3rd Day of Christmas
“The Adoration of the Magi,” oil painting by Albrecht Dürer, 1504, the Uffizi, Florence, Italy
The Three Magi: Caspar, Melchior & Balthasar
We three kings of orient are
Hymn by John Henry Hopkins, Jr.-1857, YouTube notes include lyrics
Image from Britannica
2nd Day of Christmas
The Two Testaments
The Old Testament
The New Testament
Image courtesy Mother of Our Savior, Inc, where you can buy it!
1st Day of Christmas
Christ the One Savior
Image “Christ in Majesty” at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, courtesy so-i-think-im-a-photographer-now.blogspot
Take the 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Journey with Us!
Each day we will provide links dealing with a theological concept corresponding to that particular day (5th Day of Christmas: 5 Books of the Pentateuch). This can be done with the whole family as a way to nourish your knowledge and appreciation of the Catholic Faith during this time between Christmas and Epiphany. (We will also post the traditional Blessing of the Home on Epiphany.) These activities don't need to be time-consuming. Links will be provided to a variety of media and resources...you take the ball and run with it. So, let’s get started…..
Raising Our Child Without Santa
It all started with eccentric Mr. Morgan, my high school English teacher. Everyone knew this guy marched to a different drummer. He was almost fired for refusing to wear a tie, but the students protested and he was spared. He was a Christian and become one of my first mentors. One day (I don’t recall the topic at hand), he blurted out something disturbing which I have never forgotten: “None of you know what you would be capable of doing to each other under the right conditions.” This struck me like lightning and I suspected, deep inside, that he was right. I resolved that I would never be one of those people. He couldn’t be talking about me. He told me once that he felt I had potential, more words I have never forgotten. While the rest of the high school administration made me feel like a crazy person or a criminal, he was one who instilled confidence in me.
Mr. Morgan was the first person I ever heard talk about raising his children without the Santa Claus myth. The idea was revolutionary to me and I nurtured it in my mind until I had my own child. I wanted to tell him from the very beginning the truth about Santa. Fortunately, my husband was onboard. At the earliest opportunity, we told him there is no Santa and it was all just a silly story. His presents come from us, no creepy guy sneaks down the chimney while you’re sleeping and how could reindeer fly when they don’t have wings? He was fine with all that and became a very bright and challenging little boy, the kind who drives you crazy, constantly asking “Why?”
Of course the inevitable happened. He got into Santa arguments with children at school and I thought, “Oh no, I’m gonna get a call one of these days.” It never happened. The other kids just stuck to their guns and thought he was crazy. No problem. That was that. He is now grown up and has thanked us many times for raising him without Santa.
Since I have spent many years cultivating an “anti-Santa” attitude, when I hear parents hailing his praises or see the guy at the mall, it seems so strange…so irrelevant and inappropriate to the celebration of the Birth of Our Lord. It reminds me of the words of Fr. Alfred Delp, who I discussed briefly in a recent post, words which are also of great value in our present situation:
"Other values of secondary importance impose themselves, making life inauthentic and bringing it under an alien law and an alien paradigm."
Please pray for dear Mr. Morgan, wherever he is:)
The Latest Fun from the Vatican
A week before Christmas, when no one has the time to analyze this…nothing is left to chance…it is all by design…everything that is happening now in the world is connected and it is all the result of…sin…
Traditionis Custodes: Vatican Further Tightens Restrictions on Traditional [Catholic Rites]
Traditional Catholics Sound Alarm as Rome Suppresses Most Old Rite Sacraments
Special thanks to New Advent for links to the above articles. Please go there for ongoing coverage.
5 Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas
[Edited since posting.]
I tried to make the “Advent” button to the right>>> as noticeable as possible. Did I succeed? Have you clicked on it? This takes you to the “Advent” category of the blog (if button is not there, please click “Advent” just above^^^). I would like to turn your attention to the posts on Fr. Alfred Delp, martyred in Germany under the Nazis. Advent was an important theme for him and his writings are particularly relevant at this time in history. He talks about the need for “calling voices,” which could not be more appropriate for the time we are living in right now. Please have a look!
The 5 points below were written for printing and distribution in churches or elsewhere. I have been printing this for years and it has gone through many drafts-this one I completed just today. You will see I had to be sensitive about the “Santa” issue, only because we all know there’s some “Karen” somewhere who will complain that we traumatized her child. My answer would be, “Any child who can read should not still believe a fat guy can fit down a chimney or a reindeer can fly!” One of these days, talking against Santa will be considered hate speech.
Please consider printing the PDF below and see if you can distribute it this coming Sunday or during the week before Christmas (I realize it’s a bit late getting it out, but better late than never and you can think of it as an Advent Spiritual Work of Mercy!). Of course, there are a number of other ways to share, so be creative! Here goes…
1) GIFT-GIVING: Since we want to remember that Christmas is about the birth of Our Lord, and not about luxuries, it is a good idea to keep presents to a minimum and not allow them to be extravagant. For parents, a nice idea is to give the children three presents, representing the three gifts given to the Christ Child by the magi: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Relatives may also be asked to buy only one gift per child. This way, the children will not be too overwhelmed. There will also be less clutter in the home!
2) DECORATING: To keep the emphasis on Christ, it is important to keep decorations to a religious, not a secular, nature. Since Christmas is a profound holyday, when we celebrate the Incarnation of God Himself, everything we do should be in keeping with this deep and awesome truth. This extends to the cards we send and even the wrapping paper we use.
3) THE CHRISTMAS TREE: The holy and reverent atmosphere we wish to create will also extend to the Christmas tree. Choosing ornaments relating to the religious celebration of Christmas can be easily done. Balls and ornaments featuring the nativity scene or the Madonna and Child can be found quite readily. Musical themes, candles and of course, angels, would all be good choices. This is not to suggest that pictures of loved ones, sentimental items or that ornament your child made at school, should be excluded. It’s the spirit of the tree that matters.
4) THE TRUTH ABOUT A CERTAIN CHARACTER: A character based on a holy man, Saint Nicholas, has become a challenger to Christ on this most holy of days. Children's minds are consumed by this idea and the materialism associated with it, instead of the real and far more incredible gift of God's Son. Telling our children the truth includes the following benefits:
the emphasis will be on the real Person of Christ rather than a fictional character
children will know that their presents come from their loving parents
the intellectual development of children will not be impeded by being encouraged to believe a story that goes against reason
the trust that children have in their parents will not be undermined when they come to realize the truth-the disappointment and hurt that is often felt at that time will not be experienced
5) SEASON OF ADVENT: Advent is a time of preparation, similar to Lent. We can encourage penance, as we do in Lent, or we could also focus on works of charity, which can be a wonderful activity for the whole family. This is also a great time to learn Christmas hymns (that you don't know all the words to) and to read and meditate upon the Incarnation. Also, down-scaling Christmas preparations can be a good idea if they've been too stressful in the past. It is wise to be mindful of the simplicity of the first Christmas. If the stable in Bethlehem is our starting point and our mindset, we cannot go wrong!
PRINTABLE VERSION: COLOR
PRINTABLE VERSION: BLACK
Thought for the Day
The universe does not revolve around me. A little disappointing. But mostly a huge relief. Actually, it’s very good news for the universe.
Just sayin.
December is the Month of the Divine Infancy & the Immaculate Conception
The good Christian name “John” is well-represented this month, as we honor 5 saints by this name: one the beloved of Christ, 2 Doctors of the Church, one visionary and one priestly professor. We also honor 5 Doctors of the Church: in addition to the 2 Johns, we have 2 Peters and St. Ambrose. December also contains the Ember Days, adding further to the preparation of Advent through prayer and penance. These are loosely concerned with the seasons, so there are many ways to be creative with children, combining the Ember Days, the coming season of winter and Christmas. It is wonderful to teach our children these traditions, so they will develop a love for the Catholic Faith and its many-faceted riches.
As for our themes this month, it is not difficult to combine the Divine Infancy with the Immaculate Conception. Mother and Child are inseparable, as the beautiful painting above shows. The Child Jesus points us toward His Nativity and the time of spiritual preparation for this joyful celebration. The sinless Virgin Mother serves to glorify the Infant Himself. There are many ways we can creatively celebrate both Mother and Child. One possibility is to participate in pro-life activities-there are so many ways to do this and to use one’s unique gifts. We may have done this 2 months ago in October, but the unborn ceaselessly need our help. If you do not have much time, you can always pray and offer up for them. Only 3 days after Christmas, we honor the Holy Innocents, further encouragement to remember God’s precious little ones this month as we prepare to celebrate His birth.
Here are some notable feasts from both the old and new calendars of the Roman Rite…
3-First Friday / St. Francis Xavier
4-First Saturday / St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church, Author Fount of Knowledge / St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor of the Church, Author of many great sermons / St. Barbara, Martyr
5-2nd Sunday of Advent (purple candle)
6-St. Nicholas
7-St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church, Author De Virginibus
8-IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY (obligation)
9-St. Juan (John) Diego, Seer of Our Lady of Guadalupe
10-OUR LADY OF LORETO
12-Gaudete Sunday (pink candle) / OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
13-St. Lucy / St. Odilia, Martyrs, Patronesses of the eyes (Odilia’s feast is non-standard)
14-St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church, Author Dark Night of the Soul
15-Ember Wednesday in Advent (trad meat at one meal)
17-Ember Friday in Advent
18-Ember Saturday in Advent (trad meat at one meal)
19-4th Sunday of Advent (purple candle)
21-St. Thomas, Apostle / St. Peter Canisius, Doctor of the Church, Author Summa of Christian Doctrine
23-St. John of Kanty, Priest, Professor of Sacred Scripture
24-VIGIL OF THE NATIVITY
25-NATIVITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (obligation)
26-THE HOLY FAMILY / St. Stephen, Protomartyr
27-St. John the Evangelist
28-The Holy Innocents
The stunning painting above is “Virgin with Angels” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. This is an ornament which can be purchased here.