Missing last Tuesday...

I am sorry to have missed last Tuesday, my dear Uncle Pete died that day. I was honoured to be with him as he passed away, and thankful that he died a very peaceful and holy death after a short but hard illness.

Rest in Peace Uncle Pete.

Feast of the Assumption

HT: Fisheaters

Today is the beautiful feast of the Assumption - when Our Lady was assumed into heaven, body and soul.

In Australia it is one of two Holy Days of Obligation remaining (the other Christmas Day) and I think it is a very special feast as there is a connection to Our Lady's Immaculate Conception in the belief of the Assumption - it is the reason why Our Lady was assumed, because her Divine Son chose to save her in the most complete way possible - without Original Sin.

Many may try to say there is no bibilical basis for such doctrines, but at the Annunciation in Luke there is a firm understanding of her sinlessness - here is a very interesting discussion in affirming this point.

In the life of the Church the blessing of herbs is connected to the feast.

Since we LOVE herbs here, we decided to gather all the useable herbs in the home and take them to Father for the special blessing of the day.

Actually, a dear friend of mine, (her family and ours) made the visit to Isabell Shiphard's farm on the Eve of the Assumption, where I stocked up on some of my favourite dried herbs, it was perfect timing for the blessing today.

We started our morning with sweet, spiced sourdough bread we had been saving for the feast.

And brewed our normal, morning pot of mixed herbs...(dried stinging nettle, herb robert, hawthorn, small willow flower, gota kola) and buttered the toasted bread, it was a delicious breakfast!

We decided to visit our city's permaculture gardens as they grow herbs of all sorts, it is always such a beautiful day out there.

I think the gardens have felt the affects of a few year's drought (despite better rain in the last few months) and so I've seen the gardens looking better but it always is such a pleasant stroll through herbs, veges and nature..

They had a lovely herb spiral, the children were delighted to see comfrey at it's base and of course the usual rosemary at the top (a nice, marian herb.)

We had a herb spiral ourselves a few years ago but we planted it a few months before the drought and so it didn't last long with tough restrictions. They managed to maintain one here of course, that is the focus of these gardens, wise water management and natural plant raising and maintanence.

I loved this cheery, informative sign!

Just having a bit of fun along the way.....

They have a 'typical Aussie backyard' set up, showing visitors all the great ways to grow an edible garden that conserves water, using natural composting techniques, making swales etc. Oh yeah, got to have the old Aussie clothes line!

A BEAUTIFUL clump of one of my all time favourite herbs - comfrey! With a bit of aloe peaking out here and there.

This little blossom had a simply wonderful time!

Ok, don't swipe us with that stinging nettle! He wasn't popular with the other children...no, we rather have our's dried and in a nicely brewing tea pot...or soup...or casserole...mashed potato, scrambled eggs....oh yes, we love our herbs!

Happy Feast Day!

St Anne's Chaplet, the perfect chaplet for mothers

I wanted to re-visit St Anne's chaplet again...I truly believe it is a most special chaplet out of so many that the Church advocates. Recently I purchased My Treasury of Chaplets a lovely thick book featuring so many beautiful chaplets, it gives a brief history of each chaplet and a photo, and of course, the explanation of how it is said with it's accompanying prayers.

What struck me was just how many chaplets involve prayers that you really need to have a copy of on hand, unless you have an outstanding memory you are most likely not to have learnt it off by heart. Some are very long as well. They had a page dedicated to St Anne's chaplet, but very brief and simple..


It occured to me today as I was explaining to a dear friend how to say the chaplet, just what a perfect chaplet is was for mothers! It consists of 3 sets of 1 Our Father and 5 Hail Mary's. After each Hail Mary, you recite, "Jesus, Mary and St Anne, grant me my request" It is simple, the little prayer in between the Hail Mary's is so easy to remember. I see it like a mini rosary. The chaplet looks like a mini rosary and is so easy to carry around the house and into the handbag as you set out in the car.

I timed the reciting of St Anne's chaplet today in the car as I drove to an appointment, exactly 3 and half minutes. How suitable then for busy mothers! I find I can fit it in, all different times of the day, if I am out in the car, it is always with me. I can fit one in even if I'm only travelling down the street to do some shopping as it is only that 3mins or so, long.

When I am making long car trips, I am able to fit in many recitations. As we travelled down to Sydney (12 hour trip) for WYD, I was so worried about my health and so many other little things I found that I had recited 50 or more, all varying intentions. Many were dedicated to my delicate health... I really felt as though I was clinging to St Anne, it gave me peace, I trusted in her intercessory power.

When we finally arrived and had a flurry of hours in the city, not arriving back at our relative's home until close to midnight (just remembering that I was up in the early hours of the morning that day and had left home at 5.30am) when my head hit the pillow, my heart started pounding and pounding, I felt a terrible body weakness decend upon me....you could say, "Well what about all those chaplets to St Anne?" Or maybe not, maybe you would just say, "Anne's just plain crazy!!" You are right there, but don't you see? St Anne knows I'm crazy too! I feel that she allowed me that weakness to know my limitations quickly, despite my enthusiasms, despite my ability to push my will no matter what..just letting me know, don't push too far.

If I had not experienced that weakness, I am sure I would have said, "Yes, I'm ready for the Papal Mass!" But from all my friends who did attend, they all talk of the hours of walking to arrive at the grounds and then all the walking back again...hours of it, streets were cordoned off for kms away and then there was all the public transport to face after that long walk, squishy crowds on trains etc. They said it was draining, debilitating, even for the fit and healthy. If I had tried for it, I'd hate to think what would have happened...

So I resigned myself that even though we finally made it to the city where the Holy Father was present, we would not be able to see him...unless it was God's will, somehow..

The next day (Monday) we headed into the city as I had read on the internet the night before the Holy Father was travelling by Popemobile from St Mary's Cathedral House to the Domain (a 2 min drive) we offered our St Anne chaplet together as a family, "Jesus, Mary and St Anne, please keep us well and let us see the Pope!" was our prayer in between the Hail Mary's - to read the wonderful outcome of that morning, read this posting where I share the story in depth.

St Anne had it all worked out, we DID see the Holy Father and we saw him and he saw us in a way that would not have been possible at any other venue we may have attempted to attend...St Anne had it all worked out the best way possible, you see, she knows me! (~smile~)

St Anne's chaplet is perfect for my prayers for myself, for my family, for my friends, for all those I wish to pray for...simply perfect.

Here are some of my common intentions:

"Jesus, Mary and St Anne, please heal........"

"Jesus, Mary and St Anne, grant......for......."

"Jesus, Mary and St Anne, grant me good health"

"Jesus, Mary and St Anne, grant the needs of all those I entrust to you."

"Jesus, Mary and St Anne, grant......a baby."

"Jesus, Mary and St Anne, grant me the spritual and temporal needs of my husband and children"

"Jesus, Mary and St Anne, please grant me a special spiritual grace."

Each chaplet is dedicated to something special...

I have found this chaplet powerful, incredibly powerful, St Anne comes to my aid, she listens to my prayers, unworthy though I am.

For anyone who has considered buying a St Anne chaplet, but has yet to, I urge you to consider again, for this truly is such a beautiful and simple prayer for mothers.

St Anne Chaplets from the USA

Or another great place to purchase a St Anne chaplet is on ebay, there is a great range, some are very beautiful, reasonably priced as well.

Making and hanging our rosaries

I am finally getting around to making rosaries for my family. I hope to eventually have a tenner and pair of rosary beads for each person and any chaplet/s anyone would like.

Over the weekend I made rosaries for my two older girls, here they are above and below, (dd8) loves blue and her name is connected to the theme on the silver crucifix. She chose a rosary center with Our Lady with her hands in prayer, to me it looks it could be a Lourdes image, it has beautiful filigree all around Our Lady. She chose Blue Crazy Lace Agate gemstones for the Ave beads. Golden Shadow Swarovski Crystals for the Pater beads, sided by some beautiful Pacific Opal and Crystal Satin AB swarovski crystals, also beautiful sterling silver bead caps - she was SO EXCITED when I finished them Friday night.

Then (dd11) chose her beads and rosary pieces. She chose Pink Crazy Lace Agate gemstones for the Ave beads. Copper Swarovski Crystals for the Pater beads and vintage rose and Satin rose swarovski crystals to side the Pater beads. The bead caps were particularly beautiful, Vintaj's Etruscan Brass Bead Caps. After very loooooong consideration by dd, she finally settled on a Vintage Reproduction Ornate French Crucifix and my favourite Lourdes center. (Well I DID tell her, "take your time, it is a decision for life") Another very happy little girl Saturday night.

For (ds5) I decided to make him a tenner first, as I will probably hold off making his rosary beads until his First Holy Communion, a tenner is more suited..often he can only focus on one decade well, it keeps it simple for him.

The pieces chosen suit his name and he told me, "brown beads and a dark, round Pater bead." I had to search high and low for the perfect Pater bead - a lovely dark brown, carved wooden bead - "Oh yes mum, that's it!" when he saw it. He was so proud of his new tenner and when he gives out his decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet he carefully gives it out on his new tenner.

For (ds3) I thought I'd make his tenner now, he can at least hold his tenner when we recite the family rosary, he will grow up knowing this is his and it is special. Once again pieces were chosen to suit his name and I picked out MY favourite Pater bead for a man's tenner - a lovely dark carved stone bead. African Red Poppy Jasper gemstones for his Ave beads.

My oldest son (ds13) is now PATIENTLY waiting for his rosary beads...not long to wait now.

Now that we have these very beautiful, heirloom quality beads for our family it is very important that we have a set place to hang them. So I went to Bunnings and bought some lovely brass Fleur deLys hooks (very excited about them being Fleur deLys, VERY Catholic, VERY Marian! Jane, you'll have to track these down!) There is one for each member of the family. On mine I can hang my rosary beads, tenner, St Anne chaplet, Mary Undoer of Knots chaplet, the hook is quite big.

I know it SHOULDN'T matter if our beads are beautiful/quality or not, I mean, look at the saintly people who have been in solitary confinement for the faith (or other extreme circumstances) and they have used a bit of string to create their beads of prayer, I know God views those creations as the most dearest of all. BUT I also think of this beautiful Church saying, "Lex orandi, lex credendi" and the loose translation for us in this instance is, the beauty of the beads reflect and speak to us all of the beauty of the prayers.

St Benedict's Well..

I had posted about our filtered water a few days ago - Healing for Soul and Body. Here is my little bit of crafting since as I was doing some artwork using tile paints for another part of our kitchen and so I thought I'd write the words, "St Benedict's Well" with part of the St Benedict Medal's symbols and lettering on either side of the words. It really reminds the children what is lying at the bottom of the container....

The new lid works much better too! (Just one of our ceramic bowls)