Wow, I got some great feedback on observing patron saints' feast days. Thanks to everybody who has written so far. Pretty much everybody suggested going to Mass, but there were lots of other good ideas, too.

Jeff explained to me that, "There is nothing specifically recommended by the Church," so I guess that's why I haven’t been able to come up with much information on my own. Jeff sent some great suggestions: "Start a Novena to your patron saint prior to the feast day. Fast the day before. Do some reading on this saint in preparation."

Tom said, "I look forward to my saint's feast days first by being conscious of the date and looking forward to it a few days or week in advance…And of course I pray to my patron saint on his/her day. I also try to read some of the actual words of the saint on that - a sermon or some writings of some sort. It brings you into greater intimacy to read their actual words."

Alicia offered this insight: "In European Catholic culture, one's name day (Feast day of the patron st) was celebrated much as secular culture celebrates birthdays -- with a party, cake, and gifts... [M]aking a donation to the priest who says the mass (In honor of the saint) is also appropriate. Some would give a donation to some cause appropriate to the saint -- for example, a foundation helping the mentally ill for St Dymphna."

Another reader, Theresa, noted her family's European heritage, too: "We called those 'feast days' and the family had special dessert (no Jello). We were supposed to be able to stand up and say something about our patron." As an adult, Theresa commemorates her patron’s feast day in a similar fashion: "I treat her to some deliberate spiritual reading and praiseful prayer, and myself with an actual treat! Why change a good thing?" She also said, "I think treating ourselves and others on feast days is just another example God's love for us in a sensible and visible way. The Church is very good about recognizing that we are spirit and flesh united and we worship with all of it."

Alicia closed her note to me with this comment: "Isn't it tough to try to incorporate small t tradition into things? Not having been raised in Catholocism, it is the culture that is hard to grasp. The theology I got, and right away, but I am still stumbling over culture!" Ain't that the truth!!

Well, the first patron to appear on the calendar for our family is my husband’s, St. Columcille, June 9. I found these poems written by St. Columcille, and on this site (scroll down), a prayer to use for a novena the nine days leading up to the feast day. I also unearthed a story that St. Columcille was "fed a cake filled with letters of the alphabet" as a small boy, and that might have been what led him to surreptitiously copy the Vulgate so he could personally own a copy of Scripture. So now I'm trying to figure out how to pull off a "cake filled with letters" that my husband can take to work on June 9 for treating his co-workers.

So far, the best I've come up with is to make rice crispy treats with Alpha Bits cereal. (Do they even sell Alpha Bits any more?) But even though my husband is reasonably fond of rice crispy treats, I think I will have to try to do better than that.

Not that rice crispy treats are bad or anything. Hey, I'm a mom – I've found them to be about the most flexible treat out there. I've made them with cornflakes, dying the marshmallow stuff green & shaping them into Christmas wreaths. I’ve dyed the marshmallow stuff pastel colors and shaped them into Easter eggs. And during Zooey's volcano phase, I made them with Cocoa Puffs and Cocoa Crispies and pressed them into a funnel, then used red fruit leather for the hot lava. (My husband thought those were a disaster, but Zooey and his friends got a kick out of them).

Hmmm…I was just moaning to my husband about how much I'd like to write a book, but I didn’t think I had anything to say. Maybe I can put out a pamphlet on the magic of marshmallows and cereal.

Just kidding. If you have more tips on patron saint feast days, or a recipe for a cake involving letters some how (alphabet noodles?), please send it to me at sparki777(at)yahoo(dot)com.

--Sparki