Category Archives: Podcasts – Finer Femininity

Leane VanderPutten, mother of eleven, grandmother of twenty-seven, shares with you tidbits that she has learned from….Morsels that will help you and your loved ones keep on that path that is grounded in that Sense of the Sacred, in every walk of your journey. In many ways, Our Catholic Church, our society and our families have lost this sense, this reverence. We need to get back to where our families are once again venerating Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, where the liturgy is lived inside the home, where couples are reverencing each other, children are respecting their parents…and women are cherishing and realizing their incredible role in bringing this “Sense of the Sacred” back to our homes!

New Podcast! Marriage: Nagging, Jealousy, Money, In-laws / The Joy of the Catholic Mother

19 Friday May 2023

Posted by in Motherhood, Podcasts - Finer Femininity

≈ 2 Comments

NEW PODCAST!

Honesty and sincerity bring about confidence and a spirit of loyalty. Few things contribute more to the success of a marriage. The enemies of honesty and sincerity are nagging, miserliness, jealousy and in-law trouble…

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The Christian Mother

from The Christian Mother, the Education of Her Children and Her Prayer by Rev. W. Cramer, D.D.

The present age, which in many respects has renounced God and religion, that is to say, the truth, no longer knows the true destiny of man, and gives itself up to the vain and erroneous belief, that he most perfectly attains the end of his existence, who secures for himself the greatest amount of earthly goods, worldly honors, and sensual pleasures.

The Church, on the contrary, and the truth confided to her care, teach and proclaim that the end of our existence here upon earth, and of the existence of all created things, is the glorification of God and the salvation of man; that we must live the life of the children of God, and by serving and glorifying Him make ourselves worthy of being admitted to the never-ending happiness of heaven.

This also holds good with regard to the state of matrimony. The chief endeavors of married people must be directed towards serving God in the state of life on which they have entered, that in so doing they may work out the salvation of their immortal souls.

But their special care must be for the children whom God may confide to them, to make them good and fervent Christians, who will prefer the service of God and the salvation of their souls to all things else.

It is for this reason that the Church does not allow her children to live in the state of matrimony before having offered to them a careful preparation—that is to say, before having first sanctified and consecrated them by that Holy Sacrament which our Divine Savior Himself has for that purpose instituted and left to her care.

By virtue of this Sacrament man and wife become in a mysterious manner intimately united, as Christ is united with His Church, so that they cease, as it were, to be two persons; “They shall be two in one flesh.”

All the graces they may stand in need of will through this Sacrament descend immediately upon the newly married couple, and continue to descend, enabling them to persevere in leading a truly Christian life, far different from that of the heathen, “who do not know God, “ but like to that which is expected of the “children of the Saints.“

Wedlock thus consecrated and sanctified is blessed by the Lord;—the spouse becomes a mother. Rejoicing as a mother she holds her newborn babe in her arms. The word of the Lord has been verified in her:

“A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world” (St. John xvi.).

But her joy is to become yet fuller. The Church hastens to meet her and receives the child from her arms, in order that, after being freed by the waters of regeneration from the unenviable inheritance of our first parents, it may become a child of God.

As such it is again confided to the happy mother, who, whilst casting the eye of faith on her darling, beholds henceforward also a child of God, clothed with all the majesty becoming the child of so great a Father, loved by Him even more than by herself, and endowed with the right, as honorable as it is unmerited, to become in due time an heir of God’s own heavenly glory and happiness.

Is not this well calculated to fill a mother’s heart, if enlightened by faith, with transports of joy and delight? And what shall I say of her vocation from this day?

What more precious in the sight of God than a child in whom is reflected the image of His divine majesty!

This most precious gift He confides to the father, it is true, but especially to the mother, that hence-forward she may be His helpmate in the grand work of fitting the child for the enjoyment of heaven, for that glorious and blissful life which He has destined for it from all eternity, and that she may participate in that joy which is found in the consciousness of having worked for a soul’s salvation.

What a glorious and high vocation! And consequently, what a high dignity is conferred on her—the dignity of a mother! Behold here how we are to regard a Christian spouse after she becomes a mother!

Will not, or rather must not, a grateful joy take possession of her heart? Will not the consciousness of her dignity as a mother, and of the consequent high and important duties devolving upon her, elevate her heart and at the same time urge it forward to a holy earnestness?

home life

Thank God for His many blessings. Make the most of each and every day. Enjoy the journey. The world will keep whizzing by but we must take time to smell the roses. Each day is a gift, each person in your life is special. Take nothing for granted. 

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Available here.

In this thought-provoking and uplifting book, Fr. Robert Altier unpacks the theological significance of the Sacrament of Marriage and brilliantly explains how it has been a part of God’s plan from the beginning ― and will eventually be fulfilled at the Marriage Banquet of the Lamb in Heaven. Teeming with practical wisdom and clear examples, these pages delve into the surpassing dignity of marriage as a covenant and a sacrament ― and a call to holiness.

Want some peace? Want to feel close? Want to feel valued? Want to experience marriage the way God intended? Then why not try some Love & Respect.

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New Podcast! A Cheerful Catholic Morning Routine / Morning & Night Prayers for the Little Ones

08 Monday May 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Podcasts - Finer Femininity, Prayers, Praying

≈ 1 Comment

Each morning is the dawn of a new day that God has given us. It is up to us how we receive it. And for a Catholic woman it is a choice that doesn’t just affect ourselves. No, the ripple effects of those first few minutes of the day will affect all the members of the household, each of their walks of life, the people they encounter, etc…

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An example of a short prayer form for the little ones….

Morning Prayers

O Jesus, I offer You everything I do today!

Please help me be a good boy and a good girl today.

Thank you for everything today!

God bless Mommy, Daddy, etc., etc.

O May, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee. (Get your child a small miraculous medal to wear, if they are old enough. This prayer goes with the medal but is efficacious without it, too!)

Angel of God, my Guardian dear, To Whom God’s Love entrusts me here,

Ever this day be at my side to light and guard, To rule and guide. Amen.

3 Hail Marys

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Night Prayers

Dear Jesus, thank you for everything today!

(Stop for a moment to get them to think of their sins of the day)

I am sorry for any sins I committed today. Please help me not to sin again. Thank You for forgiving my sins. I love You, Jesus.

God bless Mommy, Daddy, etc.

Angel of God, my Guardian dear, To Whom God’s Love entrusts me here,

Ever this day be at my side to light and guard, To rule and guide. Amen.

Please help me to love You more and more.

Dear Jesus, protect me through the night.

Dear Mary, cover me with your mantle.

Hail Mary…

Amen.

An example of a prayer form for the Big People

MORNING PRAYERS

Traditional Morning Offering:

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for the intentions of Thy Sacred Heart, the salvation of souls, reparation for sins, and in union of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our bishop, the apostleship of prayer and for those recommended by Our Holy Father the Pope for this month.

Prayer to St. Joseph: (over 1900 years old)

Oh St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord; so that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer you my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers. Oh St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach Him while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us.
Amen.

Memorare:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Spiritual Communion…Read this post if you want to be inspired about this powerful prayer!

O My Jesus,
I believe that Thou art in the Blessed Sacrament.

I love Thee above all things,
and I long for Thee in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. As though You have already come, I unite myself entirely to Thee. Never permit me to be separated from Thee.

(Take some time here to meditate. Just a minute or two.)

I add these personal petitions at this time, you could add a short list of your own:

For the gift of loving You above all things, to do Your will in all things, for a spirit of self-sacrifice, to be poor in spirit and detached from the things of this world, to love my husband as the Blessed Mother loved St. Joseph, for patience, humility, charity, faith, purity and final perseverance.

Come Holy Ghost Prayer: (very important, we need His wisdom and guidance throughout the day). Read The Holy Ghost, Our Greatest Friend to help you realize the importance of the Holy Ghost in your life.

Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. … O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost,, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Eternal Rest Prayer: (for our dearly departed)

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them, May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

3 Hail Mary’s (To learn more about the 3 Hail Mary’s listen to this sermon.)

Now, say your 3 Hail Mary’s. You can offer them for purity, or for whatever. I have a special intention(s) for each of the three. Or you can just say the 3 Hail Marys. They are powerful…don’t forget them!

Morning Prayer:

O God we thank thee that Thou has protected us during the past night and has protected us from a sudden and unexpected death. Please give us Thy grace that we may not offend Thee this day but that we may faithfully do Thy holy Will in all things. Amen.

Prayer for those who will die this day:

O Most Merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray Thee by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Thy Immaculate Mother, cleanse in Thine own Blood, the sinners of the whole world who are in their agony and will die this day. Amen. Agonizing Heart of Jesus, have mercy on the dying.

St. Raphael, Pray for us.

(St. Raphael is the patron of happy meetings, he guides us in our vocations, he is the help of the sick and the protector of travelers.)

NIGHT PRAYERS

Act of Faith

O My God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in Three Divine Persons, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man, and died for our sins, that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.

Act of Hope

O my God, relying on Thy almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I
hope to obtain the pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and Life Everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

Act of Charity

O my God, , I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

Examination of Conscience

Spend just a few moments recalling the sins you committed during the day….and also your omissions (the things you should’ve done but didn’t).

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

Other Prayers:

O God we thank Thee for all the benefits and blessings which Thou hast given us this day. We offer Thee the good that we have done with Thy grace and the hardships that we have sustained.

O Angel of God, to whose holy care I am committed, enlighten, defend and protect me this night from all sin and danger. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE HOME

(I have married children and siblings I care about so when I say this prayer, I put “these habitations” in place of “this habitation”.)

Visit, We beseech Thee, O Lord, this habitation, and drive far from it all the snares of the enemy; let Thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace; and may Thy blessing be upon us forever. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to Jesus, Mary and Joseph:

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, let my soul depart in peace with you.

Prayer for Peace:

O God from whom are holy desires, just works and right counsels, give to Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be disposed to obey Thy commandments and the fear of our enemies being removed, our times, by Thy protection, may be peaceful. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Who liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen.

Every morning, we may be tempted to put off our prayers until “later” or skip them altogether because we have much to do and action is where it is at. If we allow the devil to win in this very first struggle of the day, he will win many more of the battles throughout the day. Our Morning Prayers, whether they be said while nursing a baby or changing a diaper, need to be a priority and the very foundation of our daily life. -Finer Femininity

Lovely & Durable Wire Wrapped Rosaries!

Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality! Available here.

Revised under Pope Pius XII, this official collection (raccolta) of the Church’s prayers and devotions was published in English in 1957. It includes a timely supplement of additional prayers for many urgent needs all of which were composed under the same pontiff. Many of the more commonly used prayers and devotions are followed by the Latin text, thus providing the perfect aid for teachers and parents anxious to keep the Church’s language both alive and spiritually efficacious. These eight hundred prayers touch practically every spiritual and physical need, and every personal and societal hope. They are the confidently suppliant voice of the Catholic Church in her maternal zeal, joy and agony, nobility and militancy.

* Prayers and Devotions 1958 Edition Reprint

* Red Bonded Leather Hardcover

This unique book of powerful prayers and devotions, compiled by Joan Carroll Cruz, includes wonderful promises made by Our Lord or Our Lady, most of which were revealed to famous Saints, including: St. Faustina, St. Gertrude, and St. Catherine Laboure. Author Joan Carroll Cruz has carefully selected and compiled devotions to Our Lady, the Infant Jesus, Precious Blood, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, St. Michael, and more in one place so that your daily prayer can be more powerful and more fruitful than ever before.

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A New Podcast ~ Our Daily Duties / A Book & Surrender Prayer Giveaway!

16 Sunday Apr 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Give-Aways, Podcasts - Finer Femininity

≈ 42 Comments

New Podcast! Our Daily Duties

Running a house, while schooling, making meals, etc. is no little task. So…we roll up our sleeves and dig in each day. THIS is what we are called to. Let us not get distracted thinking we should be doing great things, learning about great matters of the world. NO. St. Therese calls us the do the “little things” each day. And really, it is a great thing to accomplish all the “so-called” little tasks…. If you enjoy this video , please Like and Subscribe.

Today I’d like to offer you a Giveaway!!

The winner will receive these lovely items to add to your Book & Prayer collection!

Just leave a comment here on this post and your name will be added to the “hat”! Winner will be announced next Monday, April 24th!

Both of these items are perfect for maintaining peace of heart in the turbulent times we are facing.

You will get…

🌺🌺Surrender Novena Prayer Card and Wire Wrapped Chaplet🌺🌺

This chaplet is designed to be prayed with the Surrender Novena, which was given to Servant of God, Fr. Don Dolindo Ruotolo.
Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality.

SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF GOD ~ “Jesus, You take over!”

Prayer by Father Dolindo Ruotolo 1882-1970 – Servant of God, Man Who Padre Pio Called a Saint!

Great prayer against worry, fear, anxiety, depression and stress!

Many miracles have been obtained through this novena.

AND

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺You will also receive:🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart

We live in an age characterized by agitation and lack of peace. This tendency manifests itself in our spiritual as well as our secular life. In our search for God and holiness, in our service to our neighbor, a kind of restlessness and anxiety take the place of the confidence and peace which ought to be ours. What must we do to overcome the moments of fear and distress which assail us? How can we learn to place all our confidence in God and abandon ourselves into his loving care? This is what is taught in this simple, yet profound little treatise on peace of head. Taking concrete examples from our everyday life, the author invites us to respond in a Gospel fashion to the upsetting situations we must all confront. Since peace of heart is a pure gift of God, it is something we should seek, pursue and ask him for without cease. This book is here to help us in that pursuit.

The best part of your life is spent in the little nameless acts of kindness and love you have performed in your home. Faithful, self-forgetting service – love that spends itself – is the secret of family borrowed, or stolen, for it is something thing that is of no earthly good to anyone until it is given away. ~Fr. Lawrence Lovasik

The Resurrection

“He descended into Limbo.”

There were many holy men before the time of Christ, but no Saints. That is, none of them had yet entered heaven. Sin had locked the gates of their Father’s House, and until Jesus inserted the key of His cross, they were detained in Limbo.

Between His death and resurrection, Jesus visited these souls, some already purified, others still suffering, to proclaim their redemption.

Adam and Eve were there; Abraham, Issac and Jacob; all, Jew and Gentile, who had died in God’s friendship.

There, in the dwelling of the dead, Jesus preached the dawning of eternal life.

Like Limbo, Purgatory is a reality. “Nothing defiled shall enter into heaven.”

If burying the dead is a work of mercy, praying for the dead is more merciful still.

ST. BENEDICT BRACELETS! Spiritual Protection

Available here.

One of the powerful weapons in spiritual combat is the St. Benedict medal. Used for centuries, this medal has been associated with many miracles, as well as with powers of exorcism.

St. Benedict medals are used in many ways, but always as a protection against evil. Some people bury them in the foundations of new buildings to keep them free from evil influences, while others attach them to rosaries or hang them on the wall in their homes. But the most common way to use the St. Benedict medal is to wear it. The medal can be worn by itself or embedded in a crucifix.

Regardless of how it is used, the medal should always be blessed with the special St. Benedict blessing. While, in former times, only Benedictines could bless the medal, now any priest can.

Here, Baroness Maria Augusta Trapp tells in her own beautiful, simple words the extraordinary story of her romance with the baron, their escape from Nazi-occupied Austria, and their life in America.

Now with photographs from the original edition.

Most people only know the young Maria from The Sound of Music; few realize that in subsequent years, as a pious wife and a seasoned Catholic mother, Maria gave herself unreservedly to keeping her family Catholic by observing in her home the many feasts of the Church’s liturgical year, with poems and prayers, food and fun, and so much more!

With the help of Maria Von Trapp, you, too, can provide Christian structure and vibrancy to your home. Soon your home will be a warm and loving place, an earthly reflection of our eternal home.

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False Goods and Friendship ~ St. Francis de Sales / New Podcast! Holy Week ~ Maria von Trapp

28 Tuesday Mar 2023

Posted by in Friendship, Podcasts - Finer Femininity, Tidbits for Your Day

≈ 1 Comment

St. Francis de Sales warns us of false friendships, and that oftentimes the things we deem as something to be sought after in a friend are really vain and shallow.

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In the Orchard, 1891, Tarbell, Edmund

Friendship by St. Francis de Sales

Among the passions, love holds first place: It is the king of the heart’s movements and it converts everything to it, rendering the one who loves similar to the one loved.

Be very careful, therefore, dear Reader, not to have any evil love, because you will in turn quickly become evil yourself.

Friendship is the most dangerous of all loves. Why? Because other loves can exist without communication, exchange, closeness. But friendship is completely founded upon communication and exchange and cannot exist in practice without sharing in the qualities and defects of the friend loved.

Not all love is friendship: First of all, because one can love without being loved. It may then be love, but not friendship. For friendship is mutual, reciprocal, and if it is not reciprocated, it is not friendship.

Secondly, because it is not enough that it be reciprocal; it is also essential that those who love each other recognize their mutual love. If they are unaware of it, it is not friendship.

Thirdly, because in friendship there must exist some kind of exchange or communication, for such is the foundation of friendship.

Friendship differs according to the different kinds of communication, and the communications differ according to the variety of goods exchanged. If these are false goods, then the friendship is false.

Honey gathered from the best flowers is the best. So too, the better the goods exchanged, the better the friendship. It is said that the honey of Heraclea, gathered from aconite, which is very abundant in that region, renders mad those who eat it.

So too, friendship founded on the exchange of false and vicious goods is itself completely false and vicious.

The exchange of carnal delights ought not to be called friendship in human relations any more than it would be called such in donkeys or horses.

If marriage implied only this kind of exchange, it would no longer deserve to be called friendship. In addition to this there must be a communication of life, of work, of feelings, and finally an indissoluble fidelity.

With these dimensions the friendship of marriage is a true and holy friendship. Friendship founded on the exchange of sensual pleasures is gross and unworthy of the name of friendship, and so too is that based on vain and frivolous qualities, since these also depend on the senses.

I call sensual pleasures those which are attached directly and principally to the five senses: the pleasure of seeing beauty, of hearing a sweet voice, of touching pleasant things… I term frivolous qualities those capacities, innate or acquired, which superficial people call “virtues” or “perfections.”

Just listen to young people; they do not hesitate to conclude that a person has great qualities simply because he dances well, dresses well, sings well, chats pleasantly, has a fine appearance or is skilled in all kinds of games.

Do not charlatans consider the biggest clowns to be the most accomplished people in their group? Since all this relates only to the level of the senses, we can qualify as sensual those friendships based on such.

They really deserve to be called amusements rather than friendships. Such are ordinarily the friendships among young people, stopping as they often do at such things as moustaches, hair, glances, clothing, attractiveness, small talk – friendships worthy of that age whose virtue is still only downy and whose judgment is just in the bud: friendships which are but fleeting, melting like snow in the sun.

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Friendships in the family require care and culture—as do other friendships. We must win one another’s love inside the home doors just as we win the love of outside friends. We must prove ourselves worthy; we must show ourselves unselfish, self forgetful, thoughtful, and kind, tender, patient, helpful. Then when we have won each other we must keep the treasure of affection and confidence, just as we do in the case of friends not in the sacred circle of home. -J.R. Miller

“There is an old legend circulating in the old country, still fervently believed by the children, that all the bells fly to Rome on Holy Thursday, where the Holy Father blesses them; they return in time for the Gloria on Holy Saturday…..”

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In this engrossing work, the seraphic doctor, Saint Bonaventure, and Arnold of Bonneval, a Benedictine abbot, offer some of the most profound insights into the seven last words of Christ. Arnold, a friend of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, is believed to be the first person to write on the seven last words, inspiring Bonaventure. While the seven last words have been glossed over for centuries by Christians, it is now time to uncover their hidden and powerful meaning—for there is no greater meditation than pondering the Teacher’s last lecture. In Christ’s seven last words, we find the necessary direction to reach the heights of perfection.

Don Dolindo offers spiritual wisdom that you can apply to your daily life and shows you how to prepare for a holy death and the glory of the world to come. He describes the remarkable mystical experience of the soul’s awe-inspiring entrance into Heaven and explains the unique power of Our Blessed Mother to help us get there.

You’ll also learn:

  • The most important prayers that help free the Holy Souls in Purgatory
  • Why even venial sin impairs our relationship with God
  • Why good works, almsgiving, and penances are powerful atonements for sin
  • Why we need Our Lady’s maternity, humility, and love for souls
  • Why the saints delight in interceding for us
  • The sublime ecstasy and complete fulfillment that await us when we behold the Holy Trinity in Heaven

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A Sense of Urgency ~ Passing Our Catholic Faith on to Our Family / New Podcast! ~ Seeing Christ in Our Spouse & Children

13 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by in by Leane Vdp, Family Life, Parenting, Podcasts - Finer Femininity, Sacramentals

≈ 2 Comments

by Leane VanderPutten

I don’t know about you, but oftentimes I can feel a sense of urgency in myself. Maybe one of the reasons is that I am not getting any younger and there is much to accomplish in a short amount of time.

But lately it has been more focused, this sense of importance as time keeps ticking on…

I know all of us have seen the ravages around us of lukewarm Catholicism.

I just listened to a Eucharistic conference and the statistics are grim of the belief in our Lord in the Holy Eucharist…very grim. A staggering 75-80% of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence. We see casualness and indifference in the receiving of Him Who made us. And this is very widespread.

Were we to talk to an average Catholic, would they know how to say the rosary? Do they know about the importance of holy water, the scapular, St. Benedict medal and all the other treasures of our Faith?

Would they even believe in Purgatory??

It is a tragedy! They are not being taught!

That being so, it can be rather depressing to think of….and so, oftentimes, we don’t. After all, it is out of our hands.

Or is it?

Each day we have a priceless opportunity to pass on our Catholic Heritage to our family. Each day we wake to a brand new prospect of adding another stone to the foundation of the Faith in the little (and not so little) people in our lives. What are we doing about it?

I thought of this the other day as I filled up the Holy Water Fonts with Epiphany water. We aren’t always on top of this but lately it has been only me that remembers. I have older kids at home (the youngest is 17) and they are busy with many (good) things.

But it came home to me in rather a pressing way that I should be reminding them to bless themselves with Epiphany water on their way out the door. If I don’t impress on them the importance of this IMPORTANT tradition, they will not do it within their own homes…and the custom will die…with me.

Do we realize that, even though our own hearts may know these things, if we become lukewarm in passing this knowledge and these customs to our children, this radiant living of the Faith will die with us?

How unfortunate that would be!

So many opportunities will be lost.

Our children will lose out on gaining indulgences because they don’t know about them, of lighting blessed candles when there is a storm because they never thought of it, of celebrating Feast Days because it wasn’t done in their home, of offering Masses for our beloved dead because that wasn’t talked about.

They may not put on the Armor of God each day by saying their Morning Offering, using Holy water, wearing the scapular, the Miraculous and St. Benedict Medals…because they didn’t know.

The list goes on….

So, if we are going to get consumed with something, let it be the living of our Faith in our home. And let us pass this on to our families.

How? By living it in the home. It should be as natural as eating each day….talking about and living the faith.

Sure, there is only so much we can do. We don’t need to incorporate everything that is presented to us. That may make us crazy…which is not the goal.

But I do think we need to stand back and see if we have our priorities straight. Let us especially keep in the forefront of our life the learning, loving and living of our faith and this will, in turn, overflow into the lives of our families.

Maybe we should all be feeling that sense of urgency? Our family grows up quickly and will soon be forging their way into the world, hopefully following God’s will for them.

The greatest inheritance we can give them is the inheritance of a rich and positive experience of living our Catholic Faith in the home. Our Faith makes living worthwhile. And passing that on to our family is the very best gift we can give them.

And the greatest gift we can give our Holy Mother Church is faithful Catholics who continue to pass on the riches of our faith for generations to come.

There will be some things, of course, that very soon they will not want to do for her..dull, dreary things, fetching, cleaning, carrying. But these also they must be trained to do. The mother will often want to save time and trouble by doing them for herself, but if she does she will hurt her children’s character. She must train them young to work for others, to be unselfish, to give. -Dominican Nun, Australia, 1950’s

“Then, returning home, a husband can look upon his wife and children, or a wife upon her husband and children, and see Christ in them, and grasp something of the nobility and the deep goodness of Christian marriage and family life…”

“I am absolutely in awe with the beauty of this rosary. Aiding to the beauty is the true craftsmanship that is evident throughout. Having chosen this purchase to replace my rosary that was in need of constant repair, I am very satisfied with the structural integrity of this one”

“This is my fifth or sixth rosary I’ve purchased from Meadows of Grace. Every single one is so beautiful that it takes my breath away. Absolutely exquisite work! I also love how sturdy they are made…I’ve purchased other ones from Etsy previously that break constantly. I’ve never had that issue with a rosary from this store. Highly recommend!”

“Another custom rosary for me and exactly what I wanted! Leane’s work is impeccable quality and the finished rosary is beautiful!”

Beautiful, Durable Wire Wrapped Rosaries! Lovely, Durable. Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality. Available here.

Read these pages, and you’ll embark on the ultimate journey of discovery into what happens to the soul after death. You’ll read true stories of the dead who have communicated to loved ones from the great beyond; you’ll learn how the saints described their mystical experiences, and you’ll investigate stunning supernatural phenomena that remain unexplained by science.

Notably, Don Dolindo provides proof for the existence of Purgatory and explains what it’s like for the souls suffering there. Moreover, he describes the consequences of sin and how the souls in Purgatory are awaiting our sacrificial suffering to be released into Paradise.

Best of all, Don Dolindo offers spiritual wisdom that you can apply to your daily life and shows you how to prepare for a holy death and the glory of the world to come. He describes the remarkable mystical experience of the soul’s awe-inspiring entrance into Heaven and explains the unique power of Our Blessed Mother to help us get there.

You’ll also learn:

  • The most important prayers that help free the Holy Souls in Purgatory
  • Why even venial sin impairs our relationship with God
  • Why good works, almsgiving, and penances are powerful atonements for sin
  • Why we need Our Lady’s maternity, humility, and love for souls
  • Why the saints delight in interceding for us
  • The sublime ecstasy and complete fulfillment that await us when we behold the Holy Trinity in Heaven

The rosary, scapulars, formal prayers and blessings, holy water, incense, altar candles. . . . The sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church express the supreme beauty and goodness of Almighty God. The words and language of the blessings are beautiful; the form and art of statues and pictures inspire the best in us. The sacramentals of themselves do not save souls, but they are the means for securing heavenly help for those who use them properly. A sacramental is anything set apart or blessed by the Church to excite good thoughts and to help devotion, and thus secure grace and take away venial sin or the temporal punishment due to sin. This beautiful compendium of Catholic sacramentals contains more than 60,000 words and over 50 full color illustrations that make the time-tested sacramental traditions of the Church – many of which have been forgotten since Vatican II – readily available to every believer.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

2 New Christmas Story Podcasts & A DIY Activity ~ Christmas Pennants to Color!

09 Friday Dec 2022

Posted by in Advent/Christmas, Podcasts - Finer Femininity

≈ 1 Comment

In the fall, I did this post on the different sets of Pennants you could do for a school activity, I said I would have a set for Christmas for your children to color. Well….here they are!

Christmas Pennant Series

Here are some of the pictures, but just click on the link above and you will get the pdf to print them all out.

 

Supplies needed:

*My Pennant Series (links below)

This is the School Pennant Series

This is the Fall Pennant Series

This is the Religious Pennant Series

This is the Christmas Pennants Series

*Cardstock

*Crayons or Pencil Crayons (We used pencil crayons)

*Scissors

*Hole Punch

*Ribbon

I used light cardstock to print the pennants out.

 

Two New Podcasts from my book Advent and Christmas Cheerful Chats for Catholic Children! The book is available here.

Mrs. V. tells your children a special Advent story….”Joseph was of a generous nature, Thomas not so much. When the boys played games outside, Thomas always wanted to be first in the games. Joseph would give up his place to make room for someone else….”

Mrs. V. tells your children a special Advent story….”Philomena received a beautiful gift from her aunt for her birthday in Advent. It was a lovely black and red Spanish mantilla! It was perfect for Christmas and Philomena was excited to wear it for Midnight Mass…..”

And a previous podcast….

Christmas Stories are always fun for children, especially when they focus on the faith and what is important during this wonderful season! In this video, Mrs. V tells three Christmas stories that have little lessons surrounding the beauty of Christmas!

Even so, O Woman, within that world which is your home and kingdom, your face is to light up and brighten and beautify all things, and your heart is to be the source of that vital fire and strength without which the father can be no true father, the brother no true brother, the sister no true sister, since all have to learn from you how to love, how to labor lovingly, how to be forgetful of self, and mindful only of the welfare of others. -Fr. Bernard O’Reilly, 1894

Take a peek at these lovely Christmas aprons! Fully lined, quality material, made with care and detail. Available here.

Meet Saint Anastasia, one of the greatest Christmas saints and the Patroness of Martyrs. Take her hand and let her lead you to the Crib! When people think of saints that remind them of Christmas, Saint Anastasia is almost always forgotten. For centuries, this humble and unassuming martyr has remained hidden in the shadows of the stable. Yet of all the saints in Heaven, she is the only one whose feast day falls on Christmas itself! It’s about time she stepped forward and made some new friends!Join Saint Anastasia and her best friend, Saint Theodota, as they bravely prove their love for God and neighbor, even unto the sacrifice of their own lives. With charming full-color illustrations and easy-to-read text, this third book in Susan Peek’s new series for children (companion to her series for teens, “God’s Forgotten Friends: Lives of Little-known Saints”) is sure not only to capture the hearts of Catholic children everywhere, but to inspire and inflame them with a greater love for their Holy Faith and the saints who lived and died for it.

A baby reindeer longs for a name. Before his mother can choose one, invaders come and the herd flees . . . except for him. His wobbly legs are too weak to run. Captured and taken to a new land, the little reindeer yearns for escape . . . and for a friend. Meanwhile, as Christmas Eve draws near, a saintly bishop and a holy monk plan a surprise for the poor of their village. When problems arise, all seems doomed, until their paths cross with that of the baby reindeer . . . and a legend is born. “Saint Rudolph and the Reindeer is a delightful new Christmas story that the whole family will adore. The brilliantly creative Susan Peek has written a heartwarming tale that is destined to become a new family favorite. Taking her vast knowledge of saints, Peek has added a beautifully religious twist to transform a favorite children’s Christmas story into a holiday treasure.”- Leslea Wahl, Author of Award-winning The Perfect Blindside and An Unexpected Role “A loving God leaves no misfits behind! A warm and tender story of Christian charity and everyone’s favorite reindeer.” – Carolyn Astfalk, Author of the Christmas Romance, Ornamental Graces “I’ll definitely be adding this to my Christmas story-reading traditions and highly recommend it to other families.” – T.M. Gaouette, Author of Destiny of Sunshine Ranch

This post contains affliliate links. Thank you for your support.

 

 

St. Andrew Novena Starts Today!

30 Wednesday Nov 2022

Posted by in Podcasts - Finer Femininity, Prayers, Seasons, Seasons, Feast Days, etc.

≈ 2 Comments

This Novena starts today, November 30th!  Many blessings abound!!

From The Rosary and Gifts

A Favorite Christmas Novena ~
The St Andrew Novena

The Christmas Novena, the St Andrew Novena  (November 30th – December 24th), is I believe, one of the most popular Catholic Advent prayers.

My family and I love to say this novena each year in preparation for Advent. We offer the intention as a family intention, one we wish to gain for the family as a whole, and also a private intention, one that each one of us would like to gain like a particular virtue or help in fighting against a vice.

Because the prayer is longer than nine (9) days, and not quite 27, it’s technically not a novena or a set of novenas, but, because it is prayed ‘novena style’, that is, repeatedly for a set amount of days, it is referred to as a novena.

In my family, we have found that we remember to say the novena best when we attach it to our daily Rosary. We set the slips of paper that we have written or printed the prayer out on next to our Rosary bowl. I do know other families say this novena with their grace before dinner while they light the candles as part of their Advent wreath prayers.

The prayer can be said at anytime during the day, but if you have a regular time the whole family is together like for the Rosary, morning/night prayers, or at meals, it might be a good idea to say the novena at a set, regular time.

Imagine a child who loves you…he is willing to do just about anything in his power to please you.

NOW imagine the Christ-Child. He too is willing to do just about anything for you. Everything is in His power to do and to give, as long as the petitioned favor isn’t contrary to what Our Lord deems necessary for your eternal salvation. This is an important caveat that I have trouble remembering! 😉

In this Advent season of preparing for Christ’s coming, the St Andrew Christmas Novena is a loving way to prepare ourselves and our families.

St Andrew holds the honor of being the first apostle to be called by Christ to follow Him.

This novena is a bit different in that it does not invoke the intervention or aid of the saint himself, but is adoring, glorifying the hour of Christ’s birth and seeking aid from God Himself!

The novena is begun on the Feast of Saint Andrew, November 30th, and is said thru Christmas Eve, December 24th.

**(If you start late, or if you miss a day do not be discouraged! Catch up by saying the extra prayers you missed along the way….Jesus will bless every effort!)

St Andrew Christmas Novena

Hail and Blessed be the hour and the moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.  In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Recite 15 times per day. It is permitted to break it up and pray 5x’s in the morning, afternoon and evening, but for the sake of missing one of the times and forgetting, I prefer to say them all at once.

Prepare for Miracles!

This Advent Chaplet is to keep track of your 15 Christmas Novena prayers. It has a lovely brass crucifix, is durable and wire-wrapped to last for many Advents to come! Limited quantity. 🙂   Included is a laminated prayer card with the novena prayer on it. If you are interested click here.

Review: “Quality materials and workmanship. There will be no losing beads because the wire is beautifully woven in and around each bead itself. The box it came in had a handmade flower glued on it, inside a little ribboned gift bag with the prayer card. It could have been gifted as is. Shipped quickly.

An aside: This chaplet was quickly and accidentally adopted by my four year old because “It’s pretty so its prayers will be pretty.” Well, that isn’t quite the point but I love how little kids’ minds make connections. We prayed 15 Glory Be prayers that day, and the next day 15 little Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity.”

December Planner Printable! Print & Use each year!

~ Meal Menu/Homeschool Page ~ Daily Gratitude/Spiritual Checklist/Daily

Available here.

Review: “I have been looking for a couple of years at getting a pretty pricey Catholic planner. I had a very hard time justifying the cost because, “what if it wasn’t actually useful?” When I saw this I was super excited. I have a printer and the price point was perfect. Even going and buying a fancy binder and pretty paper doesn’t have me close to the other price. Some days I use every aspect and every blank and other days I’m lucky to get one line filled out. Because it is so beautiful and yet so price friendly I do not even have to feel guilty about those days I mostly miss! This has been a Godsend and I am eagerly awaiting the December download! Thank you Leane for another wonderful product!”

Welcome to your Traditional Catholic Printable Month Planner! This printable is for the Month of December and can be printed and used each year! *For personal use only ©Finer Femininity
Following the timeless Traditional Liturgical Calendar, each day you will be reminded of the feast day!
Daily, you will have your hourly planner schedule that you can fill in. There is a space for Daily Goals and an “I am Grateful For” space. Also included is a Spiritual Goals Checklist to remind you of the important foundation of your day!
A Monthly Meal Menu Page is included along with a Monthly Home School Page that you can print out according to how many children you are teaching.
A beautiful quote is on each day of the planner giving you something to think about…Quotes by solid Catholics with their timeless commonsense and knowledge.
Get yourself a pretty binder and you will have a lovely tool to assist you. Your life will run more smoothly as you plan in advance your daily duties…
(Digital Items are non-refundable.)

 

For those who have the Advent Journal, this is your November 30th page that has the heart that can be checked when you have said your novena for that day. Don’t forget! Printable Journal Available Here.

“Children must be taught constantly from their tenderest years to have a real love and friendship for their Angels, to have boundless confidence in them. They must be accustomed to feel and realize the personal presence of their Angels, to call on them in all their fears and troubles.” -Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, All about the Angels

Leane and Theresa from Finer Femininity discuss the lovely Catholic customs and traditions in the home during the Advent and Christmas season…

A unique gift! Make a statement with these lovely and graceful handcrafted aprons….fully lined….made with care. Aprons tell a beautiful story…..a story of love and sacrifice….of baking bread and mopping floors, of planting seeds and household chores. Sadly, many women have tossed the aprons aside and donned their business attire. Wear your apron with joy….it is a symbol of Femininity….”Finer” Femininity! Available here.

  • 24 Windows to Open
  • Find a Picture & Corresponding Bible Text Behind Each Window
  • Glitter on the Front
  • A Great Family Tradition
  • 11″x14″

  • 24 Windows to Open
  • Find a Picture & Corresponding Bible Text Behind Each Window
  • Glitter on the Front
  • Sits Easily on a Tabletop or any Flat Surface
  • Folds Out to Over 18″x9″

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Advent Giveaway! & New Podcasts: Where Did Advent Go & Advent Traditions ~ Maria Von Trapp

16 Wednesday Nov 2022

Posted by in Advent/Christmas, Give-Aways, Podcasts - Finer Femininity

≈ 53 Comments

New Podcasts!

This atmosphere of “hurry up, let’s go” does not provide the necessary leisure in which to anticipate and celebrate a feast. But as soon as people stop celebrating they really do not live any more–they are being lived, as it were…

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

“After our first gathering around the Advent light, and the singing of the first Advent hymn, an air of expectancy spreads over the family group; now comes the moment when the mother goes around with a bowl in which are the little cards with the names of the new saints….”

Advent Giveaway!

And Now…

I’d like to offer you a Book Giveaway!!

The winner will receive these lovely books to add to your book collection!

Just leave a comment here on this post and your name will be added to the “hat”! Winner will be announced next Wednesday, November 23rd!

You will get…

Advent & Christmas Package!

Advent Christmas Cheerful Chats for Catholic Children and Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas!

Advent & Christmas Cheerful Chats for Catholic Children:

This is a unique book of Advent and Christmas stories and devotions for Catholic children. There is nothing routine and formal about these stories. They are interesting, full of warmth and dipped right out of life. These anecdotes will help children know about God, as each one unfolds a truth about the saints, the Church, the virtues, etc.

These are short faith-filled stories, within the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Each story is followed by a few questions, a prayer, and a short poem enabling the moral of each story to sink into the minds of your little ones.

The stories are only a page long so tired mothers, who still want to give that “tucking in” time a special touch, or pause a brief moment during their busy day to gather her children around her, can feel good about bringing the realities of our faith to the minds of her children in a childlike, (though not childish), way.

There is a small poem and a picture at the end of each story. Through these small stories, parents will sow seeds of our Holy Catholic Faith that will enrich their families!

Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with Your Family:

These are short faith-filled stories, within the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Each story is followed by a few questions, a prayer, and a short poem enabling the moral of each story to sink into the minds of your little ones.

The stories are only a page long so tired mothers, who still want to give that “tucking in” time a special touch, or pause a brief moment during their busy day to gather her children around her, can feel good about bringing the realities of our faith to the minds of her children in a childlike, (though not childish), way.

There is a small poem and a picture at the end of each story. Through these small stories, parents will sow seeds of our Holy Catholic Faith that will enrich their families!

“For the families who begin to suspect that they have let their lives get too complicated with worldly cares, too much involved in secular values, too materialistic, living through the year with the Church is the stabilizer, the way to keep to first things first.
And for the families who conceal behind their front doors some hardship or cross, whether a suffering shared or inflicted or borne, the tempo of life in Christ as He leads the Church at prayer through the year is calming, enriching; it brings wisdom, sheds light, gives courage.” -Mary Reed Newland
Doilies by Rosie! These are beautiful, lacy, handmade doilies made with size 10 crochet cotton. They have been blocked and starched and are ready to decorate and accent your home decor.
“The quality & workmanship of this crocheted doily is superb! And the beauty even more so–I am so happy to be able to purchase a handmade doily just as lovely as my grandma used to make…”
Available here.

In this joyful and charming book, Maria Von Trapp (from The Sound of Music) unveils for you the year-round Christian traditions she loved traditions that created for her large family a warm and inviting Catholic home and will do the same for yours.

Mary Reed Newland wrote numerous beloved books for Catholic families, but The Year and Our Children is her undisputed masterpiece. Read it, cherish it, share it, put it into practice and give your kids the gift of a fully lived faith, every day and in every season.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Available Now! My 2 New Advent/Christmas Books! & New Podcast ~ Showing Up for Life

20 Thursday Oct 2022

Posted by in Advent/Christmas, Books by Leane, Podcasts - Finer Femininity

≈ 2 Comments

My 2 New Advent/Christmas Books are available!

All Books Available here.

Cheerful Chats for Catholic Children available here.

Reviews from my previous Cheerful Chats for Catholic Children:

“I’ve long been wanting a book on various virtues to help my children become better Catholics. But most books focused on the virtues make being bad seem funny or attractive in order to teach the child a lesson. I’ve always found them to be detrimental to the younger ones who’s logic hasn’t formed. This book does an awesome job in showing a GOOD example in each of the children with all the various struggles children commonly struggle with (lying, hiding things, being grumpy, you name it.) But this book isn’t JUST virtue training… it’s also just sweet little chats about our love for God, God’s greatness, etc…
And the best thing of all? They are SHORT! I have lots of books that are wonderful, but to be honest I rarely pick them up because I just don’t have the time to read a huge, long story. These are super short, just one page, and very to the point. The second page has a poem, picture, a short prayer and a few questions for the kids to get them thinking. It works really, really well right before our bedtime prayers and only takes a few minutes at most.”

“If you like ‘Leading the Little ones to Mary’ then you will like these… they are a little more focused on ALL age groups, not just little ones… so are perfect for a family activity even through the teenage years, down to your toddler.”

“I bought this for my children this past Christmas and they love the stories. I highly recommend this book to any Catholic family. The stories are short and engaging so it is easy to read one every night, but I especially love the lessons they teach. This is a wonderful book!”

“Love it! Love it! Love it! A grace filled book that gives young children a faith perspective, more of a God’s eye view if you will, of daily events. All the ups and downs of life are considered in relation to Christ and His Blessed Mother. My own grandchildren love hearing these tales every night. The stories give them hope, security, and understanding. My own hope is that this author writes many, many more books!”

 

Advent & Christmas Cheerful Chats for Catholic Children

This is a unique book of Advent and Christmas stories and devotions for Catholic children. There is nothing routine and formal about these stories. They are interesting, full of warmth and dipped right out of life. These anecdotes will help children know about God, as each one unfolds a truth about the saints, the Church, the virtues, etc.

These are short faith-filled stories, within the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Each story is followed by a few questions, a prayer, and a short poem enabling the moral of each story to sink into the minds of your little ones.

The stories are only a page long so tired mothers, who still want to give that “tucking in” time a special touch, or pause a brief moment during their busy day to gather her children around her, can feel good about bringing the realities of our faith to the minds of her children in a childlike, (though not childish), way.

There is a small poem and a picture at the end of each story. Through these small stories, parents will sow seeds of our Holy Catholic Faith that will enrich their families!

🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

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!

** Coloring pages are the property of Finer Femininity. You are welcome to copy them for your family exclusively. Enjoy!

🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

Package Special: Cheerful Chats & 12 Days of Christmas available here.

🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

Special Bundle: Cheerful Chats, 12 Days of Christmas, Advent Journal, Celine’s Advent

available here.

🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

NEW PODCAST!

When we are on our deathbed, it won’t be how much we have accomplished, how clean our house is or how many Christmas cookies we baked…. It will be: Do I go to the door to greet my husband when he comes home? Do I take the time to listen to him? Did I take time out to look and listen when the kids were talking to me? Did I read them a bedtime story? Did I make sure they said their prayers? These are the priorities…

“We’re terribly in danger all the time of taking God’s goodness too much for granted; of bouncing up to Communion as if it were the most natural thing in the world, instead of being a supernatural thing belonging to another world.” – Msgr. Ronald Knox, 1948

A very valuable book for the guys plucked out of the past and reprinted. It was written in 1894 by Fr. Bernard O’Reilly and the words on the pages will stir the hearts of the men to rise to virtue and chivalry…. Beautifully and eloquently written!

A very beautiful book, worthy of our attention. In it, you will find many pearls of wisdom for a woman striving to be the heart of the home, an inspiration to all who cross her path. You will be inspired to reconsider the importance of your role of wife and mother! Written by Rev. Bernard O’Reilly in 1894, the treasures found within its pages ring true and remain timeless…

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Are You Available? & New Podcast ~ Sadness: Causes and How to Overcome

10 Monday Oct 2022

Posted by in Catholic Home Life, Motherhood, Podcasts - Finer Femininity, Virtues

≈ 4 Comments

I am a doer. I like to be accomplishing something at all times. I have my to-do list written out (most of the time) and I have a hard time sitting still.

So this book, Hands Free Mama, has been valuable for me. It reminds me of my priorities…what could be more important than my family? To be present to them is the most important thing of all!

So….be available to your children. Work hard on it. It will be the one thing that will matter most to you when you enter your golden years….that you have not put your dear ones on the back burner!

Here is an excerpt from Rachel’s book:

Are You Available?

by Rachel Macy Stafford, Hands Free Mama   Blog: Hands Free Mama

When my daughter received the DVD boxed set of Little House on the Prairie for her birthday, I was nearly as excited as she was. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve cuddling with my family as life in Walnut Grove played out on a static-lined television screen.

Yet when I looked at the discs and realized there were forty-four Little House episodes, my first thoughts were very Non – Hands Free.

I looked at that collection of DVDs and saw forty-four opportunities to be otherwise highly productive. Although my inner drill sergeant doesn’t hold as much authority as it once did, that demanding voice of productivity and efficiency still tries to tempt me to the other side — straight into the arms of distraction.

Just think how much you could get accomplished while the girls watch Little House. They will not make a peep for the entire fifty-minute episode, and in that time you could easily knock several items off your to-do list!

But my Hands Free inner voice gently reminded me about what really mattered. This is your chance to sit your constantly moving body down on the couch, hold your daughters, and be a part of their world. Don’t blow it.

So after dinner the following Friday night, we put on our pajamas, popped popcorn, grabbed the softest blankets we own, and pushed the Play button on episode one, “A Harvest of Friends.” I was the first to find a spot on the couch.

And just as my backside hit the leather, my two children drew to my sides as if they were being sucked toward me by the world’s most powerful magnet. One child magnetized to my left, the other to my right.

Not even the tiniest popcorn kernel, should it fall from our hands, could come between this solid mass of togetherness.

Sit on the couch much, Rachel Stafford? I decided this was not the time to berate myself for not doing more couch time with my children.

It was time to enjoy this moment, the one I chose over dishes, laundry, writing, cleaning, emailing, or multitasking all five activities at once.

I had gotten this choice right. And I got the following forty-three consecutive episodes right too. I stayed true to the promise I made myself.

Little House means family time, and my children are fully aware and delighted that we do this together. For that fifty-minute period, I am not a moving target that my daughters have .01 percent percent chance of hitting.

Instead, I am available to sit there and simply love them. I don’t really like to think about it too much, but my older child will only live in my house for ten more years. Ten years. That’s nothing — the blink of an eye.

And if I continue darting about the house, going from one activity to the next for the remaining ten years, I can be sure of one thing: I will not hear my children’s thoughts, questions, revelations, troubles, or triumphs.

Because here’s some reality: No child wants to talk to the back of a parent’s head. No child wants to make an appointment to get a little of a parent’s time. No child wants to talk to a parent who can’t look up from distraction long enough to make eye contact.

Thanks to an experience shared by a blog reader, I’ve been given some insight about what children do want from a parent.

My eighteen-year-old son who left for college in August called me on Sunday night. After we had the “How are classes going?” conversation, the “How much money is in your account?” conversation, and the “Do you have any clean laundry?” conversation, he said, “I really miss you, Mom.”

I was thinking, Yes, I’m sure you do miss me — washing clothes and making dinner.

It was then that I asked him, “Oh, yeah, what do you miss about Mom?” His answer was simple, but it stunned me. “I miss just talking to you. You know, at the end of the day, when we were both home . . . I miss talking to you.”

Before I knew it, I was crying. Of all the things I had done for him as his mom, the thing he missed the most was talking to me.

A few days after reading this, I was gathering activities for Avery to do while we sat at Natalie’s swim meet. Normally I would have packed my writing folder, but it struck me that maybe this was not an opportunity to check something off the list . . . maybe this was an opportunity to be available.

I left my work at home and instead brought a few of my daughter’s favorite books and a snack to share.

Avery spent a lot of the time just sitting on my lap — a lap that, for once, was empty. We had the most wonderful conversation and snuggle time.

As my legs grew numb under the weight of her body, she turned to me and said nine of the most blessed words I have heard since beginning my journey to live Hands Free. “This is the kind of mom I always wanted.”

By “this” I knew exactly what she meant.

Present

Attentive

Still

Available

 Available

Completely available to love her.

“So even if he’s around most every day, why not light up when he walks in the room? Tell him how handsome he’s looking today…. How glad you are to see him. A big hug and maybe a bit more. Put on your sweet face and say nice things. Be like a breath of fresh air to him.” – Lisa Jacobson, 100 Way to Love Your Husband https://amzn.to/2tyHWTp (afflink)

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