CHRISMAS EVENING - 2008

THE WONDER OF A CHILD

"Daddy," she said, her eyes full of tears,

"Will you talk to me and quiet my fears?

Those bad boys at school are spreading a lie'

Bout the impossibility of reindeer that fly.

There's no Santa Claus, they say with a grin,

There's not one now and never has been."

"How can one man take all those toys?

To thousands of girls and boys?

But I told them daddy, that they were not right,

That I would come home and find out tonight.

Mama said wait until you get home

Please tell me now that I was not wrong."

Her daddy looked at her questioning face

And puffed his pipe while his frantic mind raced.

He had put this thing off as long as he could,

He had to think fast and it better be good.

Whispering a prayer, he began with a smile,

"Well climb on my lap, dear, let's talk a while."
"Remember at church how we learned to pray,

Asking God to take care of us each day?

And you know how we say grace before each meal?

To this same God whom we know to be real

Though we never see Him,

we know He is there

Watching his children with such loving care."

"God started Christmas a long time ago

When He gave us His son to love and to know.

A spirit of giving came with that birth,

And God's generosity filled the whole earth.

Man had to name this spirit of giving

Just as He names all things that are living."

"The name Santa Claus came to someone's mind

Probably the best name of any to find

There is, you can see, and I think it quite clear,

Truly a Santa who visits each year.

Spirits like God, whom we never see

He enters the hearts of your mother and me."

"Each year at Christmas for one special night

We become him and make everything right.

But the REAL spirit of Christmas

is in you and in me,

And I hope you are old enough now to see

That as we believe and continue to give,

Our friend Santa Claus will continue to live."

author unknown


MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Sunday - December 21st, 2008 - 4th Sunday of Advent

The fourth candle of Advent is the Candle of Love.
It's light is meant to remind us of the love that God
has for us.

Jesus shows us God's perfect love. He is God's love
in human form. The bible says that God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever
believes in him should not perish, but have eternal
life.


During these last days before Christmas, the Church reminds us that Jesus’ coming is the fulfillment of God’s promises, not only to Israel but to the whole human race as well

Remember that all human history changed with these events, but outwardly nothing seemed to change. Joseph and Mary got married; Joseph continued to work in his carpentry shop; Mary kept house. We, too, have our ordinary day-to-day tasks to perform. But let us not miss the miracle of Jesus’ coming or all the miracles going on around us every day

On this last Sunday of Advent, we quietly reflect on the mystery. We rest in awe, in wonder, at how our God entered our world and came to be with us. We pause to receive the gift offered us: that the Spirit of God will open up our lives and that Jesus will really come into our hearts.
May we have watchful hope today, believing what the Lord promises us. Let us pray today, that we might be God's servants, that we might be instruments of God's love for our families and all we serve this week

Go for a ride tonight and view all the colorful Christmas lights. See them as if you have never viewed such wonder before. Allow the lights to shine in your soul and give back to God any pain or hurt you harbor in your heart

O ANTIPHONS

The “O Antiphons” refer to seven special antiphons that are recited (or chanted) preceding the Magnificat (the name given to Mary’s prayer found in Luke 1:46 -55) during Vespers (Evening Prayer). They are used during a special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before Christmas, Dec. 17-23.

The "O Antiphons" were first used by the Church in the 8th and 9th centuries. They are based on various titles used for the Christ in Scripture and incorporated into antiphons. In these "O Antiphons" the Church expresses her deep longing for the coming of the Messiah. The “O” antiphons are used in the popular Advent hymn

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

December 17 - O Wisdom

Today marks the first day of the "O" antiphons

As we enter into the closing days of Advent, one can almost hear the choirs in the churches singing O, Come, O Come, Emmanuel, the song which is a welcome to the coming of Christ in our midst as we prepare to celebrate His birth. This song is composed from an old prayer form called the "O Antiphons" which are part of the Liturgy of the Hours

Wisdom cried aloud in the street, in the open square, she raises her voice...
Proverbs 1:20

The Advent hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is based on the "O Antiphons" and was written sometime during the 9th Century. The hymn begins with the last antiphon.

O come, o come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

O WISDOM, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: COME, and teach us the way of prudence. Amen.

O Wisdom, O holy word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care: Come and show your people the way to salvation.

O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who orders all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

Amen

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ever faithful to your promises and ever close to your Church: the earth rejoices in hope of the Savior's coming and looks forward with longing to his return at the end of time.
Prepare our hearts and remove the sadness that hinders us from feeling the joy and hope which his presence will bestow, for he is Lord for ever and ever.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

The Third Sunday of Advent offers us more of the promise. The words used by the prophet Isaiah to describe God's vindication are the ones Jesus points to as describing his own mission: The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God

Today is “joy” Sunday; we light the pink candle in the Advent wreath; we sing songs of joy. This week, remember that Jesus has won the victory; we have nothing to fear

Today is called Gaudete Sunday because the word means rejoice. The Prophet Zephaniah tells the people that the Lord will rejoice over them in gladness, and renew them in love.

The joy of the Church today is in the coming of Jesus – once and every day – to bring us peace and joy and gladness and love.

In the Gospel of John we are told that John the Baptist has come to testify to the Light, but he is not the Light. Jesus is the Light of the World for whom we wait during Advent

May this Advent season help us welcome Jesus, the Emmanuel and the Wonder Worker, with all our hearts and lead us toward the “New Earth” promised to us

Our vulnerability can become our strength. Our role as a Christian community is to “cheer up the fainthearted, support the weak and be patient with everyone.”

We begin this third week of Advent asking to feel the joy that comes from knowing our Lord's coming to us is near. In these precious days ahead, we are praying, longing, hoping in the background of our everyday lives.
His mission is to the poor, the brokenhearted, prisoners and captives. His mission is for us. It is "good news," full of healing, liberty and release. We can smile today as we imagine the freedom he has won for us and how liberating it will be to live it, with him, for others. It is right to give our God thanks and praise.

Decorate your front door today. Let the world know that they are welcome in your house and that the birth of Christ is celebrated there

A BLESSING FOR THE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

Each Christmas ornament tells a story and carries a blessing.

To counter the typical frantic rush of the season, let the Christmas tree stand bare for a week and then bless the ornaments while placing them on the tree. This is a good way to observe how Advent is a time of anticipation and longing

Have each family member choose a favorite ornament and hold it. Select someone or ask someone to volunteer in leading the following blessing

God, we ask you to bless these ornaments. Each one of these represents a thread in the tapestry of our family's life together. We gather today to be mindful of how you have been present with us through all our days. We know that you are present with us now as our family story continues to unfold. Help us to see one another as precious and dear, to treat one another with tenderness and care, and to enjoy and celebrate the joy that each one of us brings to the family. We ask you this in a spirit of memory and celebration.

After the blessing, your family might take time to share stories connected to some favorite ornaments

The ornaments upon our tree

Have secrets of their own,

Of other trees and Christmases

That each of them have known.

The chipped ones hung upon our trees

Before the children came;

The elves were bought for our first son

Who gave them each a name;

Our daughter made the paper rings

When she was only three;

And we all picked out the angel

That crowns our Christmas tree.

They're all different shapes and colors,

But we know and love them all.

And if they could only speak,

What joys they could recall.

By Kay Andrew

2nd Sunday of Advent, December 7th, 2008

The prophet Isaiah wrote,

See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'

Mark 1:2-3

And John, the messenger of God, proclaimed to all the people who came to him in the wilderness that they must repent of their sins and be baptized. Many people heard his message, repented, and were baptized in the river Jordan.

It has become our custom to prepare for the birth of the Messiah by decorating our cities and homes, hanging lights inside and out, singing of Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and measuring the quality of our Christmas morning by the number of gifts we receive on Christmas morning.

This is your chance at a fresh start, to make things right with God. That is John the Baptist’s message – the message of the Saint of Second Chances. And like second chances, he doesn’t necessarily appear when or how we expect him to

Light the second candle on the Advent wreath.

As we light this second candle in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, perhaps we need to listen again to John the Baptizer's message, preparing the way of the Lord:

. . . make straight the paths
. . . repent of your sins
. . . be baptized
. . . and live holy lives devoted to God.

Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Amen

Since Jesus’s death, we now also have the hope of his return, the Second Advent

After he had said this, he was taken to heaven. A cloud hid him so that they could no longer see him. They were staring into the sky as he departed. Suddenly two men in white clothes stood near them. They asked, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking at the sky? Jesus, who was taken from you to heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.

Acts 9-11

God, who gives the light of the sun to the earth, and who gave us your Son Jesus, who is the Light of the World, grant us the light of understanding in this blessed season. May our rejoicing over hope fulfilled in the past prepare us for confidence in your future promises.

Thank you that we have seen the great hope of humanity fulfilled in Jesus’ coming. We rejoice in the promise of the hope of his return, and of going to be with him for eternity.

Listen to the Saint of Second Chances – and take hold of every one that comes your way. The dark days of December,
after all, are not an ending. As Mark reminds us, they are the beginning

St. Nicholas - The Advent Saint

St. Nicholas – An Advent Saint

Advent is the time when Christians prepare to greet Christ—who came as a babe in a manger, who comes into our lives each day, and who will come again at the end of time. Advent is the time when people of faith are most at odds with the culture.

The church calls people to focus on getting ready to receive Christ—preparing hearts and lives to make room for Jesus, to live as he would have us live. It is a time of longing, not fulfillment. Quiet reflection, not celebration.

The culture, however, is already in a time of festivity, unable or unwilling, to wait and contemplate and prepare for the real festival. It is not easy to observe Advent without being pulled prematurely into Christmas.

How does St. Nicholas fit into all of this? He is an Advent because his December 6th always falls in early Advent (Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas). However, Nicholas is a good Advent saint for more important reasons than the date of his special day. Whatever he did, and it is said that he did many kinds of amazing things, may not be as important as the way he did it.

Nicholas became so popular because he was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. His life clearly reflected the way each one of us is called to show God's love to others, especially those in need.

Celebrating St. Nicholas on his day in Advent brings a bit of fun and festivity into homes, churches, and schools. His small treats and surprises help keep the spirit of good St. Nicholas, especially when stories of his goodness and kind deeds are told and ways to express his care for those in need are sought.

Saint Nicholas helps us remember Christmas is a feast of love, hope, kindness and generosity.

Yes, Nicholas is a good Advent saint.

O CHRISTMAS TREE

With the celebration of Advent each year, everything old can be new again. Each year gives ourselves and our family an opportunity to remember and anticipate the celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas morning

Blessing the Christmas tree is a fun way to begin the Christmas season. You may bless the tree as soon as you put it up, or you can wait until after you have decorated it. When you are ready to do the blessing, gather everyone around the tree and designate someone to lead the following prayer

Loving God, we stand before you once again. We stand here ready to celebrate the birth of your son, Jesus

Have everyone extend a hand in a gesture of blessing

Bless this tree, this sign of life and freshness and perseverance in our midst. It stands as a reminder that you are born anew in us each day. Bless our family and friends as we celebrate this joyous season. Keep us safe in our travels, kind in our conversations, and gracious in our giving and receiving. We ask you this in confidence, because we know you love us

Join in singing a favorite Christmas carol, such as

O Christmas Tree

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!

How are thy leaves so verdant!

Not only in the summertime,

But even in winter is thy prime.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

How are thy leaves so verdant!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Much pleasure doth thou bring me!

For every year the Christmas tree,

Brings to us all both joy and glee.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Much pleasure doth thou bring me!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Thy candles shine out brightly!

Each bough doth hold its tiny light

That makes each toy to sparkle bright.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Thy candles shine out brightly! .