Lenten Crafts

Okay, I did more Lenten crafts that I had intended (raise your hand if you're actually surprised). But, my reasoning is that the crafts are the part that took some hard work, but the new baby isn't here yet, so I could manage it. Now that the crafts are done, the daily activities with the kids are short and easy, things I could do with the new baby or Chris could do with the children. It's hard to resist a good craft! (I can think of at least two non-crafty girlfriends of mine who are shaking their heads, 'No, it isn't hard to resist!')

We made the salt dough crown of thorns. John was beyond excited in anticipation of this.

"Smile, Mary!"

Mary was heard chattering, "Here God, here is another thorn for you!"

I wrote on a jar in purple glitter glue: GOOD DEEDS. Inside I placed slips of paper with ideas and suggestions for good deeds or sacrifices appropriate for a four-year-old. (I still need to make more, as I have only about 20 in there.) When John does a good deed or sacrifice, either from the jar or an idea of his own, he can put the slip of paper in the other jar, as well as the "thorn" which he will get to remove from Jesus' crown. When Easter arrives, we'll cover the now (hopefully) thornless crown with gold and silver rhinestones to make a crown for Jesus to wear in heaven.

We also made fourteen Stations of the Cross, with the children being in charge of glue duty.

Drying on the countertop

Posted in the den, to be prayed on Fridays during Lent

After the children were asleep for the night, I made this almsgiving activity for them. Each day, we will read a prayer (I chose the traditional Act of Contrition because it is short and penitential, suitable for the season), after which each child may take one penny out of his or her foam cross and place it in the alms box I decorated. At the end of Lent, they will deliver their penny alms to the poor box at our parish.

Lastly (for which I have no picture), we'll be doing the Lenten Cross activity, pasting up pictures to represent our daily Scripture readings.

So, despite all the crafting done yesterday, that is really only three short Lenten activities per day (focusing on the three goals of Lent: extra pray, extra sacrifice, and extra almsgiving), plus one additional activity on Fridays.

Today we attended the eight thirty Mass for Ash Wednesday. Chris had to be at in-office meetings all day and will attend a Mass by himself later, so I waddled the children to Mass on my own (an opportunity for a little extra penance, as John definitely does not behave as well at Mass for me as he does for Daddy!). As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that the number of cars was like that at a heavily attended Sunday Mass, plus I witnessed about 100 schoolchildren marching in from the school associated with our parish--so I realized that this was a school Mass (and would we even be able to find a seat?). I quickly called around to determine if there were another Mass this morning at a nearby parish, but none would work for us, so we forged ahead, embracing some additional mortification going into Lent. Our orthodox priest does not have full control over the "school Masses" (as the Catholic school is diocesan and not actually under his authority within the parish), so I discovered that our conservative parish actually does offer Masses with guitar music and praise and worship songs that are indistinguishable from their Protestant ilk and are seemingly by requirement written in the 1970s. John unwittingly asked what I thought a astute question with awe in his whispering voice: "Mama, why are children talking at adults during Mass?!"