Is Santa real??

Many of us think that this Santa Claus thing is complete nonsense.  We feel like it is taking away the true meaning of Christmas.  To an extent I also thought the same way.  I never grew up believing in Santa and we really didn't have this in India while I was young. 

Now that we are in America and our children have many opportunities to learn the wrong information especially since the society gives much importance to taking pictures with Santa and other decorations completely leaving the true meaning of Christmas, we as parents need to put in some additional effort in teaching our children the right meaning and true facts of our faith.  

I have heard about St. Nicholas before and knew that Santa Claus came from St. Nicholas.  But I decided to learn a little more about this Saint.  I ordered the CCC of America's saint video collection recently when they had it on sale so that I can show my children the saint videos especially when we celebrate their feast days.  Along with the videos one was of St. Nicholas’s.  After watching it with George and Anna I realized what a great Saint he was.  He was from a very wealthy family but lost his parents at a young age.  Growing up he kept helping people with the money he inherited and saved a lot of poor families by paying off their taxes, getting their daughters married etc.  At the end he gave away the rest of his wealth to the bishop for the use of the church.  Finally he became a bishop himself, was arrested and put in jail for many years for standing up for his Christian Faith.  

On December 6^th we celebrate this great Saint’s feast day.  In order to remember this Saint many Christian families put chocolate coins and other gifts in their kid’s shoes on his feast day.  This year I wanted to celebrate the feast day of St. Nicholas and gave my little ones new slippers and small gifts.  They woke up that morning to see the gifts St. Nicholas left for them and were very happy to receive them.  Even now George takes his coloring book and slippers he got and remembers that St. Nicholas brought it for him.  One day, I mentioned that I might have to return the shoes if it does not fit Anna.  George heard this and immediately he said “Mamma, but how can you return it to St. Nicholas.  Isn’t he in heaven?”  How innocent are our children!!  Isn’t it better that they learn it the right way than just thinking Santa is not real or he is the most important figure than Jesus in Christmas.   

Our homeschooling group had a St. Nicholas party and we were able to participate in it.  They had the special guest St. Nicholas there and it was amazing to see St. Nicholas dressed up as real St. Nicholas and not in the Santa outfit we see all around.  This was the first time I even saw someone dressed up as St. Nicholas.  How wonderful it would be if we can raise our children teaching them the true meaning of our faith and help them to understand we don’t just believe in some myth, but the truth. They could even take pictures with St. Nicholas.  My boy didn't want to since he was too shy. :(

Next year I want to make small handmade gifts on his feast day and have the children give it to other families which will help them to remember what St. Nicholas did.  Ultimately we believe that St. Nicholas is real because he was one of the Saints who taught us kindness and generosity.

God, we pray that through the intercessions of St. Nicholas

you will guide and protect our children. 

Keep them safe from all harm and help them grow

to become loving disciples of Jesus in your sight. 

Give them strength to always mature into deeper faith

in you, and to keep alive joy in your creation. 

Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

St. Nicholas ~ Pray for us

  

I'm in love with the rich traditions of our Catholic Church

There are some things which God reveals to you only at a certain time.  I am just beginning to find out a lot more about the rich traditions of our Catholic Church.  The best part is I still have to learn a lot more about our Catholic Faith.  I feel so bad sometimes that I did not know about these beautiful traditions when I was younger.  Do you know what a Jesse Tree is?  I learned about Jesse tree just a year ago.  This Advent I have my own Jesse Tree which I am so proud of and happy that the Lord gave me the grace to add this tradition into my family with my children.  

The Jesse tree is the family tree of Jesus.  It goes back to the very beginning, to Creation; it

traces His family through the Old Testament, and it ends when He is born on Christmas day.

A Jesse tree is a little like an advent calendar, except that it emphasizes the true meaning

of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Like any advent countdown, the Jesse tree has one ornament per day. Unlike a calendar, though, the Jesse tree tradition focuses on a Bible story, a character, a devotion each day.  You can see the ornaments I made for my Jesse tree below.  It is all made of felt and I took this idea from the blog Shower of Roses

You can buy a Jesse tree from many Christian stores and family owned businesses.  But I did not want to spend money which I don’t have so I decided to make my own.  I can use this every year with my children and no need to worry about making this every year.  I was not sure whether I would get it done for this Advent but only by God’s special grace I was able to pull it off right before the day Advent began.   I still make the ornaments for each day when I get time.  I just make sure I have enough ornaments for the next few days.  I have learned so many things these past days which I never knew before.  

Each day you read the bible passage with your children, hang the ornament for the day and the children can color a coloring sheet which shows the picture story from the bible.  This helps little children to understand and remember what they learned for the day.  My George was never interested in coloring but since the past few months he has been showing some interest and like to color.  

Every day the  Holy Heroes Advent Adventure has a video to help children understand the ornament for the day.   As each day pass by we learn more and more about the family tree of Jesus and how God had planned it from years ago through choosing the right descendants for his Son to be born. Our children learn that this is no made up story but it has proof and a very strong history behind it.  Now this is too much for George to understand but years pass by and as we make this a tradition every year for Advent the children will get a better understanding of what they believe in. I am so glad and thankful to God that he helped me to prepare these things now so that when I have more children I will not have the time I have right now, so I better make full use of it. :)

Anna also wanted to join in learning about Jesse tree so she got to hang the ornament after George got a turn

And now whatever GEorge gets she demands it too.  So she gets a coloring sheet and the sweetest thing is that she tries her best to color 

As long as she doesn't put that crayon in her mouth haha

Here is my finished Jesse Tree

I do have to share about "O Antiphons" which I hopefully will do tomorrow.  I hope you are enjoying your Advent and preparing yourself and your family to receive Christ the new born King

Putting Yarn in the basket for every good deed you do and make a comfy bed for Jesus

Our Decorations for this Advent

 The day before the first day of Advent we put out all our decorations.  It was fun watching the little ones follow Sony around the house and helping him with each decoration.  

Advent is my favorite.  I l love every bit of it.  I remember how every year my brother would put up the nativity set and he made his own manger scene by cutting woods, and laying hay around.  I remember looking forward to it every year.  He will cut a tree and bring it home so that myself and my little brother could decorate it.  Now that I have my own children I want them also to make great memories of this beautiful season.  

It was just so beautiful to see the brightness in their eyes when they saw their dad opening up the Christmas decoration boxes.  George was right by Sony’s side helping out with everything since he remembered how it was last year.  For Anna this was the first time she could participate in putting out the decorations.  She was so thrilled.  I could see her little feet scurrying after her brother and dad trying to help out in her own little ways.  I was just watching them and enjoying every bit of it.  I don’t want to forget them in their young ages.  I could watch them for hours and take lots and lots of pictures.  

We bought our Christmas tree when George was just 3 months old.  I still remember decorating it by ourselves.  But with children around it is a totally different feeling.  There is so much excitement.  One day I hope to have all Christian ornaments for our tree.  It is expensive to buy them all at once but I want to collect them and make them every year so that we will have it all one day.  Did you know that we should only turn the lights on during the Christmas Day because that is when the light of the world is born.  So there is no need to light the Christmas tree before Christmas.  Well, I hope I can start this tradition soon but this year with little children it was hard to keep it off when they are eagerly waiting for it to be turned on.  

Christmas village 

Our Nativity Scene

This year we started with the tradition of having a wreath.  As Eastern Catholics we don’t have it as part of our traditions but I just wanted to add it anyway since we all are part of the universal church.  I love the meaning of wreath and to light the candles and pray every day before dinner.  

I love our wreath.  I bought it from Michael's for just $2 while it was on sale.  I bought the candles from Walmart and the candle holder was at Sony's parents home.  I love how the circle represents the eternity of God the father which as no beginning, or end. The evergreen speaks of the hope we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life.  The candles symbolizes the light of God coming into the world through the birth of his Son.  As we light each candle every week of the Advent season it also helps us to remember that we are getting closer to receiving Jesus into our hearts.

We had a special blessing of our wreath before we lit the candle on the first day of Advent.  The father of the house is supposed to bless the wreath with the official prayers of the church.  Afterwards we sing the song “O Come O Come Emmanuel”  and light the first purple candle.  ADvent Wreath Blessings

Always with his silly face :))