[Tax-chick]

I didn’t, either, until I read a piece in the “Voice of the Martyrs” newsletter at the time Bill was looking for a Confirmation name. He’d said he wanted a military figure, and it seemed like a good choice, a gallant young man not much older than 15. And we were able to bring in Vaclav Havel and Vaclav Klaus, the founders of the post-Communist Czech Republic.

Of course, St. Vaclav ended up losing - killed by his stepmother and half-brother - but life is like that sometimes.

[Salvation]

The Fourth Day of Christmastide

December 28, Feast of the Holy Innocents

The Holy Innocents saved the Child Jesus from death by King Herod by the shedding of their own blood. The Holy Innocents are the special patrons of small children, who can please the Christ Child by being obedient and helpful to parents, and by sharing their toys and loving their siblings and playmates.

The feast of the Holy Innocents is an excellent time for parents to inaugurate the custom of blessing their children. From the Ritual comes the form which we use on solemn occasions, such as First Communion. But parents can simply sign a cross on the child's forehead with the right thumb dipped in holy water and say: May God bless you, and may He be the Guardian of your heart and mind—the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

• Day Four activity (Holy Innocents)
• Day Four recipe (Blanc Mange)