Holy Name of Jesus

This was a really fun project for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus or anytime, really.

 I'm posting it for my own records and to share it forward:)

We found these neat free printables over at Bible Story Printables.  It was a simple project to print them out, color, and string them up for a decorative garland.  We hung ours from our school room prayer shelf.  It was the perfect activity as we call upon the name of Jesus to help us back to school this week:)

The same link has a packet to print out for looking up the scriptures for some of the names of Jesus found in the Bible.

Upon reading up on the Most Holy Name of Jesus, we discovered that there are over 100 different names referring to Jesus in scripture.  Wow, I learned something new there!  These are just to name a few.

I am looking forward to the scripture hunt for these names!

Praying everyone is having a good week getting back to steady routines.

I LOVED this quote:

"There is no improving the future without disturbing the present."

~Catherine Booth~

Catholic 12 Days Of Christmas~(Days 9 & 10)

Day 9 (January 2):

Feast of St. Basil the Great & St. Gregory Nazianzen

Read and Reflect upon the Saints for today who had a well-known and admirable friendship.  Discuss qualities that make a good friend.  How can we be a good friend to others?

 How can we be a good friend to our siblings and those in our own home???

Respond by reaching out to a friend.  Make a point to let your friends know how much they mean to you.  A tangible action can be made by writing Christmas Thank You Notes:)

Pray the 2nd Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary, The Visitation.  Meditate on Mary's gift of charity to her cousin Elizabeth and offer up your friends and all of their intentions.

Day 10 (January 3):

The Most Holy Name of Jesus

Read and Reflect on the Holy Name of Jesus.  We will be using this booklet but there are also many online resources, some good ones listed over at Joyfilled Family.

Respond:  with a craft or project to honor the name of Jesus.  We found this neat idea over at Bible Story Printables, where you can print colored or black and white Names of Jesus Ornaments to hang or place in a binder.

They have even included scripture versus to find all of the names of Jesus in the Bible!  We are thinking about making a fireplace garland to hang through the Presentation of the Lord on February 2 and work on looking up each name in the Bible over the next few weeks!  I'm looking forward to this:)

*Since January is also dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, we will also work on memorizing this scripture: 

"At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."~Phil 2:10-11~

Last year we made a Holy Name of Jesus plaque for our liturgical door wreath and this yummy breakfast snack:)  This yummy pizza was also a lunchtime hit!


Pray:  The Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus

Simply Jesus!

These little booklets were treasures that I received in the mail this week.  Out of the goodness of her heart, Lori sent me these in response to a post I wrote on Daily Mass awhile back.  It was God's perfect timing that they arrived this week during a rough patch... Lets just say that my husband and I knew it was going to be a sacrificial summer (I will spare the gory details) but it's another thing to live it!  I have seen these booklets around but can't say I have ever (that I remember) picked one up to read it all the way through.  Today I read The Wonders Of The Holy Name and if I were to describe it in one word: Gem.  The simple wisdom offered was just what I needed today.  It didn't take much, just the simple invocation of the sweet name of Jesus.  After all, I am not a learned theologian, nor an expert in the faith.  I have so much to learn, even the simple and most obvious things.  I am nothing but overjoyed when I find a new simple secret that involves Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.  It fills the deepest desires of my heart to ingest simple nuggets, simple food for the soul...Jesus.  Did I use the word simple enough to tell you how much I love simple?  Especially when it comes to simply Jesus.  I am certainly not implying that Jesus is simple but invoking the name of Jesus has simply taken on new meaning(s), more than I can count.  Life is simply Jesus and Jesus is simply Life. Needless to say, I plan on buying more to Pay It Forward.  Many thanks,  dear Lori!

"This booklet is lovingly dedicated to the Sweet Mother of Jesus.  No one loves the name of Jesus as she does."~Fr. Paul O'Sullivan

Visit more posts about Paying It Forward!

A Day of Faith And Art!

Today ended up being an Impromptu Art Day!


I don't do a very good job incorporating art into our school weeks...
But I do appreciate it.
And I still claim to be "craft handicapped" so if I can do a craft, anyone can!

That being said, I do collect arts and crafts supplies, in hopes that I will do more things.  But they tend to build up in my drawers instead.  
While cleaning out a few cupboards and drawers today, putting Christmas stuff away, I found some of these supplies that I had picked up at the Dollar Tree

over the last year...I thought "Let's Do It" and decided to finally put a few of them to use!

These plaques were so cute and they came with the bow already connected.

I had spray painted them gold for a "past project".
Having just learned a new crafting word recently:
"Repurpose"...Love that word...
I found a "new purpose" for my plaques.

Coupled with these little wooden letters, which are perfect for all kinds of crafts,
I came up with a way to honor the Most Holy Name of Jesus.

 I guess the photo (above) kind of gives away what I ended up with!? 

Just a little Modge Podge, paint, and glitter...

Not very fancy but super easy!

Voila, we have a plaque that completes our

January Liturgical Wreath!

~January is dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus~

{Catholic Icing also has some other fun craft suggestions}

We just hung our regular wreath over the plaque that reads

"Jesus Loves"

~With these sentiments, the wreath also makes a nice St. Valentine's decoration~

I just love this wreath of red roses that I found at Target (last year) since

Red Roses also represent Our Lady!

The rest of our afternoon was spent using pastels.

We have had a pack of pastels on hand that we are rather unfamiliar with using.

Princess (Age 8) watched a video tutorial on You Tube on how to use pastels.
There are a few good videos for beginners if you google around.


Princess decided to draw her 1st Communion Patron Saint
and try out some pastels.
She used our favorite
Catholic How-To-Draw book from CHC.

~Saint Kateri Tekakwitha~

Princess found it hard to use pastels on the smaller facial features, like the eyes and mouth.  But I say it was a brilliant first try!  

We were also inspired by pastels used by
That Artist Woman
and her project that
Lacy posted over at Catholic Icing
on Mary, Mother of God.
She makes it look so easy!
*We are really liking these pastels and plan to do a few more things*


I found these adorable Holy Family Templates
over at Deviantmonk.
They also provide the templates for the entire Nativity.
I thought they were so cute!
I traced and used pastel coloring and blending...
Once again, not fancy but fun.

February is dedicated to the Holy Family!
~Hmmm, lots of stuff to do with that one~


Here is our quote to memorize and copy for the week in keeping with
January's [Most Holy Name of Jesus] theme:
"The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; The godly run to Him and are safe."
~Proverbs 18:10~

Lunchtime Hit!

~Peanut Butter and Jelly Pizza~

This was a lunchtime'hit' at our house today!

It was a hit for this Mama because it was easy,

fed a lot of mouths at once,

and nutritional too.

It was a hit with the kids because it was something new.

Though it was the same (Natural) peanut butter and Trader Joe's organic strawberry jelly, it was FUN to eat it on warm, crunchy, pizza crust... On this cold and foggy day!

I also place some sliced fruit out in bowls (bananas and blueberries) to add as toppings.  I think strawberries would be good too but we didn't have any on hand.

Much of the food groups were covered all in one sitting,

including  a few glasses of milk!

Trader Joe's has whole wheat pizza dough that I want to try next time.   I think I'll throw in a few scoops of wheat germ or flaxseed meal, 

into the peanut butter too...

Shhhhh.

Off to enjoy the last day or two of Christmas!

Most Holy Name of Jesus

"For there is no other Name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved."

~Acts of the Apostles 4:12~

How appropriate that we start out THIS week with THIS feast day!

I know I will be calling on His Holy Name quite a bit as we attempt

to get back on task and find our routine after a busy

Advent and Christmas!

We started things out with a healthy twist this morning since

we have had so many Christmas goodies...

~Holy Name Oat Bran Muffins~
*They went over pretty well*


I linked up over at Catholic Cuisine...
Be sure to check them out for some wonderful January "feastings!"

*Blessed Be The Name Of Jesus*

Is our theme for the month and beyond!

{The Child Jesus, King of Love, has also been chosen to be my 2011 Saintly Companion,

hence another reason for my focus this morning.  I will be blogging a bit more about this a bit later.  Thank you, Totus Tuus}

Let Us Pray:

O Lord Jesus Christ,

who have said:

"Ask, and you shall receive;

seek, and you shall find;

knock, and it shall be opened unto you;

grant, we beseech you, to us who ask the gift of your most divine love,

that we may ever love you with all our hearts,

and in all our words and actions,

and never cease praising you.

Give us, O Lord, a perpetual fear and love of your Holy Name,

for you never fail to govern those whom you solidly establish in your love,

 you who live and reign forever and ever.

Amen.

Be sure to visit JOYfilled family for an abundance of Holy Name of Jesus spiritual resources!


This is our Copywork for the week:


"If you think the name "Jesus" continually,
it purges your sin and kindles your heart;
it clarifies your soul,
it removes anger and does away with slowness.
It wounds in love and fulfills charity.
It chases the devil and puts out dread.
It opens heaven, and makes you a contemplative.
It puts all vices and phantoms out from the lover."
~Richard Rolle~