COCONUT WATER: A Much Healthier Alternative

In our household we've always had fruit juices or water, never softdrinks.  I'm very happy to say that none of our kids have taken to drinking carbonated, sugary drinks; and that the only time they might have a sip is if we were at a place or gathering where there is nothing else to drink but those. 

Nevertheless, fruit juices - no matter how much they are advertised as being fresh or sugar free - are never guaranteed to be additive-free nor fresh.  And then there's that all-important question of whether it is made from organic fruits or disease-causing, genetically modified franken-fruits!  So really, although we try to stay away from softdrinks, we are still not entirely happy with giving our children these purchased fruit juices.

Recently, however, we've been doing some research into coconut oil (prompting us to make a major shift from using extra virgin olive oil to extra virgin coconut oil); and from the same suppliers, I tried other coconut products including their "coconut water" which I quite liked - both in terms of the taste and the reported benefits.  We don't buy it very often, however, because 5 x 300 ml bottles sets us back $17.50 plus shipping costs because it is only available online, thus far.  This means 1 bottle costs about at least a hefty $3.50!!

Today, though, I was in our local organic grocery store and was pleasantly surprised to discover that they now stock coconut water.  And what's more, along with a few different brands, including the one we previously used, I came across "Coconut Essence" in huge cans of 520 mls for $2.99, so I decided to load a few cans into my trolley.  But on my way to the counter, my jaw nearly dropped to see that they were being sold in cases of 24 cans for 60 bucks!  Wow, this means each huge can only cost $2.50 compared to the small bottle for $3.50!  Needless to say, I grabbed myself a whole case, resolving to go back in a day or two for a few more.

Up until today, fruit juices (purchased from the store, although there was a time I would not let the kids drink anything other than juice that I squeezed myself!) constitute most of our beverages at home, but I am definitely very pleased to say that this will change, much sooner rather than later - for the better.  Compared to those reconstituted, processed, additive-loaded (and who knows what else!), supposedly healthy "fruit" drinks, I would certainly go for coconut water for its several nutritional benefits, even if admittedly, they will cost a tad more.  Oh well, at the end of the day, it is such a small price to pay for the family's better health.

A Day of Thanksgiving

Yesterday (February 27) was a special day for the whole family because we celebrated 2 occasions:  Roadrunner's 7th birthday, and our 14th Wedding Anniversary.  For us it was a day of tremendous gratitude and thanksgiving to Our Loving Lord for all the undeserved gifts He has been lavishing us and our whole family over the years.

To celebrate the day, we all spent sometime in adoration before the Lord, exposed (late afternoon), and we attended Holy Mass in the evening.  Dinner out with close family friends followed and when we got home we gathered 'round Roadrunner and his birthday cake and sang him a hearty Happy Birthday.

Last week, to mark our anniversary this year we sat for our family portrait which we like to do every so often.  We all enjoyed the exercise as it usually involves dressing up for the occasion and trying to look nice in photos that we will be keeping together with memories in years to come.

taken early evening before heading to the studios

Our Wedding Anniversary Prayer

Loving Lord Jesus, we thank You for giving us another year together.  We thank You for sustaining the precious love that we have for each other, and for strengthening the bonds which draw us closer each day.  We thank You, not only for the joys we have known together, but also for the pains that You allow us to face in order to fortify us in spirit.  Most of all, we thank You for the wonderful gift of faith that has enabled us to grow together and come through the trials we encounter. 

Loving Lord, we ask pardon for any shortcomings on our part:  for the times when we do not cooperate with Your grace:  for being unforgiving or unwilling to ask forgiveness, for justifying our faults when we fall short of doing our best in the performance of our duties in our vocation and state of life, for failing to look to You as our Sole Saviour in everything. 

We especially pray for our son (Roadrunner), whom You sent us 7 years ago as a very special gift to show Your love and faithfulness to our family.  We thank You for the privilege of being parents to him and to the rest of our children.  We pray that he may grow up in Your image - in all he thinks of, says and does.

Dear Mother Mary, we thank you for guiding us toward your Son.  We entrust our children to you, to love them and always keep them under your mantle.  We ask for your powerful intercession and help so that they may be nurtured and formed into the kind of people they were created to be.  We pray that they may be given the grace to discern God's will and purpose for their lives, and for them to have the generosity of heart so that in response to God's calls, like yourself, they may always say "Fiat voluntas tua!."  Amen.

First Confession / Communion Resource Found!

We were very excited to have received a promotion from Pro Multis Media (another good Catholic Resource Shop online) about an upcoming audiovisual aid scheduled for release in the next few weeks:  the "Our First Communion DVD"  based on a book by Msgr William Kelly published in 1925.

Because we have a First Communicant this year (Roadrunner) I have started pulling out our available resources for First Communion /Confession Preparation.  This will be such a great addition to it. 

Apparently, Pro-Multis Media are taking pre-orders  now for the DVD, so we've put in our order as soon as we received their promotional email a couple of days ago.  Apart from our first communicant, we are all very much  looking forward to when it is finally released and when we receive our own copy!

Ash Wednesday 2012

Wow, Lent has crept up on us so quickly.  I know I keep going on about time flying by and that I never seem to get on top of things, but I swear - we have not even put all our Christmas decorations away!!!  (Yup that tells you a lot about my organizational skills, but with another bub on the way and a handful of kids running around, etc..   hmm excuses, excuses..)

Ash Wednesday came and went without much preparation from us, I'm ashamed to say..  (We even missed out on doing anything for Shrove Tuesday!  :(  But because we did quite well last year, the kids did not need much to remind them about the why's and how's of Lent.  I only had to pull out the materials we used and put them in position and voila!  they knew what to do.  Thank God, indeed.

Our Ash Wednesday was highlighted by evening Holy Mass at St Stephen's Cathedral, getting our foreheads crossed with blessed ashes, and also receiving Jesus sacramentally - which we will need in order to strengthen us in this time of great calling.  Although we wanted to spend a holy hour with our Eucharistic Lord, we could not locate our swipe card for the Villa Maria Adoration Chapel, sad to say, so we were not able to get access to the carpark or the chapel (which is closed after business hours - for security reasons.)  But one of our resolutions this season is to bring ourselves back to Wednesday evening holy hours, so we hope to either find the card or procure a new one in time for next Wednesday.

As aforementioned, we are using the same materials as we did last Lent with minor adjustments, one of which being that on the big cross we put the words "Our Sins Nailed Him to the Cross"  in order to emphasize that Jesus suffered severely and died a most horrible death because of OUR sins, and that every offense and transgression we commit, knowingly or otherwise, hurts Our Lord.

Our "Crown of Thorns and Nails" centrepiece now sits on our dining table (with the 2nd set on Our Lady's altar, just as they were last year) and so is our "Lenten Share" jar for almsgiving. 

Although it is only the start of Lent, the children have managed to pin up a few "sins" on the cross already.  (When I become a little more organized - hopefully not much farther into the season - I'd like to get multicoloured pushpins so we can allocate a colour for each one - only to let that particular child be aware of his/her need to make more effort to avoid making the "wrong" choices.  Having said this, they all seem to be enthusiastic about doing good deeds to pull out thorns on Jesus' Crown and making some sacrifices to earn "jewels" to adorn our Lord's Crown of Resurrection come Easter time.

"Prayer Charts" have been brought up as a good Lenten material because our 2nd grader, Roadrunner, went through it during one of his Religion activities.  Hence, in the next few days the children will have their own prayer charts organized to post in a conspicuous area to aid them in enriching their prayer lives.

Webster also proposed to make Lenten Resolution Mobiles, much like the ones they made a couple of years ago, so we plan on getting those done in the next few days, as well.

As always and like everyone else, we are faced with so many struggles, seemingly moreso during Lent, which present us with obstacles in fulfilling our resolutions and promises to Our Lord.  But with the help and intercessory prayers of Our Blessed Mother and our patron saints, we shall be aiming to persevere in our efforts.  With Lent being such a wellspring for graces, we cannot possibly pass up this opportunity to avail ourselves of such gifts from Our Loving Lord.

FOR RESIGNATION IN TRIBULATION

Tuesdays and Thursdays in Lent

O Mary, Queen of Martyrs, Mother of God, and my most loving Mother, humbly prostrate at thy feet I dedicate myself to the compassion of thy Sorrowful Heart, which was plunged into such an abyss of woe and humiliation, and at the same time was such a prodigy of meekness, of patience, of charity, and of all virtues. O beloved Mother, this sacrifice of thy Heart was offered to show me the inestimable price of humiliations, to teach me that I too must take up my cross and follow my Jesus in the way of suffering, which is the true way to Heaven. Alas! until now I understood it not, and instead of following Jesus, I separated myself from Him, to run after honors and pleasures. Henceforward it shall not be so; I will follow Him, bearing whatever crosses He may be pleased to send me; I will imitate thee, the true model of invincible patience; I will accept tribulations with Jesus and thee, to be united with Him Crucified, and with thee, and that the more, because my sins were the cause of thy sufferings and His.


But thou knowest, my enemies never cease from attacking me and laying snares before me, to lead me astray from the royal way of the Cross. Do thou, therefore, O tender Mother, strengthen me, sustain me, and ever keep before me both thy sufferings and the example of thy fortitude. Obtain for me that I may ever have a lively faith, a firm hope, and an ardent charity, and that, being comforted by the remembrance of thy Sorrows, I may willingly accept the chalice of my tribulations, thus faithfully and cheerfully to accompany Jesus in His Sufferings. And in the great passage from time to eternity, do thou assist me in a special manner; deign to come with Jesus to mine aid; obtain for me that I may invoke thine and His most sweet Names, saying with my lips and my heart, "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony; Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I die with Thee in peace." Amen.   (Silent reflection... three Hail Mary's)

O Mother most Sorrowful, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Today we remember Our Lady of Lourdes and how she appeared to the poor, uneducated peasant girl St Bernadette Soubirous this day in 1858 to exhort people all over the world to be vigilant in prayer and penance.

Hubby and Webster had gone camping for the weekend, but we chose to stay behind to join the celebrations for Our Lady's feastday.  Except for Bobbles, the 3 other kids had dressed in white for the occasion as we were requested earlier to get them to join the children's group in the procession. 

Recitation of the Holy Rosary then Holy Mass preceded the procession which commenced at the St Stephen's Cathedral and concluded at the Villa Maria Adoration Chapel. 

At our chapel, before leaving for St Stephen's Cathedral

After Holy Mass, the procession starts.




Titos Boyet, Ben and Leo carrying Mamma Mary's float

 

Blue balloons for Mamma Mary

With Ate Janet..

"Have we much farther to go??"

With Ate's and Kuya's at Villa Maria

Back home, we watched the movie "The Song of Bernadette" and later on the kids got into some colouring-in of pictures of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Bernadette.

Quotes from St Bernadette Soubirous:

"I must die to myself continually and accept trials without complaining. I work, I suffer and I love with no other witness than His Heart. Anyone who is not prepared to suffer all for the Beloved and to do His will in all things is not worthy of the sweet name of friend, for here below, love without suffering does not exist."

"O my Mother, to you I sacrifice all other attachments so that my heart may belong entirely to you and to my Jesus."

 "From this moment on, anything concerning me is no longer of any interest to me. I must belong entirely to God and God alone. Never to myself."

O Maria, sine labe originali concepta, ora pro nobis, qui confugimus ad te.

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel!

Advent is always a special time for obtaining graces and a great time of anticipation and excitement especially among the children for the big event that is to come:  the Birth of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

The key to helping children prepare their little hearts and minds for such big event, as many would already have experienced, is through the use of several activities, interactive exercises, games and visual reminders.

THE CRECHE

The family Creche is a classic symbol for the season and what we are preparing for.  Whilst the figures are laid for the children to see and be reminded of the wonderful story of Christmas, the manger remains empty to emphasize the great anticipation for the Birth of Christ.  Come midnight of the 24th, the figure of the Infant Jesus will be passed around amidst singing of the "O Holy Night" or "Silent Night" until the end of the song and whoever the figure ends up with carefully places the little Baby figure on Its manger.



JESSE TREE

A beautiful family tradition we have started a few years ago is the adaptation of the "Jesse Tree" which is a great tool for teaching the children about God's love and the stories of God's relationship with His people from the time of Creation leading up to the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ - Our Redeemer into the world to reconcile His fallen people to Himself.

For us this tradition and the use of the tree and symbols have evolved in terms of materials and scriptural readings used, fundamentally to make it simple and understandable for all our children, regardless of the age.  This year we have utilized a "tree" planted in a pot covered in purple (advent) fabric.  We decorated the tree with 5 bows:  3 purple (to represent the 1st, 2nd and 4th week of Advent), 1 pink (for Gaudete Sunday) and 1 white (Christmas day).  The ornaments have been made such that they look like little "stained glass" ornaments hanging on the tree.  Perspex sheets (about 3-4 mm thick) have been cut to size and beautiful pictures were drawn on them to depict the stories discussed nightly from the 1st of December to 16th, and then the symbols for the O Antiphons which are chanted/recited from the 17th up to the 23rd.

December 1 - CREATION - Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-4

December 2 - ADAM AND EVE:  Genesis 2:7-9, 18-24

December 3 - FALL OF MAN:  Genesis 3:1-7 and 23-24

December 4 - NOAH:  Genesis 6:5-8, 13-22; 7:17,23, 24; 8:1, 6-22

December 5 - ABRAHAM:  Genesis 12:1-3

Stars for Abraham - to symbolize God's promise that his descendants will be as many as the stars in the sky

December 6 - ISAAC:  Genesis 22:1-14

December 7 - JACOB:  Genesis 25:1-34; 28:10-15

December 8 - JOSEPH OF EGYPT:  Genesis 37:23-28; 45:3-15

 December 9 - MOSES:  Exodus:2:1-10

December 10 - SAMUEL:  1Samuel 3:1-18

Temple for Samuel - to symbolize where he was called by the Lord

December 11 - JESSE - 1Samuel 16:1-13

 December 12- DAVID:  1Samuel 17:12-51

December 13 - SOLOMON:  1Kings 3:5-15, 16-28

December 14 - JOSEPH:  Matthew 1:18-25

December 15 - MARY:  Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38

December 16 - JOHN THE BAPTIST - Mark 1:1-8

O ANTIPHONS

From the 17th of December,  as the anticipation for the big event intensifies, the Church and families recite or Chant the O Antiphons.  They express our great longing for the coming of our Saviour and the great Gift that the Christ-Child is about to bless the world with.  The underlying theme of the O Antiphons is the majesty of the Redeemer, His wisdom, faithfulness and sanctity, His justice and mercy, His covenant with His chosen people.  They point towards his power and love as King and Saviour of the world and His relation to every person as Emmanuel, God-with-us.

December 17 - O SAPIENTIA (O Wisdom) - Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus) 24:2, Wisdom 8:1

The "all-seeing eye" represents the all-knowing and ever-present God. During the late Renaissance, the eye was pictured in a triangle with rays of light to represent the infinite holiness of the Trinity. The lamp is a symbol of wisdom taken from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25.

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviterque disponens omnia:  veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

O Wisdom, Who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly, Come and teach us the way of prudence.

December 18 - O ADONAI (O Lord and Ruler) Exodus 3:2; 20:1

The burning bush reminds us of the time the Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses on Mt Sinai.  The 10 Commandments are used to represent the whole of God's law, the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible, the Torah), or the entire Old Testament.

O Adonai, et dux domus Israel, qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti:  veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with outstretched arm.

December 19 - O RADIX JESSE (O Root of Jesse) - Isaiah 11:1-3

The flower which springs up from the root of Jesse is another figure of christ.  Isaiah prophesied that the Saviour would be born from the root of Jesse, that He would sit upon the throne of David, and in Christ this prophecy is fulfilled.

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

O Root of Jesse, who stands for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: Come to deliver us, and tarry not.

December 20 - O CLAVIS DAVID (O Key of David) - Isaiah 22:22

The key is the emblem of authority and power.  Christ is the Key of House of David who opens to us the full meaning of the scriptural prophecies, and reopens for all mankind the gate of Heaven.

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israël, qui aperis, et nemo claudit, claudis, et nemo aperuit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens; Come and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

December 21 - O ORIENS (O Radiant Dawn) - Psalm 19:6-7 (Or Psalm 18 in older bibles)

Just as the natural sun gives light and life to all upon whom its rays fall, so Christ, the Rising Dawn, dispels darkness and brings eternal life and light.

O Oriens, splendor Lucis aeternae, et so justitiae; veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Dawn, splendor of eternal light, and sun of justice, some and shine on those seated in darkness, and in the shadow of death.


December 22 - O REX GENTIUM (O King of the Gentiles) - Apocalypse 15:1-4

The crown (and sceptre) signify Christ's universal kingship.  As we sing in the fifth O Antiphon, Christ is not only the King of the Jewish nation, but the "Desired One of all," the cornerstone which unites both Jew and Gentile.

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum; veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

O King of the Gentiles and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one; Come, and deliver man, whom You formed out of the dust of the earth.

December 23 - O EMMANUEL (God With Us) - Isaiah 9:2-7

The manger reminds us of the simplicity and poverty surrounding the birth of Jesus and is representative of His life of humility.

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum; veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Saviour:  Come to save us, O Lord our God.

Our little Jesse Tree showing some of the ornaments

JESUS' MANGER

As in the past, we are using the wooden manger that hubby constructed some years ago; although this year (instead of using the small manger in the Creche), we are using this bigger one for the children to earn straws to line the manger.  As an added emphasis, apart from earning straws for each good deed, they also have to place pebbles / little stones on the manger whenever they choose to do something wrong - to help them understand that any little offense hurts Jesus. 

What an exciting time Advent is, indeed.  We thank God for little opportunities for earning grace that he allows us to have.  For children, using materials and symbols are always excellent tools and resources to help them internalize the gift that we are about to receive; and really live the experience of preparing their little hearts for the coming of the Christ-Child.  And at this stage, we pray that come Christmas Day, we will have prepared the little mangers in each of our hearts ready for Jesus to take His rest.

Veni, veni, Emmanuel;  captivum solve Israel!