Category: Uncategorized

‘Twas the Night Before Advent…

momthingsthroughchristLeave a comment

And I was counting down the minutes until I could begin to put up Christmas decorations and start listening to Hallow’s Advent Praylist! The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year, which means tonight is our New Year’s Eve!

It is now well past midnight, which came and went a few minutes after I started writing, but I thought I would take a few moments, just to drop some ideas to help you to develop spiritually in the coming year!

Last January, at the beginning of the new year, I chose a saint of the year, and a word of the year! Sadly, with mom brain in full force, I can’t remember whose wonderful idea this was… if I ever do, I will definitely update (if mom brain permits!). Anyway, I was thinking since it’s the new liturgical year, why not move that tradition to the first Sunday of Advent instead of the first day of January?

Here is a Saint Name Generator. It says 2025 but probably is still mostly current, save for our newly canonised saints this year (St Carlo Acutis, St Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Ignatios Shukrallah Maloyan, St. Petro ToRot, St. Vincenza Maria Poloni, St. María Carmen Rendiles Martínez, St. Maria Troncatti, St. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, and St. Bartolo Longo, pray for us!). Of course if you don’t like the randomly generated saint, you could pick your own (and it could be one of the newer saints!). Use this saint as inspiration to grow in holiness, as an extra friend to pray for you, or any other way that might help you get closer to God!

Here’s a Random Word Generator. You can choose to generate just one or a short list to choose from! Use this word to inspire spiritual growth this liturgical year.

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

I thought I’d also add a Bible Verse of the Year Generator. I’m not gonna try to tell you how to apply God speaking to you through scripture. Just keep the verse handy, know He is, and apply it as you feel led

You could do all or none of these, or some number between those! I would love to hear your favourite way to celebrate Advent in the comments. And! Please share your randomly generated things, if you do them! I would love to know!

Reflections on Parenting : Why do you love me?

momthingsthroughchristLeave a comment

Lying in bed tonight, my son and I shared an exchange. Our voices were hushed and the light was dim. We had read a story, said our prayers, and done the bedtime spiel: quiet and still, close your eyes and try to sleep. Out of the blue, he asked, “Why do you love me?”

“Why?” I repeated. Truth be told, I was a little shocked that such a deep question would come from my toddler as he fought sleep for the four-thousand-eight-hundred-and-ninety-sixth time in his life.

“Yes, why?”

In the fading light, I could just make out the earnest look on his face as he waited for my reply.

I met his gaze and answered from the heart, “Because you are a gift from God; you are my son and I love you. I will always love you.”

It is a question we may well ask of God.

“Why do you love me?…

…After all that I have done wrong and continue to do wrong, my stubbornness, my disobedience, my faults and failings. You stay, You wait, You are always ready to meet me as I try again… Lord, why?”

The answer isn’t any more complicated than the one I gave my son.

Because He made us, precious gifts, each and every one fearfully and wonderfully made in His image and likeness. We are His children and He loves us. And He always will.

Saint of the Month: St Matilda (Matilda of Ringelheim)

momthingsthroughchristLeave a comment

St Matilda
Feast Day: March 14
Patron saint parents of large families, widows, and second wives

Forget pie day! This month, March 14 is dedicated to our saint of the month! St Matilda lived in the 800s and 900s, and is the patron saint of parents of large families, of widows and second wives (as she was one herself!).

Raised by her grandmother, an abbess, she spent her youth learning how to pray and do penance, and while she would have been content with religious life, she was married to Henry, who became king of Germany, making her queen. She had five children with him, and it was said that her generous giving to others became a point of contention between her and some of her children.

I think we can learn from her generous spirit, as parents or spiritual parents. Generosity is definitely needed, and sometimes a little hard to come by, especially when we have had a hard day or have already given of ourselves. But I tend to find that it is precisely when we are struggling to be generous that we need to dig a little deeper and find it in ourselves to give. Just something I know I need to work on, are any of you working on it, too? How do you find the strength to do it? Thinking about it, I believe you can’t go wrong with a good old “Come Holy Spirit”! I also found this prayer for generosity from St Ignatius that could be a good one to add to our prayer routine when we feel a little dryness in this area, whether it is our generosity towards God or towards Him through those we serve in our day-to-day:

Dear Lord teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I do your will.
Amen. 

Let me know if you have any prayers or practices that help you to grow in charity and generosity!

Perhaps a simple way we can celebrate her feast day and practice this generosity in ourselves, is to make a pie, and generously share it with others!

St Matilda, pray for us!

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

March Devotion: St Joseph

momthingsthroughchristLeave a comment

Growing up, my school was under the charge of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Yes, the Josephites of St Mary MacKillop. These sisters took to their work with the courage and charity of St Joseph, and with the way they chose not to shy away from challenges, just like their patron saint – the very same saint who the Church gives us for the month of March.

I remember being part of one of their anniversary celebrations and specifically delivering the line to a room full of hundreds of sisters and the line was “You are challenged” (and later “You have been challenged”). There was also a little dance and some sparkly costumes, that was kind of fun as a kindergartener.

But I want to focus on that spirit of St Joseph. The courage and love we read about in the Bible. And of course, his willingness to take whatever challenges he faced in his stride.

We don’t have much information on St Joseph, but from what we know, with the way God worked through Mary, St Joseph’s life was not made simpler. He would have had to look after Mary and Jesus, though it was not his own plan. Above and beyond the usual caretaking, Joseph had to flee with his young family and start a life in Egypt. From these stories, we also know that Joseph listened to God and did what God told him to do, when He spoke to him in his dreams through His angels.

It’s funny, he was a simple family man. He didn’t do anything particularly heroic or noteworthy that is recorded for the annals of history. He looked after his family with faithfulness, humility, and love, just as we are called to do, no more and no less.

Because of this, St Joseph is a wonderful saint to ask for intercession in the daily tumult of family life. He shows us that we can face our challenges, big and small, with courage. He is an example of caring for our families with great love – and with very few words, which is something I am still learning to do.

I like to think St Joseph is a bit of a Swiss Army Knife of saints, so to speak, particularly when it comes to my intentions for my family. I call on him when anyone is travelling and requires some prayers for protection (St Joseph, protector of travellers), when my husband or I have a big day of work ahead of us (St Joseph the Worker), and when any one of us is sick (St Joseph, hope of the sick), which unfortunately seems to be happening most weeks, lately. For a saint with a sum total of zero recorded words, he sure can do a lot of praying for us!

Having lived a quiet life with his family, we believe St Joseph passed away peacefully, in the arms of Mary and Jesus. We can only hope for so happy a passing from this life, so he is also patron saint for a happy death.

I can only believe, my grandmother who had a special devotion to St Joseph, often asked for his intercession. With the challenges of raising five children, I imagine this happened more often than not! So, much like I think she would have done, let me put those words down here:

St Joseph, pray for us!

Do you have any particular devotion to St Joseph? Has he come through for you in the past? I would love to hear your stories! Share them in the comments.

Advent: Not Yet Christmas!

momthingsthroughchristLeave a comment

When I was growing up, December 1st (or the weekend after) was the day we would exhume all our Christmas decorations and arrange them joyfully around the home. I loved those days! They were days where I could be creative and make things look pretty, all while listening to Christmas music and spending time with my family!

Today, in the early hours of the second of December, I look around my home. There are some decorations up, some partly done (the tree is up but bare), and some still lying in wait. I know I have much more to do before Christmas comes, but that is okay. I will go to sleep without feeling like today’s job is finished.

In our priest’s homily, he spoke about how expectant parents begin to prepare for the arrival of their child once the arrival date is calculated. Those of you who have had children (and many of you who haven’t) understand that this preparation does not all happen in one day. There is a reason God gives us nine-ish months before the baby is born!

Parents, especially first time parents, take some time to prepare for the arrival of their child. They must figure out what the new sleeping arrangements will be, they must find out the guidelines for infant care, first-timers even need to learn important procedural tips for labour and delivery! And the list goes on.

Advent is a time of preparation. It is okay, and perfectly normal, to take some time to prepare. There must be planning and effort. And that takes time.

Our priest also spoke about Advent as a time to prepare our hearts for Jesus’ arrival at Christmas. I am reminded of that hymn, My Heart is a Stable. Yet instead of the animals, hay, and swaddling bands, perhaps our hearts should be lined with the spiritual virtues we need to grow in. How can we build these virtues and make our hearts fit for Christ’s arrival? Well, just like Lent, Advent is a time of repentance. And just like at Lent, we can use the pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to ready our hearts to receive Jesus. And just like decorating, we don’t have to do it all in one day! We can take a little time each day to say an extra prayer. We can sacrifice something small here and there just as St Therese of Lisieux invites us to, offering it up to the Lord. We can put aside a little to give away, from time to time, over the course of December, all the way up to Christmas.

Anyway, every time you do a little more decorating, you can use the time to think of Jesus!

What are your decorating traditions? What memories do you have from decorating as a child? What are your tips for preparing your heart Let me know in the comments

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

Reading Nook: Room for a Little One

momthingsthroughchristLeave a comment

I guess I’m rolling out the Advent/Christmas material in October… Take that, consumerist calendar! In reality, I just want to give you your options early so you can sort out your gifts! Anyway, let’s get to it.

Today’s book review is a lovely bedtime read. The story revolves around an imagined version of the stable where Jesus was born, where a Kind Ox lays. I think it was a wise choice that Martin Waddell chose the ox, since it is symbolic of stability and sacrifice – alluding to God’s eternal nature and the sacrifice of Jesus. So this ox welcomes all kinds of creatures to the stable, including an old dog, a stray cat, a small mouse, and a tired donkey carrying – you guessed it – Mary, and led by Joseph. I was particularly touched by the fact that just as the ox welcomed these creatures, God welcomes the old, the lost, the small, and the weary. And just as these animals nestled by the ox met baby Jesus, when we bring ourselves close to God, Jesus comes into our lives.

Jason Cockroft did a splendid job to depict the scenes of this story. The watercolour style illustrations have a soft almost otherworldly quality to them. The warmth of the stable and the quiet of the night is almost palpable through the images. I also like that Joseph isn’t portrayed as an old man, but more a middle-aged man who is strong and quite closely involved in Mary’s affairs (he makes a bed for Mary in the straw). My child loves pointing out the different animals!

This book is available in hardcover, paperback, and board book format. We only have the board book at home, but we are very happy with it. It is very well made with a pillow cover and red tinted foil lettering. The pages are not too thick but still sturdy, so it is perfect for little hands.

At first glance, one would say this book is Christmas themed thanks to the nativity scene. However, because it touches on themes that are not strictly tied to Christmas, it can also be read at other times of the year!

I would recommend this book for young children up to about age 7 or 8. That said, I can see it being appreciated into the older years, thanks to the symbolic layers in the text and the sophisticated illustrations.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? What’s your (or your kids’) favourite part?

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

A Little Prayer: Angel of God (Prayer to your Guardian Angel)

momthingsthroughchristLeave a comment

Don’t we all love angels? The angelic in the popular sense brings a sentiment of comfort and sweetness. But don’t be fooled, there must be a reason why so many angels start their messages with “be not afraid”. Angels are fierce warriors in the spiritual battle between good and evil, and God, in His wisdom has given each of us a guardian angel, to help us on our way in our own spiritual battle.

This classic prayer helps you call upon your guardian angel for help throughout your day. I like to incorporate it in morning prayers. It’s good for kids because it is short, and sounds almost whimsical with its old-fashioned language and use of rhythm and rhyme. That is a formula that makes it quite teachable to young children! But even though it seems like a cute little verse, it holds so much power. When we say this prayer, we call our guardian angels to do their duty – and makes us aware of just what that duty is: to teach, protect, and show us the way, through God’s great love! for us!

I like to pray this in the morning with my little one, but as a child, I used to pray it as part of my night prayers. If you are unfamiliar with it, the version I usually pray goes like this:

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever this day, be at my side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.

If you like, you can print out this handy little prayer card that I designed for free! If your kids can read, something like this can help them to commit it to memory.

There are also many Etsy creators and other companies who make similar things. Some prayer cards even come with a medal or a pin. These can make a cute gift for young children, for a baptism or a baptismal anniversary… or maybe for St Nicholas’ feast day, or Christmas, or Easter, if you’re already thinking that far ahead!

I remember I had a guardian angel pin as a child. I loved wearing it, and sometimes just looking at it! It was a tangible artifact that helped me remember that God was looking after me every day, wherever I was! Although I no longer have the pin, I am still aware of God’s guidance and protection.

Are you familiar with the Angel of God prayer? How do you incorporate it into your prayer life? Did you have a guardian angel pin or medal as a child? What do you remember about that?

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

Saint of the Month: Saint Pope John Paul II

momthingsthroughchristLeave a comment

Feast Day: October 22
Patron Saint of: youth, families, and World Youth Day

Much like last month’s Saint of the Month, our October Saint of the Month was something of a global superstar in the 80s and 90s. In fact, the two of them were less than rarely associated with one another. He was the pope of my youth and holds a special place in my heart for starting World Youth Day which was a key milestone in my own faith journey.

I have chosen him as our patron saint for the month not only because he is a patron saint of families, but also for his encouraging words to mothers in his Letter to Women:

Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God’s own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child’s first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life.

The saint’s words highlight the unique role that mothers hold. First, he acknowledges our first duty as mother: to grow our children within our own bodies, providing all they need until they are (with hope) ready to leave the safety of the womb, just as God provides all we need throughout our lives. As we raise our children, we radiate joy and delight in our child, offering them a dim reflection of God’s joy and delight in them as His children. We nurture and teach our children as they grow, as God nurtures and teaches us. Mothers remain a touchstone for children in their life journey, a source of wisdom and advice, or perhaps just someone who will listen, someone who is there, just as God is ever-present for all of us.

As I type this reflection, I am struck with the thought that as mothers, it is perfectly natural to show some version of God’s maternal love our role as mothers. It follows that we should be aware of this and intentionally work on how we can bring these facets of God’s love to our children and/or spiritual children.

Each of us, male or female, is called to bring God to others, in everything we do. We so often refer to God with the masculine pronouns, but there are both masculine and feminine qualities in God. It is important to remember that outside of the person of Jesus Christ, God is neither male nor female. St Pope John Paul II’s quote really brings to mind the maternal aspects of God’s love for us. His quote compels me to consider how I am bringing these qualities to my children and others around me.

This is not to say that these qualities cannot be embodied by men, nor that we as women should neglect to also show masculine aspects of God’s love. But mothers, and spiritual mothers have a special ability to reflect God’s maternal love. Therefore, we have a responsibility to do it and to do it well.

What are some maternal qualities you see in God? Which of these do you think you’re particularly adept at sharing with others? How do you do this? Any tips for how others might be better able to bring out the particular qualities you shine? Share your thoughts in the comments and let’s help each other become better mothers to all the people around us!

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

October devotion: The Holy Rosary

momthingsthroughchristLeave a comment

This month is devoted to the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The rosary is widely recognised to be a Catholic prayer, and the beads themselves are a well known Catholic symbol. However, this powerful prayer can be prayed by anyone wishing to reflect on the life and kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The rosary that we pray today came about in the 1400s, and it was in development for many hundreds of years before that, from monks praying the psalms in sets of 50 on their prayer beads in the 4th Century. Many believe that St Dominic was given the rosary in a very similar form to the rosary we pray today by an apparition of the Blessed Virgin in 1208.

The modern Rosary offers four sets of mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous, and Glorious. These mysteries lead the person praying to meditate on the life and person of Christ – even mysteries which seem like they are more about Mary at first glance, such as the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in reality point to Christ’s kingship and power! I find the rosary to be a rich way to meditate on the life of our Lord and the Gospel of our Salvation. I know it helps me to grow in holiness and I highly recommend it!

The Rosary is a very versatile prayer and can be prayed in many different ways. Today I’d like to share with you some of my favourite resources for praying the rosary.

To start, I really like Bishop Barron’s rosary series available on Spotify and other streaming services. I find his reflections to be deep and the music to be very fitting. These pray-along tracks inspire different thoughts in me pretty much every time I use them for my prayer. I often go back to these because they are so well-made. They are a little longer than a standard rosary, each being about half an hour long (you can normally get through a rosary in about 15 minutes), but if you can set aside the time, it is well worth it.

If you find the music to be distracting, or if you are more visual, Ineffabilis deus has a couple of rosary playlists on YouTube. These videos set sacred art to the mysteries, and there is one set with music and one without. Sacred art can inspire interesting reflections, and these are no exception! We are lucky enough to have the Joyful and Glorious mysteries painted on the ceiling of our church, and when our prayer group meets on Wednesdays, I love pointing out each mystery to my child as it is announced! Sacred art really is a wonderful way to teach our children about God!

And speaking of our local church prayer group, remember to check out your own local church! There is probably a prayer group there, or you could join with members of the Legion of Mary for their prayers. Praying the rosary with other people and aloud is powerful (and is also helpful if you’re still learning how to do it!).

Of course, you can always pray the rosary without all the bells and whistles. If you don’t know where to begin, those Pray the Rosary booklets are usually available in pretty much any piety store (if not with all the other leaflets at the back of the church!). There is also this guide from Hallow that I think is very helpful. 

Do you pray the rosary? What are some of your experiences with this prayer? What is your favourite rosary story? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!

October Requests

momthingsthroughchrist1 Comment

Wow, September is coming to a close which means it’s time to prepare for October. Already?! I can’t believe how quickly this month has gone by! 

Personally, looking back on this month and reflecting on what to change in the coming weeks, I realise that I am having a hard time balancing paid work, this passion project, and my work as a mother, as you can probably tell by the tardiness in posting this monthly prayer request post, the missing post this week (oops), and my missing Joys posts (though I have had many joys!). So, I would appreciate if you would pray for the Lord to guide me as I navigate that.

It also occurs to me that I need to learn how tolead my life as a wife and mother with more grace. I have wonderful examples all around me, but I know that in my own life, I need more patience (didn’t I write a post about that last year? Yes, I think I did…) and gentleness. Come Holy Spirit!

I know with the arrival of fall weather, changes in temperature as well as generally being a little cooler, sicknesses abound – we have certainly already had to push through our own health issues. So, please pray for my family’s health!

This month, as you pray for me and for anyone else in the Mom Things Through Christ community, I also ask you to keep the Holy Father’s intentions in your prayers. This month, we join Pope Francis in praying for a shared mission:

We pray that the Church continue to sustain in all ways a Synodal lifestyle, as a sign of co-responsibility, promoting the participation, the communion and the mission shared among priests, religious and lay people.

That’s more requests than I usually post. I’m leaning on my prayer warriors, but feel free to lean right back! How has the month been for you? Has the return to school impacted much on your daily life? Are there new crosses for you to bear? Anything coming up that we can pray for? Feel free to let me know how I can pray for you this month in the comment section!

Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!