Family and Children



Today is the feast of the Holy Family. Jesus, Mary and Joseph provide the model for all family life--a loving mother and father, a holy and obedient child. This model of family life is under attack in modern times in a way it never was in the past, from parents who neglect or abandon their children, from children who do not honor their parents or care for them in their old age, from people who think that children do not need both a mother and a father, from married couples who decide never to have children, and from society in general that does not value or support true childhood, motherhood, or fatherhood.

In the light (or darkness) of the recent election, and the looming threat of the Freedom of Choice Act, it seems somehow appropriate that the feast of the Holy Family should fall on December 28th this year, a day on which we usually remember the innocent baby boys that were slaughtered on Herod's orders: the Holy Innocents.



This year, because today is a Sunday, the blood of the Holy Innocents is, as it were, washed away by the Holy Family. This can happen in real life, too. Only if we as a society truly esteem and celebrate family life can we ensure that the slaughter of millions of modern innocents in hospitals and abortion clinics around the world will cease. When I was younger, I used to joke about the feast with which I share my birthday, saying that it was a good day to be born a girl, since all the Holy Innocents were boys and Herod's minions would not have come after me. But today's massacre knows no sex--boys and girls alike are killed in their mothers wombs, and in some countries, many more girls than boys fall victim. I don't joke about it anymore. Rather, because of the day on which I was born, I feel a special call to pray for an end to the needless deaths of innocent children. There are many other people who ought to have been turning 24 today, just like me, but who never had a birthday because their mothers thought abortion was the only way out of a difficult situation.

Pray with me. Pray for the intercession of the Holy Family. Jesus, have mercy on us. Mary and Joseph, pray for us.

Wishing All Our Readers A Happy and Blessed Christmas Season

(St Gall 376)


(St Gall 342)


(St Gall 338)

Rosary-making Query

Are there any rosary makers out there? If so, I have a question for you. How would you construct a rosary that didn't cost more than $40 in components, didn't take a glacial age or tons of experience to make, looked elegant, and was either virtually indestructible or really easy to repair?

My husband is very tough on his rosaries, and has broken every one he's owned with the exception of plastic ones (which don't look very nice) or nylon cord (slightly better, but still not as nice as glass or gemstone beads). Rosaries made of beads and chain links fall apart, and I find them very difficult to repair--and the repair jobs never last long. The only really nice rosaries I've found for sale that seem durable and elegant cost much more than I could reasonably spend.

I don't want him to have to be forever buying new rosaries, or be relegated only to the plastic kind that little kids use. I'd like to try my hand at making a rosary for him that I could repair or that wouldn't fall apart in the first place. I know where to get components--I've sourced beads and medals and crucifixes that are elegant and with in my price range, so no advice on that, please. I want advice on methods of construction. Chain takes up huge amounts of time, and as I've said, we haven't had good luck with that. I've looked into flexible wire and nylon string--I think the feel of beads on nylon string would be nicer, but I'm willing to try wire if that's the only option. Do you have experience with these? Are they durable? How do they feel under the fingers?

Vespers

If any of our readers are in the Los Angeles area, make a trip to St. Victor's in West Hollywood between December 15th and December 23rd. We are having a novena before Christmas of sung Vespers with Benediction. It will begin at 8pm every night except for Mondays, when Mass begins at 7:45 with the novena following. It promises to be pretty good, so please come!