Two-fer Tuesday

#1

 A Photo

 Sophia and Chloe

 (Kevin and Ina's oldest with Cathy and Louis's oldest)

 All dressed up to share a recipe -- which leads to:

#2

 A Recipe

(From our Family Cookbook. ❤️ Because St. Valentine's Day is coming up!)

Five Random Thoughts

1. Good gracious, it's been cold here in Iowa! I don't remember the last time it got above freezing; the temperatures have chiefly hovered in the single digits, dipping below zero overnight. The weather app is predicting -16 on Sunday! Brrrrrrr! May be a good St. Valentine's Day to stay home with hot drinks and movies instead of going out.

2. Travel Shows. Comfortable winter diversion or torture? I can't decide. I know that travel is bound to eventually get back to normal -- but when is the question! We're anxious to get a chance to go to Germany to see our son, Kevin, and his family. We've not yet met our granddaughter, Sophia! Hopefully by summer things will be getting a little back to normal... But I'm not holding my breath. (insert frowny face) In the meantime, though, I'm getting a kick out of Rick Steves. He's just my kind of dorky and fully of really good information to store up for our next European adventure. We highly recommend his shows! But they definitely add to the wanderlust problem, so watch at your peril.

3. Only five days until Lent! Can you believe it? It was only just Christmas a minute ago! But the Sacrificial Season is hot on the heels of Candlemas Day, and here we are. I'm trying to resist the urge to pig out on everything I'll be giving up come Wednesday. Sometimes I think the Pre-lent over-doing just makes it harder to sacrifice things -- but then I pretty much always follow up that thought with: What the hey! And then I have to start out my Shrove Tuesday by confessing to gluttony, which is never good... (I wonder how often Father hears that word "gluttony" during the Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday confessions. He must just kinda roll his eyes...) That all said, though... It's gotten easier, not harder, to give things up during Lent as I've gotten older. Maybe because there are fewer temptations now that the kids have flown the nest? Or because I've already got a strict diet and I've gotten used to a more spartan lifestyle? I don't know.

4. I was thinking the other day, though -- must have been Tuesday -- how much our perception changes as we get older. Through most of my younger life, I didn't like praying the Sorrowful Mysteries. I know; that's a kooky thing to admit, isn't it? But, honestly, raising a big family and busy for so many years with the workings of so many lives (not just my own!), I think it was more vital to me to focus on positive things -- to just keep going. There's a lot to drag you down if you let it and for years I didn't want to "go there" -- even in the rosary. Meditating on great sorrow of any kind wore me down. Or I thought it would. No doubt my having a somewhat sanguine temperament figured into that. (How could it not, right?) And it's not that I didn't value the importance of Christ's sacrifice, because I think I did as far as an ignorant human being can grasp such a thing -- but I couldn't love the meditation of it. Rather, I felt comfort and inspiration in the Joyful Mysteries. They spoke to where I lived.

Now, though, I've come to love and appreciate the Sorrowful Mysteries. I'm not sure when it happened -- it was probably a slow growing realization -- but having lived through a good sampling of both joy and sorrow for five and a half decades now, I don't see the two so much as a contrast -- one good and the other bad -- but as inextricable puzzle pieces, dependent upon one another. Maybe it's because I've experienced enough to see for myself how cross-bearing isn't hard because it's a love thing, but that it's a love thing because it's hard. Does that make sense? And the bigger the cross toted with love, the bigger the joy that's also connected with it -- or maybe joy is not really the exact word: it's more like satisfaction or rightness; something deeper and more lasting than joy, really. Impossible to explain, but I think finding out for yourself -- often the hard way -- the value of crosses -- is how you bear them.  And how they bear you. Fought and resented they crush you; accepted and loved, they build strength for the long haul.

I wish I'd understood this in more than an academic way when I was younger so I could have born those early crosses more fruitfully -- but I'm not sure that would have been possible. I think some of us more thick-headed sort aren't bound to understand Christianity until at some point we get to the top of Calvary ourselves and managed the courage to point our faces up to see Jesus hanging there-- where His eyes meet ours -- and they are filled only with love -- not dread or regret or disappointment. Only happiness to see us there with Him. That light of love in His eyes. It's always been there in the Sorrowful Mysteries, but I never got past the wounds to see it, I'm afraid. I know to look for it now, though.

5. And finishing on a totally unrelated topic ("random five"): what I'm hoping I can convince my Valentine to make for us Sunday morning with brunch. (Recipe here.)

* This "Random Five" is a take-off on a Blogger linky/listy called "Random 7 Friday" that used to be shared by a blog called Conversion Diaries that is no longer in existence -- though the blogger still has a presence online... in a wholly unexpected way! She's a comedienne! She does tours -- and has a show on Amazon Prime. Like, what? I used to "know this Mom when." Crazy crazy world. Who would ever have thought? (I am shaking my head in wonderment.) In case you wondered, though: not the least bit of envy here -- or covetousness for that kind of life. The kinds of things I feel twinges of envy for are more along the lines of: paved driveways (sigh), really good luggage (swoon), and people who don't need a special diet to be skinny and have energy.... (darn you people) I am very happy just planning out my house to fit in Dominic and his little family this spring -- and looking forward to Irish coffee on Sunday! Woot! 

Thankful Thursday, February 4th

I'm Thankful for: Blank Canvases and Smartphones

1) I'm grateful for the platform of this blog, a literary blank canvas, which has not only provided a legitimate log of our growing family over the years (since 2007!), but has given me a place to think out loud, to work out what I actually do see about me and what I think about it. Odd as it sounds AWTY's supplied a kind of self-counsel for me by giving a structure and incentive to look into what the Church thinks about any given topic in a changing world -- and ways that can be found to live a beautiful, fun, holy life within it.

2) Another thing I'm glad of: our chalkboard door and our little black cabinet. Seems sort of trivial, I guess, but these are little mood boosters for me! Especially now that my duties are so curtailed, I really appreciate the creative planning that goes into these for each new season: the hunt for quotes and art and tchotchkes for the cabinet, then the rendering of the ideas, and the little mental lift every time I walk by them when they're finished. It's a concrete creative project with concrete results. Nothing cyber about it! 

Certain children of mine are wincing over that dangling preposition there.
It is perfectly acceptable, kids, in informal writing -- and in fact preferable when
following the "non-dangling rule" makes you sound like Yoda.
I refer y'all once again to this article.

Almost time to change the cabinet theme -- but not quite. I'm thinking I'll pull together
artifacts and wallpaper to make a St. Valentine's/Coming Spring theme next.

3) Not that being cyber is necessarily an evil! Heaven knows, I utilize technology as much or more than anybody, but, I'm more-than-average thankful for the internet these days -- and really do appreciate the easy communication that has been afforded by smartphone apps. Say what you want about the downsides of the internet (and there are many!), we've all been grateful this week for the ability to keep up almost instantaneously with the constantly developing news surrounding my Father-in-law's heart attack on our family app. 

* In the way of being an update: if anyone wanders by her heard about this and wonders: Dan's Dad has recovered almost miraculously considering the magnitude of the attack -- and for that we are MOST thankful for all the prayers that have flooded heaven for him! He's is expected to be able to leave the hospital today or tomorrow, Deo gratias! 

* Claudia (Michelle's #3)

Life is much easier with the advent of smartphones than it was in the
landline days, as much as we might wax nostalgic about it. I have really
come to appreciate the ease of communication most especially now that
we have children, grandchildren, and our parents living all over the globe.

* Grateful, too, for all of you -- those who just pop in (I see you in the stats, you know!) -- but especially you dear souls who occasionally say Hi. These days, that's like winning the lottery in blog world! 

* And the perpetual PS on all Thankful Thursdays:

I thank God for all His goodnesses every single day -- even when they come in the form of crosses. Nobody knows what I need more than He does.

Finit 

Keep Calm and Make a List

 Top Ten Facts of Empty Nesting

(According to Dan and Lisa)

1) Anything amiss around here, like lost reading glasses, or water tracked across the floor, or cabinets left open -- is blamed on the dog. Don't feel sorry for him, though; he's good with it. Whoever does the blaming always loves up on him like a co-conspirator. We're starting to think Dawsey may actually be leaving cabinets open so he can get belly rubs.

2) We can, for the first time in our lives, actually walk across the mudroom without tripping over shoes. It's weird. Now we just trip over air out of habit.

3) Sunday afternoons, which used to be all about trying to get a moment of peace away from the hoards of children -- are now exercises in getting time with our children. We brag to each other about how many of the kids we talked to or texted with on Sunday afternoons. (It's also open house for our dear girls from Mater Dei's St. Philomena boarding house right down the street!)

4) In our immediate stores, we now have less food -- but better food. At least to us -- because we eat a lot of salads. There's a certain amount of regret, though, that we couldn't buy the choice cuts of steak we enjoy now for all ten kids all those years, but, hey: they can buy their own now, right? And they'll appreciate it all the more! (I said regret, not guilt. ;) )

5) Neither of us can remember what we've told each of the kids, so everyone gets the same information from both of us or one of us several times -- or not at all. (Sorry, kids.)

6) We can get ready for Church and legitimately be out the door in fifteen minutes. But we usually take a half hour. (Imagine.)

7) We are practically paralyzed nowadays by having to entertain by ourselves, we
're so used to having the well-oiled machinery of the kid-team kick into motion before an event. We never used to even have to say what needed to be done; the bottom five children, most especially, were like high end caterers. We miss that! If anyone wonders why we don't entertain as much... that's why!

8) Laundry once a week and usually only two loads. At the height of highly-blessed parenting career,
when everyone was home, I did at least two loads a day, every day but Sunday. Now when the two youngest boys are home, it goes back up to two loads, two or three times a week. 

9) We've started to lose our goalie-like parenting reflexes -- physically, anyway. If one of the toddler grandbabies is falling off the couch, there'd better be a parent or auntie or uncley nearby. But if you want a situationally pertinent lecture on any given topic, Dan and I, both, are still quick on the draw, kids. We'll be passing around the lectures on our deathbeds, count on it.

10) We miss the crazy busy days of big-family parenting like a waitress misses a St. Valentine's Day Saturday night shift. Through the thick of it, we were so busy that we were forced into top form, and the whole thing passed by crazy fast -- we barely had time to catch our breath -- and there were tons of near-misses and goofs, but it was kinda fun, too, and there was lots of love and tender moments -- and, throughout, great tips -- little perks! -- but we're really really glad to put our feet up now that we're done with it.

Celebrating the Liturgical Year: February at a Glance

February is the month of
The Sacred Passion

Surely I'm not the only one who sees February coming up on the calendar and grimaces. It's a rough slog, February, but it's the month of the Sacred Passion of Jesus, and one we can get through with merit and a sense of accomplishment remembering Our Lord's road to Calvary, the toughest slog in history, and how love made it doable. It's appropriate somehow that Lent almost always begins in this month. There's a lot to offer up, ipso facto.

A favorite children's book of ours, The Forty-six Little Men, features (or, well, doesn't feature) a character called "Dull and Dreary." His name could also be February. Smack in the middle of winter, gray and cold and bleh, February feels chiefly penitential (unless you're a skiier or are in the Valentine's card business). What we can usually expect from February is all the best of: 

1) snow and/or  

2) mud;

 3) diet food (salad and beets and cabbage), or 

4) broken diet resolutions from last month. 

It's one of those perfectly appropriate happenstances (definitely not an accident in the Divine plan) that Ash Wednesday almost always falls somewhere in February. This can be a good thing, of course, practically speaking, citing February Feature #4 (above). There's nothing better than accountability to God for adding a spark of conscience to all those New Year's Resolutions! But, still. (==I sigh==) Lent. I get how a person might like the  Long Forty  for its effects -- but, seriously, you're in line for sainthood behind St. Simon Stylites if you charge gleefully into Lent because you actually enjoy the process. That's tantamount to enjoying getting your teeth cleaned. Or childbirth. The results are great! Getting to the results, not so much.

We've always told the kids: if you like Lent, you're not doing it right. 

And we're only half kidding. (Or maybe one quarter kidding,) There are Lenten sacrifices and there are Lenten Sacrifices. Giving up enough to make it a challenge isn't fun. Giving up chocolate if you rarely have chocolate does not impress me. Sorry. But, giving up coffee when your friends don't recognize you without a coffee cup in your hand? That's something. Something hard.  And, like my Marine son tells his children, "Doing a hard thing is a good thing!"  And doing a hard thing out of love for God is a great thing! (I can say this right now as I have a coffee cup at my elbow, but ask me again a month from now how impressed I am with myself.... It pains, the very thought.)

Typical of God's wisdom, too, is that the Church, which encourages us to make these extra sacrifices during this penitential season, cautions us not to go overboard and gives us the Lord's Day off every week. And let me tell you, after a rigorous week of good Catholic Lenting, a Sunday of innocent off-Lent pleasures is the best thing that happens all year! Man, oh man, does that cuppa coffee after Mass on a Lenten Sunday taste good! 

The word Lent may conjure in my minds words like Dull and Dreary and Painful and Prickly, but there's consolation, looking forward to a day of sweet relief every seven days -- followed, after forty days, by the Big Blast of Awesome Wonder at Easter! There's nothing better than Easter after a good hard Lent! Nothing on earth! I imagine it's a little tiny glimpse of what heaven must be like after a long life of frustration and deprivation and sacrifices aimed in the right direction. Times a bazillion. Something to look forward to at the end of our days, hopefully, and if we make for ourselves a good challenging Lent, we get to enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done -- on April 4th this year!

So, anyway... What to be thinking about in the meantime, at the beginning of February: Yeah. Lent is coming. That's the first thing. But that's not all. Here's a quick look ahead to all the other moving parts of the Liturgical Year:

February 1st

St. Ignatius of Antioch

If you've ever heard an allusion (in early Christian writings) to a man known as Theophorus, this is St. Ignatius of Antioch. The third bishop of Antioch (modern day Turkey), St. Ignatius was a native of Syria, but died in Rome between 98 and 117 AD. After a life of trials and persecutions as an important leader of the Eastern Church, he continuously exhorted his people to have courage in the face of trial and very possible death. Always preparing himself for the same likelihood during the great persecutions at that time and expecting trouble in an upcoming visit to the capital city of the empire, he wrote to the Christians of Rome begging them to not try to be heroes in his defense and deprive him of his own opportunity of martyrdom.

As much as the Roman Christians may have wanted to save the pious and courageous bishop, they obeyed his request and Ignatius was martyred soon after arriving in Rome. His relics were brought home to Antioch and translated twice within Syria before ending up at St. Clement's Church in Rome, where they rest to this day.

 St. Ignatius is known for being the first to refer in writing to the early Christians as Catholics -- this term acknowledging and celebrating the universality of the Faith of Christ -- as early as the first century AD.

Two quotes of St. Ignatius:

• We recognize a tree by its fruit, and we ought to be able to recognize a Christian by his action.
• Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips, and the world in your heart.

 St. Brigid of Ireland

* A thorough overview of St. Brigid (with the slightest N.O. intro) can be found --- Here.

* She is the patroness of: babies, blacksmiths, boatmen, brewers, cattle, poultry raisers, children born out of wedlock, children living with abuse, dairy workers, the state of Florida, the city of Kildare, Ireland, fugitives, mariners, midwives, Religious Sisters, poets, printing presses, sailors, scholars, travelers, watermen.

* During one of her travels, St. Brigid went to visit a dying pagan chieftain. As she sat near his bed, she picked up some rushes on the floor and began weaving a Cross. He asked her about what she was doing and, in explaining, she told him about Christ and the meaning of the Cross. He came to faith and was baptized. (As per Fish Eaters) How to make St. Brigid's Crosses out of wheat straw or grasses -- Here.

February 2nd 

The Feast of the Purification

* Aka: Candlemas Day! The official closing ceremony of Christmastide. Every little thing about this feast day from origin and ceremony to pancakes and groundhogs --- Here and Here. Candlemas Day and "Churching" --- Here.

* Hopefully, you've already been able to procure some beeswax candles and will remember to take them with you to Mass today! These candles should have a place in every Catholic home; they are used during Sick Calls, Extreme Unction, funerals (when Baptismal candles are unavailable), during storms and inclement weather of any kind, and for private devotions after sunset on All Saints' Day.

February 3rd

St. Blaise

* Blessing of Throats Day! (Wash behind the kids' ears this morning!)

*  The story of this popular saint, with the script of the ceremony, misc. facts and prayers --- Here.

* St. Blaise is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. A venerable old Catholic list from tradition, patronage of these fourteen saints goes back to the Black Plague when their intercession was especially called upon.

The 14 Holy Helpers
St. George, Martyr, April 23
St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, February 3
St. Pantaleon, Martyr, July 27
St. Vitus, Martyr, June 15
St. Erasmus (Elmo), Bishop and Martyr, June 2
St. Christopher, Martyr, July 25
St. Giles, Abbot, September 1
St. Cyriacus (Cyriac), Martyr, August 8
St. Achatius, Martyr, May 8
St. Dionysius (Denis), Bishop and Martyr, October 9
St. Eustachius (Eustace), Martyr, September 20
St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr, November 25
St. Margaret of Antioch, Virgin and Martyr, July 20
St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr, December 4

February 5th

St. Agatha 

Born circa 231 AD, St. Agatha was born in  Catania -- or Palermo, Sicily. She was martyred during the persecution of Decius in approximately 251 AD. She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass.^[5]

Agatha in front of the judge as depicted in a
stained glass window from 1515 in Notre-Dame

Her story in a nutshell: according to the Golden Legend (by  Jacobus de Voragine, 13th c.), fifteen-year-
old Agatha, the child of a rich and noble family, rejected the amorous propositions of the Roman prefect Quintianus. Knowing she was a Christian and having no regard for her vow of virginity, Quintianus, persisted, until after multiple refusals, he reported her to the authorities, expecting her to give in when she was faced with torture and possible death. Instead, she reaffirmed her belief in God by praying: "Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep: make me worthy to overcome the devil." (from the Golden Legend) With the intention of corrupting Agatha, Quintianus imprisoned her in a brothel, but Agatha, heroic as ever and buoyed by constant prayer never lost her confidence in God and remained unsullied and determined.

Enraged, Quintianus sent for her again, argued, threatened, and after her constant refusal to deny her faith, had her imprisoned and tortured. She was stretched on a rack to be torn with iron hooks, burned with torches, and whipped. Among the tortures she underwent was the cutting off of her breasts. Finally, though half-dead, Agatha remaining steadfast, was sentenced to be burnt burned at the stake, but an earthquake saved her from that fate. She was sent once again to prison where St. Peter, the first pope, appeared to her, healing her wounds, and she soon thereafter died in prison, about the year 251AD.

St. Agatha is the patron saint of Catania as well as several other principalities in Italy and Spain. She is also the patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, bell-foundries, and bakers, and she invoked against fire, earthquakes, and eruptions of Mount Etna.

In honor of their patroness, February 3rd through 5th are days of great celebration in Catania, Sicily, full of ancient traditions. Go here to check it out!

The Martyrs of Japan

Their story:

In August, 1549,St. Francis Xavier (see above) sent his first Jesuit envoys,  Fr. Cosmo de Torres and Fr. Juan Fernandez to Kagoshima, Japan.  Following standard protocol of the time, a contingent of the Religious visited the "daimyo" (powerful local leader) of Kagoshima asking for permission to build  their mission within the boundaries of his territory, particularly as this would be first Catholic mission in Japan). Hoping that the presence of the mission would help create a trade relationship with Europe, Kagoshima assented.

Initially, the "shoguns" (the next rung up in Japanese leadership), as well as the imperial government initially supported these Catholic missionaries; in addition to promoting trade, they hoped that a little competition would reduce the power of the Buddhist monks in Japan that had begun to become problematic to the civil leadership. It didn't take long, however, before this theory was replaced by suspicion of the Jesuits' influence, as well. Fearing the global example of foreign takeovers by the west(known at the time as "colonialism"), the Japanese government aimed to nip the problem in the bud, outlawed Catholicism, and started persecuting Catholics. All Japanese converts who refused to abandon their faith were killed.

The Christian martyrs of Nagasaki. 16th-17th century Japanese painting.

In October, 1596, a Spanish galleon, the San Felipe, wrecked off the coast of Japan and the local daimyo seized the valuable cargo. In the aftermath of the incident, the captain of the ship, in an effort to regain the cargo (or in an effort to save his own life) injudiciously claimed that the purpose of Catholic missionaries was to prepare for inevitable invasion, thus cementing in the minds of the Japanese leaders, what had been ongoing rumors. Subsequently, the daimyo escalated the persecutions to include the missionaries, and 26 Catholics – four Spaniards, one Mexican, and one Portuguese from India (all Franciscan missionaries), three Japanese Jesuits, and 17 Japanese members of the Third Order of St. Francis, including three young boys – were executed by crucifixion in Nagasaki on February 5, 1597. Their feas tday remains on this date in commemoration of their steadfast bravery in the Faith.

Persecutions in Japan continued sporadically until the arrival of Western missionaries in the 19th century, but not before hundreds more Japanese Catholics earned the crown of martyrdom.

February 7th

Sexagesima Sunday

* Remote preparation for Easter, "Sexagesima" literally meaning "sixty" falls sixty days before Easter. It follows the first "heads up" feast day, Septuagesima (meaning "seventy"), on January 31st. Pretty good overview can be found --- Here.

February 10th

St. Scholastica

* Reflections on the Feast of St. Scholastica, twin sister of St. Benedict, by Dom Gueranger in The Liturgical year --- Here.

* Lovely St. Scholastica coloring page --- Here.

February 11th

Our Lady of Lourdes

* St. Bernadette's entire story of the apparitions at Lourdes can be found here. And another lovely version here.

* Here is a coloring page of Our Lady of Lourdes, courtesy of wonderful, talented Charlotte.

* Movies to watch: The1943 classic, The Song of Bernadette, And a new version, the one that is shown at Lourdes, Bernadette, and its sequel, The Passion of Bernadette,

* Books: A Holy Life: St. Bernadette of Lourdes,
Bernadette Speaks: A Life of Saint Bernadette Soubirous in Her Own Words
St. Bernadette Soubirous

* Many posts from AWTY over the years on St. Bernadette and Lourdes, if you click here.

* Websites to check out: the official Lourdes Sanctuary
official Saint Bernadette-Nevers site and tons of  photos of St. Bernadette

February 14th

Quinquagesima Sunday

* Meaning "fifty," Quinquagesima is the last Sunday of the remote preparation for Lent, preceding Ash Wednesday. If you haven't already started pondering what you want to give up for Lent this year, now is the time.  time to put a bug in the children's ears, too (so to speak). In years past, we had a special family meeting on this Sunday and either on this day or by Wednesday, at the latest, the children were required to write down their sacrifices on little bits of papers (sometimes especially decorated and placed in handmade envelopes, if I was being a creative kind of homeschool Mom at that time) and then they all slipped them under our Pieta statue, which is specially decorated for the season. This made each child's decision a commitment about which there were no "backsies," and placed the accountability exactly where it needed to be for a good Lent. (And also in case of memory loss or contention with siblings, Mom or Dad could just look it up. Came in handy more often than you would think, having it written down!)

and St. Valentine

* Prayer to St. Valentine for our children's choice of spouse 

Heavenly Father, we ask You to guide our children in the choice of spouse. Don't let them be carried away by false charms or be fascinated by mere outward glamour, but guide their minds to look beneath and beyond all external attractiveness for the deeper things which alone are worth while.

Especially let the choice be of one who is a fervent Catholic, true in thought and word and deed to those ideals which are Yours, especially the value of their purity.

Dear Father of us all, give Your guiding help to our children, who are Your children, too. We will be letting them go soon, but please don't ever let our children go from you. Amen

St. Valentine, patron of romantic love, pray for us!

* St. Valentine Day posts throughout the years (that might interest my family, especially -- as they show the children when they were so little), but there's other information of general interest, as well, including the history of the feast.

February 17th

Ash Wednesday

* All the factoids (lots of really neat stuff) concerning Ash Wednesday --- Here.

* What Catholics Need to Know Regarding Fast and Abstinence

(The uniform norms for fast and abstinence adopted in 1951 by the bishops of the United States, modified at their November 1956 meeting' as observed by most traditional Catholics in our country.  All rules of fast and abstinence can be modified by a local bishop.)

Abstinence (of meat)

1. Everyone over 7 years of age is bound to observe the law of abstinence.

2. Complete abstinence is to be observed on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday and the Vigils of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas. On days of complete abstinence, meat and soup or gravy made from meat may not be used at all.

3. Partial abstinence is to be observed on Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays and the Vigil of Pentecost. On days of partial abstinence, meat and soup or gravy made from meat may be taken only once a day at the principal meal.

                                                                             Fasting

1. Everyone 21 - 59 years of age is bound to observe the law of fast.

2. The days of fast are all the days in Lent except Sundays, the Ember Days and Vigils of Pentecost, the Immaculate Conception and Christmas.

3. On days of fast, only one full meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to one’s needs; but together they should not equal another full meal.

4. Meat may be taken at the principal meal on a day of fast except on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and the Vigils of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas.

5. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and fruit juices, are allowed.

6. Where health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige. In doubt concerning fast or abstinence, a parish priest or confessor should be consulted.

* There is no obligation for fast or abstinence on a holy day of obligation, even if it falls on a Friday.

Also on February 17th

 

The Holy Family's Flight into Egypt

* Fascinating facts about the journey the Holy Family made from Bethlehem to Egypt. One of AWTY's most viewed posts, it has almost 8,000 hits! Go check it out --- Here.

February 21st

First Official Sunday of Lent

* We're free to lift our Lenten observances of fasting and other sacrifices on Lenten Sundays if we like. Some intrepid souls stick it out all the way through (more power to them!), but most of us appreciate the Church's Wisdom in allowing the break. 

For those who challenge themselves during Lent, this day off gains greater significance as the forty days progress, but this first Sunday can set the tone for the following six Sundays!  In an effort to encourage moderation (and discourage a pig-out free-for-all!), we've always allowed a prudent amount of snacking for the family, plus sweets and movies (we always gave up the latter two as a family), but we tried to make the day special by making a specific Lenten Sunday Grand Plan. Chief among the traditions in the Grand Plan was getting to watch an episode of the old "All Creatures Great and Small" series in the late afternoon, complete with a smorgasbord of popcorn, cheese, sliced fruit, and sausage.

 We still look forward to this annual tradition, even though Dan and I are the only ones home during Lent any more. We're especially excited this year, though, as we have a PBS remake of All Creatures to look forward to sampling! It's supposed to be family friendly... (Sure hope it is!) 

Take-away, not just for parents: It adds to the anticipation and feeling of reward for a week done well to personalize the day off (however you choose!) in a structured way! Instead of OD-ing on Forbidden Fruits of Lent, it's always helped us to add something different and special on Lenten Sundays that everyone will especially enjoy -- a new board game or a hike or ongoing series with wholesome themes, instead -- whatever works for you. Kids love the predictability -- and so do parents!

February 22nd

St. Peter's Chair at Antioch

* What on earth this feast day is all about --- Here.

* Interesting quote from Archbp Fulton J. Sheen  that somewhat correlates, as it pertains to the Chair of Peter today: "Is it any wonder then that St. Peter along with Ezekiel in the Old Testament speak of the destruction of the Temple and the persecution of the Church is coming from within. Ezekiel said, “Incipite a sanctuario meo,” and St. Peter; “Begin at my sanctuary.” Begin there in the sanctuary, and that was what was first destroyed when Titus and Vespasian took over Jerusalem. And Peter said that’s the way it will be at the end."  From Conference # 10 given by Archbishop Sheen for the Priests of the Archdiocese of Washington at Loyola,  (Aside: Say what you like about him, he was at least at one time, filled with the wisdom of the Holy Ghost. What happened during VII? Who knows?)

* Interesting interactive digital map that teaches about the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire --- Here.

February 24th

Ember Wednesday

* The Church gives us pause once every season of the year on Ember Days for remembering  to give thanks for all our blessings and to pray, in particular, our natural world (including weather), the custodians of our harvests, our farmers (and our own gardens), and the custodians of our souls -- our priests and seminarians. The Mass today reflects this focus. You can find some more explanation and some prayers for priests -- Here.

* Some Lenten Cheerleading to add some oomph to the last days before Holy Week and Easter -- Here.

and St. Matthias, the Apostle

* The apostle who replaced Judas! Reflections from The Liturgical Year about St. Matthias --- Here.

* The only apostle not directly chosen by Christ, this day is a good one to talk about Apostolic Succession, as here proven to be a fact of the earliest function of the Church. My Catholic Faith is a good source of information.

February 26th

Ember Friday

* Full abstinence is required today, as always on Fridays for all healthy Catholics between the ages of 7 and 59; for all Catholics between the ages of 21 and 59, fasting (as described above) is also the order of the day -- but, as it's Lent, it is rather a moot point, like watering a lawn while it's raining. 

and the feast of  St. Mechtilde

* Short Biography: "The Nightingale of Helfta," St Mechtilde, famous now as the mentor of St. Gertrude the Great, was known in her own time for the beauty of her voice and her gift for music, as well as for her academic ability, and her wise counsel. Eventually becoming the Abbess of the Cistercian Convent at Rodersdorf, Germany, where she had lived from the age of seven, St. Mechtilde was a mystic, as well, was a precursor to St. Gertrude and St. Margaret Mary as a devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and is known to have been the given by the Blessed Mother, herself, the devotion of the Three Hail Marys.

Having prayed for aid in the quest of her eternal salvation and especially for to come bringing her assistance at the hour of her death, the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Mechtilde and reassured her, saying: "Yes, I will! But I wish, for your part, that you recite three Hail Marys every day, remembering in the first the Power received from the Eternal Father, in the second the Wisdom received from the Son, with the third one the Love that has filled the Holy Spirit". The Blessed Virgin taught her to pray and to understand especially how the three Hail Marys honor the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity.

* Today would be a good day to explore sacred music, especially from the time of St. Mechtilde and St. Gertrude (1240-1298)

* Have a listen --- here --- here --- and  Here (The Mass of St. Mechtilde by CMRI/OLS choir, Denver

February 27th

St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother

* Short biography (of one of our family patrons!) --- Here. St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother, the Young Men's Little Flower.

* St. Gabriel Possenti is on our saints from large families list, the eleventh of thirteen children!

February 28th

2nd Sunday of Lent

* Last day of February and 30 days of Lent left to go!

The Catholic Week Ahead

Sunday: 5th Sunday after Pentecost
                       Feast of St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict
 

St. Scholastica
(Feast Day: February 10th)
by Prosper Louis P. Gueranger

The sister of the Patriarch Saint Benedict comes to us today, sweetly inviting us to follow her to heaven. Apollonia the Martyr is succeeded by Scholastica the fervent daughter of the Cloister. Both of them are the Spouses of Jesus, both of them wear a crown, for both of them fought hard, and won the palm. Apollonia's battle was with cruel persecutors, and in those hard times when one had to die to conquer; Scholastica's combat was the life-long struggle, whose only truce is the soldier's dying breath. The Martyr and the Nun are sisters now in the Heart of Him they both so bravely loved.

God, in his infinite wisdom, gave to St. Benedict a faithful co-operatrix,--a sister of such angelic gentleness of character, that she would be a sort of counterpoise to the brother, whose vocation, as the legislator of monastic life, needed a certain dignity of grave and stern resolve. We continually meet with these contrasts in the lives of the saints; and they show us that there is a link, of which flesh and blood know nothing; a link which binds two souls together, gives them power, harmonises their differences of character, and renders each complete. Thus it is in heaven with the several hierarchies of the Angels; a mutual love, which is founded on God Himself, unites them together, and makes them live in the eternal happiness of the tenderest brotherly affection.

Scholastica's earthly pilgrimage was not a short one; and yet it has left us but the history of the Dove, which told the brother, by its flight to heaven, that his sister had reached the eternal home before him. We have to thank St. Gregory the Great for even this much, which he tells us as a sequel to the holy dispute she had with Benedict, three days previous to her death. But how admirable is the portrait thus drawn in St. Gregory's best style! We seem to understand the whole character of Scholastica:--an earnest simplicity, and a child-like eagerness, for what was worth her desiring it; an affectionate and unshaken confidence in God; a winning persuasiveness, where there was opposition to God's will, which, when it met such an opponent as Benedict, called on God to interpose, and gained its cause. The old poets tell us strange things about the swan, how sweetly it can sing when dying; how lovely must not have been the last notes of the Dove of the Benedictine Cloister, as she was soaring from earth to heaven!

But how came Scholastica, the humble retiring Nun, by that energy, which could make her resist the will of her brother, whom she revered as her master and guide? What was it told her that her prayer was not a rash one, and that what she asked for was a higher good than Benedict's unflinching fidelity to the Rule he had written, and which it was his duty to teach by his own keeping it? Let us hear St. Gregory's answer: "It is not to be wondered at, that the sister, who wished to prolong her brother's stay, should have prevailed over him; for, whereas St. John tells us, that God is Charity, it happened by a most just judgment, that she that had the stronger love, had the stronger power."

Our Season is appropriate for the beautiful lesson taught us by St. Scholastica,--fraternal charity. Her example should excite us to the love of our neighbor, that love which God bids us labour for, now that we are intent on giving Him our undivided service, and our complete conversion. The Easter Solemnity we are preparing for, is to unite us all in the grand Banquet, where we are all to feast on the one Divine Victim of Love. Let us have our nuptial garment ready; for He that invites us, insists on our having union of heart when we dwell in his House (Ps. lxvii. 7.)

The Church has inserted in her Office of this Feast the account given by St. Gregory of the last interview between St. Scholastica and St. Benedict. It is as follows:

From the 2nd book of the Dialogues of Saint Gregory, Pope.

Scholastica was the sister of the venerable father Benedict. She had been consecrated to Almighty God from her very infancy, and was accustomed to visit her brother once a year. The man of God came down to meet her at a house belonging to the monastery, not far from the gate. It was the day for the usual visit, and her venerable brother came down to her accompanied by some of his brethren. The whole day was spent in the praises of God and holy conversation; and at night-fall, they took their repast together. Whilst they were at table, and it grew late as they conferred with each other on sacred things, the holy Nun thus spoke to her brother: "I beseech thee, stay the night "with me, and let us talk till morning on the joys of heaven." He replied: "What is this thou sayest, sister? On no account may I remain out of the monastery. The evening was so fair, that not a cloud could be seen in the sky." When, therefore, the holy nun heard her brother's refusal, she clasped her hands together, and, resting them on the table, she hid her face in them, and made a prayer to the God of all power. As soon as she raised her head from the table, there came down so great a storm of thunder and lightning, and rain, that neither the venerable Benedict, nor the brethren who were with him, could set foot outside the place where they were sitting.

The holy virgin had shed a flood of tears as she leaned her head upon the table, and the cloudless sky poured down the wished-for rain. The prayer was said, the rain fell in torrents; there was no interval; but so closely on each other were prayer and rain, that the storm came as she raised her head. Then the man of God, seeing that it was impossible to reach his monastery amidst all this lightning, thunder, and rain, was sad, and said complainingly: "God forgive thee, sister! What hast thou done?" But she replied: "I asked thee a favour," and thou wouldst not hear me; I asked it of my God, and He granted it. Go, now, if thou canst, to the monastery, and leave me here!" But it was not in his power to stir from the place; so that, he who would not stay willingly, had to stay unwillingly, and spend the whole night with his sister, delighting each other with their questions and answers about the secrets of spiritual life.

On the morrow, the holy woman returned to her monastery, and the man of God to his. When lo! three days after, he was in his cell; and raising his eyes, he saw the soul of his sister going up to heaven, in the shape of a dove. Full of joy at her being thus glorified, he thanked his God in hymns of praise, and told the brethren of her death. He straightways bade them go and bring her body to the monastery; which having done, he had it buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself. Thus it was, that, as they had ever been one soul in God, their bodies were united in the same grave.

Prayer to St. Scholastica

Dear Spouse of the Lamb! Innocent and simple Dove! How rapid was thy flight to thy Jesus, when called home from thine exile! Thy brother's eye followed thee for an instant, and then heaven received thee, with a joyous welcome from the choirs of the Angels and Saints. Thou art now at the very source of that love which here filled thy soul, and gained thee everything thou asked of thy Divine Master. Drink of this fount of life to thy heart's eternal content. Satiate the ambition taught thee by thy brother in his Rule, when he says that we must "desire Heaven with all the might of our spirit." Feed on that sovereign Beauty, Who himself feeds, as he tells us, among the lilies?

But forget not this lower world, which was to thee, what it is to us,--a place of trial, for winning heavenly honours. During thy sojourn here, thou wast the Dove in the clifts of the rock, as the Canticle describes a soul like thine own; there was nothing on this earth which tempted thee to spread thy wings in its pursuit, there was nothing worthy of thy giving it the treasure of the love, which God had put in thy heart. Timid before men, and simple as innocence ever is, thou knewest not that thou hadst wounded the Heart of the Spouse. Thy prayers were made to him with all the humility and confidence of a soul that had never been disloyal; and he granted thee thy petitions with the promptness of tender love: so that thy brother,--the venerable Saint,--he who was accustomed to see nature obedient to his command,--yes, even Benedict was overcome by thee in that contest, wherein thy simplicity was more penetrating than his profound wisdom.

And who was it, O Scholastica, that gave thee this sublime knowledge, and made thee, on that day of thy last visit, wiser than the great Patriarch, who was raised up in the Church to be the living rule of them that are called to Perfection? It was the same God who chose Benedict to be one of the pillars of the Religious State; but who wished to show, that a holy and pure and tender charity is dearer to him, than the most scrupulous fidelity to rules, which are only made for leading men to what thou hadst already attained. Benedict, himself such a lover of God, knew all this; the subject so dear to thy heart was renewed, and brother and sister were soon lost in the contemplation of that Infinite Beauty, who had just given such a proof that he would have you neglect all else. Thou wast ripe for heaven, O Scholastica! Creatures could teach thee no more love of thy Creator; he would take thee to Himself. A few short hours more, and the Divine Spouse would speak to thee those words of the ineffable Canticle, which the Holy Spirit seems to have dictated for a soul like thine: Arise, make haste, my Love, my Dove, my beautiful one, and come ! Show me thy face; let thy voice sound in mine ears; for thy voice is sweet, and comely is thy face.

Thou hast left us, O Scholastica! but do not forget us. Our souls have not the same beauty in the eyes of our God as thine, and yet they are called to the same heaven. It may be that years are still needed to fit them for the celestial abode, where we shall see thy grand glory. Thy prayer drew down a torrent of rain upon the earth; let it now be offered for us, and obtain for us tears of repentance. Thou couldst endure no conversation which had not eternity for its subject; give us a disgust for useless and dangerous talk, and a relish for hearing such as are on God and Heaven. Thy heart had mastered the secret of fraternal charity, yea of that affectionate charity, which is so well-pleasing to our Lord; soften our hearts to the love of our neighbor, banish from them all coldness and indifference, and make us love one another as God would have us love.

Dear Dove of holy solitude! remember the Tree, whose branches gave thee shelter here on earth. The Benedictine cloister venerates thee, not only as the sister, but also as the Daughter of its sainted Patriarch. Cast thine eye upon the remnants of that Tree, which was once so vigorous in its beauty and its fruits, and under whose shadow the nations of the West found shelter for so many long ages. Alas! the hack and hew of impious persecutions have struck its root and branches. Every land of Europe, as well as our own, sits weeping over the ruins. And yet, root and branches, both must needs revive, for we know that it is the will of thy Divine Spouse, O Scholastica, that the destinies of this venerable Tree keep pace with those of the Church herself. Pray that its primitive vigor be soon restored; protect, with thy maternal care, the tender buds it is now giving forth; cover them from the storm; bless them; make them worthy of the confidence wherewith the Church deigns to honour them!

Monday: Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

St. Bernadette's entire story of the apparitions at Lourdes can be found here. And another lovely version here.

Here is a coloring page of Our Lady of Lourdes, courtesy of wonderful, talented Charlotte.

Movies to watch: The1943 classic, The Song of Bernadette, And a new version, the one that is shown at Lourdes, Bernadette, and its sequal, The Passion of Bernadette,

Books: A Holy Life: St. Bernadette of Lourdes,
Bernadette Speaks: A Life of Saint Bernadette Soubirous in Her Own Words
St. Bernadette Soubirous

Many posts from AWTY over the years on St. Bernadette and Lourdes, if you click here.

Websites to check out: the official Lourdes Sanctuary
official Saint Bernadette-Nevers site
Tons photos of St. Bernadette and just a few here:

             
Tuesday The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order

Their story here.

Wednesday: Ferial Day


Thursday: St. Valentine

                   Prayer to St. Valentine for our children's choice of spouse 

Heavenly Father, we ask You to guide our children in the choice of spouse. Don't let them be carried away by false charms or be fascinated by mere outward glamour, but guide their minds to look beneath and beyond all external attractiveness for the deeper things which alone are worth while.

Especially let the choice be of one who is a fervent Catholic, true in thought and word and deed to those ideals which are Yours, especially the value of their purity.

Dear Father of us all, give Your guiding help to our children, who are Your children, too. We will be letting them go soon, but please don't ever let our children go from you. Amen

St. Valentine, patron of romantic love, pray for us!

AWTY St. Valentine Day posts throughout the years (that might only interest the family -- as they show the children when they were so little, but there's other information of general interest, as well, including the history of the feast.)


Friday Sts Faustina and Jovita

Martyrs

(†122)
Faustinus and Jovita were brothers, nobly born, and were zealous professors of the Christian religion, which they preached without fear in their city of Brescia in Lombardy, during the persecution of Adrian. Their remarkable zeal excited the fury of the heathens against them, and procured them a glorious death for their faith.

Faustinus, a priest, and Jovita, a deacon, were preaching the Gospel fearlessly in the region when Julian, a pagan officer, apprehended them. They were commanded to adore the sun, but replied that they adored the living God who created the sun to give light to the world. The statue before which they were standing was brilliant and surrounded with golden rays. Saint Jovita, looking at it, cried out: "Yes, we adore the God reigning in heaven, who created the sun. And you, vain statue, turn black, to the shame of those who adore you!" At his word, it turned black. The Emperor commanded that it be cleaned, but the pagan priests had hardly begun to touch it when it fell into ashes.

The two brothers were sent to the amphitheater to be devoured by lions, but four of those came out and lay down at their feet. They were left without food in a dark jail cell, but Angels brought them strength and joy for new combats. The flames of a huge fire respected them, and a large number of spectators were converted at the sight. Finally sentenced to decapitation, they knelt down and received the death blow. The city of Brescia honors them as its chief patrons and possesses their relics, and a very ancient church in that city bears their names.

Reflection. The spirit of Christ is ever a spirit of martyrdom. It is always the spirit of the cross. The more we share in the suffering life of Christ, the greater share we inherit of His Spirit, and of the fruits of His death. To souls mortified in their senses and disengaged from earthly things, God gives frequent foretastes of the sweetness of eternal life, and ardent desires of possessing Him in His glory. This is the spirit of martyrdom, which entitles a Christian to a happy resurrection and to the bliss of the life to come.

Prayer:
When we compare our trials with yours, noble Martyrs of Christ, and our combats with those that you had to fight,--how grateful ought we not to be to our Lord for his having so mercifully taken our weakness into account! Should we have been able to endure the tortures, wherewith you had to purchase heaven, we that are so easily led to break the law of God, so tardy in our conversion, so weak in faith and charity? And yet, we are made for that same heaven, which you now possess. God holds out a crown to us also, and we are not at liberty to refuse it. Rouse up our courage, brave Martyrs! Get us a spirit of resistance against the world and our evil inclinations; that thus, we may confess our Lord Jesus Christ, not only with our lips, but with our works too, and testify, by our conduct, that we are Christians. (From Butler's)


Saturday Our Lady's Saturday

Sunday Septuagesima 
 Remote preparation for Easter, literally meaning "seventy" -- seventy days before Easter. Pretty good overview can be found here.