Old World Crucifix

I've been anxious lately about finishing this crucifix. A while back I had decided to reproduce another corpus from the large mold and it has been lying around waiting for time and inspiration. Alas I found my inspiration in a 27'' distressed metal cross. It had this old world feel to it and so I brought it home and then my mind started pondering. I accented the metal cross with 22 k gold leaf and finished the plaster corpus to look like white marble. As soon as I can find my plaster I will repair the fingers which don't seem to come out of the mold very well. I'm pleased with how it turned out, I love old things especially old world art. And this hits the spot! I was thinking of offering this for sale at our Church book store, but I haven't quite made up my mind  to part with it yet.  

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

RAnn of This, That, and the Other Thing is hosting Sunday Snippets A Catholic Carnival," where Catholic bloggers can post some of what they have been blogging about over the past week.

So here is my Sunday Snippet.

Since I'm new to this whole blog scene I haven't really developed a good balance yet of when to write posts so it's been a little sporadic...some weeks only one post or none and other quite a few posts. Last week was a bit of a mixed bag. I posted about Holy Water and I was really inspired by the Rosary with a post on Fatima, Bl Pope John Paul II, & Rosary Giveaway

Thanks RAnn for suggesting this!

Fatima, Bl Pope John Paul II, & A Rosary Giveaway

I think one of my favorite Fatima prayers is: Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercy.  It is such a beautiful and simple prayer that speaks to the heart of our human condition: sinners in need of forgiveness and God’s mercy!

I am excited that October is dedicated to the Rosary.  It’s one of my most cherished devotions.  Although my goal is to say it daily sometimes that just doesn’t happen, but it’s getting easier to accomplish this as we have started to say the Rosary together as a family at night.  

The Fatima message was basically: pray for peace and pray the Rosary daily. Bl Pope John Paul II reinforced this message quite often.  He was a great proponent of the Holy Rosary saying in the General Audience of Wednesday, October 16, 2002, Anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul II

“It is more necessary than ever that from every part of the earth prayer for peace be made to Him. In this perspective, the Rosary turns out to be the form of prayer most needed. It builds peace because, while it appeals to the grace of God, it sows in the one praying it the seed of good from which we can expect the fruit of justice and solidarity for personal and community life.”

Later on in his APOSTOLIC LETTER Rosarium Virginis Mariae , he proclaimed the Year of the Rosary October 2002-October 2003 and proposed the Mysteries of Light.

I sincerely hope you will take a moment to read or re-read the apostolic letter and pray that you consider this beautiful prayer a staple in your daily life.  

In light of today being the 95th anniversary of the last apparition at Fatima and in honor of Bl Pope John Paul II, I’m offering a giveaway for a beautiful rosary with a Fatima centerpiece & a papal crucifix along with an illuminated calligraphy card of the Luminous Mysteries.

Rosary Giveaway
To be entered please leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite Luminous Mystery.

The giveaway will be open to entries until midnight on October 21st and then a random drawing of entrants will take place the morning of October 22nd. 

Have a blessed day!

Holy Water

We like to have Holy Water handy always.  Years ago I started painting vessels so we could be mindful of the beautiful sacramental.  We try to keep our special font by the front door filled always, but it’s also nice to have the reserve set aside in a special way too. 

If you knew me you would know that I love old things.  I used to always tell my mother I was born in the wrong era, well I wasn’t Our Lord has me right where he wants me.  However I would feel quite at home in an era that made beautiful things especially churches filled with inspiring art that pointed our minds to the wonder and glory of God. Today as I was searching through web pages I came across this beautiful website that was right up my ally. They just so happened to have a page on the sacramental of Holy Water. The content on this site is just so beautiful and perfect for this post that I have to share it with you.

                            
                                 I hope you are inspired. Holy Reflections website

I like to make the vessels beacause the ones in stores always are too small. I don't like to run out of Holy Water. You can make your own beautiful Holy Water vessels buy decorating glass jars. You could  decoupage, use puff fabric paints, or use glass paints like I did. The paints I use are called Pebeo by Vitrea and I use a combination of both the marks and outliners. It creates a nice stained glass effect. 



If you are not crafty you you can also purchase Holy Water vessels like the one below.

I thank you in advance very kindly for using my links to make any purchases as I do get a small commission for sending customers their way.

 

A Catholic Home and Holiness

If you walked into our home, there would be no mistaking that we are Catholic.  Every nook and cranny reflects our faith.  I truly feel that beautiful reminders of our faith should fill our homes.  I love to be reminded of Jesus, Our Lady, and the Saints throughout the day.  It helps me stay focused on the prize of sanctity for myself and my family.  When Mr. B and I got married we had a wedding registry at a catholic gift shop.  We wanted to get a jump start on a good library for our family and I really wanted to have a crucifix for every room.  

I will miss this home when we have to leave after our lease is up.  It has little niches recessed all over that are perfect spots for all our little devotional images and statues.  The house is built around a single family room or living area and there is a beautiful fireplace on the middle wall flanked on either side with a lighted niche.  On the left reside Our Lady, St. Joseph, the angles, a tribute to our little ones in Heaven and bowl to collect our rosaries.  On the right is a lovely print of the Divine Mercy, our family Bible, and a statue of Padre Pio.  Next to that on the wall is a beautiful Papal blessing which Mr. B’s cousin, Fr. Jim, presented to us at our wedding.   

Holiness is what God wants from us and I want our family to be surrounded by things that inspire us to be holy. 

“As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity.” Ephesians 1:4

God created us in his image and He is holy therefore we must have the ability to reflect Him. 

“And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 

The way I see it, holiness isn’t some unattainable ideal.  God predestined us with it by creating us in his image as if it’s in our DNA.  You and I have the ability to do things like learn to read, learn a language, or even become an Olympian if only we apply ourselves and sacrifice to make it happen.  It’s the same with holiness, we have the ability all that is needed is for us to take up our cross and say yes to God’s will in our lives. 

I am linking this post up at the Catholic Bloggers Monthly Round-Up Please visit them and check out some other amazing Catholic blogs.

                                                 October Monthly Round Up

How to Make a Beaded Rosary

What could be more fitting than a post on rosary making for the 1st of October! I am really not organized enough to have planned this...somehow it just worked out.

I love making rosaries, because it’s something simple you can do with the kids or you can make it as detailed and intricate as you want to.

There are many different ways to make rosaries. There are cord rosaries, wire link rosaries, etc. My favorite method is to string the beads on with artificial sinew.  You can get this at any bead store.  I love it because you can separate one string in many pieces and get more use out of it.  It’s also handy to have the ability to change up the size of your string.

What you will need:

2 sections of artificial sinew 1^st about 15’’ long and the second about 45’’ long you can get it below:

Artificial Sinew

6 Our Father beads I use an 8mm size bead for these

53 Ave beads I like 6mm size for these

Lots of tiny seed beads for in between

4 large seed beads or any tiny bead for connecting the strands to the centerpiece and crucifix which you can get here

Sometimes I can even find the crucifixes and centers at a bead store. And often times at catholic book stores.  If you live in Bend OR the book store there has a huge selection of rosary parts!  Sadly, I do not live there.

I usually bead the section with the crucifix first because is short and I can undo it easily if I don’t like the design.

Starting with the shorter string, tie a knot about 2’’ in. Then string your first seed bead, tie a knot again and repeat two more times. So the pattern goes 3 seed beads, 1 Our Father bead, 3 seed beads.  Then 1 Ave and 1 seed bead, 1 Ave and 1 seed bead, 1 Ave.  Repeat the first part of the pattern for the Our Father bead.  Set Aside

Now for the 5 Decades. Take the long string and tie a knot about 2’’ in. String on a seed bead and tie another knot repeat 2 more times. Then String 10 Ave beads with 1 seed bead for spacing in between them and tie a knot. Now 3 seed beads with knots in between them and 1 Our Father and 3 more seed beads with knots in between, repeat for all 5 Decades.

Attaching the center and Crucifix

Start with the short string and on either end string 1 large seed bead, then thread through the hole on the crucifix, loop up and back through the large seed bead. Trim to ½ inch, burn the end with a lighter and blow out the flame. This will give a nice finished look.  Repeat this process with all the remaining connections.

Get your prayer on friends! Now more than ever we need to pray for peace. The rosary is a great family prayer and mini catechism, all the mysteries are perfect teachable moments on the life of Christ.  Children will love making their own rosaries to pray with. 

  
If you are not up to the task of making your own, we have lovely beaded rosaries for sale in our Etsy shop.