Viva San Giuseppe:: 2013

We double dipped on our celebrations yesterday.
Starting with Mass in the morning we offered our prayers to our new and quickly loved new Papa, Pope Francis.
Then we kicked out the school books and traded them in for a computer monitor and EWTN.
My gosh, how cool was that watching the inaugural Mass of Pope Francis?
And my kids actually got into it!  I mean really, it took me all the way until Pope Benedict's inaugural Mass for me to feel the significance and beauty of the moment. (Oh yes, you are reading from a late bloomer in Catholicism here)

Then at around 1pm, I evolved into an 'Italian Momma'.  Our kitchen was filled with the yummiest of smells.
Garlic, onion saute in rich butter
Anchovies melting in olive oil and garlic
Breads baking in the oven

Oh, it was a good time in the kitchen I tell you.

In honor for the supper Lucy and I were preparing for the familia;

All of this done because it was the

Feast of St. Joseph.

Patron saint of families and fathers

Patron saint of carpenters

Patron saint of 3 of the males in our family.

A few years ago our family began a personal devotion to St. Joseph.  Since that first dinner in 2010 we've had a few variations to the St. Joseph Altars

(like this one and this) and the meals we serve. 
All good of course.
 How can you go wrong with pasta!

I would have loved to have purchased this bottle of wine, but I couldn't justify the cost right now.  So I improvised... using what we had in stock, yes we like our wine here; I just made up a quick new label.

~ Our Menu ~

Prosciutto wrapped cheeses

Antipasta Salad

Minestrone

Meatballs

Pasta Milanese

Assorted breads

(ladders, nails, hammers)

&

dessert!

(St. Joseph's  Sfinge were planned and started;  they became the victims of an overzealous oven.)

Thus, we had ice cream and Key Lime pie

The altar for St. Joseph was kept simpler this year.  It felt right to leave it as it was, we just added a few more pieces of tools and the Italian sodas that was served to the kids.

The star of the night, was the food and the dads we had as guests.

Max went scavenging for tools that resembled most to what St. Joseph may have used.  There isn't a close up but he grabbed these long nails, several hand saws, hammers and mallets.  Scattered throughout the table with the breads and bread crumbs sawdust, the table looked so pretty. 

I also printed out St. Joseph prayers for each of the dads.  They, then read the prayers over dinner.  I could tell that two were kind of shy about it, plus the font I used made the prayer more difficult to read.  Oops.  They read them though and it was a highlight of the night.

Glimpses to the breads made by Max and Cecilia

We couldn't have dinner without a dish in honor of Pope Francis

Argentinian Empanadas

The recipe is courtesy of my very-proud-Argentinian friend.  Who said "all would be well, we have an Argentinian in Rome". 

Silly guy

The history behind the St. Joseph altars is decades long.  Evaan over at the Virtual St. Joseph Altar blog has kept a virtual/online version of the altar up since 1999.  It's a huge dedication and tribute to this chaste and humble saint.

We all would be so much better off in imitating his loyalty to Mary, his courage and humbleness.  I personally look to him for many reasons. Asking his for intercessions often.

Holy St. Joseph, Spouse of Mary,

be mindful of me, pray for me, watch over me.

Guardian of the paradise of the new Adam,

provide for my temporal wants.

Faithful guardian of the most precious of all treasures,

I beseech thee to bring this matter to a happy end,

if it be for the glory of God,

and the good of my soul.

Amen

It's the 4th Annual St. Joseph Altar Blog Fest

Click on over to Evaan's site for the linky to the blog fest.

A Sweet St. Valentine Gala

Banners, cake, a story and lots of sweet faces!

I'm glad the projects were started early.  One day a cricut machine will 'magically' appear in my house; and make the crafts a whole lot easier.

Our St. Valentine Gala was yesterday.  A few days prior to the actual feast day, but since the 14th landed at the start of Lent, and on a Thursday (crazy days for us); an early celebration was the best idea ever!

I made the banners using each a picture of each child.  Then I wrote a verse from the bible regarding love around the hearts.  All together the banner looked really cute and they were scattered through out the living room and dining room.  A gift for each family to take home and place in their own space.

We had the focus of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary as well as St. Valentine.  Keeping this feast Catholic is always important, especially in these times were in.

When the kids arrived, it was PARTY time!

We first read the real reason for St. Valentines' Day.  As, I'm told by my Lucy (who was celebrating a very grown up Jane Austin Valentine Tea down the street) I get into my 'teaching' modes easily.  Hey, aren't I a home schooler?  So, yes we talked briefly to the kids about true love.

Loving the way God loves.

Love is hard.

Love takes work.

Love should be cared for.

Love should be shared.

Because we have the best example of what love is, and how to love.  We have Jesus on the cross.  We have the knowledge that God so loved us, that he created each of us to love and be loved.  He loved us so much that he was willing to die for us.

Beautiful LOVE!

We promptly went from reading and talking to EATING

and crafting!

Each child planted an ivy around a wire heart.  I had meant to decoupage the images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary.  But, I couldn't find my decoupage stuff.  To bad too because the images were so cool!

But during the planting, I told the kids that like this ivy, if we care for our faith by staying close to the sacraments and Jesus our faith would grow just like the ivy. 

Strong. 

Vibrant.

We just didn't have food and crafts though.  There was a scavenger hunt.  What were they hunting you ask?  Rabbits? Eggs? Dogs?

NO!

They went hunting for HEARTS!

Each heart had a number on it.  Once all the hearts were found they had to line up in according to their numbers.  That was funny!  Who would have thought that finding the #3 and where he should go would be so hard...  Us moms just laughed; they received NO help from us.

The hearts had a verse from

1 Corinthians 13: 1-13

Each child had to read aloud the verse written on their heart. 

This was cool!

Ending our day with the St. Valentine exchange and play-play-play

 

  

 

It was an awesome afternoon among friends!

Dear Saint and glorious martyr,

Teach us to love unselfishly and to find great joy in giving.  Enable all true lovers to bring out the best in God and in each other.  Love.  Love is patient and kind, it doesn't envy or boast and it's never pround.  Love is not rude or selfish.  It doesn't get angry or keep track of wrongs.  Love doesn't delight in bad things, but it rejoices in the truth.  Love always protecdts, trusts, hopes, and preservers.

Love never fails.

St. Valentine, Pray for us!



A Divine Mercy Sunday ::

O salutaris Hostia
Quae caeli pandis ostium;
Bella premunt hostilla,
Da robur, fer auxillium.

Uni trinoque Domino
Sit sempiterna gloria,
Qui vitam sine termino
Nobis donet in patria. Amen

What a blessed Divine Mercy Sunday we had!  Gifted by the priest, deacons, and parishioners of Guardian Angel Catholic Church.  This little church, hidden in the midst of the projects, holds gold.  A wealth of faith, led by faithful priest. 
 

 On this day, the community gathered within her doors. 

Together, as a church, we knelt before our Lord of lords.

 

Down in adoration falling,

This great Sacrament we hail;

Over ancient forms of worship

Newer rites of grace prevail;

Faith will tell us Christ is present,

When our human senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,

And the Son who made us free,

And the Spirit, God proceeding

From them Each eternally,

Be salvation, honor, blessing,

Might and endless majesty.

Amen

 

We followed in procession.

We followed Him

 

Our 3 priest

led their flock around the projects of Pacoima.

Singing hymns of praise

 

Until we reached each home

Praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

We were welcomed by these families

who not only opened their doors to us;

but also opened their homes, their hearts, to Him.

Imagine the onlookers as he passed?

Those that couldn't or wouldn't come out?

We prayed for YOU too!

We offered our little sacrifices for YOU!

We were there for YOU too!

♥ HE was there for YOU ♥

So many of us felt the healing of His mercy.

We were covered in what only He can offer!

In this short afternoon

watching my son

among our friends

In his presence!

Oh the JOY!

His mercy!

Endless!

Thank you, Guardian Angel parish.

Thank you, to the Society of Guardian of the Altars,

and their director, Mr. M. Feliz

Thank you, Mary Santos for your lovely pictures and your gift of photography!

Thank you, Fr. Steve and Fr. Freddy!

Please pray for these holy priests.

Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts

Thank you!

Holy God, we praise thy name;

Lord of all, we bow before thee;

All on earth they scepter claim;

All in heaven above adore thee.

Infinite they vast domain,

Everlasting is thy reign!

 

Hark, the loud celestial hymn;

Angel choirs above are raising;

Cherubim and Seraphim,

In unceasing chorus praising,

Fill the heavens with sweet accord:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord!

St. Joseph, Pray for us!

St. Joseph, how wonderful it is to celebrate your feast day today.  You who showed love and complete trust under great difficulty.  You who accepted the gentle words from God's messenger without hesitation.  You serve as an example, you and our Mother Mary, of a holy family.  We've remembered your past days with lots of food, altars adorned with gifts for the hungry, gatherings and treats.  Today, as you know, we've scaled down the celebration.  But just a bit.

The children are coloring sheets, they are building and creating pieces for a little altar, and dinner will be an old favorite.  All for you!

Continue to pray for our families, dear St. Joseph.  Pray for our husbands, as you are the example and patron of fathers.  Pray for the men in our our lives; our fathers, husbands, brothers, uncles, father-in-laws, sons, and friends. 

My little working bees!



Our resources:

1.   3D Mini Altar and coloring sheets;

thanks to Evann for first inspiring how we celebrate San Giuseppe's feast day.

2.  Past post from St. Joseph's Feast Days;

 here, here, and here

Dinner for tonight

Minestrone Soup

Creamed Raspberry Cupcakes

Happy St. Valentine's Day

♥ To you all ♥

Dear Lord, who art high in the Heavens,

Giver of Love and Passion,

And He who strings the heart’s cords,

Lead the Lovers this day, February ten plus four.

The day during the month of two,

When the date is the perfect number of God

Greater two souls and two hearts.

Some Loves are fleeting ,

But that which is built on you will never fail.

So guide the Lovers to know what is to be.

Your truths the Lovers’ mouths should speak,

For Your truth is that which is honest to the heart.

Only this, then, should pass over the red lips of the Lovers.

Your art, the Lovers simply a medium.

It is only with True Hearts that You can create a Masterpiece,

So let the Lovers remember that their Soul’s Desire

Is the one for which You light their Fire.

And let it be You who creates the Art of the Lovers;

The art of two into one.

Amen.

Yet, I haven't been able to post one single picture or comment. 

We've been busy with learning.

We've been preoccupied with visiting and being with family.

We've begun a new adventure,

which we are praying brings a joyful change.

All is as well as we can hope!

God continues to bless our days,

even when

I don't seem to notice ;-)

Para Nuestra Virgencita de Guadalupe

Traditionally, we greet the dawn on the feast of Nuestra Virgencita with Mass and Las Mañanitas.  The local panaderias are packed in the early morning and in most kitchens there is the familiar smells of champurrado or hot ponche.

We awoke to sing to nuestra Virgencita!

Request her prayers

(a special request was made as a good friend has lost her mother today)

After our Little Flowers meeting & Lucy's Hospitality Program at her Nina's;

we feasted on a nice dinner

Fajitas de Pollo

Arroz Rojo con aguacate

Tortillas de Harina

Pan Dulce

&

Hot Champurrado

Cecilia couldn't wait to eat her pan

As mentioned over @ Catholic Cuisine

Champurrado is a thick Chocolate drink, served hot and made with corn flour (masa harina, I like to use Maseca).

Most Latino households have one version or another of a champurrado recipe (or receta).  Really they'll vary between families. 

But basics stay the same

Ground Masa

Chocolate

A form of Sugar

Cinnamon

Whole Milk & Water

My mom has her own version.  She has never written her recipe down and I always forget the ingredients.  There are like 20 something items in hers. 

My MIL's comarde has a recipe that....shhhh don't tell my mom....but it's super duper good!!! 

My SIL uses that recipe, and again I've never written it down.  I just depend on the goodness of their kitchens to make me some. 

Honestly, I just need to write these recipes down once and for all.

Here is one that I think taste pretty good (with some variations) from the web:

* Ingredients *

3 cups of water

2 cinnamon sticks

1 anise star

¼ cup masa harina

2 cups whole milk

½ disk Mexican chocolate,

chopped (Abuelita or Ibarra chocolate) more if you like your drink richly chocolate.

note: you can use a semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate if you can't find either of the two mentioned above.

3 ounces piloncillo, chopped or 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (if you can get the piloncillo don't substitute)

* Directions *

In a large saucepan boil milk with the two cinnamon sticks and anise star. Remove from the heat, cover and let the cinnamon sticks and anise star steep for about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and anise star, return to low heat and slowly add the masa harina to the warm milk, whisking until combined. If you happen to have a molinillo, use it; it works better than the whisk.
Add water, chocolate, and piloncillo next.

Continue to whisk away. 
The masa in the drink can easily burn and ruin the whole batch, low heat and a continuous whisk will keep it from burning.

Continue to heat until boiling; reduce the heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Don't walk away from the pot though.  And I would continue whisking until you serve.

(This recipe is pretty easy and can be adjusted to your taste.  Some like their champurrado thicker than others do.  Add less or more milk for the thickness.  I wouldn't add more water.  Some like to add ground cloves.  Some like to do the mix of the masa and milk in a blender.  The options are totally open)

However you observe December 12th isn't the important part.  It's knowing that Our Lady is with us praying for us and taking those request to Jesus.

Dios te salve María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor es contigo bendita tu eres entre todas las mujeres y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre Jesús

Ruega Por Nosotros, Madre de Dios