Cottage Blessings

Bouguereau on Blue and White

Last year's summer in California continues to inspire us!

One of the things we remember well, particularly in Mission Carmel, was the wide variety of blue and white tiles featuring devotional scenes.

The Holy Family:

Our Lady of Mount Carmel:

We also admired the Pieta by Adolphe-William Bouguereau, a larger-than-life painting standing floor to ceiling against a wall of the Legion of Honor Art Museum in San Francisco.

These images and memories formed the inspiration for a simple springtime project--"Blue and White Tiles for Our Lady."

We began with a wooden plaque, holy card, container of tiles, tile glue, and a gold-leafing pen.

It only took about two minutes to gild the edges.

After planning the location of the tiles, a special glue was brushed on the wooden surface and the back of each tile square.

Gluing the tiles did not take long at all.

Here you have it, a partially finished product. It is incomplete because, being a novice at tile work, I thought the mosaic glue would also act as grout. No such luck. I will need to return to the craft store some time soon--or make my own grout from a mixture of white sand and glue. (This photo was taken before the glue dried so you can still see a bit of it round the edges.)

Knowing it might take a month or more before we return to the craft store, I decided to post the project as is, because it is quite pretty already. I am thinking about turning it into a holy water font eventually or putting it on the front door.

Whether or not I ever get around to putting grout in all those cracks!

Beauty lies in many eyes,

particularly those of the children of our homeschooling group.

Here are perhaps a little more than half the children who attended our annual May Crowning yesterday. By the time this group shot was taken, most of the others had already skipped off to the swings, scooters, and snack tables. As usual, blue was the color of the day.

Before the guests arrived, I stockpiled a basket full of medals, cards and books for the children.

The ribbons and medals were part of a simple craft planned for the children--beribboned medals to wear to the crowning. Browsing the craft store, I found favor ties meant for weddings and thought they would be perfect for making wearable pins, particularly because the lilies, white flowers and bells (reminding me of the Bell's of St. Mary's) are so perfect for Our Lady. When crafting for a crowd, it helps to save precious time, and favor ties meant less cutting and measuring of ribbon.

Here is one of the gorgeous little rosary books I picked up for the children--small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but featuring full color illustrations of all four mysteries (yes, even the Luminous). These books will need to wait a bit though--in the hustle and bustle of the day's events, I forgot to give them out!

The simplest, quickest Marian activity in the world, step-by-step:

The children worked on the pins as they arrived:

My girls love to add their own stamp of creativity to any idea, so here are a few samples they made in the morning:

[Cost per project: about 75 to 99 cents, except for larger medals.]

We began the Crowning with a procession led by the first communicants, followed by all the children. Our music--including Queen of the Holy Rosary, Regina Coeli, Bring Flow'rs of the Fairest, Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above and others were led by the girls from Our Lady of the Angels Choir under the direction of Miss Lynn Wilson. (I am proud to say that Agnes and Theresa are members.) We said the rosary according to the method of St. Louis de Montfort. [From the appendix of True Devotion to Mary, Montfort Publications.] I had originally hoped to fill a basket with the petitions of all our group members, but this is another of those things that was lost in the shuffle of a busy day.

As you can see, our festive Marian Lanterns made a fitting backdrop for the occasion:

The sight of first communicants in May makes my heart sing--how well I remember being among the joyful first communicants processing into the school yard of St. Mary's School many, many years ago. We too sang "Bring Flowers of the Fairest." The Catholic Faith is the stuff of beautiful memories.

The crowning moment:

And how much do you love this picture of our gorgeous first communicants with Heather's daughter Lily smiling directly at the face of Our Blessed Mother?! I have no doubt Our Lady is smiling right back!

May the grace of the mystery of the Coronation of the Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven and Earth, come down into our hearts.

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May Crowning trivia: Our three first communicants banner image was taken during last year's crowning.

Crafting for a Crowd: Marian Lanterns

In the memoir of her life, Sister Lucia of Fatima looks back upon how she and her cousins, Blessed Francisco and Jacinta liked to call the moon "Our Lady's Lantern." This is perfect imagery because the moon gets it light from the sun, or, in Our Lady's case, from the Son. In honor of this recollection--with the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima right around the corner--we shared these "Marian lanterns" with the children of our local group.

Paper lanterns are readily available at the craft or party store and come in a wide array of colors. [Ours looked something like this, but they were only $1.49 each at Michael's Craft Store. SEE UPDATE BELOW.] Holy pictures, glitter, ribbon and silk flowers were all we needed to create a festive display for our upcoming May Crowning. The pictures tell the tale:

And now, some notes from the "Live and Learn" files:

1. Laminated holy cards are difficult to glue onto round surfaces, particularly without a glue gun.

2. Big round lanterns roll, presenting something of a difficulty for very young children. They were all so excited about this craft though that they did not let this daunt them for long!

3. If you decide to change the date of your May Crowning, make sure the friends who live furthest away and have the most children hear about it before they travel hours to be there. If you do make a mistake of this magnitude, hope that the victim has a heart of gold and will forgive you immediately.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . . .

Over the weekend, with the assistance of a glue gun, the older girls and I made a few more beauties to decorate the family room for May:

Fatima Lantern

The holy card image shows the vision Sister Lucia had just before leaving Fatima to begin her life as a nun. She sees grace and mercy flowing from Our Lord on the cross.

We added a pretty watering can to remind us of the showers of grace available to all who seek them.

Mount Carmel Lantern

[You will note that this is a beautiful and reverent use for an old scapular we had been keeping in a drawer. We attached it so that it would still be usable in the future.]

Holy Name of Mary Lantern (work in progress)

Queen of Peace Lantern

May Our Lady shed her light into our hearts, during this month of May and always!

Warning: Although these paper lanterns are designed for use with an actual lightbulb, once decorated, this becomes a fire hazard. (Candles would not be safe for these lanterns either.)

Variations on a theme

If you will not have time to complete a project like this during May, how about saving the idea for All Saints Day on November 1st? Collect holy cards to create a range of saints' lanterns with your family or homeschooling group. These would make a festive decoration if placed outside the house for All Hallows Eve or at the center of your group's All Saints Day party. Liturgical colors, such as red for martyrs, would add to the beauty and symbolism.

If you can't find paper lanterns, there are many ways to improvise. Decorate colored bags, large paper mache or styrofoam balls, discarded Christmas ornaments or bright coffee cans.

Cost per project: $1.49 for each lantern, plus embellishments. Figure at least $2 to $3 each.

[UPDATE: We used 8 inch lanterns made by a company called Darice. I could not find them online, but managed to find these reasonably priced substitutes in a wide array of colors.]

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Coming Soon

Some of my local friends may be wondering why I did not post last week's project: "Spiritual Ships." The story will be appearing in the first issue of the new magazine, mater et magistra (formerly Heart and Mind).

Crafting for a Crowd: Holy Water Fonts

With Our Lady's month of May just around the corner, this seemed a perfect time to revisit a project that has been a hit with our local group for almost ten years: holy water fonts. We have made them many different ways, but this method was the first and favorite. Plain wooden plaques from the craft store in a variety of appealing shapes, sturdy plastic shot glasses from the party store, beads, snow white crucifixes, and holy cards make up these simple crafts, perfect for a crowd of all ages. Paints would add a great deal to the look of the project, but I decided to spare the children's clothes in an effort to maintain my friendship with the local moms.

When preparing a craft for a large group of children, it helps to do a bit of prep work. I hot-glued the shot glasses to the plaques in advance:

Patrick wants you to know that this is the one he glued on for Mommy. (Thank you, Pat!)

Thanks to this beautiful group of crafters (not to mention another table full) . . .

. . . those plain plaques were transformed into something glorious and well worth cherishing:

The best projects for a crowd are the ones that all look unique in the end!

Another way to use these would be by putting fresh flowers in the cups with a bit of water.

"Queen of Cute" Kelli B. shows her creation:

An afternoon of crafting works up a thirst, as you can see. Maureen's "crocs" come in handy as she goes full toe to reach the water fountain.

And a good time was had by all!

Holy water fonts, cost per project: under $2 (99 cents for plaques, plus decorations and cups; shot glasses come in packages of 50 for about $3.50, but consider improvising with film canisters, deep bottle caps, or plastic Easter egg halves)

Our Lady's Vacation, or The Visitation

No doubt some of you remember the ill fate met by our beloved statue of Our Lady of Fatima back in December. We were blessed to find another image almost exactly like it, although our new statue is a bit smaller and not so heavy as the original.

For years now, I'd been meaning to offer our statue as a pilgrim image to the families in our homeschooling group. A week or so ago, I wrote a message to the group asking if anyone was interested in keeping her for a two week Summer visit. In a twinkling, ten families had signed up--Our Lady's dance card is filled until at least October, the month of the Holy Rosary.

Several days ago, I made plans to bring our statue with us to science class at a local museum this afternoon. The first family to volunteer to take the statue would be there, making it the perfect day for a transfer. Imagine my joy and amazement when I discovered (only after the plans were in place) that Thursday (today) is The Feast of the Visitation! When I realized this and told the older girls, four jaws dropped in unison!

Our Lady speaks clearly, doesn't she?

Something sweet to enjoy with tea

Behold: The perfect doll-sized tea set for the merry month of May! My daughters--and Raggedy Ann--were very pleased with this find!

December 7, 2007. Updated: Please see the comments--Martha discovered this set now comes with a frightening warning label.

The Madonna of the Woods

in the Cottage Garden.

A Golden Crown and Sea of Gowns (Scenes from our May Crowning)

Our parish May Crowning will take place on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13th. In the meantime, we held our annual Immaculate Heart of Mary Homeschooling Group May Crowning in our home yesterday. Thanks to Marie's recent First Holy Communion party, we had the luxury of a tent this year--a very good thing with skies threatening to rain all morning. Our Lady came through for us with a golden, clear afternoon, the perfect day to "Bring Flow'rs of the Fairest."

Blue was the color of the day.

As always, our lovely First Communicants crowned Our Lady, bearing her golden crown on a flower-sprigged pillow. The rest of the children processed in with flowers, placing them on the May altar before saying the Rosary, all the while singing traditional hymns in Latin and English, led by my friend, Lynn Wilson. We prayed for all of you, stopping to mention the many prayer requests made in our local group and online. We said prayers of thanksgiving for blessings received and remembered Heather who is having surgery as I type this.

Marie was thrilled to receive a pair of pink Rosaries, handmade by her sweet friend, Mary.

I hesitated before posting these pictures of not one, but three, First Communicants flying on the scooters (you aren't sick of scooters, are you?), but who can resist this? These three girls were inseparable all day and as ubiquitous as snowflakes in a storm. (That's the lovely Erin from the Bonny Blue House on the right, a vision in her shamrock-studded gown.) Sometime toward the end of the afternoon, Agnes made the observation, "You know, the First Communicants are really dispelling the myth that you can't be active in long skirts!"

I found them "hanging around" together on the tree and sprinted across the yard to catch the moment forever.

Three-year-old Maureen held court, as usual.

And made a beautiful new friend.

Fair maidens to honor the "Fairest of Queens, in the fairest of seasons, Sweet May"! [Please be sure to click on this image to enlarge. It may be my favorite photo ever, tied with the darling one directly above it!]

Name Dropping (in addition to all the wonderful IHM moms, many familiar friends were on hand):

MacBeth
Helen
Mary Ellen
Heather
Lissa (by phone!)

Marian May Baskets, Then and Now

Happy first of May and Feast of St. Joseph the Worker!

Some of you may remember last year's May series, Crafts, Crownings, and Celebrations, begun on the Feast of St. Louis de Montfort, 2006. This year's celebration began even more meaningfully with Marie's First Holy Communion on St. Louis' Feast.

Last year, we began the month by transforming the secular custom of May Baskets into a tradition honoring Our Blessed Mother. Using inexpensive materials, we made Marian Baskets for our family and friends:

For detailed instructions on how to create these using materials found around the house, please see

May Baskets for Our Lady and St. Joseph

The Plastic Cup Challenge

Today's Marian May Basket Photos

This year, we have done a variation on this theme with Marian May Cones. Like last year's plastic cups, they are simple and inexpensive to create using readily available materials.

My artistic girls made twenty-five of these cones to give out as favors for Marie's First Communion. Each cone was as distinct and lovely as the artists themselves and brought a splash of beauty and color to the plain walls of our rented tent. Here are a few samples:

Margaret made this bright and cheery cone especially for Marie whose favorite color has always been yellow. Right away, I dubbed it the Sweetness and Light cone (note the word "Sweetness" on the tag). Meredith, if I could have brought you to Long Island this weekend, I would have given one exactly like it to you!

My computer time is up, but we will be posting detailed instructions for making Marian May Cones here very soon, along with a new series of "Crafts, Crownings and Celebrations" for May 2007. Our May altar will be ready for tomorrow's Crowning, and Marie's Communion tent remains outside to shelter Our Lady and welcome the guests from our local homeschooling group.

Please remember, just as we are able to take the secular custom of May Baskets and make it our own, there is no need to limit our baskets to May 1st. (If you make these, please be sure to post a photo and link to Cottage Blessings so that we may see your handiwork--what a thrill it would be, not only for me, but for my daughters! If you do not have a blog, please send a photo, and I will try to post it here!)

Happy May Day, dear friends! A Rosary is being said for all of you today.

Our Lady, Queen of the May, pray for us!
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!

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Amended to add: Christine at Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother made beautiful May cones last year! Lovely, Christine!

Twenty-four hours to Our Lady

What do you do when you have less than twenty-four hours to prepare for Our Lady?

Tuesday afternoon, I found out that the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Guadalupe would be coming to our house on Wednesday! This image holds a deep significance for our family and all the members of our local homeschooling group. Four and a half years ago, it was brought to the bedside of our beloved friend after a near fatal and appalling car accident. I still have pictures of my children gathered round the image in the living room of our first home, just before bringing it to Brigid's bedside in the hospital:

Imagine my joy to learn that this miraculous image would be visiting us again, this time gracing our new home. More incredibly, my beautifully recovered friend and her two children would be on hand to greet Our Lady, thanking her for the precious gift of a mother's life.

Late Tuesday night, I had a moment of panic. With very few flowers blooming in the yard, I wondered how the children would welcome Our Lady, or prepare our home to receive her beautiful image. It had been on my mind to revisit the Marian May Baskets craft from last year, this time re-inventing it with pretty paper cones and ribbon for the first of May. Happily, it occurred to me that these simple cones would be perfect for crafting with a crowd, and the children could take the baskets home afterward to give as May Day gifts. Please take a look at this hastily prepared--but very well received--Marian activity:

Marie presents her First Communion-themed basket.

Two unfinished samples wait to be filled and hung on the front door of a loved one.

This Irish-themed basket, with a turf Madonna fringe of moss, graces our front door.

We started with patterned collage paper from the scrapbooking aisle (rectangular works best--one package makes twenty):

These were formed into cones with hot glue with two holes punched on each side for ribbon:

The pastel, blue, and lavender patterns on our collage paper were just perfect. If you are crafting with a crowd of children, it helps to fashion the cones in advance. (Hot glue and crowds of children don't mix!)

The cones store inside one another for easy transfer.

As a central element of each basket, I gave each child a small floral notecard to create a spiritual bouquet, encouraging them to write down prayers they will say for the recipients of their baskets.

The children hung their baskets in the shrubs surrounding the image, making April bloom like May!

The cones were such a happy sight, offering a festive atmosphere of love and welcome.

At the last possible moment, I arranged for a friend (a high school music teacher off this week) to join us for the afternoon leading the children in song: "Bring Flowers of the Fairest," "Salve Regina," "Regina Caeli" and other devotional hymns. The children said the Rosary with love and reverence, each one offering prayer requests to Our Blessed Mother.

I prayed for all of you--particularly those trying to conceive and Heather, a young mother diagnosed with a brain tumor. Here is a partial group shot of the children. (Too bad the pole from our volley ball net is in the way!)

The glorious Spring weather seemed an earthly reflection of the graces showered on our home and families. What a blessed day it was!

[A special thanks to Theresa F. for bringing the image to our home yesterday! You are beautiful inside and out!]

On the Visitation

Well, the month of May ends today, but our celebration continues through June with the feasts of Pentecost and the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts fast approaching.

Here is one last May project perfect for a large group and adaptable for just about any feast day.

Begin with a craft store find--heart shaped plastic bottles meant for colored sand art:

Have the children decorate the bottles with bits of colored tissue, small holy pictures, silk flowers, and anything else you have on hand. In the end, each child will have a Holy Water bottle that doubles as a necklace!

This is the only photo I have of the children's endeavors, but they certainly enjoyed this fun and economical project.

Cost per project: under $1 (bottles 50 cents each).

A Holy Water Font

My children love creating crafts that will last forever. We used a planter found in the craft store to fashion a lasting and inexpensive holy water font for our front hall.

This photo below shows the planter we purchased for $2.99. (Similar planters in gold and stamped with grape vines were only $1.99):

Notice the detail in the back, making the planter easy to hang just about anywhere:

With a few simple embellishments, we had an attractive holy water font to honor Our Lady during May and beyond:

Depending on the image and decorations, we could make fonts like this to give as gifts or to celebrate any Feast or liturgical season. The feast of the Sacred Heart, for example, will be here before we know it. I can imagine this font done in reds with a picture of Our Lord in the center.

Margaret (8), loved the idea of making a planter, so she used a bit of floral foam to create a permanent shrine for her shelf:

Tomorrow, we will try filling one with fresh rhododendrons and irises from our garden!

Bring Flow'rs of the Fairest

Bring flow'rs of the fairest, bring flow'rs of the rarest,
From garden and woodland and hillside and vale;
Our full hearts are swelling, our glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest Rose of the vale.

O Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

[Traditional Marian Hymn]

Our steadfast friend in heaven, St. Louis de Montfort taught that God's chosen ones "stay at home with their mother" and "always remain in the company of the Blessed Virgin . . . whose glory is wholly interior and who during her whole life dearly loved seclusion and prayer." They also "have a great love for Our Lady and honor her truly as their Mother and Queen." [True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, "TDBV," Sections 196-197.]

Halfway through this glorious Marian month, it is my great joy and privilege to share photographs and writings from families who have indeed stayed at home with their mother affectionately honoring her as their Queen, through May Altars, Mary Gardens, and, above all, unceasing prayer and trust in her intercession and unfailing resolve to lead us to her Son.

In May is for Mary, the always-uplifting Dawn, of By Sun and Candlelight, inspires with an intimate look at her warm and gracious home, including a May altar that is as edifying as it is beautiful. I can imagine her boys picking up those well-chosen Marian books throughout the month and loving our heavenly mother more with each and every one. As they step outside to play, how glad they must be to breathe in the fragrant and well-tended garden, while watching songbirds visit a beautiful new statue of Our Lady that also happens to be a birdfeeder. (The Holy Spirit seems behind that Carmelite gift shop find!)

A devoted young mother from The Chronicles of Mommyhood shares her family's May Altar, a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Czestochowa, the miraculous black Madonna of Poland, who was so instrumental in guiding and inspiring our beloved Pope, John Paul the Great, from the days of his youth. I had the privilege of visiting Czestochowa fourteen years ago and attended a private Mass in the presence of this revered icon. It was a stirring experience I will never forget and one of the reasons I especially love this particular May altar.

My dear friend, Elizabeth Foss, never ceases to amaze with photographs of her beautiful May altars, not to mention a thoughtful post sharing some of her family's many activities and devotions to honor Our Lady, including the creation of a colorful Mary Garden to grace the outside of their home. Elizabeth somehow manages to go the extra mile in everything she does.

Thoughtful Kathleen Lawson was kind enough to send a photograph of her indoor altar prayer room, a tranquil place of prayer and devotion that would enhance and bless any home,

not to mention her serene outdoor shrine, showing Our Lady fittingly crowned and decked in the loveliest of spring flowers:

Warm and wonderful Rebecca, of A Gypsy Caravan shares her family's May altar, lovingly trimmed with the season's brightest Lilies of the Valley, Pink Azaleas, and a delicately embroidered cloth, along with an array of devotional books sure to inspire the children throughout this month and beyond. I cannot imagine a more perfect place to pray and grow in love for Our Lady:

My friend and fellow moderator, Janette, of the 4Real Message Board shares her family's attractive altar. With its smooth Rosary beads artfully balancing a glossy jug of flowers in the same tawny hue and tea lights lit in Our Lady's honor, this May altar looks ready for the family to gather for the Rosary and a heartfelt round of hymns:

At the Ecole Buissonniere, Louise, the dear mother of eleven wonderful children, offers photos of her family's May Altar in a heartfelt Mother's Day wish to Our Lady. The varied old-fashioned roses and scattered petals make me wish their fragrance could travel through the computer screen, and the lighted candles and basket of books cannot help but lift the spirits and create an atmosphere of devotion and prayer. Louise, like all of the other mothers represented, has created a perfect place for her family to gather in prayer, touching the young souls in her care and inspiring them to an intimate love of Our Blessed Mother.

In outlining exterior practices of True Devotion to Our Lady, St. Louis mentions, among other things, the careful recitation of the Rosary, the wearing of the scapular, and "decorating her altars, [and] crowning and adorning her statues." [TDBV Section 116] How pleased our Mother in Heaven must be to see so many families gathered in prayer around richly decorated May Altars, drawing both parents and children ever closer to Jesus through Mary.

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Many, many thanks to all who were kind enough to send photos and links sharing your May Altars here at Cottage Blessings. If anyone reading this did not get a chance to email a photo or link, please send it along any time, and I will be very glad to add it to this post. Believe me, I know how difficult it is to get an altar completed and photo ready by the middle of May. A series of illnesses and weather delays caused our May Altar and Crowning photos of last year to wait until the first of June, but I think Our Lady just wanted our rhododendrons to be in bloom for the event!

May Altars

Please take a moment to submit a link to a photo of your Marian altars this year. Even if you do not have a web log, I would love to post photos of altars your families have prepared to honor Our Lady this month. Please email your photo or link to me by Mother's Day, May 14th.

Many thanks!

'Tis a gift to be simple

Today, we discovered that an interested six year old can in fact quill just as well as any other beginner! Marie's latest creation (still a work in progress) is featured above. Most of her coils were fashioned painstakingly around a quilling needle, because we mistakenly thought that this would be easier, but the neat round circles at the top right and left were formed in her first attempts at using a quilling tool.

We also confirmed that, when it comes to beginner quilling supplies, less is more. Using only the materials shown--a package of 1/4 inch quilling paper in pastel shades, a quilling tool, and a bit of tacky glue, we stumbled upon a simple and lovely design to honor "the fairest of queens, in the fairest of seasons, sweet May."

We hope to post a picture or two tomorrow!

Cottage Quilling

For years now, the girls and I have been meaning to try our hand at quilling, the art of rolling and arranging narrow strips of paper into graceful and intricate designs. Now, needless to say, none of us knows the first thing about quilling, but we here at Cottage Blessings try not to let little things like a total lack of competence hinder us. Perhaps that is why, during a recent trip to the craft store, Agnes, Theresa, and Margaret each approached me separately to suggest the purchase of a quilling kit, only to learn that I already had the kit, plus extra paper and quilling tools in our cart!

Here are our materials, quilling patterns, needles, rollers, and enough paper to amply supply the North American Quilling Guild for a year:

We found the craft to be surprisingly easy to learn, at least on a basic beginner level, and fun for ages 8 and up. Six-year-old Marie did not try her hand at rolling the papers, although she had tons of fun gluing our cast off rolls and swirls to a scene of a meadow and lake Margaret prepared for her earlier.

Needless to say, given our Marian theme for May, our first quilling projects were created to honor Our Lady:

Cost per project: Well, I'd rather not say, lest you think I am not a good steward of our family's resources. Next time, I would skip the fancy kit and stick to the basics--a rolling tool ($5.00), quilling paper (about $2.00 per package, but you do not need much), and tacky glue (99 cents). Online instructions are all you need to get started on a simple and satisfying project to adorn Our Lady's Altar this May.
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Please do not miss this amazing freestanding cup, saucer and spoon, created by a North American Quilling Guild member.

An offering of love

This morning, four year old fish-lover Patrick came over to me reporting, "Mommy, I gave my fish to the Star of the Sea."

"What?" I asked, glancing toward the table with the sample project still displayed, "Did you draw a fish on the project?" [Patrick draws fish on anything and everything.]

"No, Mommy," he replied, with emphasis, "I gave the Blessed Mother my fish."

Here is the project, new and improved, with one of Patrick's favorite fish toys:

I think Our Lady likes it even better now, don't you?

Mother of God, Star of the Sea

"As sailors are guided by a star to the port, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary."

--St. Thomas Aquinas

In True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, St. Louis de Montfort advocates complete Consecration to Jesus through Mary. This stalwart Marian saint sets forth a series of prayers and practices in preparation for the Consecration, including the daily recitation of the Ave Maris Stella, a prayer to Our Lady under her title "Star of the Sea":

Ave Maris Stella

Hail, bright star of the ocean,
God's own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest.

Taking that sweet Ave
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva's name.

Break the captives' fetters,
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Ever bliss implore.

Show thyself a Mother;
May the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine.

Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.

Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus
Joy forevermore.

Through the highest heaven
To the Almighty Three,
Father, Son and Spirit,
One same glory be.

Amen.

St. Thomas Aquinas' explanation of the title "Star of the Sea" for Our Lady (quoted above) should resonate with all of us. Mary is, after all, the "true north," our guiding star, forever and unfailingly leading us to her Son during our sojourn here on earth. Through whatever life my bring, we need only turn to her, trusting that she will never cast us adrift.

Not surprisingly, the talented crew of the S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen has a special devotion to Our Lady under this title, honoring her with a vibrant maritime mosaic fashioned entirely from pictures of the sea or sandy beach. Although we live not far from the ocean, I first heard of Our Lady as "the Ocean Star" listening to the late, great Frank Patterson's incomparable compilation of sacred music, Faith of our Fathers. His rendition of the hymn, "Hail Queen of Heaven," is as haunting and deep as the sea itself:

Hail, Queen of heav'n, the ocean star.
Guide of the wand'rer here below!
Thrown on life's surge, we claim thy care.
Save us from peril and from woe.

Mother of Christ, Star of the sea,
Pray for the wanderer. Pray for me.

O gentle, chaste, and spotless Maid,
We sinners make our prayers through thee.
Remind thy Son that He has paid
The price of our iniquity.

Virgin most pure, Star of the sea,
Pray for the sinner. Oh, pray for me.

Sojourners in this vale of tears,
To thee, blest advocate, we cry.
Oh, pity our sorrows, calm our fears.
And soothe with hope our misery.

Refuge in grief, Star of the sea,
Pray for the mourner, Oh, pray for me.

Throughout the day, I often find myself praying or singing the words "Mother of Christ, Star of the Sea, pray for the wanderer, pray for me" and knowing with complete confidence that she always will. If you are unfamiliar with this hymn, but would like to sing it around the May altar with your children this very night, let the exquisite choir of Saint Clement's Church in Chicago, Illinois be your guide: Hail Queen of Heaven.

As you listen, try this simple craft project:

Mary, Star of the Sea, Decorations

Materials

Star shaped wooden plaques from the craft store
Assorted shells
Acrylic paints in blues and whites
Paintbrushes
Glue
Small image of Our Lady
Blue ribbon (optional)

Instructions

Using several shades of blue and white, begin by painting an ocean scene on your star. When this is dry, paste a small image of the Blessed Mother to the center. (You may even want to paint a small ship adrift in the ocean to show that Our Lady guides us through life's troubled waters the way the North Star guides sailors at sea.) Now glue assorted sea shells around the edges to complete the nautical look. A piece of filmy blue ribbon will allow you to hang your decoration on the wall, always reminding you of Our Lady as our faithful and constant guide.

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Step One: Paint the water a medium blue.

Step Two: Paint a deep blue night sky.

Steps Three and Four: Use pale blue or white to add foam and waves on the ocean. Arrange shells around the star. (If we had had more shells, we could have bordered the entire star with them.)

Step Five: Paint a bright white star in the sky. Using the brush to fleck smaller stars dotting the horizon would add visual interest as well. (It is important to do this after the shells are in place so you know exactly where it should appear.)

Step Six: Paste a picture of Our Lady to the center.

Step Seven: Add a ribbon for hanging.

Optional Step Eight: We had an extra scallop shell, so we used it to create a "compass" pointing to Our Lady.

What's that you say? You do not have a star-shaped plaque or shells on hand and can't get to the craft store?

Improvise the plaque by cutting a star out of cardboard, cardstock, or even the inside of a cereal box! Replace the shells with painted pasta shells, or leave them out altogether, painting a pretty border on the edges instead. If you do not have an image of Our Lady, consider painting your own image of the Blessed Mother or perhaps the blue and white lettered symbol of the Star of the Sea as a fitting centerpiece.

Do not forget to leave your projects on the May altar as a tribute to Our Lady. The children might enjoy processing in with the crafts while singing "Hail, Queen of Heaven," a hymn I am sure they will love and remember well into adulthood.

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Materials cost per project: Less than $1, not including paint and paint brushes. It would have been even less expensive if we'd collected the shells ourselves!

Rejoice, O Virgin Mary

Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times!

-True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, St. Louis de Montfort

One hundred three children, twenty nine moms, and five babies yet to be born were on hand to process and pray and crown Our Lady today. What a blessing these young ones are!