O Antiphons

I am going to link to a page here that explains the O Antiphons. This is the first year we have included this in our Advent. My family looked at me kind of weird, wondering where I am coming up with this stuff but learning the Catholic faith is teaching me that there is alot I do not know.  


An antiphon is a short sentence sung or recited before or after a song or canticle. Many times this is a Scripture verse.


The “O Antiphons” refer to the seven antiphons that are prayed before the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours. They cover the wonderful period of Advent preparation known as the Octave (or 8 days) before Christmas, Dec. 17-23, with Dec. 24 being Christmas Eve and Vespers for that evening being for the Christmas Vigil.

Today is day six of the O Antiphons:


O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos,  Domine, Deus noster.


O Emmanuel, God with us, our Kind and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, O Lord our God.




http://maryellenb.typepad.com/o_night_divine/advent---o-antiphons-dec-17-23/


I think this website explains it very well and has great coloring pages, more like the one above, or just use as pictures to help teach your children the O Antiphons.  I printed them all out and we are praying them in the morning with our Advent devotions or in the evening before our meal and then I place them on the refrigerator. My son is a little too old for coloring so I just use them as pictures.


I thought I would add this website also.  http://fisheaters.com/customsadvent10.html


Happy 4th Week of Advent!!

December 6: Feast of St. Nicholas

Don't forget December 6th is the Feast of St. Nicholas. Here is a link to a great website with a lot of resources. Whether you homeschool or not it would be a good idea for your child to know of the true story St. Nicholas.
What I like hearing about is how he attended the Council of Nicea and played a role in the Nicene Creed we recite every Sunday.

We traditionally have our son put his shoes out by the fireplace and then I put something in them the night before for him in the morning. It has ranged from candy to small toys and lately since he has entered the teen years, a little bit of money. We could do stockings as that was supposedly part of the legend but we do shoes. For Christmas I will put the stockings out and maybe put a little something in them but since we do St. Nicholas Day I am not real big on the stockings.

I like remembering the real St. Nicholas.

Happy Second Week of Advent

Oh, what a beautiful season. I love this time of year.

Here is today's Gospel reading:

Gospel     Mk 1:1-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.


As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths."John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel's hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."