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Laetare! Redeeming Grace!

Laetare! Redeeming Grace!

What a lovely way to start a Sunday morning. I sat up in bed and pulled out my iPhone to say morning prayer. Bella wandered in and asked if she could cuddle with me. She pulled off her slippers and slid her legs under he covers, snuggling herself at my left side with her head on my shoulder. I slid my arm around her and we began to pray. She joined in with some the opening responses:

Lord, open my lips
And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Soon Sophie wandered in as well: “I want to cuddle!” I told Bella to scootch over and pulled Sophie up to sit on my right side. She opened my night table drawer and pulled out the bag of holy cards I keep there and began to shuffle through them.

Then Dom came in and knelt down by the bed. A minute or so later we heard Ben stirring in the next room. Dom went to fetch him and soon he was settled next to my knees, sharing the holy cards with Sophie, who was asking Daddy to name all the saints for her.

Sure, this is far from the sublimity of monastic chant in a beautiful church. And some days I pine for that sort of experience. But this is the perfection of prayer in my domestic church. On the lips of children and of babes you have found perfect praise.

This morning at breakfast Bella and Sophie started shouting a word back and forth: “Laetare!” Bella would call. Then Sophie repeated it. After a time they switched it up and made it into a call and response:
Bella: “Laetare!”
Sophia: “Redeeming grace!”
Bella: “Laetare!”
Sophia: “Redeeming grace!”
Bella: “Laetare!”
Sophia: “Redeeming grace!”

I don’t know that they really knew what they were saying; but it made my day. Rejoice indeed! Thanks be to God for his redeeming grace! And thanks also for sweet little girls who are growing up in an atmosphere saturated with such words.

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6 comments
  • What a fantastic idea that I am totally going to steal from you to use next year! 

    I’m terrible when doing crafts with my girls.  The mess!  OH THE MESS!  I don’t consider myself to be OCD until someone mentions doing a craft and then I have to deferr to my dear husband, who has no fear of The Mess.

  • LOVE your blog Melanie. Are you on FB? I’d love to follow you. Thanks for the ideas.
    As for the heart doilies, I wanted to mention that I get mine at party stores—-Party City, Party Hardy in the paper goods aisle.
    Thanks. Have a great night.
    Chris

  • What beautiful cards!  One of the many joys of my childhood was making valentines for the inevitable school party.  Every year my sisters and I spent hours using bought kits which came with many lacy hearts and heart stickers of various colors.  When my girls were the right ages, I couldn’t find anything comparable.  Too bad.  It’s good to see that you could make some with from-scratch materials, and found those lovely golden hearts, too.

  • Wow. This could have been a picture of my girls making their Valentines. We have most of the exact same supplies, and eager, little hands to piece together the hearts, too.

    Happy Saint Valentine’s Day!

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