Tag: christian mom

Advent: Not Yet Christmas!

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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!

Joys of the Week: June 23-29

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Wow, jumping back into this has been wild! I’m going to try to post regularly, but I can’t really promise anything for now. Anyway, I’m here today and I’m ready to try! So, here are my joys of the week!

Let’s start with what’s probably most obvious to all of us: yes, restarting this blog has been one of my biggest joys this week. It is nice to spend time growing as I reflect on my faith and learn new things! The Catholic faith is just so rich that there will always be something new to learn and that in itself is such a blessing to give thanks for!

My husband had a day off this week as well as finishing work early! It is always nice to spend some extra time together, as a family. I am so grateful for these opportunities to create these precious memories, even if we only do simple things like going to the local park as a family or trying on a bunch of clothes at Walmart.

My boys!

I have also been blessed to spend some time with a good friend and her kids this week. I always feel blessed when I consider her friendship. And I love that despite the age difference, our kids get along really well!

Ms 11 and Ms 9 with Mr 2



What has brought you joy this week? It has been a long time since I have done this, and I am excited to share in your joys again, so feel free to name as many or as few things as you would like to share in the comments!

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

July Prayers

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I admit, have had another short break, but here I am! I come bearing an opportunity to pray. Well, my usual post tagline asks us to pray for each other, and we can’t do that unless we actually pray for each other! So… here we go!

As usual, I’ll be looking at the comment section for the entire month of July and I’ll be praying for any intentions you pop in there as the month moves along. And as always, if you have intentions you’d rather not share publicly, just say you have a personal intention (no need to divulge details, the Lord will know what it is if I mention it like that!).

As well as bringing the requests people might leave in the comments to God in your own prayers, I would also ask that you pray for the Papal intention for July:

For The Pastoral Care of The Sick: Let us pray that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, bestows the Lord’s strength to those who receive it and to their loved ones, and that it may become for everyone an ever more visible sign of compassion and hope.

As for me, we finalise our home purchase and then the house move, which is coming up in July, so please pray that everything goes smoothly!

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

To Such as These: Signs and Symbols

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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 signs and symbols.

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!


Have you ever gone to church and looked at all the statues and paintings and carvings and stained glass windows all around? Our churches would be pretty boring without them all, but they play a more important role than just decoration. They are signs and symbols for us.

What are signs and symbols?

People use signs and symbols as a way to communicate. They are a kind of shortcut way to convey an idea that might need a lot of words to express, but that can be summarised in an image or represented by something else.

Signs are there to show the way to something bigger than themselves. For example, if you are out shopping and you need to use a washroom, you look for the signs that lead the way to the toilet. Or maybe you have seen the signs on the roads that show you where to take an exit if you want to get to a certain town. Perhaps your bedroom has a sign on the door with your name on it, telling everyone who sees the sign that behind the door is your space.

The Gospel of John talks about signs, too. What we might call miracles, John’s Gospel labels “signs”. That is because miracles performed by Jesus act as signs that show us that Jesus is God.

There are lots of symbols used in the Church as well. Symbols are similar to signs, but instead of showing the way to something, they represent something, standing in its place when the actual thing cannot be there.


What signs or symbols are there at church?

Tgere are many signs and symbols you can find in a church. Next time you’re at church have a look around and notice any signs or symbols near you!

In some churches, you might see images of a dove, which would represent the Holy Spirit. Some churches have images of lambs, which represent Jesus, who we call the Lamb of God, as John the Baptist identified at Jesus’ baptism. Sometimes people who are not God are represented by symbols too! For instance St John the Evangelist, is represented by an eagle – you might see it near where the Word of God is proclaimed! You’ll sometimes see statues of saints holding little symbols to represent what they are known for. For instance, St Peter is often shown holding keys, representing that Jesus gave him the keys to Heaven and Earth. St Patrick holds his bishop’s staff and a three-leaf clover to show that he was a bishop who taught people about the trinity. St Francis of Assisi is often portrayed with animals to represent his love of nature – some stories even tell of his preaching to birds!

Some signs and symbols are meant to be experienced in other ways. Holy water is a symbol of our baptism and welcome into God’s family. Candles represent the light of Christ. The smoke from incense represents our prayers going up to heaven.

The most important sign and symbol you will see in our churches is the crucifix, or the cross. They usually are front and centre in our churches and very difficult to miss – that’s just how important this symbol is! The cross sends a message about how much God loved us – as the Gospel of St John tells us, He loved us so much that His only Son Jesus came and gave up His life for each one of us, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life!

Not as good as the real thing

Statues, paintings, stained glass windows, and other artworks in our churches are signs and symbols, too. They can help us to picture our friends in Heaven, and can inspire us to get a better picture of what Jesus’ life (and death) might have been like. When we see a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus or a painting of Divine Mercy, we know that this is just a statue or painting and not actually Jesus, but they can help us to feel closer to Him. It’s just like if your parents carry a photo of you in their wallet or on the background of their phone. They know they’re not carrying you and that they will still have to pick you up from school or dance or soccer or music lessons or whatever you might be doing – but while they’re waiting to come and get you, they can look at your picture and it will most likely bring a smile to their face and warm their heart.

Talking Points

  • What signs or symbols do you know from your everyday life?
  • What signs or symbols have you seen in church?
    What do you think they might mean? Let’s find out if you’re right!
  • If you got canonised 200 years from now, what would you want your symbol to be? What would it stand for?

Did you or your children learn about any new symbols or signs through your discussion? What’s your favourite sign or symbol in our Faith? I’d love to continue this conversation in the comments with you!

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

Reflections on parenting: Impermanence

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I look back at photos of my baby through the different stages of development and there is definitely bittersweet in there. It feels like only yesterday we were in the hospital, but there have been so many different faces of my child since then. Each iteration of this child has brought its own joys and concerns, and then before I knew it, gone was that child, and in its place was a new child in a slightly bigger body, with new joys and new concerns. I look back and wonder how each iteration came and left so fleetingly, without so much as a greeting or goodbye.

My husband chided me jokingly the other day for my new kitchen rosary. It’s a repurposed abacus that allows me to move the beads to mark each decade and remember where I am so I can stop and start my rosary at any given point throughout the day (as an aside, it is a very handy way for moms to fit in a rosary around their busy day!). He asked why I had to get such a colourful one, saying it attracted our toddler’s attention. My husband said, “[baby] thinks it’s theirs now… it’s on loan”. I replied, “everything we have in this life is on loan,” then turning to my child, I half-jokingly said, “practice detachment. Nothing in this world is really yours.”

This brings me to the topic of the day: impermanence. That famous saying, “this too shall pass” rings true for all Earthly matters. As much as we would love to apply immortality to things of the Earth, the reality is that it will all come to an end. Everything around us has a shelf-life. Some may have longer shelf lives than others (they don’t make ’em like they used to), but everything passes, everything fades. Even our relationships don’t last forever. Our most loving and loyal bonds could end at any moment, completely unforeseen, because of the mortal nature of our bodies. Our parents die. Our spouses die. Children (tragically) die. We all die.

Our souls, though, our souls are eternal. That, in my humble opinion, is why we seek “forever”, why we want to connect to something immortal, infinite, eternal. But the only eternity there really is, is in the Lord. To connect with that eternal nature, we must follow Him, and to do so, we obey his commandments.


We know that the greatest commandment is to love God with our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37-38, Mark 12:33). What does this look like? Jesus says “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” Using the tool of hyperbole, Christ says we cannot learn from Him if we don’t love Him so much more than anyone or anything else that, in comparison, it looks like our love for them is hatred.

So the right order of things is to put God first and foremost. Before your parents. Before your spouse. Before your children. Before your siblings. Before your own life. Because He alone will never fail you and He alone will never leave you. And in His wisdom, the more you love Him, the better you will love those around you.

He shows us how to give grace, how to forgive – how to truly love. And He also shows us how we actually can be with others for eternity: united in Him.

Here’s a little prayer I wrote to sum it all up:

Thank you Lord for teaching me about the temporal nature of this life through my growing child. I accept Your sovereignty over all things. All that You have given to me is not mine to keep; the people, the things, the time… all belongs to You. Let me give it all back to You, and hold only to You, with steadfast hope and love.
Amen.

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

Joys of the Week: July 23-29

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Happy Sunday! Let’s count our blessings. What are your joys of the week? I’ll start!

We invited a bunch of friends to come and hang out with us at our local lake on Sunday afternoon for a Christmasin July. It was so nice to just chill and enjoy the warm weather! We also had fun playing a game of dirty santa – if you’ve never played, you must try it at your next get together (it really is a case of the more the merrier) – and we ended up negotiating and trading and whatnot and everyone was happy in the end!

We made friends with a neighbor! It’s pretty densely packed in our neighbourhood, but it was lovely to be able to chat with somebody who had been through the whole motherhood thing before. I didn’t ask but I get the sense she might be Christian, too, so it might be nice to have some fellowship!

Yesterday we had some fun at a farm with one of my Mom friends. Someone who’s been through it before is good, but someone who’s in the trenches next to you is even better. And our kids got to interact a bit, too, which is always lovely to see!

Alright, your turn! Box up your joys in a little comment and send it over!

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

Reflections on Parenting: Perfection

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More often than I’d like, I find myself repeating in my evening prayers, “Sorry I missed morning prayer”. And then I think about why I missed morning prayer. And then, I start to justify it with “but we were in a rush to get to Mass, because sometimes, things that throw the baby’s schedule out just happen”. But justifying an apology negates the apology. It’s like saying “I’m Sorry I yelled at you, but you shouldn’t have left your wet towel on the bed” (Iused to internally yell at myself a lot for this). The person who left their wet towel on the bed (me, it was me) hasn’t received a genuine apology because the justification of the apology, on some level, communicates that they deserved it, at least in part.

I can’t and don’t want to negate my apology to God. He doesn’t deserve to be forgotten or relegated to lesser importance. Ever. So what am I really sorry for? I am sorry that I let Him down, that He wasn’t important enough for me to make myself find other ways to give him praise and offer Him my first fruits.

If I were perfect, as God is perfect, and as we are called to be perfect, I would have found a way to fit in my morning prayers – maybe I could have done them in the car on the way to church. Maybe I could have sung some hymns of praise while I fed or dressed the baby. There are plenty of options that I see in hindsight but that I was blind to as the morning went on, all because God wasn’t as high up on my priorities as He should be.

What I’m trying to say is, “I’m sorry I’m not perfect” isn’t always a snarky teenage response to a parent’s request that they change the way something is done. An apology for our own imperfection, even though we are not directly at fault for it, can be something that we hold in complete congruence with the acceptance of those imperfections. And it can be entirely sincere.

The real reason for our regret may be something else (in the scenario I described, it is my non-attempt at trying to find alternative ways to give God my morning and to show my baby that example), but we can also acknowledge our imperfection, which is really where those reasons stem from. I actually think it’s a very healthy thing to do and to show our children, especially in our spiritual lives. It is another reason to need God, another way to grow in humility.

Let’s bear in mind this quote from St John Fisher:

God alone is perfect, but if we follow His will and empty ourselves so that He might fill us up, we will become more like Him, and we will be perfect too, one day. This may also be an honourable and even aspirational model for our children.

Are your imperfections crosses for you to bear? What practical things help you to bear these crosses? I would love to get your tips in the comments!

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

To Such as These: The Kingdom of Heaven

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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, quite fittingly, we will be looking at the Kingdom of Heaven.

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!

This Sunday at Mass, we’ll be reading about the Kingdom of Heaven.

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven to help people understand what it’s about. We hear about the kingdom of heaven at other times, too, like when Jesus says “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Every time we pray the Our Father, we say “thy kingdom come”. But what is the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of heaven?

Because God uses concepts we can understand to relate Heavenly ideas to us, it might be helpful to take a look at what a kingdom is in Earthly terms first.

A kingdom as we understand it on Earth, is everything that is ruled over by a king (or queen), who is sometimes called a monarch. The monarch has the final say on the rules of the kingdom and everything in the kingdom ultimately belongs to the monarch.

When we talk about God’s kingdom, St Paul writes in the letter to the Romans, that the kingdom of God is not something physical like the kingdoms of the world. He says, “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17). This means that the way that we live can bring the kingdom to others! If we are righteous, or do what is right by God, and we keep His peace and joy shining within us, this is us living in the kingdom of God! By doing this, and loving others and praying for them, we can help the kingdom grow.

When we talk about God’s kingdom, it’s already begun. When Jesus came to us, He brought the Kingdom of God to Earth. And we know that although He ascended into Heaven, He left us His presence in the gift of the Eucharist. And after He went up to Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us to become good representatives of the kingdom, like we just talked about.

So how can we ask God “thy kingdom come” if it’s already here? St Augustine points out that we are asking for His kingdom to come to us. The Church teaches that we are asking for the final, glorious appearance of the kingdom, when Christ comes again – and what a day that will be!

Talking points

  • Is Jesus the King of your whole life? What can you do to give Him more power in your life?
  • What are you doing to represent God’s kingdom to the people around you who don’t know Him or don’t love Him as they should? Can you think of other things you can do to help grow the kingdom of God?
  • What do you think it will be like when Jesus comes again? What can you do to prepare?
  • Let’s pray the Our Father together.

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

Book review: Bless My Child: A Catholic Mother’s Prayer Book

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Bless My Child: A Catholic Mother’s Prayer Book
Julie Cragon
Cover art: Rose Walton
ISBN-10: 1594710147
ISBN-13: 978-1594710148
UPC: 033500021060

This book review is on a book of prayers for Moms! I actually bought it for myself while I was pregnant, having discovered it when I purchased the grandparents’ version as a gift to my own mother in celebration of her first grandchild. There is a lot of overlap between the two, but I don’t think it hurts to have more than one person praying for the same thing!

This thoughtful collection of prayers can be used for many stages of your child’s life, from gestation into adulthood, including for the sacraments!

The prayers themselves are quite modest in their language, without pretense or ostentation (haha, the irony of this review!), and seem to have been written from the heart. They relate to our daily parenting life, the joys, struggles, milestones, and everything in between, and they resonate well with the yearnings of a mother’s heart – some have definitely brought a tear to my eye! Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it also reminds us to pray for ourselves as moms, asking for God’s help and guidance in raising our little saints.

I acknowledge that it is difficult to write prayers for an individual without knowing their gender (that he/she can get a bit clunky and impersonal!). Cragon’s prayers address this by cycling through the use of masculine and feminine pronouns, so some prayers are written using he/him, and other prayers with she/her, but can be prayed for a child of either sex. This may be a stumbling block to some, but I find it easy enough to replace pronouns that didn’t apply with the appropriate ones for my child – I simply think about my child while I read each prayer, and correct as I go along.

There is a Catholic spin on it, hence the title. This is mainly because of the prayers written for receiving the sacraments, as I mentioned earlier. There are also prayers to patron saints of various issues our children may encounter on life’s journey, though neither of these are strictly Catholic things. Aside from these categories of prayer, the book contains many other prayers that could be applied to parents across denominations.

I have the paperback edition, although it is also available as an e-book for Kindle. The satin finish book cover has a sleek feel to it, with just enough grip to be easily held. The paperback book itself is fairly light, and isn’t too big, so it won’t take up too much space on your bedside table or in your bag.

This prayer book would make a great addition to any Catholic mother’s repertoire! It would be a touching gift for any faith-filled mother to celebrate a pregnancy, new birth, baptism, or just because!

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

Reflections on Parenting: Prayers for patience

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As parents, how many times are we taught the virtue of patience? I remember hearing a homily once with the basic message of “be careful what you ask for”, because usually, if you ask for more patience, God, in His wisdom, will give you opportunities to practice patience!

Still, it’s so important for us to grow in patience. With our children, because they need it, and in all other times, because God calls us to it!

Do you pray for help when parenting gets challenging (and when you find yourself getting impatient at other times)? Any favourite prayers? I’d love to read them in the comments!

My personal go-to seems to be “God help me”, usually uttered under my breath right in the moment. There are, however, many more prayers for patience, some simple, some more complex, depending on the situation. Below are some prayers for when you need a little help keeping calm and patience.

For the virtue of patience

Come Holy Spirit, and grant me the virtue of patience.

Lord, may your patience

Lord, may your patience with me be a motivation and a source of growth in my patience with others.

The Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Teach me, my Lord, to be sweet and gentle in all the events of my life, in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.

Let me forget myself so that I may enjoy the happiness of others. Let me always hide my little pains and heartaches so that I may be the only one to suffer from them. Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path. Let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden or embitter me; that it may make me patient, not irritable; that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow or proud or overbearing.

May no one be less good for having come within my influence; no one less pure, less true, less kind, less noble, for having been a fellow traveler with me on our journey towards eternal life.

As I meet with one cross after another, let me whisper a word of love to You. May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good, and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen

Prayer to Our Lady of Consolation

Blessed Mary, Mother of Consolation, pray with me for the virtue of patience. There are so many times when my lack of patience keeps me from becoming the kind of person God wants me to be.

Guide my thoughts to you and the example we have in your own life. Help me to become patient, as you were patient. Through your guidance, may I become more accepting of others around me. Assist me to welcome difficult times with a patient heart.

May I be patient, Mary, as was your beloved husband, Joseph. His quiet acceptance of the will of Our Loving Father should be an example for me always. His patience was most wonderful in the eyes of God.

Pray for me, dear Mother of God, that I will allow the Father to come into my heart and help me grow in patience. Amen.

From the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, Carey, OH

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