Advent Daybook - Day 7

Reflection:

Also provide your manger with soft straw by performing little acts of mortification; for instance, bear the cold without complaints, or sit and stand erect.  Dear Jesus, who suffered so much for me, let me suffer for love of You.

Bible Verse:

Be aglow with the spirit

Thoughts from Mass:

Hail, full of grace.  Father told us that the original Greek read more like "Hail, She who has been filled with grace", which leads us to believe that Mary being full of grace was something that occurred previously...perhaps at conception??  

The communion antiphon for today was moving:  Glorious things are spoken of you, O Mary, for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.

Advent Activities:

The most glorious of our activities today centered around 8:00 am Mass at our parish.  Three of the girls sang in our parish's new Schola so they sang the Mass parts in Latin and it was wonderful.  Mr 12 yo served and it is always a joy to see him up there.  

After Mass we stopped for a few minutes to take our family Christmas picture.  I haven't even had a chance to look at them yet so I hope at least one of them turned out.  Boy was it cold out there.  All of our noses will probably be bright red!

God Bless!

Advent Daybook - Day 6

Reflection:

Supply the manger of your heart with hay by overcoming all feelings of pride, anger or envy.  Jesus, teach me to know and correct my greatest sins.

To that end, our formation group is working on figuring out our own predominant fault.  This coming week's talk will be about how to get rid of it! Can't wait!!

Bible Verse:

Outdo one another in showing honor

Thoughts from Mass:

Faith is a gift from God.  Faith helps us to trust completely in Jesus.  Jesus is always there for us.  We need to trust in Him completely even if it doesn't seem like He answers our prayers.  

Boy is this something timely for me to meditate on!

Advent Activities:

Today we took a drive and went to do some Christmas shopping at a large shopping mall around where I grew up.  It was fun to go back and see how the old stomping ground has changed (read that as "become much more congested").  Not everyone loves to shop but we had a nice time and enjoyed the scenery and the company of each other for the day.  Our favorite stop:  The Lego Store, of course.

God Bless!
 

Advent Daybook - Day 5

Reflection:

Fix the best and warmest corner of your heart for the manger of Jesus.  You will do so by abstaining from what you like most in the line of food, comfort and amusement.  Mary, use these sacrifices to prepare my heart for Jesus in Holy Communion.

Okay, so I typed this up last because it was in another room and then I realized what the other part of this post was all about...good food today and fun times at the movies.  Oy vey!  I guess sacrifices on other days are in order!

Bible Verse:

Outdo one another in showing honor

Thoughts from Mass:

What is your spiritual house built on?  Is it Jesus Christ, the rock, or is it something feeble or worldly,  the sand?

Father said the fiscal cliff is looming close.  Why aren't people worried about the spiritual cliff they are about to fall off of?

Advent Activities:

Of course, as you all know, today is the feast of St. Nicholas.  Even the dolls got involved at our house.

It appears as if St. Nicholas is a Tolkien fan as he left us all tickets to see "The Hobbit" on the 15th! 

And there was much rejoicing :)

It is also Ms 14 yo's Baptismal feast day today so it is a double celebration for us.  We're having lasagna (made by Mr 12 yo!) and a wonderful lemon poppy seed bunt cake I found a recipe for.  Yum!

We also made a trip to the library today to renew our library cards and I happened upon a very pretty book called, "The Legend of St. Nicholas" by Demi.  It looks wonderful and I'm so pleased that I was led to it today.

God Bless!

Advent Daybook - Day 4

Reflection:

Build a fence about the crib of your heart by keeping a strict watch over your eyes, especially at prayer.  Sweet Jesus, I long to see You.

Bible Verse:

Love one another with brotherly affection.

Thoughts from Mass:

The Eucharist is the banquet of Heaven; the banquet of Love.

Jesus required our help to feed the crowds.  He could have done it on His own, but He chose to accept the offering from the people.

"The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all the faces."

Advent Activities:

Not really an Advent activity, but today was our day to spend an hour outside of Planned Parenthood.  So sad...but three people pulled over to talk to the sidewalk counselor so please pray for them as well as all of the people who went in and the lady who yelled at us.

Here's something Adventy to view :)

God Bless!

 

Advent Daybook - Day 3

Reflection:

Clean the cobwebs from your spiritual crib.  Diligently remove from your heart every inordinate desire of being praised.  Renew this intention at least three times today.  My Jesus, I want to please You in all I do today.

Bible Verse:

Hold fast to what is good

Thoughts from Mass:

Abandonment...I had to practice this this morning because just as we had all gotten into the van (and we were actually on time, too!), the repair man we have been waiting for since Friday pulled up.  I had to stay home so that he could fix our furnace!  Oh well.

Advent Activities:

Today is my annual trip to the shopping mall with my mom.  Neither her nor I are big shoppers, but once a year we get together and spend the afternoon and evening Christmas shopping together.  Of course, we also take a break for a delicious dinner and yes, dessert, too.  This is something I look forward to every year - the time with my mom, and the food, not the shopping :)

We also watched this today:

Wouldn't it be cool to be a part of something like this? 

God Bless!

Advent Daybook - Day 2

Reflection:

Carefully stop every crevice in the walls of the stable so that the wind and cold may not enter there.  Guard your senses against temptations.  Guard especially your ears against sinful conversations.  Jesus, help me to keep temptations out of my heart.

Bible Verse:

Hate what is evil

Thoughts from Mass:

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News

St. Frances Xavier, intercede for us that we may be good missionaries in the places that God puts us.

What you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops

Advent Activities:

Today we took down the fall decorations from our family altar

 and made it look more Advent-like.

In the above photo you will see something that caused a bit of tension in our house this afternoon.  You see, we've never put the empty manger out this early before.  I thought it would be a nice touch...we could add a few animals at a time and then finish it off like we always do.  Some members of the family must just have a problem with change - especially when it has to do with "traditions".  Oh well, in this case it stays!  We also have Our Lady of Guadalupe out seeing as how her big feast day is still to come.

We also got the basics of our Advent calendar put together today.  Once we get caught up with some of the adornments to it I'll post a picture.  

God Bless!

Advent Daybook - Day 1

This is my Advent Daybook; something I will be doing all through Advent to have a memory of it for myself and anyone else who is still on the internet :)

Reflection:

(These will be taken from a magazine article that was forwarded to me.  Unfortunately it does not say what the magazine is called, it just says "Magazine for Homeschooling Families")

See that the roof of the stable is in good condition, so that the Infant Jesus is protected from rain and snow.  This you will do by carefully avoiding every uncharitable remark.   Jesus, teach me to love my neighbor as myself.

Bible Verse:

(Our Advent calendar this year is going to be built around the verses from Romans 12:9-21)

Let love be genuine

Thoughts from Mass:

Will there be room for Jesus in my heart when St. Joseph comes knocking?

Do not become drowsy...from the anxieties of daily life

Be vigilant at all times

Pray you have the strength

Activities:

A wonderful sacred music/Christmas concert put on my a group that friends of ours are involved in.  Beautiful voices singing beautiful music.  They even looked beautiful :)

A Beautiful Advent Song:

We saw Tajci in concert on Friday and she is wonderful.  This is a beautifully meditative song to begin Advent with!  

 God Bless!