Wee Proclaim

I don't think it was until my second child turned 2 that I suddenly realized, "Hmm, I haven't been praying much." I tried getting up early to pray, but found myself falling asleep over my prayer book. I tried having prayer time during my two girls’ afternoon naps. That worked until the arrival of baby #3. 

I wondered, “Was St. Paul actually serious when he said we should ‘pray without ceasing?’” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) I can't even begin, it seems, so I haven’t even gotten to the ceasing part.

Here's a handy how-to guide on the Jesse Tree Advent devotion! This family prayer tradition begins on the 1st day of Advent and takes some pre-planning, so it's helpful to start thinking about it in November. (The 1st Sunday of Advent in 2017 falls on December 3.) .....

The Jesse Tree presents this family history of Christ in a series of ornaments hung on a small “Jesse Tree.” Children are naturally drawn to these simple representations of the Bible stories, many of which they have heard their whole lives, and now get to see strung together into a single storyline leading up to Jesus’ birth.....

When I was around 7 or 8, my parents called a family conference and told us that there would be no Christmas presents that year. We were welcome to make gifts for each other, but there was not enough money for my parents to buy us anything.

She told me that she was writing down 3 things that she was thankful for each day; 3 ways in which God had expressed His love for her. This made an impression on me, because, to my naive college mind, it seemed odd that anyone might find it difficult to be thankful. Later on in life, when I encountered more of life’s troubles, I learned first hand the effort it can take to be thankful. It’s hard to accept Christ’s love for us most especially when times are hard.

“Why are there three purple candles and one pink candle?”

I gave a quizzical look to my then-five-year-old – it was the third evening in a row she'd come to ask me the same question while setting the table in the dining room, where our Advent wreath was. Had she forgotten my previous answers?

Let’s admit it. “Short” is not the first word that comes to mind when we hear the word “Rosary.” However, the Rosary truly is short. It compresses an entire day of prayer (the Liturgy of the Hours) into a few minutes--perfect for families, students and working people. And children.

"This child's guardian angel loves her very much." She told me with slow and deliberate words. Then she walked away. I knew that her words were true. But I also understood that this special love existed in part because Annie was faithful in her communication with her angel.

It happens every time one of my children is ill: My heart starts racing, and I wrack my brains over what could be causing the illness. My anxiety inevitably reaches a level to where I wish I had a substitute mother, someone to whom I could say: "You’re the mama now. You do the worrying. I'm going to leave for a while. Just let me know when everyone is OK again."