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Erin
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| Posted: Oct 15 2005 at 4:22pm | IP Logged
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Next week at our homeschooling camp I have offered to give a talk on living the liturgcial year.  Now I'm starting to panic a little. I've never talked about this formally. Has anyone got any great ideas, thoughts, websites to help me prepare here.
Alot of what we talk about on the forum is new here in Australia. Not many families are familiar with the idea of living the liturgical year at home in the way that many of you do there.
I thought I'd take our altar cloths, talk about that concept. Talk about celebrating the different Feast Days at home, Baptismal Days etc. Take some photos. Take our liturgical wheel. Also the one of the discussion the other day. Also type up a sheet with web addresses for the cookbooks and other sites we've talked about ages ago. Although some families don't have the internet.
Any other 'musts' would be great?
Thanks
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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ALmom
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I think a book list that have specific ideas would help. When we started trying, it was hard to know how once we knew the basic gyst and having a detailed description of things and why they were done really helped.
It also might help to have a handout for a variety of ideas for one of the upcoming seasons - like Advent. We were given a little informal booklet with Advent meal prayers, blessing of the Christmas tree, Jesse symbols, and instructions for the straw in the crib, St. Nicholas Day, St. Lucy's day (along with a recipe). It is really handy to have all that in one place. If you have pictures or instructions from something your family has done that is always helpful.
Janet
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JennGM
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 Good for you, Erin! I've never done a talk, so you're doing much more than me! Right now I'm working on a hands-on mini Advent retreat for the local homeschoolers and I'm nervous!
To me, I think it's important to get across that this isn't just some extreme Catholic homeschooler thing. If you are including handouts, I would include quotes from the teachings of the Church on the "Domestic Church," "Universal Call to Holiness" and the Liturgical Year. Vatican II, in particular Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy), the Catechism and Directory on Popular Piety are really good documents to use. I'll send you specific citations.
The Liturgical Year is centered on Easter...with every Sunday being a little Easter. That's the KEY focus on the liturgical Year-- the temporal cycle, that follows the Paschal mysteries -- Christ's Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection.
Then the sanctoral cycle gives us the feasts of saints. Saints are more of the "supporting cast." Their lives illustrate that through time, with the different difficulties presented during each era, they could live out their faith. Their lives are witnesses to Christ and examples for all faithful to follow. But, like Mary, their lives point back to the saving mysteries of Christ.
Sundays need to be sanctified. Maria Von Trapp's "Land Without a Sunday" chapter is so good...and down to earth ideas as to what Pope John Paul II in his Dies Domini was promoting.
And uniting your actions as the domestic church with the universal church is key. We don't need to go into all directions making up things or being holier than what the Church already provides. The basis of all liturgical seasons and feasts is the Mass and secondly is the Liturgy of the Hours. Incorporating the message, the readings, actually attending Mass or just praying the Collect (Opening Prayer) of the day would be the one of the best ways to really incorporate the Liturgical Year in the Home.
That's the basis. But we're human and we need visuals and tangibles...especially teaching the young. But even being older I like the physical act of celebrating a saint.
Since your audience is homeschooled moms, you have the best target. They can live and breathe the liturgical year. Ideas about the season and saints can be worked in easily to one's lessons. Yesterday was the feast of St. Teresa of Avila. This can easily be a mini-lesson in her virtues and weaknesses (I love Kelly's post, about avoiding long-faced piety), the culture of Spain, Carmelite spirituality, foods named for Teresa, hymns, plays, crafts...the possibilities are endless.
But I guess that would be my pertinent point. You can't do it all, and you don't want to do it all. Establish traditions slowly, add on each year. Don't be afraid to try. Sometimes they don't "take" or work right with your children...move on to another idea. No family dynamic is the same. The whole purpose is to bring the child to see the Church's cycle and to enrich their spiritual life. The end goal should be a closer relationship and a PERSONAL relationship with Christ. They are to grow in the knowledge of the Faith and to become saints. Anything that causes fights, or even resentment in Mommy should be reevaluated!
I wrote Revival of Christian Culture in the Family when I was in college. This has some basic ideas.
I'm bubbling over with ideas, but I know you want to keep the talk simple. I get carried away with emphasizing the Church's teaching as the background of the Liturgical Year cycle.
I think some of the best basic ideas for traditions are found in Women for Faith and Family. Their booklets for Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter are the best and inexpensive. So for the moms that don't have computer access, they might be perfect for their needs.
And two other websites that are a must:
Domestic Church and Catholic Culture.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Erin
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Jenn,
Some great ideas. Following this up and looking through old posts when we talked about this last year on Catholic CM.
When I sort through all this and write up the talk I thought I might post it up. It will be long though. Do we have files here?
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Giving talk on living the liturgical year
