Prayer for the feast of St. Thomas a Becket

Taken from the Roman Missal. Feast Day December 29. ( I know we are late. Better late than never! )

O God, for the sake of whose Church the glorious Bishop Thomas fell by the sword of ungodly men: grant, we beseech Thee, that all who implore his aid, may obtain the good fruit of his petition. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

From "The Times Book of Saints" ~ " Thomas excommunicated several bishops who had coronated young Henry II without respect to his rights as archbishop of Canterbury. For Henry II that was the last straw. 'Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?'he shouted angrily. Feeling commissioned by the king. four knights went to Canterbury to kill Thomas. "

Although Thomas Becket had not always lived like a saint, he died like one. David Hugh Farmer

To celebrate the Christmas season, this afternoon we are singing carols around the tree and saying a few prayers. Thomas is making Christmas cookies -
Coconut Macaroons from the Catholic Culture site - in honour of St Thomas a Becket.

We'll eat these after the movies - we are going to the late afternoon showing of Night at the Museum.

Kickboxing.

The majority of my workouts are kickboxing.

This is not to say that I don't do other workouts or workouts with weights - I do.

But kickboxing - mostly Taebo and Turbo Jam - is the mainstay of my fitness routine. And, hey, they have weight training routines, too!

You can imagine my joy at receiving two Taebo Live workouts for Christmas. These workouts have so much energy, so much fun, great music. They are OOP but I am trying to collect them secondhand - and found two on Amazon sellers to go under the Christmas tree.

So the last few days these have been my workouts. And Turbo Jam Punch Kick Jam today.

I love the endorphin rush. I feel high while kicking and punching and doing floorwork to "My Sherona." Killer ab work seems easier when singing along with Berlin's " On the Metro." Or keeping on going, yelling and singing, to burning butt work with "Boogie Fever" or "Momma Said Knock You Out."

Taebo in particular has all the three components of fitness - cardio work, strength or resistance training and flexibility.

Last Christmas I received the book "The Taebo Way" as a present - it is also OOP but we got it secondhand.

On the way in the mail is another OOP fitness book - FIRM for Life - I love the old FIRM Classics and Crosstrainer workouts. Want to read the book. Sometimes older is better.

I also have all the old Jane Fonda workout books. :-)

But today at Borders, I bought a new book on fitness - in keeping with my kickboxing passion.


Gleason's Gym Total Body Boxing Workout for Women.

It looks like fun - and has a great quote from actress Hilary Swank.

Swank trained at Gleason's Gym for the film Million Dollar Baby.

She told "Sports Illustrated" - I see many parallels between boxing and life. You have to stay in the moment, or you get hit. You have to let everything go...and you have to stay humble.

Just the same abilities that we homeschooling mothers often want to develop - living in the moment, letting go, being humble...

Night at the Museum

We want to see the new movie - Night at the Museum.

It is based on a children's book - I wonder if I can purchase a copy?

There is a junior novelization available - see here.

I think Dymocks will probably stock this copy...

The Holy Innocents.

Today's feast is the feast of the
Holy Innocents.

These are the children mentioned in St. Matthew, ii, 16-18:

Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Our Franciscan parish is having a Mass today for the Holy Innocents, with Bishop Fisher from the Archdiocese of Sydney in attendance.

We are very blessed with regard to our parish and priests.

According to A Continual Feast, it was customary in Europe of old to serve "baby food", typically gruel or cereal, to the youngest person in the family or monastery or convent.

I wonder if Anthony would like me to buy him some baby food!

December 26.

The Feast of St Stephen and also Boxing Day.

We read about the tradition that the boxes placed in churches where parishioners deposited coins for the poor, were opened and the contents distributed on December 26 .

We sang Good King Wenceslas.

Tomorrow is the Feast of St John.

We will be having glasses of wine ( non alcoholic or otherwise ), decorated with lolly snakes.

Why?

Legend has it that the Emporer Domitian attempted to kill St John - by ordering him to drink a cup of poisoned wine. St John took and blessed the cup, and the poison slithered away in the form of a snake.

Merry Christmas to all!

A few Christmas snippets.

Snapshots.

Two presents ~ Gerry gave me the gift of enrolment in the Franciscan Mission Association ~ sharing in the prayers and sacrifices of the Conventual Franciscan Friars, being remembered in their Masses.

And I gave Gerry the book Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Pope John Paul II. Thanks, Cindy, for the recommendation. :-)

Photo with Father Christmas..

Embracing Christmas.

An article, with quotes from Pope Benedict XVI ( then Cardinal Ratzinger).

Christmas, Sacred and Secular

"The hectic commercialism is repugnant to us,” wrote Cardinal Ratzinger, “.... And yet, underneath it all, does it not originate in the notion of giving and thus the inner urgency of love, with its compulsion to share, to give of oneself to the other? And does not the notion of giving transport us directly into the core of the mystery that is Christmas?”

It began as a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day...

Have you read the book
Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?

Well, today started like that. It has a happy ending, however.

My mum has had breast cancer. I have mammograms every year just in case.

Well, today there were suspicious areas during the mammogram. I needed an extra ultrasound. I needed extra tests on top of this.

While waiting for the tests, I felt extremely mortal.

The results became available while I was at work. My kind doctor and even more kind husband relayed the results to me, at work, as soon as possible.

Suspicious areas benign.

Yay!

This good news, coupled with Reconciliation tonight, and then healthy low fat Subway take away for dinner ( no guilt!), made my terrible, horrible no good morning fade.

This evening is spectatcular. :-)

Deo Gratias.

I am a grump.

A grinch.

My Advent work has been to work on being nice always when speaking to my children.

I am failing . Terribly. Horribly.

I don't know what is wrong with me, but the more I try to speak well, even in trying situations, the more I fail.

I can relate to St Paul, on doing not what I ought but what I don't want .

Horrible morning this morning, getting ready for the pool and Group Learning end of year party.

I have apologized and the day was good but my manner of speaking irks me.

During the final session of the Advent programme tonight, Br. mentioned that God gives us all the graces we need, through the Sacraments and especially in the Eucharist.

Well, duh, I know that but, duh, I don't remember it all the time.

Sigh.

I need Reconciliation - thank heaven tomorrow is the Second Rite of Reconciliation at our church, before Christmas.

I may be failing my Advent work but, hey, I am not failing life. I have the Sacraments and God's grace.

Hope your Advent is blessed and joyous. :-)

Our cooking/crafts for today.

Workouts accountability.

Monday - Turbo Jam Fatblaster; Turbo Jam Ab Jam.

Tuesday - today - Turbo Jam Cardio Part Remix and perhaps Ab Jam ( running late with workouts as we went to 7.00 a.m. Mass and then breakfast out as a family. I ate low fat!).

Probably something with weights tomorrow - I've seen myself in my new swimsuit. Whew! Need weight training.

Eating - okay. So-so. The only downside of being a Kumon Education Supervisor is that all the students keep on giving me foodie presents. :-)

Our books.

Three of the finished books.

In order, top to bottom ~

Alexander: A Book of Essays ( three essays on topics dear to Alexander's heart. Mostly music . :-) )

Anthony: The World of Amlyka ( a short history of an imaginary, fantasy country)

Thomas: The Not So Naked Chef ( a chatty cookbook, inspired by Jamie Oliver).

Fr's homily yesterday, ...

...on Gaudete Sunday .

One of the things Fr. mentioned was ~

God is in the extraordinary.

God is in the ordinary.

I like the thought.

I am worrying about some medical tests this week and need, instead, to remember God .

A few of our favourite things..

Thomas and I baked a St Lucy crown ( braided bread), belatedly, for the feast of St Lucy.

We decorated our windows with Christmas pics.

This week, we have been renewing our acquaintance with carols ~ singing in the car, at the dinner table, around the house.

Listening to our Christmas CDs.

I spent part of yesterday and today on shopping for Christmas - presents, food, drink. I love shopping and I love choosing gifts for others!

Our family went to see the film The Nativity. I know this has been a controversial film for some, but we really enjoyed it. I will buy it on DVD to add to our Advent/Christmas movie drawer.

The scene with the Magi adoring the Christ Child will stay with me .Touching.

We attended the Christmas Spectacular at the church of several of our homeschool friends ~ our friends' daughters were dancing in the show, a stylized version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The girls did a fantastic job .

A funny ( or not so funny) Advent happening...Anthony lit the Advent wreath candles before dinner to night. As he lit the rose candle for Gaudete Sunday, big flames arose. He set fire to the wreath!

Its okay - we salvaged the wreath - and laughed and laughed. We had a visitor for dinner, a girl my teens are friendly with, and she laughed, too. In shock??

More favourite Advent-y Christmas-y things?

Our older sons arrive on Friday and Nick has sent me a message - have some frozen Margaritas ready. :-) We are making some Christmas goodies, too, for nibbles.

Tuesday will be the day to put together our Gingerbread House and I will try my hand at baking a Christmas cake. Uh-oh.

On Christmas Day, we are having friends over and in early January, more friends from interstate.

Don't you love this time of year?

On, and workout wise - FIRM Volme 1, Taebo BASIC Live, Turbo Jam Ab Jam..

Jonathon and Alexander

We are finishing our home made books. Meanwhile, Gerry is covering the books from years past in clear, protective contact. And, naturally, while he is covering we are re-reading and perusing these books.

Jonathon found a book he and Alexander "wrote and illustrated" when they were age 5 and age 2 1/2, respectively.

This is the pic from the blurb - see, Jonathon was taller than Alexander! Once upon a time...

Today.

Workout: FIRM Classic Volume 1 ( again - hey, if you're on a good thing...)

Activity: Iceskating with other homeschoolers, music lessons for T and Anny, work for J and A, Kumon prep for me, youth group Xmas party for the teens.

Food: Last night I ate chocolate ( hits self over head). Today on target and the scales show a 200g loss since last week. Celebrate small miracles!

Advent activity: Scripture reading, Xmas list making.

Reading: well, I am reading C.S. Lewis On Faith; Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum ; The Daughter of Time ; Throw Away Your Scales ( on fitness and dieting).

Kids? J - Witness to Hope; A - Crossing the Threshold of Hope ; T - St Louis de Montfort ; Anny - God's Secret Warrior.

Gerry? The Screwtape Letters.

An Advent thought

From Miracles by C. S. Lewis.

" The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation."

A nice thought to remember during the busyness of Advent and Christmas and end of year activities and during the summer season.

Remember the miracle. :-)

Today's workout...

The FIRM Classic - Volume 1. I have this one on DVD - it is a bit cheesy, from the 80s, but a very effective areobic and weight training workout.

I didn't have time for the full 60 minutes today - homeschool teen group party on this a.m. - but I did about 45 minutes, maybe 50 minutes with the abs section.

Thanks Kristina for reminding me about this workout!

My eating has been okay to day, too - so far within calorie limits. :-)

How about you?

Our dinner table.

Last night, we all sat down to dinner together. At home. To a home cooked meal. Early, to fit in attendance at our parish's Advent programme.

We lit the candles on our Advent wreath.

We read the next slip of paper on our Advent calendar - St Lucy; sing carols.

Thomas and Anthony chose a carol each for us to sing.

Then followed discussion.

How was everyone doing with their Advent reading? We shared the highlights to date of our reading - two of us are reading some of C. S. Lewis . We discussed some of his books, his life, his friendship with Tolkien, his marriage. His description of Christianity in the book Mere Christianity.

Our discussion moved onto Advent and penance. How were we doing with our Advent work, working on our behaviour?

A couple of us have blown it and took heart in the fact that Advent is not yet over and we still have time to work on our areas of concern.

I was one of these. I am resolving not to raise my voice wth my children during Advent. As my boys pointed out last night, my version of raising my voice is probably the normal way that many mothers speak all the tme - the boys hardly consider it a raised voice at all.

But I do. When I am stressed or busy I do speak sterner and in a harsher voice. It is this I want to stop.

Rejoice! Advent is not over and neither are our good works!

Our final discussion was on boy/girl relationships. This was meant specifically for the teens, due to recent issues. However, it was important for the younger ones to also be included in the discussion - they will have to face similar issues one day. How do we approach our relationships as Catholics? What about physical issues and avoiding temptation? Why? What are the principles involved?

Wow, all this while eating.

Multi tasking indeed.

My workout today.

Holding myself accountable - I really need to work out hard every day, to counter all this holiday eating.

I did Taebo - Billy's Blaster Ball workout.

And had a blast with the stability ball and the 3kg dumbells.

I'll try to commit to posting my workouts and to watching my eating, over the festive season. All right?

Want to join in?

Santa Clause 3

We took the kids to see this movie last night.

We've seen both Santa Clause 1 and 2 - and 1 is still my favourite. I love Tim Allen in that role.

Santa Clause 3 was fun - not super but definitely a nice family movie.

Especially if you do the whole Father Xmas thing ( we do).

And if you like group hugs. :-)

Our Parish Christmas Carols.

The Friars sang...

And Jonathon and Alexander played guitars in the youth band....

Many great acts and fun with friends and carols.

A Continual Feast

I am already thinking about next year.

Homeschool and Kumon next year. A feast of ideas.

What is our vision?

What has worked in the past?

One year, we followed along the liturgical year using the book A Continual Feast.

Each month, I pulled out the book and read through ideas and recipes for the Saint Days, the ideas for Ordinary Time, Lent, Advent.

I jotted plans.

And we cooked and wrote a lot that year.

Actually, I am thinking of doing that this forthcoming year, again.

Why? Well, the current homeschoolers in this house were very little then - and one wasn't even born. I know the older ones got a lot out of our "Year of Continual Feasting" and I would like to try it again with the younger four boys - esp before Jonathon is off and away with more responsibilities when he turns 18.

I have also ordered a couple of other books that I think will add flavour to our year -

Understanding The Scriptures: A Complete Course On Bible Study (The Didache Series)

100 Activities Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church: For Grades 1 to 8

My Catholic Advent And Christmas Book

My Catholic Lent and Easter Activity Book: Reproducible Sheets for Home and School

We will be reading the My Story
books for Aussie history - Gerry has been reading these this year and has really enjoyed the series.

And probably do more activities related to movies, from my book Teaching With Movies.

And Alexander wants more Science.

Plus Kumon and whatever the year unfolds...

But first lets journey through Advent, Christmas, summer activities.

And finish our book making projects!

Thomas and Anthony, writing their novels. :-)

We put up our two Xmas trees on the weekend..

Here is the sitting room tree.

Our Advent Wreath

Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum

I was tidying bookshelves yesterday and found my copy of this book (DYOCC).

I started reading it here and there. Instead of tidying, of course. :-)

I flicked to the section "The High School Years."

The author, Laura Berquest writes " The high school years present a special challenge for many homeschooling parents. Often the parents I speak to express real trepidation about homeschooling through high school. Since my own experience of homeschooling older students has been rewarding, I want to assure parents that it can be done, and it can be done well. Further, I have found these years to be, in certain way, the most pleasant time I have had with my children."

To be honest, I have a soft spot for the home educating lifestyle in a family with toddlers, preschoolers, children in the early grade.

But I also love to hang out with my teens.

Mrs. Berquest continues:

"High school age students are ready to give themselves to high and noble things. Their growing love of the poetical is a sign of this newly felt response to the good, the pure and the beautiful. We need to appeal to this desire in our students by making available to them objects that are proportionate to their desire. They are capable of nobility, and we should encourage them to pursue it. "

What noble things can we present to our teens? DYOCC discusses art, music, theology, service, literature. I would add movies - we watch our fair share of "rubbish" but find noble ideas, things to discuss, in many films.

Berquest also mentions the need for uninterrupted quiet.

This is something I know we need to work on - allowing clear space in our days and weeks for quiet time and for prayer.

From DYOCC:

"Since youngsters of this age are still in formation, this period of their life should not be only, or even primarily, concerned with outside activities, however good those activities might be. In terms of both education and prayer life, high school age students need periods of uninterrupted quiet in which they can think and pray.

While it is true that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink, it is also true that if you lead a thirsty horse to water, he usually will drink. Your child's prayer life is not unlike that. You cannot make your teenage son or daughter contemplative and prayerful, but you can encourage him or her to be so by providing the time for daily Mass or weekly/or monthly holy hours...Think about ways to help your children make the faith their own, both intellectually and by pious practices."

We try to attend Mass as a family - this week it was Tuesday evening for the weekly St Anthony Mass, Friday might for the Immaculate Conception, today for Sunday Mass.

Jonathon, Gerry and I attended the Advent programme on Wednesday - and we discussed the ideas with the rest of the kids.

We try to attend Reconcilation as a family each month.

We prayed the novena for the Immaculate Conception and are now praying together a Christmas novena.

And we are working on our failings , being accountable to one another over this work, during Advent.

( Btw, I failed today, before Mass. :-( . I blew it, in a quiet way.)

However, just being together for prayer and the sacraments has an influence, I think.

Seeing each other work on areas and dust ourselves off and try again is a help.

I hope. :-)

M.N.O.

Last night we attended Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Mass was beautiful - our family loves the whole incense thing.

And Father gave a very thoughtful homily on Our Lady and on the Immaculate Conception.

Three of our sons and a friend went to youth group ( late) after Mass - and I was a bit sad to see that they were the only kids from youth group who attended Mass. I thought it would have been nice for youth group to attend en masse and then to continue with usual youth group activities or a party.

I went to M.N.O. - ( homeschool) Mother's Night Out. It was the annual Christmas present steal - and a lot of fun! A few friends and I formed alliances to help with our "stealing" of presents.

I also tried a very yummy mini Christmas pudding.

An internet search this morning revealed three different recipes - I think Thomas and Anthony and I will try one of these!

Mini Xmas Puddings
Mini Xmas Fruit Puddings
Xmas Pudding Truffles

My new favourite quote

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy! And happy people just don't shoot their husbands!" Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde

Erudite Limpets.

Last night, inspired by the discussion at our parish Advent programme, we shared thoughts on heaven and earth, hell and purgatory.

We pondered God, perceptions of God and perceptions of the states of heaven or hell.

I was reminded of C.S. Lewis' analogy of "erudite limpets." I read this section a few nights ago, as part of my Advent reading. And shared the story of Lewis' erudite limpets with Gerry and the kids.

The boys were intrigued by the analogy and the discussion.

The "limpet" discussion is from Miracles. Lewis likens our own experience of defining God to that of the erudite limpets in defining Man.

"Why are many people prepared in advance to maintain that, whatever else God may be, He is not the concrete, living, willing, and acting God of Christian theology? I think the reason is as follows.

Let us suppose a mystical limpet, a sage among limpets, who (rapt in vision) catches a glimpse of what Man is like. In reporting it to his disciples, who have some vision themselves (though less than he) he will have to use many negatives. He will have to tell them that Man has no shell, is not attached to a rock, is not surrounded by water. And his disciples, having a little vision of their own to help them, do get some idea of Man. But then there come erudite limpets, limpets who write histories of philosophy and give lectures on comparative religion, and who have never had any vision of their own. What they get out of the prophetic limpet’s words is simply and solely the negatives. From these, uncorrected by any positive insight, they build up a picture of Man as a sort of amorphous jelly (he has no shell) existing nowhere in particular (he is not attached to a rock) and never taking nourishment (there is no water to drift it toward him). And having a traditional reverence for Man they conclude that to be a famished jelly in a dimensionless void is the supreme mode of existence, and reject as crude, materialistic superstition any doctrine which would attribute to Man a definite shape, a structure, and organs. "

Photos.

Here are Thomas and Anthony at their music recital last Sunday.

Thomas played "The Entertainer" and Anthony 's piece was "Fur Elise".

On the way to the car after the recital, we discovered a rosella on a grevillia bush. What an attractive sight - we couldn't resist a snapshot.

The Daughter of Time

by Josephine Tey is one of the ( many) books I am reading this month.

This is a re-read.

I first discovered Tey in high school English class.

Since then , I have read all her novels and re-read several - especially " The Daughter of Time" (1951), my first introduction to the author.

The novel is a mystery novel with a difference. It is engaging. It is a cleverly constructed detective history.

Tey recreates one of history's most infamous crimes - the murder of the princes in the tower by Richard III. Inspector Grant, of London on the 1950s, is on his sick bed and decides to pass time by attempting to solve the historical crime.

An intriguing mystery book, on the search for truth and for honesty in history, with Tey's clever writing and memorable comments.

"There are...far too many words written. Millions and millions of them pouring from the presses every minute. It's a horrible thought...It might be a good thing if all the presses of the world were stopped for a generation. There ought to be a literary moratorium. Some Superman ought to invent a ray that would stop them all simultaneously. "

St Nicholas

Today we had a very small meeting of Catholic homeschoolers ( and one ex homeschooler :-) ) at our house. We prayed the Rosary. Fr. organized an Advent Blessing, including the blessing of the Advent wreath. We shared food - and talked away the afternoon while the children played.

Then I had to tidy up and do some work for my Kumon centre.

And tomorrow is the feast of St Nicholas. Our Advent activity calendar states "Make cookies for the feast of St Nicholas."

We are making the cookies from here. But probably not in the shape of the Bishop St Nicholas. :-)

We have made these cookies before on this feast day in previous years, and can vouch for their tastiness.

We will also read, yet again, The Miracle of St Nicholas by Gloria Whelan.

And do some Maths and Kumon English. And my Kumon phone calls. And Homeschool Group Learning. And deliver the local newspaper with Thomas and Anthony. And the Advent programme at church for the we older three. And pray the novena for the Immaculate Conception.

Hopefully, a fruitful feast of St Nicholas.

More unschooling voices.

The latest Unschooling Voices is out - it describes the fun experiments, activities, projects undertaken by unschoolers .

I hope to follow up on some of the links this week...

1st Sunday of Advent

As Advent unfolds and as Christmas approaches, our life gets busier - plain and simple.

Most days we have two or three or (four) extra things on.

Highlights of this last week include the parish BBQ ( Gerry and the kids and I did some of the work involved), Kumon meetings, Group Learning, several medical appointments, Thomas' birthday with a party in the morning and a dinner in the evening, a flying visit from son Greg, Gerry in Canberra, the Advent programme at our parish, shelving at Kumon on the weekend, an early Christmas party, Thomas and Anthony's piano concert today, a staff meeting today, Advent preparations.

It doesn't slow down this coming week, either.

Dh ~Gerry ~ says that I am known for my tendency to fit a 36 hour day into 12 hours.

This tendency magnifies during Advent and Christmas.

I like to be busy. Truly. I like to both be and do.

However, as the busyness increases, I am aware of my need for peace. Of my family's need for peace.

I am taking time each day for me - my workout time. I am working out harder to make up for all the extra eating occasions that occur at this time!

I also resolve not to give in to the temptation to match my busyness with a corresponding increase in short temperedness with dh and the kids.

I resolve to be peaceful in my interactions with my dh and children. At peace but not necessarily quiet ~ I wouldn't want to shock them!

I resolve to be peaceful in my interior life, to continue with my Advent reading ( C.S. Lewis this year).

And so I am adopting this prayer for Advent:

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury,pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen

We have this prayer on a plaque and today I rescued the plaque from the depths of our hall cupboard. The plaque is going to live in our sitting room during the Advent season.