Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Tis the festival on which the Church venerates the humility and obedience of Mary who, though not subject to the law of Moses, which required purification and presentation in the temple, yet subjected herself to it. From this comes the name Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. It is also called Candlemas, because before Mass on this day the candles used in divine service are blessed and carried in procession. ~ The Church Year

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It has been forty days, we are gearing up to officially wrap up Christmastide.  Feb 2, the Feast of the Purification, is the end of the Christmas Season in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.  We will be removing the Christmas tree, nativities, Christmas cards, Christmas books, etc...  We will attend Mass and observe a day of Marian simplicity.

We will work as a family in the home and yard.  All technology use will be limited.  We will set a structure for the day, centered around prayer.  Our day and prayer will culminate with a Solemn Mass.

 

JOYfilledfamily’s Daily Life – 2.2.12

• Lauds*/Morning Offering
• Angelus
• Terce
• Angelus
• Divine Mercy Chaplet
• Angelus
• Examen
• Rosary
• Candle Blessing, Candlemas Procession and Solemn Mass

*Dad & Mom prayer time

O Blessed Mother of God, who went up to the Temple according to the law with your offering of little white doves, pray for me that I too may keep the law and be pure in heart like you.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

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Resources:

• Introduction of the Feast of the Purification ~ Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine,
  The Church's Year
• Candlemas ~ Fr. Z
• Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ Breviary.net
• Feast of the Purification (Candlemas) ~ Fish Eaters
• Gregorian Chant Propers for Candlemas
• Purification Novena ~ Catholic Culture
• Candlemas Candle Craft ~ JOYfilledfamily
• Purification Coloring Page ~ St John the Baptist Catholic Church
• A Day of Purification, Renewal and Hope ~ JOYfilledfamily 2011
• Candlemas Treats ~ Catholic Cuisine
• Additional Candles Mass Resources & Links ~ Sanctus Simplicitus

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Heavenly Father! look down from Thy throne of mercy upon the face of Thy Anointed in whom Thou art well pleased. Behold, He is this day offered to Thee in the temple for the sins of His brethren. Let this offering please Thee, and move Thee to have compassion on us sinners. In consideration of His humility and obedience, forgive us our pride and disobedience, and grant us, that purified by His blood, we may one day, having like Simeon departed this life in peace, behold Thee as the eternal Light which shall never be extinguished in the temple of Thy glory, be presented to Thee by Mary, our beloved Mother, and love and praise Thee forever. Amen.

S. Joannis Chrysostomi

“Listen carefully to me, I entreat you. . . . Procure books that will be medicines for the soul. . . . At least get a copy of the New Testament, the Apostle's epistles, the Acts, the Gospels, for your constant teachers. If you encounter grief, dive into them as into a chest of medicines; take from them comfort for your trouble, whether it be loss, or death, or bereavement over the loss of relations. Don't simply dive into them. Swim in them. Keep them constantly in your mind. The cause of all evils is the failure to know the Scriptures well.” ~ St. John Chrysostom

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St. John Chrysostom

Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church

January 27 ~ St. John Chrysostom’s feast day in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

September 13~ New Calendar

DOUBLE/WHITE

Archbishop of Constantinople in the fourth century, John was surnamed Chrysostom, "the golden-mouthed," because of his moving eloquence. His gifted pen, as well as his sermons drew many to Christ. The saint's courageous condemnation of sinfulness brought him exile and all manner of ill-usage from his persecutors. Solicitous for the poor of Constantinople, St. John also looked beyond the boundaries of his episcopal see, and sent out missioners among the Scythians, Persians, and Goths. With the praise of God on his lips, this great Doctor of the Eastern Church died in exile on September 14, 407.

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Resources:

• St. John Chrysostom - Lives of the Saints ~ Sanctus Simplicitus
• A Preacher Unlike Any Other ~ Vultus Christi
• St. John Chrysostom Bio ~ EWTN
• St. John Chrysostom Bio for Kids ~ Holy Spirit Interactive
• St. John Chrysostom Coloring Page ~ JOYfilledfamily
• St. John Chrysostom Icon Project ~ JOYfilledfamily
• St. John Chrysostom Bio ~ Catholic Culture
• St. Chrysostom Volumes/Homilies
• Treatise on the Priesthood by St.John Chrysostom ~ Fish Eaters
• Previous Posts on St. John Chrysostom ~ JOYfilledfamily
• 2011
• 2010

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S. Joannis Chrysostomi ~ ora pro nobis

Saint Valentine

SAINT VALENTINE

February 14 -  feast of St. Valentine in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Priest and Martyr

SIMPLE / RED

During the persecution under Emperor Claudius II, Valentine, a zealous priest in Rome, ministered boldly to the martyr. He was arrested and taken before the prefect, who made tempting offers to induce him to apostatize. Finding that he was wasting his breath, the prefect condemned Valentine to death. The beheading took place on February 14, about the year 270. The true follower of Christ ignores worldly caution when he is called upon to bear witness to Jesus. "The inclination of the flesh is death, but the inclination of the spirit, life and peace" (Rom. 8:6)

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Patron:  affianced couples, against epilepsy, against fainting, against plague, apiarists, bee keepers, betrothed couples, Bussolengo, Italy, engaged couples, greeting card manufacturers, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, travellers, young people

Symbols: Birds; roses; bishop with a crippled or epileptic child at his feet; bishop with a rooster nearby; bishop refusing to adore an idol; bishop being beheaded; priest bearing a sword; priest holding a sun; priest giving sight to a blind girl.

 

 

 

 

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Resources:

• St. Valentine Bio ~ Catholic Encyclopedia
• St. Valentine – Brief Bio ~ EWTN
• Feast of St. Valentine ~ Fish Eaters
• Life of St. Valentine ~ Golden Legend
• Sermons on Marriage ~ Audio Sancto
• Sermons on Love ~ Audio Sancto
• Holy Cards for Valentine’s Day ~ Holy Card Heaven
• Images of St. Valentine
  • Images of St. Valentine Baptizing St. Lucille
  • St. Valentine’s Final Resting Place
  • St. Valentine Holy Medal
  • St. Valentine Holy card
• Forgotten Man ~ Catholic.org
• Story of St. Valentine ~ OLRL
• More on St. Valentine ~ Wholly Roamin Catholic
• A Valentine from St. Thomas of Aquinas ~ YouTube Video by Fr. Michael Himes
• DEUS CARITAS EST - God is Love ~ encyclical by Pope Benedict XVI's

Crafts & Activities:

• Candy Heart Bracelet ~ JOYfilledfamily
• Love Notebooks ~ JOYfilledfamily
• St. Valentine Hair Clip ~ JOYfilledfamily
• Candy Rosary ~ JOYfilledfamily
• St. Valentine Match Box ~ Paper Dali*
• St. Valentine’s Coloring Page/Contest ~ Illuminated Ink (this link will only be up for a limited time)
• St. Valentine (as a child) Coloring Page ~ Waltzing Matilda*
• St. Valentine Coloring Page Ministers to Prisoners ~ St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
• Everything St. Valentine’s ~ Shower of Roses (printable games, crafts, food, and more!)
• St. Valentine’s Day Collection of Ideas ~ Catholic Icing
• Love Subway Art Printable ~ The Girl Creative
• Heart Placemats/Décor ~ Fancy Frugal Life
• St. Valentine Scripture Wreath ~ Family at the Foot of the Cross
• Homemade Valentines with Love Quotes ~ Family at the Foot of the Cross
• Printable St. Valentine’s Cards (with an image of St. Valentine) ~ Three Sided Wheel
• St. Valentine Info and Printables ~  Sanctus Simplicitus
• St. Valentine E-Card ~ Catholic Greetings
• St. Valentine E-Card ~ Holy e Cards

Treats:

• St. Valentine’s Pizza ~ JOYfilledfamily
• St. Valentine’s Dishes ~ Catholic Cuisine

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Prayer to St. Valentine
Patron of Sweethearts, Young People, Love & Happy Marriages

Dear Saint and glorious Martyr, who are so popular with lovers, be kind to those whom we love and to us. Teach us to love unselfishly and to find great joy in giving. Enable all true lovers to bring out the best in each other. Let them love each other in God and God in each other. Amen.

St. Valentine ~ ora pro nobis

*updates after originally posted

Youth for Life

“I walk for life because I love babies and God.”  ~Sparkles (8)

Dad arrived early with the girls.  They were blessed to see Fr. Frank Provone.  He graciously accepted Dad’s invitation for a picture.

I tended to the life that I have been gifted.  We had all intended to walk as a family but God had other plans.  Dad and I received an early wake-up call, Dragonfly.  He was crying hysterically and sitting in pool of vomit.  We agreed that I would stay home with Dragonfly and Papi (who had not fully recovered from his cold). My season to Walk for Life will come, for now I will cherish the time I have to nurture the lives that He has given me. 

This was Sweetie’s first year on the walk.  It was perfect timing, as she is preparing for her First Holy Communion.

Sparkles was in charge of pictures.*

Rose headed to the front of the caravan to walk with the youth and friends from TAC.

Rose noted that this year’s turn out was twice as large as the previous years.  She also noted that this year’s opposition was crude,  aggressive and outright diabolic.  It was clear to all my children that there are many who are lost in the ways of this world and much prayer is needed to protect against the lion who is prowling.

Here is a brief reflection from Sparkles.

“I was excited to go on the Walk for Life WC for the second time. I prayed as I walked. The crowd (opposition) made me sad because they were being mean to God. I prayed for them.

I pray that we all will love God and that He let them know that killing babies is wrong.”

We pray to help build up the culture of life, in whatever way He calls us to.  God willing, this will include walking as a complete family in 2013.

*Sparkles took all the pictures posted that do not include her.

Life is a Gift

ALL life is a gift from God, who are we to refuse it?

Cherish the gift—defend LIFE from the moment of conception!

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Novena Prayer for Life to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Oh Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of Life,
We honor you as Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Thank you for pointing us to Jesus your Son,
The only Savior and hope of the world.
Renew our hope in him,
That we all may have the courage to say Yes to life,
And to defend those children in danger of abortion.
Give us your compassion
To reach out to those tempted to abort,
And to those suffering from a past abortion.
Lead us to the day when abortion
Will be a sad, past chapter in our history.
Keep us close to Jesus, the Life of the World,
Who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.

~~~

St. Agnes

"Christ made my soul beautiful with the jewels of grace and virtue. I belong to Him whom the angels serve." ~ Saint Agnes

"Jesus Christ is my only Spouse." ~ St. Agnes

St. Agnes

Feast Day ~ January 21st in the Traditional and New Calendar

Agnes is the archetype of the virgins who throughout the Christian centuries have followed the Lamb wherever He goes, "first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb" (Apoc. 14:4). She was twelve years old when she was commanded to offer incense before the pagan altar of Minerva at Rome, soon after Emperor Diocletian began his persecution of the Christians in the year 303. The persecutors tried in vain to overcome the virgin's refusal by flattery and offers of marriage. "Christ is my Spouse," she answered. "He chose me first and His I will be." Her sentence of death was passed and the child martyr died by the sword.

Patron: Affianced couples; betrothed couples; bodily purity; chastity; Children of Mary; Colegio Capranica of Rome; crops; engaged couples; gardeners; girls; rape victims; diocese of Rockville Centre, New York; virgins.

Symbols: Lamb; woman with long hair and a lamb, sometimes with a sword at her throat; woman with a dove which holds a ring in its beak; woman with a lamb at her side.

"This is a virgin's birthday; let us follow the example of her chastity. It is a martyr's birthday; let us offer sacrifices; it is the birthday of holy Agnes: let men be filled with wonder, little ones with hope, married woman with awe, and the unmarried with emulation. It seems to me that this child, holy beyond her years and courageous beyond human nature, received the name of Agnes (Greek: pure) not as an earthly designation but as a revelation from God of what she was to be."  ~ St. Augustine

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“May God’s little lamb, St. Agnes of Rome, intercede for us that we would be loyal to the faith she professed!  And should we ever be disloyal, may God’s grace bring us to repentance!”

~ Fr. Miguel Marie Soeherman, MFVA

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St. Agnes, Ora Pro Nobis

St. Agnes is the patroness of young girls and her symbol is, naturally, a lamb.

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RESOURCES:

• St. Agnes Bio - EWTN
• St. Agnes Bio – Catholic Culture
• St. Agnes Bio – New Advent
• Act of Charity Printable – JOYfilledfamily
• “Shining with the fire of divine love” – Reflections by Fr. Z
• Images of St. Agnes – SQPN

RESOURCES FOR KIDS

• Little Flowers Wreath I – St. Agnes – JOYfilledfamily
• Love of God Candy Heart Bracelet – JOYfilledfamily
• St. Agnes Bio for Kids – Holy Spirit Interactive
• St. Agnes Bio for Families – Domestic-Church.com
• St. Agnes Crafts – Catholic Icing
• St. Agnes Coloring Page – Paper Dali
• Coloring Page – St. Agnes from Curmudgeonry
• St. Agnes Coloring Page – Waltzing Matilda

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Prayers to St. Agnes of Rome

O glorious St. Agnes, you served God in humility and confidence on earth and are now in the enjoyment of His beatific Vision in heaven because you persevered till death and gained the crown of eternal life. Remember now the dangers that surround me in the vale of tears, and intercede for me in my needs and troubles. Amen.

~~~

O sweetest Lord Jesus Christ, source of all virtue, lover of virgins, most powerful conqueror of demons, most severe extirpator of vice! Deign to cast Thine eyes upon my weakness, and through the intercession of Mary most blessed, mother and virgin, and of thy beloved spouse, St. Agnes, glorious virgin and martyr, grant me the aid of thy heavenly grace, in order that I may learn to despise all earthly things, and to love what is heavenly, to oppose vice and to be proof against temptation; to walk firmly in the path of virtue, not to seek honors, to shun pleasures, to bewail my past offences, to keep far from the occasions of evil, to keep free from bad habits, to seek the company of the good, and persevere in righteousness, so that, by the assistance of thy grace, I may deserve the crown of eternal life, together with St. Agnes and all the saints, forever and ever, in thy kingdom.  Amen.

~~~

Walk for Life West Coast

We are preparing to depart for the Walk for Life WC.  Please join us in prayer.  You can also watch the live coverage on EWTN.

 

Walk for Life West Coast (Live) EWTN

Sat. Jan. 21 at 2:30 PM ET & Sun. Jan. 22 at 9:30 AM ET

Join Father Mark Mary and Doug Barry for live coverage of the Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco, California. EWTN takes you inside this year's walk, with special interviews, participant commentary, and speeches from dynamic pro-life leaders.

EWTN Pro-Life Reources