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:)
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
Christmas Wrap-Up...and going forward....
Christmas morning!
The detail and artistry of this Jim Shore Nativity set captivated me many years ago when I found it in a department store. The price was surprisingly reasonable and I have really enjoyed it all these years. I’ve never seen another one quite like it.
The sweetest Baby Jesus!
Sacred Heart Southern Missions sends Christmas Mass cards every year, which I usually send out. The one above was in the pack this year and I could not part with it. The expression on Baby Jesus’ face as He looks up so lovingly at His Mother, almost brings tears to my eyes. It reminds me of those wonderful days holding my own baby in my arms.
Holy Church now celebrates the traditional 12 Days of Christmas. A family tradition we have is to discuss something theological on each day, that corresponds to the number of that day. For instance, on Day 5, we might discuss the 5 Books of the Pentateuch. I’m not sure if I made this idea up-I think I did:)
After doing an Advent contemplation of my spiritual condition, I was moved with a spirit of mercy and forgiveness towards others…
“And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.”
Matthew 6:12
Remember the nasty neighbors during the reno? The one I was trying to keep it together with…I gave her a gift for her inconvenience. She accepted it graciously and we are on good terms again. The other who I had despaired of ever speaking to again…I wrote her a personal note to try to make peace. She came over my house a few days later with cookies and a gingerbread cake. A little Christmas spirit can go a long way!
Like I said in my previous post, I need a break after the past few months, so my posting will be light for the next 2 weeks. Look forward to our typical 1st of the month post on January 1st. In the coming days, we will get back into our Prepper Rosary Program and beyond!
Confused prepper Shihpoo-can’t decide if he wants to be seen in the wilderness or not!
December: Month of the Divine Infancy & the Immaculate Conception
“And the Word was made flesh.”
John 1:14
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Blessings to all in this new Church year! We are now several days into Advent. This is the time when we are in waiting for Our Savior, a time to perform appropriate spiritual exercises. If you have arrived at Advent unprepared, try to get it together this week. Certainly, a good confession before Christmas is probably in order for all of us, as our celebrant told us this past Sunday. December is traditionally dedicated to the Divine Infancy or the Immaculate Conception. Of course, we celebrate both great feasts this month. Perhaps our Advent devotions could include one or both of these themes.
This month honors 5 Doctors of the Church, 2 of whom share the same day. Saint Ambrose is known for his writings on devotion to the Blessed Mother. Reading his work this month would be one way to honor the Immaculate Conception. St. Nicholas, popularly associated with Christmas, has his feast on the 6th. In addition to the feast of the Immaculate Conception, 4 days later, we honor Mary under the wonderful title of “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” As if all of this is not enough, we have the Ember Days as well! Time to ramp-up the penance heat, especially in the wake of a dire year for Holy Church. Towards the end of the month, we honor the Holy Innocents-let us remember pro-life intentions as well.
Wishes to my readers for a most blessed Christmas and let us pray for a triumphant New Year in the Church! Here are some notable feasts this month…
4-First Friday / St. John Damascene, Doctor, “Doctor of Christian Art,” “Doctor of the Assumption” / St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor, “The Golden-Worded”
5-First Saturday
6-2nd Sunday of Advent / St. Nicholas
7-St. Ambrose, Doctor, “Patron of the Veneration of Mary”
8-IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Patroness of the USA (holy day of obligation before the NWO takeover)
12-Our Lady of Guadalupe
13-3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday / St. Lucy, Patroness of the blind
14-St. John of the Cross, Doctor, “Doctor of Mystical Theology”
16-Ember Wednesday in Advent (prayer and penance, trad meat at one meal)
18-Ember Friday in Advent (prayer and penance)
19-Ember Saturday in Advent (prayer and penance-trad meat at one meal)
20-4th Sunday of Advent
21-St. Thomas, Apostle / St. Peter Canisius, Doctor, “Doctor of the Catechism”
24-Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
25-NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (holy day of obligation before the NWO takeover, solemnity-no Friday penance) / St. Anastasia
26-St. Stephen, Protomartyr, Archdeacon (one of the original 7 deacons ordained by the Apostles)
27-Sunday in the Octave of the Nativity (trad) / The Holy Family / St. John the Evangelist
28-The Holy Innocents
New Years Blessings, etc......
"This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein."
(Psalms 117:24)
There is no day in all human history, all time, all place, in which we should not rejoice and be filled with absolute joy. For we have a loving Father in Heaven, who is intimately concerned with us. We must see past suffering to the true glory of Being. We must trust. And for us Catholics, it is an insult to Christ to be anything other than joyful. We receive Him in Holy Communion, we become one with Him, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity on High. Yes….anything less than joy is an insult to Him.
In preparedness circles, we see where the world is going. We see the cucarachas who run the world advancing in their diabolical agenda. It is easy to become fearful, to fear the future, to long for the past. But we must not fall into that sense of despair. We must create a vision of the future which is better, joyful, functional and Godly. A vision of the Authentic Life. For the lives we are living are far from authentic in the western world. We must believe in a better day and work toward it with joy. So when we say “Happy New Year,” we should mean what we say and say it from the heart. No fear. Just a joyful vision of what we are creating. That is what Nomen Christi Apostolate is all about!
Let us not forget the 12 Days of Christmas, which extend until Epiphany. Christmas Day is only the beginning of Christmas. Let us pray for peace in the coming year, for our Holy Mother Church and our Holy Father Pope Francis.
Please stay tuned in the coming months as our vision progresses. Blessings to all on this great feast of Mary the Mother of God and the Circumcision of Our Lord!