Isaac's Feast Day

Our not so old family tradition, is that everyone gets to choose their favorite meal and desert on their feast day. Today was Isaac's! It's usually a great day for the kids since their Godparent's often send gifts, cards, or call on the phone to wish them a happy feast day. Isaac's Godfather, Rev. Br. Gregory Plow, TOR has been very good to Isaac over the years getting him all kinds of great books, antique holy cards, third-class relics, and most of all an abundance of graces through his prayers. An excerpt from his email to Isaac today:

"Please tell Isaac I wish him a happy feast day today and that I led all the friars in prayer for him today at mass! Through the intercession of St. Isaac Jogues, may Isaac Watkins receive abundant blessings from God in all he does in his life!"

The same can be said for all our kid's Godparents, especially Therese Marie's Godmother Jean Plow (yes, mother of Deacon Gregory), who always sends wonderful things to Therese and Liliane on their feast days.

The day will end with stories about the saints. I'll spare Isaac for a few more years, some of incredible details of his patrons martyrdom (only for a few more years - as I love to tell people every graphic detail of his heroic sacrifice). For tonight we'll read a story out of Amy Wellborn's very good "Book of Saints". The saints are grouped into similar categories, and are extremely well done retellings their lives from the perspective of how it might pertain to a childs life. I can't recommend the book highly enough. Here is the beginning of the excerpt on St. Isaac Jogues (from the section "Saints are people who are brave"):

"Would you ever consider helping a person who would probably hurt you?

Would it ever even cross your mind?

Say there are some kids in your neighborhood who have been mean to you for a long time. They've decided that you and your friends don't deserve respect. When you pass them on the street or in school, they always make fun of you.

But suppose you've heard something about these kids. You've heard that some of them aren't doing well in school. In fact, they're coming close to flunking math, a subject you're really good at.

Would you got to those kids and offer to help them?

You could you know. It's not impossible. When you ask, God can give us strength to do anything, no matter how hard it is.

It takes a special, deep kind of courage to go where you're not wanted. It takes a lot of love to help people who've hurt you once and will probably hurt you again.

It's the kind of courage St. Isaac Jogues had. It's the kind of love - God's love - that absolutely nothing can defeat.

Isaac Jogues was born in France. When he was studying for the priesthood..."

Oh, and the kids get to stay up a bit later on their feast days. But it's about time to call it a night - chanting our bedtime prayers of course! Happy feast day Isaac! St. Isaac Jogues - Ora pro nobis!

Ice cream and cake for desert - complete with blue icing, hence the blue lips. And for those who have followed the blog for a while, yes, Liliane took her Lactaid before eating the ice cream. A different book of Saints is on the table, not the Amy Wellborn book.