Living the Liturgical Year Well: February, Dedicated to the Holy Family

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This post is a reminder to download your Liturgical Board Printables! This is an updated post of a similar post from January of last year. 

“ He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them” (Luke 2:51). Reflect on the holy life which Joseph led in the company of Jesus and Mary. In that family there was no business except that which tended to the greater Glory of God; There were no thoughts or desires except the thought and desire of pleasing God; there were no discourses except on the love which men owe to God, and which God has shown to men, especially in sending His only begotten Son into the world to suffer and to end His life in a sea of sorrow and insults for the salvation of mankind. “ St. Alphonsus of Liguori (Thirty-One Days of Prayer to St. Joseph)

Our families

We are to model our families after the Holy Family. February is the perfect month to remind us of this truth. The Church has dedicated the month of February to the Holy Family, and that is not just by chance. February seems to be a difficult month in most families, where cabin fever and boredom have settled and people are a little more touchy than usual. What a perfect month for us to refocus our families on their model. And liturgically Ordinary Time seems, well, just ordinary and a little gloomy with Lent looming on the horizon.

Liturgical Board

The Liturgical Board is a beautiful way to bring art and faith together. I choose beautiful art in different mediums that represent some of the saints celebrated each month. All you have to do is print, cut and pin! Easy!

The Holy Family and Candlemas

February being dedicated to the Holy Family, that was an easy one. I found this beautiful image of the Holy Family by Franz Ittenbach, in which the imagery is just beautiful (and Saint Joseph doesn’t look like Jesus’ great grandpa…). Next were the feasts, I chose to focus on the Feast of Candlemas. One of the most famous images of the Presentation of Our Lord is the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple by Fra Angelico. Bl. John of Fiesole, (Fra Angelico) is commemorated, on February 18th, see the February Booklover Booklist for more details. So having one of his paintings on the month of his commemoration was killing two birds with one stone for some art study and liturgical living.

February saints

The other saints I have chosen are especially important to our family. Saint Scholastica, February 10th, is the patron saint of our homeschool. On February 11th my daughter Abigail’s name day, Saint Gobnait is commemorated. Saint Jacinta Marto is commemorated on February 20th. The little shepherds of Fatima have had a special place in my heart since I went to Fatima as a teenager. And they have been following me ever since: my son was born on Jacinta’s feast day, one of my daughters is named after Lucia, and A Daily Picture Book is under the patronage of Our Lady of Fatima. We celebrate each of these feasts simply by reading about the life of the saint and dessert or an ethnic dinner that reminds us of the saint.

Celebrating each saint and feast

For Candlemas, I am hoping to get my act together enough to be able to bring candles to be blessed at Mass. Then we will have a festive candlelit dinner that will include crepes, as is the French tradition.
Since I wanted to include Fra Angelico, we will revisit the Presentation of Our Lord on February 18th, Blessed John of Fiesole’s feast day, and have crepes again that day. The February Booklover Booklist contains a great picture book and enrichments to celebrate the life of Fra Angelico.

On February 10th we will celebrate St. Scholastica’s Feast Day. We will read The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica, by Kathleen Norris, illustrated by Tomie dePaola. And we will probably have an Italian dinner.
February 11th, is my daughter’s Name Day. She will receive a spiritual book to help her grow in faith and pick a honey themed dessert as Saint Gobnait (Abigail in Irish) is the patron saint of beekeepers.
On February 20th we will remember little Jacinta Marto and her great love for souls. We will read Miraculous! Catholic Mysteries for Kids by Kathryn Griffin Swegart p.29. And have some Carne Vinho de Alhos, a Portuguese marinated pork dish.

Seven Sundays of Saint Joseph Devotion

I was introduced to this devotion by Auntie Leila, of www.LikeMotherLikeDaughter.org fame. Here are two posts that she wrote about this devotion: Seven Sundays of St. Joseph and Seven Sundays of St Joseph (they are different, I promise). It is a simple, yet beautiful devotion, each Sunday we meditate on a different Joy and Sorrow of Saint Joseph. After meditating, we pray the Litany to Saint Joseph and voila! Here is a FREE printable that includes the devotion ready for you to print and pray. I could not include it on our  liturgical board as it is a little too long. But we have it printed and in the car to pray all together on our way to Mass for the next seven Sundays. 

For all things liturgical I always refer to www.CatholicCulture.org, they have the most inspirational and well written liturgical living ideas. It is a wonderful resource and I always learn something new. I love that they give the background of the feast, its origin, and ideas on how to incorporate it in our daily life through prayers, readings and activities.
Wishing you all a blessed February!
Love,
Mattie