Our Lady of Guadalupe

Cloë do you know whose memorial we celebrate today?

I do Tallulah - it's the memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

I love this story Cloë! It's such a wonderful miracle.

Can you tell us the story Tallulah.

Well it's the story of Mary appearing to a Mexican Indian named Juan Diego. She told him that he was to go to the local bishop and tell him that he was to build a church.

The bishop did not believe that Juan had seen Mary. So he told Juan to ask Mary for proof.

Juan was a little afraid to see Mary again, so he tried to take a different path on the way to visit his uncle. But Mary found him. And she told him to go and pick the roses and bring them as proof to the bishop.

It was winter so the roses should not have been growing then!

Juan went back to see the bishop with roses. When he let the roses fall from is tilma there was a picture of Mary!

(YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFUxlqfrMpU)

Isn't that just amazing! And this is a picture of the tilma, which is 500 years old! Normally a tilma like this one would have disintegrated after only a few decades. If you go to Mexico you can still see it.

Here is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It's actually a newer Basilica but it is built around the old one.

In honour of today's Memorial why not make Mexican Wedding Cookies! Click here for the recipe.

Great idea Cloë - you can't have a celebration without food!

That's it for today!

Tallulah and Cloë

Just the Facts
A tilma is like a poncho.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is December 12.
The Feast of Saint Juan Diego is December 9.
Mexican Wedding Cookies are a traditional cookie served at Mexican celebrations.

We're here! We're here!

Our original plan was to write every day during Advent - but then our Master took us to the Howliday Inn for a few days while she worked on the Christmas Market, so now we are way behind!!

(Here we are in an ad for the Howliday Inn)

While we were away we missed a few different feast days. So here is a recap!

Feast of St. Nicholas - December 6th
Saint Nicholas was a very generous bishop who was born a very long time ago! He loved people and was always helping the poor, especially children. Santa Claus got all his best ideas from Saint Nicholas!

So Cloë, is this us with Santa or Saint Nicholas?!

It is Santa, but remember that Saint Nicholas is almost like Santa's grandfather. 
If you want to learn more about St. Nicholas visit his website.

And here is a short video!

(YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-5GzZDLas)


The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - December 8th but this year the 9th

So what day do we celebrate this special event?!

Well Tallulah, normally the correct date is December 8th. However, because the 8th is a Sunday this year, the solemnity is moved to the next day, which is December 9th!

Ok, I think I understand, but what is a solemnity and what is the Immaculate Conception??

A solemnity is like a super important feast day, so they give it this special name.

The Immaculate Conception refers to the fact that Mary was born without original sin. All humans are born with original sin, but once they are baptized it is gone! She was born without sin, because God knew that she would be Jesus' mother one day.

Here is a picture of St Anne, pregnant with Mary, for you to colour.

The Second Sunday of Advent
And of course this past Sunday we lit the second purple candle!

See ya tomorrow!

Cloë and Tallulah

The Advent Wreath

Cloë can you tell me what one of the most important symbols of Advent is?

Yes I can, it is the Advent wreath - I can see it through the window of the church.

There are 3 purple candles and 1 pink one. Hey did they run out of purple? Is that why there is a pink candle?

No Tallulah they didn't. Each candle represents 1 Sunday of Advent. In the Church, purple is often associated with preparation, which includes a time of thinking about what we have done wrong and asking for forgiveness.

The pink candle is lit on the 3rd Sunday, which is also called Gaudete Sunday. Pink is a happy colour and it reminds us that Christmas is almost here.

I think everyone should have an Advent wreath!

I agree Tallulah. If they come to the Agora Christmas Market this weekend, they can make one during the What is Advent? workshop.

Hope to see you there!

Woof!

Cloë and Tallulah

Hanukkah

Welcome to day 4 of the season of Advent. Today, we thought we would talk briefly about the Jewish feast of Hanukkah.

That's a good idea Cloë, I notice it comes up a lot when there is talk of Christmas. Are the two holidays connected?

No they are not Tallulah, it just happens that they occur about the same time of year.

Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Lights.

Christmas has lots of lights and joy? Are you sure they aren't the same thing?

I'm sure Tallulah. The events that led to Hanukkah happened more than a 100 years before Jesus was even born. At that time the Syrian Greeks took over the temple that belonged to the Jews. Eventually, the Jewish people were able to get their temple back. They wanted to really make it theirs again by rededicating. Part of the ritual involved lighting the menorah, which they needed oil for.

 Unfortunately they only had enough oil for 1 night. But God gave them a miracle and it burned for 8 nights! Just the amount of time they needed to get more oil. Watch this video to better understand Hanukkah.

Is this a holiday we celebrate Cloë?

No it's not Tallulah since it is a Jewish holiday not a Christian holiday. But Jesus and all his friends were Jews so it is helpful to know how they would have lived and the festivals and holidays they would have celebrated like Hanukkah.

I thought Jesus and the apostles were Christians?

Well the word Christian comes from Christ. It was after they met and knew Jesus and after He gave them their mission that the apostles became known as Christians.

That is really interesting, I guess that is why history is important.

It sure is. This year Hanukkah started on November 27th and it finishes tomorrow December 5th.

Just like our holidays, Hanukkah has special foods that are eaten during this time. Click here to check some of them out.

 

That's it for now - woof!

Cloë and Tallulah

The Start of a New Year!

Hey wait a minute there Cloë, I thought it was Advent that started this past Sunday?!

That's right Tallulah. But the first day of Advent is also the first day of the new Church year.

What is a Church year?

You know the way the school year runs from September to June? Well the Church year runs from the 1st Sunday of Advent (usually the beginning of December) to the Feast of Christ the King at the end of November.

This circle shows the different seasons in the Church year, starting with Advent at the top.

 

 

Advent is a time to prepare ourselves for Jesus' birthday. Jennifer over at Catholic Inspired has all kinds of neat craft ideas to help you better understand Advent. Here are just two of her ideas.

 

 

Have fun with them. Woof!

Cloë and Tallulah

 

Agora Christmas Market

Hi Everybody!

We hope you had a good 1st Sunday of Advent! We certainly did. We went for a great walk down at Gray's Creek before heading over to Mass. And we got to wait in the car, where it's soft and warm.

Today we want to tell you about a special Christmas Market that is taking place next Saturday and Sunday at the Agora Catholic Centre (it used to be called the Nativity Parish Hall) at 301 McConnell Ave in Cornwall.

A Christmas Market is something that happens during the whole time of Advent in many towns in Europe.  (These are pictures of two of the Christmas Markets in Germany.)

In southern Germany and Austria the Christmas Market is sometimes called a "Christkind(e)l(s)markt" (which means "Christ child market").

Ok enough talking Cloë, give them the details!

The Agora Christmas Market is going to take place on:

Saturday, December 7th from 1pm to 5pm

and on

Sunday, December 8th from 1pm to 4pm.

There are going to be all kinds of neat things happening, including:

a display of crèches

 

 

kids movies (with FREE popcorn!)

 

 

crafts and workshops

 

 

and even a visit from Saint Nicholas!

It is going to be so much fun we wish we could go, but our master told us that we get too excited and that we might scare some of the people.

But Cloë, I just love humans so much. All I ever want to do is say hi and maybe give them a peck on the cheek. Isn't that what God wants?!

It is indeed Tallulah, but sometimes you are just so loving that it makes people nervous and our master does not have the time to look after us those days. Maybe next year you will be a bit calmer and she will take us.

But just because we can't go does not mean that all the humans should not go! Find out more at:

www.ChristmasNoel2013.com

and if you are on Facebook you can like the event at

Facebook.com/ChristmasNoel2013

See ya! Woof!!

Cloë and Tallulah

P.S. They want as many crèches as possible for the Crèches Exhibit write to our master and she'll tell you how to make yours part of the exhibition!

Advent Begins

So what did you notice at church today that was different than most Sundays?

Well Cloë, after the priest got to the front of the church, a family lit a purple candle that was part of a big green wreath. Did that mean it was someone's birthday?

No Tallulah, it is the first Sunday of Advent.

Advent, what is Advent?

Advent is the almost four weeks before Christmas.

Oh, I love Christmas, Cloë. I love all those gifts.

Tallulah, while the gifts are lots of fun, it is very important to remember that Christmas is first and foremost about Jesus' birthday.

Oh right, sometimes I forget that.

That's ok Tallulah. We are going to be spending lots of time talking about Advent and the true meaning of Christmas over the next 24 days.

That sounds like we are going to help people get ready for the big day.

Yup you got it Tallulah.

The first thing we are going to suggest is that you join our friends over at Holy Heroes for their Advent Adventure. You can sign up for FREE. Click here.

There is just so much to say and do during Advent, it's a good thing we've got 24 days! Woof!

Cloë and Tallulah

P.S. Older kids and parents will enjoy this video that explains Avent in just 2 minutes!