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Daily Lenten Meditations

«  March 2010  »

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
  • Pray Light a candle. Every time you pass that candle today, offer a prayer of thanks. Don’t ask for anything. Just thank him.
  • Fast Don’t cut corners. Even if no one will know, complete today’s work thoroughly.
  • Give Touch is a powerful thing. Make an effort today to touch your children: a hug, a shoulder rub, a tousled head -- especially the bigger ones
1
  • Pray Make five minutes in the morning, at midday and in the evening to be still, silent, and alone, only asking God to infuse your soul with his will.
  • Fast No noise today. Turn off the TV, the radio, the iPod. Find God in the silence.
  • Give Pay particular unsolicited attention to your least demanding child today.
2
  • Pray Begin a gratitude journal. At the end of the day, jot down five things for which you are grateful. Think upon these things.
  • Fast Remember the first time you had a moment alone with your first child. What did you promise him? Do that. Be that.
  • Give We can only expect what we inspect. For every task you assign today, follow through and before it’s truly finished ensure that there is praise from you.
3
  • Pray “My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me." -- John 10:27
  • Fast Every time a child interrupts you today, stop what you are doing and look into his eyes as he talks.
  • Give “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Speak kindly all day long.
4
  • Pray Ask God to show you how weak and small you are. Open your heart to see it.
  • Fast Don’t argue today. As much as possible give up, give in, give way.
  • Give When you are tempted to put on the TV for kids today, pull out a stack of favorite picture books instead. Invite the kids to join you on the couch.
5
  • Pray Take a walk, even if it’s cold or raining. Leave your iPod at home.
  • Fast Think of someone whose life you are tempted to envy and then choke out these words: Thank you, God, for the blessings you have given to X. Help me to see my own.
  • Give Think about the kind of person your husband married. Be that person for him today.
6
7
  • Pray "Love consumes us only in the measure of our self-surrender." -- St. Therese of Lisieux
  • Fast As you go about your daily routine today, remember that you are expecting someone very important for dinner tonight. Together with your children, work towards your husband’s homecoming as if you were expecting to welcome a king back to his castle.
  • Give “You can do nothing with children unless you win their confidence and love by bringing them into touch with oneself, by breaking through all the hindrances that keep them at a distance. We must accommodate ourselves to their tastes, we must make ourselves like them.” -- St. John Bosco
8
  • Pray Take this quote to prayer today and listen to God’s answer: “Real love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not tell you so. Love demands a personal commitment to the will of God.” -- John Paul II
  • Fast Stop looking for encouragement and approval. Genuinely encourage and affirm someone else instead.
  • Give Let your child choose a huge stack of picture books (use that word “huge” when you ask her to gather them). Read them all to her today.
9
  • Pray Persevere. “He who does not give up prayer cannot possibly continue to offend God habitually. Either he will give up prayer, or he will give up sinning.” -- St. Alphonsus Liguori
  • Fast Don’t forget that the only pedestal you need ever stand on, is the one your husband and children build for you.
  • Give Focus on your home today. The world can find another volunteer, but your husband and children have only you.
10
  • Pray Insist on quiet from all your children during naptime today. Pray the Divine Mercy chaplet.
  • Fast We’re half way through. Compare yourself now only to yourself when Lent began. Tweak the plan.
  • Give Reach out to a local friend today. Reconnect.
11
  • Pray Ask God to make you humble and lowly.
  • Fast Don’t compare or complain. Do compliment.
  • Give Pack a picnic and go somewhere to eat it with your children. If the weather is prohibitive, build a tent in the living room and it eat there. Sit on the ground with them. Be fully present.
12
  • Pray Sometime before bedtime tonight, make time to pray with and for each of your children.
  • Fast Rise a little earlier and bring your husband breakfast in bed. (If it’s too late today, plan for tomorrow).
  • Give Plan a date night.
13
14
  • Pray Give thanks for food, clothes, and shelter. Listen to His plan for stewardship.
  • Fast Clean out the refrigerator today instead of eating lunch. Pull everything out and wipe it all down. As you do it, thank God for the food he provides for your family.
  • Give “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
15
  • Pray Before you read or do anything else today, pray this prayer, taken from the writings of St. Louis de Montfort: Lord, help me to imitate Mary's deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom. Amen.
  • Fast Give up thinking things have to be perfect.
  • Give As you do laundry today, bless the person for whom you are folding. With every crease, offer a prayer.
16
  • Pray For a few minutes tonight, after your children are sleeping, kneel beside their beds. Let your breath rise and fall with theirs. Entrust them to the Father and thank him for lending them to you.
  • Fast Let go of self-recrimination. “There is still time for endurance, time for patience, time for healing, time for change. Have you slipped? Rise up. Have you sinned? Cease. Do not stand among sinners, but leap aside.” -- St. Basil the Great
  • Give Do not say “In a minute” or “When I finish this” at all today. Instead, put aside your agenda and meet their needs (and even some wants) immediately and cheerfully.
17
  • Pray Pray to know how God wants you to spend your time today.
  • Fast Let go of despair and know that God gives you sufficient grace. "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." -- St. Francis of Assisi
  • Give Make sure that every one in your family gets at least one of your hugs today.
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Bloggers

Meet the Faith & Family bloggers. We invite you to join us in encouraging and helping the Faith & Family community grow in faith!

Danielle Bean

Danielle Bean
Danielle Bean, a mother of eight, is Editorial Director of Faith & Family. She is author of My Cup of Tea: Musings of a Catholic Mom (Pauline 2005) and Mom to Mom, Day to Day: Advice and Support for Catholic Living (Pauline 2007). Though she once struggled to separate her life …
Read My Posts

Rachel Balducci

Rachel Balducci
Rachel Balducci is married to Paul and together they are the parents of five lively boys. Besides being a mom, she is also a writer and a newspaper columnist for the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia. For the past four years, she has maintained her personal blog at Testosterhome.net where she …
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Lisa Hendey

Lisa Hendey
Lisa Hendey is the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com, a Catholic web site focusing on the Catholic faith, Catholic parenting and family life, and Catholic cultural topics. Most recently she has authored The Handbook for Catholic Moms. Lisa is also employed as webmaster for her parish web sites. …
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Arwen Mosher

Arwen Mosher
Arwen Mosher lives in southeastern Michigan with her husband Bryan and their young children Camilla and Blaise. She has a bachelor's degree in theology. She dreads laundry, craves sleep, loves to read novels and do logic puzzles, and can't live without tea. Her personal blog site is ABC Family. …
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Rebecca Teti

Rebecca Teti
Rebecca Teti is married to Dennis and has four children (3 boys, 1 girl) who -- like yours no doubt -- are pious and kind, gorgeous, and can spin flax into gold. A Washington, DC, native, she converted to Catholicism while an undergrad at the U. Dallas, where she double-majored in …
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Robyn Lee

Robyn Lee
Robyn Lee is the managing editor of Faith & Family magazine. She is (yikes!) an almost 30 year-old, single lady, living in Connecticut with her two cousins in a small bungalow-style kit house built by her great uncle in the 1950s. She also conveniently lives next door to her sister, brother-in-law …
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Hallie Lord

Hallie Lord
Hallie Lord married her dashing husband, Dan, in the fall of 2001 (the same year, coincidentally, that she joyfully converted to the Catholic faith). They now happily reside in the deep South with their two energetic boys and two very sassy girls. In her *ample* spare time, Hallie enjoys cheap wine, …
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Fr. John Bartunek, LC

Fr. John Bartunek, LC

Fr John Bartunek, LC, STL, received his BA in History from Stanford University in 1990, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He comes from an evangelical Christian background and became a member of the Catholic Church in 1991. After college he worked as a high school history teacher, drama director, and …
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Guest Bloggers

Melissa Wiley

Melissa Wiley
Melissa Wiley is a homeschooling mother of six and the author of The Martha Years and The Charlotte Years, two series of books about the ancestors of Laura Ingalls Wilder. She blogs about children’s books, family, and home education at Here in the Bonny Glen.
Read My Posts

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One Door Closes

But Maddy's Already Moving On

Posted by Danielle Bean in Reviews on Monday, February 15, 2010

American Idol fans already know that Maddy Curtis, daughter of Catholic mom blogger Barbara Curtis, was cut from the show last week.

I was disappointed, but it didn’t take long to realize that God has bigger plans for the sweet and talented Maddy. The 16 year old sold out two Haitian relief concerts last week.

I suppose I’ll stick with my decision not to watch American Idol this year, but I will... READ MORE 

Comments
9
Filed under american idol, maddy curtis, music, singing, talent, television

Music and Motherhood

Do you play an instrument?

Posted by Arwen Mosher in Just me on Monday, January 11, 2010

Once upon a time, I was a flute player. When I was in school, I played the flute in the concert band and the piccolo in marching band. I wasn’t prodigiously good or anything, but I was pretty decent. I really enjoyed it too.

(Fun fact: Bryan and I met in high school when we were in the marching band together. Imagine how different my life might be if I hadn’t played the flute!)

After I graduated,... READ MORE 

Comments
19
Filed under flute, hobbies, instruments, music, parenthood, time

Saints of Christmas: Basil & Gregory

The Ninth Day of Christmas

Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Saturday, January 02, 2010

I love this painting entitled “The Mass of St. Basil” by Pierre Subleyras.

It shows the saint so enrapt in worship of the Eucharist that he doesn’t notice the emperor and his entourage blustering in in the middle of the liturgy.

The original painting was copied and enlarged in mosaic form for St. Peter’s in Rome, where you can find it in the Gregorian chapel.

In the Greek tradition, St. Basil is Father... READ MORE 

Comments
1
Filed under art, basil, carols, christmas, gregory, music, saints, saints of christmas, traditions

Unto Us A Child Is Born

Merry Christmas to you and yours

Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Friday, December 25, 2009

Isaiah 9: 6

Wonderful!
Counsellor!
The Mighty God!
The Everlasting Father!
The Prince of Peace!

 

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0
Filed under celebration, christmas, handel, music

Cajun Christmas to You!

Posted by Danielle Bean in News on Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Here’s a taste of the beautiful Christmas music available from the Cajun band L’angelus:

Right now, you can download your choice of a free mp3 from their Christmas album. The CD makes a great last minute gift idea—or order one for yourself so you that you and your family can enjoy the sounds of Cajun Christmas throughout the 12 Days!

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5
Filed under cajun, christmas, langelus, music

Advent Music Meditation

Veni Veni Emmanuel!

Posted by Danielle Bean in Faith on Monday, December 14, 2009

Just a few minutes of beauty for your day:

Comments
5
Filed under advent, emannuel, music, song

Non-Christmas Music

What's your favorite song?

Posted by Arwen Mosher in Just me on Thursday, December 03, 2009

Even as we try to keep Advent at our house, there’s no way to avoid the fact that out in the world, we’re smack in the middle of “the holiday season.” You can’t walk into a store without hearing the tinny notes of “Jingle Bells” and similar songs playing over the loudspeaker.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Frosty the snowman as much as the next person. My daughter is a big fan of “snowmans” and last year... READ MORE 

Comments
39
Filed under advent, christmas, music, preferences, songs

Denise Jonas Speaks to Moms

Rock stars' mom is advocating for families

Posted by Lisa Hendey in Family on Friday, October 23, 2009

A few of you may have heard of this little rock band called the Jonas Brothers.  While we don’t have any of their CDs in my home, I’ve heard great things about these young men and have often wondered about their family upbringing. 

I learned a little bit about Mom Jonas—aka Mrs. Denise Jonas—this week as she prepares to speak out to moms around the country as a representative of iMom.com, an organization... READ MORE 

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3
Filed under moms, music, sons, teens, websites

Carrie Underwood Sings 'How Great Thou Art'

a hymn for your Wednesday

Posted by Danielle Bean in Faith on Wednesday, October 21, 2009

I really love Carrie Underwood’s voice. Some of the lyrics to her latest songs, though? Not my favorites.

So I was thrilled to happen upon this clip of her singing “How Great Thou Art.” If, like me, her rendition starts you wondering about the origins of this popular hymn, check out its Wikipedia page for the answers to all of your questions (and even some you hadn’t thought to ask).

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8
Filed under carrie underwood, hymns, music, video

Birds on Wire Write Musical Composition

This is so cool!

Posted by Danielle Bean in Just me on Thursday, October 15, 2009

“Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires,” says Jarbas Agnelli. “I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit) ... I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.”

Check out the results:

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

HT: Melanie Bettinelli’s tweet

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8
Filed under birds, creativity, music, video

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