The Amazing St. Raymond of Penafort...

 

...Who, upon being held against his will on the island of Majorca by King James of Aragon, said, "Oh yeah?" -- bowed his head in prayer and calmly spread his cloak upon the water. To the surprise of all, he then tied one corner of his cloak to his staff, stepped upon the cloak, and thereupon sailed across the Baltic Sea to Barcelona, a distance of 132 miles.  It's recorded that it took him six hours to make the trip.  Imagine.  I looked it up. If you were to charter a boat today from Majorca to Barcelona, Google sources estimate an eight hour journey.  In a boat -- with a motor.

But, do you want to know what is really amazing about St. Raymond?

Everything! 

Born to a rich and noble Spanish family in 1175, St. Raymond was a brilliant student, receiving doctorates in both civil and canon law at the Universities of Barcelona and Bologna.  He began teaching law at the University of Barcelona when he was only twenty years old, then continued teaching law in Bologna -- until he ran into some young men belonging to the newly formed Order of Preachers -- the Dominicans. It didn't take our saint long to realize his calling. By all accounts those dynamic young Dominicans were an impressive bunch! Raymond was 41 years old when he gave away everything he had in the world -- wealth, station, and honor -- to gain everything else that heaven could offer -- by joining the wandering preachers and becoming a Dominican friar.  And boy, did God have plans for him!

The Blessed Virgin appeared in separate visions to St. Peter Nolasco,
 St Raymond of Penafort and King James I of Aragon, asking them
 to establish an order for ransoming enslaved Christians from the Moors. 

Together with St. Peter Nolasco and King James of Aragon (yes, the same King James from the sailing cloak story... How could he not have reformed with St. Raymond around, right?) St. Raymond founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom for the Redemption of Captives.  With the direct patronage of the Blessed Mother, the Mercedarian Order grew swiftly and was blessed with great success.  Every chance he got through the rest of his life St. Raymond dedicated himself to bringing home Christian captives of the Crusades -- and to the conversion of both Muslims and Jews.  It is said that at his death, he was responsible for the conversion of over 10,000 Moors.

But... as if that weren't amazing enough, St. Raymond also found time to write the definitive book of advice and information for confessors at that time, Summa de Casibus Poenitentiae, which so impressed Pope Gregory IX, that he had St. Raymond called up to be his own personal confessor at the Vatican.

 So impressed was the pope with St. Raymond's learning, that he was assigned the task of updating and organizing the previous 80 years of canon law decrees, which effort resulted in the Decretals (published in 1234).  Having then reached the age of 60, St. Raymond was permitted to retired from the job at the Vatican.  He tried to sneak away to a quiet life in Barcelona, but it was not meant to be; he was almost immediately called up to serve as Archbishop of Barcelona (much against his will!) -- but, exhausted from a life of constant labor, he became ill and had to resign within two years.

Nevertheless... there was still to be no rest for St. Raymond.   In 1238  he was elected Master of the Dominicans, and desiring to give his personal attention to the needs of the community instead of relying on hearsay, he set out on foot to visit every single house of friars and nuns in the Order! At this time, he was well into his sixties, but in addition to the constant travel, he also managed to set out a new Constitution of the Order -- in which he added a resignation clause for the Master.  As soon as the new Constitution was adopted in 1240, our St. Raymond took advantage of the clause and begged out. (Clever fellow!)

But, St. Raymond was still not finished. Or, rather, God was not finished working through St. Raymond. Having made the acquaintance of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Raymond encouraged the Angelic doctor in his work, Against the Gentiles.  St. Raymond, himself no fledgling in the work of conversions, contributed constant labor toward the conversion of the Muslims and the Jews. St. Raymond was responsible for the teaching of Arabic and Hebrew in several Dominican friaries toward this end. He founded Dominican Houses in Murcia (at that time still ruled by Muslims), as well as in Tunis and Mallorca.

But, St. Raymond never did get a chance to rest -- at least not until he reached the venerable age of 100 years, when he finally went to his eternal reward. He died while visiting one of the Dominican monastaries in Barcelona in 1275.  He was canonized by Pope Clement VIII in 1601. His relics can still be found in the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia in Barcelona.

The feast day of St. Raymond of Penafort is January 23rd.  He is the patron saint of all lawyers, but especially of canon lawyers.

St. Raymond of Pennafort, help us to remember that we are never finished until we are in heaven!

*Repost from 2013

Green

See that plant in the corner? The tall one? There's a long story behind that plant. Last June, on the way home from Idaho with the boys, we bought it as a thank you gift for the dear lady (a parishioner of Fr. P's mission church) who opened her home to us when our car broke down in Boise. But, for some reason (I can't for the life of me remember why!), we didn't end up giving it to her, so it rode along, the whole long way home, stuffed in our sedan with me and Dan, two hulking teenagers and all their stuff, plus two kittens in a too-large cat-carrier.

You might have already guessed that my poor plant arrived in Iowa a mite worse for wear. Bedraggled understates it. So, up it went, to the "intensive care" spot for plants next to the kitchen sink at the big house, where I could nurse it back to health. Which I was able to do. By the end of the summer it looked great! Like an actual small tree, with several tall stems and lush foliage.

Then I went to Germany. And Dan and Dominic and the gang started the big renovation on the homestead, taking out many of the main floor interior walls and raising the ceiling to its original height -- all of which is almost finished now and is awesome! I love it! In the process, though, I understand -- and the details are vague -- but, in the course of construction... Well, I guess basically -- the kitchen ceiling fell down on this plant.

By the time I got home from Europe, it was down to two or three pitiful leaves and was hanging on by a thread. So, I brought it over to the tiny home (the RV we're living in until we get our barndo built) -- and put it in intensive care again on the RV kitchen sink. And, check it out! It's coming back! Its about to grow out of this spot!

Here's the thing, though, the reason to tell this story. (Oh, the irony.) You know what this plant is called? It's a MONEY TREE! And its adventures are pretty much an analogy of our finances.

Here's how it goes: Start building up the account: car dies. Get a windfall: the refrigerator breaks down. Get a raise: a kid needs braces. Or we have to fund a trip somewhere for some reason for somebody. Or throw a big party. (Two of our daughter-Sisters' vows, for instance, are coming up in Easter week!) Or... Christmas...

So... Easy come. Easy go. Thank-you, God, that we've always somehow had enough tree that we could lose some leaves and even, occasionally, whole branches without killing it entirely... Thanks to Dan's intensive care finance skills, hard work, and scrimping, we've always been able to nurse the bank account back to health again!

Back to my plant, though. See the shiny leaves on those new shoots? It's so satisfying, seeing it come back to life! I'm enjoying it while I can. Same with my stubby aloe vera there, whose life's work is sacrificing its fronds for clumsy people burning themselves on pots... Finances/Fronds -- it's all the same, and one thing's for sure: there's bound to be another incident. Now that we're in the green again, it's bound to happen. Such is life. We're not holding our breath. Not worrying. Money doesn't grow on trees, but with proper care, it can "grow back" after a pruning.

Pious Exercise for Church Unity

The eight days between January 18th (Feast of St. Peter) and January 25th (Conversion of St. Paul) has been established by Pope Leo XIII as a special time for Catholics to pray for the conversion to the Catholic Faith for all unbelievers. The faithful are encouraged to recite the following prayers as a part of their daily routine during the octave:

ANT: That all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in US; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.
V: I say unto thee, that thou art Peter.
R. And upon this rock I will build My Church.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst say to Thine Apostles: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; consider not my sins, but the faith of Thy Church; and deign to keep it i peace and unity according to Thy will: who livest and reignest, God through all eternity. Amen.

For the Propagation of the Faith
(From the Mass of the same purpose)

O God, Who willest that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, send, we beseech Thee, laborers into Thy harvest, and give them to speak Thy word with all confidence, that Thy Message may run and may be made plain, and that all peoples may know Thee, the only True God, and Him Whom Thou hast sent, Jesus Christ our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

+ This octave is not liturgically observed, that is, there is no special Collect, Secret, or Post Communion in the Masses said throughout this period. however, these prayers were approved and sanctioned by Pope St. Pius X during whose reign it was well received by the Bishops in America, Canada, England, and throughout the world. Furthermore, Pope Benedict XV, by a Papal Brief of February 15th1916, extended this observance to the whole Church and attached special indulgences to its observance. In 1921, at the Annual Conference of the Hierarchy in Washington DC, the observance of this Octave was determined to be adopted in all the dioceses throughout the United States.

It is very interesting to note that this Octave originated from the Society of Atonement at Graymoor, at Garrison, NY in 1880. The amazing aspect of this spiritual practice is that this Society of Atonement was not yet Catholic and were received into the fold of the Catholic Church after two years of observing this Octave for Unity.

Besides the gaining of 200 days indulgence each day for the recitation of the authorized prayers during the Octave, all the faithful can also receive a Plenary Indulgence under the usual conditions after the completion of this devout exercise.+

Specific Conversion Intentions for Each Day

Jan. 18 -- The return of all "other sheep" to the one true fold

Jan. 19 -- The return of all Greek and Russian Schismatics

Jan. 20 --The return of Anglicans the True Church

Jan. 21 -- The conversion of the Lutherans

Jan. 22 -- The conversion of all other Protestants

Jan. 23 -- The return to the Sacraments of all lapsed Catholics

Jan. 24 -- The conversion of the Jews

Jan. 25 -- The Missionary conquest of the world for Christ

* From the Sunday Bulletin, Mary Immaculate Queen parish, January 16,2022.

Toasty Tuesday

 

(Because I forgot about Simple Woman Monday yesterday.)

What we are doing this week... Still finding places to put gifts after Christmas -- a bigger challenge than in previous years, since Dan and I have moved over to the RV! We still have plenty of storage in the Big House and in the barns -- but, honestly... If a thing is not here with me in our new cozy little digs, I might as well not have it, because I'm too lazy to go looking for it... And, honestly, part of the point of moving into a smaller space was simplifying! Paring down. Learning to live with less. 😬 If you know me, you know this is not an easy thing. So, step back while I... er... sit over here drinking coffee and pondering what I can do without -- or reorganize - so that I can bring new stuff in. (Wish me luck!)

 Also, in the theme of  "paring down," Dan and I are determined to recommit to better nutrition now that all the sweets and junk are (almost) gone! A health food shopping trip is, therefore, on the agenda for later in the week. 

What we will be doing today... Getting the boys ready to head back to the Minor Seminary in Idaho tomorrow. A family from Idaho whose kids board here in Omaha have brought their youngins out for the winter semester at Mater Dei and will be taking our youngins back with them to St. Joseph's in Idaho tomorrow. (An ironical kind of situation that works out nicely for everyone!) So the great Hunt-and-Pack happens today! (Woohoo. 😖) And there are signs of these two teenagers everywhere, let me tell you - socks and underwear and thumb drives and breviaries and gifts scattered from here to Timbucktoo! Just like the good old days. 😊 I can't tell you how much we will miss Gabe and William (as we always do!) -- but, especially in this day and age, it's worth the sacrifice for them to be where we know without reservations that they are, not only getting an outstanding education and are physically safe and well-cared-for, but are in a place where they can thrive spiritually! So, anyway - as soon as they wake up... (a well-deserved sleep-in day after a busy week this past week and a busy week coming up!) and corral their belongings, we'll try to get some good time in with the boys today and take them out to diner tonight.

What I'm doing right now... Trying out the new laptop Dan got me for Christmas! (Much nicer and with a bigger screen than my old one, but I'm not used to this keyboard yet!) and drinking coffee next to my little Not-Quite-Arctic Fox, Dawsey - who's taken to playing out in the snow for a few minutes in the morning, then coming in all wet and cold and hunkering down next to me on the sofa for the rest of the afternoon - where I'm sure he's wondering why he thought it would be such a good idea to go out in the snow in the first place. But then, of course, he completely forgets how much he hates the cold and begs to go out any time he hears any of the children or grandchildren outside. 😑And here's where you see my Mom-angst seamlessly transferred from a house full of children to one little dog. Such is the Great Transtion. (More on that later maybe.)

What I'm hoping... That everyone passing here (all three of you) have a blessed and joyous Christmastide and a new year full of happy surprises and holy contentment! Doesn't matter what's happening outside, we can keep our own hearts warm and cozy!

Challenges

 Grandpa is not going to challenge you to do something easy.  What's the point in that? He doesn't say a whole lot when you haven't figured out yet how to succeed at the challenge, but he will usually let you keep trying until you get it -- or not. If you don't slay this dragon, there will always be more he can think up. So long as you give your best effort, all's right and tight. He's more chagrined, I think, when one of the kids doesn't want to even try or gets whiney when they have trouble. But, boy, do his eyes light up when you persist and beat the game! 

Kinda reminds me of Somebody Else we know.

Starlight Cookies for Advent

 We found this recipe for a gift mix online a few years ago and adapted it to use as special Advent cookies. They would make lovely pre-Christmas gifts, made into mix kits, with the following instructions printed out and tied on with a ribbon. You could also commemorate the journey of St. Joseph and Mary with your own family by making these the last week of Advent.

* To print out for the tags:

Starlight Cookies

To be made on or for Christmas Eve

in Honor of our Blessed Mother's and St. Joseph's

Journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem

Contained in this jar:

Chopped Walnuts to represent the rocky road the little family traveled on

White chocolate chips for the stars in the sky

Dried cranberries whose tartness symbolize the doors shut to Mary and Joseph

Sugar to represent the snow

Brown sugar for the brown hills of Bethlehem

Rolled oats to symbolize the animals in the stable where they found shelter

Flour for the simple goodness of the shepherds in the fields they passed

To make the cookies:

Think of the preparation St. Joseph and Our Blessed Mother must have made for this journey to Bethlehem: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.

For the light of Heaven that shined down on them: In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 tsp of vanilla until fluffy.

Consider the difficulties of the journey: Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets

Imagine the long trek across the barren desert: Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until edges brown.

Remember the Holy Family's arrival at the stable; anticipate Jesus' coming: Cool on baking sheets or remove to cool on wire racks.

Appreciate the joy and promise of His birth: Enjoy eating them!

Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

(Makes app. 18 cookies.)

* To prepare the jar ingredients:

layer the following..

1 C plus 2 T all-purpose flour

mixed thoroughly with

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

*followed by*

1/2 C rolled oats

1/3 C packed brown sugar

1/3 C sugar1/2 C dried cranberries

1/2 C white chocolate chips

1/2 C chopped pecans

Here's how they looked when we were all done. We capped with a square of Christmas fabric and tied with a bit of ribbon and a scrap of garland, then added our instruction card, like so:

But the possibilities for decorating are only limited by your imagination!

Happy last week of Advent!  May all your preparations for the birth of our Savior be filled with the sweetness of that starlit night.

* First posted in 2009 -- about due for another share!

* I'm hoping to include a pdf of the tag with the instructions, but I need to borrow a techie kid to help me. Stay tuned.

'Merica -- Home of the Fat, Happy, and Wonderfully Stubborn

 So... This is more than Two Cents worth of thoughts. Maybe Two Euros...

But bear with me. Like Flannery O'Connor, I don't know what I think about things until I write about them.

Germany vs America vs 2021

Out Kevvy and Ina's back door. Bavaria is the most 
beautiful place I have ever visited.

Two months in Germany taught me many things. First, there are many ways to do a thing -- and some are better than others. I found out that German groceries, are better, cheaper, and healthier, for one thing. German plumbing, doors, and windows are, for the most part, better than ours. The towns and the countryside I saw (specifically in Bavaria) have a beautiful sense of historic preservation and tidiness that America lacks. Germany is a beautiful country and its people are keen to keep it that way, because Germans, as a people, are orderly -- wonderfully, maddeningly orderly! Bless them! (Don't get me started on the recycling obsession over there! )

I think it's a fact that different nations have different national characters, no one of them being any better or worse than another -- any more than one child's inborn character is better or worse than another's -- but still, I really believe it's an observable phenomenon. It doesn't take much traveling to see that the national character of Germany is different than the character of Italy, for instance. Canadians and Mexicans, likewise, are worlds apart. Swedes and Brazilians wouldn't know what to do about one another. You see what I mean.

The trick with temperaments, though -- whether they're individual's or nation's -- is understanding the
strengths and the weaknesses that come with them. Just like raising children, you try to counteract the down-sides, nip them in the bud if at all possible, or at the least, understand the tendencies they can lead to and take measures to prevent the worst of them.

Like the American Founding Fathers tried to do by writing our Constitution, adding our Amendments, and providing the checks and balances between the moving parts of our government. If the gears of American government were allowed to work as designed, we'd be golden, wouldn't we?

But, back to national temperaments. Germany, in my estimation, is a choleric melancholic country. I bet you're not surprised, huh? Don't jump to unfavorable conclusions, though; some of my favorite people are choleric-melancholic! There are a lot of good things about this temperament! (Man are they organized!) But, in the case of a world crisis involving health concerns, it can be a pesky character to have to deal with.

Discussing this with Kevvy and Ina, we've concluded that part of the German problem is, ironically, that they tend to be rule followers. Germans are generally more health conscious as a nation than America. (You should have heard the German clerk at the Munich customs lecturing me about the 'garbage in the gut' Nutella I was bringing back! ) Put the health consciousness and the rule-following together with the dearth of true education regarding world history (for goodness' sake, their OWN history of totalitarian authoritarianism) -- and a tendency toward self-righteousness -- and you get the debacle we see today in this once proud and intelligent nation.

To wit, if you haven't seen it on the news, the German people are suffering massive lockdowns; you have to carry your "papers" with you everywhere to prove you are vaxxed or have 'recovered immunity,' and Germans are mask crazy. No one dares rebel against the muzzles like we do in America. They just accept it all. Outside of Church and my own family, I barely saw a single person's whole face during these last two months in Germany. Indoors, particularly, not a single smile to be seen anywhere. Seriously, out in public, no smiles. No pleasant exchanges. No joking around.

Granted, a German is less likely than some to banter with a stranger in the best of times -- but, goodness, if I didn't have personal friends and family over there, I would have come home thinking Germany a particularly dour and curmudgeonly country. Not normally true; the German people can be as welcoming and jolly as anyone, but lockdown, mandates and masks are likely to make the most sanguine among us grumpy! And force a melancholeric through all this... Yikes. They believe they are doing the right thing, mind you, following the rules to the letter, all the German "Karens" over there. And the 'experts' agree they are doing the right thing -- which makes it incontrovertible -- so there! -- but, by my observations, the German people are perfectly miserable these days. And if they are miserable, you should be, too.

Forward. I am home in America now.

After FOUR checkpoints to get out of the Munich airport, showing my "papers" repeatedly and having my picture taken twice (I felt like a convict! Like, 'should I have sewn a star on my sleeve, y'all?'). Anyway... Finally, I landed in America Thursday afternoon, blew through two quick customs gates at DIA -- wherein we were told, "put away all the paperwork; we just need to see your passport," and, thank God Almighty (and I don't mean that flippantly), I was free. There were mask rules in the Denver airport, but on the way through the concourse, Dan and I took ours off and no one said a word. Didn't even look at us funny.

Fast Forward again, to yesterday afternoon. I had to go grocery shopping, because it seems my husband was content to live off of tortillas and lunch meat while I was gone... Of course I went to the most economical and, incidentally, closest grocery store. You can guess where.

Free to be Brave and shop at Walmart!
Whether you like the politics or practices of this big box store
 or not, it is a unique fact of American life. Most regular people
do their shopping here, because it is economical and we have
families to feed. We do not apologize for that. And to be perfectly
clear, not all W-Marts are patronized by oddly-dressed asylum escapees.
The inner-city stores generally produce that anomaly. Fairly normal
folks at our friendly neighborhood W-mart!

Yep. People make fun of Walmart. I've made fun of Wal-Mart. I will never make fun of Wal-Mart again. Oh my. (I tear up thinking about it.) All those beautiful, homespun American faces!! And smiles!! And folks talking too loud!! (Europeans hate that!) And laughing!! And fussing at their kids!! It was BEAUTIFUL.

As I walked down an aisle (I was shopping by myself), hunting for Christmas wrapping paper, a random employee (with her mask pulled down to her chin, as all the employees' were -- corporate requirement, my guess, with a manager who doesn't feel convicted about it)... Anyway, the girl looked over at me as she passed and cheerily called out, "How ya doing?!" Be still my heart. That beautiful dear American! That just would not happen in Germany. Not a random greeting like that.

Then, I had a basket full of food that I self- checked (unlike a lot of folks I love self check! It's a great option -- one that doesn't exist in Germany!). I finished checking, paid, and pulled my cart back a few feet to put on my coat and get out my keys -- and realized I'd forgotten to check out a package of bottled waters I'd stowed underneath my buggy. (Doggone it! I hate when I do that!) But, at least I caught it before I got all the way out to the car and would have had to come all the way back!

As I was coming to this realization, though, a young man had taken my place at my checkout. Maybe 19 or 20 years old, he'd obviously just come from a day's work (looked like a farmhand, bless his heart!), and he had just one grocery item, a 12 pack of Budweiser. So I just stood there, waiting -- and after a minute, noticed that he'd noticed me hovering behind him. I told him I was just waiting to pay for the waters I'd missed when I was checking. And, you know what that dear sweet American lad did? He offered to buy my waters for me! (Where else but in America, I ask you?) I, of course, demurred, but we chatted for a minute while he finished his transaction, and as he left, he called out over his shoulder, "Now you have a blessed evening, ma'am!" (Channeling John Wayne, I tell you. Don't you love it? Where else but America?)

So, then, as I left the store, it was drizzling rain and chilly, verging on cold. I stood on the sidewalk outside the doors for a moment, orienting myself (trying to remember where my car was!) and couldn't help but overhear the jovial conversation between the Salvation Army bell-ringer (the guy was in a wheelchair and had a voice like Satchmo) and a grizzled elderly guy who asked him if he was staying warm and dry and mentioned that it was a miserable night to be sitting outside, ringing a bell. The bell ringer's response as I walked away: "Are you kidding? It's a BEAUTIFUL evening!" Sigh... My America.

But that's not all! I thought I was being such a smarty, buying a storage bin (because I wanted a new one to pack the fall decorations still up in the RV when I got home). I'd loaded all my bags of groceries inside the bin in my buggy, thinking that would make it easier to get it all into the car and then into the house when I got home... Ha! I'm such a dummy. It would have worked great if I were Captain America maybe... It was super heavy! But, as it turns out, I met Captain America in the parking lot. In a manner of speaking. The guy getting out of his car in the parking space next to mine saw my struggle and immediately hopped over to help. Smiling and chatting like it was a normal course of events. Because it was.

Because: America.

We have our faults. Good heavens, don't we, though? (Who doesn't?) But we are a choleric sanguine nation, as I see it. Generous to a fault and genial, we may seem embarrassingly redneck and loud at times, but true courtesy runs strong in our veins. We would give you the shirt off our backs if we thought you were in need, and that's not just talk. We are the most generous nation in the world, based on private donations of citizens -- and aid provided by our government. (See below* )Americans are inclined to be polite, too, in our own gregarious way -- out of consideration of others, yes, but also because, like any true sanguine, we want to be liked. It hurts us that Europeans are so snobbish toward us. (A little. Not enough to change our ways, mind you.) And, seriously, don't push us too far in your disregard, whether you are another nation or our own. That Choleric temperament will come right to the top.

Once we have realized the rules are taking advantage of us, or controverting our constitution in any way, we will kick those rules to the curb. And we will kick YOU to the curb, too, if you think you can force them on us against our will. You and your masks and your mandates.

Americans are waking up to the false-reality being force fed them by the government and media who will profit thereby. And you can see it plainly. We are DONE with the covid hysteria here in the red states -- where real America lives.

Having been in locked- down, sad and angry Europe for a couple months, the contrast is stark. There is backlash in Europe, but no real action (that I've seen) taking place to change things. They march. They kibitz over cigarettes and beer. But that's all that's obvious. It's kind of crazy. At least here, we have litigation, votes in the senate, and red-state governors who are sincerely trying to do what's best for their constituents! I'm so proud to be an American! There are fewer protests here in the states, but there's more actually being done!

I am very hopeful that we will soon pull out of this reset stupidity. Watch for the midterms next year and the red wave -- and pray that the distractions planned by the left aren't too painful to bear. But you watch: we're on our way out of the whirlpool. God willing, the rest of the world will follow!

In the meantime, please pray for our family, friends, and sister parishes overseas who are faced with mandatory vaccines this spring. Pray it doesn't come to that. Not everyone has family in the US to escape to -- and even those that do may be prevented because mandatory vax on the airlines could limit travel.

But this, too, while you're praying: thank God every day that you are an American. Gosh, I love the American people, the silly stubborn redneck patriots that they are. I miss my family in Bavaria, but, goodness sakes, I'm so glad to be home and see all your smiling faces!

* The annual private philanthropy in the United States represents 1.44% of the country’s GDP. This is almost twice as high as the 0.77% recorded in Canada. Next on the list come the UK (0.54%), Korea (0.50%), Singapore (0.39%), and Italy (0.30%). China’s private philanthropy makes for only 0.03% of the country’s GDP. Australia, Japan, and Germany have annual private philanthropy levels of 0.23%, 0.12%, and 0.17%, respectively. Find more stats on American giving here.
** Information on the Four Temperaments here.

Another Heads Up, Mommas: The Feast of St. Nicholas is on Monday!

Since today is the 4th of December and a Saturday and because we like to keep the Sabbath Day holy by avoiding unnecessary shopping, this is the day to make your excuses to Dad and kids and run out for any treats you might want to fit into the shoes that will be lined up waiting on St. Nicholas Day, Monday morning! To that end, I scrambled around a bit this morning (while you are were sound asleep, over there in the States) to find some quick and easy, but meaningful...

Ideas for St. Nicholas Day

The enduring tradition as I have found it over the years, is that the children line up their shoes somewhere obvious (on the hearth or outside their bedroom doors or by the back door -- whatever works best!). In the morning on the feast of St. Nick, the children wake to find them filled with certain traditional goodies: either gold coins or oranges to symbolize the story of the dowry provided by the Bishop of Myra (St. Nicholas) for a poor family of several daughters; candy canes to symbolize St. Nicholas' Holy Orders as a Bishop of the Church; a holy card of St. Nicholas (see below), and then maybe a trinket, a new pair of socks, and perhaps another piece of chocolate or other sweets. If you haven't already made a simple shrine for St. Nicholas, just a printed picture off the internet will do fine, decorated appropriately with a candle nearby, perhaps, and some greenery. These little observations set off the day so nicely for the children's benefit (and our own!) and without a lot of fuss! This day should be a simple one to prepare for, not one that Mom has to stress about!

If the kids' shoes are just too gross... 😬😅 Or if you are having
a party, these St. Nicholas gift bags would be simple to put
together. The link for this photo is no longer available, but I think
they'd be pretty easy to figure out, right?

❅ If you're inclined to make sure this is clearly a Religious Feast Day and not just an excuse for candy, you'll surely want to make some of these! They're pretty simple. Maybe pour a glass of wine and have hubby help put a few together tonight after the kids go to bed! (Another tutorial here!) Only things needed: chocolate Santas (any variety), bit of gold pipe cleaner, red construction paper (doesn't have to be foil!). You can get fancy if you want, but, seriously, the kids don't care -- the fact that it's St. Nick and not Santa is the point. Except, of course, the point being that it's chocolate!

One wonders why they didn't choose a Santa/
St. Nick without the goofy eyes...

❅ If you can't find the little Santas and want something equally simple -- that can be wrapped around a standard candy bar, go here.

If anyone asks, I'll take a dark dark chocolate,
salted caramel, thank-you.

❅ Instructions for these super cool chocolate-covered 'croziers' can be found here. Only need melting chocolate and candy canes. 

If you have teenagers in your house, they might really enjoy helping make these!

❅ These chocolate "coins" do double duty at out house, showing up on the Feast of St. Nicholas -- and then again on the Feast of the Epiphany. Here's an easy way to make them fit the feast day this week! And another (with just the face of St. Nick.) Only need the coins themselves, which are pretty easy to find this time of year -- plus a printer with colored ink.

Aren't they especially classy?

The fact that he is a bishop may be more obvious on this one.

❅ This book can go with the gift of the coins (above). Perhaps a little late to get it this year, but maybe order one now to enjoy through Advent and pull out on the Feast of St. Nicholas next year. It explains the tradition of the coins. You can find it on Amazon. You can also find it on Thriftbooks and Abe books.

❅ A Grown-up book I want to get: The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas, by William J. Bennett (famously of The Book of Virtues, a great favorite of ours!) At Amazon. Thrift Books.  AbeBooks

❅ Neat St. Nicholas Day PDF printout of the story of St. Nicholas and how his day is celebrated throughout the world -- as well as some nice little gift tags here.

❅ My favorite blogger, Mary, over at Joyfully Domestic has a fabulous post with ideas, links, and awesome PDFs for St. Nicholas Day and Advent. Make sure and run over for some inspiration! I pretty much feel redundant posting anything after Mary has covered it!

❅ SO many scrumptious ideas for celebrating the feast of St. Nicholas edibly over at Catholic Cuisine! Go have a look! Plenty of recipes to choose from, simple to elaborate!

❅ A nice readable edition of the story of St. Nicholas for children can be found here. Maybe start the day with the real story of St. Nick before opening goodies -- or at night prayers.

❅ Ten Easy Crafts for the kids to do on St. Nicholas Day can be found here.

❅ The St. Nicholas Center has about a dozen beautifully traditional coloring pages to choose from for the feast of St. Nicholas!

❅ Best idea: I have heard of families using this feast day, in the spirit of St. Nicholas' charity to the poor, to bring gifts of canned goods, warm coats, gloves, scarves, hats, and socks. Socks are the least donated and the most needed donation at charitable centers! And so appropriate for this feast day! Maybe the best way to honor St. Nicholas on his day! Make sure the children are involved in buying and bringing the donations! They remember these kinds of things and wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone grew up with the true spirit of St. Nicholas a happy memory in their hearts and a burning ember in their souls?

❅ Holy Cards as promised: Here are some images of St. Nicholas if you don't have a Catholic gift store nearby. If you've got colored ink and card stock or photo paper, they're easy enough to make yourself. Just click, copy, save, and print

Interestingly enough, this icon is actually modeled
after the real St. Nicholas! See link below.

My favorite. Isn't this lovely?

❅ We actually do have a pretty good idea of what the real St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, looked like! Follow this link to see!

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