A Gallery 2025 ~ The Stable, Birthdays, St. Nicholas Party, etc.

 Below is a gallery of the workings of a big family throughout the beginnings of Advent, etc. You see the best side here. We have our bumps, our faults, our insecurities, etc. But we also have our faith which sees us through all the nitty gritty and provides for us a foundation and a stability that holds the family together and keeps us “looking up”!

We got our stable up the day after Thanksgiving. We will add in the other Nativity figurines as it gets closer to Christmas. Margy and Dave and their three little ones were over for the fun…and the mayhem! 😊

Below is other things…Thanksgiving, Advent-y things at our different homes …like Advent Wreaths and Nativity Scenes of the couples, etc. We have two grandsons courting now. Pictures of them are at the beginning of the gallery. Captions are included with this gallery.

This gallery is that of a family dance we had for all the 5 birthdays in November. It was by private invite, well-chaperoned…from toddlers to grandmas and grandpas…, modest and well-ordered. The kids (and adults) had a very fun time, meeting in a context of good manners, mutual respect and decency.

Below is a gallery of our St. Nicholas Party. This year we had it at Vin and Gin’s as they have a large basement. With all the the grandchildren, and all the mayhem, our house is getting too small. Angelo plans the party and heads it up. He is also St. Nicholas. He spends time and money to make the day special for his nieces and nephews.)

Martyrdom by the little fires of hidden fidelities constantly adhered to, of tormenting temptations courageously and perseveringly repulsed, of the exact and loving fulfillment of duties toward God and neighbor, of prayer faithfully practiced despite disgust, aridity and the pressure of work–is it not a martyrdom? Who can estimate the value of its countless offerings which are not publicized but which cost . . . and which count! ~ Christ in the Home

Beautiful and Unique Religious Wire-Wrapped Necklaces! Get it blessed and wear it as a sacramental. Available here.

Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas With Your Family available here.

This practice of doing the Twelve Days of Christmas can change your family’s Liturgical holiday life!

Why? Because it will help you make the Christmas Season festive after Christmas has arrived for those twelve specific days (with Epiphany as the 13th Day of Christmas). Knowing you have prepared for this season of Yuletide when it actually arrives will encourage you to focus on Advent more thoroughly so that once you reach the climax of that Penitential season..Christmas…you will be prepared to truly celebrate this amazing time of the Church’s Liturgical Calendar!

Each day has an activity and a lovely coloring page dedicated to it. The activities are simple and doable.

At the beginning of the book there is a checklist for the supplies so that you can gather them throughout the Advent Season. Then you will have everything ready to make the Twelve (actually thirteen, including Epiphany) Days of Christmas special!

So, when all the songs have stopped on the radio, the decorations taken down, the tree thrown out and red hearts begin to appear as everyone anxiously awaits Valentine’s Day, you and your family will be joyfully giving the Baby Jesus His proper welcome into this world!

An extraordinary book! God Demands Reparation: The Holy Man of Tours: The Life of Leo Dupont ~ Available here.

This fascinating true story of the life of Leo Dupont is also the account of the establishment of devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus. It first began in the city of Tours, France, then spread worldwide, and was finally authorized by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. Before it was approved formally by the Church, Leo Dupont practiced this devotion privately in his home, where a true likeness of Veronica’s veil was always kept venerated by a burning lamp. He would pray before it for hours on end. Miracles soon followed the application of the oil from this lamp upon sick and the invalid. Catholics from all over the world were writing to Dupont, requesting small amounts of the holy oil. The miracles accumulated to such a point that Pope Pius IX stated that Leo Dupont was perhaps the greatest miracle worker in Church history!This story includes the incredible difficulties along the way of establishing the Devotion to the Holy Face. Let it inspire the reader to further this incredible, beloved devotion, especially in regards to how much it is needed in our present troubled times. Look to “The Golden Arrow: The Autobiography and Revelations of Sister Mary of St. Peter on Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus” for the moving revelations of Our Lord in regards to this powerful devotion.

My Daily Bread Leatherette ~ Available here.

My Daily Bread is a series of short, daily reflections on the spiritual life. Written with loving care by Father Anthony Paone, this devotional will strengthen your love for Christ and his teachings.

Written as a dialogue with Christ himself, Father Paone leads the reader through the three ways of the spiritual life: Purification, Imitation, and Union.
Arranged for daily reflection this indispensable guide to the spiritual life is now in a FULL SIZE version! My Daily Bread overflows with reflections and prayers specifically designed to help you grow in the spiritual life and overcome failings, including:

• How to cultivate, recognize, and follow your conscience
• A contemplation of the Four Last Things that will help keep our focus on the eternal
• The power of prayer as the first remedy to temptation
• A detailed guide on how to conquer a host of bad habits
• How to overcome our fear of suffering and instead embrace it as Christ embraced it
• How to live for Christ daily through spiritual reading, prayer, overcoming distractions, and cultivating devotions
• Achieving union with Christ through the Eucharist
• And much more…

Each daily reflection begins with Jesus speaking directly to you, kindly, patiently, and with great love. The next part of the reflection asks you to consider the truths presented in the words of Jesus. The final part consists of a prayer asking for God for the help to receive His wisdom and use it fruitfully in your life.

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