (except for Sundays, holidays and Feast Days).  The money that we save will go into our Rice Bowl for Catholic Relief Services.  We'll also be in front of the local abortion clinic each week (Tuesdays mostly, since it's a busy day) to support 40 Days for Life.  I'll also be adding some Lenten spiritual reading, and trying to restart our prayer times with Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Liturgy of the Hours.  This rededication of time will have to come from somewhere else, so the looser will have to be the computer.  I won't disappear completely :), but will be pulling back a bit.  I have some posts to catch up on though. 

Holy Saturday

Waiting...

That's what this day is filled with.  Waiting for Jesus...  Waiting...

While we were waiting, we did a few activities.

At least we attempted a few activities :)

We made resurrection cookies.  The kids really liked the process, but they ended up not coming out right.  They never hardened.  I'm not sure if I didn't do something, or what happened.  We had to skip the nuts due to an allergy, so that may be what the problem was.  For those that are interested, I'm posting the information to make these.  I found it here .

Resurrection Cookies
From Fisheaters

1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar, plus some for your children to taste
3 egg whites
pinch salt, plus some for your children to taste
1 cup sugar, plus some for your children to taste

Tools: rolling pin or wooden spoon, plastic baggie with a zipper-lock, scotch tape, Douay-Rheims Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (this in important - don't wait until you are halfway done with the recipe!) Place pecans in the plastic baggie and let children beat them with a rolling pin or wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3: "And they came to him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews; and they gave him blows."

Let each child smell and taste some vinegar. Put vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30. "Afterwards, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst. Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar and hyssop, put it to his mouth. Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing his head, he gave up the ghost."

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep."

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it as you put the tsp. salt into the bowl and explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27 "And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented him."

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18, " And then come, and accuse me, saith the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool."

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add the sugar to the egg whites, and give some for your children to taste. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 33:9 (34:8 in Bibles with Masoretic numbering) and John 3:16. "O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him... ...For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting."

Then read John 3:1-3, "And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him." Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet (do not use a baking stone!). Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Mathew 27:57-60 "And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. And Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth. And laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his way."

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.  Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matthew 27:65-66 "Pilate saith to them: You have a guard; go, guard it as you know. And they departing, made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards."

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20-22 "Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you."

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matthew 28:1-9 "And in the end of the Sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulcher. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow. And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men. And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. And going quickly, tell ye his disciples that he is risen: and behold he will go before you into Galilee; there you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you. And they went out quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples. And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail. But they came up and took hold of his feet, and adored him."

CHRISTUS RESURREXIT! HE HAS RISEN!

We'll try it again next year (with the nuts I suppose). 

We usually go to the Easter Vigil (while BIL babysits) with my in-laws, but it was basically my parents last night in town so we decided to spend the evening with them instead.  I'm so glad we did!  We had a great time and the kids love spending time with their grandparents. 

After the kids went to bed, we decorated...  this is another post :)

Good Friday

As with Holy Thursday, I've always wondered why today was called "Good Friday".  Even before I believed in Jesus.  I mean, what's so good about the death of the Son of God???  This year it finally dawned on me, while I was going over the events of Holy Week with Velcro Boy, that the "good" is from the end results of His passion and death.  It is the best "good" that we could ever hope to receive. 

Short of Heaven, THIS is the best "good" that we could possibly receive on Earth.  Isn't it wonderful news?!?


For breakfast this morning, I made Hot Cross Buns.  They were quite good, though a bit of work.  I think the icing needs a bit of work (or maybe just eaten piping hot...), but I think we have a new yearly tradition.   

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients:

    * 1 package dry yeast
    * 1/4 cup warm water (about 100-100 degrees F)
    * 1 teaspoon white or light brown sugar
    * 1 cup milk
    * 1/2 cup sweet butter
    * 1/3 cup brown or raw sugar
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 2 eggs, beaten
    * 4 to 4 1/2 cups sifted flour
    * 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
    * 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
    * 2/3 cup dried currants (or raisins)
    * Optional:
    * 1/3 cup finely diced or julienned citron

Frosting:

    * 2 tablespoons milk
    * 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (more if needed)
    * grated rind of 1 lemon


Directions:

Sprinkle the yeast into the lukewarm water. Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar. Let sit until frothy.

Scald the milk. Add the butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until blended. Cool to lukewarm. Beat the eggs until light, and combine with the milk mixture. Add the yeast.

Sift 2/3 cups of the flour with the spices into a mixing bowl. Make a well, and pour in the yeast mixture. Beat for 5 minutes. Toss the currants, and citron, if using it, with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Mix into the dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. The dough should be fairly firm, otherwise it will not take the cuts for the cross.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover the dough with a towel and put it to rise in a draft-free spot until doubled in volume. This will take about 2 hours.

Punch the dough down. Shape it into 2 dozen buns.

Place the buns 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart on well-greased cookie sheets or in muffin pans. With a sharp knife cut a cross into the top of each bun. Allow them to rise until doubled in bulk, 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

For the frosting, mix the milk with enough sugar so that the icing is not runny. Add the rind. Brush a cross on the top of each bun.

Yield: about 24 buns

Given the amount of other food on hand around this time, next year I think I will only make a half batch.

Hubby attended the Good Friday Liturgy with The Professor and Velcro Boy.  I stayed home with Doodlebug and worked on another project.

Velcro Boy is getting so handsome, and grown up looking...

Holy Thursday & Lenten Tea

 

 

I've often wondered just when Jesus knew what was going to happen to Him.  Did He know how bad things would get?  Did He know how deserted He would be?  How much He loved us to leave the wonders of Heaven to come here to be a helpless baby.  Sit in dirty diapers, learn to walk, stumble and fall.  Grow up, be spat upon, beaten, made fun of, abandoned and die a horrible death.  It makes me want to cry.

To reflect upon His pain and suffering, and inspired by Jessica's post, I decided to have a Lenten tea party of sorts.

~ The King's Crown ~

Scoops by Tostitos.
"And Pilate asked Him, 'Are you the King of the Jews?' And He answered him, 'You have said so.'" Mark 15: 2

~ Out of Envy ~

Homemade guacamole!  So very, very yummy.  "[H]e perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered Him up." Mark 15: 10

~ The Purple Cloak ~

Blueberry Applesauce.  "And they clothed Him in a purple cloak . . . ." Mark 15: 17

~ The Crown of Thorns ~

". . . and, plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him." Mark 15: 17

~ Golgotha Eggs ~

My hope was to decorate some hard-boiled eggs to look like skulls, but... poor planning, etc.  So at the last minute I scrounged around and found:

"And they brought Him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of the skull)" Mark 15: 22


~ The Seamless Garment ~

"But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom; so they said to one another, 'Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.'" John 19: 23-24

~ The Two Robbers ~
Jessica used basil leaves.  I didn't have any.  The Professor suggested leaves from the bush outside, so I sent him on a mission :)  No, we didn't eat them :)

And with Him they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left." Mark 15: 27

~ Vinegar to Drink ~
"And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying 'Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.'" Mark 15: 36

The boys weren't interested in trying any of it.

~ The Roman Centurion ~

Red grapes.  "And when the centurion, who stood facing Him, saw that He thus breathed His last, he said, 'Truly this man was the Son of God.'" Mark 15: 39


~ Laid in the Tomb ~

 

 Muffins with a strawberry tucked inside.  Oddly enough the guys didn't like the muffins, though they LOVE strawberries.  Next year maybe I'll try a piece of chocolate...

 "And he brought a linen shroud, and taking Him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb."

The quotes were written on purple cardstock and we served a bit after 3:00 (baby slept late).  

After eating we did the last one..

 Using paper napkins (or muffin wrappers), we tore them in half to symbolize the rending of the cloth in the temple after Jesus died. 

"And the curtain of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." Mark 15: 38.

Everyone really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to doing another tea for Easter (also inspired by Jessica inspired by Alice).  I think this will be a yearly tradition.  Check out Alice's blog.  She has several other teas...Christmas, Epiphany, Candlemas, etc...

We ended the day at Mass followed by dessert at Friendly's.  My parents came to take care of the kids so we got a rare evening out.  Hubby was even one of the not-so-few that had their feet washed, but that's another post :)

Jesus tree week 7

And for the final installment...

Day 43 ~ Peter Denies Jesus

Rooster Head

Mt 26:69-75

Day 44 ~ Pilate Presents Jesus to the People

Red Robe w/ Crown

Mt 27:24-25

Day 45 ~ Jesus is Crucified

Crucifix

Mt 27:33-56

Day 46 ~ The Burial of Jesus

Draped Cross

Mt 27:57-66

Day 47 ~ The Resurrection/Tomb

Tomb w/ Stone

Mt 28:1-10

Jesus tree week 6

I know...I know...I'm late...

Day 36 ~ The Rich Young Man

Gate to Heaven

Mt 19:16-26

Day 37 ~ The Mother of James and John

Throne

Mt 20:20-28

Day 38 ~ Jesus' entry into Jerusalem

Palm

Mt 21:1-16

Day 39 ~ Judas Takes 30 Silver Pieces

Pile of Coins

Mt 26:14-16

Day 40 ~ Jesus Washes Disciples' Feet

Washbasin w/ Pitcher

Jn 13:1-20

Day 41 ~ The Last Supper/Eucharist

Chalice w/ Bread

Mt 26:19-29

Day 42 ~  Agony in the Garden/Betrayal

Praying Hands

Mt 26:30-56

Palm Sunday

Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna!

Hope everyone had a great day!

We made a caterpillar today.  It will sit on the table for the week.  On Good Friday we'll put him in a cocoon (paper bag).  When setting up for Easter, the caterpillar will morph into a beautiful butterfly.  On Easter morning the kids will remove the butterfly from the cocoon.

Using Velcro Boy's Image of God program, we made palm fronds and donkey puppets...

Since one made projects...

The others had to as well.

Welcome to Holy Week!

Jesus Tree week 5

Can you believe it's already the 5th week of Lent?!?  I can't.  It's going by way too fast (like most things lately I guess)...

Day 29 ~ Peter Receives the Keys to Heaven

Two Keys

Mt 16:13-20

Day 30 ~ Widow's Son Back to Life

Face w/ Tears

Lk 7:11-17

Day 31 ~ A Coin for Caesar

Caesar Coin

Mt 22:15-22

Day 32 ~ Lazarus Raised From The Dead

Mummy Head

Jn 11:1-44

Day 33 ~ The Adulteress

Gray Stones

Jn 8:1-11

Day 34 ~ The Widow's Mite

Two Small Coins

Mk 12:41-44

Day 35 ~ Woman Anoints Jesus' Feet

Foot

Lk 7:36-50

Veils

In keeping with the older traditions of the church, we've covered all the crucifixes, statues and religious art with purple drapes that were thrown together at the last minute painstakingly made.  The effect is quite somber.  The kids are all sad to see, or not see, them covered.  Doodlebug actually cried!

Our home altar.  Behind the cloths:

The crucifix, flanked by rosary holder of Mary and St. Therese.  

There are images of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus hanging behind the altar.

(aka the reclaimed space from the old t.v.)

Jesus tree week 4

Day 22 ~ Return of the Prodigal Son

Ring

Lk 15:11-32

Day 23 ~ The Rich Man and Lazarus

Angel

Lk 16:19-31

Day 24 ~ The Call of Matthew

Money Bag

Mt 9:9-13

Day 25 ~ The Blind Man

(eye popping...isn't it ;)

Eye

Jn 9:1-41

Day 26 ~ The Man with the Withered Hand

Hand

Mt 12:9-13

Day 27 ~ The Centurion's Servant

Roman Helmet

Mt 8:5-13

Day 28 ~ Zacchaeus the Publican

Tree

Lk 19:1-10

All the decorations are finished!!!!  I'm so thrilled.  It was a lot of painstaking work, but it was worth it.