There are several legends about St. Valentine, but as Pope Gelasius I indicated, his actual acts cannot be known. The most well-known legend of the saint’s life is also sometimes cited as the basis for the later card-sending tradition.

According to legend, Valentine, along with St. Marius, aided the Christian martyrs during the Claudian persecution. In addition to his other edicts against helping Christians, Claudius had also issued a decree forbidding marriage. Valentine, a priest or a bishop, defied this decree and he urged young lovers to come to him in secret so that he could join them in the sacrament of matrimony. When Valentine was discovered, he was arrested, but the emperor first attempted to convert Valentine to Roman paganism rather than execute him.

Of course, Valentine remained steadfast in his faith, and even tried to convert Emperor Claudius to Christianity, and so the emperor then condemned him to death. In the time before Valentine was executed, he was tended by the jailer, Asterius, and his blind daughter, who was very kind to Valentine and brought him food and messages. The legend states that Valentine became friends with and converted both Asterius and his daughter, and miraculously restored the girl’s sight.

The History of Saint Valentine’s Day

The romantic nature of February 14 seems to have been attached to the date long after it was recognized as the feast day of St. Valentine. Still, several centuries before pre-printed, mass-produced greeting cards existed, men and women sent notes, tokens, and cards to their loves on St. Valentine’s Day. The tradition certainly was in place by the late 15^th century, with French and English literature indicating the practice dated at least to the 14^th century. However it is less certain exactly how St. Valentine’s Day came to be recognized as the romantic holiday it is today. There are multiple ideas on how the custom evolved.

The legend that describes St. Valentine’s imprisonment mentions a letter he sent to the Jailer Asterius’s daughter on the eve before he was executed. According to the legend, the farewell message was affectionately signed “From Your Valentine,” a phrase now popular on Valentine greeting cards everywhere.

One aspect is referenced in the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer. It was a popular belief in the middle ages that birds would choose their mates mid-way through the second month of the year – the 14th of February – and that day was seen as consecrated to lovers. In Chaucer’s 14^th century poem Parliament of Fowls is the line “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day, Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” This is often recognized as the earliest known written reference to the sending of notes to a loved one on St. Valentine’s Day.

Some years later, the reference to Valentine’s Day and birds was mentioned again in one of the Paston Letters (a collection of letters and other papers exchanged among members of the gentry Paston family and their acquaintances between 1422 and 1509):

“And, cousin mine, upon Monday is Saint Valentine’s Day and every bird chooses himself a mate, and if it like you to come on Thursday night, and make provision that you may abide till then, I trust to God that ye shall speak to my husband and I shall pray that we may bring the matter to a conclusion.”

Since the 18^th century some historians, noting the obscurity of the holiday, believe that the current Valentine’s Day traditions (exchanging notes and trinkets) were adapted from older Roman pagan traditions. However this view is not held universally, as the note-sending tradition is not cited earlier than the 14^th century.

Adapted from the Catholic Encyclopedia, Wikipedia and the Patron Saint Index

A new Extraordinary Form. Where will this lead?

Rome – The religious education world is aghast today following the promotion of the new YOUCAT catechism to the level of an extraordinary form of religious instruction.

Following years of work on the new catechism in secret, the Opus Dei albino monks and Cardinal Schonborn announced the new catechism in a media blitz led by the endorsement and singular declaration of the Pope. The preface of YOUCAT contains the apostolic constitution Conscientia Dabo Vobis in which the Pope raises the new catechism to “Extraordinary Form”.

Fr. Joseph Fezzio, the president of Ignatio Press, the American publisher in charge of printing the English edition said that “The raising of a catechism to extraordinary form is, in itself, an extraordinary event. We are unaware of any other book in the history of the Church that has been given such status.”

The new catechism has already generated controversy from the expected quarters. Fr. Richard O’Brien, author of the only catechism in history to have its imprimatur revoked, had some harsh criticism of the new volume. “Today’s Catholic teens are universally aware of how special they are and they lead the world in the quality of their magazine collages. Who does the Pope think he is ruining an obviously perfect education system?”

Sr. Cheesesitter, head of publishing for the I Am Special Teen Workbook (part III) declared the new catechism “a travesty to American standards of religious education.” Her specific criticisms included:

• “…turning the clock back to the original 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church which no one could read anyway.”
• “[The catechism contains] far too many words and not enough color pictures and group projects.”
• “The catechism expects far too much of our young people. This isn’t 1891, you can’t expect teens to learn so much stuff.”

In spite of the criticism, the Pope sees the catechism as a timely publication. Speaking directly to the youth in the preface the Pope said “Yes, you must be more deeply rooted in the faith than your parents’ generation, to be able to endure the challenges and temptations of this time with strength and decision.”

Fr. Y, a pundit of all things extraordinary in the Church, took time away from bird watching to lend his support to the endeavor. “I’m in favor of anything with the word ‘extraordinary’ in it. Hopefully this new volume will be the beginning of a renewal of all religious education in the United States and around the world. I am not expecting things to happen overnight. This is a ‘brick by brick’ type of project.”

Even as the ink is still drying on the first edition which is scheduled for release in March of 2011, Fr. Y sees many questions remaining. “Since the Pope has declared this catechism “extraordinary”, does that mean that there is an “ordinary form”? Perhaps the Baltimore Catechism? As the extraordinary form of the Catechism, will its use require a bishop’s approval or is there already a motu proprio in the works that will grant religious education directors freedom to choose the extraordinary form as they see fit?”

The term “Ember Days” is derived from the Latin term Quatuor Tempora, which literally means “four times.” There are four sets of Ember Days each calendar year; three days each – Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Ember Days fall at the start of a new season and they are ordered as days of fast and abstinence. The significance of the days of the week are that Wednesday was the day Christ was betrayed, Friday was the day He was crucified, and Saturday was the day He was entombed.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the purpose of Ember Days, “besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.”

The Four Occurrences of Ember Days are as Follows:

• Winter: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of St. Lucy.
• Spring: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Ash Wednesday.
• Summer: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost.
• Fall: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of the Holy Cross.

What is an Ember Week?

The term Ember Week simply refers to the week in which the Ember Days occur.

History of Ember Days

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the celebration of Ember Days derived from a pagan Roman practice. Before converting to Christianity, the Romans had performed pagan religious ceremonies on these days in relation to their agriculture.

These occasions were changed when former pagans converted and Ember Days became a part of Christian tradition early, as noted in the Catholic Encyclopedia:

“The Church, when converting heathen nations, has always tried to sanctify any practices which could be utilized for a good purpose. At first the Church in Rome had fasts in June, September, and December; the exact days were not fixed but were announced by the priests. The “Liber Pontificalis” ascribes to Pope Callistus (217-222) a law ordering the fast, but probably it is older. Leo the Great (440-461) considers it an Apostolic institution.”

As mentioned in the above quote, Ember Days were not set for a particular week in the early centuries. The timing for Catholic Ember Days was officially arranged and fixed by Pope Gregory VII, who was pope from 1073 to 1085.

Ember Days in the Liturgical Year Today

In 1966, Pope Paul VI’s apostolic constitution, Paenitemini, which addressed and altered feasting regulations, excluded Ember Days as days of fast and abstinence. In 1969, the liturgical reforms altered how they are observed in parishes:

“On rogation and ember days the practice of the Church is to offer prayers to the Lord for the needs of all people, especially for the productivity of the earth and for human labour, and to make public thanksgiving. In order to adapt the rogation and ember days to various regions and the different needs of the faithful, the conferences of bishops should arrange the time and plan of their celebration. Consequently, the competent authority should lay down norms, in view of local conditions, on extending such celebrations over one or several days and on repeating them during the year. On each day of these celebrations the Mass should be one of the votive Masses for various needs and occasions that is best suited to the intentions of the petitioners.”

-General Norms for the Liturgical Year Calendar, Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI

This article used information from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, and the Fisheaters website.

Please join me in thanking our Catholic Moments contributors by visiting their sites:  Deacon Tom Fox, Lisa Mladnich, Avery, Sarah Reinhard.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

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Night Before Christmas 1985

Tucson, Arizona. Land of saguaro cactus, red desert and the yearly gathering of the Gastellum clan for Christmas.

For as far back as I can remember, we would make the annual fourteen hour drive from Colorado to Arizona to spend one or two weeks with family in a continuous celebration that centered on the Faith, family and food.

But before we made the trip our family made its own Christmas cards. My Dad’s an artist and my Mom does beautiful calligraphy so we always had perfect cards to send out. Even farther back before Christmas my Mom would get each of us a Christmas ornament that had something to do with an event during the past year. One year I got a brass skier because I went skiing for the first time. Another year I got an ornament of Pikes Peak because I completed the half marathon ascent that summer. Ouch!

My Mom’s parents had lived in the same house ever since I could remember Christmas and later my aunt and uncle moved into the house three doors down. Several other aunts, uncles and various greats also lived in Tucson. I was even blessed with knowing my Great Grandmother. You know, the lady who was quick enough to catch mice by the tail?

There was always an Advent wreath on the dining room table and Christmas stockings always made the trip with us. For some reason, the felt Advent calendar that my mom made with the snap-on ornaments for each day almost never made the trip so we only got about two weeks completed and then had to add everything else after Christmas.

My mom collects Nativity sets and I think she got that from her mom. There were always a variety of Nativity sets around the house, missing baby Jesus, of course until Christmas day. Unfortunately, most sets are now made in China so our store isn’t able to offer a large selection of them.

Night Before Christmas 1984

On Christmas Eve we always had a traditional Mexican dinner with homemade tamales, re-fried beans, calabasitas and the best tortillas anywhere. We would then all gather in the spare room and with a roaring fire in the fireplace and the blinds strategically cracked open, my grandfather would read The Night Before Christmas from a huge coloring book that all of us cousins had taken a hand at coloring. Just like clockwork every year Santa would be on the roof, shout down the chimney and flash by the window before vanishing across the golf course behind their house. We would then all go back in to the living room and find our stockings full. My poor Uncle Steve, and some years Uncle John, frequently missed this momentous event. It’s amazing how things always came up right at that time.

Tumacacori Mission

Some years we would go down to the Tumacacori Mission to sing carols and see the luminarias lining the church and walls at night. My family has a long association with the Mission. My grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there and they met at the Catholic church just up the road in Tubac. One of my great-(great?)-aunts was scalped by Indians while her siblings hid in the mission bell tower. She survived.

When we were all younger and had the energy we would then go to Midnight Mass and then come home and open presents. I don’t know how my grandparents did it.

Christmas day was the time to go visit Uncle Mannie and Aunt Armida. It was also the first place that I got bragging rights for eating exotic food. Every Christmas Aunt Armida made Menudo and I loved it. Christmas dinner was a traditional turkey affair.

Saguaro National Park at Sunset

During our time in Tucson we had three typical site seeing visits to make. The first, and most regular, was a trip to the Sonoran Desert Museum. My Grandfather had been a park ranger most of his life and was a supporter of the museum. My favorite exhibits were always the prairie dog town and the geological exhibit with the earthquake detectors and the path through the “cave”.

The second visit was a guy trip to some dive for authentic Mexican food. I don’t remember the names of any of the places we went but you probably won’t find them in tourist books.

Some years we would make a trip to the Pima Air Museum or have a picnic at the Saguoro National Park. Yes, a picnic in December. Except for the one year it snowed and we had a snowball fight instead.

Okay, now it’s your turn. What fond memories do you have of Christmas?

• Kinect – One of this year’s most popular gifts is the Kinect Sensor with Kinect Adventures! for Xbox360, which has already sold 2.5 million units in less than a month.  If you have a gamer in your house, there are some great websites to help you familiarize yourself with products before and after purchasing them.  I recommend:
  • GetGameSmart.com – Learn to set parental controls
  • PluggedIn.com – Game reviews from Focus on the Family
  • TheOnlineMom.com – Weekly video game reviews written by a “wired” mom
• Tech firms work online programs to keep kids safe – USA Today on Internet Safety for Kids
• Jumo – A Social Networking site aimed at letting users discover and support charitable causes, now in Beta
• Connecting with Youth Via Facebook - A great article for parishes and youth ministers looking to really reach teens with social networking efforts that work and have meaning
• A Parent’s Pledge to Raise a Responsible Digital Citizen – Have you discussed this important part of your role as a parent?

I haven’t seen the film yet, but based on this great trailer, I can’t wait to pop a bowl of popcorn, gather my family and enjoy this together.

I hope you’ll view the trailer and please consider sharing it on your blogs, websites and with your social networking contacts.  We need to support and encourage programs like this if we hope to have more acceptable choices in the future for our families.  So tweet, share, and facebook this and ask your friends to do so as well!  Happy viewing!

A Walk In My Shoes – 2:33 TRLR from Moms4FamilyTV.com on Vimeo.

Here’s some additional information on “A Walk in My Shoes”:

“A Walk in My Shoes” makes viewers stop and think, “What would I learn if I stepped into someone else’s life?” Stressed-out high school teacher Trish Fahey (Nancy Travis, “Three Men and a Baby,” “Becker”) can’t understand her students’ lack of effort in the classroom and why their parents don’t seem to care. This is especially true of Justin Kremer (Cameron Deane Stewart), a popular, skateboard-loving, basketball star who is underperforming in her class. Trish has him suspended from the basketball team and quickly chalks up the situation as a case of bad parenting.

This perspective dramatically changes when Trish meets Molly (Yara Martinez, “My Own Worst Enemy”), a mysterious stranger intent on helping her see things differently. After a car accident, Trish wakes to find herself living the life of Cindy Kremer, the woman she has rashly judged and criticized. Molly helps Trishdiscover that there is more to the story and learns a powerful lesson that affects everyone she interacts with, including her husband, daughter and the Marine next door. No one is left unchanged.

“When I read the script for ‘A Walk in My Shoes’ I was instantly drawn to the character of Trish Fahey, because I think many of us have found ourselves in similar situations,” stated Nancy Travis. “It’s important to remember that today many families, especially those with members serving in the military, are balancing many pressures, so I was happy to work on a project that not only brought family-friendly programming to television, but addressed these life lessons.”

“A Walk in My Shoes” will take viewers on an inspirational journey, as they experience how families can come together in the face of adversity. The film’s main characters are forced to confront their pasts and learn valuable life lessons in an uplifting manner that families can enjoy together. This emotional story is an expansion into the dramatic genre for P&G and Walmart as the first two films, “Secrets of the Mountain” and “The Jensen Project” were family adventures.

Yara Martinez, best known for her work in CBS’s “The Unit,” plays the role of Molly. Philip Winchester, who starred as the title role of Robinson Crusoe in the NBC action series “Crusoe,” plays Jake, a Marine who lives next door to the Kremer family. The roles of Cindy and Justin Kremer are played by Jana Lee Hamblin and Cameron Deane Stewart, respectively.

“A Walk in My Shoes” will also feature a soundtrack produced by music mogul Randy Jackson that includes songs from artists such as Michael Johns, Judgment, and Walking In Space. The “A Walk in My Shoes” DVD and soundtrack will be sold together in a bonus pack exclusively at Walmart startingSaturday, Dec. 4. For more information visit www.awalkinmyshoes.com.

Featured Product - This month, we welcome your support of CatholicMom.com by making any of your online purchases through either our Amazon or Catholic Company stores.  When you make your Advent and Christmas gift purchases online through these portals, you make a small donation to CatholicMom.com.  Thank you for your continued support!

December 5, 2010 – Second Sunday of Advent

Click on the links below to download each item

• Sunday’s Gospel
• Coloring Page
• Advent Calendar 2010
• Lesson Plan
• Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
• Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
• Crossword – Puzzle
• Solution –  Across:  2.  Prepare;  3.  locusts;  4.  Judea;  Down:  1.  baptized

Now through December 24th, CatholicQuiz.com is offering you a 2 for 1 Advent Special. All purchases between November 20th and December 24th are eligible for a second FREE membership of the same value. Purchase any Individual, Family or Teacher Membership and receive a second one to give as a gift (a $19.95, $39.95 or $49.95 value – FREE).  Visitors who complete a purchase at CatholicQuiz.com will receive an email with an e-Gift Card Membership purchase code. This code is redeemable at www.CatholicQuiz.com/redeem any time in the future. No expiration date. No limit. Ever. Your subscription rate also includes a small donation to CatholicMom.com, which enables us to continue to provide our resources free of charge to parishes in over 100 countries around the world! Click here for more information .

Extra Activities:

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• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• Pre K Lesson Plans – Updated Regularly
• Religious Education Articles by Laura Grace
• Homeschooling Resources
• Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
• Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
• To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB

December 12, 2010 – Third Sunday of Advent

Click on the links below to download each item

• Sunday’s Gospel
• Coloring Page
• Advent Calendar 2010
• Lesson Plan
• Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
• Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
• Crossword – Puzzle
• Solution – Across: 4.  messenger;  Down:  1. disciples;  2.  Baptist;  3.  sight

December 19, 2010 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

Click on the links below to download each item

• Sunday’s Gospel
• Coloring Page
• Advent Calendar 2010
• Lesson Plan
• Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14 Corrected
• Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
• Crossword – Puzzle
• Solution – Across:  3.  God;  4.  Emmanuel;  Down:  1.  Joseph;  2.  Dream

December 26, 2010 – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Click on the links below to download each item

• Sunday’s Gospel
• Coloring Page
• Advent Calendar 2010
• Lesson Plan
• Mass Worksheets – There won’t be any Mass Worksheets for this week.  Merry Christmas!
• Word Search – Puzzle, Solution (Please note that the title on the answer key is incorrect, but this is the correct solution for this week’s puzzle.)
• Crossword – There won’t be a crossword puzzle this week.  See you in 2011!

Featured Product - This month, we welcome your support of CatholicMom.com by making any of your online purchases through either our Amazon or Catholic Company stores.  When you make your Advent and Christmas gift purchases online through these portals, you make a small donation to CatholicMom.com.  Thank you for your continued support!

Editor’s Note: Today, I am thrilled to share the following original children’s story from renowned author Katherine Valentine. This precious story is Katherine’s gift to our CatholicMom.com family of readers.  We hope you enjoy sharing this story with the children in your life and that you will visit Katherine at www.KatherineValentine.com to enjoy more of her writing.  Lisa

It was almost Christmas Eve and all the Christmas trees on Mr. Stilton’s Tree Farm had been taken home. All except the four trees that stood on a small hill behind the barn—Blue Spruce, Basil Balsam, Southern Pine and Tiny Tree.

As night slowly descended, the trees found it hard not to grow discouraged. Each one wanted more than anything to be taken home and to wear a Christmas Star, but now it looked as though their dream would never come true.

“Mr. Stilton said that if we’re not sold this Christmas, he’s turning us into firewood,” said Blue Spruce fearfully.

“Now, Blue, there’s still plenty of time left before Christmas Day arrives,” Tiny Tree said, trying hard to keep everyone’s spirits up. “I’m sure someone will come along and take us all home.”

“No one will want me,” said Blue, his branches sagging as they did under the weight of a heavy snow. “Just look at the empty space along my back. Who wants a Christmas tree that’s missing so many limbs?”

Southern Pine leaned over in the wind and sighed. “I dare say, Mr. Spruce that you have a far better chance of being chosen than I do,” she said in a soft southern voice. “Just look at me. All these branches and not one pine needle.”

It was true. Southern Pine hadn’t a one.

“Why, I’m as naked as a Jay Bird,” she said sadly. “No one wants a Christmas tree without pine needles.”

“Now, let’s not give up hope,” encouraged Tiny Tree. He couldn’t bear to see everyone so sad. “Why, I bet there are plenty of folks still left who haven’t chosen their Christmas tree.”

Basil Balsam forced back a tear. “It’s hard to have hope when everything seems so…so…hopeless.”

Basil had been passed over several times this week.  Folks said that he had too much trunk and too few limbs.

“Blue Spruce is right. We’ll probably all end up as firewood.”

With everyone growing so sad, it was hard for Tiny Tree to keep up a brave face. He, too, had hoped to be chosen this Christmas to wear a Christmas Star. It was the highest honor a Christmas tree could hope for. But Tiny Tree was just 41½ inches tall. Too big to sit on a table, yet too small to be placed on the floor which was why everyone that had visited the farm in search of a perfect Christmas tree had passed him by.

Folks just shook their heads and said, “He’s just too tall.” Or “He’s just too small.” And then they would wind their way along the paths that lead to another tree that was just right.

Just as his branches were about to sag, an old woodsman came crashing out of the forest, dragging a large, empty sleigh. A pack of dogs nipped at his heals.

“Get back, you mongrels!” he shouted. “Smelly brutes.”

A large black and white Great Dane, the size of a small pony began to sniff at the edges of Southern Pine’s branches.

“Dear me!” she exclaimed, drawing them aside.

The woodsman ignored Southern Pine’s protests, walking right past her to pause in front of the Tiny Tree.

“Now what do we have here?” he asked, rubbing a chin full of whiskers as he looked Tiny Tree up and down.

Tiny Tree felt his branches quiver with excitement. Maybe he was going to get to wear a Christmas Star after all.

“I need a Christmas tree for my cabin,” the woodsman explained. “Something small that the dogs can’t knock over.”

He eyed the dogs darkly then stepped back and titled his head to one side.

“I bet if I strung a rope around your middle and hoisted you up over the rafters, these mongrels wouldn’t be able to knock you over.”

Tiny Tree had often imagined himself dressed in gold and silver balls that dangled from his limbs and small white lights peeking out from among his pine needles. But he’d always pictured himself standing straight and tall on a brightly polished floor. He had never thought about being hung from the ceiling.

“Stand back,” the woodsman told the dogs as he pulled the sleigh around, parking it right in front of Tiny Tree.

“Just jump aboard,” he instructed.

Tiny Tree gathered his branches and was about to take a giant leap, when he happened to glance at Blue whose branches drooped sadly towards the ground.

He and Blue had been friends since seedlings, and he hated to see him so sad, but what could he do?  The woodsman couldn’t use two trees.

Then suddenly he had a wonderful idea!

“Mr. Woodsman,” he began. “Have you taken a look  at Blue Spruce? I think he would make a much better choice.”

“You do?” asked the woodsman.

“I would?” echoed Blue Spruce in great surprise.

“Yes, you would.” Tiny Tree explained. “Blue Spruce hasn’t any back branches which means he would fit perfectly in the corner of your cabin, safely out of the way of your racing dogs. And besides, it’s awful hard to decorate a Christmas tree when it’s hanging from the rafters.”

“You do have a point there, Tiny Tree,” the woodsman walking over to Blue Spruce and examining him more closely.

“He would fit nicely in the corner next to the fireplace. And it’s true that my dogs couldn’t knock over a tree that was tucked neatly into a corner. By golly…I’ll take him!”

So, the woodsman did as Tiny Tree suggested and asked Blue Spruce to hop onto his sleigh. Then he threw thick, brown rope over his shoulder and started up the hill towards home, dragging the sleigh behind as the dogs once again nipped at his heels.

“Well, at least one of us will get to wear a Christmas Star,” Basil Balsam said with a sad wistful note, watching his friend disappear into the woods.

Southern Pine agreed, heaving a mournful sigh.

Several moments later, an elderly couple came tottering up the path.

“Watch you step, Ma,” the man told his wife, carefully leading her up the steep hill.

Tiny Tree straightened his trunk and shook out his branches to display them as their finest. The couple was headed their way.

“What do you think, Ma?” the old man asked, walking right past Southern Pine to study the Tiny Tree.

“It’s certainly a nice little tree,” the old woman said thoughtfully. “But we have so many ornaments. I don’t think they’ll all fit.”

Southern Pine sniffled, watching her chance at wearing a Christmas Star fade. The sound filled Tiny Tree with a deep sadness and he knew at that moment, he just couldn’t let himself be chosen over Southern Pine.

So, he asked the old couple. “How many ornaments do you have?”

“We have too many to count,” the old man confessed. “Some were given us by friends and others by our children and then our grandchildren. Why, we’ve been collecting them ever since we got married. That was fifty years ago.”

The old woman sadly shook her head. “But we only use a few because no tree can hold them all.”

“Southern Pine could!” exclaimed Tiny Tree. “Her branches have lots of room, especially since she doesn’t have any pine needles to get in the way.”

The couple turned to examine Southern Pine more closely.

“Tiny Tree does have a point, Ma,” the old man said, looking over Southern Pine’s bare limbs. He took a measuring tape out from his back pocket and began to measure her from top to bottom.

“Why, it just might work, Ma,” he said with a note of excitement in his voice. “Without pine needles, I bet we could fit them all.”

“Oh, Pa, the children and grandchildren would be so pleased to see all of their ornaments displayed,” the old woman said, clapping her hands with glee.

And so, the old man and the old woman took Southern Pine to their home at the edge of town. That year, the couple took down all the ornaments they had stored in their attic and found every one fit along Southern Pine’s bare branches.

Back on the farm, it was growing dark. There were no other trees to help stop the cold winter wind that blew over the fields. Basil Balsam and Tiny Tree shivered.

“Well, I guess it’s just you and me,” Basil Balsam said, feeling as hopeless as a Christmas tree without a Christmas Star could be.

Tiny Tree searched his brain for something cheerful to say, when a young boy and girl came bounding up the hill.

“Look, Basil!” he shouted, pointing a quivering branch in their direction. “There’s still hope that one of us might wear a Christmas Star.”

“They’re probably going to pick you, and I’ll be firewood by tomorrow,” Basil said, forlornly.

“Hurry up, Johnny,” the girl told her brother.

The sun had just slipped over the hills and the lights from the village hadn’t yet been turned on. Shadows hid the path.

“It’s almost Christmas Eve,” she said. “We need to find a tree before it gets too dark.”

Their mother was in the hospital and the children wanted to surprise her with a Christmas tree. They thought it would help to cheer her up.

The children stopped in front of Tiny Tree.

“This one will do nicely,” the girl said.

“I think so, too” agreed the boy. “It would fit perfectly in our mother’s hospital room.”

Basil Balsam’s deep, mournful sigh echoed across the farm.

“Passed over again,” he lamented.

Tiny Tree’s heart nearly broke. He couldn’t bear to see his friend so sad. So, although Tiny Tree knew that this was his last chance to wear a Christmas Star, he decided to give it away to his friend.

“Is your mother in a hospital bed?” Tiny Tree asked the children.

They nodded.

Tiny Tree shook his head sadly. “I’m afraid that she would never be able to see me if I were placed on the floor, and I’m much too big to sit on a table.”

“He’s right,” the boy said, turning to leave. “Come on. Let’s go. We’ll have to think of something else to cheer her up.”

“You can’t celebrate Christmas without a Christmas tree,” the girl sobbed.

“”You can still surprise your mother with a Christmas tree,” Tiny Tree said, waving a branch in Basil’s direction. “He would be the perfect tree. He has a long truck and high branches just right for viewing form a hospital bed.”

“Why, yes!” the boy exclaimed, taking a step back.

“”Why didn’t we see that before?” the girl asked, as she envisioned how beautiful Basil Balsam would look with his branches reaching up over he mother’s bed, decorated with stands of tiny white lights, gaily colored glass ornaments and a string of popcorn laced around his branches.

And so the boy and girl gently laid Basil Balsam on their red wagon and started down the hill.

Night was quickly falling. Shadows thickened across the snowy hills that encircled the village, and the night sky grew as dark as black ink.  Stars appeared and shown like a thousand polished diamonds.

Tiny Tree looked out over the empty tree farm, his pine needles chattering in the winter night’s breeze. He was the only tree left on Mr. Stilton’s Tree Farm. Everyone else had been taken home.

He thought about Blue Spruce tucked in a corner of the woodman’s cabin; his branches covered in tinsel and bright colored lights. And the sound of the dogs racing happily about as the woodsman smoked a pipe, the smoke curling up the chimney.

Then he pictured Southern Pine with her branches gaily colored with hundreds of cherished ornaments, displaying them proudly to all of Ma and Pa’s children and grandchildren.

As he pictured Basil Balsam, beside the hospital bed, decorated with paper chains and strings of popcorn, smiling at the way the mother’s eyes lit up with joy as she gathered her children close to her side.

But mostly, Tiny Tree pictured each of his friends with their top branch held high and a Christmas Star perched on their heads. And, although he was glad for his friends, he was a little sad, knowing that he would never get to wear a Christmas star.

….And tomorrow, Mr. Stilton would chop him up for firewood.

“I hope I make for a warm fire,” he said, gazing down at his trunk.

Just then the sound of church bells rang out in the distance. It was Christmas Eve. Christmas carolers joined the church bells and drifted up from the village down below.

Tiny Tree watched as colored lights twinkled gaily over doorways and lampposts, and when he leaned just a little to the left, he could see around the corner of the big red barn at the bottom of the hill to spy the twelve foot Christmas tree that stood on the town’s green, a giant red star poised on its head.

Slowly, his spirit began to lift as the wonder of Christmas, like fairy dust, softly fell across his heart. He closed his eyes and drank in its magic.

“Tiny Tree,” a voice echoed from the night’s sky.

He looked up and what he saw made him quiver all over. Why, an angel was slowly drifting down from among the stars. He was as tall as Mr. Stilton’s barn and was dressed in a robe that sparked with jewels.

“My name is Gabriel,” the angel told him and when he spoke, his voice sounded like the tinkling of hundreds of tiny bells. “God has sent me with a gift for you.”

“A gift? For me?” Tiny Tree stammered.

“God has seen how you gave away that which you treasured the most, the chance to wear a Christmas Star. By your compassion for others, you have shown that you possess the real spirit of Christmas.”

“I did?” Tiny Tree’s voice shook.

“You put the love of others before yourself and in doing so, you allowed God to share His love through you.”

“But I only did it because I didn’t want them to be sad. And I knew how much it meant for them to wear a Christmas Star,” Tiny Tree explained.

Gabriel smiled. “And wasn’t that your dream as well?”

“Yes, well….”

Gabriel’s smile broadened as he removed a golden trumpet from the folds of his robe. Putting it to his lips, he blew. At the sound of the trumpet, the heavens opened and the night sky flooded with a brilliant ray of golden light.

“Wow!” Tiny Tree shouted as hundreds of angels appeared.

“These are the angels who announced the birth of a Savior to the field full of shepherds,” Gabriel explained. Then he bent closer to Tiny Tree and whispered, “Look, they carry a star.”

It was unlike any Christmas Star that Tiny Tree had ever seen and filled the valley with a dazzling white light.

“This is the star that once pointed the way to a manger,” Gabriel said.

“It’s so bright!” Tiny Tree said, shading his eyes.

“That’s because it carries the light of God’s love,” Gabriel said. “The same love that you showed when you gave away what you treasured most. It is the love you displayed for your friends that has earned you the honor of wearing the brightest Christmas Star of all, the Bethlehem Star.”

Gabriel beckoned the angels to gather around and to place the star upon Tiny Tree’s highest branch. Tiny Tree could hardly contain his joy as golden rays of light blazed out from the star, illuminating the dark night.

The angels began to sing, their voice sweetly washing over the night skies….

O Holy Night…a star was brightly shining…

Tiny Tree stood straight and tall, as the Bethlehem Star shown out over the world. And at that moment, he knew that Christmas wasn’t about wearing a star or the gaily wrapped packages tucked beneath branches.

The true spirit of Christmas was knowing that we are loved by God.

The End

Copyright 2010 Katherine Valentine

Q: Please briefly introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your family.

My name is Teresa Smith. I’m a singer, vocal instructor and homeschooling mother of eight. I’m married to my wonderful husband David who is a music producer for many Catholic recording artists. Also, I happen to sing the theme song, “Blooming”, for the Catholic Moments podcast.

Q: Please give us an overview of the “Gregorian Chant for Kids” project? How did it get started?

Gregorian Chant for Kids is a CD recording designed to introduce children (and families unfamiliar with Chant) to Gregorian Chant. It is unique in that it is performed exclusively by children rather than by adults. Along with the CD, we also offer download-able .pdf files of simplified notation and phonetic pronunciation of the Latin to make it easier to learn.

The idea came about when David was working with a Catholic recording artist at the studio, helping with production on her Gregorian Chant CD in 2008. David and I were both struck with the beauty and the sacred and reverent “other-worldliness” of the chants while working on that CD. After those recording sessions were completed, David and I were driving this artist back to the airport and we were having a conversation about our kids and how they love to sing. During the conversation, this artist briefly said something like “you ought to consider making a chant CD with your kids”, or something to that effect. David and I thought it was an interesting idea but nothing really registered. However, after a few weeks, and like most decisions in our life, during our time in adoration, David and I noticed the idea kept coming back to us. Soon we began to feel urgency about following through with the idea. We knew the idea would fit in well with our homeschooling activities whether anyone else would be interested in the CD or not, helping to meet our music requirements in their education. We also noticed that there was nothing else being made available by any other home school curriculum that taught children how to sing chants. We noticed most recordings were sung by adults or poorly recorded too. We felt that children would learn best by hearing voices most like their own.

Q: Who are the kids involved in the CD and how did they learn to sing Gregorian Chant?

The children involved are our own children: Nate, Patrick, Brian and Regina. We have two older teens whose voices just don’t sound like children’s anymore! And we have two younger boys too young to sing. We taught them chant simply by taking time everyday to sit down, as you would in a music class, going over the pronunciation and practicing the melodies in sections. Once we had a whole chant completed, we’d take them to our recording studio (which is attached to our home) and record that chant. Then we’d start the process over for the next chant. Finally, David adds the organ parts and mixes everything. It took about 3 months to get everything recorded but the kids loved it. Plus, we just consider it a part of the home schooling curriculum and they kids love being able to sing the chants at the Latin Mass.

Q: What is your goal for the project?

First, we feel that God’s calling for us in this project and future chant projects is to provide an accessible musical resource that families use to introduce their children to this beautiful musical treasury of the Church so that it does not become lost. We want families to know that is possible for their children to learn chant – and that children truly enjoy it!

Second, we love being able to provide a recording that is so unique with the children’s voices. Listeners have said over and over that it is so beautiful and angelic to hear the chants being sung by children’s voices. Very soothing and prayerful.

Q: What type of reaction have you received to the CD?

The reactions to the CD range from strong to ecstatic. As I mentioned above, many people tell us they don’t use the CD to teach children; they just love it for listening pleasure. The comment we hear most often is that they imagine angels singing sounds like.

Q: What do the kids think about having their own CD?

They are genuinely excited and very proud of it because they weren’t sure they could do it when we first began. Also, we can tell they feel a real sense of accomplishment when they see David packaging and shipping out a large order of the CD’s to distributors like Catholic Heritage Curricula, who have made the CD a part of their curriculum. They often talk about all of the hard work they put into it.

Q: Do you have plans for future “Chant for Kids” CDs?

Yes, we are currently working on Volume 2. Plus, we will be making teaching DVD’s for Volumes 1 and 2 that include little music lessons for each chant to provide even more help for families to teach their children Gregorian chant. We will keep producing volumes until we run out of chants or until all our children reach puberty and their voices change! Also, we are working on a CD/DVD for teaching children how to sing the older, pre-Vatican II, English language hymns of the Church.

Q: How can readers order the CD and find more information about Chant for Kids?

People can get more information on our website: www.ChantforKids.com

Q: Are there any closing thoughts you’d like to share with our readers?

I would just like to encourage families to introduce themselves to Gregorian chant. It is well worth the effort because they’ll be learning a singularly Catholic, beautiful and reverent musical treasure of our Church. At the same time I would encourage anyone who simply would love to be soothed and their faith inspired to buy Gregorian Chant for Kids!

I hope you enjoy the following video of the Smith family singing Gregorian Chant for Kids and that you’ll check out www.ChantforKids.com and consider sharing Gregorian Chant with the special children in your life!

Video Link

First Sunday of Advent

Click on the links below to download each item

• Sunday’s Gospel
• Coloring Page
• Advent Calendar 2010
• Lesson Plan
• Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
• Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
• Crossword – Puzzle
• Solution – Across: 3.  Advent;  4.  Awake;  Down:  1.  Man;  2.  Matthew
• Catholic Quiz of the Week Questions and Solutions

Now through December 24th, CatholicQuiz.com is offering you a 2 for 1 Advent Special. All purchases between November 20th and December 24th are eligible for a second FREE membership of the same value. Purchase any Individual, Family or Teacher Membership and receive a second one to give as a gift (a $19.95, $39.95 or $49.95 value – FREE).  Visitors who complete a purchase at CatholicQuiz.com will receive an email with an e-Gift Card Membership purchase code. This code is redeemable at www.CatholicQuiz.com/redeem any time in the future. No expiration date. No limit. Ever. Your subscription rate also includes a small donation to CatholicMom.com, which enables us to continue to provide our resources free of charge to parishes in over 100 countries around the world! Click here to purchase.

Extra Activities:

• Advent Resources
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• Pre K Lesson Plans – Updated Regularly
• Religious Education Articles by Laura Grace
• Homeschooling Resources
• Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
• Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
• To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB

Featured Product:

Thank you for your support of CatholicMom.com!  A small portion of your purchase price goes to CatholicMom.com and enables us to continue providing these resources free of charge for families and parishes around the world.

Joy to the World: Advent Activities for Your Family - Here’s a treasure trove of exciting ideas that will enable your family to focus anew on preparing for the holy time of Advent and Christmas! With a fresh, lively set of suggestions that will attract young and old alike, Joy to the World will help lay the foundation for long-lasting family memories. View sample pages. Joy to the World takes a three-pronged approach to the season:

The Advent calendar, where daily activities are organized into four categories of Service, Spiritual Growth, “Homebody,” and Pure Fun

The Evening Ritual, incorporating the Advent wreath and the Jesse tree, and featuring simplified Scriptures that young children can readily understand

The “Good Deeds Manger,” which puts the family’s focus on preparing their hearts for the coming of Christ

If you’re single and looking to connect with other Catholic singles, we invite you to visitCatholicMatch.com for additional resources. Today’s article was written by Jessica Zimanske forCatholicMatch.com.

The calendar had just barely turned from October to November when I first heard the sound of jingle bells and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” booming from my radio.

With my Halloween decorations still up and a large bowl of chocolate treats taking up real estate in my apartment, the distinct sound of Christmas music seemed out of place on this early November day.

With the Christmas season being pushed earlier and earlier each year, the entire calendar seems to also fall out place. School supplies appear in July. Halloween candy materializes in September. Valentine’s Day cards pop up right after the New Year.

We all know that this cycle is tied to strategic planning on behalf of retailers as they try to tap into the psyche of the American consumer, but I am continuously frustrated by this man-made timeline.

Researchers this year, though, say 2010’s holiday sales are coming later due to the slow economic recovery. Sixty-three percent of consumers say they won’t start shopping until November, according to the National Retail Federation, while many of these shoppers are used to searching for deals earlier in the fall.

The holiday merchandise we’re accustomed to seeing early in the season may not be on display quite yet at many retailers try to line up their stock with the needs of these now late-fall shoppers.

This news came as a surprise, but I immediately felt a sense of relief. I don’t need to be focusing on Christmas gifts, holiday parties and work functions when this month I should be counting my blessings with family and friends and anticipating a cold, yet cozy, Minnesota winter. The Christmas cookies and hot cocoa can wait a few more weeks while I appreciate the season we’re currently in and enjoy today for exactly what it is: today.

So for now, there will be no Christmas carols blaring from my car radio – at least until after Thanksgiving.

If you’re single and looking to connect with other Catholic singles, we invite you to visit CatholicMatch.com for additional resources.

And now, through December 24th, CatholicQuiz.com is offering you a 2 for 1 Advent Special.  All purchases between November 20th and December 24th are eligible for a second FREE membership of the same value. Purchase any Individual, Family or Teacher Membership and receive a second one to give as a gift (a $19.95, $39.95 or $49.95 value – FREE).  Visitors who complete a purchase at CatholicQuiz.com will receive an email with an e-Gift Card Membership purchase code. This code is redeemable at www.CatholicQuiz.com/redeem any time in the future. No expiration date. No limit. Ever.

This is an opportunity for your family to begin really incorporating the gospel message into your home, and to share it with a friend, relative or teacher at the same time! The games are fun, interactive, and age appropriate. Your subscription rate also includes a small donation to CatholicMom.com, which enables us to continue to provide our resources free of charge to parishes in over 100 countries around the world!

Why not skip the mall this year and give the gift of CatholicQuiz.com to everyone on your Christmas list this year?  You could have all of your shopping done now, and enjoy the Advent season with your family!  Click here for all of the details and be sure to tell a friend!

Thank you to CatholicQuiz.com for your ongoing support of CatholicMom.com!

Please join me in thanking our Catholic Moments contributors by visiting their sites:  Deacon Tom Fox, Lisa Mladnich, Avery, Sarah Reinhard.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Your Whole Life: The 3D Plan for Eating Right, Living Well, and Loving God
• The Gift of Tears by Deacon Tom Fox
• Tech Notes for Catholic Families
• SQPN Giving Campaign
• Catholic Moments Podcast Facebook Page
• Catholic Moments at SQPN
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Handbook for Catholic Moms:  The Catholic Company, Amazon, Aquinas and More or Barnes & Noble
• Lisa’s Facebook Profile, Twitter

Subscribe to the feed | Subscribe with iTunes

• Facebook Messaging - This week, social networking giant Facebook announced a new messaging platform that will incorporate email, texting, and Facebook messages as they currently exist on the site.  The ramification for parents:  this will allow your child to receive contacts and communications from anyone that they have “friended” on Facebook, and may also let them receive contacts from “friends of friends” and others, depending upon how they configure their privacy settings.  Some teens also have their Facebook linked with mobile devices and could begin receiving even more texts than usual.  We’ll watch this story as it unfolds over the next few months, but — as always — parents need to be very vigilant about their teens’ use of social networking sites and privacy settings.
• Bishops Urged to Embrace Social Media - At this week’s Fall Assembly of the USCCB, Bishop Ronald Herzog of Alexandria, Louisiana, a member of the USCCB Communications Committee delivered an important address urging his brother bishops to embrace the potential of social media.  This doesn’t necessarily mean more “Facebooking” bishops, but hopefully it means that their staffs will receive the funding and policy permissions necessary to effectively utilize social media in ministering to Catholic families.  As parents, we need support and guidance from our spiritual shepherds in forming our children’s consciences around the use of these tools.
• Parents Television Council Report – From the PTC website, news on this newly released look at the prevelance of television programming online: “In a new report, the Parents Television Council™ found that four of the most popular online distributors of commercially-generated video are failing to protect kids from explicit content. PTC’s report, “Untangling the Web of Internet Video” is the most comprehensive on the matter to date and includes Hulu (NBC/Universal, Fox and Disney/ABC), Fancast (Comcast), /Slashcontrol (AOL) and AT&T. Each provider was graded on the effectiveness of its content ratings, homepage content decency, advertiser accountability and parental controls.”  Read the report here.
• Cell Phones and Cancer Risks - The New York Times reported again this week on cell phone manufacturers advising consumers to hold mobile devices at a distance from their head and ears.  Pregnant women are also advised to keep phones away from the abdomen.  Children’s use of these devices should also be limited to avoid radiation exposure.

Check back next Wednesday for our next Tech Notes update and be sure to join me Thursday at 8:50 am ET/5:50 am PT on the Son Rise Morning Show with Brian Patrick.

The Solemnity of Christ the King

Click on the links below to download each item

• Sunday’s Gospel
• Coloring Page
• Lesson Plan
• Mass Worksheets – 7-10, 11-14
• Word Search – Puzzle, Solution
• Crossword – Puzzle
• Solution – Across: 2.  jeered;  3.  king;  4.  Jews;  Down:  1.  Paradise
• Catholic Quiz of the Week Questions and Solutions

Now through December 24th, CatholicQuiz.com is offering you a 2 for 1 Advent Special. All purchases between November 20th and December 24th are eligible for a second FREE membership of the same value. Purchase any Individual, Family or Teacher Membership and receive a second one to give as a gift (a $19.95, $39.95 or $49.95 value – FREE).  Visitors who complete a purchase at CatholicQuiz.com will receive an email with an e-Gift Card Membership purchase code. This code is redeemable at www.CatholicQuiz.com/redeem any time in the future. No expiration date. No limit. Ever. Your subscription rate also includes a small donation to CatholicMom.com, which enables us to continue to provide our resources free of charge to parishes in over 100 countries around the world! Click here to purchase.

Extra Activities:

• Advent Resources
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• Pre K Lesson Plans – Updated Regularly
• Religious Education Articles by Laura Grace
• Homeschooling Resources
• Puppet/skit scripts at CatholicMom.com
• Teaching Catholic Kids - Great Resources from Our Sunday Visitor
• To Teach – Great Resources from USCCB

Featured Product:

Thank you for your support of CatholicMom.com!  A small portion of your purchase price goes to CatholicMom.com and enables us to continue providing these resources free of charge for families and parishes around the world.

Celebrate the Season! Twelve Short Stories for Advent & Christmas – Catholic Quick Reads—short stories that bring faith to life for readers ages 8–12.  Especially appropriate for Advent and Christmas, these short stories remind children that Jesus “comes” to us every day—and in many ways—when we open our hearts to him. Ideal for middle-grade readers, ages 8–11. Celebrate the Season! includes discussion questions after each story, making it perfect for classroom and homeschool use.

Story titles and authors for this collection:

• Katie’s Advent Countdown—By Teresa Levandoski
• Christmas All Year Round—By Natacha Sanz-Caballero
• Love Forever—By Diana R. Jenkins
• Christmas Baby—By Diana R. Jenkins
• Happy Wigilia!—By Barbara Kent Belroy
• A Giving Heart—By Diana R. Jenkins
• An Unexpected Gift—By Clare Mishica
• O Holy Night—By Carol A. Grund
• Secret Friends—By Diana R. Jenkins
• Lighting Up the Darkness—By Eugene M. Gagliano
• Thanks a Million!—By Diana R. Jenkins
• The Day of the Three Kings—By Kathleen M. Muldoon

You can obtain information on the book and order a copy for yourself or a friend through The Catholic Company, Amazon, Aquinas and More, or Barnes & Noble.

• Reviews of The Handbook for Catholic Moms
• Catholic Bookstores selling The Handbook for Catholic Moms

As we near the holiday season, I want to share a few “book news” updates with you:

• Free Reading Discussion Guide - My wonderful publisher, Ave Maria Press, has worked with me to create a free companion to the book.  The downloadable Reading Discussion Guide offers discussion and reflection questions for every chapter of the book.  You may use these for your own private journaling or prayer time, or share them with friends, a bible study group, a moms group, or even your own family members.  Click here to download the Free Reading Discussion Guide and please share it with friends and family.
• Kindle Version – The Handbook for Catholic Moms – As a Kindle user, I’m thrilled to share the good news that you can now read the “e” version of The Handbook for Catholic Moms.   This also enables readers to obtain a free sample chapter of the book – and you don’t need to own a Kindle to read the e book.  Simply download the free Kindle app for your phone or computer and get started reading today.  Find the Kindle Version of The Handbook for Catholic Moms here.
  
• Chat with me online! I’ve been lucky enough to meet several of our readers in person during the past few months, but if you have a small group of women reading the book together and would like to “meet” me to lead a discussion or simply have a “girls night out” online with you, we can arrange to have meet join your group online via Skype.  Contact me about this opportunity – I’m always thrilled to chat with women who share our vocation to motherhood.

As we near the holidays, I hope you’ll consider purchasing The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul as a gift for special friends in your life.  It makes a fun and economical idea for a teacher’s present, a “gift exchange” or secret santa swap, a gift for your parish volunteers, or something to share with a friend or sister.  If you have any questions about the book or if you’d like to share your feedback, I welcome your comments below or feel free to contact me by email any time.  Thanks again for all of your support!

You can obtain information on the book and order a copy for yourself or a friend through The Catholic Company, Amazon, Aquinas and More, or Barnes & Noble.

• Reviews of The Handbook for Catholic Moms
• Catholic Bookstores selling The Handbook for Catholic Moms