Just a Catholic Mom

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: Jan. 1st  Today, we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. It’s amazing to think about our creator being held in the womb of the Virgin Mary, her body being the first tabernacle holding the true presence of Jesus. Amazing to think that the human body of Jesus received his DNA for his human flesh from a being he created when he could have so easily made himself his own flesh. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit show us just how much they love humanity and want to be a part of our families through the beautiful act of the incarnation. In my house, I have a cross-stitched sign that my grandmother made that reads, “The greatest gift a father can give his children is to love their mother.” God loved his mother so much that he gave her to us to be our spiritual mother. As we ring in the New Year it is only fitting that Mary, the Mother of God, we celebrate you today! Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. ...

Saint John of the Cross: Feast Day Dec. 14th Today we celebrate Saint John of the Cross, a Carmelite priest he knew Saint Teresa of Avila and is best known for his writings and poetry. During his life, he sought to embrace the “cross,” which he had chosen as part of his religious name. Through the various crosses he experienced during his life, Saint John’s faith only grew. He was a great theologian and is considered a “Doctor of the Church.” If you like poetry, Saint John of the Cross wrote the beautiful poem, “Spiritual Canticle,” a verse where he converses with the Lord. You can read his Spiritual Canticle here from the Poetry Foundation. Here also is an  article from, Franciscan Media, if you would like further reading on Saint John of the Cross. Celebrating Through Food: To celebrate Saint John of the Cross, make “Johnny Cakes.” Here is a great recipe for these cornbread-style pancakes from “The Spruce Eats,” or if you’re a spur of the moment type of person like me, you can...

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph:  (My rendition of the Holy Hearts of the Holy Family) Today we celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. A model for the family, a beautiful example of faithfulness, obedience, and selflessness, the Holy Family reminds us of God's love for each one of us and the holiness of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony and the family. Family is important to God. He could have chosen any manner of ways to come to earth, but he chose to be born into a human family and dwell among us. Today, it seems like the culture does everything in its power to loosen the bonds of the family. Sporting events, extracurricular events, television shows, electronics, etc. tend to draw families away from sitting down together and sharing family meals. Family meals bring families closer together. Conversations are had, family members are made to feel important and appreciated, values, manners, prayers, and the wisdom of elders are transmitted...Family is important...

Teaching Your Kids the Parts of Mass and about Vocations Through Play:  Lots of children learn by doing, and one of the best ways to help foster this is to provide opportunities for play. So why not teach your children the parts of Mass through play? Playing Mass not only appeals to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners, but it also will help teach your children the different parts/order of the Mass—Introductory Rites,The Liturgy of the Word, The Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Concluding Rites. The next time your family attends Mass, your children will have a better understanding of what’s taking place, because they will have been pretending to say Mass at home. The program,  Catechist of the Good Shepherd,  is a Montessori-styled program that helps children learn about Mass through the use of manipulatives and play. Sometimes local parishes offer this program for children ages 3-6, so check and see if your parish has it, and if they don’t, maybe you could start t...

The Holy Innocents: Feast Day Dec. 28th Today we remember and celebrate those who were the first to die in Christ’s place—the Jewish baby boys of Bethlehem—the Holy Innocents. Our parish priest wrote a beautiful article about candle making and why the church uses beeswax candles. He said candles are a symbol of life giving sacrifice, feeding the light through their burning, and that bees are also a symbol of sacrifice since they spend their whole lives working to care for the queen so the hive can survive. Since the Jewish people use candles for Hanukkah and we as Catholics use candles at Advent, I thought today would be fitting to celebrate today’s feast day with a focus on light.  Celebrating Though Food: Today, make the traditional Jewish Sabbath bread, Challah. Allrecipes has an easy recipe . Get the whole family together baking, and as you bake, talk about how Bethlehem means “House of Bread” and how the word for manger derives from the Latin word “manducare”meaning “to chew/d...

Saint Stephen: Feast Day Dec. 26th  Today we celebrate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. You can discuss with your children what the term “martyr” means, and, if they are old enough, why so many early Christians were martyred for their faith. Today is also a perfect opportunity to reflect upon the truths of the Gospels and staying true to God and your faith even in the midst of adversities. The times we live in are challenging and present different challenges than times past. Sometimes the secular culture can cloud the truth of divine love and make one feel ostracized for their faith and belief in God. Talk to your children about the importance of prayer in their lives and praying for the graces of fortitude and courage, so that they can stand strong in their faith, like Saint Stephen and the many other saints throughout history, whenever they are challenged.  Since Saint Stephen was martyred by being stoned to death, you can make today’s activities revolve around a “...

Bake Bread and Reflect: While baking sandwich bread for my family, I started thinking about the Eucharist. I know I’ve probably heard a priest, at some point in my life, relay this thought provoking insight during a homily, yet still, how amazing is it that Jesus chose to be present in bread? Every culture in the world has some form of bread. People love the smell of it baking and taste of it, and when quarantine started, bread recipes became one of the most researched topics. God, in his infinite wisdom, chose to make himself present in a food we as people not only love to eat, but a food that is eaten throughout the world. Making bread is an act of love. It requires patience as you wait for yeast to bloom and bread to rise during multiple rises, and patience as it bakes. And in the end, when it’s pulled from the oven, patience is again needed as you wait for it to cool. Yet after all this waiting, a wonderful and delicious product has been made! We need God; and like making bread, G...

Saint Juan Diego: Feast Day Dec. 9th Today we celebrate Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an Aztec man who was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531. Our Lady told Juan Diego that she was "the ever Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God" ( Catholic News Agency ) and that she wanted a church to be built where she appeared to him. Through his faith in Our Lady and her words, Juan Diego passed her message on to his bishop, and through his humble obedience, was instrumental in helping thousands of Native people to convert to Catholicism. To have a humbleness and faith like Saint Juan Diego is something which we all can be inspired by and strive to emulate.      Celebrating Through Food: Since sweet potatoes originated in South America and Central America and spread to Mexico, make sweet-potato and black bean quesadillas. Here is a kid friendly  recipe , from Taste of Home, that my family loves! I make the following modifications: I cut my...