Woman of Faith

Here are some of the great women of the Bible:

Eve-The Mother of all the Living.

Sarah-The Mother of Israel

Deborah-The Judge of Israel

Ruth-The Righteous Gentile

Ruth is one of those people of exceptional character who did much more than what was expected of them.  Ruth was a Moabite who married an Israelite man.  Her father-in-law had died, so her mother-in-law was a widow.  When Ruth was 10 years married her husband and brother-in-law also died, leaving her mother-in-law alone with no family. 

Her mother-in-law, Naomi told her two daughter-in-laws to go back to their hometowns, and she was going to move back to Bethlehem where some family was still living.  One of the daughter-in-laws did go back to her family but Ruth stayed with Naomi, saying: Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people will be my people and your God my God. 

Ruth traveled with Naomi to Bethlehem where she worked in the fields of Naomi’s relatives.  She gleaned the grain (pick up the scattered grain after the harvesters).  Boaz saw her and inquired about her.  When Boaz found out what a courageous woman she was, he called her over and invited her to eat and drink with his hired men. 

Eventually Ruth and Boaz married and had a son, Obed, who became the grandfather of King David.  The story of Ruth tells us that we should not judge people by their race, nationality or color; rather we should look in their hearts.

For one of my treats, I have Triscuit crackers to symbolize the wheat that Ruth gathered.

Hannah-The Mother of Samuel

Esther-The Courageous Queen
The Jewish people have a Feast of Purim to celebrate how Esther saved their lives. The feast is very elaborate with rich foods, so I have Pepperidge Farms strawberry cookies for a treat for the students.

Judith-The Heroine

Mary-The Handmaid of the Lord
The second Eve, Mary, the mother of Jesus, brought life through her obedience to the call of God.

Feast Days of Mary

Catholics honor Mary and express their devotion to her throughout the year.  Here are some of the special feast days and a symbol for each of the feasts.

January 1, The Solemnity of Mary.  This feast praises Mary as Mother of God and mother of the Church.  My symbol is a noise maker that is used to ring in the New Year.

March 25, The Annunciation (Lk1:26-32)  The Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she would be God’s mother.  My symbol is a blue mint that says “It’s a boy!”  since Mary knew she was having a son.

May 31, The Visitation (Lk.1:39-45) Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth who is carrying John the Baptist in her womb.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby moved within her.  Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said in a loud voice, “Yu are the most blessed of all woman, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”  So for my symbol I have fruit snacks.

August 15, The Assumption of Mary.  Mary was taken body and soul, into heaven.  For my symbol I have cotton candy representing the cloud she was on as she entered heaven.

August 22, The coronation of Mary.  Mary is crowned  the Queen of heaven and earth.  My symbol is a crown sugar cookie with gold sprinkles.

September 8, The birth of Mary.  Mary has a birthday just like everyone else.  My symbol is angel food cake with blue icing.  The angel food cake represents purity and the blue icing royalty.

September 15, Our Lady of Sorrows.  Because Mary knows what it is like to suffer, she is honored as Our Lady of Sorrows.  My symbol is a pack of tissues, since we often cry and need a tissue when we are sad.

October 7, Our Lady of the Rosary.  Praying the rosary is a way to honor Mary.  My symbol is 59 pieces of Trix cereal for the 59 beads on a rosary.  I chose Trix cereal since rosary beads are usually round and come in multiple colors.

December 8, The Immaculate Conception.  This feast celebrates that Mary was free from Original and personal sin throughout her entire life.  My symbol is a white chocolate baby filled with marshmallow cream.

The Rosary

 October is the month of the Rosary, so I thought I would have the students make an edible rosary.  While I am explaining to them the parts of the Rosary, they can put the rosary together and then eat their finished product. 
The development of the rosary has a long history.  First, a practice developed of praying 150 Our Fathers in imitation of the 150 Psalms.  Then there was a parallel practice of praying 150 Hail Marys.  Soon a mystery of Jesus' life was attached to each Hail Mary.  In 2002, Pope John Paul II added the luminous mysteries to this devotion. 
The purpose of the rosary is to help us meditate on the great mysteries of our salvation.  The main focus is on Jesus-his birth, life, death and resurrection.
The Our Fathers remind us that Jesus' Father is the initiator of salvation.  The Hail Marys remind us tp join with Mary in contemplating these mysteries.  They also make us aware that Mary was and is intimately joined with her Son in all the mysteries of his earthly and haevenly existence.  The Glorys remind us that the purpose of all life is the glory of the Trinity. 

I used fondant to make the Our Father beads, the Cross and the trinity connector.  I used a kabob skewer to make the holes.  For the Hail Mary beads I have candy beads, and I used dental floss to string it together.



Guardian Angel and St. Francis

Today we are sandwiched between two great Feast Days, the Feast of the Guardian Angels and the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
It should bring great comfort to all of us knowing that we have an angel who protects us from spiritual and physical dangers and assists us in doing good.  As long as I can remember have have been saying this prayer when I get up in the morning and before I go to sleep at night.

Prayer to the Guardian Angel

Angel of God, my Guardian dear,

To whom God's love commits me here,

Ever this day be at my side

To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen

St. Francis is one of the most loved Saints.  Most people look to him as a lover of animals, which he was, but he was also very giving to the poor.  He also recognized creation as another manifestation of the beauty of God.  In 1979 he was named patron of ecology.  I also pray his prayer every morning, in hopes that I could become more Christlike through his example.

PRAYER OF PEACE (ST. FRANCIS)

Lord make me an instrument of your peace

Where there is hatred, Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, Joy.

O Divine Master grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

And it is in dying that we are
Born to eternal life. Amen.

For my treat tonight I have guardian angel sugar cookies and green juice in honor of St. Francis.