As I’ve worked with Formed to bring this show to life, my focus has always been family-centered content. I wanted to create a show that is not only good to watch together but ALSO goes beyond the time you spend watching and allows you to discover ways for your family to experience the faith in a deep and life-changing way.

I hope that as you and your children watch this episode together you are able to plan your feast together too!

You can watch the Fat Tuesday episode exclusively at Formed.org.

Access to all the great Catholic audio and video resources on FORMED is free if your parish has a subscription.

Signing up for FORMED is quick and easy.  Just follow the simple instructions below. 

1. Go to formed.org/signup

2. Search for your parish by Zip Code/ Postal Code. Click on your parish. 

3. Register with your name and email address

4. Check that email account for a link to begin using FORMED

If your parish doesn’t offer FORMED, you can sign up for a free 7-day trial of the individual membership, and if you choose to keep it, it’s just $10 per month.

THIS EPISODE’S RECIPES

Fat Tuesday – February 21st

Authentic King Cake

Cheater King Cake

Hurricane Mocktail & Cocktail

Louisiana Shrimp Etouffee

Boeuf Gras Sundaes

FEATURED PRODUCTS

Mardi Gras Party Kit

Printable DIY Mardi Gras Mask {FREE Digital Download}

Wooden Alleluia Sign

Feast Day Prep Squad Apron

Lent Booklet

Printable Lent DIY Bundle

Missed the last episode?

If you’d like to see more episodes, please consider watching, commenting, and sharing the links with your friends, family members, parish and school/homeschool groups.

We had such fun making these!

Special thanks from me to the awesome CAY at Home team.

• Leo Severino, executive producer, you might know him from Bella (2006) and Sound of Freedom (2022)
• John Haggard, producer and director, also Dean of Students and Faculty at my kids’ school
• Elizabeth Mirzaei, director of photographer/editor, academy award-nominated documentary filmmaker known for Three Songs for Benazir (2021) and also my YouTube videos
• Charley Blum, director of photographer/editor, JP Catholic alum
• Jennifer Rueda, makeup, wardrobe, set design, and fellow homeschool mom
• Keeley Bowler, production manager, also CAY marketing manager and homeschool mom
• Brian Battles, colorist, also visual effects for Star Wars and Star Trek and Transformers movies

They’re all super talented and super Catholic and it’s an honor to collaborate with them on my little show. Have you watched it? I’d love to hear what you think!

The post Catholic All Year at Home, Ep. 3: Fat Tuesday appeared first on Catholic All Year.

Lent, you guys. Here it comes again. Late this year, but coming nonetheless. I’ve written about how my general approach to Lent has changed over the years:

I used to labor under what I think is a pretty common misconception about Lent: that we are supposed to be miserable for these forty days. But, really, that’s not the right way to look at it. Lent isn’t a time to try to punish ourselves into being deserving of God’s grace. (Especially since that’s not possible, at Lent or any other time.) Lent is a time to try to be our best selves, to take up new practices that lead us towards God and to leave behind practices that distract us from God.

The Catholic All Year Compendium p160

I think a great focus as we head into Lent is the concept of detachment. Lent is an opportunity to prove to myself that I don’t NEED or DESERVE my little personal crutches and rewards.

The big personal and family adjustments we make as voluntary Lenten disciplines certainly didn’t come easily at first. These days, while my kids don’t love it, they ARE expecting it, and it’s not such a big deal. But it was a very hard adjustment at first (it took us three years of trying to actually succeed at not watching TV during Lent) and it’s still a somewhat hard adjustment every year.

So, what’s worked for us? What has allowed our family to manage to live without our two big attachments (treats and screens), for over a decade of Lents now?

Easy: Cheating and compromise.

Really. And I think it’s totally legit, too. This is the approach that’s really helped me and the rest of my family manage to conquer our voluntary Lenten disciplines, year after year, and to benefit from that during the rest of the year.

CHEATING

We have recourse to Sunday. This was the single biggest “cheat” that initially helped me succeed at giving up my personal biggest attachments. Six weeks feels like a LONG time, six days isn’t so bad. I know people have strongly held differing opinions on this, but it’s a fact that Lent on a calendar is 46 days but “Lent” is 40 days long. Our voluntary Lenten disciplines were always voluntary anyway, so it’s not “breaking” any Lenten requirements to plan to indulge on Sunday in something we’ve given up for Lent (as long as it’s not an immoral thing).

Back in the olden days of the aughts when I first started trying to take Lent seriously, it was a genuinely big concern for me that the TiVo was going to eat my episodes of Heroes and Lost and The Office and what would I do then? Wait a year for the season to come out on DVD and get it in the actual mail from Netflix? #idontthinkso I’m not saying that it was a good concern. But it was a genuine one at the time. And knowing that I could get up super early Sunday morning and watch my absolute favorite shows gave me the strength to give all of it up the rest of the week.

On Fat Tuesday, we eat or get rid of all the treats in the house, since we give them up for Lent. But then we are faced with the issue of what to do with newly acquired treats. This is a balancing act for everyone, weighing piety vs charity in a specific situation, but in most circumstances, it has worked for us to have the kids bring treats they are offered home and save them for Sunday.

COMPROMISE

The other secret is substitutions. This one seems like it should be obvious and, um, kind of the entire point of Lent. But it wasn’t obvious to me, and was even a harder sell to myself than Sunday cheat day. So in case it’s also not obvious to you, I’ll break it down.

I thought I should be able to go cold turkey on mediocre stuff and let the best stuff fill in the hole. But in practice I found that substituting a better thing while on the road to the goal of the BEST thing was more successful.

Water and quiet would be best. Regular hot tea instead of my preferred sugary chai latte and flavored sparkling water instead of soda works for me. I read or listen to worthwhile books (see this post for my Lenten favorites) instead of watching TV. Music in the car is classical instead of pop. I talked with Cameron Fradd on her podcast last week and she said that they cut out all their “regular” streaming services and only watch Formed, which sounds like a good approach!

Even though I dread them every year, I also genuinely appreciate our voluntary Lenten disciplines. I like knowing that the things I like aren’t in charge of me, and I can live without them. Being able to manage that during the days of Lent has allowed me to make important changes to the way I enjoy licit but unnecessary things the rest of the year.

This might be a waypoint on my journey to a perfectly penitential Lent with no cheats or compromises, or maybe this is the best I’ll ever be able to manage. But, I will say that, for now, it’s been a way to move closer to my goals and continue down that road of increased personal holiness.

So, as you finalize your voluntary Lenten disciplines this year, maybe your secret to success will be a little cheating and compromise?

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

Happy Fat Tuesday! I hope you’re kicking up your heels today before you get your ashes and get serious tomorrow! Here’s a post from the archives with how we’ll be celebrating:

Mardi Gras Madness and a Hoodoo Movie Review

Tricia from the CAY Team designed these darling free printable Mardi Gras masks for you!

A Few Catholic All Year Resources for Lent

The post Succeeding at Lent by Compromise and Cheating appeared first on Catholic All Year.

What is the Chair of Saint Peter?

According to Pope Benedict XVI:

This is a very ancient tradition, proven to have existed in Rome since the fourth century. On it we give thanks to God for the mission he entrusted to the Apostle Peter and his Successors. . . .

Celebrating the “Chair” of Peter, therefore, as we are doing today, means attributing a strong spiritual significance to it and recognizing it as a privileged sign of the love of God, the eternal Good Shepherd, who wanted to gather his whole Church and lead her on the path of salvation.

General Audience, Feb. 22, 2006

So, this feast day is a chance to honor a very cool relic and also the position of pope.

What if I have some thoughts about the pope?

That’s allowed! We are all within our rights as Catholics to have opinions about the pope. We can think our current pope is great, or has room for improvement, or even think he is problematic and dangerous. There have been great popes throughout history, and medium popes, and popes who were flat out terrible and immoral and ordered hits on their enemies. There have been popes who resigned and popes who were martyred and popes who were murdered. The Church has survived all of it, and will continue to do so, and we get to have thoughts about all of it.

I would argue that regardless what’s going on in the Vatican, we should avoid . . .

1. tying our personal Catholic faith to the greatness or terribleness of any particular pope
2. claiming that the pope isn’t really the pope
3. spending time and energy publicly criticizing the pope

Pope Francis is our Holy Father. If I have questions or concerns or issues with my dad, I take it up with him personally. I wouldn’t want to air family disputes publicly. I wouldn’t do it on YouTube. I might talk to my brothers and sisters, sure. But definitely, I’d call my dad up or send him an email. I’d explain how I was feeling and the facts as I understood them, and I’d let him know what I hoped he would do to fix the situation.

What would Saint Catherine of Siena do?

Saint Catherine of Siena gives us an amazing example of this!

She wrote a number of letters to Pope Gregory XI (see all of her letters here), sending her love and support and her opposition to his decision to flee from enemies in Rome and live in Avignon.

So take a lesson from the true father and shepherd. For you see that now is the time to give your life for the little sheep who have left the flock. You must seek and win them back by using patience and war—by war I mean by raising the standard of the sweet blazing cross and setting out against the unbelievers. So you must sleep no longer, but wake up and raise that standard courageously. I am confident that by God’s measureless goodness you will win back the unbelievers and [at the same time] correct the wrongdoing of Christians, because everyone will come running to the fragrance of the cross, even those who have rebelled against you most.

Catherine of Siena: Letter 74
To Pope Gregory XI, in Avignon

And it worked! She eventually convinced him to return to Rome.

Writing A Letter to the Pope for the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter

So . . . on February 22nd, we send Pope Francis some letters. Mostly it’s just my kids telling him what they had for lunch or that we have pet chickens. But you never know, I might have a suggestion here or there. And since he doesn’t have an email address, we write on PAPER and put it in an envelope and I address it and put postage on it and put it in a mailbox. So old school. I love it.

How to write a letter to Pope Francis:

His address is:
His Holiness Pope Francis
Apostolic Palace
00120 Vatican City

The proper salutation for a Catholic writing to the pope is: Your Holiness, or: Most Holy Father,

The proper closing for a Catholic writing to the pope is: I have the honor to profess myself with the most profound respect, your Holiness’ most obedient and humble servant, or: I am, Your Holiness, most respectfully yours in Christ,

The postage from the US to Vatican City is $1.55 or a global forever stamp.

Upgrade your correspondence game by writing your letter on this fancy and free letter template here:

So whether you’d like to send your love, or your constructive criticism, or tell him about a great sandwich you once had, writing a letter is a great activity for the feast day!

The post Writing a Letter to the Pope for the Feast of The Chair of Saint Peter appeared first on Catholic All Year.

Well, here we are on Monday of the first week of Lent. Happy feast of the Chair of St. Peter! (See how our family celebrates the day here.) If Ash Wednesday crept up on you this year, not to worry . . . it’s never too late to start voluntary Lenten disciplines! I always feel like Lent beginning on a Wednesday, but the next week being “the first week of Lent” gives us a chance to ease in a bit and to tweak things that aren’t going as well as I had hoped or to add or subtract as necessary. And the Spring Ember Days are this Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, so there are plenty of chances for fasting this week!

I’ve written quite a bit about Lent, and how, over the years, we have incorporated decor and small but noticeable changes in how and what we eat (fewer snacks, more shopping from the pantry) and what we do (no TV or video games, more Mass and prayer) to make Lent feel like a season set apart from others. And how sometimes even Lent fails can be positive.

But I don’t think I’ve written about one important aspect: BOOKS! I love reading–and more often these days listening to audiobooks, since my hands are usually busy. During Lent, I have even more time for it, since I don’t have recourse to TV shows in my downtime. Choosing books that fit the mood and goals of Lent, as it were, adds to the ambiance of Lent in an interior way, just as decorating our home for Lent does in an exterior way.

I try to have a fiction book and a nonfiction book going at the same time, and usually a couple others that I’m doing as read-alouds (or listens) with various groups of my kids. Here are a few of my favorites over the years. This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links.

Nonfiction

Devotionals

In Conversation with God: This is a seven-volume set of books of meditations on the gospel readings that covers every day of the year. Volume 2 covers Lent, Holy Week, Eastertide. I’m reading it daily during my private prayer time. I love these books because they have a really practical unsentimental approach that fits my temperament. The meditations are best read alongside the gospel for the day, but can be understood without it. Also available as a daily podcast. Appropriate for men, women, and teens.

Set a Fire Lent Journal: The beautiful Lent journals by Blessed is She never disappoint. The kids’ hardcover version is really lovely and would make a great addition to Lent at home for kids. My middle kids are so excited to have a Lenten devotional just for them. Suitable for children 6-12 years old.

In Sinu Jesu: I’ve recommended this before and I’ll probably do it again. These messages from Jesus and his mother, Mary, received in prayer by a Benedictine Monk beginning in 2007, and published with an imprimatur in 2016, are beautiful and convicting. This book is full of God’s mercy and plenty of inspiration for us to resolve to reconcile our will to his. Appropriate for adults and teens. Buy an extra copy for your priest, you’re going to want to give him one.

Introduction to the Devout Life: Need a plan? St. Francis de Sales has one for you. Written specifically as letters of advice to laywomen to whom he gave spiritual direction, it feels very applicable to my life as a wife and mother. And though it was written in the 17th century, it is still very relevant. It’s available as an audiobook, but in this particular case, I recommend reading it slowly, one chapter at a time, as it is recommended to be used. Appropriate for men, women, and teens.

Lives of the Saints

Saints: Becoming an Image of Christ Every Day of the Year (or from Ignatius Press here): A quick look at hundreds of saints’ lives, organized by the liturgical calendar. This book makes a great reference for kids’ saint reports, or as a help for parents who want to incorporate more liturgical living in the home to be able to quickly access some information about the saint of the day! Appropriate for all ages. To read on their own, kids might enjoy this book more.

Bakhita Tells Her Story: St. Josephine Bakhita has a lot of sympathy for the fact that I’m missing Dr. Pepper. Well, she probably would be sympathetic, being a saint and all, but I appreciate how her story, and the stories of so many saints’ lives really put my own paltry sufferings in perspective. This book is out of print and hard to find, which is unfortunate, but perhaps you could find it at a local library? It’s the only book I’ve been able to find that contains the actual text of St. Josephine Bakhita’s actual thirty-five page 1910 autobiography, rather than an author’s interpretation of it. If anyone knows of an in-print book version of that, please let me know!

The Story of a Soul: I come back to this autobiography again and again, especially during Lent. St. Therese has a reputation of being sweet and gentle, but I love reading about how feisty and difficult she was, and how her eventual gentleness was the work of God’s grace and years of concerted effort. #soyouresayingtheresachance

SO so many great saint biographies are available at Ignatius Press.

Fiction

Fantasy

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien: I’m listening to this with one of my daughters right now. I’ve been admiring this hardcover illustrated version. While the trilogy itself is not overtly religious, J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant and that is reflected in his writing. The ideas of redemptive suffering and death to self and sacrifice for others–all so good as Lenten perspective–really shine through. Appropriate for all ages, but sensitive kids might be troubled by descriptions of violence and scary creatures. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson: Written in 1907 by the son of the Archbishop of Canterbury who converted to Catholicism and became a priest, it’s an excellent (if unsettling) work of apocalyptic science fiction. The audiobook version is really well done. Same age caveat. Note: A Canticle for Leibowitz is another great work of Catholic dystopian fiction.

Classics

The Brothers Karamazov by Fydor Dostoevsky: Sometimes Lent is the motivation we need for undertakings we might not otherwise, um, undertake. So reading what many consider to be the greatest novel ever written, all nearly-a-thousand pages of it, is underway for my Lent this year. Popes JPII, Benedict, and Francis have all referenced it in encyclicals! I’m not aware of anything in it that would prevent listening to it as an audiobook around kids, but it’s probably only of interest to adults and teens.

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: A great undertaking from a couple Lents back for me, this is a beautiful and true novel with Catholic themes and an excellent Lenten perspective. You have my permission to skip the chapter about the Paris sewer system. Same age caveat as above. This beautifully illustrated abridged version is a nice introduction to the story for older kids.

The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas: We watch the sixties technicolor movie version every year, but it’s even better as a book. A really compelling historical fiction-version of the story of a Roman soldier who participated in the crucifixion. Appropriate for all ages, but of interest to middle-grades and up.

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset: I think it took three different Lents for me to finally read this book over ten years ago. Sometimes it just isn’t the right time, you know? But wow, when I finally did, it has really stuck with me. The book is a trilogy which follows the entire life of a medieval Norwegian woman. The depictions of the consequence of sin are really moving, and the way that the characters practice their Catholic faith was really transformational in my life. The same can be said for the author, who converted to Catholicism shortly after the last book was published. A bit intense for little ears, but great for adults and teens (with discussion, I think it should be required reading for teens!). I like the single volume for the audiobook version, but if you’re reading it, I recommend the individual volumes. As a single book it’s rather unwieldy.

So . . . what books would you add to the list for Lenten reading?

Note: To keep help keep the trolls at bay, you must have a free Catholic All Year account to comment. But, if you’d don’t have one I hope you’ll take a moment to sign up for one! Just click “my account” at the top of the page. I’d love to have the conversation here where it’s stuck to the post and people can benefit from it in other years, rather than on social media.

And be sure to check out the Lent products here before they sell out!

Burry the Alleluia Kit, Lent Countdown Calendar, Memento Mori Print, Tenebrae Hearse Candleabra

The post It’s Never Too Late to Start: A Lenten Book List appeared first on Catholic All Year.

I’ve written SO MUCH about Lent over the years, and I’ll link to some of those posts below in case you want to get caught up/refreshed, but this year I want to highlight one aspect of our Lent observance that I’ve come to especially appreciate: Decorating for Lent. Decorating our homes is something we usually associate with Christmas. It’s SUCH a meaningful part of the Christmas season for me. So, many years ago, when I decided that I wanted Lent to be meaningful in our home as well, it seemed like decorating for it would be a good place to start.

Feast your eyes on this, one of my very first blog posts, if you dare. What in the world filter am I using?:

OUR LENT, SO FAR, IN PICTURES

During these six weeks, I try to create a general atmosphere in our home that makes it feel different than other times of the year. On the morning of Ash Wednesday, after we get back from Mass, the kids and I get to decorating. We put burlap and little cacti and rocks on the mantle above our fireplace.

We put a purple tablecloth on our dining room table. A centerpiece made of a crown of thorns (we use this one, or a homemade one from our bougainvillea bush outside) and three of these giant vintage spike nails can’t help but make an impression on all of us over dinner. It’s a real conversation starter.

We hang up our printable Lent reminders and countdown calendar, and put our Stations of the Cross coloring pages up in the hallway.

We set up our Lenten Sacrifice Beans to keep track of all the good deeds and small sacrifices the kids make during Lent.

On Passion Sunday, we drape our crucifixes and our little altar table with purple cloth.

Since we spend so much time at home, it’s nice for our house to reflect the season. We see Lent all around us. When my kids “forget” that it’s Lent and ask if they can have a treat or watch a show, I can just point to a cactus and ask, “Hmm, can you?” (Maybe the air quotes here is too aggressive, but how do they forget so much?! )

So much of Lent for me is really just that mindfulness of the season. Decorating can help keep me focused on the sacrifices I’m trying to make for the season, and remind me why I’m doing it.

Maybe it could help you, too!

Further Reading:

Taking Up Something for Lent

Outside the Box: 66 Things to Give Up or Take Up for Lent (in beginner, intermediate, and advanced)

Keeping Lent: A Guide to What We DO for Kids

Grab some Lenten Decor from the CAY Marketplace!

Wooden 40 Days of Lent Countdown Board, Memento Mori Lent Countdown Candle, Memento Mori Print, Table Top Stations of the Cross

And now, for Valentine’s Day . . .

Next topic: Fortunately there’s no Valentine’s Day/Ash Wednesday conundrum this year. But, ya know, Valentine’s Day IS coming too, in just a few days, and our kids are probably going to want us to be ready for that too.

If you need some quick, Catholic, Valentines, there are free printables on the blog here:

SEVEN FREE PRINTABLE CATHOLIC VALENTINES

And three sets in the digital shop, formatted for easy double-sided printing!

Catholic Hearts Valentines

Love Like the Saints Valentines

Saint and Bible Quote Valentines

Or the new Spiritual Bouquet Valentines . . .

Do you decorate for Lent? I’d love to hear what it looks like in your home.

The post It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Lent: Because Decorating Isn’t Just for Christmas appeared first on Catholic All Year.

Read Aloud Recommendations for Each Month

DECEMBER

Advent & Christmas Middle Length Family Read-Alouds (also great as audiobooks). I’ve included the publisher’s recommended age range, but we listen as a whole family, babies to adults.

The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas: An Austin Family Story by Madeleine L’Engle  2010 (originally 1964), recommended age range 4-8, illustrated short chapter book

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson 1972, recommended age range 8-12, short chapter book 

Christmas in Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren 1981, recommended age 7 and up, long picture book

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 1843, recommended age 10 and up, short chapter book

A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas 1952, recommended age 7 and up, long picture book

The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden 1958, recommended age range 5-8 long picture book

Advent & Christmas Picture Books

Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt 2007

The Donkey’s Dream by Barbara Helen Berger 1985

Christmas in the Manger board book by Nola Buck 1998

An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco  2004

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston 1996

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola  1997

The Legend of Old Befana: An Italian Christmas Story by Tomie dePaola  2017

The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola  1978

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Laurel Long  2011

December 6—Saint Nicholas

The Miracle of Saint Nicholas (Note: about an Orthodox Parish called St. Nicholas, not about the saint, but a great story!) by Gloria Whelan  1997

The Baker’s Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale by Aaron Shepard  2018

Santa’s Favorite Story: Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas by Hisako Aoki 2007

The Legend of Saint Nicholas (An overview of the various and more fantastical St. Nicholas legends) by Demi 2003

Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins (A more detailed version of the money through the window story) by Jim Forest 2015

December 9—Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin / December 12—Our Lady of Guadalupe

Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie dePaola  1980

Guadalupe: First Words – Primeras Palabras board book by Patty Rodriguez

Third Sunday of Advent—Gaudete Sunday / Bambinelli Sunday

Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing  by Amy Welborn  2013

December 24—Christmas Eve / Saints Adam and Eve

The End of the Fiery Sword: Adam & Eve and Jesus & Mary by Maura Roan McKeegan 2014

December 25—THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD (Christmas)

The Christmas Story  by The Metropolitan Museum of Art  2017

December 26—Saint Stephen, The First Martyr

Wenceslas (Note: St. Wenceslas’ feast day is actually September 28, but most people associate him with the Feast of St. Stephen) by Geraldine McCaughrean  2007

JANUARY

January 1—Mary, Mother of God 

Mary: The Mother of Jesus  by Tomie dePaola  1995

My First Pictures of Mary board book by Maïte Roche 2011

January 6 (or the Sunday after January 1)—Epiphany

We Three Kings by Gennady Spirin  2007

FEBRUARY

February 1—Saint Brigid of Ireland

Brigid and the Butter: A Legend about St Brigid by Pamela Love  2017

February 11—Our Lady of Lourdes

Saint Bernadette and the Miracles of Lourdes by Demi 2017

February 23—Saint Isabelle

Marguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson 1999

MARCH

March 17—Saint Patrick

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola 1992

Patrick: Saint of Ireland by Diana Mayo 2002

March 25—The Annunciation

Mary Stories from the Bible by Charlotte Grossetête   2018

Holy Week

Margaret’s First Holy Week (The Pope’s Cat) short chapter book by Jon M. Sweeney  2019

The Queen and the Cross (About St. Helena, so also appropriate for her feast day August 18 or Exaltation of the Holy Cross September 14) by Cornelia Bilinsky 2013

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale  by Angela Elwell Hunt 1989

APRIL

Easter

The Easter Story  by Brian Wildsmith  2000

Into the Sea, Out of the Tomb: Jonah and Jesus by Maura Roan McKeegan  2016

The Story of the Easter Robin by Dandi Daley Mackall 2010

April 23—Saint George

Saint George and the Dragon (fairytale legend St. George) by Margaret Hodges 1984

Saint George and the Dragon (Catholic legend St. George) by Jim Forest  2011

MAY

May 22—Saint Rita

Brothers at Bat: the True Story of an Amazing All Brother Baseball Team  (we read this for the feast of St. Rita since she’s unofficially the patron saint of baseball) by Audrey Vernick 2012

May 30—Saint Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc  by Demi 2011 

May 31—Visitation

Take It to the Queen: A Tale of Hope by Josephine Nobisso  2008

Little Gold Star: A Spanish American Cinderella Tale by San Souci, Robert D 2000

JUNE

June 29—Saints Peter and Paul

Peter, Apostle of Jesus: The Life of a Saint  by Boris Grebille 2014

JULY

July 22—Saint Mary Magdalene 

The Miracle of the Red Egg by Elizabeth Crispina Johnson 2014

AUGUST

August 28—Saint Augustine

Brother Hugo and the Bear by Katy Beebe  2014

Gus Finds God by Michael P. Foley 2018

SEPTEMBER

September 5—Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa: The Smile of Calcutta (Life of a Saint)  by Charlotte Grossetête 2016

September 11

Fourteen Cows for America  (not a saint story, but a beautiful book for September 11th) by Carmen Agra Deedy 2009

September 29—Michaelmas

The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm Hardcover by Laura Amy Schlitz  2007 (we read this for Michaelmas, because it’s about triumphing over the devil, it’s my all-time favorite picture book)

OCTOBER

October 1—Saint Thérèse

Therese: The Little Flower of Lisieux (Life of a Saint) by Sioux Berger 2011

The Little Flower: A Parable of Saint Therese of Lisieux by Becky B. Arganbright 2015

October 2—The Holy Guardian Angels

Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman 2005

God Bless the Gargoyles by Dav Pilkey 2016

October 4—Saint Francis

Saint Francis and the Wolf by Richard Egielski 2005

Saint Francis by Brian Wildsmith  1996

Brother Sun, Sister Moon  by Katherine Paterson 2011

October 7—Our Lady of the Rosary

Let’s Pray the Rosary by Mauricette Vial-Andru 2015

Mysteries of the Rosary board book set by Catholic Sprouts 2019

Hail Mary board book/ Our Father board book by Maïte Roche 2017

October 22—Saint Pope John Paul II

The Story of Saint John Paul II: A Boy Who Became Pope by Fabiola Garza 2014

Lolek – The Boy Who Became Pope John Paul II by Mary Hramiec Hoffman 2008 (the two JPII books are both well-written and illustrated, but this one has more historical information)

October 31—All Hallow’s Eve

Cautionary Tales for Children Hardcover by Hilaire Belloc  2002 (originally 1907) We like these as spooky Memento Mori poems for Halloween!

NOVEMBER

A Story of St. Catherine of Alexandria by Brother Flavius C.S.C 2013 (originally 1965)

So that’s it, our entire picture book liturgical library! If you’ve read these, I’d love to know which are your family’s favorites, and if you love a saint picture book that’s not on the list, please let me know in the comments. I’m always looking to add good books to our collection. Check back in on this post, I’ll update it as we get new books!

And please pray for all of us at the Fiat Conference, and consider joining us!

The post The Ultimate Liturgical Library Post: Saint Books for All Year Long appeared first on Catholic All Year.

Ash Wednesday is coming up in less than two weeks! (It’s super late this year.)

The actual REQUIREMENTS of Catholics for the observance of Lent are pretty (comically, even?) slight: We are obligated to fast and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (fasting here means one full meal and two small snacks, usually called collations), and to abstain from meat on Fridays (unless a solemnity falls on a Friday—no luck on that this year).

But most all of us are in the habit of “giving something up” for Lent. I’m a big supporter of that. However, over the past few years, I’ve also TAKEN UP SOMETHING, and I’m really convinced that this is key to having a more fruitful Lent.

Especially if I’ve given up something that is time-consuming, like TV, or social media, or the radio, or yelling . . . with what am I going to fill that void in my life?

In addition to the fasting and abstinence of Lent, we are encouraged to increase our time spent in Mass, prayer, and with scripture.

Some things I’ve added during Lent have become important year-round devotions. Something like beginning the day with the Morning Offering, a few minutes of daily prayer and Bible reading in the morning, or getting to a daily Rosary . . . often Lent is just the kick in the pants I need to take it seriously.

When I give up TV, I take up good books instead. Some favorites over the years have been: Story of a Soul, Introduction to the Devout Life, In Sinu Jesu, Orthodoxy, Around the Year With the von Trapp Family (it’s back in print!), or for fiction: Jane Eyre, Kristin Lavransdatter, The Agony and the Ecstasy, A Tale of Two Cities, or Les Miserables (get the Denny translation, it moves some of the sewer stuff to an appendix ).

For families, counting to forty before meals is a simple addition/sacrifice for folks of all ages. Beginning a habit of family evening prayers, be it a whole Rosary, or one Our Father, can be a lasting change. Giving up screens in the car could mean saying a (captive) family Rosary instead, or listening to an audio version of the Bible. I’m a big fan of the version by TAN books, available here or on Audible here. I also love their Catholic history series, the Story of Civilization.

I wanted to share a few more resources here, that might help make your Lent even more meaningful.

1. Hosanna by Take Up and Read

Hosanna is a women’s Lectio Divina-style dive into the Gospel of Matthew and the beatitudes, with Bible readings, meditations by a variety of writers (including yours truly), journaling space, weekly check-ins, and recommended memory verses.

If you’d benefit from some accountability, and whom among us wouldn’t? There is a free downloadable Hosanna Group Guide available here. The book ships 1 or 2 day from Amazon, is $22 (currently discounted to $19.80) and can be ordered here.

2. To the End by Blessed is She

Note for 2024: the newest Blessed is She Lent study is called “Rescued” and is focused on how through Christ’s death, we are brought to newness of life. It’s available here. You can use the code LAMB for 20% off!

To the End is another Lenten women’s scripture study/journal, written by Jenna Guizar, the founder of Blessed is She. It focuses on verses from the Gospel of John, highlights Jesus’ sacrificial love for us, and encourages us to reflect on the characteristics of Jesus and how we can grow in virtue in our own lives.

It’s available from Blessed is She here, for $25 with free shipping in the US, or you can get it as digital download here.

So, what’s the difference between the offerings from Take Up and Read and Blessed is She? Honestly, I have them both in hand, and I think either would be an excellent addition to your Lent. You can probably just go ahead and pick the cover you like better.

Both contain scripture, a writer’s personal reflections, writing prompts, and suggested meditation topics. Both have space for writing, but aren’t dated for the year, so could theoretically be used again.

Hosanna is a more straightforward focus on the Gospel of Matthew. The readings for the day are longer, and if you choose to follow all the writing prompts, this book could be used for a daily hour of study, prayer, and meditation. But the days don’t build on each other as much. If you’ll maybe miss days here and there, I think it wouldn’t be a problem to just skip over those days and stay on track.

To the End has a more structured feel to it, in that it wants to guide us from one point to another. The daily readings and reflections are shorter, but I would want to keep up with the days. So if I missed one, I’d want to take the time to catch up on both the next day.

3. Genesis to Jesus

If you’re looking to do something with your husband, or with a group of men and women, and you prefer something with a visual component . . . check out the Genesis to Jesus Study. It’s a FREE streaming video series, plus a workbook and associated book, put out by Scott Hahn’s St. Paul Center.

The series covers the whole of salvation history over the course of Lent! See more here, sign up for the free videos, and order your workbook ($16), book ($28 with workbook), and/or leader guide ($36).

4. All the New Lent Stuff Here in the CAY Shop

Speaking of what to do with found time . . . I took an unplanned month-long hiatus from social media, and ended up creating a whole slew of Lent resources. Maybe too much? Hopefully not, though I am a known overdoer of things.

New in the shop, you’ll find . . .

Catholic All March Prayer and Devotions Booklet (physical copy available here)

Stations of the Cross Booklet

Stations of the Cross Coloring Book

Holy Week Meal and Activity Planner

St Joseph Prayer after Grace for March in black and in purple

Counting to Forty after Grace/ Simple 1 Page Lent Countdown Calendar

The Catholic All March Booklet and the Stations of the Cross Booklet are both also available as paperbacks in the CAY Marketplace. The printable pdf March booklet has a short illustrated version of the Stations of the Cross. The full version, with prayers, Bible readings, reflections, and the Stabat Mater is in its own Stations of the Cross pdf booklet (just to keep March from being super long). The paperback version of Catholic All March has the full version of the Stations of the Cross. The Stations alone are also available as a paperback.

Lastly, is the Printable Lent DIY Set, which includes a print and cut Lent Countdown Calendar, posters and quotes, Voluntary Lenten Discipline slips, and a printable Lenten Sacrifice bean jar label. (There’s no overlap between this set and the booklet bundle.)

So . . . what do you think? Have any plans to TAKE UP something for Lent?

Further Reading:

Outside the Box: 66 Things to Give Up or Take Up for Lent (in beginner, intermediate, and advanced)

Keeping Lent: A Guide to What We DO for Kids

The post Taking Up Something for Lent appeared first on Catholic All Year.

Candlemas, which occurs 40 days after Christmas on February 2nd, celebrates the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. This was the day that, in keeping with Jewish law, Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple for the first time. When Holy Simeon saw the baby, he had a lot to say, but we’ll focus on the end part: “For my eyes have seen your salvation which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a LIGHT for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

From these words comes the traditional Catholic practice for the day, which is the blessing of candles. Families would bring a supply of candles for the year to Mass, and the priest would bless all of them. Some churches do this still. And even if they don’t, there’s no reason why you can’t bring your candles and ask Father to bless them for you after Mass.

Candles with at least 51% beeswax are required for liturgical use in churches. This rule doesn’t officially apply for home use, but beeswax candles do smell good, and smoke less, and it’s nice to use the real thing if possible. They’re available here in bulk from Church Supply Warehouse . Amazon carries beeswax shabbat candles that would work. But even drugstore candles are fine for home use.

If you’re not able to get your candles to Mass with you, the head of the household can bless them at home with holy water. The prayers for blessing candles can be found online here (#9). They are also available as a printable pdf booklet here, along with prayers for St. Blaise. Both are also part of the Catholic All February booklet of prayers, Bible readings, devotions, crafts, and songs for the whole month. New and improved, now featuring the NABRE translation of the Bible. That’s available here as a printable pdf. And here as a paperback.. Your booklet purchases fund the production of the Catholic All Year Liturgical Living Video Series, so thanks!

Speaking of . . . there’s a new installment! See our family traditions for the day in action, including using candlelight all day instead of electric lights, the blessing of candles at home, and Bobby, our official family pancake maker, making some crepes. Thanks to Elissa Mirzaei, for creating the video!

Here’s Bobby’s 3 Ingredient Crepe Recipe (which was his great grandfather’s!)

• Crack 7 eggs into a blender
• Fill blender with whole milk to 5 cup line
• Add 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour to the blender, adding 1/2 cup of it at a time, blending in between additions
• Blend until thoroughly mixed and bubbly
• Ladle about 1/2 cup of batter onto a hot, buttered or sprayed, griddle
• Wait for crepe to look bubbled, then loosen all the way around with a metal spatula, and flip
• Cook on second side until lightly browned, then remove onto plate
• To serve, fill with whipped cream, nutella, jam, and/or fresh fruit
• For savory crepes, use whole wheat flour, and serve filled with meat and cheese
• Makes about twelve 12-inch crepes

There is a LOT more to Candlemas, including some very cool stuff on the Purification of Mary, and the churching of women after childbirth, and the associated gander month, and the final infancy epiphany, and how Groundhog Day is actually based on a Catholic Candlemas tradition, which is all in my book, but I won’t put it all here because people don’t like long blog posts anymore.

The day after Candlemas is the Feast of St. Blaise.

Because he miraculously cured a boy who was choking on a fish bone, the intercession of St. Blaise is now invoked against choking, as well as any other ailments of the throat.

The Catholic traditional practice for the day is the blessing of the throats. I find it interesting that this custom has persisted, and is practiced at every parish our family has attended, when so many other Catholic customs have fallen by the wayside over the years. Not that I’m complaining about the blessing of the throats, it’s great! But is choking really such a concern of parishioners? I guess so.

After Mass, everyone lines up again and the priest–ideally–but the Book of Blessings does allow for the use of lay ministers, using two of the newly blessed candles from Candlemas, tied together in the middle to form a cross, blesses the faithful one by one, saying: “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

If you are not able to attend Mass, the blessing may be done at home by the head of the household. The home version of the blessing can be found here (1651-1655). Or in the booklet here.

And that night for dinner, just to show how efficacious I think the blessing is, I like to serve a whole fish! It’s another one of those liturgical living + life skills things. In the United States it seems like eating fish with the bones still in it is becoming very rare. But it’s a skill that needs to be learned and practiced, if one ever wants to be able to eat fish that hasn’t already been filleted or sticked. The feast of St. Blaise is a good way to make sure we do it at least once a year.

This is our favorite whole fish recipe: Fried Whole Tilapia with Basil and Chilies

So, there’s next weekend for you, crazy Catholics! Enjoy! If you’ve used and enjoyed the Catholic All January booklet, or the Catholic All Year Compendium, and have a moment to leave a review on Amazon, I’d appreciate it.

And, what do you guys think of the Liturgical Living Videos? Are they helpful in a different way than books and blog posts? Or should I be spending more energy on writing? Only so many hours in the day!

The post Celebrating Candlemas and St. Blaise in the Home appeared first on Catholic All Year.

The Question:
Hi Kendra, I was wondering if you were going to write a post about how Valentine’s Day is on Ash Wednesday & how you guys will address that at your house. My thought was to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day the day before like the vigil. But I’m having a hard time as to how best to explain that to my kids that are mostly still little (my oldest is 10 but has autism). I’d love to hear your thoughts on this if you have the chance. Thanks!
-Anna

The Answer:
Hey Anna, I wasn’t going to, baby George just started sleeping in his crib a couple nights ago and I’m knee-deep in wallpaper samples and paint chips, but yours isn’t the only question I’ve gotten on the subject, so a quick type-it-out seems warranted.

Short answer, I think yours sounds like an excellent plan. Moving feast days when they conflict is a magisterium-approved solution. When St. Joseph’s Day or the Solemnity of the Annunciation fall during Holy Week, we just move ’em and celebrate them another day, officially, as a whole Church. Our homeschool group is doing a Valentine’s exchange on Friday (today). The husband and I will go out for dinner sometime this weekend to celebrate together. We’ll let the kids open their cards from Gramma and exchange their own homemade Valentines and have their treats early. In our family, Fat Tuesday is always a much bigger deal than Valentine’s Day, anyway.

We are fortunate to be in control of when our homeschool celebrations take place, and our kids who go to regular school attend a faithful Catholic school, so there won’t be any conflict there. They’ll also exchange school Valentines before Ash Wednesday.

But I know others aren’t so lucky, and have kids who attend public school, or Catholic schools that aren’t paying attention <le sigh>. And that’s a big ol’ bummer. Because on February 14th, Ash Wednesday must win.

I’m in no way against Valentine’s Day as a fun, cute tradition. I’m a fan of any attempts to reclaim for Catholicism what has become a very secular celebration. I Catholic Valentines. But St. Valentine’s Day definitely loses to Ash Wednesday. In fact, it already lost to the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius!

There is very little historical record about St. Valentine. All we know is his name, and that he was martyred and buried at a cemetery on the Via Flaminia close to the Ponte Milvio to the north of Rome on February 14th. Even his story in the 13th century Golden Legend, which is usually quite verbose,  is basically: “There was a knight named Valentine. He was arrested by the emperor and wouldn’t apostatize. He healed the provost’s blind daughter. Then the emperor lopped off his head. The End.”

So, in the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar by Pope Paul VI, that emphasized saints who have a historical footprint, St. Valentine was left off. He’s still a saint. We can still celebrate his feast day. But on the universal calendar, the day belongs to Sts. Cyril and Methodius (they seem like fun guys, no? ) . . .

about whom there is a great deal of historical record. They were brothers who lived in the ninth century. They were missionaries, theologians, and the apostles to the Slavs, translating the Bible and creating the Glagolitic alphabet (the Cyrillic Alphabet, created by their followers, is the final form of their original alphabet and is used by Slavic countries today) alphabet with which to do it. And St. Cyril died on February 14th, so they get the day. Except when it’s Ash Wednesday, then they get bumped too.

Because, let’s face it, Ash Wednesday is a BIG deal.

Before Pope Pope Paul VI issued Paenitemini in 1966, Catholics observed FIFTY-SIX days of required fasting each year: every day of Lent (excluding Sundays), four sets of three Ember Days, and the Vigils of Christmas, Pentecost, the Immaculate Conception, and All Saints’ Day. Since 1966, we observe . . . two: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

The rules are:

All Catholics from the completion of their twenty-first year to the beginning of their sixtieth year are bound to observe the Law of fast. . . . Only one full meal is allowed on a day of Fast. Two other meatless meals are permitted. These meals should be sufficient to maintain strength in accordance with each one’s needs. Both of these meals, or collations, together, should not equal one full meal. . . .

Solid foods between meals is not permitted. Liquids, including coffee, tea, milk and fruit juices are allowed.

In connection with problems arising from the Laws of Fast and Abstinence, a confessor or priest should be consulted. Dispensations may be granted for a serious reason concerning health or the ability to work.

Abstinence from meat on abstinence days is obligatory for Catholics aged fourteen to sixty. (But our whole family abstains from meat every Friday of the year, and the little kids don’t even notice. It’s the fifteen-year-old boy who suffers it!)

Even though none of my kids are bound by the fast, and most of them aren’t even bound to the abstinence from meat, *I* am still bound to make sure that they know that Ash Wednesday is a penitential day: “As regards those of a lesser age, pastors of souls and parents should see to it with particular care that they are educated to a true sense of penitence.”

Faces full of heart-shaped candy isn’t going to do that.

So, if we were faced with the dilemma of secular Valentine’s Day parties on Ash Wednesday itself, I would make a point of giving Ash Wednesday precedence. Attending Mass and receiving ashes together as a family, and making food-related sacrifices like forgoing treats and snacks are good ways to show kids how important Ash Wednesday is. If I could keep my kids home from preschool or school that day, I would.

If I couldn’t, I wouldn’t sweat it for very little kids. For more mature little kids and all kids past the age of reason (First Communion age), if they needed to go to school, I’d make them a deal that we’d have plenty of treats and early Valentines on Fat Tuesday, and they could bring their school Valentine treats home and save them to eat on Sunday. But fasting from treats on Ash Wednesday seems like a given, even though it’s not written in canon law.

I think it’s GREAT to start kids early on the concept of OUR family culture. We do things differently because we’re Catholic, but most importantly because we’re Tierneys (and Tierneys are awesome). If we are to succeed in keeping our kids Catholic for their whole lives–the goal, obviously–they are going to have to do a LOT of things differently than the rest of society. Waiting to eat Valentine candy, or better yet, stuffing our faces on Fat Tuesday instead, is small potatoes. I trust my kids to handle it.

I’m sure each of us can figure out a way that works with our own family circumstances, to give Ash Wednesday the place it deserves.

Related reading . . .

CREATING A FAMILY CULTURE

———–

And when you figure out when you’re doing Valentine’s Day, if you need some quick, Catholic, Valentines, there are free printables on the blog here:

SEVEN FREE PRINTABLE CATHOLIC VALENTINES

And three sets in the digital shop, formatted for easy double-sided printing!

Happy feasting and fasting, y’all.

The post Ash Wednesday vs Valentine’s Day: the February 14th Catholic Conundrum appeared first on Catholic All Year.

And . . . I just found out about Ember Days.

As I was researching feast days for the Catholic All Year Compendium (my upcoming book, not sure yet of the release date, it’s still in the editing process) and the CAY wall calendar, I stumbled across a couple references to Ember Days and finally decided to look into them. I marked them on the calendar, and a few folks have asked me about them already, so I figured I’d give you a quick rundown of what I learned, and how I hope to incorporate them into our family life in the coming year.

• The Ember Days are four sets of three days of penance, one set at the beginning of each season.
• They occur on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the same week.
• Wednesday is memory of Judas’ betrayal.
• Friday is in memory of the crucifixion.
• Saturday is in memory of the tomb.
• The individual feast days aren’t involved with the penance, they’re just reminders of when the Ember Days fall (although two of the feast days are penitential in themselves).
• The winter Ember Days follow St. Lucy’s Day (December 13th) and are offered in thanksgiving for the olive harvest, which gives us holy oils.
• The spring Ember Days follow Ash Wednesday (movable, forty-six days before Easter) and are offered in thanksgiving for the flowers, which feed the bees, who make the wax, that gives us the altar candles.
• The summer Ember Days follow Pentecost (movable, the eighth Sunday after Easter) and are offered in thanksgiving for the wheat harvest, which gives us the Eucharist.
• The fall Ember Days follow the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14th) and are offered in thanksgiving for the grape harvest, which gives us the Precious Blood.
• If the feast day falls on a Wednesday, the Ember Days begin on the following Wednesday.
• The penance is traditionally fasting on Wednesday and Saturday, and fasting and abstinence from meat on Friday.
• Current fasting norms in the U.S. permit one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal.
• Abstinence is binding from age fourteen. Fasting is binding from age eighteen to fifty-nine (except for those exempt for reasons of age or health).*
• Until 1966, the Ember Days were a required observation for all Catholics (except for those exempt for reasons of age or health).
• Since 1966, observation is left up to the discretion of the local bishops.**
• In the U.S., observation of the Ember Days is recommended, but not mandatory.***

There are often thirteen people living in our home, and only one is bound by the fast. The rest of us are too old, too young, or too pregnant and/or nursing (currently just the second part) to be required to fast. We already observe regular Friday abstinence from meat. But I feel like, with as much feasting as we do, I’d like to incorporate these voluntary days of penance into our family routine as well. So, my plan is to treat them like days of Lent, and recall the voluntary Lenten disciplines that we usually observe as a family for those three days of each season. For us, that’s no treats, no snacks, no TV. Since the spring days follow Ash Wednesday, we’ll already be doing them then. But I think the other three weeks will be a good reminder of the penitential spirit and detachment we work to cultivate during Lent, but shake off pretty easily come Easter.

It’s a bit tricky to remember when the Ember Days will occur in a given year, since the Wednesday after a particular date is going to be different each year, and especially since two of the reminder feast days are movable in themselves.

But . . . I put them on the calendar, so I’m hopeful that this is the year Ember Days happen for us!If you have experience observing Ember Days in your home, especially with a family, I’d love to hear about what you do.Updated to add . . . 
Rogation Days!

The Blessing of the Wheat in Artois, 1857 – Jules Breton

Another category of now-little known days of penance are the rogation days. The major rogation falls on the feast of St. Mark, April 25th (but is unrelated to the Evangelist), and the minor rogation days fall on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the Ascension. It’s an unlikely time for extra days of penance, as it’s during Eastertide, but they were offered to God during the spring planting season in the hopes that the wheat crop would be protected from natural disasters. Though often referred to as fasting days, during the Easter season, they would have been observed as days of abstinence from meat, but not days of fasting. It is traditional, on the major rogation day to recite the Litany of All Saints, and to walk in procession around the boundaries of the parish, blessing the crops.

For those of us who live where parishes are big and crops are few, we could offer our prayers and abstinence from meat for farmers and for the victims of natural disasters.

Finally, there are the Vigils.

There are historical fasts associated with the vigils of a few important feast days. In the U.S. they are the vigils of Christmas, Pentecost, the Immaculate Conception (8 December), and All Saints (31 October). Fasting and abstinence are officially recommended on these days, as well as on Holy Saturday.

It can seem, well, crazy for those of us who grew up without any tradition of observing the vigils of these feast days. Especially for those of us in America who grew up celebrating Halloween and Christmas Eve as basically feast days unto themselves. But we have begun observing abstinence in our house on these vigil days, and it really has brought a sense of mindful preparation to those days. Fortunately Halloween candy is meat-free!

* Can.  1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

** On rogation and ember days the practice of the Church is to offer prayers to the Lord for the needs of all people, especially for the productivity of the earth and for human labour, and to make public thanksgiving. In order to adapt the rogation and ember days to various regions and the different needs of the faithful, the conferences of bishops should arrange the time and plan of their celebration. Consequently, the competent authority should lay down norms, in view of local conditions, on extending such celebrations over one or several days and on repeating them during the year. On each day of these celebrations the Mass should be one of the votive Masses for various needs and occasions that is best suited to the intentions of the petitioners.
–General Norms for the Liturgical Year Calendar, Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI, Paenitemini, 1966

 *** Vigils and Ember Days, as most now know, no longer oblige to fast and abstinence. However, the liturgical renewal and the deeper appreciation of the joy of the holy days of the Christian year will, we hope, result in a renewed appreciation as to why our forefathers spoke of “a fast before a feast.” We impose no fast before any feast-day, but we suggest that the devout will find greater Christian joy in the feasts of the liturgical calendar if they freely bind themselves, for their own motives and in their own spirit of piety, to prepare for each Church festival by a day of particular self-denial, penitential prayer and fasting.
–Pastoral Statement On Penance And Abstinence: A Statement Issued by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops November 18, 1966

The post Rogation and Ember Days and Vigils: in case you were starting to think you had this liturgical living thing down appeared first on Catholic All Year.