Christmas Novena on the Feast of St Andrew

If you do NOTHING else this advent with your children but recite this prayer, you will be doing something wonderful, here is why.

The prayer is recited 15 times per day. Sounds repetitious. It's not, it is a constant turning of the mind and heart to the midnight hour of Christmas. I don't think you will find a better more perfect way to prepare yourself and your children for Christmas. Pray for those you love, pray for those you know need a miracle of grace, pray for yourself and your needs in the intentions, and lay those intentions at the feet of the Child Jesus like the shepherds and Magi, on Christmas morning.

This year I have quickly made myself a novena bracelet to wear until Christmas. I've particular chosen beads with varied patterns in the stone so I can wear the bracelet, offer the prayer and note which bead I am up to by it's markings. That's the theory. ;) I feel confident though, I won't even take the bracelet off to do that, just touch the bead I am up to as I offer my next prayer. Simple and easy.

The postcard image above has the Christmas Novena prayer on it, if you download and print up, you can post a few copies around the house for a reminder.

Wishing everyone a blessed and holy Advent.

My Scapular Craft ~ Two Hearts

If you saw my original posting My Scapular Craft, where I made my first scapular, (that you can see to the side) you would have also seen a photo at the end of another scapular that I had only just started, but not completed. This posting is showing you that newly designed scapular.

It is really important, if you wish to make this scapular, you MUST click the link above to learn how I constructed the whole scapular, this post is just showing you how I made my new design of the Two Hearts.

This one is simpler in design, no ornately embroidered vine/flower patterns around the edges, just the Sacred Heart on one side, the Immaculate Heart on the other. Between the mushroom background and the brown scapular is sewn all my special sacramentals ~ miraculous medal, St Benedict medal, Agnus Dei wax and a St Therese blessed rose.

All of the embroidery has been created with with one stitch style alone ~ a bullion stitch. I taught myself how to do it by finding a little online video, it's really quite simple, don't be put off by the complicated look it creates. I should say, that there is one other stitch used, a blanket stitch to attach the wool felt hearts and the little felt cross on the Sacred Heart, to the wool felt background, then it is used again to attach the mushroom felt background to the scapular itself.

Below is a copy of my great grandfather's Sacred Heart and the matching Immaculate Heart I designed a few years back, these images are my template for the hearts being cut out of felt, I print one of them to the right size for the scapular (so quite small) and then trace a template.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me.