Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Dear Grief, You have found me despite my hopes to escape you. You have become a travelling companion through this journey of life, but never a friend. You are the proverbial glass of spilled milk, happening when most inconvenient, spilling all over me and my home. You splash and roll into unexpected places, hiding for me to find as I go about my every day work, clinging to ordinary items and ringing them with painful recollection. Left unaddressed, your spill begins to smell and turn the stomach, causing disorientation, upset, and regret. Crying over you changes nothing, but in tears I can wash you away, I can shine the marred surfaces and begin anew. In tears I may respond but I am not vanquished, you have not won Read more at Veils and Vocations.

The Liturgical Year by Adolf Adam: Even the oldest liturgical calendars already have a series of saints' feasts directly following on Christmas. The Middle Ages saw these saints as a crotege of honor accompanying the Christ-child, and gave them the name Comites Christi ("Companions of Christ"). In the Roman liturgy these companions are Stephen the first martyr on December 26, John the Apostle and Evangelist on December 27, and the children whom Herod slew in Bethlehem on December 28 (cf. Mt 2.13-18). These three were regarded as representing the three possible forms of martyrdom: voluntary and executed (Stephen), voluntary but not executed (John), and executed but not voluntary (Holy Innocents). HT Jenn of Feast and Feria Today is the commemoration of the Holy Innocents When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under,in accordance...

A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from a nice lady who was grieving her own early miscarriage, asking for some suggestions and guidance on how to get through her grief journey. I'm posted my advice on my blog  for future reference and to help others who might want similar information. Grieving for a miscarriage is different I think than for a stillbirth or death of an older baby. There is not a grave to tend or a lock of hair, pictures or shared memories to cherish. Yet every little death still leaves a hole in a mother's heart that wants to honor that and be the keeper this little one's memory. These are a few suggestions that might find be helpful. Name the baby and send the name and information to the of the Holy Innocents .There the name is entered into their Book of Life and a mass is said for all the children in the book regularly. In addition they send a beautiful cerfificate with the child's name to be printed out. I did that for my son and his certificate is ...