Looking for a keepsake baptism gift that can be displayed as a symbolic work of art?

These original baptism candles feature NO clipart and NO stickers that yellow and peel over time;

They are all hand painted with acrylic paint, and intended to be displayed as a work of art and continual reminder of a child’s (and parents’) baptismal calls.

I have only 5 available right now, but if interest is shown, I will paint more. (The homeschooling never seems to end, so neither will the candle painting, I’m sure!)

This past year, our family of 6 started doing what I can only suppose would be a childlike version of Ignatian contemplation with our kids before bed. We don’t have a better term for it other than a “story prayer.” But the kids LOVE it, especially our 3 year old who would much rather jump on the bed than pray.

It’s kind of like a guided meditation, I suppose. But in it, they always meet the Child Jesus. I tell them that Jesus can be whatever age they want him to be in this story, but more often than not, they prefer Jesus to be their very own age (3, 5, 7, etc).

In these stories, they might be playing by a creek with Jesus, wondering through the woods looking for cool nature items… sometimes getting themselves into accidental scrapes where the kids might want to lie or pass blame, but in which the Child Jesus gently models virtue.

The Pelican in Her Piety is an ancient Christian symbol dating back to the Middle Ages. The first mention of the Vulning Pelican was in the Physiologus, a bestiary which contained anecdotes about animals and how they reflect deep theological truths. Sometimes the animal attributes presented in bestiaries were legitimate animal behaviors, and other times these characteristics leaned more toward fiction. The intention of these bestiaries was not to share scientific facts, but rather deep theological truths in ways that were easy for people to understand.

Because religious formation for our littlest ones is fruitless unless taught with love. Love points toward beauty. And beauty points toward truth.

I may not have paid attention to all the details of our faith (that would come around naturally in my teens).

But one thing I did know through that one little sister, is that with Christ, I was safe.

With Christ, I was secure.

And even when I encountered others who attempted to make my faith seem scary and uninviting, I knew that at it’s core, Our Lord’s beautiful universal Church was rooted in love.

It was home, and I could always rest there.

To whom shall we go? (John 6:68)

Her name was Beatrice.

She looked to be about ten years old.

Never have I ever personally met another person named Beatrice…The name seems solely reserved for characters from 19th century classic novels I read! But here was a Beatrice standing in front of me.

Again, I experienced complete clarity that this was, without a doubt, the name of the saint the Holy Spirit wished for me to sketch. (I stress this word clarity, because “indecisive” should have been my middle name from birth….)

Here I was, concerned that I would miss the Holy Spirit’s promptings due to the season of life I was in.

And here was God, yet again, meeting me exactly where I was…

At a grocery store parking lot.

I don’t know how to explain it, but as I looked, I knew I was looking at Mary with the infant Christ.

Regardless of how they got on that street corner, they were homeless in some way and humbling themselves.

And I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to go back.

But I had my own children to get back to. I had supper to make. My husband had been digging a giant trench all day to deal with septic tank issues and I knew he’d be exhausted.

So I attempted to ignore the feeling to turn back and kept driving for 15 minutes.

But the further I drove, the more unbearable the urge to turn back became. It got to the point that it was literally painful to keep driving any further.

The narrative that one religious sister told me about God “speaking in whispers” was flipped.

God does often speaks in whispers…but here He was speaking in a lightning bolt.

When, in our humanity, we are like three-year-old’s, so caught up in our own suffering that we can’t see straight let alone pray straight, what does Mary do?

She tenderly picks us up and carries us straight to Our Lord. And in doing so, He is “magnified” in our own hearts.

Cranky toddlers may eventually calm down without a parent’s tenderness, but how much quicker they find peace when a mother is nearby with two arms ready to embrace!

So it is with Mary. Like a good mother, she wipes away our tears so our blurry eyes can better see Christ.

Her time of waiting to enter Carmel was not wasted. Saint Elizabeth realized that just as we must seek to tend to sacred spaces like churches and chapels, we must also tend to the sacred spaces within our hearts.

We must not forget that the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Let us make a safe place for Our Lord to dwell. Remember that no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, no matter how ugly the situation you are in, you have a cloistered place of prayer within your own heart.

Your Beloved waits for you….you need not go far.

Your sacrifice can be a song, though no one may hear it.

Your sacrifice can be a work of art, though no one may see it.

Your sacrifice can be a means of salvation, though no one may understand it.

No...your talents are not collecting dust.

They are not being hidden under a bushel basket.

You have given them back to the Lord to be polished like fine pearls. And now they reflect a Light much brighter than before.