Living the Liturgy

Hallie over at Moxie Wife is collecting Five Favorites.

So it's a week past the day for New Year's Resolutions. Many bloggers are praying and seeking a word of encouragement and direction for 2014.

This year I'm doing neither.

I have several goals in mind, mostly in the realm of fitness and nutrition, but don't really want to share them. Fear of jinxing my efforts? Don't really believe in that sort of thing. Fear of pinning myself down to specifics? Possibly. The last time I posted some vague thought about "getting in shape or something" my results were about as clear as my announcement.  Keeping it personal? Probably.

I do have a family goal: to live the liturgy more fully.

December always races by in a whirlwind of festivities, decorating, and food. While we enter into several liturgical celebrations, I'm forever lamenting the ones we miss. St Lucia's Day -- A beautiful tradition is to have the oldest daughter dress in white with ribbons (and candles!) in her hair and serve the other family members sweet rolls early in the morning. Ainsley would flat love that, burning hair and all. The O Antiphons -- This is a beautiful devotion I was sure I would manage to do both at home and in the atrium this year. It's a seven or eight day celebration of the names of Jesus and very much mirrors the type of praise I do in my personal prayer times. Well, the O Antiphons didn't quite happen, either.

So in 2014, I'd like to bring more liturgical celebration into my home, into my own family.

Here are five resources I've found:

1. The Catholic Home by Meredith Gould

Gould describes herself as "a Jew by identity, a Christian in faith, and a Catholic in practice." She was raised Catholic until 1960 when her family embraced Judaism, the faith of her mother. She writes, "Cultural identity was synonymous with religious identity; both permeated our home."

When Gould returned to the Catholic Church as an adult, she was shocked that much of Catholic culture that she remembered from early child was lost to post-Vatican II families. Her book traces the liturgical year and offers detailed, interesting, and fun ideas to live the liturgy at home.

2. The Year and Our Children: Catholic Family Celebrations for Every Season by Mary Reed Newland

This, too, follows the liturgical year and offers ideas to bring what is happening on the altar alive for little people at home. Mary writes, "These delightful things to see and touch and small and taste and hear and make and do are by far the best tools there are to teach of the beauty and power of God, and the richness of life in Christ."

3. Magnifikid, Magnificat

We've subscribed to both of these for years -- Magnifikid for young readers, Magnificat for the adults. Magnifikid allows children to follow the Mass and adds fun, interesting activities.

4. My Planner

Last May, when activity stacked up upon activity, I literally could no longer write them all down in my previous planner. I doubled the size with this number by Michelle Quigley. I love The Angelus depicted on the cover -- simple farm folk pausing to pray. This planner offers lots of room to write and includes daily readings, notes on feast days, which mystery of the rosary is recited on a given day, inspirational quotes -- both functional and inspirational.

5. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd imparts the faith mostly through doing.  I was first attracted to Catechesis of the Good Shepherd when Tim was three or four and obsessed with figures of various sorts -- action figures, Little People, and, his all time favorite, trains. I'd look at catalogs of religious articles and think, "Why don't they make child-sized saints and altars and chalices?

They do. And we use them in the Atrium. Children learn through both hearing and experiencing. Google the name to find a program in your area. Can't say enough about this.

Meredith Gould writes, "Here you'll find rituals and observances for holy days and feast days on the liturgical calendar that just may transform 'doing' into 'being.'"

The Lord alone knows I'm not trying to find one more thing to do, but I do like the idea of being and being together as a family.