There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. [Henry James]

Tea Time magazine, an offshoot of Southern Lady magazine, features tea party recipes, table settings, etiquette, and tea room reviews.

Christmas Bargains

Therese taught me many years ago there are year round bargains to be had in the post Christmas sales, like the time she acquired full sets of red, gold, and white napkins for a song.

This year, I followed her example and ended up with a nice set of gold cocktail napkins for year round use... and these napkins and napkin rings for my Epiphany party. And Christ the King party. And St Edward's and any other martyred royalty party. You get the picture.

The Love of St John

Wine is traditionally blessed on St John's day, commemorating the destruction of a poisoned bottle when the evangelist made the sign of the cross over it. The blessing for St John's wine can be found in the Roman Ritual. Have an extra bottle blessed for any couples that will be married in the next year. Make tags with an appropriate Scripture verse; the pictured bottle's tag says: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God." [i Jn 4, 7]

Share the bottle of blessed wine, mulled if you like, among your friends and family. The leader raises his glass, and says, "I drink to you the love of St John"; the next person responds, "I thank you for the love of St John."

Christmas Treasures

A Set of Bride's Tree Ornaments (from a fellow Church Lady)
Heart: The importance of love in the newly formed home
House: Good family shelter
Flower basket: Abundant beauty in the home
Basket of Fruit: A Christian spirit of selfless giving
Teapot: Hospitality
Bird in a nest: Confidence and happiness in the home
Pine cone: Eternity
Animal: Peace with nature
Fish: Christ
Rose: The Virgin Mary
Church or angel: The importance of family worship of God
St Nicholas: Generosity
[From Catholic & Loving It: Traditions for a New Generation]


A lamb cake pan, to celebrate Christ, the Paschal Lamb at Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, St John the Baptist, St Perpetua & Felicity, St Agnes, and much more!




The TAN Saints Calendar:
Contains both the Ordinary and the Extraordinary liturgical year, feastdays and Sundays, and historical feasts Includes Catholic information such as the days of fast and abstinence, Ember Days and vigils. [product info]

Holy Toast:
The Holy Toast stamper is ideal for adding a touch of ecclesiastical elegance to snack time, and it's guaranteed to brighten up your breakfast, even if you decide to slop jelly all over it. After all, regular toast is about as visually interesting as the back of a pew. [product info]

O Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.


Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Image: Monk by the Sea

O Rex Gentium

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Image: Christ the King

O Oriens

O come, Thou Day-spring,
come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Image: Cross in the Mountains

Even a custom like Christmas baking, apparently such an external activity, has its roots in the Church’s Advent liturgy, which makes its own the glorious words of the Old Testament in these days of the declining year: “In that day, the mountains will drip sweetness, and the rivers will flow with milk and honey.” People of old found in such words the embodiment of their hopes for a world redeemed. And once again, our ancestors celebrated Christmas as the day on which God truly came. When he comes at Christmas, he distributes his honey (so to speak).Truly, the earth must flow with this honey on that day: where he is present, all bitterness disappears, and there is harmony between heaven and earth, between God and man. The honey and the sweets are a sign of this peace, of concord and of joy.
[Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger]

CLOCHE tip: Rebecca Teti at Faith & Family Live

Image source: Margaret Mary's Gingerbread house

O Clavis David

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Image: King David in prayer

And I am slightly amused now by fans of Our Lady's University shaking their keys to open the third quarter in front of Touchdown Jesus. O Come Divine Messiah!

O Radix Jesse

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Image: Patriarch Jacob holding the genealogy of Christ