Piety Petal Meeting & Tree Lot 12/6/20

We combined a petal meeting with a service activity by learning about piety while helping out at the parish tree lot on St Nicholas day. We also celebrated a birthday of the Little Flower born on the feast of St. Nick!

St Cecilia (3rd Century) was a noble lady of Rome who was very devoted to God. She told a man that her guardian angel stood by her to protect her purity. After he was baptized, he was able to see the angel too and they were married. Cecilia sang praises to God on her wedding day. The couple devoted themselves to God and spread His word. They were martyred. She was the first Saint known to be incorrupt. Her feast day is November 22nd. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians. We sang Christmas carols as we worked  (Industry!) in the Tree Lot in honor of St. Cecilia. St. Augustine said that to sing is to pray twice.

Mrs. Shaffer video called for the petal lesson. We learned about the virtue of piety, also known as devotion. We honor God by making everything we do pleasing to Him. We thought about ways to honor God with our actions. Be sure to put on the virtue of piety as you say your prayers this month. Some common devotionals: Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Adoration, Scapular, Miraculous Medal, Stations of the Cross, Pilgrimage (visiting holy places), and Novenas. Try adding one new holy habit to your day.

We worked to memorize Psalm 69:30: I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving. 

We made decade rosary keychains to help us remember to pray the rosary often. We went on pilgrimage to the prayer garden. We saw the Stations of the Cross and visited with Jesus in the Adoration chapel through the window. 

The flower for Piety is the Forget-Me-Not. They remind us of the eyes of Mary always looking with loving devotion toward her Son, Jesus. She never forgets Him.

We earned the piety petal. May God bless us and help us grow in our devotion.   

Our adventure ended with a visit with St. Nicholas/Santa Claus. 

This Advent we have the opportunity to earn a challenge badge by participating in the Jesse Tree tradition on our own. It is one of my favorite Advent traditions. You may have noticed our Jesse Tree at church near the Mary. It is a large barren branch where a new ornament is hung each day of December leading up to Christmas. The ornaments represent scripture that tell the stories of the ancestors of Jesus. I learned not all Jesse Tree traditions are the same, so the ornaments in church do not match the online lessons we are doing. Still, we are learning many things about the ancestry of Jesus. I hope you are enjoying this activity.

These challenge badges are offered by Catholic Sprouts and will be placed on the back of the sash or vest. They have other badges we may to try to earn later in the year as well such as Corporal and Spiritual works of Mercy, The Rosary, Divine Mercy, Lent, and Adoration. 

When my family went on Pilgrimage three years ago, we visited the church in Rome that was built over St. Cecilia's house. She is buried there. It is also a music school. The music teacher that taught Jason and I how to sing went to school there when she was a child.  Here are some pictures.