Just a Catholic Mom

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Feast Day Dec. 12th  Today we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the fifteen hundreds, she appeared to Saint Juan Diego in Mexico. Through her appearance and Juan Diego’s faith and dedication in conveying her message to his bishop, thousands of Native Mexicans converted to Catholicism. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron of Mexico and the Patron of the Americas.  Growing up, I loved watching the television show “Wishbone” on PBS. Below is a YouTube video of the “Wishbone Jaun Diego Episode” that you and your family can enjoy watching together today. Celebrating Through Food and Prayer: Today, have a fiesta to celebrate! Make tacos, or your favorite Mexican cuisine, and listen to mariachi band music while you eat. Place a candle of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the center of your table and say the prayer written on it. You can purchase a candle, like the one I have pictured at the beginning of this post, from Kroger for less than $3...

Our Lady of Loreto: Feast Day Dec. 10th  Today, the Church celebrates the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Loreto. Pope Francis added today’s feast day to the official Roman Catholic liturgical calendar in 2019. Even though it is a relatively new feast day, devotion to Our Lady of Loreto has been around for a long time, since in Loreto, Italy, moved there by angels, the Blessed Mother’s childhood home resides. Thousands of people visit this holy site each year—my parents and my in-laws had the opportunity to visit the shrine/home of Our Lady in 2019 a couple days before the feast day was added to the liturgical calendar.  Here is a link to an  article , from Catholic News Agency, you can read if you’d like more information about Our Lady of Loreto.  Celebrating Today Through Crafts and Food: Today is about Mary and her childhood home—the house she was immaculately conceived in, the home where the incarnation of Christ occurred, and the home where the Holy...

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception: Dec. 8th  As a kid, I used to think that today’s feast day referred to Jesus’ conception, but as I got older and started listening more to the homilies at Mass, I learned that the Immaculate Conception actually refers to when the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. It totally makes sense if you think about it. Mary was the first tabernacle (house) for Christ when he was in her womb, and in order to hold He who was sinless and pure love, then she too must be sinless. Today, we celebrate how God loved Mary so much that he saved her from original sin because he knew she would say “yes” to being the mother of his son, and “yes” to being a part of his divine plan for salvation.  Celebrating Through Food:  For breakfast, you can make Bacon Quiche Crescent Cups using this recipe from “Immaculate Baking Company” (How awesome is this name for today, right?). Or, you can make “Babycakes” using this recipe from the Foo...

Saint Nicholas: Feast Day Dec. 6th “Jolly old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way..."  Growing up, we’ve heard, and if you’re like me, sang the above lyrics of “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, and I'm sure you've also heard,   "I knew in a moment, it must be Saint Nick...” from Clement Moore’s classic,  The Night Before Christmas . With all of the commercialization and secularization of Christmas by modern society, however, it’s not surprising that Saint Nicholas’s name has been replaced by images of a jolly elf, dressed in red-and-white, known as Santa Claus. But even though Santa Claus has become the widely accepted name in homes, the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas time derives from Christianity and draws further inspiration from a Saint. God gave humanity the ultimate Christmas gift through the birth of his son, Jesus; and the Magi (three wise men) gave the first gifts to the Christ Child. Saint Nicholas later gave gifts without seeking anything in return. Whe...

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe: Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! What a beautiful reminder that Jesus is not just the Christ, Messiah, Prince of Peace and King of Kings, but the King of the entire Universe! One of my favorite songs, “My Redeemer Lives,” by Nicole C. Mullen, has the opening lyric, “Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?” The song then continues to acknowledge God’s wonder and power over creation—the ocean, the moon, the stars and all of creation.  If you haven’t heard this beautiful song, I’ve included a YouTube link below. I hope you and your family enjoy it and really listen to the lyrics and see within them the beauty of Jesus as the King of the Universe. Today’s feast day is also the last Sunday of the liturgical year. When Advent starts next week, it will mark the beginning of a new church year/calendar. So as you and your family celebrate the final feast day of the year, celebrate it in ro...

Saint Cecilia: Feast Day Nov. 22nd  My four-year-old daughter’s favorite saint is Saint Cecilia— Patron Saint of musicians. When I asked her why she likes Saint Cecilia, she replied,“The music.” Honestly, this is so fitting, because she loves to sing and dance. I remember the first time I asked her who her favorite saint was and she replied, “Cecilia,” without hesitation. It took me by surprise, because I didn’t remember telling her anything about Saint Cecilia, and then I remembered that we’d read the book,  Girl Saints for Little Ones ,  a few nights prior. It’s amazing what little minds remember and also the thoughts they have and connections they make. Thinking about this reminds me just how important it is to help our children build a strong faith foundation when they are young, because one day we will send them out into the world without us. We, therefore, need to feed them with what is true and good, so that their hearts and hands “sing” with the good news and prea...

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Feast Day Nov. 21st  Today’s feast day is in commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary being dedicated to God at the temple as a young child. Remembering Mary’s consecration to the Lord, is a beautiful opportunity to discuss the Sacrament of Baptism with your children, and remind them that through our baptism, we become a part of God’s family—we have been set apart as Christians and people of the Lord as we are baptized in “The name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Today is also a great time to think about how grateful we are that Mary, through her free will, said  “yes” to God to be the mother of Jesus and allowed herself to be an instrument of His divine will. When was a time in your life that you said “yes” to God? Celebrating Through Food: Today, we made Joanna Gains’ wonderfully named recipe, Dedication Casserole , for dinner. This yummy chicken and rice dish pairs nicely with salad. If you want to make a ...

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini): Feast Day Nov. 13th  Founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, was an Italian-American religious sister who was instrumental in helping immigrants arriving into the United States. She sought to help those arriving to the U.S. adjust to their new home. She provided housing for orphans, education, and cared for the poor and sick. As we celebrate Mother Cabrini today, you and your family can focus on the "melting pot" analogy of the United States. Most of us have ancestors who immigrated to the United States from other parts of the world, but we, no matter where we have come from, are all Americans. Celebrating Through Activities: 1. Teach and discuss with your children the definitions for the terms "immigrants" and "immigration." If you have old family photos of family members who moved to the U.S. from other parts of the world, show these to your children and discuss w...

First Fridays and First Saturdays: Have you heard about First Friday and First Saturday devotions? I grew up a cradle Catholic, and it wasn’t until two years ago that I not only heard about them, but started reading about the devotions for these days and then attended five First Saturdays with my family. Often times with people so use to Fridays being considered “daily Mass days” and Saturdays being associated with the Sunday Vigil Mass, I think most of us either forget or overlook the importance and beauty of these two days. So, what exactly are First Fridays? Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary, in the late 1600s, and designated that Fridays be the day to honor his Sacred Heart. He then gave Saint Margaret Mary the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus  promising various graces to souls who venerate His Sacred Heart and receive Holy Communion on nine First Fridays for nine consecutive months. If you've never heart of these twelve promises, I hope you will check out the l...

Thanksgiving: Let Us Give Thanks! We've all learned about the "First Thanksgiving" in school between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans at Plymouth. A meal was shared between neighbors, offering thanks to God for the bountiful harvest. Today, as a national holiday, Thanksgiving draws upon its religious origins as a day to celebrate with friends and family, giving thanks for the blessings that have been bestowed and the sacrifices that have been made throughout the year to make the holiday special. It is a day on our nation's calendar that is not secular by any means, but rather filled with remembering to offer thanks and praise to the Lord for his bounty and blessings. This year, my family began the "Turkey on the Table Activity." All throughout the month of November, my family has been adding a feather to our centerpiece turkey with what we are each thankful for written upon it. We were given this activity as a gift, and the purchase of it goes to the p...

Angels: When your kids’ aunt, and the godmother of your daughter, stops by and tells you it’s “Angel Week” on the “God Minute Podcast,” you take advantage of her teaching your children about the hierarchy of some of the choirs of angels. Having family members share parts of the faith with your children is not only a blessing, but an opportunity for your children to witness the faith outside of their immediate family. Yes, it’s true that as parents we are the first educators of our children, but as the saying goes, “it takes a village to raise a family.” Today has taught me not only the importance of having family members help teach your kids the faith, using their gifts, but also reminded me of the important role godparents play in the lives of children. As Catholics, we choose godparents to help us as parents raise our children in the Christian faith—today was a beautiful reminder of this for me as a mom. How can your extended family and friends help you teach your children about the ...