Ascension Sunday

It was the Solemnity of the Ascension on last Sunday and marks 40 days after resurrection of the Lord. This feast has been moved to Sunday from Thursday.This is a joyful feast and it is the fulfilment of Christ's salvific mission, It is not until Lord ascends and returns to the Father, his act of redemption is not completed.That's why we sing Psalm 47 '' God mounts His throne to shouts of joy:a blare of trumpets for the Lord''.

There are lot of traditions associated with this feast; many families have picnic in hill tops to imitate the Mount Olivet from where Jesus ascended or do activities requiring air such as flying kites, Frisbee, bubbles etc. Foods includes some  birds (like chicken) to think of Christ ascending and fluffy deserts that are whipped cream, ice cream sundae  which are reminders of the ''clouds took Him from sight''. It is the time to intensify the prayers/ singing Regina Caeli and the novena to pentecost (Cooking with Christ- Florence Berger

Children made an ascension craft and idea was borrowed from ten kids and a dog.

     Theresu is sticking  cotton balls on top of an oval shaped carton to represent the clouds carried the Jesus.

Colouring the Holy Heroes  sheets on Ascension.

                         Annu's colour sheet

Ascension craft made by Annu and Theresu

               Children are preparing ice cream sundae with some pineapples, ice cream, chocolate sauce, raspberries and sprinkles on top of it.

And lifting up His hands, He blessed them. While He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven''.( Luke 24;50-51)

Learning letter D

Theresu is learning letter D this week and next week.

Theresu is learning the five little ducks song as well this week.

Our Lady Of Fatima

We had a great day celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13th. Children read the story of Fatima and then did some coloring,however Munnu drew our Lady's picture. Annu made some sponge cake herself though she was hoping to make a spinning sun, which was the great miracle that the Lady promised for the last day of apparition(October 13).Some other beautiful ideas are found in shower of roses and the family at the foot of the cross. I was hoping to show children the movie The Day the Sun Danced: The True Story Of Fatima but couldn't do because of lack of time.

                   These are some of the books we used to read the story of Our Lady of Fatima.

             Children coloring picture of Our Lady Of Fatima.

 Annu made a sponge cake stuffed with jam and cream in the middle.

                  Our Lady of Fatima drawn by Munnu.

Our Lady of Fatima Pray for us.

May Crowning

We decided to do May crowning which is an old tradition during the month of Mary, which can be done on first of May or any day in the month of May and we sang some Marian songs and litany . This is a tradition passed from Rome to increase Marian devotion among students. Many ideas were borrowed from family at the foot of the cross, shower of roses, catholic cisine,waltzing matilda. Some cakes, jellies were distributed to the children along with barbecque, one among them was chosen to crown Mary and others offered flowers to Our Lady.

St Catherine of Siena

It was the feast of St Catherine of Siena on 29th April (as per new calendar). She is born in Siena and died in Rome, both in Italy. St Catherine was a Dominican tertiary, virgin and the Doctor of the church. Her spiritual teachings were devised on our union with the Lord, bridge between earth and heaven.Her own virginal entrustment to Christ the bridegroom was reflected in many visions.

She was a wonderful saint, which we were reading from the book  '' A girl who saw saints in the sky''.
It was great to read her passion to our Lord and the little girl who wanted to be a saint, ended up leaving home and reached a cave to become hermit. Lord talked to her and asked her to back home, to be in the world to become a saint, she was taken back home in air by angels. This saint showed fortitude to go and meet pope in France when she was 29 and encouraged him to back to Rome, without any fear. She had stigmata which was very hidden from outside world, when she lived and her body was found incorrupt.

Adopted some ideas from Shower of roses and twoplusmore, children were taught about faith  which St Catherine served church faithfully and was compared to a sunflower, since its gaze is fixed above and turned on glorious sun of divine faith. Hebrews 11;1 was introduced ''faith is confident assurance that something we hope for and conviction about the things that we cannot see for''.

We tried to make some sunflower with whippeed cream on crumpets,idea adopted from catholic cuisine. 

St Catherine of Siena pray for us and help us to grow in holiness, Love for the Lord and fidelity to his body, the church like you.

Spring 2015

The days are getting longer and brighter, you could hear the bird songs and ready for the spring. We planted some flowers, fruits and vegetables in our garden which can help children to put their feet close to God's creation.

This time of the year with Eastertide giving  more hope, children started getting play more outdoors, water their plants in the evening, going for bike rides with Jobychayan as I am not able to go with them being 31 weeks pregnant.

Children along with me learning about spring, reading spring books, doing nature study which makes us praise Lord for his wonderful creation, filling nature journal, bird watching, walking etc.

Teen boys

had

Our Lenten Journey 2015

I would like to post some of the simple  tradition and practices we trying to follow  in our family, not to make others feeel bad that they are not doing anything.

We are using a simple calendar reminding forty days of lent and children each day of the lent .

Below is the sacrifice jar for each good deeds or sacrifices they do to encourage by fillinf the jar with some candies.

This is the crown of thorns made from dried holly branches since I couldn't buy any grapewine wreath this year.

Children painted  Golgotha using chalk pastels. Lots of  lenten arts are found in Loraines's web,

Praying the way of the stations is another tradition of christianity. We are thinking to make stations grotto using popsicle sticks and stones/

On Maundy Thursday

 

 

Our Lady of Kibeho

Our Homeschooling group did  a day on Our Lady of Kibeho. It was coordinated by Allison Khan. This was the first time I came to about it.So we learned about African traditions and many brought things for show and tell, including dresses, food etc.

Theresu is coloring Ruwandan flag along with other little ones.

 

 Big children making Rosary of seven sorrows which Our Lady asked to do.

                                     African costumes

                               Our Lady Of Kibeho pray for us.