Jesus Tree

I have had this kit since Princess was a baby.  I made all the pieces her first Easter and now the kiddos are old enough to understand it.  I'm so excited to finally use it.   After reading the bible story and putting the ornament on our tree, Jessica over at Shower of Roses has included a link for coloring pages for each day.  Here's week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5.  While coloring I ask the kiddos to retell the story.  I'm taking the narrations and will compile a Lenten notebook for Princess and Big Boy.

Lenten Poster

We've never done a Lenten Calander as a family.  I found several great ideas and incorporated them into our Lenten Poster.  This is our guide and checklist as well :)

Lenten Calendar explanation

From Catholic Icing I used a free printable lenten countdown calendar

I could not resist incorporating this somehow in our lenten journey after seeing this original post about it.I included a lamb and after completing their pennance, they glue a cotton ball.

Lenten Plans 2010

God So Loved the World, He Gave His Only Son

After stockings were opened Christmas morning we headed to church for Christmas day mass.  This was an oddity, because we usually go to mass on Christmas Eve.  However, due to circumstances beyond our control, we attended morning mass.  Princess and Big Boy were excited the creche at the back of church now included the baby Jesus.  All through mass both kept reminding us they needed to visit baby Jesus.  The mass ended and everyone hustled out quickly to their celebrations.  We made our way to the front of the creche.  Princess sweetly sang baby Jesus Happy Birthday.  I delighted at her pure and innocent voice singing out of love for the babe in swaddling clothes.  My eyes slowly made their way to the altar and eventually looked up at the crucifix.  I noticed light on the face of Jesus.  We've attended mass at this church for 12 years and never had seen the face of Jesus illuminated.      My husband and I stood awe struck at the beauty of this simple moment--a child's sweet voice singing lovingly to baby Jesus and the beauty of Christ's face illuminated while hanging on the cross.  Peace filled my heart and at that moment it connected Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.  During both Advent and Lent we wait in anticipation of our savior, Jesus.  These two times of the liturgical year should not be seen as two seperate events, but instead as one intertwined, unseperated focus of God's love for us.   We as Christians enter into the 40 days of Lent today.  May we remember the Love God gave us poor sinners through His son, Jesus Christ.     Daily meditations to read during lent.

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Our Lenten Plans

To keep our focus on Lent we will use our Lenten Poster.

For our Bible Study, we will use our Jesus Tree.

On Fridays during lent we will read Benjamin's Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggsand use the Resurrection Eggs

For Holy Week, we will transform our Lenten Table to our Easter Table. 

• Palm Sunday
• Holy Thursday...Feet Washing and Praying Hands
• Good Friday
• Holy Saturday
• Easter

As for me, I'm decluttering and cleaning both my house and heart this lent.   Using the 40 bag challenge and deep cleaning list, I hope to make my home environment a bit more conducive to prayer life.   

Our Lady of Lourdes

In 1858, in the grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes in southern France, Our Lady appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, a young peasant girl.

She revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception, asked that a chapel be built on the site of the vision, and told the girl to drink from a fountain in the grotto.

No fountain was to be seen, but when Bernadette dug at a spot designated by the apparition, a spring began to flow. The water from this still flowing spring has shown remarkable healing power, though it contains no curative property that science can identify.

Lourdes has become the most famous modern shrine of Our Lady.

For the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes the kiddos watched Bernadette The Princess Of Lourdes and made these lovely grottos using this coloring page. 

First Feedings...

At first Baby Bear did not really understand why the spoon was in her mouth. 

However, she caught on quickly and really enjoyed the cereal. 

Princess even wanted in on the fun. 

Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure

My kiddos are still talking about our Holy Heroes Advent Adventure and can't wait for the Lenten Adventure to begin.  If you would like to join here's the link.  Here's what you can expect on your adventure...

We invite you and your friends to join us for Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure - last year's was a lot of fun and this year's will be even better!

It's free (costs you nothing!) and easy for your Mom and Dad, because all they need to do is:

•Open our emails three times a week, then

•Click and watch... a short video of children teaching children,

•Click and listen... to children leading and explaining prayers,

•Click and print... fun activities for all ages,

•Click and answer... quiz questions to see how much you've learned.

40 Bag Challenge

Jessica over at Shower of Roses is doing a 40 Bag Challenge for Lent and invited others to join her.  This year I decided to join on in.

Here's the details taken from the original handout on vocations and family faith formation from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati :

Every day during Lent this year, empty one bag of 'stuff' that is no longer needed from your house, totaling a loss of forty bags of stuff!

1.) Taking a look at the size of your family and household, with an acknowledgement of how much 'stuff' is present, make a prudential choice on the size of bag to be employed during this challenge. Bag size should be small enough that the goal of 40 bags during the season of Lent is able to be accomplished, while not being too big that you are left with nothing. We must still live in the world, after all!

 

2.) If smaller children are a part of your family, a 'gauge' may be helpful to keep them engaged and help them keep track of progress. As part of your preparations, make a 'paper chain' of forty numbered links. As each new bag is started, place a new link in the bottom of the bag. This way, as the chain gets smaller, there is a greater sense of accomplishment.

 

3.) This challenge necessarily involves sacrifice. Each member of the family should be encouraged to give something to each bag, or there could be designated bags for each member of the family.

 

4.) Instead of just throwing things away, recycling is a great way to encourage good stewardship of the gifts we have been given, as it symbolizes that we are passing along our gifts to others. Families with children are encouraged to pass along clothes that no longer fit or toys that sit dormant in a closet to families in need instead of just throwing them away.

 

5.) Units of count need not necessarily be trash bags, either; however they should be equivalent. For example, a box of gently used toys or clothes could equate one bag off the chain. A stack of books donated to the parish library is another easy equivalent.

 

As the family accepts this challenge together, bonds will be created that will last a lifetime. Lessons are also learned not just by saying, but by putting it into practice. Here, the simple lesson will last throughout life that having fewer things can lead to a greater contentment in life.

I think I will use grocery bags for this one as I don't have a very large house and I have way too many of them.  During Hh week I also got rid of 5 bags worth of stuff in order to transform our rarely used dinning room into our schoolroom.  I will count those as well.  To keep me accountable I will keep track of the total bags on my sidebar.   Care to join in?