Liturgical Living at a Glance: March 2016

Getting this one out just in the nick of time as March begins! Last week was busy because I went out of town for a night to speak at the Catholic student center in College Station (such great students! So much fun! And a big shout out to Martha who drove in from Huntsville–thanks for being there!) and then Sunday morning I got hit with a stomach flu that, thankfully, was quick to resolve itself (thanks, essential oils!).

I’m always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then).  I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope having them all in one place is helpful to you, too!

And I pinned all of the following resources on a March Liturgical Year board on pinterest for your convenience!

And for any lenten ideas, just check out last month’s at a glance post.

As always, remember not to get overwhelmed. You don’t have to observe every saints day! (We certainly don’t at our house.) The liturgical year is a gift. It shouldn’t feel like a burden!

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March 3rd: St. Katharine Drexel

Food/Activities for Celebrating:

• Three Sisters Stew: Catholic Cuisine
• Coloring Page: Catholic Printables Online

March 4th: St. Casimir

Food/Activities for Celebrating:

• Make some Polish dishes for this Polish saint such as this Polish Honey Cake: Food Network
• Coloring Page: Catholic Playground

March 7th: Sts. Perpetua and Felicity

About the Saints:

• Memorial of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, martys: Catholic Culture
• Coloring Page: Catholic Playground

March 8th: St. John of God

St. John of God is my husband Daniel‘s confirmation saint!

Food/Activities for Celebrating:

• Have a pomegranate feast (St. John of God ministered in Granada, which means pomegranate.)
• Sweet Potato and Pomegranate Salad: Two Peas and Their Pod
• Honey Mousse with Pomegranate: Laylita’s Recipes

March 17th: St. Patrick

Books:

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola (dePaola is our favorite childrens book author/illustrator!)

The Story of St. Patrick by James Janda

Saint Patrick and the Peddler by Margaret Hodges

Food/Activities for Celebrating:

• Slow Cooker Corn Beef and Cabbage: All Recipes
• Celebrating the Feast of St. Patrick: Two Os Plus More
• Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Muffins: King Arthur Flour

March 18th: St. Cyril of Jerusalem

About the saint:

• Memorial of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop, confessor, doctor: Catholic Culture

March 19th: St. Joseph

Book:

Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi (The swallows always return to the Mission San Juan Capistrano on St. Joseph’s Day. Beautiful story.)

Food/Activities to Celebrate:

• Making a Simple St. Joseph’s Day Altar: Carrots for Michaelmas
• St. Joseph’s Day Sfinge: Bella Vita Dolce
• The Feast of St. Joseph: Two Os Plus More

Holy Week Preparation

• Sticky Handprints and When You’re Not Ready for Easter: Carrots for Michaelmas

• The “You Can Still Do This” Guide to All Things Holy Week: Catholic All Year

March 20th: Palm Sunday

• Let his blood be upon us and upon our children: Carrots for Michaelmas
• 10 Things to Do with Palms from Palm Sunday: Catholic Icing

March 23rd: St. Turibius of Mongrovejo

Food/Activities for Celebrating:

• Make a Peruvian dish for this saint who served as a missionary in Peru. (We share our simple Lomo Saltado recipe in Feast!)

March 24th: Holy Thursday

• Seven Churches on Holy Thursday: Clan Donaldson

• Last Supper Craft: Catholic Icing

• Happy Foot Washing Day: Catholic All Year

March 25th: Good Friday

• Printable Stations of the Cross for Children: Catholic Icing

• Make Hot Cross Buns (The Pioneer Woman has a good recipe.)

• Read T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets (especially East Coker IV).

• How to Talk to Little Kids about the Crucifixion: Catholic All Year

March 26th: Holy Saturday

• Attend a Vigil Mass! Get ready for Easter!

• Getting the Eastertide Party Going: Carrots for Michaelmas

March 27th: Easter Sunday!

• Simple and Fun Kids’ Easter Basket Fillers: Carrots for Michaelmas

• 8 Picture Books for Lent and Easter: Carrots for Michaelmas

• Catholic Resurrection Eggs: Catholic Icing

• Preparing for an Easter Feast: Team Whitaker

Please feel free to share any resources or ideas for observing the liturgical year during March in the comments!

We share some of our favorite recipes for observing the Christian Year in our book Feast! and our new book More Feasts!

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