So April was a bit of a dud for liturgical living. {Illness} and self-inflicted stress distracted me from what really matters.
It's also hard to incorporate the liturgical calendar in tangible ways when your heathen four-year-old knows no god but destruction. I shouldn't joke. His Mass behavior has been improving, sure and steady, he says his blessing before meals (most of the time), and he knows Jesus and Mary. That's good enough for me.
Anyway, there was Easter:
And the Easter season continues with Eastertide and Divine Mercy Sunday, the latter of which we failed to observe outside of the ordinary Mass attendance.
But when you can't live large, start small. And when you can't even do it small, try again next month. Ya'll probably know my favorite liturgical resources by now. Just in case you don't, let's recap:
{Catholic All Year} // All the amazing liturgical celebrations brought to life by a supermom who will make you feel welcome. I envy anyone who lives in southern California and can attend Kendra's parties.
{Carrots for Michealmas} // Haley and Daniel are converts with a passion for medievalism that led them to the Church. As some of you may know, I have an MA in Arthurian Literature, so I'm all about that mythical, magical, almost-Pagan approach to Catholicism. Haley and Daniel's imaginative and literary leanings mesh well with that.
{Catholic Icing} // Free stuff? I like free stuff! Good resources and ideas for celebrating liturgically with children.
{CatholicCulture.org} // I used this one A LOT. On my old computer, I had the internet home page set to the liturgical living landing page, so that every day when I opened up my computer or launched the internet, the liturgical feast and/or season would be right there. A bit last minute, but they do have monthly and seasonal overviews for those who like to be a little more on top of things.
Is it weird how entertained I am that everything on that list begins with a C (and three things with a C-c-catholic)?
How was your April? Did you manage any minor feasts or little liturgical celebrations? What are you favorite resources for Catholic living?
mainly, we managed to not drown in our own mud..at that feels like a massive success!
ReplyDeleteThat, and trying to reteach myself to pray throughout the day, aside from just morning and evening prayer..I think you're pretty much awesome - getting Afon to know Jesus & Mary and say grace semi-regularly! Never feel like you have to compare him to other kids. He is like a wild-changeling-child..and you're doing an amazing job with him! Yarrow adores him for being himself. She recognizes his picture and thanks him again and again for the earrings ;)
A wild-changeling-child, I love that!!! Thanks, M. <3
DeleteKathleen Norris is already challenging me and inspiring me to be more monastic about my day with prayer. I'm gonna love it, I know it! I want to devour it right now, but the second time I read it, maybe for Lent or Advent, I want to take the time to reflect on each passage daily.
I'm terrible about prayer, but I stole our Divine Mercy "celebration" from Catholic Icing. We just make Divine Mercy sundaes. It's a simple thing, but it makes the day a little special, and, for my kids, sparked a little conversation. One of my favorites from last year is coming up: the Feast of the Visitation. I made a couple of pots of red beans and rice (fairly cheap, but yummy!) and delivered them to friends. I loved celebrating that way - I love to cook for people!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Afon is such a beautiful little boy! He reminds me of Little Lord Fauntleroy.
Thanks for your comment Kate, it made me smile this morning! I _really_ need to get better about prayer, too. Right now, my prayer looks like spontaneous thoughts thrown out to the universe . . . still prayer, but I think a little something more involved would be good. ;)
DeleteThank you, my boy is a dandy AND a troublemaker!