February- The Passion

SO MUCH IN ONE DAY! 

Happy Feast Day of The Presentation of the Baby Jesus in the Temple, The Purification of Mary, Candlemas Day, Our Lady of Good Success and The Flame of Love. 

40 days after Christmas

Candlemas is 40 days after the birth of Jesus. It is the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ and the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The law commanded that women who gave birth must wait 40 days to be purified after giving birth. Also, the law commanded that every first-born son had to be presented and given to God. 

The candle is one of the most widely used sacramentals in the Church. We use candles at Baptism, Mass and other church services, at the ordination of a priest, the consecration of a bishop, at Easter, at Christmas to signify the coming of Christ. Two blessed candles should be in every home, to use in times of sickness, death, storms and calamities. In the blessing of candles the Church reminds us that the candles signify light. 

Light it as a symbol and reminder of Jesus being the light of the world. 

Light it when you need more hope, joy, or peace in your day! 

Take a candle to Holy Mass to be blessed!

Let this flame be His flame of love burning for you! 

John 8:12 Jesus Spoke to them, saying. “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me, will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of the life.”

1 John 4:16 God is love

Jesus is the Flame of love in the world

Pray this prayer together as a family! 

Unity Prayer 

Flame of Love

My adorable Jesus 

May our feet journey together.

May our Hands Gather in Unity. 

May our hearts beat in unison.

May our souls be in harmony. 

May our thoughts be as one. 

May our ears listen to the silence together. 

May our glances profoundly penetrate each other. 

May our lips pray together to gain the mercy from the Eternal. Father Amen 

This Flame of Love is Jesus Himself. Our Lady is only the vessel that contains this Love and She has from the start been the distributor of this Love to all of mankind. She is the Mediatrix of All Graces!    

Immaculate Heart of Mary, please send forth the graces of your flame of love to all mankind. 

On February 1858 a young child named Bernadette saw a young, beautiful, lady wearing a white robe and veil, with a blue ribbon around her waist holding a rosary at the Grotto of Massabieille in Lourdes, France. "

On March 25, the Lady told Bernadette that she was Mary, the mother of Jesus, and that her purpose in appearing to Bernadette was to warn her and others to pray and make sacrifices for sinners. The miracles of body and soul performed at Lourdes are the proof that this message was a true warning from the queen of heaven to her children and that she was deeply interested in their spiritual well-being.

Bernadette’s daily visits to the grotto caused quite a stir in the countryside. Crowds of people began to gather and watch Bernadette as did the things the lady asked of her. They watched Bernadette scrape away soil beside the grotto until a spring of water started to trickle out. To this day, the spring still provides 27,000 gallons of water every day! This is sacred miraculous Lourdes water that is known to have healing and miraculous occurrences. 

Her story is truly incredible. You can read more about her life below. 

https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/bernadette-soubirous/

Below is an informative website that goes into detail about all the miracles and such! 

https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/miraculous-healings/

This is a story about the 70th approved miracle there. in 2008, a nun was able to walk for the first time after being wheel chair bound from spinal issues since 1980. 

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/37743/the-70th-miracle-lourdes-healing-officially-declared-supernatural

On this day, think about how sometimes God asks seemingly "crazy" things of us and others like asking Bernadette to scrape at the dirt, or Noah to building a giant ark in the desert. Sometimes what God asks of us, doesn't always make sense to the world, to the mainstream, but we are not a part of the mainstream, we are His chosen people. Through what He may ask of us may seem hard at the time, is in fact, building our own Ark to face and overcome what is to come. 

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."(1 Peter 2:9)

"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will," (Ephesians 1:4) 

Immaculate Waters Lotion, Soaps & more made with Lourdes Water! 

(I am not getting paid for this plug, I just think it is a fun gift idea to share)

I was looking for a gift for a friend that was ill. I was looking for a meaningful and faithful gift that would bring her hope. I think that’s what we all try to achieve in sending someone something. We are sending happiness in letting them know that they are thought of. I found this awesome gift idea, and have thought of it every time someone is ill! 

Saint Valentine’s day is a day to celebrate and recognize love!

Wow, this is an awesome activity! It allows us to focus on love, and why we love each other rather than anything else! 

I Love You Frames 

*Acquire Picture Frames- Reuse, buy from a dollar store, store or thrift store. 

*Dry erase marker

*Computer and printer or paper and writing utensil 

*Write out or type out the correct size for your frame “Name, I love you because…” 

*Put the paper in the frame and use the dry erase marker onto the glass, to write something that comes to mind for why you love that person. 

*Everyone can write why they love them on the frame. 

One of my friends had a husband that was about to deploy in the military. For the weeks leading up to it, he wrote a little message in the morning on a frame, as a pick me up, an uplifting love filled message to focus on and see daily. I thought something like this is such a beautiful thing to apply to the family.

We have used the frames that have lots of frames on them, so everyone can have a space to be filled in, and as we pass the frame with the marker near it, we can write what comes to heart. It is a positive and reaffirming act of love within the family!

Saint Valentine, is a Saint because he fearlessly stood up for the vocation of marriage amongst soldiers in a time when the government would not allow the soldiers to get married. 

We all say I love, you, but do we know what Christian love is made up of!? (Not what the world defines as love)

Let’s make a love mobile that includes all the parts that Christian love is made up of!

Saint Valentine's Day Love is...Mobile" (Copyright)

*Draw hearts on construction paper, card-stock, cardboard, cereal box inside or any strong paper.  

*Biggest heart will say "Love is..."

*Write different parts of love found underlined when you scroll down. 

*Color in the hearts. Each child can color in what each part of Christian love is, so it can be a fun joint project together. 

*Cut them out

*Cut strings/yarn/ribbon at different lengths

*Use string to tape to the back of each heart then to the back of the main “Love is” heart. 

Let’s read what Christian love is! 1 Corinthians 13 4-8 tells us!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. As we make the mobile let’s talk about what each element or part of love means and dissect this part by part! 

Love is... 

*Patient - easy going-letting a person be who God created them to be 

*Kind - nice to others no matter what *Does not envy - not jealous, happy for others -

*Does not boast and is not proud - humble-not putting yourself above but as an equal 

*Does not dishonor - shows honor and respect 

*Not self-seeking - is selfless and gives without expecting anything in return 

*Not easily angered - joyful through Christ 

*Keeps no records of wrong - forgiving, not holding on and starting new each time 

*Rejoices in truth - focuses on the good and truth not the bad 

*Always protects - guards 

*Always trusts -confides 

*Always hopes - sees the bright side of things and does not get discouraged *Always preserves - does not destroy but lifts up and cherishes 

*Never fails - does not give up on a person no matter what

Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional day of feasting before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. One could call this celebration the last celebration during ordinary time as the Church anticipates the penitential season of the forty days of Lent in which we enter into the desert spiritually with Jesus. Rich foods are consumed in preparation for the Lenten sacrifices and fasting that will be taking place as we enter into Lent. 

You probably have heard of canricals taking place at this time. Carnival comes from the Latin "carne vale" which means "farewell to meat" or "farewell to flesh". 

The "farewell" mentality should be for the sake of becoming a holier version of ourselves through the fasting, prayer and sacrifice. Lent is a time to sacrifice for the sake of becoming more holy and to deprive our flesh so that our spirit may become stronger! That's how Jesus overcame the temptations of the devil to say no to evil and yes to good! 

Activity! 

Have a pot luck Shrove Tuesday party with friends. This recognizes the anticipation of Lent to come, the end of the season, and beginning of a new liturgical season.