During a quiet time (before Holy Communion) I sat and thought about this very question. It struck me that as Christians, we should look at our entire lives as an Advent season.  On Christmas eve we celebrate the coming of Christ as God and man as our Saviour.  We anticipate that and we are joyous because of it. Then we have the Lenten period and I don’t think many people look forward to Easter as much as Christmas.  During Lent and all other times shouldn’t we have the same anxious but joyful anticipation of the coming of our Lord?  We are told that we do not know when, but to be ready when he comes again.  That is a revelation to me that has changed my thoughts.  We wait for the Lord to come.  Our faith is based on three things, Christ has died, Christ has risen and Christ WILL come again. Merry Christmas everyone.

drummie,

Our faith is based on three things, Christ has died, Christ has risen and Christ WILL come again. Merry Christmas everyone.

It is interesting that you should use this statement from Eucharistic Prayer A. In my homily today I also proclaim this mystery of faith but also add the verse from Revelation Chapter four. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
This verse speaks to his preexistence, birth and earthly life also.
Merry Christmas and Pax

We will have a brief Christmas morning rumpus with the kids, and then it’s off to grandpa’s and grandma’s, then back home to recieve grandad and step-grandma.  Last night was with grandma and extended family. 

This year, we are pleased to be spending our 18th Christmas together as husband1 and wife1 and we are celebrating with our eldest girl (age 10), our eldest boy (age 6), and our youngest boy (age 2 wks).  Praise the Mighty God!!!

Here is a laugh for you…Silent Monks singing Hallalujah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU

The Tico (Costa Rican) custom is to set up a “portál” near the entry of the home.  This is a nativity scene, or creche, that may be enhanced in any number of ways in its decoration and augmentation of animals and other characters from the Nativity.  “Portales” may also be found in business, government offices, and public squares (thanks be to God).  One of my favorites in a public square had a little clothes line with tiny doll clothes and “nappies” hanging out on the line, a very domestic portrayal of the Holy Family.

It occured to me that this “portál” is somewhat like an icon - a tangible representation and glimpse into The deep and unfathomable Truth of the Incarnation.  Each “portál” that I see in homes is a little different and decorated a little differently from the others, but all contain in their essence the message:  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

God bless you and have a Merry 12 Days of Christmas!

Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols last night after dinner with my uncle, who had just arrived to spend a few days.  Family brunch this morning at mom’s, then we will all head off to the home of dear friends for Christmas dinner this afternoon.

Christmas seems to me to be one of the times when the difference between what the scriptures call “the world” and “the Kingdom” is most visible. 
The world love the newborn baby in the manger;  they dress up like shepherds and wise men, and they put a baby in a manger made of two - by -fours somewhere, and they find a farmer who will loan them a sheep or a burro for a week, and they shine a spotlight on the baby, but then everything gets put away until next year, and the world goes happily on its way to the January white sales. 
Three times in scripture is told the story of the baby.  But over 24 times, the grown-up Jesus says, to women and men, to young and old, to rich and poor, “You follow me.”  There is the difference.  What a contrast between world and Kingdom.  The baby is so quiet, so harmelsss, so non-radical.  But Jesus says, “follow me,” and then goes to His cross, willingly.  The world doesnt get that at all.  Sometimes the church barely gets it.

As I sat at Mass last night and looked around to see that the church was packed with overflow watching downstairs via video hook-up, I was at once delighted to see so many people there to celebrate the birth of our Lord, but a second question haunted me.  Where are they every other time? 
At a time when I am so thrilled to be a Christian and just love to learn more about my faith, be with people who treasure our Savior, I wonder why more people don’t love him like I do?

I know, I know, I’m being judgmental, who knows what is in their hearts!  But I still don’t understand why people aren’t jumping up and shouting out how great is our savior.

7, great comment.  And how many come to the Easter service, but don’t through the horror of Good Friday, or the despair of Holy Saturday?  But you, what can you do?  You set the example.  You attend Maundy Thursday, watch with the Lord in Gethsemane, walk the Stations of the Cross, and be at the Great Vigil.  Gently suggest that they may wish to join with you next year and join with you in your love of Christ.  Pax to you in this glorious Christmas tide.

Because this year my quadriplegic spouse is doing the best physically in 12 years, I was able to turn my attention to celebrating and focus on others.  I had time to think about gifts that would please my family and best friend.  I gave my mom a day of helping her bake Christmas goodies (time is one of my most valuable assets) - which helps her celebrate Christmas.  This isn’t easy because she’s got her own way in doing almost everything.  But I’ve learned from my nephew how to say “Yes, Chef!”  It was a blessed day, one which I will treasure the rest of my life.  I’ve volunteered to do the same tomorrow, because I know she needs the help because of Parkinson’s and other infirmities. 

Being able to serve others in different ways and the joy that brings me reminds me of what Jesus did in coming to us in human form, that Mary offered herself to bear Him, that Joseph put himself aside as well.  The joy I feel is just a small slice of what Jesus did and does for me.  My Christmas present is that Jesus loves me.  No matter how stupid or dumb I can be sometimes or when I lose patience.  That’s a pretty big present.

For me this year I was overpowered by the the image of the light overcoming the darkness.  Jesus entered into hostile territory, and came to broken, twisted, hurting people. Christina Rossetti has it right—frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.

And yet, understanding that the world is not safe or neutral but hostile, and understanding our own “bent"ness, to use C.S. Lewis’ image, he nevertheless came and did all that was necessary for our life and our salvation.

Born to give us second birth!

Being alone here since 13 December and the realization that I will be alone until about Jan 1, has forced me to concentrate on what Christmas is really all about.  My mind has played through the seven Children’s Christmas Eve services that I participated in as a child and all the Bible passages and hymns that I was required to memorize and recite as my contribution to our public worship.  Today I’ve listened to Christmas hymns and carols that celebrate the birth of Jesus.  I’m thankful for the many times I’ve heard and told the story of Jesus’ birth and for all the research I’ve done in preparation for teaching the birth narrative from Mathew & Luke and the whole story from John 1.  Seven phone calls from family and friends were breaks in my meditations…much needed breaks probably;  Christmas wants to be shared and my tendency to enjoy my own company gets too much indulged when I am on my own.  Merry Christmas to you all!  Frances Scott

“And yet, understanding that the world is not safe or neutral but hostile, and understanding our own ‘bent’ness, to use C.S. Lewis’ image, he nevertheless came and did all that was necessary for our life and our salvation.”

Today, to be honest, it is the contrast between great love and extreme bentness that I can’t get off my mind. In North Little Rock, Arkansas, a Salvation Army major is killed by two heartless men in front of the major’s three children. What could be more depraved than that?

The three children were all adopted to deliver them from oppressive previous situations. This major, from all appearances, really was the neighborhood teddy bear. He worked in a bad neighborhood’s food pantry, he reached out to the young people of that neighborhood, he ... loved as well as anybody could, looks like.

And the contrast…. What the hell happened? As Victor Frankl once said, we need a statue of responsibility to balance our statue of liberty. Individuals and communities need to start taking responsibility. We can’t rely on the government to solve all our problems.

The perpetrators are still at large; I hope that everyone will cooperate to bring about their speedy apprehension.

Christmas is the icon of the truth that Christianity is incarnational; our spirits are not independent of our bodies and our amazing trinitarian God embodies that (no pun intended).  Christmas is about knowing that seeming contradictions define some truth (the King is born lowly; one must forsake his/her life to gain it; etc.).  Christmas is about Mary’s obedience, Joseph’s grace and Christ’s humility - and our own hope.