Throwback Thursday

Because this will always crack me up.

(Gabe, Daria, and Claudia, Fall, 2019)

 

Unless You Become As Little Children...

You're Going to Miss a Lot of Funny Stuff

Our two resident families (Michelle and Cathy's) came over last night after Chloe's baptism so we could have a little celebration of the great event. In heaven they were singing in joy before the Heavenly Throne for a new soul made perfect before God; on earth the closest we could come was dinner and dessert in the company of some of Chloe's greatest earthly admirers. Toward that end, I was standing at the stove dropping dumplings into a big pot o' chicken soup, when I heard our little Ella (Michelle and Ben's three year old) giggling and snickering -- at this:

 

LOL!

Never underestimate a child's point of view, my friends.

It's a good guarantee that you won't take yourself too seriously.

The world is here. Not on CNN.

Update

 Added January 14th, 2021

The first child of our seventh child, third daughter, Catherine, and her husband Louis. Our newest grandbaby, we now have more grandchildren than children; Chloe is number eleven, and she is just simply precious. Baptism this afternoon! Welcome to the world, Chloe! Can't wait to welcome you into God's family later!

Sepia Saturday: "U" is for Uniforms

Doesn't everyone love a man in uniform?  For most red-blooded Americans, there's a visceral response of admiration and respect for the military bearing and spit-spot gear and regalia -- especially in full dress! A man in uniform implies a certain commitment and command, and for some of us that proof of virtuous masculinity, unapologetically displayed in public, is a beautiful thing. We can at least hope that the man lives up to the uniform! But if the symbolic factor doesn't appeal to some, I think most would have to admit at least an aesthetic appreciation. It's all in a range of perspectives that has probably varied over the centuries and from place to place, but I do think that just for pure grandness and attention to detail in a world that is stubbornly casual, a man or woman in uniform garners respect -- even if it's grudging.

My Uncle John, early '50s?

Our family photo album is peppered with several generations of military men in several
branches of the armed forces. You can't miss them! They jump right out at you, our men in blue -- and khaki -- and olive drab -- and camo. They make su proud. And like almost nothing else, a military career implies stories -- history, general and personal. Most military folks participated, in one way or another, in world-shaping events. If the pure handsomeness of a military mugshot doesn't stop you in your tracks, curiosity ought to. I know almost nothing, for instance, about my Uncle John's military career, but coming across his photo, I can't help but wonder! He was so handsome! But where was he stationed? What was his specialty? How long was he in the Army?  Knowing his basic bio, I'm thinking he was active in  late WWII or maybe the Korean War, and doing a quick research on the patch on his arm, it looks like he was 101st airborne (correct me if I'm wrong, please!) If he was a pilot, though, I never knew about it. I know the basics and the outcome of that conflict; I wish I knew our family's part in it, too!

My grandfather, mid '40s?

My grandfather (Uncle John and my mother's Dad) was a Coastie. The famous family history is that he won a medal of honor, saving the lives of sailors trapped below deck when their ship was blown up by the Nazis in New York harbor during WWII. How cool is that? And how many Americans know that even happened, right? For morale purposes most of these attacks so close to home were kept quiet at the time, but not all. In less than seven months during 1942, 233
US ships, including merchant ships and tankers, were sunk off of US shores and in the Gulf of Mexico, most in American waters in the Atlantic. As recently as 2019, the US Department of Environmental Conservation was working to extract the remaining oil from a British Tanker (The Coimbra) from its wreck at the bottom of New York Harbor. Over 2 million gallons of oil were lost, and 36 men died in the German U boat

attack. The explosion rocked nearby buildings and the resulting wall of flame was visible for miles -- so this is one German attack that the government couldn't hide from the people! At any rate, the lesson here: don't ever get too comfortable, thinking the enemy cannot approach our shores. My grandfather could have told you something about that! 

It looks to me that, in the picture above, my grandfather's wearing the now-defunct "dungarees" that were worn for work in the Coast Guard and Navy up until the 1990s. His cover (the word for a military hat) looks like he was an officer, doesn't it? But I have no idea what his rank was when he left the Coast Guard. (I need to see if my Mom remembers!)

My Dad, with his Dad, right around 1950

My Dad, now, was a Navy man, and we have many photos of him in his officer's uniform, especially his service khakis, but it's the shots of him as a young enlisted in his bell bottoms and iconic sailor hat that tickle me. And he always looked so handsome in his Navy dress blues. The biggest tale he had to tell, as a communications officer (CWO4), was the quick round trip he made aboard ship on the way to the Bay of Pigs during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October, 1962. If you know your history, you know it was a pretty hair-raising deployment that turned into a big sigh of relief -- and it was the closest my Dad ever came to being in conflict during his long military career -- except, of course, when at home with us seven kids.

Officer Dress Blues
I think this commemorates when he
made Chief Warrant Officer.

Enlisted Dress Blues
Dad aboard an aircraft carrier he served
aboard in the mid '50s.

All brushed and polished and at their very best in their enlisted Dress blues.
My Dad with his buddies meeting Pope Pius XII in the mid-fifties.
(I've shared this one before, but I just love it, so have to pull it out again.)

Cpt. Paul Davis, USMC
with my favorite accoutrement,
our granddaughter, Lilly

The next generation of military men photos to be found in our family album feature our son, Paul, formerly (if you can say that) a United States Marine Captain. I grew up a Navy brat, but I'm not shy about admitting (especially since the Navy and the USMC are connected at the hip) that the Marine Corps dress blues are, to me, the most impressive of all military uniforms. I'm Paul's mom and I've  had to stop myself from instinctively saluting when I've seen him in his dress blues. It's a stunning  uniform in its simplicity and dignity! There's so much history and attention to detail in this sharp uniform, too, that you can't help but appreciate once you know a little about it. Here are just a few details:

* The gold buttons worn on the dress blue coat feature one of the earliest Marine Corps emblems -- the eagle and anchor with an arc of 13 stars -- and have been a part of the uniform since 1804, making them the oldest military insignia in continued use.

* In 1868, the current emblem of the Marine Corps -- the eagle, globe, and anchor -- was adopted. The eagle represents our proud Nation, of course, the globe represents its worldwide presence, the anchor connects the Corp to its naval heritage and its ability to access any coastline in the world. 

* The saber that is a mandatory feature of the dress blues, is the oldest weapon still in use by the U.S. 

military, and the Corps has two that may be worn as part of the dress blues. Of these two, one is the Mameluke-hilted sword, that honors Lt .Presley O'Bannon, who in 1805 marched 600 miles across the North African desert to capture the Barbary Coast town of Derna, where the American flag was hoisted for the first time over foreign soil. This is the battle mentioned in the marines' Hymn: ...to the shores of Tripoli."

* It's also a part of Marine lore that the blue of the uniforms connects them to their Naval roots, and the red  trim is in recognition of the Marines who served aboard the Bonhomme Richard, the famous Revolutionary War ship commissioned by the French and captained by John Paul Jones. The red stripe on the seam of each trouser leg honors the Marines who fell in the Battle of Chapultepec during the Mexican War of 1847.

* The "quatrefoil," the ornate, cross-shaped braid on top of the Marine cover, allowed them to be distinguished from the enemy  by their own sharpshooters high up in the ship's riggings. The standing collar is the remnant of the original high collar made of leather worn to repel swords strikes to the neck -- thus, the origin of the term Leathernecks.

(More on USMC uniforms here! Quick info on Navy uniforms here! Army here! Airforce here! Coast Guard here! -- and Space Force!)

No doubt whatsoever, there is equal history and interest regarding the uniforms of the other branches of service, and I've barely breached the tip of the iceberg regarding the several types of service uniforms for different tasks and levels of formality in each branch, not to mention the differences in military women's uniforms (which would be a fascinating thing to research!). To avoid writing a book, though, I narrowed the conversation by chiefly referring to the uniforms I personally know and love because they stand so tall in my mental photo album. It's a fascinating topic, regardless! God bless all our family Veterans, living and who have gone to their reward. And our respect to all Military personnel and all Veterans of all services always.

Now, for the most fun a history buff can have on the internet, run over to Sepia Saturday to find Untold Riches of the letter U in history this week!

Sunshine

 I’ll Tell You How the Sun Rose

A Ribbon at a time –

The Steeples swam in Amethyst –

The news, like Squirrels, ran –

The Hills untied their Bonnets –

The Bobolinks – begun –

Then I said softly to myself –

‘That must have been the Sun!’

-- Emily Dickinson

Claudia, Cecilia. Her Mother, Michelle, was our first little girl after four boys -- and she was our first sunshine. (Because if you call boys "sunshine," you might get decked.) So, here's Claudia, one of 13 rays of sunshine, one of nine granddaughters -- as of tomorrow... Stay tuned. 

When You're Working on a Project

...and people are looking over your shoulder.

 No Pressure.

Those Moments

When you try to impress the girls...

And it doesn't work.

* William with his youngest niece (to date), Dominic and Monica's youngest, Clara Bernadette. 

 

Poetry Corner

Filed under: Poems that you read twice. Or three times.

The Convert

BY G. K. CHESTERTON

After one moment when I bowed my head

And the whole world turned over and came upright,

And I came out where the old road shone white.

I walked the ways and heard what all men said,

Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed,

Being not unlovable but strange and light;

Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite

But softly, as men smile about the dead

The sages have a hundred maps to give

That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree,

They rattle reason out through many a sieve

That stores the sand and lets the gold go free:

And all these things are less than dust to me

Because my name is Lazarus and I live.

*Second time understanding "Lazarus," right?

 Now try a third time, understanding the title of the poem...

Simple Woman Monday

What I'm seeing... A sunny day finally! Every day for the past week has been foggy, cloudy, drizzly, and gray. Bleh. Nice to see blue sky today!

What I'm hearing... The house is perfectly quiet right now, except for Dawsey snoring on my knee here --- and Dan's desk chair occasionally rolling on the wood floor in the library. I just finished listening to a Catholic Family Podcast about Rock and Roll. Our son Kevin's venture, you can find these on YouTube (at least for the time being -- I think he's phasing out of that platform and moving over to Podbean). Really good stuff, though, and I don't say that just because he's my son. Good, informative stuff and great to listen to while I go around doing my chores. Conversations about some of the most practical points of interest of our day, interviewing priests and topic experts from all walks of life. He's just getting it started, so do please run over and give him some support! You can find him here.

What I'm wearing... Grey middy skirt; striped olive green, mustard yellow, and rust orange knit shirt; grey sweater.

What I'm thinking... Goodness gracious. I don't know what to think these days! The international rumor mill is whirling like crazy! Remember the windmill in the old cartoon, caught in the gale of a storm, flying and flying around -- until, with a violent last swing and crash, it just *busts* -- and then the wind blows out, the storm fades away, the sun comes out -- the bats go back to roost and the birds begin to  refeather their nests. (I had to go find it, now that I'm thinking about that old cartoon; Here it is if you want to watch it, too!) Anyway. Things seem kind of bleak right now, I'm thinking, but rumor mill is bound to bust and the sun will come back out. Maybe not the way we expect or when we expect it, but it will.

What I'm learning...  Duolingo. Deutsch. Bet you can guess why. Also pondering getting a ham radio license...

What I'm hoping... That  I can get my roots "touched up" at our neighborhood salon this week -- and not have to deal with mask wearing. (Ptooey) Last time my girl was definitely in the masks-are-ludicrous camp, but if it endangers her license now that Iowa laws have changed, she might have to insist, regardless of her personal beliefs. In which case (sigh), I may have to suck it up for her sake... But I don't like it one bit.

What I'm working on... Getting my house back in order after the busy Christmas/New Year's extravaganzas! It's amazing how organization disintegrates when everyone's busy partying and playing and eating and half the people, even when they clean up, don't know where things go. (sigh) It's all worth it, though. And I'm used to chaos.

What I'm planning...  I have a statue hospital full of projects I hope to get working on this week -- as well as the pedestal that we're renovating for the new statue of Our Lady of Lourdes that I got for Christmas. And the boys finished the first step (the flat black first coat of paint) on the faux-tin ceiling panels that will go over the "bar" area in the pub. I get to do the next step (the copper color). At some point I will do this. Probably not this week.

Quote I'm pondering... "Half an hour's meditation a day is essential -- except when you're busy. Then a full hour is needed.' - St. Francis DeSales 

A picture thought for today...

Our Revelers, a few seconds into 2021
Taking the photo: Michelle, and, L-R: Grandpa Davis, Nicole, our grandson Gavin, and Paul, with Gabe right behind Nicole; Monica and Dominic, with Monica's sister, Philomena right behind them; Louis and Cathy, with goofy William leaning in; Dan behind Ben, with Daria, Ella, and Claudia -- Yes, they stayed up until midnight! Where am I?  Konked out. I like to bring in the new year rested, personally, myself. (Yeah. I know. But I'm not a "party pooper." I'm more a "party avoider" -- or at least a "late night party avoider." I like sleep.)

OOPS!

 Sorry, everyone! I was monkeying around with the blog, pulling up links, etc, for the February at a Glance post I just started -- and I don't even know how I did it -- but I accidentally reposted the "Candlemas Day" post I was looking at for reference. It's not Candlemas Day today, as yesterday's post made it appear. I'm so sorry! Candlemas Day (aka: the Feast of the Purification) doesn't come around until February 2nd. Today is the Feast of the Holy Family! 

If you don't see the error, it's because I unpublished it as soon as I realized -- but if you subscribe, it hit your inbox -- and you probably thought I'd lost my mind. LOL! I apparently did. Or something. (I don't even know!) Anyway. I'll be more careful in future!

On Holy Family Sunday

I was just sitting here thinking. (I know. Scary, huh?) There is pretty much no trial that the Holy Family can't sympathize with. Right? They knew poverty, persecution, homelessness, an evil civil government, a messed up religious government -- they even knew what it felt like to worry for an adolescent who ran off without telling them where He was going. We might be tempted to think Mary and Joseph couldn't compassionate with the difficulties of raising a large family, but knowing the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, don't you suspect they were the counsel and support of everyone in their radius -- especially children? And imagine how Our Lady must have mothered all the Apostles. No, from their places in heaven, they can feel our sorrows and understand our challenges with human hearts -- Jesus, most especially, who suffered and died in a very human way for love of us.

On a Related Note... 

Have You Seen this Meme?

So many instances in my life I've felt like this, holy cow. Whoever pinned the adulthood badge on me should have their license revoked. Who did that, anyway? (ponderponder) Parenthood did that. Responsibility did that. I guess it's a fait accompli. I pay taxes. I have a trash bill. I babysit my grandkids. I'm an adult. But that doesn't mean I have all the answers, not by a longshot, and even though I've spent two thirds of my life now trying to be the calming influence -- and the kick-in-the-butt influence -- that doesn't mean I don't still need calming and kicking in the butt -- and answers.  I do have some friends and family and my husband, of course, that I can go to for these things -- but, let's be honest: not dependably. When it comes right down to it, all the other adults are also busy trying to work through their own trauma and questions and silliness -- and are of limited help to me over here working through my trauma and questions and silliness. 

So (and you see where I'm going with this, I bet) -- we're all looking for that "adultier adult -- someone better at adulting" than we are, and there's only one place to find him -- or, rather, Them. You know the answer: Go to the Holy Family. They get it. They get me. They get you. They have no self interest and only truly want what is truly best for us and our families. They are the calming influence we all want; they are the kick in the butt we all need. But we have to place ourselves before them -- in prayer and in our daily surrendering of our own self-will to the Will of God before we can benefit from their eager willingness to help. A thing to add to the New Year's Resolution: Ask for help from Adultier Adults. And accept it.

Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph, help us to reach out our hands and hearts to you (our own dependably adultier adults) and accept the wisdom and help You give us with humility and grace. Amen.

Holiness

 

I don't doubt this for a minute. How often we've read the life of the day's saint and marveled at the amazing numbers of converts that different saints brought to the Faith! The figures defy the imagination sometimes! St. Francis DeSales, for example, is said to have converted 72,000 Calvinists, and St. Raymond of Pennafort converted over 10,000 Muslims! And these are only two men. It's mind boggling to consider what the world would be like if we had even a handful of St. Raymonds and St. Francises at one time.  

But, consider C.S. Lewis's theory.Ten percent of the world's population right now would make approximately 715 million holy people doing good on Earth. I'm betting that really would make this a happy place. And thik how pleased our Heavenly Father would be!  

If only! If only we really could swing it before the year's end! Just ten percent! Ten percent? If only that were as easy as it sounds! All we have to do is be holy and we'll draw souls to Christ and make the world a happy place? An uphill battle to be sure. In these times. In all times! But, that's no reason not to try. Even if we can't convince ten percent of the world to join with us in a quest for holiness, I think it's a good bet that our efforts will make our own little corners of the world better places, right? And if a turning of the heart of the world has to start somewhere, why not with us? OK, then. Mission proposed. But, what does this mean we have to do exactly?

What is holiness?

Here's how the saints explain it:  

"Holiness is a disposition of the heart that makes us humble and little in the arms of God, aware of our weakness, and confident -- in the most audacious way -- in His Fatherly goodness." 
--St. Therese of the Infant Jesus

The state of grace is nothing other than purity, and it gives heaven to those who clothe themselves in it. Holiness, therefore, is simply the state of grace purified, illuminated, beautified by the most perfect purity, exempt not only from mortal sin but also from the smallest faults; purity will make saints of you! Everything lies in this!
--St. Peter Eymard

There is no surer way to know that one is a saint than to see him lead a holy life and yet suffer desolation, trials and tribulations.
--St. Louis Gonzaga

Our Lord has created persons for all states in life, and in all of them we see people who achieved sanctity by fulfilling their obligations well.
--St. Anthony Mary Claret

“That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell”
--St. Thomas Aquinas

"Nothing whatever pertaining to godliness and real holiness can be accomplished without grace."
--Saint Augustine

If God gives you an abundant harvest of trials, it is a sign of great holiness which He desires you to attain. Do you want to become a great saint? Ask God to send you many sufferings. The flame of Divine Love never rises higher than when fed with the wood of the Cross, which the infinite charity of the Savior used to finish His sacrifice. All the pleasures of the world are nothing compared with the sweetness found in the gall and vinegar offered to Jesus Christ. That is, hard and painful things endured for Jesus Christ and with Jesus Christ.
--Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.
--Saint Francis of Assisi

All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be.
--Saint Francis de Sales

”The more a person loves God, the more reason he has to hope in Him. This hope produces in the Saints an unutterable peace, which they preserve even in adversity, because as they love God, and know how beautiful He is to those who love Him, they place all their confidence and find all their repose in Him alone.”
--Saint Alphonsus Liguori


You see the same thread throughout, don't you? The saints agree that the best road to sanctity lies in love of God and living up to our station in life as God has willed it, while persevering in patience and piety through (inevitable) difficulties and setbacks. Simple concept, not easy, but certainly doable. We don't have to sit around in sack cloth and ashes; we don't have to sit on a pillar or wall ourselves up in an anchorhold. We just have to love God, obey the rules (that's a given), and do the best we can in the sphere of our own lives.  

Like Nike says:  just do it.

And even if the numbers of holy people don't suddenly escalate in 2021 to make the big wide world a happy place, I know that by pushing toward holiness, myself, my own world will be a happier place. Which is, I think, all that God is asking me to do, anyway.

Here's to holy people! Here's to trying our best to be one of them!

* Re-work and re-post from 2014

How To

Practice makes perfect. Or, at the very least, proves intention. 

Nicknames -- Or a Rose By Any Other Name, Still Costs Twenty Bucks A Dozen at Sam's

 When we were children, none of the men in our lives called us by our given names -- unless we were in trouble. My paternal grandfather (we called him "Pappy") called me "Grandma" because I was his oldest grandaughter; my maternal grandfather (we called him "Poppop") didn't call us anything because there were so many of us grandkids and he couldn't keep us straight; my Dad (we called

him "Dad," sometimes "Daddy," always "Sir") called me "Goose" because I was a silly goose, and probably because I had a pretty good honker from infancy. None of us ever minded these nicknames; because Pappy and Dad chose them especially for each of us, they were a kind of badge of honor a sign of our unique relationships. That's a big deal in a large family.

When Dan and I started having children, we were careful to choose names that couldn't be shortened in ways we didn't like. At least that was the idea. We didn't want the children to be saddled with a name that was the burden, so our first child was carefully christened Paul Joseph.  How could you mess that up, right? Yeah. Well, we immediately took to calling him "Pauliwog." Nobody dares call him that now, though. (Except sometimes his Momma, who has his number in her cell phone under that moniker...) And now he's "Dad," of course, to his three children.

Then there was Kevin Christopher. That was surely a foolproof name. But he went by "Kevvy"
almost from day one. And Kevvy actually prefers to be called that. Suits his casual temperament, I guess. And his nom de plum in the sports writing business is "Kevin Gillikin" (the last name belonging to my mother's family.)  Go figure that, huh? Would you call that a nickname? Now his daughter, Sophie, calls him (or will, when she's a bit older) "Daddy."

Next was Jonathan Charles. We knew we were taking a chance that he'd be called "Johnny" which we didn't care for, but figured we'd insist he be called by his whole first name, or just Jon. So, he has never been called "Johny", but he was "Jon Jon" for the first ten years of his life.  Now a CMRI priest, he's Fr. Philip (for St. Philip Neri). When he was still in the seminary, his siblings dubbed him "BroPhi." But, I think (I hope?), that in the spirit of maintaining the dignity of his calling, that hasn't translated to "FaPhi" since he's been ordained.He does go by "Padre," "Fada," and "Uncle Father," though.

Our last boy of the top tier of Davis men was Dominic Alan. We thought the worst that could come of that name choice would be "Dom" or "Nick," both nicknames we could live with. But most of his childhood, he went by "Dominicky." Sometimes "Donkey." And now "Papa," since he has two little daughters.

Now, Michelle Frances is a whole other story. Our first girl, we wanted her to have a strong name, and a strong patron saint (Michael!) to protect her. We knew Michelle was a name prone  to multitudinous nicknames, but we had no idea how this girl would end up collecting them. Some of her siblings call her "Mitch," her older brothers call her "Chicky." I think they've actually forgotten her real name, honestly; I don't remember the last time I heard any of them call her "Michelle." I call her "Shelly" or "Shell," but her four kidlets ("chicklets?") call her "Mommy." A lot. (Right, Shelly?)

 Sister Antonia, or Theresa Philomena, started out with a nickname that translates rather well to her vocation now: "Sessy" or "Sess." But now it's just  "Sister," and it fits her like a glove. 

Next in line is Catherine Cecilia. As you'd guess, she commonly goes by "Cathy," though her sibs go one further -- or shorter -- and call her "Kaths" ("Kafs?") or "Keysern." She's in my phone as "Catherine the Magnificent" -- because she is. And she will be "Mommy" any day now!

Anna Germaine is girl #4 -- another name we figured would be hard to mutilate or mutate -- and nobody has dared mess with Anna. Or "Anna." (wink) But -- for reasons lost to history -- she popularly goes by "Lance" (by most all her sibs) and "Chad" (at Mater Dei). Don't ask me why. I have no idea.  But if she joins the Novitiate this March, she'll go by something else, altogether! (Please pray for her discernment!)

Then the last two boys, closing up ranks now. Gabriel Joseph, who's about 6' tall now, still goes by "Gabey" and even "Gabey-baby," poor guy -- but because he is who he is, he takes it in good humor. But mostly he answers to "Gabe." (Or "Wil...Gabe.)

William Thomas, though has never been shortened to "Will" or "Bill" or, heaven forbid, "Willy" or "Billy." It just never seemed appropriate to this kid; he's always gone by "William" -- except by his siblings, of course, who for unknown reasons started calling him "Bimpst" years ago, and "Crustbyn." What that means, I do not know. It's a mystery. (But I commonly refer to him as "Ga-William.") 

Now, my sister, Linda, in the tradition of our Dad and Grandad, devised her own special nicknames for each of the children, too. In order (I think): Pidge, PD, Sallie Anne, Mollie Dot, Pollie Anne, Bee, and  -- Ugh. I'm forgetting all the "Nina-names!" Who am I missing?  (I'm sure she'll tell me as soon as she sees this!) Molly-Dolly-PD-B -- Don't ask me. But, the children know to whom she's referring -- even though I sometimes get mixed up. 

"Unless ye become as little children..."

And Dan and me -- as parents? We're pretty traditional. As grown ups, our children call us Mom and Dad. Mostly. Sr. Antonia, endearingly, still calls us "Mommy" and "Daddy." (I love that!) And we go by "Mommom" and "Dandad" when the grandchildren (ten and counting!) are around. And we're pleased to go by "ma'am" and "sir" still, in terms of respect, something we've always encouraged -- just because it helps enforce the 4th Commandment, and it should be a given that we all respect our lawful authorities. BUT, that said, our nicknames -- all of them -- goofy as they are sometimes, are dearest to our hearts. I love hearing mine -- and I love hearing my children use theirs with one another. Nicknames are terms of endearment, shorthand for love. I imagine that the saints, and all those who become close to Our Lord, earn new names from Him -- the way priests and slaves of Mary earn angels. A goal, huh? To be on such close speaking terms with the Almighty and His Momma, that they have a name of endearment for us? I can just imagine, some of us he'd call His Lambs, others Lions -- but I'd be OK with "Goose." I think I'll aspire to that. 

Our given names, "boughten roses" are a wonderful thing, but wildflowers picked alongside the road while walking with a loved one are way better. Nicknames are a wonderful thing.

Snow Poem

 

                               Winter-Time

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,

A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;

Blinks but an hour or two; and then,

A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,

At morning in the dark I rise;

And shivering in my nakedness,

By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit

To warm my frozen bones a bit;

Or with a reindeer-sled, explore

The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap

Me in my comforter and cap;

The cold wind burns my face, and blows

Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;

Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;

And tree and house, and hill and lake,

Are frosted like a wedding-cake.

Celebrating the Liturgical Year: January at a Glance

One of the habits of our decades of homeschooling that I most miss is our morning reading time. (Popularly known around here as "together stuff.") We started every day after morning prayers with the Lives of the Saints, followed by oral study of Catechism and History -- then our read-aloud lit time, when everyone got their cuppa and settled in for whatever continuing saga we were currently enjoying. Those were the days when I always knew the day, the date, and the saint's feast day!

Just look at the calendar, right? (Don't get me started on that problem. See, we buy a Catholic calendar at the Church every December and lose it every year by January 1st. That's how organized I am, folks! ) It's a simple thing, though, to order -- or re-order -- a wall calendar that lists out every saint's day throughout the year, and it's a good practice, whether you are five or ninety-five years old to keep on top of the saint of the day. Let me tell you, now more than ever  (in my fifties),  it's vital to know who's help to beg on any given day! And, for families with children still at home, the daily meet and greet is an important skill to foster. What better way to be grounded in Heaven? Every single day is a Nameday party there! How blessed we are to be Catholics and know we are part of a great big community of helpers, many of whom have the Ear of God, Himself -- and are looking right at Him! Makes you want to bake cupcakes and make saint crafts every day!

Or, well, no. Not really. That would be a bit much. It's more realistic to highlight saints from the calendar periodically.

Who though? We certainly don't want to diss a single holy soul that stands before the throne of God, but honestly, no Mom's got time to make a special presentation for every saint in the calendar, and a party twice a week would lose novelty for the highest sanguine -- so how to choose?  A judgment call, for sure. Some months there will be time and motivation for a special saint or feast day celebration every week; sometimes a month will go by without anything to accompany the saints' days but coloring pages -- maybe. Not to worry, though. This is normal; this is life. It's all good, so long as whatever you can do to observe the Liturgical Year is done in the spirit of  "visiting some of our dearest friends" and doesn't feel like a burden that becomes something to dread. In a nutshell, it's important in Catholic family life to make a mention of every day's patron, read a short biography whenever possible, add their names to the day's prayers ("St. Telesphorus, pray for us!") then do what you can when you can -- in a spirit of love and enjoyment.

Remember the Lesser Knowns

Certain saints' names are bound to catch the attention on a quick scan through each month. You know who I'm talking about, right? The "superstars" of the calendar, the familiar, popular saints -- like St. Therese the Little Flower, St. Christopher, and St. Anthony -- are usually simple to plug into a search engine and find their corresponding bios, coloring pages, projects, and menus, but, just like in real life, sometimes we stumble upon our dearest lifelong friends standing behind potted plants. One of our family patrons, St. Hedwig, plucked our collective sleeve many years ago, and she is now indispensable to us, a good friend (and our son, Kevin, actually moved to Germany and lived in her neighborhood!) It behooves us to research the lesser known saints for just this reason. They are treasures, and they want to be a part of our families! (They do!) Look up the amazing story of little St. Prisca for instance! (Feastday January 18th.) It's impossible not to fall in love with her bravery and steadfastness! I expect she's a friend of St. Philomena's up in the heavenly tea garden. And she's just one of many wonderful saints that most people have never heard of! The intercession and friendship of the lesser known saints is just as profound and their examples maybe even more-than-ordinarily helpful due to their uniqueness -- and I always imagine we don't tend to call on them often, so they have plenty of time for us! (wink) One way or another, it's nice to go out of our way to know the unfamiliar saints periodically -- just to make new friends.

All Saints; Landauer Altarpiece, c.1511

Remembering Name Saints and Family Favorites

In Baptism it's required of all Catholics to be blessed with at least one name that bestows a saintly patron. This is a marvelous thing. Sharing a name with a heavenly friend is a high honor, and so name days, of course, are almost mandatory to remember in some way -- and they're such a delight to observe! Children benefit by the special attention, especially when it's so intricately linked with the spiritual life! If you throw parties for only a limited number of saints, be sure they are your family patrons! But more is better! If a child's mental halls of memory are festooned with happy associations with the Faith, he or she is more likely to want to carry into adulthood that Faith that made childhood so much fun. 

Our family is especially spoiled because our surname is specifically taken from St. David of Wales, so we observe March 1st with great fanfare. It's a little known fact that many surnames also have this same privilege. If your family's last name sounds like a first name (or a derivative of a first name), check it out; if your last name sounds like a vocation (like Baker, Taylor, Wagoner), look up the patron for that vocation and you have your family's patron! (Your surname may be translated from another language, as well, and that could lead you to your patron.)

Besides name saints, each family may naturally gravitate toward favorite saints connected to a vocation or hobby: hunting families might especially celebrate St. Hubert's and St. Eustace's feast days; families with many athletes, St. Sebastian's (feast day coming up on January 20th!); families with bakers and chefs, St. Martha's and St. Zita's; writing families, St. Francis de Sales', St. Maximilian Kolbe's, and St. Clare's feast days... The list is endless; there is a patron saint for every interest! Additionally, the liturgical year is packed with opportunities to highlight the patronage of entire Religious Orders! One year, we can concentrate on learning all about the Franciscan saints, another year, the Benedictines, and so on!  

But (wince) look at me, turning into one of those recipe bloggers that drags you through five pages of chatter before getting to the point! Sorry. Here you go, with some links for the month:

January at a Glance

January 1st: The Feast of the Circumcision

         * Holy Day of Obligation *

* Interesting Facts about Jewish Law, as also includes the Jewish practice of Circumcision -- Here.

* Excerpt from The Liturgical Year, by Ab. Gueranger, OSB -- Here. 

* The connection between the Feast of the Circumcision and the Holy Name; our family observances -- Here.

* Abbot Gueranger in The Liturgical Year, meditations on the Circumcision -- Here.

Holy Name Sunday 

Between the Feast of the Circumcision and the Epiphany

 (or January 2nd)

* Prayer to the Holy Name of Jesus by St. Bernard Clairveaux -- Here.

* Practices, Customs, and Observances of the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus -- Here.

* Sermon on the Holy Name of Jesus by Fr. Philip Davis, CMRI -- Here.

* Sermon of St. Francis De Sales on the Holy Name -- Here.

January 6th: The Epiphany

* Ideas for the Epiphany Celebration (and a peek back to our family's doings in 2009!) -- Here.

* Some pretty cool Epiphany trivia and international celebrations -- Here.

* The absolutely necessary recipe for Magi Bread -- Here. (Can't have Epiphany without it!)

* The text of the Epiphany Blessing and an explanation of what to expect if you are able to invite your pastor over to do the blessing -- Here.

January 10th (2021) Holy Family Sunday

* Catholic Mom's  meditations on the Feast of the Holy Family -- Here.

* Sermon by Fr. Benedict Hughes on the Feast of the Holy Family -- Here.

January 13th Commemoration of the Baptism of Christ

* A good day to study up on the sacrament of Baptism and renew our own Baptismal promises, individually or as a family. Fisheaters has a good exposition of the Sacrament -- Here.

* Sermon by St. Vincent Ferrer on the Baptism of Our Lord -- Here.

January 15th: Our Lady of Prompt Succor

* The history and some thoughts on the feast day -- Here.

* Sermon by Fr. Benedict Hughes on Our Lady of Prompt Succor -- Here.

* Novena to Our Lady of Prompt Succor

Begin on January 7th to end on the feast day.

O, Mary, Mother of God, who,
amidst the tribulations of the world,
watches over us and over the Church of your Son,
be to us and to the Church truly Our Lady of Prompt Succor,
make haste to help us in all our necessities,
that in this fleeting life you may be our succor,
and obtain for us

(Mention your intention here...).

Help us to gain life everlasting through the merits of Jesus,
your Son, our Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

Pater, Ave, Gloria

Our Lady of Prompt Succor,
hasten to help us.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor,
hasten to help us.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor,
hasten to help us.

O Queen of the Universe,

Our Lady of Prompt Succor,
sovereign full of kindness,
you are the advocate of sinners,
a haven of safety to the shipwrecked;
you are the resource of the world,
the ransom of captives,
the health of the infirm,
the consolation of the afflicted,
the refuge and salvation of all on earth.
We beseech you to grant us the help of your prayers,
which incline our Heavenly Father to forgive our sins
and grant our petitions in all the necessities of this miserable life,
prayers which obtain for us an abundance of graces
to receive the pardon of our faults
and arrive at the practice of virtue,
prayers which stop our enemies,
confound their designs,
and triumph over their efforts.

Amen.

January 17th: St. Anthony Abbot

* St. Anthony, the Abbot, has a place in the famous Golden Legend, which can be found -- Here.

* Not the first Catholic monk, but the first to go into the wilderness, St. Anthony lived to the ripe old age of 105! (b.251 AD; d.356 AD). A good day to look up the Monastic Life and study the idea of "the rule" of Religious orders and the lives of monks, at the time of St. Anthony -- and today. Among other things to note, St. Anthony is the patron saint of farmers and basket makers, too. A couple tutorials for making baskets can be found Here and Here.

January 18th: St. Peter's Chair in Rome

* This feast day celebrates the unity of the Catholic Church throughout the world within the person of a valid pope centered at the Vatican in Rome, Italy. (Find in Church history the question of early Catholics concerning whether the seat of the Pope should be in Rome or Constantinople!) The feast observes the authority and hierarchy,  not the actual, physical throne of the popes through the centuries, but a couple appropriate crafty commemorations of the day can be found Here. 

* My Catholic Faith has a good explanation of pretty much everything Catholic, including the primacy of St. Peter and the history and workings of the Vatican in Rome.

January 20th: St. Sebastian

* Patron saint of archers, athletes, soldiers, and (who knew?) he's invoked against plagues! So many ways to celebrate this day, but, seeing as St. Sebastian was martyred by arrows, a brave Mom could contrive a way to practice some archery, or take a stab at a home-made set of bow and arrows. Some ideas Here.

* Alternatively, this feast day is a good opportunity for staging a family "Olympics" in honor of St. Sebastian. Be sure and implement handicaps to level the playing field between youngest and oldest children! Make medals! (Hm. Maybe even golden cupcake medals?)

* Check out the catacombs of San Sebastian -- Here and Here.  A fascinating unit study, incidentally and worth the trouble of a little research. Most children are intrigued by the very idea of the catacombs, and there is so much fuel for discussion surrounding them -- regarding the determination of the early Christians to practice the Faith in spite of persecution, in spite of civil laws, in spite of grave inconvenience. (Oop. pun unintended!) Pertinent to us in our day.

                                                          January 21st: St. Agnes

* Since St. Agnes is the sweet patron saint of purity, today is a good idea to take on this topic with our children and within ourselves -- gently, but without blanching, as it is the most assaulted and least taught virtue of our day, the corruption of which Our Lady of Fatima warned us cast more souls into hell than any other. In small children, even, the subject of purity can be introduced simply by teaching about modesty in dress and modesty of the eyes: why we do not watch certain kinds of movies or read certain kinds of books, why we must avoid certain places and certain people In a nutshell, the simple explanation is that impure and immodest things and people displease Jesus and Mary and lead to sins. We respect the gift of our bodies by behaving modestly; practicing the virtue of purity allows us to focus on our souls and the development of our characters.  Gently teaching our youngest children to recognize modesty and purity and how to spot dangers to these virtues is more important than teaching them to avoid drinking poison or playing with poisonous snakes. A wise parent doesn't wait until their children are grown up to teach these things! As our children do grow up and are in danger of being immersed in a culture so replete with temptations, we can be more specific about dangers, cite examples (without naming persons we know, as always), and talk things through frankly. Don't allow pop culture to be your children's teacher in these matters! (OK, stepping off the soap box. But, really; this is important!) 

* Girls might enjoy perusing Modest Fashion pages in blogs and on Pintrest to form good mental images of what is both beautiful and pleasing to Our Lady and her Divine son. You can find one Here that I like (if understood properly. We do not need to look like Mennonites to be modest!) -- and Here, the thoughts of a holy priest.

* A Mom's thoughts (mine ;0) ) on St. Agnes and purity in current times. Here.

* Sermon of St. John Vianney on Purity -- Here.

January 23rd: St. Raymond of Pennafort

*A long-time favorite of ours! The Amazing story of St. Raymond -- Here.

* Coloring page for St. Raymond -- Here.

* St. Raymond's story is a great one for discussing the importance of removing ourselves from the company of immoral friends. Look what this holy priest did to escape King James I of Aragon's wickedness -- a decision to flee which God obviously blessed with a great miracle -- one that ultimately converted the king.

January 25th: the Conversion of St. Paul

* Read the story of the Conversion of St. Paul and have your children tell it back to you -- either verbally or written, paying attention to the chronological order. Illustrate. Like This. (I got a big kick out of looking back at this 1st grade memory of our Catherine, who is due any day now with her first baby!)

* The perfect day to pay extra attention, pray extra prayers, offer extra sacrifices for the conversion of sinners -- those who have never known the Faith and those who have fallen away from the Faith -- especially those who are close to us. St. Paul's intercession is very powerful today, so I think I'd add a plea to him, along with the Blessed Mother's in this prayer:

January 29th: St. Francis DeSales

* A saint whose life spurs a discussion or meditation concerning the perfection of our temperaments. Born a choleric, St. Francis De Sales never excused his temper, saying: "that's just how I am; accept me, accept my faults." (Common philosophy today!) Instead, he worked so successfully to perfect himself, that, by the time he died, everyone assumed St. Francis was born a gentle phlegmatic. Good lesson for imitation! Good discussion to have with children.

* Everything about St. Francis DeSales, including a short bio, quotes, and recipes -- Here.

* Litany of St. Francis De Sales and excerpt from Dom Gueranger's Liturgical Year biography -- Here.

* Novena to St. Francis De Sales; Begin on January 21st to end on his feast day.

O Blessed Francis de Sales, who in thy mortal life did excel in all virtues, especially in love of God and of neighbor, I earnestly entreat thee to take me under your immediate protection,
to obtain from God my perfect conversion, and that of all sinners, especially of (Name/s her) 

Teach me, O Father, to fix my eyes on heaven, that I may generously trample under foot every obstacle that presents itself in my way, and attain that degree of glory which you in your mercy hold out to me.

Obtain also the favour for which I now pray: (mention your request here).

Assist us O Lord, we beseech Thee, through the merits of St. Francis de Sales that, what our endeavours cannot obtain may be given to us by his intercession.

Concluding Prayer

O God, who for the salvation of souls, didst will that St. Francis de Sales should become all things to all men and women, mercifully grant that we, helped by the gentleness of his charity, guided by his teachings, and sharing in his merits, may obtain eternal happiness. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

January 31st: St. John Bosco

* The Salesian Method of Education -- and how to nip trouble in the bud. Reprint of St. John's own words  -- Here.

* What we, as parents, have learned from St. John Bosco (A LOT) -- Here.

* Having started out with four boys, we turned early to St. John Bosco for heavenly assistance, basing much of our homeschooling and our parenting philosophy on his methods.  Don Bosco knew how to deal with children, but especially boys, let me tell you! We have had great success using him as a role model for parenting all our children, though, boys and girls! His "Salesian Method" and his intercession through prayer have never failed us. Parents might be interested in this letter from St. John Bosco regarding the teaching of children. You can find a read-aloud version of the story of Don Bosco here. The children especially love the ghost story with the Catholic explanation and love the stories of Grigio, his dog.

* Novena to St. John Bosco. Start on January 23rd to end on his feast day!

O glorious St John Bosco, by that great love which thou didst bear towards Youth, of which thou didst make thyself Father and Teacher, and by the heroic sacrifices thou didst bear for its salvation, obtain for us, that we also may love with a holy and generous love this chosen portion of the Heart of Jesus and that in every child we may see the adorable person of our Divine Savior.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

O glorious St John Bosco, who didst love the virtue of purity with a love of predilection, and who didst inculcate it by word, writing, and example, obtain that we too, enamored of so indispensable a virtue, may practice it constantly and diffuse it by every means in our power.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

O glorious St John Bosco, who wert ever so compassionate towards human miseries, look down upon us, so greatly in need of thine aid; pray that the maternal blessings of Mary, Help of Christians may descend upon us and upon our families ; obtain for us all the spiritual and temporal favors of which we stand in need ; intercede for us in life and in death, so that we, too, eternally may sing the Divine mercies in Paradise.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

Prayer to Mary, Help of Christians

Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin, Help of Christians, we consecrate ourselves entirely to Thee and we promise always to labor for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. We pray Thee to turn thine eyes of pity on the Church, priests and missionaries; on our relatives and benefactors; on the youth confided to our care; on poor sinners and the dying, and on all the souls in Purgatory. Teach us, O most tender Mother, to copy in ourselves the virtues of St. John Bosco, particularly his angelic modesty, profound humility and ardent charity.
Grant also, O Mary, Help of Christians, that through thy powerful intercession we may be victorious over the enemies of our souls in life and in death, so that with Saint John Bosco we may be gathered round Thee in thy home in heaven. Amen.

Ejaculation: Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us. (300 days indulgence.)

A Few Resources for Celebrating the Feast Days

When teaching anything, we always tried to incorporate as many of the human senses as possible in order to appeal to the different learning styles of all our children. To wit, on the feast days: to imprint happy memories of the lives of the saints, appeal to sight (imagery appropriate to the feast day, decorations, attractively presented food), touch (hands-on help with baking, decorating, crafts), taste (feast day menus and goodies!), and hearing (music and read-alouds about the lives of the saints). The internet, used properly is a treasure trove of ideas and resources for books on, not only the biographies of the saints and feast days, but on ways to celebrate them.

* The first book that fell into our hands (not by accident, I'm sure!) that addressed truly celebrating the feast days of the Church was Around the Year by Maria Von Trapp.  Because of the rich traditions we stole from the Austrians (wink) over thirty years ago, Holy Week and Easter are, I'm pretty sure, unanimously our family's favorite time of the Liturgical Year.  Thankfully, this book has been reprinted and can be found -- Here, among other places!

* My Name Day Come for Dessert is a longstanding tool for us, for celebrating feast days. We have the 1962 edition, which is hard to find in hard copy -- but it's now on Kindle for less than $5! Nice resource!

* Catholic Cuisine is a longstanding blog with numerous contributors that can occasionally swing Novus Ordo (saints' dates, for instance), but which is still a great resource for recipes and ideas, incorporating all the traditional feasts, as well. There are some amazingly creative cooks out there! The Catholic Foodie is similar, but harder to navigate.

* The Catholic Toolbox blog has crafting ideas that can be adapted to Traditional Catholic Feast days; you just have to look around a bit.

* A recent post regarding music during the extended season of Christmastide -- Here.

* The Singing Nuns CDs are available -- Here!

* Thoughts on a Catholic Family's "Setting the Scene" for holiness and happiness -- Here.

** Heads up! Now's the time to get ready: Candlemas Day Blessings are  in about a month (February 2nd) Order Candles Now! Shipping in so many areas has slowed to a crawl recently. You can choose from Here.  Or your chapel gift store or local Religious may have some you can purchase, but don't wait to long! (Must be at least 51% beeswax)

All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness,

 no matter in what condition of life we live 

and no matter what our life work may be.

- Saint Francis de Sales