This is the set-up the kids helped me put out in our little home classroom area.
This afternoon we'll be playing Saints Bingo! I can't wait to dish out the fun and the prizes! The happy squeals and joyful exclamations that emanate from our 4- and 7-year-old make it worth it!
After a week of celebrating the lives of the saints, we'll go right into our 3-week unit on the Old Testament, and--new this year--we'll be setting up a Jesse Tree for the month of November! I'm excited to learn this Christian tradition with my kids as we study the Old Testament stories that point us toward the coming of the Messiah!
Most families probably do a Jesse Tree during Advent in the month of December, but we have so many holiday decorations and traditions that I didn't want our Jesse Tree to get lost in the mix! So we're giving it the whole month of November to be our focus. I'm so excited!
Our family is so blessed to truly live in the company of the saints in a physical way! We are fortunate to be the custodians of FIVE first-class relics of the saints. These are physical parts (usually a fragment of bone) of the bodies of these holy men and women that are kept in reliquaries for veneration and inspiration. We honor their relics because we honor the way the person allowed the Light of Christ to emanate so fully from their beings. The Holy Spirit truly was alive and well inside these personal tabernacles! And we pray for the same for us!
The first class relics we have are of St. Catherine Laboure of the Miraculous Medal, St. Vincent Strambi, St. Teresa Margaret Redi of the Sacred Heart, Blessed Fancis Xavier Seelos, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
We also have one second-class relic, an item used by a saint! It is a piece of clothing of Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus.
And then we are fortunate to have many third-class relics, these being pieces of cloth or medals that have been touched to the tomb or body of the saint. One of our favorites is that of St. Philomena, housed in a beautiful reliquary that came to us straight from her shrine in Italy.
But it is our beloved St. Elizabeth Ann Seton who got some extra special attention this year on the Feast of All Saints! As only God could have orchestrated it, a package from HolyArt.com arrived precisely on the Feast of All Saints, and we were able to place her tiny, beloved first-class relic in a golden reliquary, reminiscent of a monstrance!
We had always been needing just one more, and finally it is here, thanks to HolyArt.com!
A unique feature of this upright reliquary (which I had never seen before) is a tiny gold screw on the back which safely secures the back of the reliquary to the front, securing the precious cargo inside.
We are so incredibly thankful to HolyArt.com for giving us this beautiful way to honor the dignity of St. Elizabeth and the love we have for her!
If you'd like to have a reliquary for yourself, be sure to check out HolyArt.com! They are located in the heart of our Catholic faith, right there in the beautiful Italy which Michael and I enjoyed on our honeymoon!
They offer religious gifts, monastery products, liturgical accessories, and more! Their headquarters appear to be fresh, beautiful, and modern, and their warehouse is well-stocked! Definitely check them out!
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| Photo Credit: HolyArt.com |
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| Photo Credit: HolyArt.com |
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| Photo Credit: HolyArt.com |
