We don’t have an attic.

We don’t have a basement.

We have a garage.  A very leaky, very old, not-attached-to-the-house garage.  It is a very poor storage facility.  Nonetheless, that is exactly what it is used for.  Plastic bins containing last seasons clothing, Christmas decorations, sleds and old bicycles…and it has actually served us well.

Until today.

The weather has improved dramatically, so today was the day I had my oldest son bring in the summer bins.  The boys things are fine, mom and dad’s clothing fared the season’s storage well.  But the girl’s clothing…oh my heavens…every single beautiful dress…ruined.  Mold, mildew…absolutely beyond salvage.  The little ones were so fond of their many pretty dresses.  Though Charlotte had outgrown quite a few, Emily would have had plenty to make it through the summer.  Not now.

Here’s the good news:  Everyone of those dresses are replaceable.  Top of line, extremely lovely and I don’t think I paid more than $5.00 for any of them.  This is the advantage of frugality!  While it is painful to see these pretty dresses bagged and ready for the trash, the reality is they will be quite easily replaced.  And perhaps we don’t really need so many dresses, no matter how inexpensive they are.

And then there’s my sewing maching…ahh…the sewing machine.  Tailoring dresses to our taste and desire for innocence and modesty.

Sometimes what seems a loss is really a blessing in disguise.  Perhaps it’s not such a sad occasion, after all.

Grab a cup of your favorite coffee or tea and settle in for a delightful fair:

The Loveliness Of Rosaries Fair

Prepare to be inspired!

From The Simple Woman

FOR TODAY…

Outside My Window… the trees are swaying in the brisk morning breeze, the irises have begun to open, birds fill the trees.

I am thinking… about rearranging my bedroom, preparing for my elderly grandmother’s extended visit, taking the children to the park today.

I am thankful for…hot tea, good friends, and God’s unending love and patience.

From the kitchen…pancakes, maple sausage and soft-boiled eggs this morning, baked chicken, herbed red potatoes and greenbeans, homemade bread and sliced apples for supper.

I am wearing…long sleeved Eddie Bauer denim dress, my favorite striped canvas apron, brown mary-jane crocs, hair up in a twist

I am creating…a lovely pair of handknit socks in a delicious pumpkin wool, two hair kerchiefs and nightgowns for my little girls, a coin bag for Gareth.

I am going…to wash, dry and fold many loads of clothes today!

I am reading…Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset and a little booklet by Tan called Guardian Angels, Our Holy Companions.

I am hoping…that my dear husband will not return too late from a hard day’s work landscaping, that a very special call he’s hoping to receive today will go well, that it doesn’t rain.

I am hearing… the wind whistling past my bedroom window, the birds singing joyfully and the first stirrings of my waking children. Emily…she’s always the first down and the first up!

Around the house…balls of yarn in baskets, with many knitting needles sticking up, looking like a kindergartener’s rendition of a porcupine, patterns and fabric stacked hapharzardly on the sewing table, a laundry room with three baskets of unwashed laundry, four loads in need of folding, a sweet little bouquet of pansies and irises (gathered by Gareth and Arthur) sitting on my computer desk.

One of my favorite things…drinking hot tea with a dear friend, preferably my husband!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Plant the sunflowers for the Sunflower Grotto, put down mulch in the Mary Garden, prepare the children for the annual assessment test, attend the weekday Latin masses, knit and sew!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…from the herb garden box under my kitchen window:

Have a lovely day!

The rosary…a prayer of perfection, the holy “chain” which binds Satan, a crown of roses with which we adorn our dear Mother. It is both a humble prayer and a most powerful spiritual weapon. Here is a lovely reflection to aid us in our efforts to pray the rosary worthily:

Taken from The Secret Of The Rosary
St. Louis Marie Grignion De Montfort

It is not so much the length of a prayer as the fervour with which it is said which pleases God and touches his heart. A single Hail Mary said properly is worth more than a hundred and fifty said badly.

Attention
In order to pray well, it is not enough to give expression to our petitions by means of that most excellent of all prayers, the Rosary, but we must also pray with great attention, for God listens more to the voice of the heart than that of the mouth. To be guilty of wilful distractions during prayer would show a great lack of respect and reverence; it would make our Rosaries unfruitful and make us guilty of sin.
How can we expect God to listen to us if we ourselves do not pay attention to what we are saying?
Of course, you cannot say your Rosary without having a few involuntary distractions; it is even difficult to say a Hail Mary without your imagination troubling you a little, for it is never still; but you can say it without voluntary distractions, and you must take all sorts of precautions to lessen involuntary distractions and to control your imagination.

To do this, put yourself in the presence of God and imagine that God and his Blessed Mother are watching you, and that your guardian angel is at your right hand, taking your Hail Marys, if they are well said, and using them like roses to make crowns for Jesus and Mary. But remember that at your left hand is the devil, ready to pounce on every Hail Mary that comes his way and to write it down in his book of death, if they are not said with attention, devotion, and reverence. Above all, do not fail to offer up each decade in honour of one of the mysteries, and try to form a picture in your mind of Jesus and Mary in connection with that mystery.

Distractions
When the Rosary is well said, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more meritorious for the soul than any other prayer. But it is also the hardest prayer to say well and to persevere in, owing especially to the distractions which almost inevitably attend the constant repetition of the same words.
When we say the Little Office of Our Lady, or the Seven Penitential Psalms, or any prayers other than the Rosary, the variety of words and expressions keeps us alert, prevents our imagination from wandering, and so makes it easier for us to say them well. On the contrary, because of the constant repetition of the Our Father and Hail Mary in the same unvarying form, it is difficult, while saying the Rosary, not to become wearied and inclined to sleep, or to turn to other prayers that are more refreshing and less tedious. This shows that one needs much greater devotion to persevere in saying the Rosary than in saying any other prayer, even the psalter of David.
Our imagination, which is hardly still a minute, makes our task harder, and then of course there is the devil who never tires of trying to distract us and keep us from praying. To what ends does not the evil one go against us while we are engaged in saying our Rosary against him.
Being human, we easily become tired and slipshod, but the devil makes these difficulties worse when we are saying the Rosary. Before we even begin, he makes us feel bored, distracted, or exhausted; and when we have started praying, he oppresses us from all sides, and when after much difficulty and many distractions, we have finished, he whispers to us, “What you have just said is worthless. It is useless for you to say the Rosary. You had better get on with other things. It is only a waste of time to pray without paying attention to what you are saying; half-an-hour’s meditation or some spiritual reading would be much better. Tomorrow, when you are not feeling so sluggish, you’ll pray better; leave the rest of your Rosary till then.” By tricks of this kind the devil gets us to give up the Rosary altogether or to say it less often, and we keep putting it off or change to some other devotion.
Dear friend of the Rosary Confraternity, do not listen to the devil, but be of good heart, even if your imagination has been bothering you throughout your Rosary, filling your mind with all kinds of distracting thoughts, so long as you tried your best to get rid of them as soon as you noticed them. Always remember that the best Rosary is the one with the most merit, and there is more merit in praying when it is hard than when it is easy. Prayer is all the harder when it is, naturally speaking, distasteful to the soul and is filled with those annoying little ants and flies running about in your imagination, against your will, and scarcely allowing you the time to enjoy a little peace and appreciate the beauty of what you are saying.
Even if you have to fight distractions all through your whole Rosary, be sure to fight well, arms in hand: that is to say, do not stop saying your Rosary even if it is difficult to say and you have no sensible devotion. It is a terrible battle, but one that is profitable to the faithful soul. If you put down your arms, that is, if you give up the Rosary, you will be admitting defeat and then the devil, having got what he wanted, will leave you in peace, and on the day of judgment will taunt you because of your faithlessness and lack of courage. He who is faithful in rejecting the smallest distractions when he says even the smallest prayer, will also be faithful in great things. Nothing is more certain, since the Holy Spirit has told us so.

How to say the Rosary
After you have invoked the Holy Spirit, in order to say your Rosary well, place yourself for a moment in the presence of God and make the offering of the decades.
Before beginning a decade, pause for a moment or two, depending on how much time you have, and contemplate the mystery that you are about to honour in that decade. Always be sure to ask, by this mystery and through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, for one of the virtues that shines forth most in this mystery or one of which you are in particular need.
Take great care to avoid the two pitfalls that most people fall into during the Rosary. The first is the danger of not asking for any graces at all, so that if some good people were asked their Rosary intention they would not know what to say. So, whenever you say your Rosary, be sure to ask for some special grace or virtue, or strength to overcome some sin.
The second fault commonly committed in saying the Rosary is to have no intention other than that of getting it over with as quickly as possible. This is because so many look upon the Rosary as a burden, which weighs heavily upon them when it has not been said, especially when we have promised to say it regularly or have been told to say it as a penance more or less against our will.

I would like to add that the Rosary ought to be said reverently, that is to say, it ought to be said as much as possible, kneeling, with hands joined, clasping the rosary. However, if you are ill, you can, of course, say it in bed; or if one is travelling it can be said while walking; if, on account of some infirmity, you cannot kneel you can say it standing or sitting. You can even say it while working if your duties do not allow you to leave your job, for work with one’s hands is not always incompatible with vocal prayer.
I agree that, since the soul has its limitations and can only do so much, when we are concentrating on manual work we are less attentive to the activities of the spirit, such as prayer. But when we cannot do otherwise, this kind of prayer is not without its value in our Lady’s eyes, and she rewards our good- will more than our exterior actions.
I advise you to divide up your Rosary into three parts and to say each group of five decades at different times of the day. This is much better than saying the whole fifteen decades at once.
If you cannot find the time to say five decades all together, say a decade here and a decade there; you will thus be able, in spite of your work and the calls upon your time, to complete the whole Rosary before going to bed.

Of all the ways of saying the holy Rosary, the most glorious to God, most salutary to our souls, and the most terrible to the devil is that of saying or chanting the Rosary publicly in two choirs.
Our Lord expressly recommended this practice to his apostles and disciples, and promised that whenever there would be at least two or three gathered in his name he would be there in the midst of them. What a wonderful thing to have Jesus Christ in our midst! And all we have to do to have him with us is to come together to say the Rosary.
This way of praying is of the greatest benefit to us:
1) because our minds are usually more alert during public prayer than when we pray alone;
2) when we pray in common, the prayer of each one belongs to the whole group and make all together but one prayer, so that if one person is not praying well, someone else in the same gathering who is praying better makes up for his deficiency.
3) One who says his Rosary alone only gains the merit of one Rosary; but if he says it with thirty other people he gains the merit of thirty Rosaries. This is the law of public prayer. How profitable, how advantageous this is!
Finally, when the Rosary is said in common, it is far more formidable to the devil, because in this public prayer it is an army that is attacking him. He can often overcome the prayer of an individual, but if it is joined to that of others, the devil has much more trouble in getting the best of it. It is easy to break a single stick; but if you join it to others to make a bundle, it cannot be broken.

Faith, humility, confidence
The Rosary should be said with faith, for our Blessed Lord said, “Believe that you will receive and it will be granted.” If you believe that you will receive what you ask from God, he will grant your petitions. He will say to you, “As you have believed, so be it done to you.” “If anyone needs wisdom, let him ask God with faith, and without hesitating, and - through his Rosary - it will be given him.”
Thirdly, we must pray with humility, like the publican; he was kneeling on the ground, on two knees, not on one knee as proud and worldly people do, or one knee on the bench. He was at the back of the church and not in the sanctuary as the Pharisee was; his eyes were cast down, for he dared not look up to heaven; he did not hold his head up and look about him like the Pharisee; he beat his breast, confessing himself a sinner and asking for forgiveness: “Be merciful to me, a sinner,” and not like the Pharisee who boasted of his good works, who despised others in their prayers.
Even if you suffer from dryness of soul, distaste for prayer and interior discouragement, never give up the least part of your Rosary; this would be a sign of pride and infidelity; but like a brave champion of Jesus and Mary, say your Our Fathers and Hail Marys in your dryness, without seeing, feeling, or appreciating, and concentrating as best you can on the mysteries. You ought not to look for sweets or jam to eat with your daily bread, as children do; but to imitate Jesus more perfectly in his agony you could say your Rosary more slowly sometimes when you find it particularly hard to say: “Being in agony, he prayed the longer,” so that what was said of our Lord when he was in his agony of prayer may be said of you: he prayed all the longer.
Pray with great confidence, with confidence based on the goodness and infinite generosity of God and on the promises of Jesus Christ. God is the spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray.
We please our Lord when we ask him for graces, and if we do not ask he makes a loving complaint, “Until now you have not asked anything…. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Furthermore, to give us more confidence in praying to him, he has bound himself by a promise: that his eternal Father would grant everything we ask in his name.

Perseverance
As a fifth point, I must add perseverance and prayer. Only he who perseveres in asking, seeking, and knocking, will receive, will find and will enter. It is not enough to ask God for certain graces for a month, a year, ten or twenty years; we must never tire of asking. We must keep on asking until the very moment of death, and even in this prayer, which shows our confidence in God, we must join the thought of death to that of perseverance and say, “Although he should kill me, I will trust in him,” will trust him to give me what I ask.
God’s munificence, on the other hand, is shown by his making us seek and ask, over a long period of time, for the graces which he wishes to bestow, and the more precious the grace, the longer he takes to grant it:
1) in order to increase the grace still more;
2 in order that the recipient may more deeply appreciate it;
3) in order that the one who receives it may guard against losing it; for people do not appreciate very much what they obtain quickly and at little cost.

Finally, my dear brothers and sisters, the daily Rosary has so many enemies that I look upon the grace of persevering in it until death as one of the greatest favours God can give us. Persevere in it and your fidelity will be rewarded with the wonderful crown which is prepared for you in heaven: “Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.”

Mary’s Girlhood

This is that blessed Mary, pre-elect
God’s Virgin. Gone is a great while, and she
Dwelt young in Nazareth of Galilee.
Unto God’s will she brought devout respect,
Profound simplicity of intellect,
And supreme patience. From her mother’s knee
Faithful and hopeful; wise in charity;
Strong in grave peace; in pity circumspect.

So held she through her girlhood; as it were
An angel-water’d lily, that near God
Grows and is quiet. Till, one dawn at home,
She woke in her white bed, and had no fear
At all,–yet wept till sunshine, and felt aw’d:
Because the fulness of the time was come.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Here’s a bit of interesting information regarding the feasts associated with the girlhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

From The Virtual Shrine Of The Mystical Rose:

The feast of the Nativity (Birth) of Mary (8 September) was first celebrated in the East by the Church of Jerusalem. In the fifth century a Byzantine church was erected there, on the spot where a tradition says the house of Sts. Anne and Joachim once stood. Many believe this to be the very place where the future Mother of the Messiah was conceived and born, and that church became a focal point for her birthday celebration. (The Western Church adopted this joyful feast by the seventh century).

Unfortunately, the original church was decimated during the Crusades. A new church was later built on that spot; this one still stands today and is a center of pilgrimage. Many people still go there to honor the child Mary.

If the Church celebrated Mary’s birth on the eighth of September, then it only seemed natural that her conception would have occured nine months earlier, on the eighth day of December. Thus Western Christians soon began to celebrate the Feast of Immaculate Conception on that very day. The Eastern Orthodox, who mostly reject the Immaculate Conception of Mary, celebrate 8 December as the “Conception of St. Anne”, that is, the day on which Our Lady’s mother conceived her.

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary (21 November) is very ancient, going back to the sixth century in the East. The West, however, did not adopt it until the fourteenth century. Since it celebrates Mary’s alleged childhood service in the Temple (a concept derived from apocryphal literature, not Sacred Scripture), many popes were uncomfortable with it, and St. Pius V even suppressed it for the duration of his pontificate! It was reinstated by Sixtus V and remains on the Western liturgical calendar to this day. Among Eastern Christians it is one of the thirteen Great Feasts of the Church, often depicted in icons.

A couple hours after finding the perfect sewing machine (at $24.99, you bet it’s perfect!), my dear, sweet friend, Sandra, brought me these:

I’ve only ever used her Gingher’s…now I have my very own!

The patterns are absolutely adorable, as well! Two nightgown patterns, pinafore and shirtdress, petticoats, bloomers and chemises…I can’t wait to get started!

We shared a lovely pot of Harney and Sons Chocolate Mint tea and much needed fellowship! It had been a whole day since we had last seen one another! She is a real doll, and as sweet as her gifts are, they don’t come even close to matching how precious her friendship is to me.

I love you, my friend!

The thrift store comes through, once again! This morning’s adventure was one of pure chance. I made an extremely necessary trip to the BMV to pick up tags for the van and managed to get out in less than five minutes!! Knowing that the children were in capable hands, I stopped by a thrift store to look for play clothes for Charlotte and found this:

A Strasburg dress…100% silk, white, pristine condition and $4.99! Oh, happy day!

I took a quick spin through the home furnishings and found a much needed replacement for my old sewing machine (I’ve been using my mom’s…now she can have it back!):

$24.99…perfect working condition, all operator’s manuals, etc. The machine I’ve been using lacks a cabinet. I can never leave it out and so have had to complete projects as quickly as possible. No more! This little cabinet machine will fit perfectly under the window in my bedroom…happy days of sewing are on the horizon!

Sweet discoveries, indeed!

h/t Regina

The nifty little box doesn’t want to show up on WordPress…if you click the link you can take the test.
My best score thus far: 78 wpm with 0 mistakes!

78 words

Speedtest

The Angelic Salutation or Hail Mary contains a wealth of theology in one very short, yet thoroughly biblical prayer. It is the prayer I most frequently offer throughout the day. An ambulance passes the house…we pause and offer a quick Hail Mary for the potential victim of illness or injury. While knitting an article of clothing, I frequently “knit in” a Hail Mary or two for the recipient. As I stand at the kitchen sink, it is the most comforting prayer as I undertake a task that our own dear Mother must have performed many times in service of the Holy Family. It is the first prayer that all of my dear children learned to lisp along with the family during evening prayer and the Holy Rosary.

Here are a few interesting links providing new insight and information regarding this lovely prayer:

The Hail Mary in pictures

Hail Mary in many different languages

St. Thomas Aquinas instructs us on the Hail Mary

Ave Maria lyrics

Children Learn To Pray: The Hail Mary

From the Roman Breviary.

We arrive at the park. The boys tumble out of the van, fully armed with plastic Nerf guns and artillery, whooping and hollering at the top of their lungs.

I approach a park bench, and notice two very little boys seated on the grass watching the antics of my big “soldiers.”

“Guns…” the littlest boy says forlornly. “Why didn’t we bring guns?”

“Maybe they’ll share…”

They did.

Emily: Mommy…I think I’m allergic…

Mommy: What are you allergic to, Emily?

Emily: Cat food…

Mommy: Emily!  Please tell me you didn’t eat the cat food!

Emily: No, mommy…but I smelled it.  I’m definitely allergic…

*well thank heavens for that!

For all of my gardening friends, here are few traditional flowers associated with our Lady along with various legends…enjoy!

CLEMATIS

Clematis vitalba. Virgin’s Bower.

LEGEND

According to a German legend, wild clematis sheltered Mary and Jesus during their flight into Egypt.

STRAWBERRY

Fragaria vesca. Fruitfulness of Mary.

LEGEND

A German LEGEND says that Our Lady would go berry-hunting with the children on June 24, St. John’s Day. Also on that day no mother who had lost a child would taste a strawberry, for if she did her little one would get none in Paradise, because Mary would say to the child, “You must stand aside, for your mother has already eaten your share, and so none remains for you!”

THISTLE

Carduus benedictus, Carduus marianus, Cnicus benedictus, and Silybum marianum. Our Lady’s Thistle, Virgin Mary’s Thistle, blessed thistle and milk thistle.

LEGEND

The white veins traced on the leaves of the plant are said to be from the drops of Mary’s milk falling on them when the Blessed Mother moved her baby from her breast a after feeding him.

OX-EYE DAISY

Chrysanthemum leucanthemum. Mary’s Star.

LEGEND

On the night that Jesus was born the Magi, praying on a mountain side, saw a star appear in the form of a fair child. The child told them to go to Jerusalem, where they would find a newborn child. When the Wise Men, following the star, reached the village of Bethlehem, they looked for a further sign. Suddenly King Melchior saw a strange white and gold flower that looked like the star that had led them to Bethlehem. As he bent to pick it, the door of a stable opened and he saw the Holy Family.

FORGET-ME-NOT

Myosotis scorpioides. Eyes of Mary.

LEGEND

The young Jesus, looking into his mother’s eyes one day in front of their home in Nazareth said: “Mother, your eyes are so beautiful, everyone looks at them in wonder. What a pity those who will be born in future generations will not be able to behold. them. Because in your eyes one can see my paradise, and whoever looks into them cannot help but be drawn toward it.” Then he touched her eyelids and passed his hands over the ground as though sowing seeds. Immediately forget-me-nots sprang up, hundreds of tiny blue eyes with golden centers, as a reminder for people of future generations of Our Lady’s pure eyes.

SCOTCH ROSE

Rosa spinosissima. Our Lady’s Rose.

LEGEND

In Glastonbury, England, it is told that Joseph of Aremethia, a rich man who provided the tomb for Jesus’ burial, raised the first Christian temple to the Blessed Virgin. The temple was destroyed during the Reformation but a rose still grows on the spot, blooming all winter and at Christmas-time.

LAVENDER

Lavandula officinalis. Mary’s Drying Plant.

LEGEND

After Mary had washed Jesus’ clothes and was looking for a place to hang them to dry, she saw a gray bush of lavender and on its branches she spread the snow-white baby clothes. The sun and the wind dried the clothes and when Mary came to gather them, the clothes smelled sweet and clean and the bushes were fragrant with the sweet scent that lavender now has. It is said that the fragrance which came from the earthly Body of the Son of God was transferred to the plant, giving it its unique scent.

FUCHSIA

Fuchsia magellanica and hybrida. Our Lady’s Ear-drop.

LEGEND

The gently drooping flowers with white outer leaves and cerise, purple or pink petals resemble ear-drops or pendant earrings and it is said that Jesus may have playfully hung flower jewels of ruby and amethyst colors on his mother’s ears.

OUR LADY’S ROSE

Lychnis coronaria. Rose campion. Our Lady’s Rose

LEGEND

In medieval times a lordsman on a journey had to pass through a woods where he knew thieves would be waiting for him. As he entered the woods he remembered that he had not yet said “Our Lady’s saluter,” so he knelt down to pray. As he prayed the Virgin Mary came and placed a garland on his head and as he said each “Ave” she placed a rose in the garland that was “so bryghte that all the wood shone thereof.” Finishing his prayers, he proceeded through the woods, unaware of the glorious crown on his head. When the thieves saw the roses they stood aside, allowing him to pass unharmed.

OUR LADY’S BEDSTRAW

Galium verum. Yellow bedstraw, Our Lady’s Bedstraw.

LEGEND

The white blossoms of bedstraw turned to gold with the radiance of Jesus at the hour in which he was born. Joseph had spread dried bedstraw and other grasses in the stable at Bethlehem, preparing a couch for Mary, after they learned there was no room for them in the inn.

JERUSALEM COWSLIP

Pulmonaria officinalis. Spotted Lungwort, Spotted Cowslip of Jerusalem, Mary’s Tears, Virgin Mary’s Tears.

LEGEND

While Mary was on her way to Jerusalem to present Jesus in the temple she sat down at the edge of the road to nurse her Son. The spotted cowslip was growing at her feet and its blooms turned blue as they reflected the blue of the Blessed Mother’s eyes. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of the poverty and future suffering of her Child and the buds of the flowers grew pink as her eyes reddened from weeping. When she moved the Infant Jesus from her breast a few drops of her milk fell on the plant, spotting the leaves which have ever since borne the white markings of her milk.

YELLOW LADY SLIPPER

Cypripedium calceolus. Our Lady’s Slipper.

LEGEND

As a little boy, Jesus thrust his mother’s foot into the tiny opening of the flower. It is told that in medieval times children liked to think of Jesus, as a baby boy, easing his mother’s foot into the fairy slipper.

MADONNA LILY

Lilium candidum. Annunciation Lily. Also known as Virgin Lily and Mary Lily.

LEGEND

The archangel Gabriel held a lily in his hand in recognition of Mary’s purity when he appeared to the young virgin to tell her that she had “found favor with God” and would conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus. After Mary touched the flower, which had been scentless, an exquisite fragrance arose from it.

COLUMBINE

Aquilegia vulgaris. Our Lady’s Shoes.

LEGEND

The tiny flower is said to have sprung up wherever Mary’s foot touched the earth when she was on her way to visit her cousin, Elizabeth.

STAR OF BETHLEHEM

Ornithogalum umbellatum. Star of the Cross, Mary’s Tears.

LEGEND

The flower is said to resemble the star of the east that pointed to the birthplace of Jesus. The star shone brightly in the night and guided the shepherds to the place where the newborn Jesus lay, then broke into little pieces, scattering white blossoms everywhere.

source:  The Mary Page

Thinking of using E85 fuel? It takes enough corn to feed someone for an entire year to produce a single tank of gas for an SUV! If every single cornfield throughout the world were utilized for E85, it would still only meet 18% of this country’s need for fuel. Here are a couple interesting videos:

From Hannity and Colmes - Gore’s Grocery:

The following event occurred on Mother’s Day 2000 and seems appropriate to post for the month of May…

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The sky was crystal clear, a celestial blue of such depth…the bowers of the flowering crab apple tree in our backyard were laden with snow-white blossoms. Each gentle breeze sent a shower of petals upon the wind. To drink in this beauty, to exult in the glory of God’s creation on the Sabbath – what could be a more perfect way to spend Mother’s Day? Alas, these are the questions you ask yourself when your entire family is sick with the stomach flu, you have just missed attending Holy Mass as well as the May crowning of our Blessed Mother and looming before you are prospects for a day of hard labor (nurturing the sick, cleaning up the bed clothes and the sure knowledge that NO ONE wants dinner!) Our family numbered seven children at this time, and all of them were sick. As the day wore on, I began to lapse into a serious state of self-pity. “Why the Sabbath, Lord? And Mother’s Day?!” Though I continued my duties faithfully, interiorly I was not a faithful servant at all. It was now mid-afternoon and I walked into my kitchen (which was a wreck by this time) to access the possibilities for some kind of meal, knowing that very little would be palatable to my poor, suffering children. My husband, of course, has the patience of a saint, and provided so much assistance, but I could only pray that his optimism would sustain us all, for I was feeling wretched inside. As I passed the large glass doors to my backyard, the brilliant blue of the sky and the gentle breezes beckoned. I stepped outside, sat down at the table on the back patio and cried.

(We should never underestimate how much we need the graces given at every Mass. These very graces make possible the diligent performance of the duties suited to our vocation. I felt devoid of grace! Weak and pathetic, that I could feel bad for myself while my children were suffering sickness).

Through my tears, I looked over at my much neglected Mary garden and beheld the statue of our Lady. No cards or flowers for the Holy Mother of God on Mother’s Day. The Mother of God was given a “sword” that would pierce her heart. I decided at that moment to give Mother’s Day to our Lady. I dried my tears, walked over to my garden and began to clear the many weeds that were crowding about Mary. I began to think of these weeds as the little distractions of my daily life – my pride, my self-pity and a tendency towards a too “Martha” approach to my vocation. As the weeds were cleared, the flowers became increasingly visible…rather like the virtues that our Lady so humbly espouses and that I had allowed to become hidden in my own life. I began to hum as the work continued…it was so peaceful, so quiet, and soon I was singing “Salve Regina”. A few moments passed and my precious husband stepped outside to see what had become of his wife. Though his first words were “honey, I am so sorry”, he was truly greeted by a much happier wife and together we both continued the work of beautifying our Lady’s garden.

One by one, our sick children began to come outside to see where their parents had gone. Five of the children were now outside (the eldest was inside with the baby and a terrible headache), each one wishing their Mother a Happy Mother’s Day…and it could not have been sweeter. In the midst of their suffering they remembered their mother (just as in the midst of my suffering I had remembered my Mother).

Gathered in our backyard, surrounding a small patch of earth upon which rested a statue of our Blessed Mother, we placed the small, silk floral crown which had been reserved for all of our previous May Crownings. Five sick children and two exhausted parents honored the Mother of God in the only way we could.

Above our heads, a very large red-tailed hawk was lazily circling. This hawk was soon noticed by a pair of robins that were nesting locally and were extremely concerned about the danger this predator posed to their young. The two small birds attacked furiously, raising a tremendous commotion that soon drew the attention of the family. We observed the antics of these birds briefly (and all of us are certain that this activity served only to draw our attention skyward) because a much more fantastic phenomena was occurring at this time. The sun was directly above us in a cloudless sky, and surrounding the sun was a large circular rainbow, which was also circled by yet another rainbow only ¾ formed. I cannot adequately convey our surprise and awe at this spectacle. It truly seemed an event given as a gift from our Lord through the intercession of the Blessed Mother. As we all exclaimed in wonder, one of the children remembered our eldest who was still inside. She went to retrieve her sister and baby brother and as the three children came outside to view this beautiful event…it simply vanished! The entire event lasted no more that 2-3 minutes, though time truly seemed to stand still! A day of suffering, sacrifice and surprise! How little our Lord asks from us and how great are His gifts…

Today is the Holy Feast of Pentecost, and additionally, Mother’s Day. As a dear friend pointed out, it’s rather appropriate that we are celebrating Mother’s Day on the same day as the birth of the Church, who is also our mother.

Our parish celebrated the the feast with much pomp and splendor…Holy Mass began with the May Crowning of yet another mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary:

We’ve had a few funnel clouds in the area, as well as a possible touch down just a couple miles from our home, so it looks as though we will be crowning our garden statue next Sunday. We managed to finish the Mary garden and are thankful for all the rain…the roses and herbs are now well watered.

Following a delicious Mother’s Day brunch with a couple of friends, we returned home and I put the finishing touches on the Pentecost cake. Chock full of symbolism, it’s a visual treat as well as delicious!

Right before the mighty “wind:”

A big thank you to Catholic Cuisine for this wonderful way to mark the feast day.

I pray that all of you are celebrating a joyous and blessed Pentecost Sunday and Mother’s Day.

Today I took Emily and Charlotte for a quick trip to the store to pick up charcoal for this evening’s barbecue. My normally well-behaved-in-public little girls decided to engage in a bit of mischief. I found myself growing increasingly impatient with them, trying to moderate my voice and tone, eventually losing the battle and resorting to that all-to-familiar parental nagging. I coaxed them back to the shopping cart with the promise of a new box of sidewalk chalk and soon had two compliant children by my side.

As we approached the checkout line I noticed with dismay that only three lanes were open. We waited, as patiently as possible, though once again the girls were antsy and began rifling the shelves full of distracting goodies. At last! Transaction complete…

As we were heading towards the door, Charlotte cried “my sidewalk chalk!” We quickly realized that Charlotte, while playing with the “shelved goodies,” had laid down the chalk, and mom failed to notice that it didn’t make it through checkout. Irritated. Very irritated. “Why did you take it out of the cart, Charlotte?” “Don’t you see how long the lines are?” “Mommy is very tired of waiting, and now we must wait again…” “That was very irresponsible.”

Charlotte, who had been joyful over the discovery of the missing box of sidewalk chalk, was now very upset. And I took a bit too much delight in her remorse. While waiting to pay for the box of chalk, my eyes rested upon a magazine on the shelf. They are so very vile now, but this article title really caught my eye: The New Super Pill: no weight gain, no mood swings, no baby!

No baby. Who wants a baby? Why would anyone want children? Such is the message so many young women are fed on a daily basis. As I tried to imagine my life without children, I wondered what kind of an advertisement for the joys of motherhood I was, at that particular moment. Could I, by my impatience and harsh words, convey that motherhood was an annoyance? That children were a burden? My cold words over such a small thing came back to me. I resolved to change my tone that instant, so I hugged the girls and told them how sorry I was for being such a grouch. Their smiles were so very beautiful…all hard feelings faded away as we proceeded toward the car.

While trying to place the very large bag of charcoal into the back of the van, I noticed that Emily had not gotten into her car seat. I felt the familiar surge of impatience and irritation, but quickly checked it and then noticed that she was helping unload the rest of the cart. “Oh…how adorable you are! You were just trying to help. Thank you so much, sweetheart!”

I had no sooner uttered those words, when an older woman approached the back of the van and said: “Excuse me, but I justed wanted to say ‘thank you’ for the way you are encouraging your child. I’ve heard so many parents today berating their children, using harsh words. It makes me so happy to see a mother working towards something better. I had three children within a three year period, and the third was born profoundly mentally and physically handicapped. I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed and I know how hard it is to maintain patience and control. Thank you for reminding me of what I had to do everyday, long ago…”

I could’ve wept. If she had seen me just a few moments earlier…kind indeed. But how quickly we can change our behavior! And others do notice…I worried that I could be a bad example, but didn’t really think about trying to be a good example. I told that dear woman that I hadn’t been nearly so kind while in the store, but she just smiled as said “keep doing what you’re doing now…that’s what counts!” God bless her…I need that reminder everyday.

When I came home from the shopping and found that the boys had not completed their household chores, I found myself once again, in that same place. Frustrated. Impatient. Irritated.

And I had to laugh…sharing the story with my husband and a dear friend, I realize that this is the foremost  area where I need perfecting. I love my children, my husband, my life…I wouldn’t trade places with anyone for anything. I pray that our dear Lord will continue to strengthen me, and burn away the dross that hides what He wants revealed.

It’s been quite some time since the Vatican has approved an apparition site. This is one I’m not familiar with at all:

FRENCH ALPINE SHRINE GETS VATICAN APPROVAL
Received Sunday, 4 May 2008 13:14:00 GMT

NOTRE DAME DU LAUS, France, May 4, 2008 (AFP) - The Roman Catholic Church on Sunday officially recognised a shrine in the French Alps where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to a young shepherdess more than 300 years ago.
Some 6,000 faithful and more than 20 bishops and cardinals attended a solemn mass at the sanctuary of Notre Dame du Laus, which draws some 120,000 pilgrims each year but had never been formally acknowledged by the Vatican.
Benoite Rencurel was 16 when she first reported seeing the Virgin Mary in 1664, the first of a series of apparitions that lasted until her death 54 years later.
Church authorities in the southeastern French town of Gap were informed during a visit to the Vatican in 2003 — to make the case for the beatification of the young shepherdess — that the site was not officially approved.
After three years of research, a team of theologians, historians and psychologists agreed to the move, in a report validated by the Vatican.
“I recognise the supernatural origin of the apparitions and facts experienced and recounted by Benoite Rencurel, between 1664 and 1718″, the Bishop of Gap Jean-Michel di Falco Leandri told the gathering.
“I encourage the faithful to come and pray and to seek spiritual renewal in this sanctuary,” he said.
The Vatican’s representative in France, Papal Nuncio Fortunato Baldelli, was also present for the ceremony.
Catholic authorities have recognised three other apparitions of the Virgin Mary in France since the 19th century: in the Rue du Bac in Paris, in the Alpine sanctuary of Notre Dame de la Salette, and most famously in Lourdes, where she is said to have appeared to the shepherdess Bernadette Soubirous exactly 150 years ago.

From Tocqueville Connection

So…imagine you’ve just finished day 9 of a novena to St. Therese. During the novena you request that our dear saint send a rose from heaven…a specific color, light pink to be precise. You’ve even pictured in your head what the rose should look like, because you want to be sure. Then you receive a virtual bouquet in your email inbox (thanks Esther!):

Does this count?  Can a “virtual rose” be a “rose from heaven”?  This is a serious question, though it seems rather odd.  What do you think?

This Sunday our parish will hold the May Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our family will crown our garden statue on the same afternoon.

If you’ve never hosted your own May Crowning, it’s quite easy to construct a floral crown for any size statue you may have. All you need is a bit of floral wire adjusted to appropriate size for your statue and a few silk flowers (should you wish to retain this particular crown for future use). You can even stitch up a small pillow (much like that used by a wedding ring-bearer) for the procession. If the weather doesn’t permit an outdoor crowning, simply utilize an indoor statue–perhaps the one you keep on the family altar or some other place of prominence.

Throughout the month of May the children can take turns “freshening up the altar,” by replacing the drooping and dying flowers with fresh ones. Wildflowers are in abundance at present and the offering made to our Lady can be as simple or elaborate as you choose…gifts offered in love are the best!

Speaking of “crowns,” here’s a crown of another sort:

The Little Crown of The Blessed Virgin Mary Chaplet Prayer
by St. Louis Mary De Montfort

Preface:
St. John, the beloved disciple of Jesus and Mary, was privileged to behold a wonderful sign in heaven: “A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Apoc.12) :
Scripture commentators tell us this vision portrays the Blessed Virgin with her virtues and privileges, especially her divine motherhood. This gave rise to the Triple Crown of Twelve Stars of the Blessed Virgin which heaven has blessed with countless favors. St. John Berchmans and many other devoted children of Mary made the Little Crown their daily favorite. :
St. Louis Mary de Montfort, universally known for his True Devotion to Mary, embellished the Little Crown by adding to each Hail Mary a distinctive invocation in praise of the Blessed Virgin’s excellence, power and goodness, ending with the joyful strain, “Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!” :
St. Louis, gave the Little Crown as a morning prayer to both his religious families, the Monthfort Fathers and the Daughters of Wisdom. He heartily recommends it to all who embrace the holy and loving slavery to Jesus through Mary. Thus the world over, from the lips of Mary’s favorite children the Little Crown rises like fragrant incense to our Blessed Mother’s throne in heaven and returns to earth in showers of divine benediction.

Since the Blessed Virgin is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, St. Louis prefaces the Little Crown with a liturgical invocation to the Holy Spirit.

Introductory Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the heats of Thy faithful and kindle within them the fire of Thy love!
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit dost instruct the heats of the faithful, grant us by this same Spirit to relish what is right and ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

I Crown of Excellence
To honor the divine maternity of the Blessed Virgin, her ineffable virginity, her purity without stain and her innumerable virtues.
V. Grant that I may praise thee, Holy Virgin!
R. Give me strength against thy enemies!

1 (Our Father….) (Hail Mary….)
Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst hear the Lord, the Creator of the world; thou didst give birth to Him Who made thee and remainest a Virgin forever.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!

2 (Hail Mary….)
O holy and immaculate Virgin, I know not with what praise to extol thee, since thou didst bear in thy womb the very one Whom the heavens cannot contain. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!

3 (Hail Mary….)
Thou art all fair, O Virgin Mary, and there is no stain in thee. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!

4 (Hail Mary….)
Thy virtues, O Virgin, surpass the stars of heaven in number. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!
(Glory be to the Father…..)

II Crown of Power
To honor the royalty of the Blessed Virgin, her magnificence, her universal mediation and the strength of her rule.

5 (Our Father….) (Hail Mary….)
Glory be to thee, O Empress of the world! Bring us with thee to the joy of Heaven. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!

6 (Hail Mary….)
Glory be to thee, O treasure house of the Lord’s graces! Grant us a share in thy riches. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!

7 (Hail Mary….)
Glory be to thee, O Mediatrix between God and man! Through thee may the Almighty be favorable to us. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!

8 (Hail Mary….)
Glory be to thee who destroyest heresies and crushest demons! Be thou our loving guide. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times! (Glory be to the Father)

III. Crown of Goodness
To honor the mercy of the Blessed Virgin toward sinners, the poor, the just and the dying.

9 (Our Father….) (Hail Mary….)
Glory be to thee, O refuge of sinners! Intercede for us with God! Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!

10 (Hail Mary….)
Glory be to thee, O Mother of Orphans! Render the Almighty favorable to us. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!

11 (Hail Mary….)
Glory be to thee O, joy of the just! Lead us with thee to the joys of Heaven. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times!

12 (Hail Mary….)
Glory be to thee who art ever ready to assist us in life and in death! Lead us with thee to the kingdom of Heaven! Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Rejoice a thousand times! (Glory be to the Father….)

Let us pray
Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father; Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son; Hail Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit; Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity; Hail Mary, my mistress, my treasure, my joy, Queen of my heart; my Mother, my life, my sweetness, my dearest hope, yea, my heart and my soul! I am all thine, and all that I have is thine, O Virgin blessed above all things! Let thy soul be in me to magnify the Lord; let thy spirit be in me to rejoice in God. Set thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon my heart, that in thee and through thee I may be found faithful to God. Receive me, O gracious Virgin, among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children. Grant that for love of thee I may despise all earthly consolations and ever cling to those of Heaven; until through the Holy Ghost, thy faithful Spouse, and through thee, His faithful Spouse, Jesus Christ thy Son be formed in me for the glory of the Father. Amen.

Information taken from:
My Treasury of Chaplets by Patricia S. Quintiliani