From Papa

"God’s sign is simplicity. God’s sign is the baby. God’s sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendour. He comes as a baby – defenceless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child. He wants nothing other from us than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into his feelings, his thoughts and his will – we learn to live with him and to practise with him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love. God made himself small so that we could understand him, welcome him, and love him."

~ Midnight Mass Homily of Holy Father Benedict XVI

HT: Danielle Bean

Behold! He Comes!

“Long lay the world
In sin and error pining…
‘Till He appeared
And the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope
The weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees!”

Traditional Christmas Carol

~ ~ ~

During this beautiful season, may each and every soul may feel its worth, and come to gaze with wonder upon this living mystery of God become man. For He has come! Wisdom...Saving Lord...Root of Jesse...Key of David...Radiant Dawn...King of Nations...Wonderful Counselor...Mighty God...Everlasting Father...Prince of Peace...

EMMANUEL.

Awed by the thrill of hope, captured by His gaze of love, may we fall on our knees…rejoicing!

O Emmanuel...

"O Emmanuel,

God with us,

King and lawgiver,

Desire of the nations,

Savior of all people,

Come and set us free,

Lord our God!"

Isaiah 7:14 ~ "The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him... Emmanuel."

Danielle Does it Again

Danielle Bean (or Mrs. Bean, as I usually refer to her myself) has, in her wonderfully-gifted way, given another hit-to-the-heart wake-up call. I'm sure I'm not the only one who needed it. Be sure you take a trip over to Danielle Daily to read her brilliant article Keeping Christmas!

O Rex Gentium...

“O King of all the nations,

the only joy of every human heart;

O Cornerstone that makes us one:

Come, deliver man,

whom You formed out of the dust of the earth."

Isaiah 9:5 ~ “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 2:4 ~ “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.”

What are the O Antiphons? Read Special Christmas Countdown.

O Oriens...

O Rising Dawn,

Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice;

come and enlighten those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death!

Isaiah 9:1 ~ “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.”

What are the O Antiphons? Read Special Christmas Countdown.

Special Christmas Countdown...The "O Antiphons"

The seven O Antiphons (also called the "Greater Antiphons" or "Major Antiphons") are prayers that come from the Liturgy of the Hours, or the special universal prayers that all Catholic priests and religious offer each day. They are offered during the Octave before Christmas Eve (December 17-23), a time which is called the "Golden Nights." Each Antiphon begins with "O" and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isaias and Micheas (Micah). They speak of man's desire and longing for God, a longing which has existed throughout the history of God's people from the beginning of time through Abraham, Moses and David, fulfilled on the night when Emmanuel (God with us) was born.

If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one - Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia - the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, "Tomorrow, I will come." Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, "Tomorrow, I will come." So the O Antiphons not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.

- As explained on CatholicEducation.org, FishEaters.com, and Domestic-Church.com

The O Antiphons are a magnificent example of what priceless teaching and poignant reflection can be given us, the lay faithful, by glimpsing into the Liturgy of the Hours devotions. Their depth instills anew the wonder and beauty of our Catholic Liturgical Year.

December 17th began the Antiphons with O Sapientia (O Wisdom), followed by O Adonai (O Lord of Israel) on the 18th and O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) yesterday.

And now, today we pray:

O CLAVIS DAVID [Key of David],
and Sceptre of the House of Israel,
You open and no man closes;
You close and no man opens.
Come and deliver him from the chains of prison
who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death!

~ ~ ~

Isaias 22:22 ~ And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder: and he shall open, and none shall shut: and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Isaias 9:6 ~ For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace.

I can't take the credit

for having written this, but it did bring me a good chuckle today! Enjoy!

The Fourteen Days of Homeschooling

Compliments of Cecelia Harkins

Sung to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

On the first day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"Can you homeschool legally?"

On the second day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"Are they socialized?

Can you homeschool legally?

On the third day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"Do you give them tests?

Are they socialized?

Can you homeschool legally?"

On the fourth day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"What about P.E.?

Do you give them tests?
Are they socialized?
Can you homeschool legally?"

On the fifth day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"YOU ARE SO STRANGE!

What about P.E.?
Do you give them tests?

Are they socialized?

Can you homeschool legally?"

On the sixth day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"How long will you homeschool?

YOU ARE SO STRANGE!

What about P.E.?

Do you give them tests?
Are they socialized?
Can you homeschool legally?"

On the seventh day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"Look at what they're missing!

How long will you homeschool?

YOU ARE SO STRANGE!

What about P.E.,

Do you give them tests,

Are they socialized,

Do you homeschool legally?"

On the eighth day of homeschool
my neighbor said to me,
"Why do you do this?
Look at what they're missing!
How long will you homeschool?
YOU ARE SO STRANGE!
What about P.E.,
do you give them tests,
are they socialized,
do you homeschool legally?"

On the ninth day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"They'll miss the prom...

Why do you do this?

Look at what they're missing!

How long will you homeschool?

YOU ARE SO STRANGE!

What about P.E.,

do you give them tests,

are they socialized,

do you homeschool legally?"

On the tenth day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"What about graduation?

They'll miss the prom...
Why do you do this?
Look at what they're missing!
How long will you homeschool?
YOU ARE SO STRANGE!
What about P.E.?
Do you give them tests?
Are they socialized?
Do you homeschool legally?"

On the eleventh day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"I could never do that.

What about graduation?
They'll miss the prom...

Why do you do this?

Look at what they're missing!

How long will you homeschool?

YOU ARE SO STRANGE!

What about P.E.?

Do you give them tests?

Are they socialized?

Do you homeschool legally?"

On the twelfth day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"Can they go to college?

I could never do that.
What about graduation?

They'll miss the prom...
Why do you do this?
Look at what they're missing!
How long will you homeschool?
YOU ARE SO STRANGE!
What about P.E.?
Do you give them tests?
Are they socialized?
Do you homeschool legally?"

On the thirteenth day of homeschool

I thoughtfully replied:

"They can go to college,

yes, you can do this,

they can have graduation,

we don't like the prom,

we do it cuz we like it,

they are missing nothing,

we'll homeschool forever...

WE ARE NOT STRANGE!

We give them P.E.,

and we give them tests,

they are socialized,

AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!

On the fourteenth day of homeschool

my neighbor said to me,

"How can I get started?

Why didn't you tell me?

Where do I buy curriculum?

When is the next conference?

WILL PEOPLE THINK WE'RE STRANGE?

I think we can do this,

if you'll help us,

we will join a sports team...

and we'll homeschool legally!"

A bit of follow-up...

Little did I know that my post about voting for SpunkyHomeschool versus Michael Bérubé in the the Weblog Awards would end up being quoted on his blog, sending me the highest traffic that day that I've ever experienced. A surprise, to say the least! Which also made for some interesting developments -- making it necessary for me to bring here some clarifications that Mr. Bérubé kindly made for us on his and IvyGate's (another leading contestant for the Weblog Best Educational Blog Award) comments during the race.

In his own words:

The point is this. We really were kidding. But in pretending to be people who take weblog awards way too seriously, we apparently crossed some people who take weblog awards way too seriously. I have nothing against Ms. Braun [Spunky] or her family, and wish them the very best.

Apparently, this whole incident is a good example of the mis-communication that our modern snazzy methods of communications can bring upon us sometimes. :) We homeschoolers are all-too-familiar with warring attitudes towards us…and the truth is there are many folks on the web who make remarks such as his and are serious. For those of us unfamiliar with Mr. Bérubé's style of irony, it was only natural we would take his remarks literally. It was a welcome development to learn that it was all not quite as heavy as we thought. :)

One a positive ending note, it was heartening to read very cordial comments by both SpunkyHomeschool and Mr. Bérubé on each other's blogs. The closing graciousness shown by each was an appreciated outcome to all this!

Drum Roll...

"Join other Christian young men and women in TheRebelution.com’s new and exciting project: The Modesty Survey. The Modesty Survey allows any girl to submit anonymous, modesty-related questions to Christian guys and to receive (multiple) anonymous replies. It’s the discussion you’ve always wanted to have."

Read the rest and find out how both gentlemen and ladies can participate by clicking here or on the above logo! But girls, you'll need to act fast, because the deadline for submitting your questions is tomorrow (December 15th).

I can't wait to see the results of this! As a young woman active in the modesty movement, I quickly learned that there is nothing so powerful and so moving for us girls seeking true modesty and real beauty, and nothing with such effectiveness at reaching those girls’ hearts who may even not be seeking modesty, as the testimonies and humble, honest pleas of Godly young men. I think sometimes it can take just one Godly man to drive home with sure force the message that scores of girls could have been trying to share with another girl. Sadly, it’s far too rare that young men (or fathers!) do speak up about this topic…but when they do, feminine ears perk up!

Please join me in prayer that this project will truly bear wonderful fruit for God's Kingdom!

Homeschoolers Unite!

Even though the 2006 Weblog Awards voting ends tomorrow, we can still affect the results!

In short, the two top blogs competing (very closely, I might add!) for the Best Educational Blog award are... liberal Michael Bérubé and SpunkyHomeschool, a dedicated, witty, and devout Christan homeschool mom.

This has really and truly come down to a battle of Christian ideals versus Secular ideals, Godly values versus Godless values. As reported on the ever-fantastic blog The Rebelution, "Michael Bérubé recently commented... 'The important thing is that...I crush the homeschoolers.' "

To get the whole scoop, click here.

To help SpunkyHomeschool win, you can vote once per day per computer by clicking here. Get your friends to vote too! But HURRY: voting ends tomorrow (December 15th)!

Today's Encouragement

"Girls are like apples on trees.

The best ones are at the top of the tree.

Boys don't want to reach for the good apples

because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt.

Instead they get the rotten apples from the ground

that aren't as good, but easy.

So the apples at the top think

there is something wrong with them,

when in fact they are amazing.

They just have to wait for the right boy,

the one who will risk everything,

who's brave enough to climb

all the way up to the top of the tree."

- Author Unknown

Glorious Words

"The Most Important Person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral -- a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby's body...The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God's creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature; God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation...What on God's good earth is more glorious than this: to be a mother?"

- Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty

Strength in Weakness

Crystal at Biblical Womanhood had a post last week that's very worth reading. She very eloquently and beautifully wrote about something God has really been teaching me in recent weeks: to not only talk about relying on Him, but to do it. Two very different things. There are times when I feel so tiny, so inadequate, stretched so thin -- and all I can do is remind myself over and over, "Christ is my strength". What a consolation at those moments to know that no matter what kind of roller-coaster our emotions may take us on, Christ is the rock. And daily, hourly, each moment, we must learn to lean on Him. At times this means discomfort, maybe even storms. We just have to make sure that the more fiercely the winds blow, the more heavily we lean on His strength. And trust that in the end, there will be a rainbow.

Turkey Soup Recipe

Well, no one expressly asked for it, but I thought I'd post it anyway...and maybe a few of you who've never had turkey soup will enjoy trying something new!

HOMEMADE TURKEY SOUP

From: The Halbur Kitchen

Directions for homemade broth:
Cook 1 large turkey in your roaster or pan with water in the bottom covering half the turkey. After the turkey is cooked, pour off the broth. To make extra broth, save all the turkey bones, skin, etc. Place turkey waste in a large pot, cover with water and slow cook for 6 to 8 hours. (We usually cook ours overnight and wake up to turn it off). Pour off broth and discard waste. If you desire low-fat broth, let all broth chill in your refrigerator until set. The fat will float to the top and harden. It can then be easily discarded.

Ingredients:
Add the following measurements of ingredients to about 8 cups of broth. If you have more than 8 cups, you can just add more of each ingredient. Some people may like to add more or less of each ingredient anyway, depending whether they want more broth in their soup or more stock. Therefore, the following is a guideline.

- 2 cups brown rice or noodles (If rice, add as soon as you start cooking soup. If using noodles, add 10 minutes before soup is done.)
- 1 large chopped onion
- 6 or more cloves of fresh garlic
- 2 cups cut-up turkey meat
- 3 cups largely cut carrots
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- "Mrs. Dash" seasoning OR "Pleasoning"
- Other favorite soup seasonings if desired
Note: No MSG or boullion is needed for a good turkey flavor if you make your own broth.

Variations:
1 to 2 cups of the following ingredients can be added to your soup. We have tried them all, and have found that any or all of them are very tasty.

- Green peas (add at the end otherwise they’ll get mushy)
- Grated zucchini
- Chopped broccoli
- Chopped cauliflower
- Chopped green beans
- Any of your other favorite vegetables

Cooking Directions:
Add all ingredients and simmer soup until carrots are soft. If you used rice, is should be soft as well as broccoli, cauliflower, etc. We usually serve the soup with cheese and crackers. Note: We often freeze our leftover soup in labeled plastic containers...a great "instant" meal and a much healthier alternative to TV dinners. :)

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

A Day for Gratitude

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God...

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."

- from Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

October 3, 1863

No matter what the trials in our live, each of us truly has much to be thankful for. Today is a day to take a few moments to stop. To slow down. Amidst all the wonderful warmth and bustle of celebration and reunion, don't forget to reflect a bit quietly too. To gaze with your heart full at those simplest things in life that really are the greatest gifts. To marvel at the never-abandoning providence of our God. And to wonder at the love of such a Creator.

I wish you all a truly grace-filled Thanksgiving. May our hearts learn to be grateful all the year through!

Poll for Fun: Sopa de Pavo!

In addition to my sister's cake last night, I was kept busy for several hours cooking up a gigantic batch of turkey soup. That's right, turkey soup (sopa de pavo, as we had fun referring to it with our Spanish friends).

You can laugh, but for me, turkey soup has been a part of my growing up. So has turkey-eating all year round, for that matter! So it wasn't until recently that I realized most folks...haven't. Don't ask me why. Neither the visiting friend, the piano student who came for a lesson, nor the person I spoke with on the phone last night had ever heard of, much less tasted, turkey soup.

So, it being Thanksgiving week and all, I thought we should have a little fun here. How many of you lovely blog readers have heard of turkey soup before...or tried it? Leave a comment! Or maybe we're not isolated, and it's a long-standing family dinner for you, too. Let us know. :-)

And just maybe, if you ask, I'll post our special recipe so you can have a scrumptious way to use up all your leftovers on Thursday!

Theology and Cake

Last night, as my sister mixed a big double-batch of our favorite Chocolate Zucchini Cake, a friend who happened to be visiting looked at the bowl's flour-and-cocoa-and-oil-mountain and jestingly quipped, "That doesn't look like much!".

But we all know, of course, that somehow -- almost magically! -- all those various ingredients poured together, mixed up, and baked, will come out all right. Even wonderful.

It's a little like us. We don't look like much sometimes, but the Master Maker keeps smiling and adding, mixing and fixing, stirring and sweetening. And we have to trust at the end, we'll come out all right.

Even wonderful.

Be Strong!

by Malthie Davenport Babcock

Be Strong! We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;

We have hard work to do and loads to lift:

Shun not the struggle-face it; 'tis God's gift.

Be Strong! Say not, "The day's are evil. Who's to blame?"

And fold the hands and acquiesce-oh, shame!

Stand up, speak out, and bravely in God's name.

Be Strong! It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong,

How hard the battle goes, the day how long;

Faint not-fight on! Tomorrow comes the song.

Better Late Than Never...

At last, the long-ago-promised "All Saints" post!

Saints-in-the-making... portraying heavenly models at our homeschool "All Saints" Party:

Claire as Servant of God Queen Isabel the Catholic of Castille, Sarah as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Veronica as Saint Galla, David as Saint Padre Pio.

"Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You. Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervor. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness. Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will. Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You."

- from Padre Pio's Prayer after Communion

Prayer to Saint Galla:

Saint Galla, we bring to your feet all widows, those poor and suffering, those ill and dying. Comfort them with the same love and compassion you gave to such souls while on earth. From heaven, teach us how to be humble servants.

Amen.

Feast: October 5

Catherine of Alexandria:

Patroness of Aalsum, Nederlands; apologists; all craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters, spinners, etc.); archivists; attornies; barristers; diocese of Dumaguete, Philippines; dying people; educators; girls; Heidesheim am Rhein, Germany; jurists; knife grinders; knife sharpeners; Kuldiga, Latvia; lawyers; librarians; libraries; Mähring, Germany; maidens; mechanics; millers; nurses; old maids; philosophers; potters; preachers; scholars; schoolchildren; scribes; secretaries; spinners; spinsters; stenographers; students; tanners; teachers; theologians; turners; University of Paris; unmarried girls; wheelwrights; Zejtun, Malta


"Lord, in whose hands lies the sway of kingdoms, I humbly beseech Thee to hear the prayer of thy servant, and show forth the truth, and manifest Thy will with Thy marvellous works: so that if my cause is not just, I may not be allowed to sin through ignorance, and if its just, Thou give me wisdom and courage to sustain it with the aid of Thine arm, that through Thy grace we may have peace in these kingdoms."

- Favorite prayer of Queen Isabel the Catholic

It shows up a little faint in the picture, but I am holding a map of the US...most of us have heard Queen Isabel's name, but only briefly in connection with Columbus. Very few of us know how deeply spiritual this woman was!

“Although there would be nothing but stones, I would continue there while there may be souls to save.”

- Queen Isabel's response when told that America had not the riches of the East

A few from the "army" of Saints!