3 Gift Ideas when a Child Chooses an Obscure Confirmation Saint

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What do you get a boy who chooses an obscure saint for his Confirmation and already has a Bible, multiple rosaries, saint statues, saint books, and more?

That was a question around here when my son chose St. Peter Yu Tae-Chol as his Confirmation saint.

As we considered what gifts we might give him to commemorate his Confirmation, we were stymied.

He already had the one book I could find that shares St. peter Yu Tae-Chol's story: Radiate: More Stories of Daring Saints.

And, in searching for gifts, we only found one St. Peter Yu Tae-Chol item - a cute little wooden block by Almond Toys, a gift my parents ordered for my son.

Thus we had to get creative, and...

1 - A Medal with a Sport or Activity Your Child Likes

My folks decided to just get a baseball player medal for my son and to have it blessed. Why? So he could remember something he was enjoying and getting stronger with around the same time as his Confirmation.

My son loved the gift and wears it regularly!

2 - A Journal with a Related Quote

Meanwhile, I decided to go with a Be Strong & Courageous journal, because my son's patron saint was, indeed strong and courageous and I figured the Scripture passage would remind him of his saint's fortitude and intercession whenever he looked at it.

3 - An Unconventional Zazzle Design

Stuck for another idea, I happened upon baseballs at Zazzle and decided to design one for our son to remind him to always hit the mark of following Christ and, in doing so, to soar with the Spirit.

He absolutely loved it!

What are some of your favorite gifts to give confirmandi with obscure saints?

Get this Exciting New Saint Book with a Discount Code! {A Holy Heroes / Blessed Carlo Acutis Review}

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Holy Heroes.

I have some exciting news for fellow lovers of the Eucharist and of saints and saints-in-the-making: One of my long-time favorite Catholic companies, Holy Heroes has a new book out called Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven and it is fantastic.

Better yet, to celebrate the release of this new book, you can use use the discount code CARLO15 to get a 15% off discount when ordering this new Blessed Carlo book plus any additional Blessed Carlo resources. Love it!

Not Just Another Saint Biography

This story of the brief but beautiful life of Blessed Carlo Acutis captures children and adults as it unfolds with details about this teen saint's relatable and inspirational life, death, and cause for sainthood. In text and photos, we see Carlo as an everyday kid with favorite pets, a passion for computer programming, a love for film making, and a host of struggles and successes.

We also get to know his inspirational side - his Eucharistic devotion, his respect for others, his charity work, his virtues, his acceptance of God's will, and the miracles that have been attributed to him.

Further, the book includes information on how and why the Church investigates who is in Heaven, what some of Carlo's favorite sayings were, Carlo's "kit" for becoming a saint, and more.

Well-written and put together, the book is more than just a saint biography. It is also a wonderful window into causes for sainthood, prayers, devotions, relics, saints, and more.

Having drawn on Church documents and interviews - especially personal interviews with Carlo’s mother, author Sabrina Arena Ferrisi brings Blessed Carlo Acutis to life in text and photos and also includes practical explanations on the canonization process, growing in holiness, and more. She did a fantastic job creating a book that can engage, inspire, and teach, drawing us closer to Christ through the story of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a modern-day teen saint in blue jeans.

 

Not Just Another Saint Biography

Having just had my youngest prepare for and receive Confirmation, I wish this book had come out earlier, for I think Confirmandi would definitely benefit from reading it and recommend it for others who are preparing for Confirmation.

I would also recommend the book for homeschool families, Catholic teachers and students, and just about anyone who would like to learn more about an inspiring modern day saint who inspires love for the Eucharist.

The book is written in such a way that it could be used with elementary-aged students. The translated documents, additions to Carlo's biography and more in it also make it suitable for middle- and high school-aged students. Adults can enjoy it, too. In fact, I picked up the book to browse through one night while waiting for my son at baseball and ended up reading it straight through. Interesting, informative, and inspiring - acting as a 3-n-1 saint biography, prayer book, and apologetics book on how the Church determines sainthood, I recommend Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven.

Imagine if we all lived like Blessed Carlo "without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn't please God." Many of us might fall short with us, but all of us can be inspired by Carlo's example!

Things You May Especially Like about the Book

• Quotes by Carlo inspire us and help us see his spirituality in succinct thought nuggets.

• It is well written, easy to understand, and engaging, capturing the everyday aspects of Carlos Acutis as well a the extraordinary ones.

• There is practical information about how Carlos aimed for Heaven which can act as a roadmap to motivate you and yours to do the same.

• Appealing to those in our modern, visual age, there are many photos of Carlo and his family included.

• It can introduce you to a wide variety of religious practices, devotions, and saints.

• The book appeals to children and adults alike so it is good for the whole family.

Before I Introduce This Book to My Children and You to Yours...

• If you, like me, have a child that struggles with dyslexia, be aware that this book has glossy pages and a relatively small font. Such formatting can be challenging for some kids, so it might be good to read the book together - or at least begin it as a read aloud - if this is the case in your home.

• If you have children who like a story, I might suggest skipping the first portion of the book - which offers information about the process of becoming a saint, and getting right into Blessed Carlo Acutis' story. Then, you could go back to  read the beginning right before reading the second-to-last section of the book, “What comes next?” For while the order of the book makes sense from an adult perspective, I think some children - including some of mine - prefer to be engaged by a story before getting into the details and meat of things that relate to it, such as the process for canonization.

I am grateful to have Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven in my family's collection of spiritual reading books and think you will be, too, should you choose to get the book. Don't forget that for a limited time beingyou can use use the discount code CARLO15 to get a 15% off discount when ordering this new Blessed Carlo book plus any additional Blessed Carlo resources. 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us!

Feast with St. Paul Miki on Feburary 6th

Want a tasty idea for a meal with the saints? 

Make or order Japanese-inspired food.

February 6 is the Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs, who was born in Japan, educated at a Jesuit college, known for his eloquent preaching, and, sadly, crucified with twenty-five other Catholis during the presecution of Christians in Japan in the late 1500's.

If you are unfamiliar with this saint, this brief video can be a good one to watch:

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Last year, before and during our St. Paul Miki dinner, we watched this video, read about Saint Paul Miki and Charles Lwanga in Once Upon a Time Saints, prayed grace, prayed in thanksgiving for the courageous faith of martyrs and the way they often inspire others in faith, and prayed for all those persecuted for faith around the world.

A red tablecloth reminded us of the martyrs...

... and we laid our food out in a cross shape to remind us of how the martyrs met their death.

Our plates and chopsticks were a hodge podge of authentic Japanese ones from my time in Japan years ago. And all of our food was Japanese-inspired - and happily devoured!

Perhaps you and yours can enjoy celebrating the liturgical year at home with a similar saint day inspired meal this year!

St. Paul Miki and Companions, pray for us!

Easy Eats with St. John Bosco

What's for dinner on January 31? 

Italian food!

January 31st is the Memorial of St. John Bosco, and a great day to whip up some easy eats for celebrating the liturgical year at home by focusing on the saints.

You might go green, white, and red to remind you of the flag of St. John Bosco's homeland, Italy. 

We did this a couple years back with a simple dinner of gluten-free pasta,  sauce,  salad greens, tofu balls for our vegetarians, and meatballs for the rest. (The balls reminiscent of St. John Bosco being the Patron Saint of Jugglers.)

Or, like we did last year, you could go with chickpeas instead of tofu balls as "juggling balls".

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To decorate the table, the wonderful Boy Saints for Little Ones - reviewed here - can provide a focal point.

Or, the Encyclopedia of Peg Saints - reviewed here - can be a focal point and offer fodder for a quick oral game of St. John Bosco trivia.

After grace, the Picture Book of Saints can offer a prayer and short bio to share. Or, you can enjoy a longer story about St. John Bosco in the Loyola Kids Book of Saints.

Then,  if you like a movie after dinner - as we sometimes do - Formed has one about St John Bosco.

Simple eats, stories, prayers, a movie...observing St. John Bosco's feast day at home can be filled with delights.

St. John Bosco, pray for us.

Snack with Saint Jerome

Years ago, my kiddoes came to know and love St. Jerome through a story and story basket. More recnetly, we've lived the litrugical year by doing picture studies and more related to St. Jerome.

Last year, we paused our day for a simple snack with the saints.

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I placed a green cloth on the table for Ordinary Time....

...and put together a lion face snack with food we had on hand (BFree gluten-free tortillas, Daiya cheddar style shreds, red bell pepper and garden snap peas and ground cherries.)

A candle and a couple books from our shelves finished the setting, and, then, the kiddoes came with smiles to snack, pray, and chat.

The kids recalled the longer tales of St. Jerome and the Lion that we have previously read when they looked at the much briefer version of this story in Amazing Saints &their Awesome Animals.

We also read from In His Likeness.

Our celebration was short, simple, and smile-inducing.

Remembering it now as I look forward to celerbating St. Jerome again next month, I am reminded that living the liturgical year need not be stressful. Snacking with the saints - a simple snack, a chat, a prayer, can bring blessings.

I pray that however you and yours choose to honor different saint days brings you blessings, too.

St. Jerome, pray for us.

Enjoy a Nutritious Salad for St. José Luis Sánchez del Río's Feast Day!

It's no secret that I like to focus on faith, family, outdoor time, and Saint Day celebration here. In case you do, too, I'd like to share a simple, nutritious idea for a  St. José Luis Sánchez del Río feast day picnic and walk with you!

Whether it is bright and sunny, as it was on an All Saints Day when my son dressed as Saint José Luis Sánchez del Río...

... or a bit brisk, as it was on St. José Luis Sánchez del Río's feast day here a couple of years ago...

...you can enjoy a simple salad paired with a nature walk as part of your St. José Luis Sánchez del Río feast day celebrations on January 10.

The Mexican-inspired salad is easy to make and has symbolism, too, since the colors of the salad reflect the colors or the Mexican flag and since the red stripe made from tomatoes (which could be subbed with chopped red peppers) can remind us of  St. José Luis Sánchez del Río's martyrdom.

To make the salad, simply start with a bed of greens.

Top those with rows of black beans, corn, chopped onion, and chopped tomatoes or red peppers. (Or put the salad greens in one serving dish and the stripes in another if you have picky kids like I do.)

Then, blend an avocado with the juice of a lime, a tablespoon or so of nutritional yeast, some cilantro, a garlic clove or two, and some water to make a dressing.

Serve all this with a side of tortilla chips (if your kids, like mine, love them) as well as some Mexican Hot Chocolate (or Mexican-esque Hot Chocolate made from nut milk or coconut milk if you are casein-free, sweetened with date syrup if you are sugar free), and you've got a relatively nutritious and easy picnic as Simple Eats with the Saints.

Before eating, pray one of these prayers found at Synod.Va, where you can also find a brief biography about St. José Luis Sánchez del Río.

Dear Lord, 

Help me to be courageous and steadfast in my devotion to you. Help me to identify causes and injustices in my day that are worth defending and standing up for. Give me perseverance and a desire to help others at any cost. Help me to revere Christ as the king of my life. Saint José Sánchez del Rio, pray for us. Amen.

Dear Lord, 

Help me to be brave and strong. Help me to pray for those who hurt me and those who hurt others. You are the king of my life. Help me to listen to you and to tell others about you. 

Saint José Sánchez del Rio, pray for us. Amen. 

Credit: Holy Heroes

You may also want to listen to The Story of Saint José Luis Sánchez del Río: Glory Stories CD, Volume 9 before or after your picnic to learn more about Saint José Sánchez del Rio in a child-friendly way.

Walk, Talk and Enjoy

I also suggest going for a nature walk before or after you eat to ensure plenty of time to pause to pray... to amble along chatting about St. José Luis Sánchez del Río... to give thanks for the faithful saints that inspire and intercede for us... and to enjoy time together as laugh, discover, and connect.

Some of my children and I surely did some of this when we went on our St. José Luis Sánchez del Río picnic and nature walk a couple years ago, and I look forward to doing it again in the future.

Here are some snapshots of our walk to inspire you - and us - to get outside for a picnic and walk this St. José Luis Sánchez del Río day!

We pray that your feast day is a fruitful, faith-filled one.

¡Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!

St. José Luis Sánchez del Río, pray for us.