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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Sept 29 2009 at 4:31pm | IP Logged
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Today, over lunch, we were talking to the boys about St. Michael and my husband observed that he is the patron saint of policemen and soldiers.
I thought, wow, a great way to celebrate the day would have been to do something specifically for our local policemen or for servicemen, whether it be that we read books about them and prayed for them or made cards for them to send or visited them with treats.
I don't have a lot of space for crafts for their own sake, and all the creations my kids make that "mustn't" be thrown away make me a little crazy. I've been thinking about being mindful in making crafts and things so that they either serve a specific purpose in our home (or academically as in part of our nature notebook, etc...) or make them specifically as something to give to others.
Maybe I should start a separate thread for handcrafts as service? The two ideas might certainly overlap a bit (they do in my mind).
I thought maybe we could use this thread to brainstorm about alternative ways for celebrating the liturgy that might connect them to something we can do for others. If an idea is good, maybe we could remember to transfer it to the liturgical year planning thread?
Idk, maybe the St. Michael idea is all I have, lol, but it seemed like given the vast patronage and lives of service of the saints, there would be other ideas in this vein.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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DominaCaeli
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| Posted: Sept 29 2009 at 5:32pm | IP Logged
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CrunchyMom wrote:
I've been thinking about being mindful in making crafts and things so that they either serve a specific purpose in our home (or academically as in part of our nature notebook, etc...) or make them specifically as something to give to others.
Maybe I should start a separate thread for handcrafts as service? The two ideas might certainly overlap a bit (they do in my mind). |
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Just wanted to say that I was recently re-reading through some of Charlotte Mason's theories about handicrafts and they definitely relate here--having children work on crafts that are of true value and use for the family, the home, or others. I've been mulling over this principle of hers lately, even with respect to my little ones. I'll have to go back and look at it more closely in relation to this conversation. Actually, your comment (I think it was your comment--you mentioned this on the October planning thread, I think) about making placemats or something similarly useful with your children for the month of the Rosary had me thinking about CM as well...anyway, looking forward to talking about this more. I think it's a great idea!
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Celeste
Joyous Lessons
Mommy to six: three boys (8, 4, newborn) and four girls (7, 5, 2, and 1)
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MaryM
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Last year we instituted a coat drive for our homeschool support group to commemorate the feast of St. Martin of Tours and his generous gift his cape to the beggar. Everyone brought used coats to our activity day on the feast day, then one of the families took the coats to a local homeless shelter that had put out a plea for coats.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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JennGM
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DominaCaeli wrote:
CrunchyMom wrote:
I've been thinking about being mindful in making crafts and things so that they either serve a specific purpose in our home (or academically as in part of our nature notebook, etc...) or make them specifically as something to give to others.
Maybe I should start a separate thread for handcrafts as service? The two ideas might certainly overlap a bit (they do in my mind). |
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Just wanted to say that I was recently re-reading through some of Charlotte Mason's theories about handicrafts and they definitely relate here--having children work on crafts that are of true value and use for the family, the home, or others. I've been mulling over this principle of hers lately, even with respect to my little ones. I'll have to go back and look at it more closely in relation to this conversation. Actually, your comment (I think it was your comment--you mentioned this on the October planning thread, I think) about making placemats or something similarly useful with your children for the month of the Rosary had me thinking about CM as well...anyway, looking forward to talking about this more. I think it's a great idea! |
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I've been really reconsidering that also, and weighing that for my home.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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I love the coats drive idea.
I'm not sure exactly what you mean Lindsay. Do you mean making something to give back as a thank you for the service, like soldiers, fireman, policemen?
Or imitating their service and finding ways to do some Corporal Works of Mercy for others? (like the coat drive)
Or both ideas...making up boxes to send to soldiers overseas, contributing to the Toys for Tots program?
Or how about visuals --
St. Michael -- beautiful picture, and underneath list ways he was strong and helpful, and then ways we can imitate him?
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Sept 29 2009 at 7:24pm | IP Logged
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Celeste, yes, that was my post about the placemats. I think we are doing a runner, though.
Jenn, I'm not sure what I mean either. That's why I want ideas, lol. Actually, all the ideas you list are good!
I suppose it could be as simple as being mindful of others who might be under the patronage of a particular saint.
For instance, leading up to St. Lucy, we have both a Grandma and a mother of a priest friend who have suffered sudden blindness. Finding a way to combine remembering them with studying her and making an activity mindful of that is something we could do in particular. Maybe a gift of scented candles, making a felt bag for Grandma's magnifying glass, or something soft or textured cut out on the card so they can feel it.
However, collecting old eyeglasses to deliver to those giving them to the needy oversees might be something that another family could do.
I saw a cute craft one day about making a card to fit on a water bottle as a welcome back to school gift for a teacher. I thought the idea was nice because there was the cutting/paper/gluing craft idea along with a simple consumable gift that was mindful of something useful for the teacher.
So, I'd been thinking about ways to make a craft intentional for someone else. We plan to deliver a meal to the priest's parents next week who have been struggling with the elderly mother's recent illness. I'd thought that I could arrange a craft (even if just a card) that would specifically be for delivering with the meal giving myself the motivation to assemble it and removing the pressure of having it hang around our house when its finished.
Well, when the St. Michael idea came to me, I thought there must be others. I also thought someone might have a specific idea for how one might do that beyond taking devils food cupcakes to the police station (though, they'd probably like that, too), though, that's just an example.
I just thought of another idea, a tradition of praying on a name day for all the people you know with that name.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Sept 29 2009 at 7:27pm | IP Logged
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Or for a St. Lucy craft, a simple felt eyeglass case or a beaded eyeglass chain for a relative or friend with perhaps a medal or Lucy image to give as a gift either then or at Christmas.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Erin
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Here in Australia, St Michael's Feast Day is National Remembrance Day for all the fallen Police Officers. Our priest is the police chaplain so the children and I attended a service for our police officers, and also prayed for dh's brother and sil who are police officers, and of course his departed grandfather.
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Michaela
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St Francis of Assisi (Oct 4) is the patron of animals -- give (collect) old towels, blankets, or even dog or cat food to an animal shelter.
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Michaela
Momma to Nicholas 16, Nathan 13, Olivia 13, Teresa 6, & Anthony 3
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MaryM
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| Posted: Oct 12 2009 at 1:00am | IP Logged
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Lindsay, I'm adding your own suggestion from the October thread as it is a perfect fit for this idea of service.
CrunchyMom wrote:
What about putting together some sort of gift for pregnant mothers in your life? It could be as simple as a holy card with homemade ginger snaps or a whole gift basket with stuff like really good pickles and ice cream. |
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We have recently been learning about one of the very newly canonized saints - St. Jeanne Jugan, foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor. I haven't seen for sure, but assume she will be listed as a patron saint of the elderly since that is who she served. So in celebration of her canonization this month or to do something for her feast day (August 30) visiting a nursing home or any service to the elderly would be a good idea. Stl Anthony of Padua is another patron of the elderly so the same would hold for service around his feast day.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Celebrating the Liturgy as Service
