For centuries, the Catholic Church has offered an abundance of splendid traditions that extend religious and spiritual practice into daily life. Now, Meredith Gould reintroduces these customs and rituals to modern Roman Catholics. Using the liturgical calendar, The Catholic Home provides familiar and new ways to celebrate each season and its special days. Gould reviews major holy days, select saints’ days, familiar prayers, and suggests meaningful ways to prepare as a family for such sacraments as Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist, and Matrimony. This book includes a concise history of each ritual and clarifies the meaning behind it by highlighting celebrations of Catholic holidays from different parts of the globe. Your family will learn to make Advent wreaths, Jesse trees, St. Lucy’s crowns, King’s cakes, All Souls altars, traditional foods, and participate in family devotions. Throughout The Catholic Home , Gould’s down-to-earth practicality and sense of humor give the activities she describes modern relevance no matter how ancient their origins. Excerpts from the official Catechism of the Catholic Church are included to illuminate Church doctrine on matters of faith and ritual. This indispensable guide will appeal to Catholics young and old and inspire beloved family traditions to be handed down from one generation to the next. “ The Catholic Home is clear, practical, and inviting; it will make every Catholic’s job easier visualizing how to bring the faith home.” —Frederica Matthewes-Green, NPR commentator and author of Facing East and At the Corner of East and Now A practical, inspiring guide to Catholic observances and celebrations for the home. For centuries, the Catholic Church has offered an abundance of splendid traditions that extend religious and spiritual practice into daily life. Now, Meredith Gould reintroduces these customs and rituals to modern Roman Catholics. Using the liturgical calendar, "The Catholic Home provides familiar and new ways to celebrate each season and its special days. Gould reviews major holy days, select saints' days, familiar prayers, and suggests meaningful ways to prepare as a family for such sacraments as Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist, and Matrimony. This book includes a concise history of each ritual and clarifies the meaning behind it by highlighting celebrations of Catholic holidays from different parts of the globe. Your family will learn to make Advent wreaths, Jesse trees, St. Lucy's crowns, King's cakes, All Souls altars, traditional foods, and participate in family devotions. Throughout "The Catholic Home, Gould's down-to-earth practicality and sense of humor give the activities she describes modern relevance no matter how ancient their origins. Excerpts from the official "Catechism of the Catholic Church are included to illuminate Church doctrine on matters of faith and ritual. This indispensable guide will appeal to Catholics young and old and inspire beloved family traditions to be handed down from one generation to the next. Meredith Gould, Ph.D., is the author of four books, including Deliberate Acts of Kindness: Service as a Spiritual Practice . A convert to Catholicism, she brings a fresh appreciation of age-old customs and provides a framework for understanding the symbols and celebrations of her chosen faith. Dr. Gould lives in Princeton, New Jersey, and welcomes reader comments on her website, www.meredithgould.com. Chapter One The Value of Tradition In addition to being shaped by its historical and cultural context, every religion has a set of informal practices that have emerged. These customs support liturgy, sometimes softening it to become more spiritually accessible. They provide yet another vehicle for expressing faith. Call your religion a "faith tradition" instead and notice how rituals become infused with meaning that, in turn, reinforces your identity as a Catholic follower of Jesus the Christ. Since its beginning, the Church has recognized, sometimes with great dismay, the customs of people it has embraced and, put more bluntly, conquered. Around the thirteenth century, the Catholic Church took more formal notice of sacramentals--signs, symbols, and activities that serve to enhance faith and identity. These include actions (e.g., making the sign of the Cross, praying the Rosary, novenas, nonliturgical blessings) and objects (e.g., Advent wreaths, holy water, medals, rosary beads). Unlike the sacraments instituted by Christ, the Church determines the use of sacramentals, promoting some and demoting others at different points in history. Perhaps you're old enough to remember when St. Christopher was unceremoniously removed from car dashboards. A goofy example? Not to anyone who experienced and mourned his demise as patron saint of travelers! This example illustrates the Church's major concern about sacramentals and, by extension, folk customs: how to prevent mystery from slipping into magic. At what