Happy New Year!

By Mattie

Hello,

It's been quiet around here, hasn't it?!
Well we are enjoying this season as much as we can between bouts of stomach flu with all that it has to offer! But mainly peace and quiet at home, near the roaring stove....
So instead of my monthly liturgical post, I will keep it sweet and short.

Our families have two traditions to begin the New Year right. First, we write a letter to the Blessed Mother, second, we are chosen by a saint who will travel with us throughout the year.

Letter to the Blessed Mother

Every year on New Year's Day, after going to Mass (it IS a Holy Day of obligation, you know), we write a letter to Mary. What kind of letter? Any kind you want! Mainly it is a letter to thank her for the blessings of the previous year, and to entrust our dreams, needs and desires for the coming year. Write it just as you would write to your mother, entrusting everything to her.
So that's the ideal version, but you really have all of January to do it ;) Even though I was quite late in bringing you this tradition, you can still do it!

Then what do you do with the letter? We place ours underneath our statue of Mary and re-open it on the next New Year's Eve. When you open it again, you will be amazed by how much Mary will have blessed you!


The Year with a Saint

So what do I mean by being chosen by a saint? No, I promise I haven't enjoyed too much eggnog!
Every New Year's Eve, after a small family prayer to bring the year to a close, we pass around a basket. One by one, each of us picks out a slip of paper. On that piece of paper is a quote from a saint. It is a quote to live up to for a year, and a saint to discover and befriend, to help you walk closer to God and grow in holiness.
Oh, and a head's up! The quote will usually be dead on! Dead on something you know you need to work on!

Here it is: printable saints quotes PDF
The best is to print it on sheets of business cards.

all the saints by Fra Angelico

Another source to discover a new saint is this very fun website: Saint's Name Generator
And again, yes, you have all of January! We actually keep the basket with the extra quotes for any guests that come visit in January.

Well happy New Year again! Enjoy it and make it holy!