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This year, in addition to our regular Christmas cookie and pie baking, I decided to throw in some reindeer bait. My family used to do little goodies like this when I was in school because it's easy and inexpensive to make a lot of. Adapting this is also really simple because you can put in whatever yummy snacks you like. However you decide to toss it together, it's right on theme. I always appreciate themed snacks, feels more intentional and is just a nice touch to hosting and gifting seasonal foods. As a heads up, when you make this be sure to give yourself plenty of time to refrigerate before delivering them to others. I bagged these in Ziplock bags, which you can kick up a notch by cutting off the ziplock strip and tying with a beautiful ribbon or curly string. If you aren't able to deliver them right away just bag them as you desire and place them back in the fridge so the chocolate stays chilled and the snack sticks together. Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes Yields: 8-10 servings Ingredients 3 cups corn Chex 2 cups mini pretzels 2 cups mini marshmallows 1 cup M&Ms (red and green are preferable, but I already had a mixed bag on hand) 11 oz white baking chocolate (go with 2 bags if you like a lot of chocolate) Red and green sprinkles for topping In a large glass bowl combine all of your ingredients. Start with pouring in 3 cups corn Chex. Next up, 2 cups mini pretzels! Adding to the Chex and pretzels, toss in 2 cups mini marshmallows. If you can get red and green M&Ms more power to you! I had peanut butter M&Ms which I took from my little refrigerator stash of snacks and went with that. Do what you like, it's Christmas! Moment of truth, once I got to this stage I was a little nervous because the last time I attempted to melt chocolate I did so poorly that it somehow became powder. This didn't just happen to me once, but TWO times! Yes, I should have just done it on the stove top, which probably would have been easier, but I went with trying to melt it in the microwave because I was being a lazy bones. I am happy to say that I survived the chocolate melting processes of Christmas 2021 and I have regained a small sense of confidence. For those of you with chocolate melting trauma like me, this is what it will look like after about 1 1/2 minutes. Oh... I'm the only one... 😂 Continue warming and stirring in 15-30 second intervals until it's really smooth like this. Pour the entire bowl over the mixture. Note: if you like a lot of chocolate I would recommend doing two bags. I like it to be more moderate so I only used one. Mix using a spatula until everything is fully coated with the melted chocolate. Pour out over a lined baking sheet, it's okay if some of it is clumped together, it's supposed to be like that. Top with red and green sprinkles to your heart's content. Lastly, you are going to let this refrigerate for at least an hour or until it's firm. And there you have it, reindeer bait, or if you're a little more edgy I've heard people call it reindeer poop! Bag it Tag it and send it off! Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @Steffani_HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to celebrate feast days. God love you! Steffani

In my home, black-eyed peas and cabbage was a New Year family tradition. After staying up all night to watch the ball drop and set off fireworks we would wake up late and make this simple yet delicious meal. My dad taught me how to make it, but the crockpot was my own rendition. It basically goes like this, toss everything that I told you to purchase into a crockpot, stir, and sit back for 4 hours. It also makes going to Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God easier. By the time we come home we have lunch ready! Use this blessing from the USCCB to bless your family and the new year together before eating. On New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, the household gathers at the table or at the Christmas tree or manger scene. Many people make New Year’s Day a day of prayer for peace. All make the sign of the cross. The leader begins: Let us praise the Lord of days and seasons and years, saying: Glory to God in the highest! R/. And peace to his people on earth! The leader may use these or similar words to introduce the blessing: Our lives are made of days and nights, of seasons and years, for we are part of a universe of suns and moons and planets. We mark ends and we make beginnings and, in all, we praise God for the grace and mercy that fill our days. Then the Scripture is read, Book of Genesis 1:14-19: Listen to the words of the Book of Genesis: God said: “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened: God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day. (The family’s Bible may be used for an alternate reading such as Psalm 90:1-4.) Reader: The Word of the Lord. R/. Thanks be to God. After a time of silence, members of the household offer prayers of thanksgiving for the past year, and of intercession for the year to come. On January 1, it may be appropriate to conclude these prayers with the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in Part VII: Litanies) since this is the solemn feast of Mary, Mother of God. In conclusion, all join hands for the Lord’s Prayer. Then the leader continues: Let us now pray for God’s blessing in the new year. After a short silence, parents may place their hands on their children in blessing as the leader says: Remember us, O God; from age to age be our comforter. You have given us the wonder of time, blessings in days and nights, seasons and years. Bless your children at the turning of the year and fill the months ahead with the bright hope that is ours in the coming of Christ. You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever. R/. Amen. Another prayer for peace may be said: 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; 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, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. R/. Amen. —Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi The leader says: Let us bless the Lord. All respond, making the sign of the cross: Thanks be to God. The prayer may conclude with the singing of a Christmas carol. It's also a time to begin thinking about what we hope to attain as we begin anew. While your slow cooker is going, you can read this related post about the Catholic meaning of a resolution with tips and tricks for keeping them. Click the button! Prep Time: 5-10 minutes Total Time: 4 hours Yields: 6 servings Meet the Team! 1 lb little smokies, cut each one in half 4 cans black-eyed peas with jalapeños 1/2 medium onion, chopped 4 clove garlic, minced 1/2 medium cabbage head, thinly sliced 3 cups chicken broth 1 ham hock (not pictured) Get your ingredients ready by chopping your onion and mincing the garlic. Pour the three cans of black-eyed peas into the crockpot. Note: Don't drain the black-eyed peas! Add in 1/2 chopped medium onion and 4 cloves minced garlic. Note: I am missing a picture, but this would be the time to add the ham hock into the crockpot. Just toss the entire thing in there. This is going to give your black-eyed peas and cabbage some massive flavor, enjoy! Thinly slice 1/2 of a medium head of cabbage and if you haven't already, cut your little smokies in half. Put the cabbage and little smokies into the crockpot with the rest of your ingredients. The last thing you need to do before taking it easy after a long night of partying, is pour in 3 cups of chicken broth. Mix it all together so that the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cook on high for 4 hours occasionally coming back to stir. Spoon a heaping portion into a bowl and sprinkle with cajun seasoning. I highly recommend serving with cornbread! This can be made a heartier by serving over a bed of rice and if your family likes vegetables, feel free to get creative with diced bell peppers, tomatoes, and jalapeños. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @Steffani_HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to celebrate feast days.

A Brief 2020 Takeaway Like most people, I have been contemplating the routine end of the year goals and resolutions that we all feel inclined to make. If there is anything 2020 taught me it's that the only thing you can be sure of is God's infinite love and mercy. Everything else is fleeting and should be counted as a blessing only to help us pursue a deeper relationship with Our Lord, if it doesn't do that it isn't worth entertaining. That is what I believe, now only to adapt my attitude and actions... it takes practice. That isn't to say that we can't enjoy the temporal things that we have or what we earn, but that they should be held in balance. With that perspective in mind, I feel even more compelled this year to pick a resolution that pertains to spiritual matters. These types of resolutions tend to help me to keep in mind that what I have committed to doing is not just for my own good, but also for a greater good. I learned after years of failing to uphold resolutions that if something is simply just for me, then I'm less motived to maintain it. I think in some way we can all be fickle like that and experts at making excuses, I am speaking mostly of myself of course. The Catholic Meaning of a Resolution I've also been reflecting on the term resolution, it's interesting that it is widely used only one time a year at New Years, but as Catholics we use this every time we go to the Sacrament of Penance. As a theological term, it means that we have a firm determination to carry into effect whatever it is that we have decided must be done. Given that we do this within the context of the Sacrament means that we have prayerfully reflected on said thing and arrived at this point with conversion. I have resolved to do or not do x, y, or z; of course we do our utmost but in our frailty we may falter and have to renew that resolve again in Confession. This is the wisdom and love of Christ in the sacraments, He understands our human nature and the need we have to renew that resolve over and over again. We can imitate this in our New Year's resolutions by first and foremost going to Reconciliation more because this is where we are strengthened; and in a lesser way by knowing that if you drop the ball on whatever it is you promised yourself for 2021, you can always begin again! A Virtue a Year Several years ago I decided that I was going to pick a virtue to work on every 6 months to a year. The virtue would be chosen through prayerful reflection or something that I felt that God kept bringing up in my life. One year it was joy, another year it was modesty, the next it was patience, you get the idea. I did this without anyone's knowledge and then told my husband who recalled this quote from the Imitation of Christ. "If we would overcome one fault a year, we would soon be perfect." (Chapter 11) I took this as confirmation that my way to sanctification would be through working on a virtue a year, and God please grant me many years. A year gives me plenty of time to practice, fail, perfect, fail, and eventually make it a habit. 3 Simple Tips for Keeping Your Resolution If your resolution is really important to you, tell a trusted friend, while accountability partners may feel awkward they will inevitably provide you with support. Pick one or two tangible things that you can remember and keep track of. It's okay to not be perfect, keep going, maybe reassess your goals as the year goes on. 10 Ideas for Catholic New Year's Resolutions! Choose a virtue to work on for the entire year. Pick a saint to get to know. Start a Bible challenge. Create a routine for going to adoration or reconciliation more often. Do a daily examen. Join a group or start volunteering at Church. Give back to the Church, start tithing. Pick a Marian prayer to help grow closer to the Blessed Mother. Spend five minutes in silence every day, set a timer! Read that spiritual book you've been telling yourself you would get to. Bonus Idea: Go an extra day a week or a month to Mass. Bonus BONUS Idea: Add a Catholic tradition into your domestic church to do with family or friends. I hope and pray that regardless of what the year brings, that your relationship with Jesus is brought into greater depths. In the midst of all that 2020 brought our family, I can honestly say that I have never felt a greater closeness with Christ. If you picked one of the things off of this list, tell me about it! I'd love to hear what you chose and why, hopefully we can journey to Heaven together. As for me, I will be carrying on with a new virtue, a new saint, and five minutes of silence every day. Keep celebrating Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Every year I share these stories because of the love and friendship I have for St. Therese of Lisieux. She was my first "spiritual friend" and walked with me through many difficult times in my life and I promised her that I would share this novena as far and wide as I could. When I taught Theology I would do this with my students and print the novena for them to carry in their planner or backpack as a physical reminder to pray always. My husband and I now continue this together with the intercession of being blessed with children, but we prayed this long before we were married. Let me tell you some rose receiving experiences I have had with this novena. Two days ago, September 22nd, the novena to St. Therese of Lisieux began and it ends the day before her feast day which is October 1st. I have done this novena every year for over 8 years and anytime I am feeling unrest in my heart. Very few prayers are said to end with a tangible response but this one does, St. Therese giving you a rose from the Heavenly garden. I have prayed it many times and no, I don't always receive a rose, but there were several times that I did. I share this reminding my friends that this isn't some magical experience, it's a relationship of intercessory prayer with the blessing of graces. When I met my now husband over 9 years ago I prayed this novena in discernment of our dating. I was in and our of poor relationships and wanted to date someone that I could share my faith with, someone that I could truly discern with. I prayed a novena to St. Therese asking her to give me clarity and often prayed with her asking her intercession on this matter. The day my now husband asked me out I was praying in the chapel of St. Basil at our university when he came in with a rose that he picked from a garden along the way. He sat down, handed it to me, and asked me to be his girlfriend but had no idea that I had been praying the novena. (Read the crazy connection at the end too!) The second time happened while we were dating, again without his knowledge of me praying this novena. We dated for a long time and I was beginning to feel restless. I felt like I was so ready for marriage but it was not happening! Looking back I see that was for our good, but things can get so confusing in the midst of it. I always had this intuition that he was meant to be my husband, but I was afraid that maybe it taking so long meant something else. I prayed a novena to St. Therese again and kept her close to me in prayer. Towards the end of the novena he came to see me and brought with him a rose. I asked him where he got it and he said while walking over someone just gave it to him and he knew he had to give it to me. The last time I prayed this novena and received a rose it was for our engagement. I knew we were getting close and asked St. Therese through her novena to give me affirmation that this was God's will, that getting married would be pleasing to God. The day my husband proposed he was supposed to ask at the parish we spent many years going to Mass together. We went to confession, Mass, and sat out in the courtyard talking, and just as he was about to ask we were kicked out because they needed to lock up! I thought, oh my Lord, you've got to be kidding me. Thinking on his toes, and without knowing about all my prayer, he took me back to the rose garden at the university chapel where he initially asked me to be his girlfriend and where I once received that initial rose. I sat amongst some early blooms and he asked me to be his wife. Like I said, the St. Therese Rose Novena isn't some magical prayer! It's a prayer that you say because you love God and you want to follow the little way of St. Therese, doing small things with great love. There were also many times where I have said the novena but did not receive a rose, and that is okay because it doesn't mean that my prayer wasn't heard! I would encourage you to say this novena too, maybe not to see if you'll get a physical rose, although that would be a great blessing, but so that you can know the sweet friendship of St. Therese. Walking closer to God with her has brought my life lots of joy and many blessings. And if not St. Therese, then find your Heavenly friend to connect with, and share their story with others.

Shortly after my husband proposed, we came to one another with the desire to have a Betrothal Ceremony. For me, it was something that I knew I wanted to do even before we got engaged. We dated longer than I would say that couples typically do, about 6 years, and during that time we were very intentional about our discernment. Engagement is of course a time to continue that discernment but by the time he asked, my heart was already set! However, we brought the idea to one another and took time to pray and discern before committing to it. When we did agree to move forward with the process, we couldn't wait to share it with others and extend an invitation. However, I knew that choosing a Betrothal Ceremony wasn't common practice and when we spoke about it with others we received curious looks. Some would ask, "So you're getting married early?" Others would say, "Oh! This is like a smaller ceremony before the big event." I quickly realized that this was an opportunity to discuss the ancient Rite of a Betrothal and share with others why we found this to be an important part of our engagement process. What is a Betrothal Ceremony? Betrothals go back to the early Church and have roots that extend all the way to Jewish tradition. While not intended for the same type of purchase or contractual exchange as it was in Jewish custom, it is a promise that the couple will be giving themselves to one another in marriage. Technically speaking, a betrothal is the giving of one’s troth, a solemn pledge to give one’s true fidelity and promise to marry. This isn't just an engagement ceremony, but a binding agreement to marry each other on a specific date. If you have a moment, read the words of the Solemn Rite of Betrothal, they are beautiful. In the name of the Lord, I, Steffani Aquila, do declare that, in the form and manner wherein thou has promised thyself unto me, do declare and affirm that I will one day bind and oblige myself unto thee, and will take thee as my husband. And all that thou has pledged. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary We decided on September 8th, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For us, this had to happen on a Marian feast day to honor her betrothal to St. Joseph and to continue our devotion to her. “ Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 1:18) Our engagement period was dedicated to her and it only seemed right that we follow her footsteps in this regard. I wore a white and light blue dress to remind us of Mary on her birthday, and the imitation of her and the Holy Family that we were so intentionally seeking. Sanctifying Our Engagement We chose this for our engagement because we both wanted to bless this short 9 months of preparation and seek God's graces. I knew from spending many years as an event planner that this time would go by quickly and be filled with lots of hype, distractions, obligations, and preparation. It happens to everyone, and it's inevitable! But as Catholics we know that the most important thing is the Sacrament of Marriage, not the details of the party which can demandingly present themselves. Taking myself out of "event planning mode" was the most fruitful thing I did during this brief engagement. It gave me the mental, spiritual, and emotional space that I needed to elevate our relationship from dating to preparing for a life long marriage. That didn't just happen, it took work on our part! We also were fully aware that good preparation would not just happen by our own merit, but through God's grace and mercy so we sought to intensify our relationship with God. We decided on several concrete actions to be able to attain this and build a routine that would hopefully pour out into our marriage. We would start by praying together more intentionally throughout the week. We went to confession together every two weeks (we were already attending weekly Mass together). We would have a betrothal ceremony. A Fringe Benefit In addition to that came a benefit that we still reminisce about three years later. A celebration of our engagement that had lots of loved ones from our community! We still had an engagement party and of course a full wedding and reception, but there were so many people dear to us that it was impossible to invite them all to those things. By having a Betrothal Ceremony, we were able to extend an invitation to all our family, friends, and members of the parish community that my husband was working at during that time. An absolutely lovely couple from the parish offered us the gift of a reception to follow where we played some fun games, had light bites, and were able to visit with everyone. They presented us with handmade gifts that we still have in our home, and a picture of Mary and Joseph's betrothal which hangs in our room. Consider this in your engagement preparations, or if you know someone that is engaged, suggest it to them. Engagement can become such a race to the finish line, but it was honestly one of my favorite seasons in life, I want everyone to feel this way. It comes and goes so quickly, but is filled with a sweetness that should be savored. Remember that Betrothal Ceremonies are not intended to be "one more thing," but a point in time where you intentionally dedicate your relationship to each other and God. It can be done simply and beautifully, with or without a large crowd, with or without a reception. The purpose is to help you more fully prepare for the Sacrament, and give you the graces to do just that!

The Tapering Off of Tradition Growing up my family had a lot of traditions that revolved around food, activities, games, movies, gatherings, etc. Admittedly they weren't Catholic traditions, but they brought the family together no less and provided me with many experiences and memories of joy. I loved these opportunities to bake & deliver cookies during the holidays, barricade the street for yearly neighborhood block parties, or make holiday crafts. In fact, not only did I love these things, I longed for them. They were things to look forward to out of the typical/ordinary day to be around others in festivity and happiness. As I got older these traditions changed and in fact most of them just tapered off. Life became overwhelmingly mundane, and as I matured I intuitively saw that time for festivity became dictated, for myself and the masses, by societal norms. Holidays are regulated by big name brands, work schedules, and whatever limitations our very utilitarian world decides for that year. I knew what I had inevitably yielded to by default of going with the culture, but I didn't know how to get out of it. It felt like tradition was tailored to children, and when you're not a child anymore there just isn't much to celebrate unless you have children. It just seemed like there wasn't much that could be done until I was married and had children to pass tradition down to. Through my teenage years and and college I observed the usual holidays, but there was no other communal engagement for celebrating life or faith in the way my heart desired. A New Experience of Tradition At the end of college I met my husband and was introduced to his family who also had a wealth of traditions, much of them specifically Catholic. My worldview was broadened as I learned about a culture very different from my own and deepened my understanding of how to live out the faith. We not only spent many holidays with them, but also feast days which I had never seen celebrated before. I could see that I didn't have to wait once every several months to take delight in a holiday! Feast days provided us with more opportunities to come together and gave us the ability celebrate and strive to be like the saints. When we got engaged we immediately discussed tradition because we both valued tradition for its own sake! We knew that we had to take our favorites from both families as a collaboration of culture and heritage. Looking back I can say that I am so glad we did this, and by the way, it's never too late to have that conversation because it has given our domestic church a reason to look outside of itself. In other words, we don't just go home to only focus on each other or our routine, but liturgical living has given us reason to look to God and the Church in our every day life. It was clear that some of the traditions we wanted to continue from both families would need to be adapted to fit our family and much of this we were able to do with our own creativity. This is the nature of tradition by the way, to be passed down while also organically changed or developed to fit a new generation. However, there were some feast days and holiday traditions that we wanted to create for ourselves and like the rest of the world does when in need, I took to Google. Who is Liturgical Living for? By doing this I learned that there was a catchy little phrase for building tradition based on the liturgical calendar called, "liturgical living." This essentially means living out the liturgical year of the Church in your home. I found so many amazing resources, lists upon lists... and they were all for children. The more I looked for ideas for adults, the more disappointed I became. I thought to myself, where is all of the Catholic joy and festivity of the liturgical year for married couples, engaged couples, communities, parishes, teenagers, college students, or single people? I thought back to the pictures and writings from centuries ago when Catholic festivals crowded the streets with dancing, singing, food, and friendship. I couldn't help but feel gypped! We no longer live in societies that are fueled with jubilation over Christ, Mary, or the saints. I believe that even the Church herself struggles sometimes to communicate these things beyond the Sunday liturgy and into daily life. Then it hit me, I realized that what I experienced in a small way in my own life, the tapering off of tradition, was a part of a larger scale struggle. Therein lies the misconception about liturgical living, the idea that living out the liturgical year is primarily concerned with providing Catholic educational resources and experiences for children. Liturgical living should include this, but it should also engage everyone at varying ages and stages of life. Tradition is transcendental in that we echo in our daily lives the Great Feast that is going on perpetually in Heaven! That begins as an interior disposition of the heart and then manifests itself in celebration. Festivity is the physical expression of our love and rejoicing for God and His infinite goodness. I say this not to devalue what is there for children! I whole heartedly and fundamentally believe that children should be taught in the faith not only in CCE, but in the home! Before I got my Masters in Theology I earned a degree in Education with a specialization in EC-6 and I taught elementary children for many years. As a teacher I worked every day to do that in tangible, tactile, and experiential ways for my students as well. We have a duty to provide them with the richness of our faith! However, our society is in desperate need of young people, adults, and whole families who are joyous about life, the conquering of sin and death by Our Lord, and the gift of our faith. I worry that if we don't collectively begin to revive our Catholic and cultural traditions as a community, then the same thing will inevitably happen as I experienced in my youth. At some point the liturgical living which pertains strictly to children will be out grown and there will be no tradition, for tradition's sake! The other thing I noticed was that tradition itself was being defined by the activities that we do, the exterior manifestation. When instead it should be understood as the intrinsic love of God that sparks joy and happiness, this presupposes the former. Young or Old, Be Festive Out of Love for God I remember discussing this with a friend who expressed to me that at first she was confused by the way my husband and I lived liturgically, or carried out tradition. She explained, "you don't have children so it's not like there is anything to pass on, but now I realize this is about something more." It's true, there is a deeper meaning to what we have chosen. We love God and each other so we delight in praising Him while on the path to Heaven! It is a gift to celebrate, pray, and enjoy each other and our community out of a shared love for Christ and His Church. This is a beautiful way of living that I hope everyone comes to find, especially as adults that are very much conditioned to focused their lives primarily on work. Lest we forget, we don't live to work, we work so that you can live to give God glory! As Josef Pieper states, "A festival is essentially a phenomenon of wealth; not, to be sure, the wealth of money, but of existential richness." In addition to this, carrying on tradition means that we are memorializing something that still stands as relevant to our lives today. The highest and most principle event being the passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus which we don't just seek to celebrate on Easter, but every Sunday. Additionally, we celebrate saints, Our Lady, and life as a whole which was created as good by God and affirmed in its goodness by us. We are festive because we love and affirm God and our created life! We are festive because we want to live a long married life that is full of rejoicing! We are festive here because we unite ourselves with the festivity in Heaven! We are festive because we want to respond to God's love with love! Practical Tips for Liturgical Living as Adults Practically speaking, we do this in a variety of ways, many of which include our community. It is my heart's desire to share this with our friends and family, so I host as much as I possibly can. I believe that festivity should happen in community and maybe one day so many people will want to join us that we will fill the streets again. Food is a great place to start! When there is a special feast day invite your friends over for traditional foods, set your table, and play music that fits the celebration. For us, building tradition as a married couple revolves around some of our favorite things like cooking together! I had so much fun doing this that I decided to start providing picture by picture feast day recipes so that families could have as much fun in the kitchen as we do. The beauty of this is that anyone can make this a tradition, engaged couples, families with kids coming back on college break, retired couples, you name it! Given that liturgical living is an extension of the liturgy itself, prayer must be a vital component. We spend time praying together as couple every day, and we invite our friends to pray with us too! We are very blessed to have musically talented friends so we ask them to chant or sing with us if people are over for a Catholic celebration. This can happen in ways big and small such as hosting people for an evening/afternoon of prayer, praying together as a family before bed, setting up a quick Zoom call with friends, or texting in prayer intentions. Get creative, think about your family's needs and the needs of your immediate community, then collaborate. Activities can also be fun ways to integrate or build tradition. Our family loves games, this last Christmas we integrated a few hilarious minute to win it activities since my husband's siblings are all older! If you have a bold group of friends you could hold an All Hallows' Eve costume contest at your place. Perhaps you host an adult beverage "drinking with the saints" inspired evening. We love brewing beer, I bought an awesome at home kit several years ago, and we made our own beer for the feast of St. Benedict. Sometimes it's less tied to a specific saint and we just have friends over to hang out on a Solemnity and simply being together becomes the tradition! The point is that you do what works, and then you repeat it and let it naturally grow and change as it continues on in the years to come. I share all of this in retrospect and out of reflection for where God has called me to in this moment and to encourage you to bring back experiences of tradition to your family life. As Venerable Fulton Sheen says, "Life is worth living!" You were not created for the workaday with a couple of days break to get you rested and ready to go back to the workaday. You were created to experience life and happiness with God now and for eternity. Continuing tradition is a call for everyone to be engaged in these fundamental principles that we sometimes write off with a list of excuses. We were meant for abundant lives and in building tradition and festivity I have found this out of love for Our Lord. Be festive Catholics for the good of your life, for the sake of tradition, and for the glory of God!

The Reminder to Pray in Thanksgiving of the Eucharist The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is this coming weekend and the 1st Communions are rolling. This last weekend I went to Mass at a near by parish, not knowing that the first communicants would be there, and the priest did something at the end of Mass that really stood out to me. He came down from the altar and asked the children to say thank you to Jesus for giving us His body and blood, and sharing that with us in the Eucharist. Father then went on to instruct them to say a prayer of thanksgiving with him for Jesus' sacrifice. This small gesture actually made a big impact on me because I do not remember being taught to pray after communion, or after Mass. It wasn't until the beginning of college that I became cognizant of the need to pray after Mass when I noticed other people doing that. I remember initially thinking, why are they all praying after Mass when we just spent the entirety of Mass in prayer? Then I realized in a more personal way that it is important to give thanks and praise to God for receiving Him within the intimacy of our hearts and minds. And it is equally important to take a moment to just rest in the reality that we have been physically united with Christ. Prayer Is at the Heart of Liturgy and Liturgical Living Over the years I have collected a few go-to prayers either in preparation of receiving communion or after. Some of these I say by myself, others I say every Mass with my husband. I mention that because I think it should be said that we cannot have a prayer life with our family if we don't have one on our own. At the center of liturgical living and building Catholic tradition in the home is a prayer life rooted in the faith. Liturgy is the divine worship of the Church, so to live liturgically is to extend the liturgy into your day to day life. The heart of worship is our offering and prayers of thanksgiving and praise to God! Personal Prayer Builds Family Prayer It took many years to cultivate that for myself, and with all honesty, I used to think that having a prayer life didn't really matter all that much. I felt I knew God by learning about Him in school, I experienced him with other Catholics, and I was very involved in the life of the Church. Essentially, even writing that list I see, that I was making a lot of excuses for myself. I didn't realize that what I was lacking was a personal, intimate relationship with Christ. Me + Jesus I share that because I couldn't give to others what I didn't have. And when I got married, I realized that the prayer life between us would be lacking, if I didn't have one first. That's not to say that the two can't develop simultaneously, personal prayer and marital prayer, but they both have to exist! My Personal Favs So, in honor of Corpus Christ, the solemnity that focuses our attention on the source and summit of our faith, I want to spotlight the prayers that helped build my relationship with Christ during Communion. Prayers Before Communion O my God, help me to make a good Communion. Mary, my mother, pray to Jesus for me. All you holy Angels and saints, pray for me. My dear Angel Guardian, lead me to the altar of God. A Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas After Communion I thank You, Lord, Almighty Father, Everlasting God, for having been pleased, through no merit of mine, but of Your great mercy alone, to feed me, a sinner, and Your unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that this Holy Communion may not be for my judgment and condemnation, but for my pardon and salvation. Let this Holy Communion be to me an armor of faith and a shield of good will, a cleansing of all vices, and a rooting out of all evil desires. May it increase love and patience, humility and obedience, and all virtues. May it be a firm defense against the evil designs of all my visible and invisible enemies, a perfect quieting of all the desires of soul and body. May this Holy Communion bring about a perfect union with You, the one true God, and at last enable me to reach eternal bliss when You will call me. I pray that You bring me, a sinner, to the indescribable Feast where You, with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, are to Your saints true light, full blessedness, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Anima Christi Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O Good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds hide me. Permit me not to be separated from you. From the wicked foe, defend me. At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you That with your saints I may praise you For ever and ever. Amen. Meditation of St. Therese O how sweet it is, the first kiss of Jesus to my soul. Yes, it is a kiss of love. I feel I am loved, and I too say: “I love Thee, I give myself to Thee forever!” Jesus asks nothing of me, demands no sacrifice. Already for a long time past, He and I have watched and understood each other. This day our meeting is no longer a simple look but a fusion. No longer are we two. I have disappeared as the drop of water which loses itself in the depths of the ocean. Jesus alone remains: The Master, the King. Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary O most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of gentleness and mercy, I, a miserable and unworthy sinner, fly to thy protection with every sentiment of humility and love; and I implore of thy loving kindness that thou wouldst vouchsafe graciously to be near me, and all who throughout the whole Church are to receive the Body and Blood of thy Son this day, even as thou wert near thy sweetest Son as He hung bleeding on the Cross. Aided by thy gracious help, may we worthily approach this august Sacrament. Amen. Everyone has their go-to prayers, I'm sure you do too, leave a comment and share your favorites. See You in the Eucharist! His Girl Sunday

Recently I collaborated with Telos Art Shop on the Dress for Mass Series, which is intended to inspire both women and men to think about their attire for Mass. It was reinvigorating to be able to reflect on the meaning of beauty, feminine expression, and how that is carried out in my clothing choices. Instead of writing a list of dos and donts, which we all know hardly ever goes over well, I took some time to reflect on what mass it, what it means to me, and how I can most fully participate in that. You can the full article below, or click the link to see it on Telos Art Shop! https://telosartshop.com/blog/2021/5/8/dressed-for-the-occasion-the-wedding-feastnbsp Dress For Mass Series Dressed for the Occasion: The Wedding Feast BY STEFFANI AQUILA, HIS GIRL SUNDAY The Mass, The Wedding Feast Of all the images used to describe the Mass, the one that speaks most profoundly to me is that of the wedding feast. Christ as the bridegroom unites Himself intimately with the Church, His bride, every time Mass is celebrated. At this glorious feast, Jesus offers Himself in superabundant love for us. Through that sacrificial offering of Himself, Christ freely gives His whole person, and we respond in exact imitation of that, body and soul, by partaking in the Eucharist. Consider this, every Sunday when we go to Mass, we are responding to Christ’s invitation to our own wedding feast. This is not just divine imagery, but a reality that we are called to fully participate in. Revelation 19:7 says, “let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” In the Sacred Liturgy, the Church embodies this verse by calling us to prepare ourselves before going to the altar of the Lord. One of the most significant ways we prepare ourselves is in how we dress. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” REVELATION 19:7 The Perfect Gown While attending Mass every Sunday might not inspire the same wedding associations and sentiments, when I reflect on the Eucharist there are so many things about it that bring me back to my own wedding day. One of which is the way that I prepared myself both internally and externally to be an offering for my spouse. As most brides do, I spent hours going to multiple dress shop to find the dress that I felt would outwardly express that which I had been preparing inwardly for months. The time and intentionality spent on this task is not to be mistaken for vanity, but my true desire to be a beautiful gift before the Lord and my future spouse. I wanted a gown that would reflect the occasion of three people giving of themselves to the other: myself, my spouse, and God. In fact, the way that I felt in that dress brought me back to another holy day that is strikingly similar: my first communion. I have the sweetest memory of just how lovely I felt as I stood there in that satin dress with the lace veil. Just a little bride, waiting to process up to the altar to taste the precious body of Jesus that He so charitably offers me. God, in His infinite love and mercy not only gives of Himself to me like a spouse in the excitement of a wedding day or first communion, but in every single Mass. This is the lifelong continuation of the eternal wedding feast! The Interior Matches the Exterior The Holy Sacrifice does not substantially change or become more profound, honorable, or elevated on those specific sacramental occasions such as weddings, even though it often feels that way for us. And while I might not wear a long white gown to Mass every Sunday, I still try to dress as if I am attending my own wedding feast. Growing up in the South this was also culturally expected. I was not to wear jeans, anything low cut, short, or tight, and absolutely no shorts. Sunday best meant that you were to dress in the nicest outfit that you had in the closet because you are going to Church to worship God. With that perspective I learned very quickly that Mass was about giving all that we had to God, it was not about me or getting dolled up to be seen. In fact, I do not really feel any different when I approach getting ready for Mass versus getting ready to attend a friend’s wedding. And we really should not, because every Sunday we are accepting an invitation to the Heavenly wedding banquet that is being shared with us on earth. With that being said, I know from experience that this can sometimes be easier said than done! It is very tempting on a sleepy or chaotic Sunday morning to make common objections to wearing something nice. Things like, personal convenience, comfort, “God does not care what I have on as long as I’m there”, “the parish I am attending is casual”, etc. all begin to take a hard stand in my mind. While some of those thoughts might be true, there is something that is even more true: Jesus Christ is fully present, body, blood, soul, and divinity before me in Mass. If I really believe in the real presence of God in the Eucharist, offering His whole self to me, then I want to respond to the King of my heart in a similar manner with my whole self, including my outfit. In a way, this has less to do about appearance and more to do with what is in our hearts. Not every wedding dress has the same cost, but remember in the Gospel of Mark (12:41-44) the widow’s two coins given with a humble and loving heart are worth more than the fashionably dressed who give large sums only from their surplus wealth. Dressing for the Occasion More concretely, this does not look the same from Sunday to Sunday. And as I got older, I learned that getting dressed up for Mass is not always going to receive the same amount of effort and attention either, and that is okay. There is however one thing that cannot change, and that is whatever it is that I decide to wear from week to week, should have the same amount of expressed reverence. I liken it to my years as a pre-professional classical dancer. I would have never shown up to a class or audition in anything but the correct ballet attire. I was also taught by strict dance instructors to never wear that same ballet attire anywhere else but the studio. Essentially, I was trained to understand that there is a time and a place for what I wear, and this goes for Mass too. By dressing modestly, beautifully, and reverently I am not only expressing my belief, but also signaling to myself my interior state of readiness for Christ. This is what the occasion demands, out of respect for God, when I go to Mass to give worship, praise, thanksgiving, and sacrifice to our Lord. I am responding to my own wedding invitation, by offering my beloved the very best I have to give. Steffani Aquila is a Communications Director for a parish and school, Catholic blogger, and ballet dancer. She is the owner of His Girl Sunday, a small business which seeks to provide families and parishes with resources to reinvigorate Catholic tradition. When she’s not doing those things, you can find her reading theological books, hosting parties for family and friends, or dancing down the aisles of Hobby Lobby. She has a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Arts in Theology from St. Mary’s Seminary.

Rejoice, friends! It's Laetare Sunday and in case quarantine has you distracted from the liturgical calendar, it's STILL Lent. Over the last couple of weeks it seems like all I've done is attempt to reorganize and create a new normal which I'm sure we are all doing. The virus has brought challenges to all of our lives to say the least yet I have also been struck by the blessings in disguise it has brought for those who are blessed with their health. Overall, it has forced all of us to re-prioritize, to think about the lives that we were leading and what we want them to look like going forward. What a surreal experience! It took something like this to make the entire world reorient ourselves to our families, prayer, home life, and genuine leisure, Josef Pieper style. In addition to that I see this beautiful and genuine desire for unification with our Parish community which is truly a work of the Holy Spirit. I'm going to go through a few topics that are circling around me and hopefully they will be helpful in getting us through our current situation and create lasting family traditions for all of us. Unplugged Prayer Social media has been flooding my feed with lots of great online resources since all of this has happened and I'm going to have a moment of truth and say that I have been sucked into scrolling, ALOT! I had to remind myself to find the resources that I like for our family and then get off and go live them out. Following streaming prayers and liturgies is a great way to stay connected with the community in prayer, but we also want to make sure we are engaging in private prayer. I know the silence can be uncomfortable but it can also be very nurturing to our relationship with God, how often do we sit and let God speak? We can also take this time away from our technology to pray together, perhaps a family rosary, read about a saint together, offer up a prayer for each child, read scripture together, etc. I would highly recommend integrating the Liturgy of the Hours into your family's prayer life. It is a part of the Church's communal prayer and allows us to obey the exhortation to "pray without ceasing". The Liturgy of the Hours is prayed throughout the world each day and, now more than ever, can unite us to the Universal Church. If you are interested in doing this check out this resource! https://www.ibreviary.org/en/tools/ibreviary-web.html You could also use the "Laudate" or "iBreviary" apps. This link below will walk you through how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. https://www.keepthelordsday.com/?fbclid=IwAR1xA0kvoODVfI3vukZ7Scyu8Ge_oQByqgciWZ-s8LA-cI6AZCJNGzDRng8 "Family prayer has for its very own object family life itself, which in all its varying circumstances is seen as a call from God and lived as a filial response to His call." Familiaris Consortio, 59 Annunciation The Solemnity of the Annunciation is Wednesday and is one of only two times during Lent that we can sing the Gloria so open those windows and belt it out! Look at this quote I found today while reflecting on the Annunciation. "Him whom the Heavens cannot contain, the womb of one woman bore." St. Augustine We still have so much to pray and be thankful for on this day in which the Word becomes flesh, God becomes incarnate! This day we celebrate with heaven that the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her she would be the mother of our Lord. I think it’s time to pull the "Imitation of Mary" off the shelf and give it a re-read. In Sweden, Christians will eat waffles on the Feast of the Annunciation, because the feast's name, in Swedish, is called Vårfrudagen ("Our Lady's Day") which sounds awfully similar to the Swedish word Våffeldagen (Waffle Day). Honestly, if I were saying either word they would probably be spoken incorrectly but there is one thing I can get right, waffles! We do breakfast for dinner and we pray a rosary together, consider doing this in your home too. Catholic Resources Below are some resources for prayer, activities, and learning For a Plenary Indulgence https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2020/03/20/200320c.html?fbclid=IwAR0nnUbzh0VZH-8bkhu-xPipfw4asyHaA2XJQ6Nn9dgkDEjSPa5i4KStRXQ Free Online Access to the Magnificat https://us.magnificat.net/?fbclid=IwAR1xA0kvoODVfI3vukZ7Scyu8Ge_oQByqgciWZ-s8LA-cI6AZCJNGzDRng8 For Catholic Crafts https://www.catholicicing.com/ Spiritual Resources for Prayer, Reflection, and Mass in English and Spanish https://www.archgh.org/spiritualresources?fbclid=IwAR1xA0kvoODVfI3vukZ7Scyu8Ge_oQByqgciWZ-s8LA-cI6AZCJNGzDRng8 Ascension Presents w/ Father Mike Schmitz https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVdGX3N-WIJ5nUvklBTNhAw USCCB Prayer Resources During Covid https://catholiccurrent.org/covid19/?fbclid=IwAR1uS8X8XawpHWmmYo3YcnUbhp68pFcyTHzI6LqIsoSEQRjD0qoy_kVY9V4 Virtual Catholic Men's Conference April 3-5 https://www.virtualcatholicconference.com/Mensconference2020?r_done=1&fbclid=IwAR3Qq6y7mZLFKAup1Izyab0yM6gUXAgO00l8VqTQD9pzu7si50i9KCABKg8 Catholic Education https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/ Streaming Masses While the obligation to attend Mass has currently been lifted due to our circumstances, the Church has still called us to keep the Lord's day by praying together as a family in our homes. If participation in the Eucharistic celebration becomes impossible because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause, it is strongly recommended that the faithful take part in a liturgy of the word if such a liturgy is celebrated in a parish church or other sacred place according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop or that they devote themselves to prayer for a suitable time alone, as a family, or, as the occasion permits, in groups of families. Canon 1248 Where Do I Find Mass Online? For many of us still trying to participate in the Mass to some extent from home this means we will be watching it on our TV. Please remember that Mass on TV is not a substitute for actually attending the Sunday liturgy, I only say this because I worry about confusion once we return to public liturgies. However, most parishes are offering either a live stream or pre-recording of their Mass for you to watch at home which I encourage you to engage in for the time being. It is still highly important that we unite ourselves to the Church through prayer and the Paschal Mystery. Here is a link for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that has streaming times for all of our parishes as well as additional broadcasts from Guadalupe Radio Network, EWTN, and the Vatican. https://www.archgh.org/onlinemass?fbclid=IwAR21yyN_TL3avvHyMpid5HKdQKwxpsg2NEaIR9MmPI_BIQ1ZsPXEd7pXQxs Preparation and Reverence If you are streaming the Mass, prepare and participate in the usual ways. It is very easy to watch the Mass like we do our favorite programs because of our mental associations between screens and entertainment. I would recommend waking up, getting ready, and putting on your Mass clothes. Just by doing this we are physically reminding ourselves that we are doing something Sacred in our homes. Join the live stream early so you can prepare yourself just as you would show up to Church early. Have your computer or TV in a prayerful environment, perhaps do this by removing all other distractions, including cell phones, and lighting one candle next to it. While you are watching Mass, participate in the same ways that you usually would by saying the responses, kneeling/standing, following along with the readings, etc. Reverence before the Blessed Sacrament still needs to happen, even though we are bound by time, space, and TVs, Christ is not! He is there before you, gaze upon the sacrifice of the Eucharist with an adoring heart. What is Spiritual Communion? This term has come up a lot this week because of the current situation and I think it can be a very fruitful way for us to unite ourselves to the Eucharist. When a person cannot attend Mass they can make an Act of Spiritual Communion which stems from a long understanding in the Church of how we can increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion. From the Council of Trent: “With respect to the use [of the Eucharist], however, our fathers rightly and wisely distinguished three types of reception of this holy sacrament [of the Eucharist]….others receive only spiritually [without receiving it sacramentally], namely those who have the desire to eat the heavenly food that is set before them, and so experience its effect and benefit by a lively faith working through love.” [Session 13, chapter 8]. In other words, watching Mass on the TV or joining in family prayer is drawing us into a type of spiritual communion with the larger Church, but more formally speaking by making the Act you are intentionally cultivating a desire in your heart to receive the Eucharist and you are allowing that grace to help you avoid sins and grow in faith. Here is the Act of Spiritual Communion prayer! A prayer for Spiritual Communion My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, Come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there And unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen. Thanks for stopping by, I hope the resources are helpful and I look forward to seeing all of your waffle dinners this Wednesday. Feel free to share or drop a comment, I'd love to hear what you find helpful as a Quarantined Catholic.

The Solemnity of St. Joseph is not just a typical feast day but is elevated even beyond that in importance. Couple that with it being the year of St. Joseph and we've got ourselves a reason to really go all out! There are many traditions that can be done, so I am going to list out some of my favorites for this specific Solemnity and for the year. From there you can choose a few or even adapt some for the needs of your own family. My family's Italian culture is something that we like to continue and there is so much to be shared so I will dive in to that as well. This is really a beautiful opportunity for us to increase our devotion to St. Joseph and not only celebrate him today, but seek a relationship. There are so many graces in store for us by imitating his virtue as protector of the Church and families. Image: Catholic.org St. Joseph in a Nutshell Most chaste spouse of Mary. Foster father of Jesus. Carpenter/wood worker Descended from the line of David. Feast day is March 19 Patron saint of basically...everything On two different occasions an angel appears to him in a dream. He was tasked with protecting the holy family. He is only mentioned in the Gospels. Referred to as a righteous man. La Festa Di San Giuseppe La Festa Di San Giuseppe or the Feast of St. Joseph is celebrated all over Italy, but has a more pronounced sense of festivity in the region of Sicily. The Sicilians consider him to be their patron saint because as the story goes, he was credited with saving them from a drought. They prayed for his intercession and promised that if he would bring rain, then they would be devoted in honoring him. St. Joseph came through, and when the drought ended they were able to grow their crops again. The harvest came and the Sicilian people kept their vow and prepared a great feast for him. Image: Wikimedia The traditional St. Joseph's Table or Altar stems from this story and is a beautiful sight for bread lovers. Sicilians still take pride in their tables, which you may see displayed in homes, churches, and even some Italian cafes. Typically this table will be placed in an area for all to see and partake in. They will set their table nicely with a cloth and fill it with gifts of food and religious significance as a sign of thanks to the saint that saved them. Take a look at the list of the many traditional items you could put on your St. Joseph table! Of course, don't forget to adorn it with a statue or image of this reverenced saint. Home made bread in the shape of carpenter's tools, sandals, crosses, etc. Selection of fish (However, St. Joseph's Solemnity this year will fall on a Friday so you can eat meat. Traditionally speaking, because it is within the Lenten season, you should serve fish.) Pastries Citrus fruit Flowers St. Joseph's Sfingi or Zeppole, which to some Italian regions is not the same thing. Fava beans, which is said to be one of the spared crops so it is there for good luck and abundance. This table is meant to be shared, so invite friends and family to contribute to the table and delight in it together! Wow! A-mazing! Image: Nola.com St. Joseph Traditions for All Families on the Solemnity or Throughout the Year! Practice the St. Joseph's Seven Sundays Devotion. https://yearofstjoseph.org/devotions/ Take a trip to a St. Joseph parish in your area. St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio! Partake in the Consecration to St. Joseph. Many parishes are hosting them this year, see if yours will be. Build something today, even if it's small, start a project in honor of his work as a carpenter. Put out lilies near your home altar or on your dinner table. Do a St. Joseph craft like make paper lilies, create your own St. Joseph prayer card, color an image of him, or modge podge an image of St. Joseph to a piece of wood. Take a family portrait to place in your home in honor of the holy family. Pray together as a family that we can emulate the Holy Family in virtue and deep love for God. Eat meat today! St. Joseph’s feast day ranks as a solemnity which is the highest of feast days. When a solemnity falls on a Friday you can eat meat because of its significance and celebratory status! Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Pick a virtue of St. Joseph to work on throughout the year. Read a book about St. Joseph. Image: Catholic Company "I do not remember even now that I have ever asked anything of [St. Joseph] which he has failed to grant… To other saints the Lord seems to have given grace to succour us in some of our necessities, but of this glorious saint my experience is that he succours us in them all…” (Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila) Take comfort and courage in the words of St. Teresa of Avila, who looked to St. Joseph in her times of need. One last thing, as a small reflection from my Ignatian Spiritual Exercises daily retreat. A few months ago, the readings for that week were focused on the Holy Family. They were the usual Scripture passages that we delve into around Christmas time. I honestly expected to enter into a deeper relationship with Mary, which I have been working on for some time now. To my surprise as I read and sat in contemplative silence, St. Joseph tapped on my shoulder and showed me his experience. The Holy Spirit pressed on my heart to not just ask for St. Joseph's intercession sometimes, but to really know him. I reflected deeply on what it was like for him when Mary accepted God's will. It was a intense prayer encounter to imagine myself standing next to him as Mary told him that she was with child. I considered the emotions and thoughts he must have had as he was looking forward to marrying a devoted young woman and having a family. Even more so what he must have feared would happen to them in this situation. Joseph's fiat shouldn't go without great recognition! All that he anticipated was changed under very difficult circumstances, yet he accepts God's will having no idea what was to come. He takes Mary as his wife and Jesus as his child and protects them with his entire being, despite the difficult emotions he may have had. Just when it seems he stuck in yet another challenging position as a husband and father, God is right there to guide. God is faithful and abounding in grace to the yes that Joseph gives to him with each and every sacrificial act of love. Joseph isn't a man of many words in the Bible, but his actions speak louder than what could be said. He is gentle, loving, courageous, pure, and strong! All the virtues that we desire to be as spouses and as faithful followers of God. I left that time of contemplation feeling a much deeper understanding for who St. Joseph is, and how God loves us as a spouse and father. We see that love carried out in the life of Joseph and what a great blessing for you and me. I hope to be graced with more time like that throughout the year that is dedicated to him. There is nothing that I want more than to live out my vocation as he did! Prayers for you all and if you try out some of these ideas, share them with me + follow along on Facebook @HisGirlSunday!

Lent is just around the corner, a prayerful and somber time in the Church, yet come Friday evening it used to be chaos and stress about what's for dinner in the Aquila house. Of course our family would observe the fasting and abstinence prescribed, but planning ahead for it and grocery shopping used to be a major struggle! This became even more pronounced when we decided that we were going to do meatless Friday every Friday, because you know that's actually still a thing. There I was with a picky eater (especially with regard to fish), about two meatless recipes (winning), and hopefully a lot of Fridays in my future. I made it a point to start trying different recipes and then logging them away so that I would have an easy to use collection. This little endeavor was needless to say, overwhelming! Sifting through the ridiculous amount of meatless options was a challenge, but I took one for the team and made many of them to get to the good ones. Now that I've got a couple of years under my belt I thought I would share my go tos with you. To get you through Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during Lent 2021 I have picked 8 of my favorite meatless dinners that your family is sure to love. Tried and true by... well me, because I love fish and I'll eat just about anything. Some of these I make as they are and others I adapt so don't hesitate to be brave. At the bottom of the post you will find a list of recommended sides to go with the main course. Penne a la Betsy A hearty pasta, shrimp, and basil dish with a creamy red sauce. This dish is sure to make left overs and great for feeding a lot of people. https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11085/penne-a-la-betsy/ (Photo: The Pioneer Woman) Homemade Pizza This is a great way to get everyone involved in the kitchen on a Friday night. This pizza dough from scratch is one from yours truly and great for meatless Fridays, just top with anything but meat! https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/post/my-favorite-pizza-dough-from-scratch (Photo: His Girl Sunday) Chipotle Lime Shrimp Sheet Pan Easy recipe for a busy or tired Friday evening, throw the shrimp on the pan with any of your favorite veggies! The chipotle lime gives it a little kick and is delicious as it is, or over pasta or rice. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/sheet-pan-chipotle-lime-shrimp-bake/ (Photo: Taste of Home) Cheesy Pesto Pasta Classic, quick, and delicious dinner that only takes about 20 minutes to whip up. If you prefer to make your pesto from scratch I have a delicious recipe here! https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/post/my-tried-and-true-pesto https://ohsweetbasil.com/20-minute-cheesy-pesto-pasta-recipe/ (Photo: Oh, Sweet Basil) Honey Garlic Shrimp The perfect sweet and savory dish is light and filling. I like making this one and pouring it over a bowl of rice or quinoa. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/quick-healthy-dinner-20-minute-honey-garlic-shrimp/ (Photo: Sally's Baking Addiction) Fish Tacos What I like about this recipe is that you can customize it as much or as little as you want. Fish options can range from salmon, shrimp, tilapia, or even cod. https://www.spendwithpennies.com/fish-tacos-recipe-onion-slaw/ (Photo: Spend with Pennies) Dinner Salads I couldn't just pick one so I attached the link that has a list of some of my favorites. These are so simple and inexpensive, because sometimes you get off work on a Friday and just do not feel like cooking. Throw your favorite ingredients in a bowl of lettuce and call it a night! https://www.loveandlemons.com/salad-recipes/ (Photo: Love and Lemons) Tuscan Tortellini Skillet You can't go wrong with tortellini and this dish actually tastes like you spent a lot longer on it than you actually did. https://www.thekitchn.com/tuscan-tortellini-pasta-260311 (Photo: Kitchn) Now for some side ideas, given that we are in Lent I try to keep these simple because we are called to be penitential. A priest once said during a homily that it's not a real sacrifice if you are just replacing the steak dinner with lobster, I agree. However, for most, this is the one full meal of the day so it's got to be just enough and making it healthy is a bonus. Simple Side Ideas (These go well with all of the dinner options that I recommended.) Buttered rolls or biscuits Oven baked asparagus or brussel sprouts (pick your family's favorite veggie) Small side of rice, pasta, or quinoa Side salad Caprese Salad Don't forget to bless your food! "Bless us Oh Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen." Closing meal time with prayer has been on my mind this year, if you want to join me here is the prayer after meals. "We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen." + Praying for all of you this Lent that you can journey with Jesus in closeness through the desert. If you need more resources you might be interested in this for celebrating Shrove Tuesday with family members of all ages. https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/post/tips-resources-and-printables-for-shrove-tuesday To cook alongside me for feast days and the liturgical seasons follow along with the recipe section of my blog. https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/blog/categories/feastdayrecipes Peace & Good to You & Yours!

October 1st is the feast day of one of my favorites, St. Therese of Lisieux. I always call her my best friend in Heaven and even though to some that may sound a bit odd, I truly feel that way. It was St. Therese and a few other saints that helped me convert my heart when I was about 20 years old and I have had a devotion to her ever since. A Little Bit About Her At the age of 13 on Christmas Eve she had a powerful experience that changed her life which she called the "Christmas Miracle". After living as a stubborn, "bratty" little girl her heart was changed from thinking constantly of herself to thinking of the salvation of others. In fact, her mother St. Zelie said, "As for [Therese], one cannot tell how she will turn out, she is so young and heedless... her stubbornness is almost unconquerable. When she has said no, nothing will make her change; one could leave her all day in the cellar without getting her to say yes. She would sooner sleep there!" It was at this "Christmas Miracle" in which she realized that she was to no longer approach things with a sense of selfishness and overreaction, but of joy and gratitude out of love for God. At the age of 15 she entered the Carmelite convent upon permission of the Pope! There she lived a cloistered life that was filled with small acts of love and hidden sacrifices. My Friendship with St. Therese I came to know her more through reading her very popular autobiography, "Story of a Soul", which she describes her life, conversion, time as a nun, and spirituality. I was intrigued by the fact that such a young girl could decide so fervently to live what I considered to be quite an extreme vocation, the cloistered life. I say extreme from my initial perspective because I didn't grow up in an area where there were very many religious. I didn't meet or know a sister or anyone belonging to religious life until college! However, the part that struck me most was that St. Therese was probably one of the first saints to convince me that I had a chance at Heaven, that I could be a saint too just like her! Her "little way" was simple yet profound, quiet sufferings for the salvation of souls and small acts done with great love. I saw that as my way to get to Heaven too and for much of my 20s I imperfectly learned that spirituality and let it become a part of who I am as a wife, teacher, friend, godmother, and daughter of God. St. Therese says, "I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul." I believe that this is the life I would most likely lead, not one with mystical visions or experiences, but an ordinary life! A life of doing dishes, teaching students, cooking for a husband, coping with the anxieties of life, having brunch with friends, and all the other things that I know you do too. Essentially she taught me to sanctify the life that I am in, and to make that an offering for God. Even though I have never met her, I love her for her life's example and what she has done for my journey. I believe that she played a major role in the discernment of my vocation which you can read about here. https://www.spokenbride.com/blog/2019/9/11/dominick-steffani Celebrating St. Therese ...with Food! She was born in Alencon, France to every year I try to do some kind of French food. Here are some ideas! French Toast Crepes Quiche Ratatouille French Onion Soup ...with Crafts! 1. Paint a wooden peg doll of St. Therese https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/product-page/st-therese-of-lisieux 2. Make St. Therese Sacrifice Beads https://www.showerofrosesblog.com/2011/09/st-therese-sacrifice-beads.html 3. Make these paper or felt roses and decorate your home http://dozidesign.blogspot.com/2008/05/paper-flower-tutorial.html 4. Color this printable St. Therese statue craft https://www.catholicicing.com/st-therese-printable-statue-craft-for-kids/ 5. Sacrifice cards for kids https://www.catholicicing.com/sacrifice-with-st-therese/ Paper rose craft! I have also done this with felt and it was really easy. My goddaughters middle name is Rose so when she was born I gifted her with a felt rose mobile to hang above her crib. ...with Prayer! 1. A Morning Prayer Written by St. Therese O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love. O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity. Amen. 2. St. Therese of Lisieux Rose Novena 3. Novena that begins on her feast day https://www.showerofrosesblog.com/2009/10/novena-to-saint-therese-beginning-on.html 4. A Prayer to St. Therese of Lisieux O little St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, who during your short life on earth became a mirror of angelic purity, of love strong as death, and of wholehearted abandonment to God, now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues, cast a glance of pity on me as I leave all things in your hands. Make my troubles your own - speak a word for me to our Lady Immaculate, whose flower of special love you were - to that Queen of heaven 'who smiled on you at the dawn of life. ' Beg her as the Queen of the heart of Jesus to obtain for me by her powerful intercession, the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment, and that she join with it a blessing that may strengthen me during life. Defend me at the hour of death, and lead me straight on to a happy eternity. Amen 5. Litany to St. Therese of the Child Jesus https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/litany-to-st-therese-of-the-child-jesus-261 ...with Books! For children 1. Olivia and the Little Way https://www.amazon.com/Olivia-Little-Nancy-Carabio-Belanger/dp/0923568921?ie=UTF8&tag=shoofros-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969 2. St. Therese and the Roses https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Therese-Roses-Vision-Books/dp/0898705207/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=st+therese+and+the+roses&qid=1601562477&sr=8-1 3. The Little Flower: A Parable of St. Therese of Lisieux https://www.amazon.com/Little-Flower-parable-Therese-Liseux/dp/1681924986/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+little+flower+a+parable&qid=1601562456&sr=8-1 4. Little Catechism of St. Therese of Lisieux https://www.amazon.com/Little-Catechism-Therese-St-Lisieux/dp/1933184868/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+little+catechism+of+st+therese&qid=1601562425&sr=8-1 5. Little Lessons from St. Therese of Lisieux https://www.amazon.com/Little-Lessons-St-Therese-Lisieux/dp/1944008101 For teens/adults 1. The Story of a Soul https://www.amazon.com/Story-Soul-Autobiography-Little-Classics/dp/0895551551/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=story+of+a+soul&qid=1601562533&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE5SFBOTlU1WkpJRkomZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4MDk2NzkxT1BBVFhJMVlDOUtEJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0Mjk0MTkyUFdJTVNYS01WRExBJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== 2. Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Therese of Lisieux https://www.amazon.com/Shirt-Flame-Year-Therese-Lisieux/dp/1557258082/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=shirt+of+flame&qid=1601562593&sr=8-3 3. I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teachings of St. Therese https://www.amazon.com/Believe-Love-Personal-Retreat-Teaching/dp/1928832288/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=i+believe+in+love&qid=1601562632&sr=8-1 4. The Way of Trust and Love https://www.amazon.com/Way-Trust-Love-Retreat-Therese/dp/1594171653/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+way+of+trust+and+love&qid=1601562680&sr=8-1 5. The Extraordinary Parents of St. Therese of Lisieux https://www.amazon.com/Extraordinary-Parents-St-Th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se-Lisieux/dp/1612789641/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=St.+Therese+of+Lisieux&qid=1601562726&s=books&sr=1-4 Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin ...with Catholic Artisan Items for All Ages! 1. St. Therese of Lisieux Sensory Rosary for Babes - Lion and Lamb Woodcraft https://www.etsy.com/listing/760173749/st-therese-of-lisieux-the-little-flower?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=st+therese+of+lisieux&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1&bes=1 2. St. Therese of Lisieux Stickers for Teens - Gratia Design Co Shop https://www.etsy.com/listing/817130869/st-therese-of-lisieux-sticker-sunflower?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=st+therese+of+lisieux&ref=sr_gallery-1-5&organic_search_click=1&frs=1&bes=1 3. St. Therese Prints for All Ages - Mrs Torres Creates https://www.etsy.com/listing/727399910/saint-therese-of-lisieux-saint-print?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=st+therese+of+lisieux&ref=sr_gallery-1-9&organic_search_click=1&frs=1&bes=1 4. The Therese Candle for Home - Sword and Crown Store https://www.etsy.com/listing/700380186/the-therese-everything-is-grace-st?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=st+therese+of+lisieux&ref=sr_gallery-1-22&organic_search_click=1&cns=1 5. St. Therese of Lisieux Notecards for Teens and Adults - Meyer Market Designs https://www.etsy.com/listing/657628612/saint-therese-of-lisieux-note-cards-if?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=st+therese+of+lisieux&ref=sr_gallery-1-12&organic_search_click=1&pro=1 6. St. Therese of Lisieux Pillowcase for Children- Meyer Market Designs https://www.etsy.com/listing/583312963/st-therese-of-lisieux-pillow-st-therese?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=st+therese+of+lisieux&ref=sr_gallery-1-30&organic_search_click=1&frs=1 7. St. Therese Decade Rosary Bracelet for Teens and Adults- Vianney Beads https://www.etsy.com/listing/851182623/st-theresesacred-heart-solid-bronze?ga_search_query=therese&ref=shop_items_search_26&frs=1 8. St. Therese of Lisieux Fabric- Faith and Fabric https://www.etsy.com/listing/629831510/fabric-tiny-catholic-saints-female-st?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=st+therese+of+lisieux&ref=sr_gallery-1-34&organic_search_click=1&bes=1 9. St. Therese of Lisieux Little Way of the Cross- Just Love Prints https://www.etsy.com/listing/649035094/st-therese-of-lisieuxs-little-way-of-the?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=st+therese+of+lisieux&ref=sr_gallery-1-45&organic_search_click=1&frs=1 10. St. Therese of Lisieux Quote- Sweet Little Ones https://www.etsy.com/listing/713305832/8x10-5x7-st-therese-of-lisieux-quote?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=st+therese+of+lisieux&ref=sr_gallery-2-13&organic_search_click=1&frs=1 Whatever you may choose from this long list of ideas I highly suggest one thing, do some small sacrifice with great love! This is the little way, and the spirituality that St. Therese taught us. I am praying you have a blessed feast day filled with family and joy. St. Therese of Lisieux, Pray for us!