Love's Storm
M.A.P.S. #3
(Picture of Kelly's Bridal Bouquet on December 19th, 2009 Wedding Day Blizzard)
Greetings on this morning of one of the worst snow storms in history for the Washington, DC area.
My 9-year-old, John, who is studying measurements in math this week,
measured a 13-inch accumulation of snow on our back porch.
With another band of snow coming this afternoon, he is keeping the yard stick close by the door.
It never ceases to amaze me how mother natures assists 'this' mother
with the practical learning skills in home schooling.
This First Saturday in February is the first, First Saturday in 13 months
that we will not have our Children's Holy Hour at
the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at Our Lady of Angels Parish.
On December 6th, 2008, the feast of Saint Nicholas, patron of children,
we had our very first gathering with families before
Our Eucharistic Lord.
This gathering occurs every first Saturday from 10:00-11:00 a.m.
and is open to all families.
Bringing our children to the Lord for one hour, where,
through prayer and song,
we enter into His presence through their simply way,
has been our response,as parents, to the Lord's request,to
"Suffer the children to come unto me, and forbid them not:
for such is the kingdom of God". Mark 10:14
We have learned to pray with our children
in the Lord's presence in simplicity and joy.
Our desire to bring our small children before the Blessed Sacrament
nearly 15 years ago,
lead us to discern through catechesis a possible way
that would help our children grow
into an hour of silence, with spiritual maturity.
We have formed our Children's Hour around
the catechesis of prayer
as taught through The Catechism of the Catholic Church #2644,
whereby we realize:
"The Holy Spirit who teaches the Church and recalls to Her all that Jesus said also instructs Her in the life of prayer, inspiring new expressions of the same basic forms of prayer: blessing, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise".
We have embodied these forms of prayer in the word,
A.L.T.A.R.
For children to offer Adoration, Love, Thanksgiving, Asking and Reparation,
before the altar of Sacrifice where the monstrance holds our Lord,
has provided a respite for our family that has
strengthened us in the Lord,
through the years.
The Lord's generosity in granting us the desire
to meet in this way
has evolved for our older twenty-year-old sons,
as they now frequent the Blessed Sacrament on their own,
as the storms of life and thanksgivings of God's Providence occur.
Within our Holy Hour we sing songs of love to Our Lord,
we thank Him for the gift of His mother, Our Lady, through song.
Our thanksgiving to Him for the angels and our prayers of petition
for the Church are offered through the children, as they openly pray.
When the Holy Rosary is prayed, families lead us in each decade.
Before we depart Our Lord we all sing a song from the deposit of liturgical music,
familiar to all.
We spend time in silence,
before we invite the children to offer an expression of love
to the Lord, as they piously leave His Presence.
Occasionally, a mother stays behind,
only imagining the joy that surrounds the 'Lord of our children'
for having had them there with Him in unseen faith!
On December 5th, 2009, our First Saturday visit,
we began our Holy Hour and sang this beautiful simple children's song,
"O, the blood of Jesus, it washes white as snow"!
When our hour ended,
it was snowing outside and we were all beyond our joy.
The Lord provided us, through this simple song,
how He delights when we seek Him in all things...
even the snow!
I will be spending time in the snow today,
as I imagine the love of the Lord compared
to the unforeseen accumulation of snow flakes.
Infinite, transforming, ever-present!
As mothers, we provide all that is needed to send our children out today,
to include gloves, hats, boots, ski-pants, hot chocolate, hot bubble baths,
and warm food.
My prayer this week is that I am attentive to the motherly provisions needed
in the hidden 'storms of love' that Our Lord decides to send our way.
During our Children's Hour,
a child reads the Holy Father's Intentions for the month.
I am including it here for us to consider in our family prayer time.
FEBRUARY 2010
Scholars
General: For all scholars and intellectuals,
that by means of sincere search for the truth
they may arrive at an understanding of the one true God.
The Church’s Missionary Identity
Missionary: That the Church, aware of its own missionary identity,
may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim His Gospel to all peoples.
M.A.P.S. #3
(Picture of Kelly's Bridal Bouquet on December 19th, 2009 Wedding Day Blizzard)
Greetings on this morning of one of the worst snow storms in history for the Washington, DC area.
My 9-year-old, John, who is studying measurements in math this week,
measured a 13-inch accumulation of snow on our back porch.
With another band of snow coming this afternoon, he is keeping the yard stick close by the door.
It never ceases to amaze me how mother natures assists 'this' mother
with the practical learning skills in home schooling.
This First Saturday in February is the first, First Saturday in 13 months
that we will not have our Children's Holy Hour at
the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at Our Lady of Angels Parish.
On December 6th, 2008, the feast of Saint Nicholas, patron of children,
we had our very first gathering with families before
Our Eucharistic Lord.
This gathering occurs every first Saturday from 10:00-11:00 a.m.
and is open to all families.
Bringing our children to the Lord for one hour, where,
through prayer and song,
we enter into His presence through their simply way,
has been our response,as parents, to the Lord's request,to
"Suffer the children to come unto me, and forbid them not:
for such is the kingdom of God". Mark 10:14
We have learned to pray with our children
in the Lord's presence in simplicity and joy.
Our desire to bring our small children before the Blessed Sacrament
nearly 15 years ago,
lead us to discern through catechesis a possible way
that would help our children grow
into an hour of silence, with spiritual maturity.
We have formed our Children's Hour around
the catechesis of prayer
as taught through The Catechism of the Catholic Church #2644,
whereby we realize:
"The Holy Spirit who teaches the Church and recalls to Her all that Jesus said also instructs Her in the life of prayer, inspiring new expressions of the same basic forms of prayer: blessing, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise".
We have embodied these forms of prayer in the word,
A.L.T.A.R.
For children to offer Adoration, Love, Thanksgiving, Asking and Reparation,
before the altar of Sacrifice where the monstrance holds our Lord,
has provided a respite for our family that has
strengthened us in the Lord,
through the years.
The Lord's generosity in granting us the desire
to meet in this way
has evolved for our older twenty-year-old sons,
as they now frequent the Blessed Sacrament on their own,
as the storms of life and thanksgivings of God's Providence occur.
Within our Holy Hour we sing songs of love to Our Lord,
we thank Him for the gift of His mother, Our Lady, through song.
Our thanksgiving to Him for the angels and our prayers of petition
for the Church are offered through the children, as they openly pray.
When the Holy Rosary is prayed, families lead us in each decade.
Before we depart Our Lord we all sing a song from the deposit of liturgical music,
familiar to all.
We spend time in silence,
before we invite the children to offer an expression of love
to the Lord, as they piously leave His Presence.
Occasionally, a mother stays behind,
only imagining the joy that surrounds the 'Lord of our children'
for having had them there with Him in unseen faith!
On December 5th, 2009, our First Saturday visit,
we began our Holy Hour and sang this beautiful simple children's song,
"O, the blood of Jesus, it washes white as snow"!
When our hour ended,
it was snowing outside and we were all beyond our joy.
The Lord provided us, through this simple song,
how He delights when we seek Him in all things...
even the snow!
I will be spending time in the snow today,
as I imagine the love of the Lord compared
to the unforeseen accumulation of snow flakes.
Infinite, transforming, ever-present!
As mothers, we provide all that is needed to send our children out today,
to include gloves, hats, boots, ski-pants, hot chocolate, hot bubble baths,
and warm food.
My prayer this week is that I am attentive to the motherly provisions needed
in the hidden 'storms of love' that Our Lord decides to send our way.
During our Children's Hour,
a child reads the Holy Father's Intentions for the month.
I am including it here for us to consider in our family prayer time.
FEBRUARY 2010
Scholars
General: For all scholars and intellectuals,
that by means of sincere search for the truth
they may arrive at an understanding of the one true God.
The Church’s Missionary Identity
Missionary: That the Church, aware of its own missionary identity,
may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim His Gospel to all peoples.
1 Comments:
At 7:46 AM, Mariamante said…
Sharon this is beautiful! I so miss the children's Holy Hours that you did at St. Monica's this brought me back. Thank you for sharing your gifts from God so generously. With love, Cece
Post a Comment
<< Home