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It’s going to be a quick one today, just whipping through a few of my joys from the past week.

My toddler was sick. That’s not the joy, obviously – far from it. But him getting better, definitely a joy! I’m surprised how quickly it passed, but I’m not complaining about it!

Then there was another day this week when he crawled into bed with us one morning, and fell back asleep cuddled up next to me. He used to frequently crawl into bed with us in the middle of the night before the move, but he has only done it once since the move, and then this week. It was nice, as it got me up early enough that I was able to take a little time and do Matins and Lauds in the fresh morning air in our backyard. It was just such a nice start to the day.

Hubby and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary (a little early, but what can you do when it’s a mid-week affair)? We went to a restaurant we’ve been thinking about trying for quite a while now. I had a salmon tartare that was particularly nice! We are especially thankful to our friends who were able to take our energetic toddler for a couple of hours while we had a date, just the two of us!

What a week! And more to come, I’m sure. Praise God! What have been your joys of the week? Tell me in the comments!

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

Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a remembrance practiced from the early church of the Blessed Mother being taken up body and soul into heaven because she was holy. As the New Ark of the Covenant, we know she was not holy on her own merit (who is, other than Christ?), but because of Jesus. It is her Son who made her holy.

Today, in light of this, I want to reflect on how our children should also sanctify us. Obviously they won’t be able to do so in the same perfect way that Mary was sanctified by the Lord, but in their own way, and little by little, they draw us closer to God.

Let’s start at the beginning, when you become a mother. As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, and earlier for couples who consciously make a decision to try to conceive, think about the sacrifices you make, the inconveniences you accept, when this baby first arrives in your life. You already make your best efforts to give them the best start possible by avoiding certain foods, consuming certain others, accepting the fatigue and anxieties and all the aches and pains that occur throughout pregnancy. If we recall Aquinas’ definition of love as a decision, and that it involves action to will the good of the other, pregnancy is where that self-giving love first manifests in a mother. Your child needs you to nourish and protect it from the earliest days, and without question, that is what good mothers do. This call to self-sacrifice is one way we can become more like Christ. And of course, this continues throughout a child’s life, as we feed them, care for them, and provide for them.

Patience! Oh, the patience this child has required of me. And what a gift that the Holy Spirit gives me these opportunities so my patience can increase. This, and the exercise and development of other God-like qualities (understanding, self-control, think along the lines of the gifts and fruits of the Spirit), should continue to increase as we journey in parenthood.

The parenting role itself helps me to understand the heart of God, as well. I know that He gives me everything I need to succeed and all that I need to help me to grow. He doesn’t just do things for me when it gets hard. He gives me the tools, He assures me that I have the ability, and He does things with me. When I do these same things with my child, I can understand how pleased He would be when I overcome a challenge or learn something new, and when I spend time with Him. Naturally, this should help deepen my relationship with the Lord, as it gives me an insight into the depths of His love for me (still remembering that His love for me is perfect and mine for my child is far from it, though it is still a partial reflection).

These are just a few ways I can think of that our children sanctify us, and of course, we need to nurture our own prayer life to grow in holiness as well, turning to God on our parenting journey, and in all that we do. Remember, God does not call us to things for no purpose; He calls us with a view to sanctification, and parenthood is just one such calling. Just as Mary said “yes” to God and allowed Him to sanctify her perfectly through Christ, as parents, we too should follow His will, allowing Him to sanctify us through our children.

How have your children helped you to grow in holiness? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

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

I need to take a little break from parenting-related posts because I feel moved to write a few words about the recent Eucharistic Congress that our neighbours down south had last month. I have been watching some of the things that have come out of the event, but haven’t yet gotten through all of it (five days is a lot! Also, mom life, IYKYK).I am so grateful that these resources are available online, though. So far, I have particularly been touched by Jonathan Roumie’s character reading of John 6 and Fr Mike (God bless them both!). One thing Fr Mike said really hit me: the point of the Mass is not that Christ becomes present in the Eucharist. That’s great, but it only facilitates the point of the Mass, which is the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross to the Father, to the benefit of God’s glory, at the elevation of the bread and wine, which are in substance the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Himself.

But overall, just wow. Wow, wow, wow. What an incredible movement. I was moved to tears watching and listening to some of the scenes. What powerful images of the Corpus Christi style procession! The tens of thousands of Catholics honouring and adoring our Lord in the Eucharist through public streets was a testament to their faith. I just thought, how easy it would be for someone who would attack God’s children to do so at such a large gathering of the faithful. And how many people went anyway, ready to become martyrs if the unthinkable should happen, putting their love of Jesus before the love of their own life. I would hope to be counted among such Christians!

The Eucharist is really special to me. It’s one of the biggest reasons, if not the biggest reason, why I stay Catholic. I loved adoration from the moment I discovered it, and always found it to be such a peaceful way to have a heart-to-heart with Jesus. I love receiving Him in the Eucharist, knowing that He desires to be so intimately close to me as to make a home within me. I sometimes feel bad knowing that He waits for me in the tabernacle, and I am too busy to spend time with Him – but I have sat outside a locked church, talking to our Lord because I knew he was inside, as He promised. “I am with you always,” He said, “to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20). 

I read recently that there has been a resurgence of people being accepted into the Catholic Church in America, and I can’t help but wonder what effect this Eucharistic revival has impacted those numbers- this is, after all, the 10th annual Eucharistic congress. The outpouring of Love from the Eucharist has to flow into people’s hearts and then overflow into their lives, touching all the people around them, drawing them to Christ. How wonderful that the Lord continues to meet us here and today, and work in our hearts to draw people to Himself.

As I struggle with questions of how to bring life to the Church locally, maybe I should take a leaf from their book. Jesus did say, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6), and “I am the bread of life… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (Jn 6:35, 53). And, after all, the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Faith. For now, I think I’ll have to wait, and listen to the Spirit, and maybe spend some more time in Eucharistic adoration…

Tell me about your own experience with the Eucharist; what you love about it, if you struggle with it (I know I did for one or two years!), anything at all! If you attended the Eucharistic Congress, I would be beyond happy to hear your thoughts! Which speakers really moved you, and what was it about what they said? What was your biggest takeaway from the conference? Did you have a particularly moving moment while spending time with our Lord? Let’s fill the comments with our love for Jesus!

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

I know, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. Though my Joys of the Week posts have become rather sporadic, I can promise you my joys have been constant! Weekends are busy, and God is good! Anyway, I have managed to carve out a little time this week to share some of my joys. I hope you’ll pop a joy or two (or more, if you have more you want to share) in the comments too!

My family has had some solid friend moments with our new-ish (it’s been a few months now!) friends from church. We have helped them and they helped us (in a very delicious way!). It’s been nice building this friendship! Our kids love playing together and it’s really nice to have a mom friend in the area (and who is also teaching her kids about Jesus!). And the best part is that we were both doing Bible in a Year before we met each other, and if you’ve done that, you know that we were praying for one another! What a heart-warming thought!

I got to catch up with an old friend of mine. I don’t see her very often, between mom-life and living far enough apart that catching up is an effort. She gave me some hand-me-downs from her kid to mine, and I helped her clean her house a bit before she had to travel. It was great to be able to be of service to one another!

Yesterday I had the chance to go and dance in the afternoon. Had some fun dances, got to see some old friends and made a couple of new friends too! It was nice to be able to get moving in the warm summer day, and friends are always a good time!

I guess this week’s joys have been very relational. And why wouldn’t relationships be joyous? After all, we were created to be in communion with others!

What have you done this week that has brought a lightness or a fullness to your heart? I truly hope you have had a great week, and can reflect on the many blessings God has brought you!

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

I write these “To Such As These” posts every now and then to explain some aspect of the Catholic faith to children. I try to use simple language so you can just read it directly to them instead of having to put it into your own words! The category name is inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”

Today, we will be looking at blessing items.

If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in this category, pop them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!

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Last month, we moved into a new home and once we got most of the boxes out of the way, we invited our parish priest to come over and bless our house. Some people say that blessing your home banishes evil spirits and breaks curses, and while it may do that, it does more.

What is a blessing?

The Church teaches us that a blessing is “a prayer invoking God’s power and care upon some person, place, thing, or undertaking” (CCC glossary). What this means is that when we ask for a blessing from God, we are calling on Him to bring his power and care over whatever it is we are blessing.

First this tells us that all blessings come from God. We as human beings have no power to bless things or people ourselves (even priests!), but we do have the authority to call upon God to ask for His blessing.

Now, when we ask for God’s blessing, we are putting whatever is being blessed under His power and care, which means that we are giving it to Him and trusting Him to look after it. So, when we have something blessed, we are giving it to God. Some people say it is like a consecration, which means that it is setting it aside for a specific purpose.

What kinds of things can we ask God to bless?

Below is a list of some of the things that I have had blessed, and what was asked for when I had them blessed:

• Bible: blessing on the Bible and on me to increase in love and understanding when I read it
• Rosaries and other religious ornaments: blessing on the items and on me and my family to grow closer to God in prayer
• Car: blessing on the car and on those traveling in it for protection
• House: blessing on the house and all who enter it

In all these examples, I like that the blessing is extended to those using the objects being blessed. It makes sense, since all these objects are given to us by God to steward (that means that they are sort of on loan but He trusts us to look after them), we can then offer the use of these objects back to God and ask for His guidance and help in using them!

Who can make a blessing?

Some blessings are reserved for priests, for example the blessing of incense to be used at Mass, or Holy Water, and especially the bread and wine to be used for the Eucharist. There are even a few blessings that may only be performed by the Pope! However, the Catholic Church specifically tells us that every person who has been baptised is called to be a “blessing” and to bless (CCC, no. 1669). If someone has authority over another person, the person with authority can ask God for a blessing, for example, parents may bless their children. We can also ask God to bless others in our prayers, and you might have done this yourself!

So, blessings aren’t magical, they’re simply a prayer to ask God to bring His power and care over us and our things. And you can ask God for certain blessings too!

May God bless you always!

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Talking Points

• Have you ever asked a priest to bless anything? What do you remember about the blessing?
• Do you remember getting a blessing from someone? What was it like?
• Is there someone you would like to ask God to bless now? Let’s pray for them together.

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Do you bless your children or godchildren? Do they know it? What is your blessing for your children and godchildren like? We do a simple “God bless [Name]” as part of our bedtime/family prayers, but I’d love to hear how others do it, so leave your ideas in the comments!

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

Feast Day: August 4
Patron Saint of: Parish Priests

Our saint of the month for August is St John Vianney, who was a humble parish priest in a small village in France called Ars. I chose him because of one of his quotes:

The Lord is more anxious to forgive our sins than a woman is to carry her baby out of a burning building.

He was known for spending half his days (and sometimes hours longer!) in the confessional, bringing people from his parish and those visiting from afar, so it is unsurprising that his quote should be about God’s forgiveness!

Let’s think about that quote for a second, though. Imagine if your house caught on fire (God forbid). What would be the first thing you would try to save? If you said that you would save your children, then I am relieved to hear it. I would say the same! But you would want them out of there and in safety immediately, right? And all because you love them so much. If we remember that that love is desiring the good of the other, as Aquinas says, it only makes sense that saving their life, giving them life, is what we desire as an absolute priority.

What does that tell us about the nature of sin and forgiveness? Living in a state of sin puts our souls in danger and God wants to save us from that immediately. As soon as possible! Like yesterday! I mentioned in a previous post how we are asked to go once a year by the Church, but more frequent attendance of reconciliation is better, and this is exactly why. God wants us safe and with Him, and we cannot be fully united to Him if we have sin on our souls.

I feel like in writing these posts, the Lord is calling me to go to reconciliation. Guess I’d better go figure out how soon I can do that!

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

I don’t know how many times I’m going to be able to write new posts on these recurring devotions, but I’m going to try for as many as I can!

Today I am inspired by the scriptural basis for this devotion:

“…Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Lk 2:19

Through Mary’s pondering, she honours God. But the pondering of her heart began long before the Bible even mentions her. It is how she is able to glorify God in the Magnificat. It is clear that she has spent time studying God and growing in love for Him throughout her life. She has prepared her heart to be a fitting place to know and love the LORD, and because of this she is able to serve Him, following His will.

We too must strive to make our hearts right to receive God. We must spend time with Him, and be moved to repent and change our hearts daily, and even moment to moment, so that they can become increasingly better places to welcome Him, and we can, like Mary, bring Him to the world.

How can we do this?

One good way to prepare our hearts is to pray. More importantly, listen in prayer. Mother Mary doesn’t have many recorded words, but she sure seems to take a lot in and ponder it all in her heart. After her example, we should also learn to take in what God is telling us, through the events and people in our lives and in the depths of our hearts. Prayer strengthens our relationship with God as we spend time with Him, baring our souls and learning to attune ourselves to His will for us in prayer.

I find that a good way to examine my life and to listen intently to what God is saying through the people and events of my life is to sit in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In adoration, I know that I am quickly made aware of my constant chatter to God. While it is difficult to stop chattering, I find it easier to stop and take some time to be still when I am in the physical presence of Jesus than if I were just doing my prayers at home. I have found that in the stillness of silent adoration, I can quiet everything enough to listen to the peaceful murmurings of the Spirit in the depths of my heart.

Prayer is so important in preparing our hearts for the Lord because when we do it right, it does not change God’s mind, but rather it changes our hearts. In prayer, we can open ourselves to Him, asking for His divine healing and intervention in our lives.

Another way to prepare our hearts is to learn about the heart of God in His word, reading what He has revealed about Himself through sacred scripture. We know Mother Mary was well versed in scripture, as her Magnificat references many works in the Old Testament, including Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, and several Psalms, as well as drawing from prophetic texts such as Habbakuk and Jeremiah, among others. The Magnificat can be read as a counterpoint to Hannah’s song of praise in the first book of Samuel.

There are a few ways to read the Bible. You can of course simply read the passages and meditate on them, you can try Ignatian Contemplation, you can learn more about context and interpretation through Bible studies, and more. One of my favourite forms of Bible-based prayer is Lectio Divina, which we will see in a little more detail later this month.

Gone are the days when books were expensive and reserved only for the rich. Gone are the days when literacy (above common literacy) was rare. We are so blessed to be living in a time when immersing ourselves in scripture is so easy now that the Bible can be accessed with any internet connection and literacy is higher than ever!

I would say the most important way to prepare our hearts is to be reconciled to Him. As Catholics, we are obliged to receive the sacrament of penance and reconciliation once a year, but more often is better! This is a beautiful gift from our Lord, that can clean our hearts from the guilt of sin, which our Lord spared Mary from in order to make her a perfect vessel for his incarnation. When our hearts are pure, we can receive Jesus in the Eucharist, allowing Him to change us and make us more like Him.

If you haven’t been for a while (or if you can’t go during the regular hours it is offered), it might be a good idea to call the parish office and schedule a meeting with your priest; if you don’t quite remember how it goes, he will gently help you through it, and it gives you the time to go through everything that has happened since your last reconciliation.

There is a peace I am filled with, and a lightness, every time I step out of the confessional, and I highly recommend this sacrament to all Catholics! I know it can be daunting to go, especially if it has been a while, but the priests have heard it all before, and they are just happy to help get you back in good stead with God. It may be time for you to bite the bullet and show up with a contrite heart. Jesus and all His mercy will meet you in the confessional, ready to say to you, just as He did with the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more”.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

What other ways can you think of that help our hearts become fitting homes for our Lord? What is your favourite way to make your heart ready for Him? 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!

How has it been another month already? And we still haven’t finished unpacking! Haha.

Well, you know the drill, I’m here asking for your prayer requests! Pop them in the comments and we’ll pray for each other in the coming month. I will be checking back to see if there are any new intentions all month long, so if something comes up and the month isn’t up yet, you can still update the comment section. As usual, if there is something too personal to publish, just write that you have a personal intention, and I will bring it to the Lord like that- He knows what it is without me having to mention it!

If you want to pray for me, I’m going to be starting a new job in August, so prayers for that to go well and that I might do the work He has planned for me faithfully and cheerfully!

If you could also keep the Pope’s intentions in your prayers, that would be awesome. Here is the papal intention for the month of August:

For political leaders

We pray that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and for the common good, especially caring for the poor and those who have lost their jobs.

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

I write these “To Such As These” posts every now and then to explain some aspect of the Catholic faith to children. I try to use simple language so you can just read it directly to them instead of having to put it into your own words! The category name is inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”

Today, we will be looking at novenas.

If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in this category, pop them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!

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What is a novena?

Catholics have many different ways to pray. One kind of Catholic prayer is called a novena. The word “novena” comes from the Latin word novem, which means “nine”, and this word is used because the novena is a prayer that is said for nine days in a row, although there are some exceptions – some novenas go for 25, 30, or even 54 days!

Where did the idea of novenas come from?

The very first time a novena was prayed was recorded in the Bible, in the book of Acts! Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He instructed His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and pray. He told them that they would be baptised in the Holy Spirit. So, the apostles gathered together, praying for all nine days with Mother Mary, the women and Jesus’ relatives, until they received the Holy Spirit nine days later.

How do we pray a novena?

Just like the apostles, we can gather together with other people to pray. Sometimes we gather together for nine days to pray a novena with people after they lose a loved one. Some people form prayer groups in person or even online, and bring all their intentions together as they pray a specific novena as a group. Other times, we can pray novenas privately, but no matter whether we pray with others or alone, a novena is never said without help. Novenas are one way to ask for intercession from Saints – the men and women who are now living with God and who can see Him face-to-face! Not only do these saints pray for us and our intentions, they can also help us to learn how to pray better and glorify God both through the novena and in the example of their lives on Earth.

Novenas are a good way to become more consistent in prayer because they give some structure to our prayer. Often a novena will have a short text asking a saint to pray for them, sometimes telling us a bit about that saint or what they did to show the love of God to others, the mention of your request, and then an instruction to pray some common prayers like the Our Father, for example. Because novenas are set over nine days, we can also more easily commit to praying consistently: it’s not too long and praying for nine days can help to establish good habits of prayer.

What happens if you forget to say the novena prayers one day?

Imagine if one day you told your mom or your dad that you were going to make your bed every day for a month. You started all excited to meet your goal, and you got a few days in, making your bed daily. But one day, you woke up late and had to hurry to get to school and you forgot to make your bed. Do you think they might love you less because you missed a day? No! It would not change their love for you one little bit! And if you made your bed the next day after that month was up, they would be happy that you made your bed. And if making your bed for that whole month helped you to make your bed every day, then they would be happy with that, too!

A novena, in fact, all prayer, is about working on our relationship with God and growing closer to Him. It’s not a system where if you remember to pray for nine days, you will get a reward.

God isn’t like a vending machine, where if you put in enough money and push the right buttons the food or drinks come out. When we pray, we aren’t making deals with the Lord – the most important deal was already made when He gave His life for us – He wants to be close to us for all time, and all we have to do in return is love Him and try to be better in the future. So if you forget a day, just keep going, and keep trying.

Is every intention always granted when we pray novenas?

Remember that whatever we are asking God for, whether it is in a novena or in any other kind of prayer, we must always put His will first. Just like Jesus taught us, and as we say in the Our Father, we should always ask God for His will to be done.

Whenever we pray, we always need to pray with faith. That means that no matter what we are asking for, we need to remember that God is the giver of all good things, and that if our intention isn’t granted, God has something even better planned for us!

Always ask God our Father for what you want, but also pray with a trusting heart, knowing that He loves you and wants what is best for you.

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Talking points

• Have you ever prayed a novena? Is there something you would like to pray a novena for? Let’s look up the patron saint for your intention!
• Which saint do you approach the most for prayer? Is there a reason you like to go to this saint?
• Sometimes it’s not easy when God says no to the requests we make in prayer. What are some things we can do to keep trusting in God and growing closer to Him in those times?

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Have you prayed a novena with your little ones? Or with someone else? What novena did you pray? I remember praying a novena with my now husband to Saints Louis and Zelie Martin in the lead-up to our wedding. I have also done a couple of novenas with family friends in mourning. And of course I’ve done my fair share of personal novenas! Let me know about your experience with novenas in the comments. I love hearing other people’s stories of how prayer works in their lives!

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

This week, on July 26th, the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (who was our saint of the month), we celebrate Grandparents Day!

We are grateful to our grandparents and all our ancestors. Without them, we would not be where we are today – we wouldn’t be at all! Grandparents are a link in the chain that passes down traditions and values to the younger generations. Their actions shape our parents, whether positively or negatively, but they are an important part of why we become who we are.

Saints Joachim and Anne must have been exemplary models of faith. According to the Protoevangelium of James and the Evangelium of the Nativity of Mary, they were certainly prayerful people. It was their faith that led them to miraculously conceive Mary, in a story that parallels the story of Hannah (or Channah which is actually Jewish for Anne) and Samuel in 1 Samuel. They shaped her to become a woman who follows the will of God (Lk 1:38), who sings God’s praise (Lk 1:46-55), and exhorts us to follow Jesus (Jn 2:5).

It is important to pray for our grandparents, thanking God for their direct and indirect role in helping to shape us, and asking God to bless them, particularly in their endeavours to pass on the faith. Below is a short prayer we can pray on grandparents day, and whenever we want to pray for our grandparents (prayer cards can be purchased here).

Prayer for Grandparents

Heavenly Father,

May saints Joachim and Anne,
the grandparents of your Son, Jesus,
be an everlasting model for grandparents.
Your Wisdom and Word are eternal,
meant for all generations.
Help grandparents, we pray,
as they pass on the rich traditions of the faith
to their beloved family members,
especially their grandchildren.
We are all your children.
Help us to know you better each day,
ultimately leading us,
with our family members,
into eternal life with you.

Amen.

What are some of your treasured memories with your grandparents? How did your grandparents help to shape your faith? What traditions will you continue to pass on when it is your turn to become a grandparent? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments!

Saints Joachim and Anne, pray for us!

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