Jesse Tree: December 25 – Merry Christmas!

Open your heart and make room for the Christ Child!

Merry Christmas! Above is our last Jesse Tree Ornament, which we’ll hang this morning.

1 And it came to pass, that in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. 2 This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David, 5 To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.

6 And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. 9 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. 10 And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people:

11 For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. 15 And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us.

16 And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. 17 And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child. 18 And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Gospel according to Saint Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1-19

I’ve Learned the Best Lessons about Christmas from My Children

I’ve always loved Christmas – the season in which we remember our dear Lord’s birth in a stable in Bethlehem. As a child, it was thrilling to me to be able to stay up and go to Midnight Mass. We’d arrive extra-early to listen to our choir sing before the procession, when our pastor would hold a Baby Jesus high above his head before laying Him in the manger beneath the altar. I’d cry for joy to see this happen, just as I’d cry happy tears as we sang “Silent Night” after Communion every year.

When my older daughter was 2 months old, fourteen years ago today, I was teaching a religious education class filled with first graders, many of whom were not going to Mass regularly. Normally, I’d ask my mother to watch my baby girl while I drove over to the church for the afternoon to teach. But on the last week before Christmas, I brought a show-and-tell for the children to really “get” Christmas better.

I brought my baby.

She used to be so tiny!

I stood there before them, with tears welling up in my eyes (yup, I still cry every Christmas), and told them of how very much God loves them. “He loves you enough that He became a helpless, tiny baby. He was smaller than this,” I said as I cuddled my little girl.

“Imagine,” I continued, “that the God Who created the universe and everything in it became as small as this little baby. And once, at some time in His life, He was your age, too.“

That Christmas, the Incarnation became very real for me. I could really see what God had done, and I was blown away.

This Christmas, it’s become real in a totally different way. But this year, it’s because that same girl is the age our Blessed Mother was when her Son was born.

My Beautiful Young Lady

This girl. I see her as a child, but she is striving towards adulthood with all her might. But in many ways, she’s an innocent girl.

And Mary was like her once. My sweet girl – the girl I’m having a hard time letting go of so she can grow up – is about the age of the Mother of God on the first Christmas.

Again, I am  amazed by God’s plan. His plan for salvation rested on the fiat of a young woman in a small town in Israel. All of Heaven held its breath as the salvation of the world rested on the answer of a peasant girl, a teenager in Nazareth.

Jesse Tree: December 25 – Merry Christmas!

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Merry Christmas! Above is our last Jesse Tree Ornament, which we’ll hang this morning.

1 And it came to pass, that in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. 2 This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David, 5 To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.

6 And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. 9 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. 10 And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people:

11 For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. 15 And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us.

16 And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. 17 And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child. 18 And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Gospel according to Saint Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1-19

Merry Christmas!

In your celebration of this Blessed Christmas Season …

… don’t forget the most important Gift we have received.

‘Tis Christ, the Lord.

Jesse Tree: December 25 – Merry Christmas!

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Merry Christmas! Above is our last Jesse Tree Ornament, which we’ll hang this morning.

1 And it came to pass, that in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. 2 This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David, 5 To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.

6 And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. 9 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. 10 And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people:

11 For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. 15 And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us.

16 And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. 17 And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child. 18 And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Gospel according to Saint Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1-19

What If I Fall Down There?

When I was in college, I had a professor who told us a story to illustrate how children see the world. He talked about the big sewer grates on St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida, where Flagler College is located. He saw a small boy, probably about three or four, and the child was walking with his father. The boy stopped fearfully in front of one of the huge grates and held tight to his father’s hand.

“Daddy,” he asked, “what if I fall down in there?”

The professor stopped here and said, “It doesn’t matter that physically the boy is too big to fall throught the grate. His kind obviously can’t comprehend that. The father gave a perfect answer to this important question.”

“If you fell down in there, I’d come in and get you,” he said, and his son relaxed and felt it was safe to go on.

I recalled this story at Midnight Mass. Father K was talking about how God knew Man was in trouble, and He came for us – to save us. He is like the father on St. George Street, who calmed his son with the knowledge that he would save him if he were in trouble.

How God is like that with us!! Right from the Fall, God promised that Someone would come for us. Someone would come in and get us. All through the Old Testament, He makes this known again and again. “I’m coming down there to get you. Don’t be afraid. Trust Me. I’m coming!”

This lesson should not be left in the past, though. When we’re scared or on trouble, we must remember that God will come down and get us. He will lift us up. He will sustain us. He will help, even when we can’t understand what He’s doing.

Think about the boy. He trusted his father, but if he fell down the grate, he would be unable to see what measures his father was taking to get ready to come after him. And if the boy was crying loudly for help, it’s also likely he wouldn’t be able to hear his father calling down comforting words to him.

This is so much like when we pray for help from our Father in Heaven! We are so busy crying. We can’t hear God answering us, trying to calm us. We do not trust Him enough.

This is a big lesson for me. I must learn to trust Him more. I must learn to listen for His comforting words while I wait for hte help that comes. Perfect help at the perfect time. HIS time. Not my own.

I have to remind myself that if I fall down in there, He will come down and get me.

[image credit: Flagler College, grate, Nativity of Our Lord]

Merry Christmas!

Happy birthday to our dear Lord!

Jesse Tree: December 25 (Christmas Day)

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Merry Christmas! Above is our last Jesse Tree Ornament, which we’ll hang this morning.

1 And it came to pass, that in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. 2 This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David, 5 To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.

6 And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. 9 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. 10 And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people:

11 For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. 15 And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us.

16 And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. 17 And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child. 18 And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Gospel according to Saint Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1-19

Favorite Songs

Fox News has a little video up about their least favorite Christmas songs. But I’d rather go with something The Anchoress asked:

What is your favorite song(s) at Christmas, and why?

Here are my answers. And, yes, it’s plural because how can you pick a favorite? It’s like picking a favorite child!

• “Silent Night” This is a beautiful piece, and it never fails to make me cry when I sing it at Midnight Mass. The third verse just melts my heart!

  Silent Night, Holy Night
  Son of God, Love’s pure Light
  Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face
  With the dawn of redeeming Grace
  Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth!
  Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth!

• “O, Holy Night” How can you not get chills when you hear them proclaim:

  Fall on your knees and hear the angels’ voices!

• “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” I love this song for one of the last verses because it reminds me of what we’re celebrating. It sums up the beginning of the Gospel the way the Alleluia Chorus sums up the end:

  Christ by highest Heaven adored
  Christ, the Everlasting Lord
  Late in time, behold Him come!
  Offspring of the Virgin’s womb
  Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see!
  Hail, the Incarnate Diety!
  Pleased, as Man, with men to dwell
  Jesus, our Emanuel!
  Hark! The herald angels sing!
  Glory to the newborn King!

• “O Come, All Ye Faithful” I am tearing up right now as I think of when I’ll sing the following tonight:
  
  Yea, Lord, we greet Thee
  Born this happy morning!
  Jesus, to Thee be all glory gi’en
  Word of the Father
  Now in flesh appearing
  O come, let us adore Him
  O come, let us adore Him
  O come, let us adore Him: Christ the Lord!
• “The Little Drummer Boy” No, it’s not a hymn as the rest of this list has been. But it’s always made me cry, even as a child. When I was a little girl learning to play the piano, I learned this song. I played it with VIGOR! (Probably a bit more loudly than necessary or what is meant to be.) But I played it for Him, you see. I played my best for Him, and I’ll bet He smiled at me, just like the boy in the song. This one is to remind us that no gift, when given to Christ with love, is too small for Him. He can take the simplest of gifts and magnify them.

• We aren’t called to great things, but to do small things with great love. This song, as cheesy as some people might think it is, reminds us of that. And, in these times of economic difficulties for many, it’s a good thing to remember at Christmas. We aren’t called to give great, big gifts. We’re called to give good gifts. And the greatest Gift is Love, which is freely given to all. The love we give our children (as well as the gift of faith) is the greatest gift they receive. When the toys they get this year are long gone and in a trash heap, it’s going to be the love you gave them that lives on. They can do without another DS game. They can do without the iPod or the computer. But they can’t do without our love.

Tell me in the comments:

What are your favorite Christmas songs, and why?

Also, don’t forget to vote in the poll on cookies. I’ll put the recipe up after Christmas. Because it’s never too late to make cookies.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Christmas Light Hero

A friend of mine shared this with me.

Think I can get Travel Man to do this with our lights next year??