Sweetness and Light

Mary's Heart - Bleeding Heart Flowers

Sweet heart of Mary, be my Salvation!! 

Dicentra derives from the Greek dis (“twice”) and kentron (“a spur”), in reference to the two hooks on each bloom. And “spectabilis” actually means “showy.” The plant has also been known as heart of Jesus, heart of Mary, lady’s eardrops, lady’s locket, lady in a boat (or bath), and lyre flower. With its three-feet-tall, graceful foliage and racemes of heart-shaped flowers, it makes a spectacular May show in any garden—frequently with sweet woodruff, forget-me-nots, or lilies of the valley blooming around its feet. But, like a philanthropist with a short attention span, this bleeding heart doesn’t stick around. Once its flowers have withered, it promptly bows out, not to return until the following May. (keyboardsforchrist.org)

With the upcoming Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (on May 31st this year, same as the Visitation) it is right to start preparing our own hearts and keep Mary and Jesus close.  Planting some of these showy and delicate plants will remind you to always ask Mary for her intercession to her Divine Son! 

Blessings for your day in this Merry Month of May!

Sacrifices and Our Lady

As you light your candle at your Mary Altar today, think of a special Sacrifice that you can offer to Our Lady.  It's like giving her a flower in the heavenly garden of your heart and she will be most pleased!  In fact, each time you walk past that candle flickering there by Mary, offer up another special intention or sacrifice.  It's like giving Jesus presents at Christmas time when we sacrifice something in honor of Our Lady. 

You can also ask Our Lady to create a burning desire in your heart to be more like her when you think of all the beautiful sacrifices that she made for Our Lord and dear Saint Joseph during their lives.  It's a simple and lovely way to devote yourself to Our Lady even more. 

Time to go light a candle.  Have a wonderful day in this Merry Month of May!

From Thy Bounty - First Communion Fair

Don't miss all the great First Holy Communion ideas and recipes at our very first From Thy Bounty Fair at Catholic Cuisine today!!  Mary graciously hosted and it's chock full of great things! 

Praying for all the special First Communicants in your family's at this very special time of year!!

Enjoy!

A Teabox Shrine for Our Lady of Fatima

Violet crafted this little beauty for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima yesterday!  I hope you had an enjoyable feast and were able to celebrate Our Lady in this formidable title!

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - Old Testament History

The Brown Scapular is a devotion to Our Lady that arose from  a message recieved by St. Simon Stock by Our Lady in the mid 11th century.  However, devotion to Our Lady on Mount Carmel dates back to the 8th century B.C.  The Prophet Elijah ascended the holy mountain of Carmel in Palestine and there began a long tradition of reverring the girl who would become the Mother of Our Lord.  Elijah and his followers had dedicated themselves to God's Mother who would later become Mary, Queen of Mount Carmel.  The Holy Prophet Elijah began a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary that has been handed down as a treasured and spiritual legacy for all time! 

Here is the final day of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena prayer, I love it for it's imagery and symbolism:

O Most Holy Mother of Mount Carmel, when asked by a saint to grant privileges to the family of Carmel, you gave assurance of your Motherly love and help to those faithful to you and to your Son.
Behold us, your children.
We glory in wearing your holy habit, which makes us members of your family of Carmel, through which we shall have your powerful protection in life, at death and even after death.
Look down with love, O Gate of Heaven, on all those now in their last agony!
Look down graciously, O Virgin, Flower of Carmel, on all those in need of help!
Look down mercifully, O Mother of our Savior, on all those who do not know that they are numbered among your children.
Look down tenderly, O Queen of All Saints, on the poor souls!
(pause and mention petitions)

Say: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Here is a little more information on the Brown Scapular and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  Many graces have been bestowed on people who think of and pray to Our Lady in this beautiful title! 

I hope you are enjoying these devotions as we come to the middle of the Merry Month of May!

The Thirteenth of May

The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima is tomorrow (as is the Feast of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament).  This year commemorates the 91st anniversary of the appearance of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal.  Here are a few things for you to consider for devotion and meditation on this beautiful feast!

Our Lady requested five things as part of her Peace Plan at Fatima:

Consecration to her Immaculate Heart

Keeping Five First Saturdays of Five Consecutive Months

Offering Daily Sacrifices for the Conversion of Sinners

Praying Five Decades of the Rosary each day

Wearing of the Brown Scapular as a sign of Consecration to Mary

I hope you will consider creating your own Peace Plan for your family and putting Our Lady's wishes at Fatima into practice!  Many blessings in this Merry Month of May!

Hymns for Her - 'Tis the Month of Our Mother

Here is another beautiful hymn to learn just in time for singing to Our Lady (and your own mother) on Mother's Day! 

Tis the Month of Our Mother

'Tis the month of our Mother
The blessed and beautiful days,
When our lips and our spirits,
are glowing with love and with praise.

Refrain:
All Hail! to thee, dear Mary,
the guardian of our way;
To the fairest of Queens,
Be the fairest of seasons, sweet May.

Oh! what peace to her children,
mid sorrows and trials to know,
that the love of their Mother,
Hath ever a solace for woe.

And, what joy to the erring,
The sinful and sorrowful soul; That a trust in her guidance,
will lead to a glorious goal.

Let us sing then, rejoicing,
that God hath so honored our race,
as to clothe with our nature,
Sweet Mary, the Mother of Grace.

I wish all my Sweetness visitors and especially the Mommies the BEST Mother's Day today. 

Devote your day to Our Lady and it will be the BEST of this Merry Month of May!!  Love to you ALL!

Mary's Humility and Violets

A lovely Tea Cake with Candied Violets would make a delightful gift for your special Mother's Day Celebration tomorrow. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary showed great humility when she hurried to the hill country to tend to her cousin Elizabeth who was also with child.  There are many references to Our Lady and the Violet, St. Bernard called Mary, "the violet of humility".

Candied Violets are a sweet treat and are easy and fun to make:

You will need one bunch of Violets, granulated sugar, one egg white, and a small paint brush.

Gather violets early in the day, or find them at the market. 

Whip the egg white until frothy.  Working over a plate of granulated sugar, paint each violet with the egg white and carefully lay each violet in the sugar.  Sprinkle more sugar on top and allow to dry.  These lovely little treats can be used to decorate any dessert or used as a garnish on a plate of delicious items.

As you enjoy your beautiful delicacies, think of the sweetness and devotion of Our Lady in her humility to all mankind!  Many blessings in this Merry Month of May!

From Thy Bounty

Echoing Mary Ellen here:

Have you seen the beautiful new blog Catholic Cusine ? It's a blog set up to help us all celebrate the seasons and feasts of a Liturgical Life.  I was honored and flattered to be asked to join the ladies who are putting it together. They are a fun bunch and really talented and creative.

I want you all to go over and check it all out and read up about  From Thy Bounty which is the  name of the various fairs we will be hosting. The first one will take place on May 15th and celebrate First Holy Communions.

'Tis the season after all.

So if you are blessed enough to have a first communicant and want to share your celebration please email mary_machado at comcast dot net and she will include you. We want to know everything, food, drink, favors, crafts, flowers.....

Have a blessed day.

I couldn't have said it better myself!!  Go check it out!!!  Happy weekend everyone!

Mary's Color

Mary's color is possibly the one thing that a person can always attribute to her.  It's Blue.  She is also represented in White which is synonomous with God.  Thinking about Mary also reminds me of Red Roses that I attribute to the blood that Jesus would shed for our sake.  It's a striking contrast to Mary's subtle and gentle blue, but then her life was always a contrast of Joys and Sorrows! 

Please read this poem to your sweeties and help them think of Mary in her gentle, beautiful blue mantle.  Many blessings for your Merry Month of May!

Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue

Lovely Lady dressed in blue

Teach me how to pray
God was just your little boy,
Tell me what to say! 

Did you lift Him up, sometimes,
Gently on your knee?
Did you sing to Him the way
Mother does to me? 

Did you hold His hand at night?
Did you ever try
Telling stories of the world?
O! And did He cry? 

Do you really think He cares
If I tell Him things
Little things that happen? And
Do the Angels' wings 

Make a noise? And can He hear
Me if I speak low?
Does He understand me now?
Tell me, for you know. 

Lovely Lady dressed in blue 
Teach me how to pray!
God was just your little boy,
And you know the way. (Kindergarten Religion, Seton)

Eyes of Mary - Forget Me Not

Eyes of Mary or rather the flower Forget Me Nots are a perfect reminder that Mary always has her eyes on us and our salvation in her heart.  She looks down from heaven and reassures us with her grace and serenity that we are always in her care. 

Forget Me Nots are a sign of enduring love and Jesus himself said of Our Lady that he wished everyone could see her eyes and he would not be forgotten!  This brings a whole new meaning to the little phrase "Forget me not!"

Many blessings in your day on this 8th day of May! 

Meditating With Mary After Holy Communion

The Feast of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament is celebrated on May 13th.  Alice at Cottage Blessings has a beautiful novena posted right now. 

Here is a wonderful prayer to copy and learn for meditation after receiving Holy Communion.  Another way to go to Jesus through Mary, especially after our most blessed part of the Holy Mass.

O My sweet Mother Mary, mother of Him whom I hold within my heart, keep that heart which thy Jesus has chosen this day for His dwelling; defend it by thy ceaseless prayer, and obtain for me that the spirit of my Jesus, abiding with me, may continually remind me of the gift of gifts I have received and inflame my heart with love and with all holy desires.  Pray for thy child, O dearest Mother, that the soul of him who has been a living tabernacle for the Eucharistic God may seek in all things the glory of that God and the interests of His Sacred Heart.  Amen.

I hope you will think of Mary and her beloved Son as you receive your next Eucharist.  Many more blessings to you in this Merry Month of May!

New Sweetness!

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude and blessings to the sweetest blogging friend ever that helped give Sweetness and Light a blog makeover these past few days. 

Amber generously offered her expertise in blog design to give Sweetness and Light a much needed tidying up and new look!! 

We'd love to hear how you like it, and Amber I hope you don't need earplugs for the standing ovation we're all giving you here, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

It goes without saying that I LOVE IT!!!!  Many blessings in your day and I hope you enjoy our new look, I think it's totally SWEET!

My Rosary, Devotedly Yours

Dear Rosary,

I know I should hold you more, pray with you more, and just think of you more, but hopefully the times that you are cherished each day will help me in some small way to stay close to Our Lady because of you.  Devotedly Yours,  Meredith.

Here is another much more lovely little ditty to help you think of your Rosary:

There is no other article, that means so much to me, or gives me so much comfort as  My precious Rosary.  Each bead is bright and lovely as a flower or a gem, and sacred is the Crucifix that watches over them.  My fingers touch them lightly while my head I gently nod, "Our Father" and "Hail Mary" and the "Glory be to God."  I say my Rosary in church, at home and on retreat, I say it in my pocket when I walk along the street.  And when I quench the little flames that light the candle-wicks, I always kneel beside my bed and kiss the Crucifix. (A Wreath of Flowers)

I hope you will think of this sweet rhyme next time you get ready to say your Rosary!  Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!  Blessings for the Merry Month of May!

Mary's Joys to Ponder

There is much focus on the Seven Sorrows of Mary and we will think about that another day, but today I want you to ponder the Seven Joys of Mary.  It is interesting to note that Mary could not have had her Joys without also having her Sorrows.  This is so true in the trials of our lives as well.

The Franciscans have a beautiful tradition of celebrating Mary's Joys!

The Franciscan historian Luke Wadding (1588-1657) dates the origin of the Franciscan Crown to the year 1422. He tells the story of a young novice in the Franciscan Order who, previously accustomed to express his devotion to the Blessed Virgin by adorning her statue with a wreath of fresh flowers, was prevented from continuing this practice in the novitiate. In distress, he considered leaving the Order. But the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and instructed him to recite a rosary of seven decades in honour of her seven joys; thus, he might weave a “crown” more pleasing to her than flowers on her statue.

From that time the practice of reciting the “crown of the seven joys“ became general in the order. Thus it became known as the Franciscan Crown—or the Seraphic Rosary.

Please think of all the Joys in your life today as you contemplate the beautiful Seven Joys of Mary!

The Annunciation

The Visitation

The Birth of Jesus

The Visit of the Wise Men

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

His Rising from the Dead, and

The Assumption.

There is also a beautiful English Christmas Carol honoring the Seven Joys of Mary, you can listen to it here!!  Many blessings in your day in this Merry Month of May!

Poetry and Devotion to Mary

Here is a delightful poem that can be used for meditation and devotion to Our Lady during her special month.  I espcially liked this one for it's cleverness.  Many poems inspired by Mary have been written by Dante, Chaucer, and Thomas Moore.  I hope you like this one and will share it with your family today!  Perhaps some little poets will be inclined to write one for your Mary Altar this month.

Poetry for Mary is a lovely way to connect with Our Lady in this Merry Month of May! 

In his poem, "The May Magnificat", Gerard Manley Hopkins
writes:

        "May is Mary's month, and I
          Muse at that and wonder why;
               Her feasts follow reason,
               Dated due to season -

         "Candlemas, Lady Day;
          But the Lady Month, May
               Why fasten that upon her,
               With a feasting in her honour?

        "Ask of her, that mighty mother:
               Her reply puts this other
               Question: What is Spring? -
               Growth in every thing -

         "All things rising, all things sizing
          Mary sees, sympathizing
               With that world of good,
               Nature's motherhood.

         "Their magnifying of each its kind
          With delight calls to mind
               How she did in her stored
               Magnify the Lord.

         "Well but there was more than this:
          Spring's universal bliss
               Much, had much to say
               To offering Mary May.

         "This ecstacy all through mothering earth
          Tells Mary her mirth till Christ's birth
               To remember and exultation
               In God who was her salvation."