15
Jan 10

Gifts for an Adult Convert: RCIA

My daughter met a nice gentleman named Dan while attending the local community college. They have been dating for about three years. He has been attending church regularly with our family for about two years.

I was so happy when I became aware of Dan’s desire to become a Catholic. He comes from a Christian background but has never received any previous formal religious instruction. He has been attending RCIA classes since last fall. It has been great watching him grow spiritually as he learns about the church Christ instituted here on earth. It has been a great refresher for my daughter too since she has been attending RCIA classes with Dan.

He will be receiving both the sacrament of Baptism and Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil mass in the spring. About two weeks after that, he will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation from the local bishop. Most Catholics receive these various sacraments spread out over many years which make it easy for family and friends to give specific gifts for each sacrament celebrated. But since he is receiving all these sacraments close together and he is an adult, I am having a hard time trying to figure out the best gift to give him.

I already have decided to give Dan a Celtic Cross Photo Album since he is Irish. I could put pictures of his classmates and instructors, photos of him receiving all three of the sacraments, and photos of our celebration. But beyond that I am not sure.

One possibility could be the Holy Communion Pewter Crucifix .I thought this would be nice for him to hang in his house.

Another idea I had was the Men’s Sterling Four Way Scapular. This would give him something he would always have with him to remind him that he is a son of God and a soldier of Christ and the faith.

I could use some input maybe from someone who has purchased gifts for an adult convert. Please let me know what gifts you like, especially if you’re an RCIA convert yourself!

9
Jan 10

Our Son’s Baptism

The day of my son’s christening was the hottest day of the year! Lukas was born in July and baptized in August. He wore the same baptismal outfit that I, as well as my brothers and sisters, were baptized in.

My husband and I had a hard time choosing God parents so we put names in a hat. Yes, that is how we chose my son’s godparents. (Granted, we only threw names of people we knew would aid him in his relationship with God–and we trusted them!)

At the time our daughter was 2 ½ years old and the baptism was following the 11am mass–which fell at nap time, of course. We were the only family having our baby baptized, as we were having a family friend baptize our son. He was a retired priest who had performed our wedding and also baptized our daughter two years prior. This priest had always been an important “member” of our family, so I was honored he agreed to the baptism.

Anyway, as it was so warm outside and it was naptime for my daughter. She was so tired! Thank God we were the only family there! I would have been mortified! She was crying, running around, screaming and having temper tantrums–which surprised everyone because she was usually really good in church. My husband’s cousin tried so hard to keep her distracted and quiet but there was no calming her down. Finally, worn out, she just fell asleep at the church snuggled into her baby brother’s baptism gift–a gorgeous cross blanket. She was just exhausted.

After Lukas’ baptism, we went back to the house for a luncheon–and wouldn’t you know it, his sister slept through the whole thing! Now when we go back and watch the video tape we all laugh and Lukas teases his sister, telling her “some day he will get her back from stealing the show at his baptism.”

8
Jan 10

My Daughter’s Baptism

I will never forget the day my daughter, Samantha, was baptized! It was my very first Mother’s day on Sunday, May 12, 1996. It was a warm, sunny spring morning as we made our way to the church that my family has belonged to for years, St. Bernardine of Sienna Catholic church. In fact, it was the same church where my husband and I were married at 18 months before and where I was baptized.

We asked Father Partensky, the same priest who married Glen and I, to perform our daughter’s baptism. Having the same priest who married us, be the same one to perform our first child’s baptism meant a lot to us. Father Partensky is a very warm, easy going man with a gift to make everyone feel comfortable and secure. When we walked into the church for the baptism he said, jokingly, “If that baby cries, we are done!” Believe it or not Samantha did not make a peep! She was incredible well-behaved the entire time, which made for some great memories of a wonderful experience.

Not only did Samantha behave like an angel that day, she looked absolutely heavenly in her baptismal gown. It took a few weeks to carefully chose her baptismal gown and I am glad that we took the time. We chose a baptismal gown that we wanted to stay in our family, and become a heirloom that she could pass down as a tradition to her own children one day. Today, I have it carefully packed away to give to her one day for our future grandchildren.

I remember that we had a hard time picking her godparents. My husband and I wanted family but wanted to make sure that we picked someone who we knew would be there for Samantha to turn to if she had questions or concerns about her religious life. We finally asked my younger sister, Amanda and my husband’s brother, John. Both our siblings were truly honored. It was really a blessing to share this day with both of our families.

Among her baptismal gifts, one of my favorites was a book from her godfather, John, talking about guardian angels. It was a beautiful children’s picture book called Angels Watch Over Me. Even though she was a baby, I remember reading it to her almost every night. It eventually turned into a bedtime ritual for us, and even though she is no longer a young child, it is still one of her favorite books. My oldest sister gave her a beautiful pin cross (which she has worn for her Baptism, Communion and Confirmation) and my cousin knitted her a sweater, bonnet and booties set that was absolutely adorable. I will always have fond memories of my daughter’s baptism.

6
Jan 10

Protecting Our Loved Ones in the Military

Many of us have family and friends serving in the military. We often feel helpless because our loved ones are so far away and we fear for their health and safe return. During these times of sadness or frustration we need only to turn to our faith in God.

Because of our faith, we pray to God for our family and friends in the military during these difficult times. We can also invoke the help of the saints in heaven to pray to the Lord our God for our loved ones who are in the service. These great saints, who lived on this earth just as we do now, and suffered the same turmoil we face, were victorious in living their life in accordance with God’s will. Certain Catholic saints that are associated with specific situations in life are referred to as patron saints. These patron saints intercede to God for us. We can take our special needs to them and know they will listen to our prayers, and pray to God with us. Two saints considered to be patron saints of those in the military are St. Michael and St Christopher.

St Michael was the leader of the army of God during the Lucifer uprising. We pray that St Michael will “defend us in battle and be are safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. “

St Christopher, which means Christ bearer, is considered to be the patron saint of travelers. He was a man of great size and strength.

A great gift idea for those in the military- the army, the navy, the marines or the air force, would be a St Michael or St Christopher medal. Wearing these medals honors and reveres the patron saints and reminds the wearer of the saint’s sacrifices and victories over the temporal world. The medals give courage to those who wear them, and they also give a sense of security and protection that the “church triumphant” is praying for their health and safety.

We ask these two great saints to intercede for us to God the Almighty for the protection of our loved ones in the military.

4
Jan 10

A Boy’s Suit: When to buy

I am in such a quandary and I am hoping that someone can put my over-planning mind at ease. My son, Ethan, is making his Confirmation this April and I need to buy him a suit to wear.

I started looking this past week for a boy’s suit that he can wear this upcoming April and I am finding myself in a dilemma of what size to buy. I know that most parents who purchase an outfit a few months in advance have some concerns as to whether it will fit or not when the special day arrives. But my story with Ethan becomes a little more complicated – he was recently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

For the past year, Ethan has been complaining of various stomach ailments and as a result started losing weight, but we did not know why. After months of specialists, we finally found an answer why – Crohn’s disease. Although there is no cure for this disease, it can be controlled through certain medications and diet. For the past few months, we have adjusted Ethan’s diet and he has been on the new medications, which are showing promising results. He is feeling better, looking stronger and has even gained back some of his original weight, which is a side effect of his medications. I am very thankful that my prayers were answered and he is on the road to recovery. The doctors have said that he should get back to the weight that he used to be, it would only be a matter of time.

Thus, here is the question that I keep asking myself. Do I purchase the suit now and hope it fits later (after he gains the weight) or do I wait until the last minute and buy one a few weeks before (and take the chance that they will have his size)?

I am also hoping to get at least a few more uses out of this suit. My sister, Sherry is getting married a month later in May and I would like to see him wear the suit again to her wedding. I know I should wait but I am hoping to save some money. What to do, what to do?

29
Dec 09

First Communion Memories: Sharing My Faith with My Two Kids

I love sharing stories of my Children! I have two children, one boy who is 13 and my daughter who is 11. Both of my children have different personalities from each other yet I can remember each of their First Communions like it was yesterday.

My son was so nervous and had so many questions about making his First Holy Communion. One of his biggest fears was dropping the host and God being mad at him. I told him not to worry he would do fine and that accidents happen and that God could never be mad at him. On top of him having anxiety, he did not want to wear dress clothes–he wanted to wear a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I looked hard to find a comfortable boys suit for him. We ended up finding the perfect suit – one that he felt comfortable in it and I thought he looked absolutely handsome in. The day had finally come for his First Communion. He was both nervous yet excited at the same time. As soon as he put on his special suit, he saw how great he looked in the mirror, his confidence went up and I could see the anxiety fading from his face. After a few snapshots with the camera before we headed off to church, he was feeling good about himself and excited about making his First Holy Communion. Following the Communion ceremony, we had a gathering of family and friends. That day turned out to be a wonderful experience with wonderful memories that will last a lifetime for our family.

When my daughter made her Communion it was so very different! With her, she is very outgoing and it was all about the dress. We started looking the summer before her Holy Communion ceremony. We found her communion dress online while looking for her flower girl dress for her Aunt’s wedding. It was a bit more than she was expecting, but gorgeous and she looked like an angel in it. She never wanted to take it off!

At her celebration she was delighted to get communion gifts and cards and wanted to know why people gave presents to her for making a Sacrament. Her favorite gift was one she got from her godmother, my sister, it was our grandmother’s rosary and she still thinks it is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen.

We still belong to the same church that my entire family all made our sacraments at and that means a lot to me. I am so happy that I can carry on the same faith and family traditions that I grew up with and now my children are following those same traditions at the same church.

25
Dec 09

Christmas Celebrations: Teaching My 3-Year-Old About Christ’s Birthday

This Christmas is the first Christmas my 3 year old, Brianna will remember. We are trying to teach her what Christmas is all about, the birth of Jesus. She helped us set up the nativity. She even has one in her room. Brianna tells us ”Just remember Baby Jesus is not in the crib until December 25th.” We are counting down the days until his birth with our Advent Calendar, with every day she gets a token gift. She thinks this is better than her birthday.

Every night when we sit down to dinner as a family we say grace and light the Advent wreath. She likes it because the candles are her favorite colors then she gets to blow them out like birthday candles. We talk about Jesus’ birthday each week, lighting one more candle until Christmas. We chose a gorgeous Shamrock Advent candleholder to help bring together our heritage and tradition.

Teaching her all the traditions of Christmas that we learned as children makes our holidays so much better. One of those traditions is, as a family, we all go out to the tree farm and pick out the perfect Christmas tree. We bring the tree home, make some hot cocoa, pull out all the boxes of ornaments and enjoy each others company the rest of the day while decorating the tree. After a wonderful afternoon of cocoa, laughter and family, the tree is complete with all of the ornaments but one – saving the most special one for last – the golden star tree topper that has been in my family for years. The moment had finally come where we all gather around the tree and turn on the lights. I picked up my little 3 year old, Brianna, so she could get a better view of the tree, and when she did she said “Look mama, the star is like the one from the baby Jesus nativity.” It warms my heart to know that even at 3 years old, she understands the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas time has been a special time for not only keeping traditions that I remember as a child, but introducing new family traditions that my children can pass down to their their children. On Christmas eve, all of the family – aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters gather together for a special dinner. After dinner we usually play games, and share stories. This year I found a new tradition to start – I found a special children’s book, A Special Place for Santa that tells the story about how St. Nicholas came to be known internationally and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which is the true meaning behind Christmas. After dinner this year – all the children will gather around Grandpa, while he reads this heartwarming story to all the kids. The Christmas season is a time to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus, enjoy family and friends, keep family traditions going and remember what is really important.

21
Dec 09

Holiday Hardships: How My Family Got Through

I love Christmas and hope that my kids feel the same, not the gift part but the true meaning. I love to have friends and family around. This year my son is being confirmed and has to do community service so he is ringing the bells for the Salvation Army. I want my kids to know the true meaning of giving, which is what Christmas is all about.

Last year my family had a few setbacks, we lost our home and moved in with my mom. We moved December 7, 2008. Conveniently, her house was right next door to our house. I tried so hard for my kids to not worry about anything and that everything was as normal for them as possible. I went to each of my kid’s school to talk to their principals, so that if the kids had any problems it might help to have a background of what is going on at home.

I am so blessed to have the family and friends that I have. My sister came and helped me get mom’s house ready and we moved. When I got home from the school that day I got two phone calls: one from my son’s school and one from my daughter’s school. Both wanted to help make sure that our kids had a Christmas they would never forget and we certainly won’t. It was as if angels were watching over my family.

We shared our Christmas, that we thought would be dismal and depressing, happy and able to give our kids something that we thought would be impossible. Our kids don’t know what a blessing we were given from their schools, but they both always make sure that they can help with the Help a Family fund at school and by participating in small projects.

We have joined a neighborhood church and are so fortunate to have a new “family” to share the Holidays with this year. The kids love to donate to the food basket on Sunday. The fact that we have such a strong faith helped my husband, our kids, and I get through such a tough time.

17
Dec 09

How Communion has Changed: A 50 year perspective

Kids are notorious for asking questions. But according to my grandmother, it’s more recent that they started questioning religious teachings.

My grandmother has had the opportunity of watching her children teach their children about many different Catholic beliefs. One of her favorites has always been the sacrament of First Communion. The children are at an age where they’re still learning about the world and how God plays a role in shaping who they are as people.

When my grandmother made her First Holy Communion, it followed a class prepared by nuns. Years later, though not a nun, she taught the same class. It was then that my grandmother says she learned the core values of her Catholic religious beliefs.

Similarly today members of the church teach First Communion classes. The biggest difference, my grandmother says, is the kids. Unlike when she was in Communion classes, kids today are more inquisitive about Catholicism. They want to know why and how; whereas, according to my grandmother, children during her day indiscriminately accepted the teachings of the nuns.

Though she says some questions can only be resolved with faith, my grandmother feels the answers to many of these questions lie in the religious teachings themselves. First Communion prayer books are a traditional part of receiving this sacrament – helping guide the child through the mass and their Catholic prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, the Stations of the Cross and other prayers and devotions).

As she discusses Holy Communion with my young cousin, who is about to take that very same step, her faith shines and has a comforting effect. Throughout the years of a changing society, faith is the common quality that will forever remain the same.

16
Dec 09

Preparing Your Son for His First Holy Communion

After weeks of classes the day for your son’s First Communion is drawing near and there is plenty of planning to be done. It is probably best to make a list and stay organized. As a parent it’s important to include both godparents in as many stages of your son’s religious development as possible. This means including godparents on many decisions. A great place to include the godparents in planning the details of the First Communion. Allow godparents to choose accessories or a practical suit for your son.

A good suit for a young man can be just as important and useful as a school uniform. MySpecialPlace.com has several complete affordable 5 piece suits. A white suite can be appropriate for this occasion; likewise, a traditional black or navy suit can be used for weddings, dinners and other formal events.

I have found that many families start the big day at the family’s house. From there they will generally carpool to the church. This allows time for the godparents to calm an apprehensive young man or just lend additional support to the family. After the Holy Communion, a pleasant celebration of food and family takes place, recounting the highlights of this event or taking a peek at some digital pictures before having them developed. This is also an excellent time for Communion gifts to be given, as reminders of this special day and their religious beliefs.

After the meal, guests can meet in the comfort of the family’s home to congratulate and celebrate. This is usually a great time to relax and reflect on what this means to the family and to the individual.