California Missions Pilgrimage

Since my husband is was a 4th grade teacher and we're both California natives, we have talked about visiting all 21 California Missions for years.  Over the course of our marriage, we managed to visit Mission San Diego de Alcala, Mission San Juan Capistrano (our local Mission), Mission San Buenaventura, Mission La Purisima, Mission Santa Ines, Mission San Miguel, Mission San Francisco de Asis, Mission San Rafael, and Mission San Francisco Solano.

Since our oldest son will be entering 4th grade in the fall, we felt that this year would be the perfect opportunity to make our pilgrimage.  We were able to visit all 21 Missions over 8 days during Holy Week and Easter Week.

Day 1 (We live in Orange County, so we spent the night at home)

• Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
• Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala (Good Friday Service)
• Mission San Juan Capistrano

Day 2 (Holy Saturday)

• Mission San Gabriel Arcangel
• Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana
• Mission San Buenaventura
• Mission Santa Barbara

Day 3 (Easter Sunday)

• Mission Santa Barbara (Mass)

Day 4 (Easter Monday)

• Mission Santa Ines (Mass)
• Mission La Purisima
• Mission San Luis Obispo

Day 5 (Easter Tuesday)

• Mission San Miguel Arcangel
• Mission San Antonio de Padua
• Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad

Day 6 (Easter Wednesday)

• Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo (AKA Mission Carmel) 
• Mission San Juan Bautista
• Mission Santa Cruz 

Day 7 (Easter Thursday)

• Mission Santa Clara
• Mission San Jose

Day 8 (Easter Friday)

• Mission San Francisco de Asis (Mass)
• Mission San Rafael Arcangel
• Mission San Francisco Solano

All the Missions are about 45-60 minutes apart, so it was easy to visit 3 per day.  Most are active parishes, but two of them (Missions La Purisima and San Francisco Solano) are state parks.  The majority of them charge admission for the tour/museum.  However, at some missions, if you attend morning Mass, they will allow you to stay and tour the church and surrounding grounds without paying admission.

We also made sure to take a family photo at each Mission to document our trip.  Some turned out better than others.  =)

Our family at Mission San Juan Capistrano on Divine Mercy Sunday

As soon as we left the motel or campground in the morning, our family went into pilgrimage mode.  We drove in silence, talked as a family, and listened to Glory Stories or CDs from Lighthouse Catholic Media.  At every Mission, we prayed a pilgrimage prayer (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Apostle's Creed, and invoking the intercession of the Mission's patron saint).  Once we left the final Mission of the day, we reverted into road trip mode and listened to music and let the boys watch DVDs or play with the tablet as we drove to our destination for the night.  Throughout the trip, my husband read The Story of Junipero Serra: Brave Adventurer (Famous Lives) to the boys.

Catholicism and Evolution - a resource for homeschoolers

This is a project my husband is working on. Please let us know what you think. He's hoping to publish it as a short e-book or as a print pamphlet. 

All material is (c) 2014 John Jimenez 

Introduction

One of the great challenges for Catholic homeschooling families, and Catholic educators in general, is how to handle the topic of the Theory of Evolution.  There are plenty of secular approaches to the topic, but they usually accept the theory uncritically, and give it an atheistic slant.  This, of course, is not only bad theology and totally unacceptable to a Catholic, it is also bad science.

            Many Christian approaches to the Theory of Evolution set it up as diametrically opposed to God, and therefore, it and its adherents are anathema.  Or they ignore the issue altogether.  Both of these approaches are problematic as well.  The former is inconsistent with the Church’s approach, which allows great intellectual freedom on the issue (within certain guidelines given us by Revelation).  And the latter leaves children unprepared to defend their faith.  When they are confronted with the theory, they sometimes assume they were not taught it particularly because it is a threat to the Faith.

            Though there surely are good resources available, they are hard to find.  The purpose of this booklet is to provide Catholic parents a supplement to their regular science curriculum, for the purpose specifically of dealing with the Theory of Evolution.

            The first goal of this program is to break apart the false dichotomy of “evolution vs. God.”  There are certain dogmatic statements the Church has made regarding the origin of man, which God has revealed (and which, incidentally, science has confirmed).  These are to be adhered to.  However, because the Church acknowledges the validity of wide differences of opinion regarding evolutionary theory, this program does as well. 

            The truth is that evolutionary theory does not undermine a belief in God, the divinity of Christ, or the Catholic Church as His Body.  Students will be encouraged to recognize that, so they need not be afraid of it.  Evolution is fundamentally a question of science, not theology.

            As a question of science, evolution should not be accepted uncritically.  It is important to remember that the Church has made no dogmatic statement in favor of evolution.  To say that one’s opinion on this topic determines whether one is a “true Christian” or “orthodox Catholic” is simply false.  That is a foundational principle.

            The next goal of this program is to define the Theory of Evolution for students, which is not an easy task, as it takes many different forms and is constantly being revised.  They will learn the basic principles of the theory and the scientific history that has led to its development.

            They will even be taught some of the erroneous atheistic conclusions that many people come to, and why those conclusions are wrong and unsupported by science as well as divine Revelation.

            Students will also be presented with the many weaknesses in the Theory of Evolution.  Often students are taught to simply believe in evolution, while not learning about the many highly accomplished scientists who believe it is a fantasy.  In this program students will receive a clear understanding of the many problems with the theory.  They will be encouraged to explore evolutionary theory critically, and given the freedom to come to their own conclusions without fear that their Faith is at stake.

            These are the aims of this program.  Please supplement it with other materials that meet your family’s specific needs, and most importantly, with prayer.

                

(c) 2014 John Jimenez 

Polish Celebration

from: http://www.vatican.va/special/canonizzazione-27042014/index_en.html

Pope John Paul II was the only Pope I knew as a child, since I was born in 1978.  When he passed away right before our wedding, I felt so empty!  The emptiness carried over to our wedding day, as there was no sitting Pope.  We spent a good part of our honeymoon in Mexico anxiously awaiting news from the Papal Conclave and the announcement that Cardinal Ratzinger had been named Pope was met with great zeal by us and by all the Catholics in the area of Mexico in which were were visiting.

Well, the day has come when Pope John Paul II will be canonized and we're very excited!  To celebrate both Divine Mercy Sunday and the Canonization, we will be having a Polish feast in honor of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and Pope Saint John Paul II.  (We also plan to have an Italian dish in honor of Pope John XXIII's canonization).

Here are some ideas for Polish dishes to make for a Polish feast.  One of our sons is named after St. Maximilian Kolbe, so these recipes will come in handy for his feast day celebration, as well.

Kielbasa (Polish Sausage)

Pierogi (similar to a mashed potato ravioli)

Mizeria (cucumber salad with sour cream)

Galabki (stuffed cabbage rolls)

Kluski (Polish dumplings)

Babka (A moist, cake-like yeast bread, often served at Polish Easter celebrations)

Kolaczki (Polish cookies)

 

Polish Papal Cream Cake - Kremowka Papieska

 

 

Or you could just buy a Polish cook book:

 

Easter 2014 Menu

For those of you wondering what to make for your Easter feast, here's what we had today:

Breakfast

• Baked Eggs in Prosciutto-Hash Brown Cups from Eating Well magazine.  I prefer to call them "nests."  And make sure you pack the hash browns tightly, or the eggs will seep through and stick to the pan.  Oops.

• Blueberry French Toast from The One-Armed Cook

Easter Feast

• Crab and Lemon Pepper Stuffed Eggs
• Potato Salad (I have no recipe for this.  It's just potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, dill relish, season salt, sliced olives, sour cream, mayo, and mustard)
• Roasted Tomatoes (No recipe for this, either.  I just toss together grape tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar then bake at 350 for 15 minutes.)
• Paprika-Parmesan Chicken (from piarecipes.com)

Photo from http://www.piarecipes.com/2014/02/baked-paprika-parmesan-chicken.html

Dessert

• The Easter Story Cookies that we made last night

Holy Week Activities with the Kids

After our Palm Sunday feast, our mood turns more prayerful as we prepare for the holiest week of the year.  It's hard for young children to quietly mediate, pray, and fast; so we have adapted our activities to suit their ages and abilities.

Stations of the Cross
I found this neat Stations of the Cross coloring booklet on catholicmom.com.  I have the boys color them in, then we post them on the wall, starting at the bottom of the stairs and ending in our upstairs hallway.  That way, when we pray the Stations (or merely meditate upon the images), we feel like we are climbing up to Calvary with Jesus.

On Good Friday, we head up to our local Abbey to pray at their outdoor Stations of the Cross.  

Corporal Works of Mercy
During the year, the boys collect change for our family's "Poor Box."  During Holy Week, the boys put the money they've saved into our parish's Poor Box.

We also gather clothes, books, and toys to deliver to a local homeless shelter during Holy Week.

Holy Saturday Hike
This year, we're starting the tradition of a hike on Holy Saturday.  Aside from the symbolism of Jesus' trek up to Calvary, we feel that it would be a prayerful experience to unplug and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

Easter Story Cookies
During the evening of Holy Saturday, the boys and I make these Easter Story cookies while my husband reads the corresponding Bible verses.

Watching Movies
If the boys watch TV during Holy Week, we prefer that they watch Catholic shows and movies.  Some of our favorites are The Ten Commandments (animated), The Miracle Maker, and At Jesus' Side.

Palm Sunday Feast - Penne Della Palma

Our family celebrates every Sunday with a special lunch, rosary, dessert, and family movie or game night.  To celebrate Palm Sunday, it has become a tradition for me to make Penne Della Palma for lunch.

Penne Della Palma
(adapted from Father Leo Patalinghug's recipe from his now-defunct Grace Before Meals website)
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 pound penne pasta
1 can hearts of palm
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
¼ cup parsley, minced
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
½ cup brandy (Since we're Spanish, I prefer to use Sherry)
½ cup starchy pasta water
½ cup whipping cream
½ Tbs salt and pepper (or to taste)

1.  Season the chicken breast (I like the 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's) and cook using a grill, grill pan, or saute pan. Once cool, slice into strips.

2.  Boil pasta until al dente. Drain water, but reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water. 

3.  Drain water from palms and cut into ¼-inch pieces. 

4.  In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter, then saute garlic, parsley, tomatoes, and palm. Add cheese and breadcrumbs, and combine. 

5.  Add brandy, water, and cream. (Caution: cooking with liquor is flammable)

6.  Add pasta and chicken and mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese for more flavor.

Serve with crusty bread and a salad. 


I'm a huge fan of Fr. Leo.  As a Mestiza whose mother's family immigrated from the Philippines in the 1960s, he almost feels like part of my family.  I was blessed to meet him when he came to Garden Grove, CA in 2013 and I got both of my books autographed that day!

Life Affirming Movies

Our family celebrates Sundays with mass, a special lunch, dessert, and family movie or game night.  Since we have four young children, we only watch movies that we feel are appropriate.  If the movies teach life lessons in addition to being entertaining, that's a win!  

I will add the disclaimer, that we watch all movies through our ClearPlay DVD player, so scenes with inappropriate content (language, sex, violence, etc.) are filtered out.

Here is a list of movies that we have found to be life-affirming and appropriate for families of all ages:

Bella
So much has been written about Bella that I feel that my words will not do it justice.  Please click the links below to learn more about this incredible movie:

Roger Ebert's review of Bella 
Steven Greydanus' review from the National Catholic Register

Plus, Eduardo Verastegui's testimony is incredible!




October Baby
October Baby is the story of a young woman who, after a health crisis, learns that she was adopted after surviving an attempted abortion.  This movie chronicles her emotional journey toward acceptance of her past and forgiveness.  It's an outstanding testament to unconditional love.

When the movie is over, please do not turn off the TV.  The story that follows is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.




Robots
Yes, I said Robots.  The basic plot of the movie is that a slick, flashy robot named Ratchet takes over the largest company in Robot City and changes its slogan from "You can shine, no matter what you're made of" to "Why be you when you can be new?"  He then proceeds to hunt down and destroy all the "outmodes," which are older and/or obsolete robots.  Ratchet orders his company to stop making replacement parts for these "outmodes" and focuses solely on upgrades.  With the help of his new friends, loveable hero Rodney Copperbottom uses his talents as an up-and-coming robot inventor/engineer to help repair the local outmodes.  When his deeds are discovered by Ratchet, a fight to save the lives of the outmodes ensues.

This movie is an interesting study on the value of life and would be a good jumping-off point to teach your kids about the dignity of the old and infirm and the right to life until natural death.  It's also sweet to see how much Rodney's parents wanted a child and the love between the robot family is very sweet.  I'm actually surprised that more people haven't caught on to the pro-life themes of this movie.

My one criticism of this movie is the potty humor.  There are some double-entendres, but they go right over my kids' heads.