Our Lenten Journey

As the lenten season began with Ash Wednesday, so we made some plans for the upcoming weeks of prayers, fasting and alms giving.

This time, journey commenced with a children's retreat in Darlington. That was a great opportunity for us as a family to share good news to fifty kids there. 

   Preparing a Jelly  bean Jar for Good deeds with lot of diferent colour codes for sacrifices, kind deeds, saying Sorry, extra prayers.

   Shrove Tuesday

  After our journey to far North, I totally Forgot the pancake day. Geo curiosly reminded me ..isnt it today  Pancake Tuesday?. No berries to garnish. But it was nice.

  Ash Wednesday- Hashtag

   Reminds the special day of fasting and observances. 'Repent and Believe in the Gospel'.

Other Lenten preps at home:

Lenten Calendar

Different  activies for prayers, fasting and alms giving can bé picked and reminded to follow. Everyday the family rosary is offered for some cause

Activity Booklet and Lenten books

Jelly bean Jar

Red beans for sacrifice, green for Good deeds, purple is for forgiving , Pink for saying Sorry to those you hurt. On Easter day parents can fill remaining space with white beans indicating all the graces we received from God  and cannot be gained  by us.

Stations of the cross

  We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee. Because by your Holy Cross you Have redeemed the world.

Station of the Cross is a fun and memorable way , for children and with diferent groups during the lenten season. Such a beautiful way, over the years we used as a family , illustrated diferent stations and prayers. So many beautiful ideas in various blogs of catholic homeschoolers. I am so thrilled to find so many resources again to make station of cross for this year... 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Catholic icing has a pretty idea of making burlap bunting of the Stations of the cross. I would love to make one for the altar with my children these days. 

Making station of the cross blocks sound interesting and ideas here in sparkle and sprinkles blog.

         Making stations of cross grotto

 

Memories from archives 2022, 2021, 2016

    Have a blessed Lenten Journey

No greater love- St Valentine

Such a fantastic day for anyone looking to gift to a loved one, perhaps spouse or a friend. St Valentine day is a catholic feast. Of course 'saint' is dropped off over the years.

St Valentine was a Roman priest or martyr who became the patron saint of lovers. So many legends and stories about him. According to tradition, Valentine risked his life to help marry couples in christian way during the time of Christian persecution. 

   We were hoping to go out  for a family meal for such a long time. Finally we made it on this very special feast. 

   Brownie  with ice cream- Desert time.  So yum yum

    Trying for a healthier option.

We were blessed to be able to go out as a family as Annu came home college bit early.

   The feast reminds ' God so loved the world so He sent His beloved són so whoever believe in Him will not perish but will have eternal life...' John 3 :16.

Little card for my husband I created )...

Valentine Banner with some scripture passages on love.

Husband and children went for a stroll and brought me some crocus from our water park. Very Thoughtful... Crocus cheers me up as it is always the early signs of Spring. So I could look out with much hope , more chirping of birds all move my heart.. Flowering happens mainly in late winter to early spring. Colourful carpets of crocus  slowly renovés the bareness of winter, their yellow, white and purple petals are so just lovely to see.

       St Valentine Ora Pro Nobis. Wishing you a Happy Valentine day.

Wedding

To celebrate the wedding of one of our friends in Cardiff was an amazing time. Our friends Piya and Daniel got married on 5th Feb.. It was a great time of fun , entertainment and meeting 

     Our family.

    With my beautiful girls

  With Wedding couple

     Gift prepared for the couple. 

   

 Best wishes for the wedding couple.

Canossian Saint - St Josephine Bakitha

I  am sure St Joseophine Bakhita is one of the saints I knew from college. College was part of Canossian nuns.

 Somehow just drawn to her through her life story and her witness amidst all sufferings.

She was from Sudan , Africa and kidnapped then sold as slave. Bakita forgot her name due to all the trauma's she experienced her life. Several masters abused her, beat her. After several owners, she was sent to work in Italy.  For the first time she was treated with love and respect.

 The most touching part is her declaration :

"If I were to meet those who kidnapped me, and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands.  For, if these things had not happened, I would not have been a Christian and a religious today".

To celebrate Bakhita's feast on 8th February, some of simple and fun things to teach children about her remarkable life in Christ:

A. Beautiful colouring can be accessed from colouring page

       By Geo

B. You can go through the story. The parallel between St Patrick and Joseph from old Testament is good to understand the story. We went out for a stroll and visited our water park. Fed birds and talked to kids about His wonderful creation. How we first saw God in the beauty of His creation and how we see God in nature today.

I also talked with them about St Bakita didnot know Jesus Christ while she was a slave, but that she still bravely bore all of her sufferings and always longed to know creator of the world: 

"Seeing the sun, the moon, and the stars, I said to myself: 'Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?' And I felt a great desire to see Him, to know Him, and to pay Him homage".

St Josephine Bakhita saw one true master in the "sun, moon and the stars"...After stroll, baked cookies cut out of star cutter,  crescent moon and sun which we prepared ahead and left in fridge to be firm.

        Ready to bake..

        Cookies by Geo

     Star and mountain cookies by Theresu 

   The movie Bakhita- From slave to saint is a good movie perhaps not for very young children. Doesn't show any abuse. It is a beautiful movie we watched some time before. She is patron saint of those who affected by human trafficking.

     St Josephine bakita pray for us

Celebrating candlemas-

Happy Candlemas!. Today is Candlemas day. Candlemas which occurs 40 days after Christmas on February 2nd, also known as Presentation of Lord in the temple. The day Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus to temple for the first time And what Holy Simeon says is the reason why the name Candlemas comes I hope.. For my eyes have seen salvation prepared for people, a LIGHT for revelation to gentiles and t Israel...

The day families can bring candles for the year to bless . Also another fun way for children and adults  to use candles instead of electric lights today, making some crepes could be an interesting thing . The candle can be also be used for next day Feast of St Blaise to bless throats especially this is the season for colds and coughs due to weather changes.

It was a miracle for me that our Parish priest Fr Tierney invited us for a candle blessing and a procession to church. That was amazing. I expected  this as something impossible for today which Lord made it possible.

The day that all the remnants of Christmas can be taken down.

Making candles, telling stories, having dinner by candlelight all can be simple formulas for celebrating the day. Candlemas , or Feb 2nd is the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. The light is coming back! Probably Candleless days ahead. The days we can look ahead with more hope and be cheerful

   A wax lantern made out of melted wax pellets poured into old glass jar , Vick and strings attatched.

Crepes made in the eve with some lit candles.

The story of St Bridgit is also ideal for February.

Our family is also very excited to celebrate the feast.You can download some artwork designs created by a folk artist to decorate homemade candles from below.. Another coloring page here

     English proverb on Candlemas is so nice 'If Candlemas be fair and bright come winter, Have another flight. If Candlemas bring clouds and rain Go winter, and come not again'

 Resound this words on this day...to be a Light for many. Happy Feast of Presentation

Feast of St Dominic Savio

We celebrate feast of Saint Dominic Savio on 31st of January.  A beautiful saint for young boys and girls to take as a role model. A saint who was ardent in prayers, sacraments and virtues from very young age. He meditated on the sorrowful passion of our Lord even he was a child.

The story and the decisions he took on his first Holy communion is an encouragement for many children in their journey to receive  First Holy communion. Story was read out for Geo who will be receiving communion this year.

    Colouring pages from Geo and Theresu

      Quote of St Dominic which I found so catchy and easy going for any.

  The beautiful book Vishudar illustrates the story very beautifully. 

Little Savio's promises during First Holy communion.

   St Dominic Savio pray for all today's children and protect them from all snares of the world. Remind them the need to practise virtues especially in times of trials.