The Feast Of St. Andrew

St. Andrew was a native of Bethsaida, a town in Galilee, upon the banks of lake Genesareth. he was the son of Jonas, or John, a fisherman. he was the brother of Simon Peter, Unfortunately the bible does not enlighten us as to which was the eldest. St. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and he listened and learnt from St.John. It was by the shores of the lake that St. John revealed to them that Jesus was the “Christ”, “The Lamb of of God,” immediately Andrew and another disciple got up and followed Jesus desiring to get to know him. according to St. Austin they spent the last bit of that day and all the next night with Jesus, know doubt asking questions and finding out who he was. The next morning Andrew rushes to find his brother telling him to come “we have found the Messiah”.  It seems Andrew was like an excited school boy who had suddenly found some great treasure. After spending this time with Jesus  his  deepest  desire was to bring his closest friend, his brother to meet him. What a great grace that must have been. And, what of us are we not called to do the same. After we have encountered Christ should we not long to bring others to know the one true Lord. So often it is through our love and friendship that we are able to lead others to Christ. To accept God’s call to live as one of his most intimate friends is the greatest grace anyone can receive. And the day we make the decision to accept that call is one that can so often be sketched on our hearts forever.

Andrew accompanies Jesus throughout his public ministry. After the death of Jesus he sets out and travels to Scythia, Greece and Turkey. Here he eventually meets his martyrdom. Tradition recalls how St. Andrew died praising the cross of his crucifixion which was
in an X shape because it was going to take him to be with his Lord, Oh that we can face our own deaths with the same desire. 

On this feast day we can start to pray the St. Andrew Christmas novena.Now I know a novena is normally nine days but the term can sometimes be used for any prayer which is said over a number of days. We pray this prayer 15 times each day. It doesn't have to be said all at once but can be recited over the whole day. We don't actually make a request of st.Andrew in the prayer but petition God Himself asking him to grant our request in honour of his Sons birth. So here it is;

 “Hail and Blessed be the hour and moment in which the son of God was born the most pure virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our saviour Jesus Christ, and of his Blessed Mother.Amen

Today is a good day to eat fish in honour of this fisherman who had the courage to get up and leave his nets behind to become “fishers of men.” Maybe a lovely warming fish pie! Don't forget to pray today for all fishermen and those who make their livelihoods by the sea. Especially for those fishermen who will be away from their families for Christmas.

Advent ideas

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love all the smells and bells that go with this glorious season. Candle light, evergreen branches covered in twinkling lights, roaring fires, mince pies, carol singing,  the prayers, the readings, midnight mass, the whole nine yards.

The word Advent means " coming or arrival," We see the God who created the Heavens and the earth humbly coming down to earth as a little babe to live amongst us. This is something to really celebrate, to rejoice in. God Almighty deigns to descend from his Heavenly home to live amongst  his children as one of us, to redeem all of mankind from their sins. This is the start of the journey that will ultimately lead to the cross and Christ's execution and our redemption.

Like Lent, Advent is a time of preparation. In the Gospel of the day we are warned by Jesus, not as a gentle appeal but as a firm exhortation to "be watchful, alert." For we do not know when he will return. It is a reminder to us all that we should not be spiritually complacent but always listening and preparing for the return of the master. So as we begin to look towards this great feast we need to pray for our hearts to be renewed, we must allow His light to pierce our darkness, to fill us, heal us, and restore us so that we can go and take the light out into the world.

Advent is a season that speaks joyfully to a child's heart. There are many ways to help children enter into the spirit of the season. Here are a few ideas that we have done as a family or I have come across to help you enter into this joyful season.


St. Andrews Christmas Novena-- This novena begins on the 30th of November and continues throughout the whole of advent until Christmas Eve. {So strictly speaking it isn't a novena, which lasts for nine days. } However, it is believed that if you say this prayer 15 times a day you will obtain the favour you have requested at the start of the novena.

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.
In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God!
to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ,
and of His Blessed Mother.

Amen.

Advent Candles can be found in many shops. It is nice if you can get one with Christmas symbols on. It is lit each day from the 1st until the 24th. A good reminder that Jesus is the light of the world.

Advent calendar: The best ones are those that depict the Christmas story. Open one window each day to see the picture and maybe read a bit of Scripture that is written inside.

The Advent wreath: The Advent wreath originated in Germany and is an ancient symbol of victory. In Christian symbolism it represents "the fulfillment of time" in the coming of Christ and the glory of his birth.
 The Advent wreath can be made as a table decoration or hung from a ceiling. It should be circular as a symbol to everlasting life and made from evergreen branches, to signify Gods "everlastingness" and our immortality. There are four candles, three purple, one pink. The purple signify penance, prayer and longing or preparation. The pink one represents the coming joy, " Rejoice in The Lord always;again I say rejoice." A white candle can be placed in the middle of the wreath which is lit after sundown on Christmas Eve, or after midnight mass to announce the arrival of the Redeemer.


One by one each candle should be lit on Sunday Evening during Advent. The candles can then be lit
each evening during the family mealtime, (though you may need to replace the candles over the
period.) Lighting the candles on the wreath can be a simple way of starting a tradition of family prayer in the home. It is nice if this first candle is the only source of light, we can explain to the children that we are all in spiritual darkness, but we are moving towards the light. Each week as we light the candles the children will see how much brighter the light is becoming. Before lighting the candles a simple blessing can be prayed by the Father or the head of the household:

"O God, by whose words all things are sanctified, pour forth thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may we receive from thee abundant graces. Through Christ our Lord Amen."

Then if you have some Holy Water sprinkle the wreath with it.

 Then when lighting the first candle pray these words

"Lord our God,

we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:
he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,
he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,
he is the Savior of every nation.


Lord God,
let your blessing come upon us as we light the candles of this wreath.
May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ's promise to bring us salvation.
May he come quickly and not delay.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen


The Jesse Tree is another good way of helping children prepare for Christmas. There is plenty on the internet telling the story of the Jesse tree. But primarily it is the story of Jesus' family tree. Each day you hang an ornament on a "tree", usually made out of branches. The ornaments are not your usual
run of the mill christmas decorations but special ones relating to the scriptures you read each day.

There's are many good books on the market retelling the Christmas story.  I have seen on the internet the idea that you collect lots of different christmas stories, wrap them up and then each day the children choose a book unwrap it and snuggle and enjoy a good story.

Christkindl- or as we call it the Christmas angel. Each year as the children were growing up all our names were put into a hat and each one of us drew out our "secret angel". The idea was that each day we had to do something nice for that person. Now it wasn't simply a nice gesture but the trick was not to get caught doing it. For example you might come home and find your bed made and a note saying "I have prayed for you today" or there might be a little treat on your pillow. Or the pots had been washed without me having to ask, simple gestures which helped us all enter into the spirit of service for one another. On Christmas Eve we always had the big reveal where everyone tried to guess who their secret angel was. 

The "O" Antiphons-These antiphons start on December17th, so if you have not been able to do any other Advent activity it's not to late to do this. They are called the "O Antiphons" because each one addresses Jesus by his Old Testament name.

Interestingly, if you take the first letter of each antiphon in its Latin title and starting with the last one and working backwards you get the word ERO CRAS which means "I will be {there} tomorrow."

The seven antiphons are:

Sapientia (Wisdom), Adonai (Lord), Radix (Root), Clavis (Key), Oriens (Dawn), Rex (King), and Emmanuel (Emmanuel).

Another idea the children enjoy is to place an empty crib somewhere that is accessible to them and explain that the best birthday gift we can give to Jesus is our daily little sacrifices. Each time any member of the family does a good deed or makes a sacrifice they can add a piece of straw to the manger. The idea is to fill up the manger with lots of straw to make a comfy bed for the baby Jesus to be placed on, on Christmas Eve.

The Posadas-- Traditionally the Las Posadas (Spanish for “the inns”) is an Advent celebration revolving around the concept of hospitality. In Mexico and some parts of Central America, it is traditional to hold Posadas during the nine days before Christmas, beginning December 16 and ending December 24. The Posadas symbolize Mary and Joseph’s long  and frustrating search for a place to stay where Jesus could be born. The tradition re-enacts-the story told in Luke 2:1-7. We learn from the Posadas that by welcoming the poor and the needy, we are welcoming Jesus in our midst. Typically, different families in a neighborhood will take turns scheduling a night for the Posada to be held at their home, starting on the 16th of December and finishing on the 24th. Every home has a nativity scene, and the family hosting the Posada act as the innkeepers. The neighborhood children and adults are the pilgrims (“Peregrinos”), who go from house to house, singing a traditional song about Mary and Joseph searching for lodging. At one house after the other, they are turned away in , until the weary travelers reach the designated house where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Carols are sung and a dinner eaten. This can also be adapted with a travelling crib. I know at my Grandchildren's school the children are given the opportunity to have the baby Jesus arrive at their homes during Advent. Each family joyfully welcome the Christ child into their home and he spends the night with them. The next day they travel with the baby to the next family and pass the "love"on. 

  

I think part of raising children in the faith is to create wonderful memories around the many feasts of the Churches year. There is a wealth of information on the internet and with a little imagination you can create the most wonderful memories that your children will reminisce about for years to come.

St Ignatius Of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola

The Catholic Church is made up of so many men and women who started out a far cry from God but who then developed a deep passionate love for him. St.Ignatius Loyola was just such a one. He came from a noble family in Azpeitia Northern Spain. He was the youngest of thirteen children and therefore probably rather spoilt. At the age of sixteen he was sent to serve as a page to Juan Velazques. It was here that he grew to really love the high life. Wine, women and song was the order
of the day with plenty of gambling thrown in for good measure. Ignatius was also not against a good
sword fight which got him into a lot of hot water on more than one occasion.
 Eventually at the age of thirty he became a solider and found himself defending the fortress town of Pamplona against the French. It was here that he was seriously injured. A cannon ball flew through his legs, seriously wounding one leg and breaking the bones in the other. With Ignatius injured the city  surrendered and the French took command. Ignatius bravely underwent an operation without any form of anesthetic which rather impressed the French! Because of his bravery they decided he could recuperate at the castle of Loyola instead of in prison.

Coming very close to death from his injuries it appears a miracle took place on the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Ignatius turned a corner and his slow journey to recovery began. It was during this time of convalescence that Ignatius began to  experience a deep conversion. After asking for
some lighthearted romantic novels to read he was given the life of Christ and a book on the Saints.
He became absorbed by them and though he often daydreamed about his former life he realized he did not feel peaceful when he had these thoughts, but when he turned his mind to Jesus he became filled with peace and joy, this experience became the basis for which he later began to form his spiritual exercises.

As soon as he was well enough he decided to head for the Holy Land. Ignatius wanted to live in the land that Our Lord God had lived in while here on earth. While on route to Jerusalem he visited the Benedictine monastery of Our Lady of Montserrat. It was here that he made his confession. He kept
vigil  all night in front of Our Lady's altar, and like all good knights he gallantly laid his sword and knife on the altar. In the morning he went outside and gave his fine clothes to a beggar and dressed himself in some very rough clothes and sandals and made himself a staff.

As he continued his journey he came upon a town called Maresa. Staying In a cave on the outskirts Ignatius experienced a vision from God. Not much is known about this experience but it was to have a profound effect on the young mans life. While he was there he began to formulate the spiritual exercises for which he is famous. He also undertook many extreme forms of penance, trying always to outdo those great Saints he had read about when he was recuperating.

His efforts to get to the Holy Land were thwarted by the Superior General of the Franciscans. Who
because of the many dangers in the Holy Land refused to allow Ignatius to go on with  his journey. Faced with excommunication if he violated the superiors request Ignatius decided to head back to Barcelona. He determined the need to return to school to improve his Latin so that he could help others. Begging along the way to help  collect money for his education he went to the University of Alcala. Here his zeal for teaching the gospels landed him in hot water. Twice he ended up in prison.
 He headed for Paris and it was there that he met his future companions who would help him found his order. Francis Xavier, who by all accounts was a hard nut for him to crack as he to loved the high life, Peter Faber and James Laynez. During his time in Paris Ignatius influenced a number of the students. He taught them his spiritual exercises and six of them decided to take on vows of poverty and chastity.

These six decided that they would travel to the Holy Land. If they couldn't get there they would go to Rome and offer themselves to the Holy Father so that he may use them as he saw fit. Trying to get to
the Holy Land proved impossible so Ignatius and two others, Peter Faber and James Laynez decided to head for Rome. Just before entering the city Ignatius had his second most significant experience. God told him that "he would be favorable in Rome". Ignatius, not sure what this meant met with Pope Paul III.
During the following Lent Ignatius asked all his companions to join him in Rome to discuss their future. While they were there on the feast of St. John the Baptist he and his companions were ordained priests. However it was to be eighteen months before Ignatius was able to bring himself to say his first mass.
After a number of setbacks and much debate this small band of men decided to formalize their group
 into a recognizable order, they were to be known as the "company of Jesus". But when the official documents came from Rome the title given them was "Societas Jesu".
His fellow companions voted that Ignatius should become superior general, much to his discontent. On Friday April 22nd 1541 at the church of St. Paul outside the walls the friends pronounced their vows in the newly formed order.


Ignatius loved to teach everyone their catechism. He worked hard to overcome the problems of the reformation, and he liked to be amongst the poor and sick in the hospitals. But as Superior General his time was taken up in directing the new society which was beginning to flourish throughout the world. It is known that he wrote seven thousand letters personally, however he did have to take on a secretary to help him as he could not keep up with the demands of his role.

Perhaps the best known work of the Society of Jesus began by Ignatius is that of education. Before
1548 Ignatius  had opened schools in Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, Germany and India. primarily they were for new  recruits to the Jesuit order, but before long he was being asked to open schools for everyone. Ignatius used this to stem the decline  of the Church in the face of the reformation.

Throughout most of his adult life Ignatius had suffered with stomach ailments. These suddenly developed into something much worse and becoming very ill Ignatius asked his secretary to go a get a Papal Blessing. His secretary decided to delay, as he had many letters to write, but just after midnight Ignatius took a turn for the worst the secretary decided he must run for the blessing but it was to late Ignatius went home to God before he returned.
Ignatius was beatified on July 27th 1609.

To celebrate in the family why not make some really tasty Spanish Churros, the kids will love them!

Spanish Churros

Ingredients;

50g butter, melted
½ tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
about 1 litre sunflower oil

For the sauce
200g bar dark chocolate, broken into chunks
100ml double cream
2 tbsp golden syrup

For the cinnamon sugar
100g caster sugar
2 tsp cinnamon


Boil the kettle, then measure 350ml boiling water into a jug.
 Add the melted butter and vanilla extract.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a big mixing bowl with a big pinch of salt.
 Make a well in the centre, then pour in the contents of the jug and very quickly beat into the flour with a wooden spoon until lump-free.
Rest for 10-15 mins.

 To maker the chocolate sauce.
Put all the sauce ingredients into a pan and gently melt together, stirring occasionally until you have a smooth shiny sauce. Keep warm on a low heat.

Fill a large deep saucepan one-third full of oil.
Cover a tray with kitchen paper and mix the caster sugar and cinnamon together.

Fit a star nozzle to a piping bag, 1.5-2cm wide.
 Fill with the rested dough, then pipe 2-3 strips directly into the pan, snipping off each dough strip with a pair of kitchen scissors.
Fry until golden brown and crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on the kitchen paper-lined tray.
Cook the rest of the dough in batches, sprinkle the cooked churros with some cinnamon sugar when they come out of the oil.
 Serve with the chocolate sauce.

St. Bridget Of Sweden

Born to a noble and wealthy family, St.Bridget was a deeply pious child who was raised to love her Catholic faith. She began to experience mystical visions around the age of 7. Married at the tender age of 13 to one Ulf Gudmarssen the young couple went on to have a very happy marriage which produced 8 children among the St Catherine of Sweden.

The Saintly life and her generous nature soon spread far and wide and St.Bridget was known to help the many poor and needy who live in the area.

She was well acquainted with many of the learned theologians of the time with whom she would sit and debate faith matters. Later she was at the court of King Magnus over whom she would gradually acquire great influence.

In early 1341 she and Ulf took a pilgrimage to Santiago De Compeostella. Their return journey was fraught with complications as Ulf became very unwell. Having sufficiently regained his strength they made it home but it was not to long after in1344 that he died.

Now finding herself a widow Bridget devoted herself entirely to religious practices. The visions she had had as a child now became more frequent and she was sure she  was witnessing Christ. She began to write down her revelations.

Bridget went on to found the Brigittine order whose main monastery was in Vadstena. In 1249 she travelled to Rome where she remained until her death in 1391.

What I love about St. Bridget was that she sounded like many of the young sassy Catholic women I know today. Beautiful women who are not afraid to talk about their faith and love for Jesus. Bridget was not above berating the rich  aristocracy for their excesses and she was bold enough to tell Pope Urban to move the Holy See from Avignon back to Rome. It just goes to show she moved in some pretty important circles. So if you are looking for a Saint for your daughters to emulate then you won't go to far wrong in teaching them about St. Bridget.

What better way to celebrate St. Bridget's feast day (after going to mass and receiving Jesus,
obviously!!) than to cook some Swedish meatballs for tea!

You will need; 400g Lean pork mince.
1 egg beaten,
1onion chopped,and gently fried until soft.
85gfresh white breadcrumbs,
1tsp ground allspice
1tbsp finely chopped dill,
Salt and pepper
1tbsp each olive oil and butter,
2tbsp plain flour,
400 miles hot beef stock(stock cube is fine).
1/2 cup of sour cream.

1. In a bowl, mix the mince with the egg, onion, breadcrumbs, dill and seasoning. Form into small meatballs about the size of walnuts – you should get about 20.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and brown the meatballs. You may have to do this in 2 batches. Remove from pan, melt the butter, then sprinkle over the flour and stir well. Cook for 2 mins, then slowly whisk in the stock. Keep whisking until it is a thick gravy,  stir in the sour cream then return the meatballs to the pan and heat through. Sprinkle with dill and serve with cranberry jelly, greens and mash or on top of pasta.

The first Roman Martyrs

 Within a few short years of Christ's death we begin to see the first martyrs being killed for their faith. Nero, the Roman Emperor of the time wanted to extend his palace so it is believed that he started the great fire of Rome which destroyed a huge section of The city.  The people blamed him, but Nero was very quick to  shift the responsibility onto  the Christians. Many were subsequently condemned to death. Those first Martyrs were killed by crucifixion, being fed to the lions or were tied  up and set a  light and used as human torches.

These Martyrs stand ready to intercede and help us in our own times when so many are being persecuted for their faith. Let us cry out to them on their feast day and ask for their help to stand firm in our faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.

St Joseph The Worker.

St Joseph The Worker.

The Feast of St. Joseph the worker has been celebrated in the Church since 1955. Inspired by his example the Church has always held that all work, no matter how  menial some may seem to others is inspired by God and brings with it great dignity and value. We know from Scripture that right from the beginning man was made for work. In the garden of Eden Adam had to "till the land and keep it". Before the fall man cooperated with God and participated in the overall task of Divine Providence. We have to assume because all was well in the garden Adam did this with a joyful heart. He knew it was something his Creator asked of him.
When sin entered the garden something that had intended to be enjoyable suddenly became laborious. "Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread".

So often we see our work as removed from its original intention. We look upon it as a form of punishment or as something oppressive that gets in the way of us living our lives. For some it is a means to make vast sums of money because that is where their happiness lies. We fail to see the value of work itself; that all work, no matter what it is can be used to help us in our sanctification.

We are being asked by God to participate in His creation. So often we classify people by the jobs they do. We look down upon those in manual labour or those who clean and sweep our streets. But all work has value and all is needed for the good of society. If our streets weren't cleaned and our bins emptied then can you imagine the stench and dirt we would all be in. Work is a gift from God, it makes no sense to classify men differently according to their occupations, as if some jobs were better than others. All work is intertwined and keeps each of us connected, it bears witness to the innate dignity of man and our dominion over creation. Work allows each of us to develop, we form relationships with our colleagues around us, we support our families and contribute to the wider society in which we live.

We must remember while here on earth Jesus followed in the footsteps of St.Joseph and like so many young men before him he took on his fathers trade. If we unite our work through Christ, Christ will sanctify it. So on those " bad days"  when work is all "toil and sweat" we have something of immense value  to offer the Father.

St. Catherine of Sienna

 I am often interested in the story of the Saints. Not necessarily the Saint themselves(don't mean that to sound wrong) but I like to know what their parents were like, why was it that they became these great men and women of virtue. Catherine of Sienna is one such of these. Being one of twenty four children, I can only stand back and admire her parents. I thought eight was a large family! Catherine was raised in this incredibly large family. She found quite and solace at a young age in one of the
rooms in her Fathers house. It was here that she began to experience mystical experiences and see visions. By the age of seven she had consecrated her virginity to Christ. When she was sixteen she took the habit of the Dominicans and led a very austere life. Her celestial visions increased and she was in constant conversations with Christ. During this time she began to tend the sick and the poor and especially those with the most repulsive of diseases. Catherine's heart was always for the conversion of those around her.

As time passed Catherine began to surround herself  with men and women who formed a wonderful spiritual fellowship drawn by the depth  wanted to be with this holiest of women. Living very frugally and being in constant pain due to her lack of food save the Blessed Sacrament , Catherine was never without a generous smile and a happy nature.
Catherine lived during a very turbulent time in Italy she had noblemen and Princes in her trust. She even implored Pope Gregory XI to leave Avignon and reform  the clergy  and the administration of the Papal States.

Catherine, in 1380 implored her beloved Saviour to let her bear the punishments for all the sins of the world and for the renovation of the Church. For three months she suffered a prolonged and mysterious agony, dying on the Sunday before the Feast of the Ascension. Today her writings continue to inspire people everywhere to grow in faith and virtue. May St. Catherine pray for us as we once again face a very turbulent world and may she teach us how to draw closer to our Saviour and redeemer.


How to celebrate, well why not pizza or pasta for tea!

The Annunciation.

Nine months before the birth of our Saviour, the Angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish woman, who was alone in the quiet of the day. He announced God’s plan of salvation to her and then waited for her response.

Can you imagine what must have been going through this young girl’s mind? Not only the ‘practical’ questions about what would take place and how it would happen. But also the implications this would have for the situation she now found herself in as a betrothed woman; and what it would mean for her family.

Mary’s role was pivotal to the whole plan. Her Yes was a gift to all mankind. The whole of creation must have held its breath – waiting and hoping for her answer to be Yes. It must have let out a collective sigh of relief when that one simple word was forthcoming. Two thousand years later we are still benefiting from that gracious answer.

We know that at the moment of the Annunciation Mary was commissioned by God to bring Jesus into the world. And in a certain sense God extends that same invitation to us.  Like Mary we have a choice, we can say Yes or No. Again, like Mary, our answer holds eternal consequences not only for ourselves but for those God has entrusted to us.

For Mary, this visitation comes as something completely unexpected. God disrupts the daily course of her life, overturning its settled rhythms and conventional expectations and drops this “bombshell” into her lap. She, like all of us, must learn to walk by faith, trusting in God, that he will somehow work it out.

To live this lovely feast day within the family there are a number of things you can do. Why not bake a lovely angel cake or the more traditional plum loaf which was very popular in England. It started in Tichborne in Hampshire, when on the feast of the Annunciation flour would be blessed and distributed to the poor and needy. Often it would be  baked  into a plum loaf.

Or you could take a leaf out of the Swedish people’s book and cook waffles. Apparently this is the national dish of the day when celebrating the feast of the Annunciation because today marks the day when there was some confusion over a pronunciation: “varfrudagen” which means Our Lady’s Day and “vaffeldagen” meaning waffle day! So over time the tradition has been to always have waffles on this feast day. Sounds good to me!

St. Joseph.

The feast of St. Joseph is a wonderful day to celebrate the transformation of a humble carpenter into one of the greatest saints the world has ever known.

Everything we know about St. Joseph comes from Scripture; it is from these words that we can begin to build a picture of the kind of man St. Joseph was.

The Gospel writers Matthew and Luke seem to have two differing accounts of Joseph’s genealogy. 
However, both agree that his descent was from the House of David. This was confirmed when the angel appeared to him and greets him as “son of David,” a title also used for Jesus.

We know from the Gospel of St. Matthew (13:55) that Joseph was a carpenter, or at least the original word used in the Gospels is ‘tekton’ which means “craftsman” or “artisan”; so he may have built houses and done other work as well; we have to assume he was quite clever with his hands.

It appears that Joseph was not a man of  wealth. When Jesus was taken up to the temple to be circumcised, Joseph  only presented the poor man’s offering of two turtle doves to be sacrificed and not the specified lamb. However, when Mary and he were looking for lodgings in Bethlehem he went to the hotels and hostels looking for a place to stay, and we have to assume he had the money to pay for them, so they were not destitute either.

We see in his handling of Mary when he discovers she is with child a kind, gentle and compassionate response to her situation. Even though he is very distressed he chooses not to shame her in public, but
 to put her away quietly so that no harm comes to her, knowing that a woman caught in adultery would most likely have to face being stoned to death.

After discovering what he assumes is Mary’s betrayal, we see St. Joseph responding to a dream. An angel appears to him and tells him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife.

I find two things interesting about this. The first is, how many of us would respond to a dream? So often we shrug them off. Admittedly they may disturb us – but would we act on them? The second is Joseph’s complete lack of hesitation; straight away he goes and takes Mary as his wife. Now if St. Joseph noticed his wife was pregnant, you can be sure the rest of the village was gossiping about it. In the face of what you feel would be heavy criticism, Joseph acted courageously and brought her into his own home, thereby giving his future son legal recognition .

Even though the gospels reveal very little about this man that God chose to take care of his son, we can see from his actions that St. Joseph was a God-fearing man. He always acted on what he felt he 
was being asked to do. He protected his family in times of adversity, when Herod was out to kill his son. He moved them to an area of safety when he felt they were still in danger. He created a home and a livelihood to provide for them.

St. Joseph took his role as foster-father to the Christ child seriously. He taught Jesus his own trade; we know this from Mark 6:3 when the Pharisees speak of Jesus as the “carpenter”. Jesus is also well versed in his Scriptures, think of the time when his parents found him in the temple talking and listening to the elders and they were amazed at his knowledge. All these things begin to build up a picture to the type of man Joseph was.

Tradition teaches us that St. Joseph had died before Jesus’ public ministry had started. This is for two reasons: there is no mention of him at the wedding feast at Cana or in any other gospel story about Jesus’s public ministry, and when Jesus is dying on the cross he entrusts his Mother Mary into his apostle John’s care. This would not have happened if she had had a husband or other children to take 
care of her.

St. Joseph is a man for our times. If ever there was a need for a good role model for our sons, St. Joseph fill this spot. His example of courage, obedience, love and wisdom illustrates a few of his most admirable attributes. Let us encourage all of our young people to seek to follow his example.

St.Patrick.

St. Patrick of Ireland – whose feast we celebrate today – is one of the world’s best known saints.

He was born around 385, perhaps in Scotland, near Kilpatrick. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britain.

When he was about fourteen, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland to live among the Druids and pagans, tending and herding sheep.

During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. He later wrote:

The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before the dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow, ice or rain.

When Patrick was twenty he had a dream which told him to go to the coast. Sure that God was telling him to leave Ireland he ran away and made his way to the Irish coast. There he found some sailors who were willing to take him back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family.

Once more Patrick was inspired by a dream in which he heard the  people of Ireland were calling out to him:

We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more. 

He began his studies for the priesthood and was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years.

Later, Patrick was ordained a bishop. He then returned to Ireland to bring the Gospel to the Irish people.

There are many legends surrounding St.Patrick. One of these tells of his meeting with a chieftain called Dichu who wanted to kill him. When  Dichu  raised his arm to bring down the fatal blow, his arm stiffened and he couldn’t move. It was only when he agreed to befriend Patrick that his arm returned to normal.

Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, winning many converts. He gathered disciples around him and they went out and preached and won many further conversions.

Maybe one of the most famous teachings that Patrick was renowned for was his teaching on the Trinity – using a simple shamrock to explain it.

Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity on hearing Patrick’s message.

Patrick spent forty years preaching and converting the Irish. Many witnessed the miracles attributed to him. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering, he died in Saul on March 17th 461.

For those with Irish ancestors, today is a great day of celebration. There will be many people wearing green and proudly sporting shamrocks.

To celebrate the feast of St.Patrick, why not get out a green tablecloth and cook up a Irish stew.

Family Prayer!

"A family that prays together stays together”, or so the saying goes. Now I don’t know if that is true but I do know that families who pray together are more likely to have a richer and more abundant family life.

Praying as a family is not without its challenges. Nevertheless, it is an important aspect of parenting
 that should not be overlooked. Prayer is very simply allowing a conversation with God. Something
we can do anywhere with anyone and in whatever way we want. This does not have to be formulaic –
 although routines and rhythms can be important. It is just learning to talk to God throughout the day while we go about our daily life. God wants to be in the minute details of our lives, nothing is too large or too small for our loving Father to bend his ear to.

Teaching children to pray can help them to develop a very personal relationship with God and this is what he wants. Starting early is the key to a lifetime of prayer. If children have been prayed with from the earliest moments of their lives they are more likely to continue the habit into their adult life.

Parents can bless their child while he or she is still in the womb, praying for their child: a simple sign of the cross made on the mum’s tummy morning and night is a good habit to start. Then when the child is born praying for that little one becomes easy. Though I am a great believer that faith must also be taught and not just caught, praying is one of those aspects that if children see their parents praying they are more likely to develop a prayer life.

Praying with young children must be age and ‘stage’ appropriate.  Expecting them to kneel quietly while we say a full rosary is not likely to happen and often leads to frustration on the side of both parties. Sometimes all you need is saying an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and asking God for any specific intention you may have, ending with a prayer for protection (maybe an ‘Angel of God my guardian dear’ type of prayer). As children grow bible stories can become part of the prayer routine.

When our children were older, on the advice of some wise nuns, we started to pray a shortened version of the rosary, saying only three Hail Marys in honour of the Trinity; this worked well for our family.

I know families who pray a decade of the rosary every night Monday to Friday so that by the end of 
the week they have completed a whole mystery. Others pray freely for whatever is current in the news or for specific needs at that time. I think the way in which you pray is not quite so important as the 
fact that you do pray.

Praying in thanksgiving before each mealtime is another simple way in which we can introduce prayer into our families. This teaches children that we do not rely solely on our own capabilities to provide for ourselves but that we believe that God in his abundance has provided for our needs and 
we thank him for that. We also follow his example, throughout Scripture: when Jesus is about to feed
 the multitudes he stops and gives thanks to God.

Blessing the children just before they go to bed has been a very powerful bond for our family. Each night as they kiss us good night my husband blesses his children with a simple sign of the cross on their foreheads. Even now as adults, they still come to their Father to receive his blessing. This has been a great source of grace for us as a family.

Many families achieve morning prayers, this is something I have never been able to manage as life was just a frenzied mix of chaos. However I know for the families who do it, it is a great opportunity to start the day with God asking his protection and blessing on everyone before they all go out the door. This can help strengthen and encourage everyone especially if there are challenges that you know someone might face in the day.

In times of trial and sadness a family can huddle together and draw strength from each other asking God to come into their situation. Praying for those who are sick or dying can bring great solace to our hurting hearts.

Creating a family altar within the home is a beautiful gesture. This can be as simple as a side-table, or mantle piece. A nice statue or picture of the Holy Family, a crucifix, some candles, a bible and some prayer books. This little space becomes a very special attraction in your home.  Gathering together as 
often as you can around this  little altar, may have a profound, and far reaching effect on your family. Just as we want the best for our children by providing nutritious food, adequate clothing, a good education etc, we also want them to have a relationship with God. We want him to bless our families, and those that we love. Incorporating prayers into our family's daily routines is a way of expressing this desire.

The pictures above are from Pinterest where you will find a wealth of ideas for praying with your children.

St Margaret Clitherow

St.Margaret Clitherow

Like many Yorkshire women, Margaret Clitherow was not afraid of hard work and didn't lack courage. Known as the pearl of York she gave up her life, for her faith on the 25th of March 1586.
Born in 1555 she was raised in the Protestant faith by well to do parents. In 1571 she married John Clitherow a local grazier and butcher, they had three children, two sons and a daughter. Three years after her marriage Margaret converted to Catholicism. Her husband, whose brother was a Catholic priest was very supportive of her even though at times it could prove embarrassing as he was supposed to report people who failed to attend church services. On a number of occasions Margaret found herself in prison,during these periods of confinement she taught herself to read and write.
Margaret was very fervent in her faith, she often had mass said in her home and was always hiding priests. A hole was built into the attic of her home and the adjoining house so in the event of a raid the priest could escape.
The Clitherows sent their eldest son to Douai in France to study. This caused all sorts of problems for Margaret's husband who was called to give an account as to where his son was. Shortly after their house was raided. Margaret had many friends and supporters and none of them would give her away, but unfortunately they had a young Flemish boy staying with them and on being threatened he showed the authorities where everything was kept hidden, Margaret was arrested and sent to the Guildhall for trial. She refused to enter a plea, this meant her children and servants could not be called upon to give evidence against her. By doing this Margaret knew she could keep her family out of any involvement in her death. She was condemned to death by "Peine forte et dure" which meant to be pressed to death.
On Good Friday 1586 Margaret was led out,her arms were stretched out and tied to posts, a sharp rock was placed under her back and a door was placed on top of her, heavy stones were then placed on top of that, Margaret died within about fifteen minutes crying out to her Lord to have mercy on
her.
Margaret's bravery was not lost on her children her two sons went on to become priests and her daughter became a nun at St. Ursula's louvain.

Margaret was elevated to sainthood in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.

It would be very fitting to make Yorkshire rock cakes  to help celebrate this feast day. A rock cake is similar to a scone but tends to have more fruit in and is bigger. You could pile a batch of these up on a chopping board and serve them at tea-time.

Yorkshire rock cakes
8oz/225g self-raising flour
4oz/110 butter/margarine
2oz/55g sugar
6oz/150g mixed dried fruit e.g sultanas, raisins, currants.
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg
1-3 tblsp milk

Rub butter into flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar, spice, zest and fruit. Add eggs and milk to make a stiff batter. Spoon 12 mounds onto greased baking trays. Bake for 15-20mins in an oven set at 200/400/gas mark 6.
If you wish you can add a couple of cherries and almonds to the top prior to baking to symbolize red for martyrdom and the white of the almond for purity.

Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday begins with an entreaty from God, one that has been heard down through the generations. It is an appeal from the very heart of God. He is calling his wayward children to come back to him. Promising us that he is rich in mercy and compassion.

God calls after us again and again, wanting to be given the opportunity to bind up our wounds and to heal our sorrows. The only problem we have is the question: are we going to let him?

Ash Wednesday  is a day for us to decide to turn back to God and re-commit ourselves to this relationship. The problem for many is so often we feel we don’t know how to do this. But as with any relationship we need to invest our time and energy into it. We know that those relationships that are the most successful are the ones in which we have invested time and energy.
So how do we do this with God? Well, a good place to start is to begin by spending time alone with God, whether this is in the quiet of your home or in Church or elsewhere. What’s important is that we are committed to it.

If we want to know what God has to say then we must read his ‘letters’ to us in the form of Scripture. If you are not sure where to start you could follow the Church in the readings she selects for the readings at Mass each day.

We need to be honest in our reflection about how much time we give to God. It is so easy to get wrapped up in our everyday necessities that we push God into a short space on Sunday and maybe a extra few minutes now and then. But God wants to be the centre of our lives; he wants to fill us with good things, bringing healing and freedom into our lives; in fact he wants us to share in the fullness of his own life.

God promises us that every wound, all our faults and sins, all those things that hold us back from him, will be dealt with in kindness and compassion – because he is slow to anger and rich in 
graciousness, and ready to relent.

In the readings for Ash Wednesday we hear that we must “let our hearts be broken not our garments torn”. In days past the tearing of garments was an outward sign of repentance; think of the Ninevites when they heard Jonah’s call to repentance. Our “outward sign” can be found, for example, in the things we give up this Lent, the chocolate, the alcohol, etc. But God asks more of us.

Yes, these small sacrifices please him, but he is more interested in the heart that makes the offering. He wants to touch and heal us, and our little acts of self denial will be meaningless if we do not allow God to change our hearts; this is what Lent is all about.

If over the next forty days we drawer closer to God and allow him to heal our hearts, then when we arrive at the day of resurrection at Easter we will allow ourselves, as C.S Lewis said, to be “surprised by joy”.

St. Blaise.

Now here is a good Saint to invoke if you are suffering with any kind of ailment to do with the.
St. Blaise was a fourth century bishop who lived in Armenia. Devotion to this Saint has been popular throughout the ages but much of what we know comes to us through myths and legends.

Historical proof exists that Blaise was martyred for the Faith in his diocese of Sebastea in Armenia in the year 316. The legends surrounding Blaise state that during the persecution of Licinius, Blaise was forced into exile he fled to the hills in the backcountry of his diocese where he spent his days in prayer and penance,living the life of a hermit, surrounded by the wild animals as his only companions, who it is said never harmed him.

 One day while seeking wild animals for the amphitheater, soldiers came across Blaise and arrested him because they discovered he was a Christian. Blaise was taken to prison, but on the journey a couple of incidents happened. The soilders came across a child who was choking on a fishbone Blaise interceded for the child and he was cured. It is also believed that he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman. Can you just imagine that wolf with a hangdog expression in his eyes looking at St. Blaise? Neither of these incidents made any impression on the solders and they continued to force Blaise to journey onto prison.
 While in prison, Blaise confirmed that he was a Christian and was given the chance to recant his profession of Faith and offer worship to the pagan idols. Blaise, needless to say refused and even though he was cruelly tortured he would not refute his belief in the risen Lord.
During his stay in prison Blaise was visited by the old lady whose pig he had saved from the jaws of the wolf, she brought him food and candles as way of thanks for his kindness to her.
In due course Blaise was beheaded and like all Martyrs entered into the glory of eternal life.

St Blaise is the patron saint of throat sufferers, and many churches hold a special ceremony in his honour, in which blessed candles are crossed beneath people’s throats and a special blessing is invoked. At this time of year when so many coughs and colds abound it is good idea to take the children to mass and get Father to bless their throats.

Prayer to Saint Blaise
Dear bishop and lover of souls, you willingly bore heavy crosses in faithful imitation of Jesus. Similarly, with Christ like compassion you cured many sufferers. Then after undergoing horrible torture, you died as a martyr for Christ. Obtain a cure for these {describe the afflictions} ills if this is agreeable to God. Amen.

Celebrating the Feast of Candlemas.

Today we celebrate the feast of Candlemas which incorporates two feasts, the Presentation of Our Lord and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. Both rites were obliged by Jewish law. You can read about them in the book of Leviticus, where chapter 12 deals with the purification of a woman after childbirth.

When Our Lady and St. Joseph brought Christ to the temple, Simeon embraced the Child and prayed what has become known as the Canticle of Simeon: “Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).

Over time the custom developed in the West of blessing candles on this feast day. Christ is the light of the world, “a light to the revelation of the Gentiles”, and by the 11th century this custom was gaining popularity. The blessed candles were lit and a procession took place through the darkened church whilst the canticle of Simeon was sung. Hence the name “Candlemas”.

Usually the priest blesses the candles that are going to be used in the coming year. If your priest is open to the idea, you could ask if you can bring your own candles and then take these blessed candles home to use during your family prayer time. When celebrating some of the special feast days these can be used on the family dinner table. If you cannot get them blessed by a priest the head of the house can pray this lovely simple blessing over your candles:

Let us pray. God our father, source of all light, today you revealed to Simeon your light of revelation to the nations. Give us your blessing as we light these candles. May we who carry them to praise your glory walk in the path of goodness and come to the light that shines forever.

Shrove Tuesday.

Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, is known by many names throughout the world. The most popular name globally, perhaps, is Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras, which literally means Fat  Tuesday,  is a carnival celebration which has its roots in the ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia, a festival that honored the Roman deity Lupercus. When Christianity began to spread the early Church decided to adapt and incorporate certain festivals into the new faith rather than just banning them.

The English terms “Shrovetide” and “Shrove Tuesday” come from the old English word “shrive”. “To be shriven” means to go to confession and receive absolution.

Not only was Shrove Tuesday a day of self examination, it was the last day in which people could feast before their Lenten fast kicked in. Shrove Tuesday’s menu was designed to use up all the fats, eggs and dairy products left in the kitchen and storerooms. Hence the name Fat Tuesday. Nothing was allowed to go to waste. Families often ate up to twelve times over the course of the day.

Pancakes, which are the traditional meal in England on Shrove Tuesday, came about because of the need to use up the eggs, butter and milk. Although the pancakes we have now came about in the 18th Century due to the influence of French cooking, we used to make a smaller more fatter pancake probably like a pikelet – a type of crumpet.

So as we enter into this season of fasting let’s enjoy our pancakes and look forward to the greatest of feasts.

Here is a simple pancake recipe which will have you flipping and tossing pancakes much to your children’s delight:

110g/4oz plain flour.

2 eggs.

200ml/7floz milk mixed with 75ml/3oz water.

50g/2os butter.

Pinch of salt.

Sift flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Break in eggs and begin to mix milk and water. Whisk until you have a smooth batter.

Melt a small amount of butter in a 7in frying pan. Put 2 tablespoons of batter in the pan and swill around. It will cook quite quickly. When you can lift a side up and it looks golden flip over and cook for another few seconds. Top with your favorite topping, lemon and sugar, golden syrup, maple syrup, Nutella – the combinations are endless. Enjoy!