And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Truly, the “dawn of redeeming grace.”

I hope I will have time to pay a visit to some of you throughout the day, but if things continue the way the morning has been going (burned popcorn for the tree strands, and now the whole house bears the fragrance), I have my doubts… unexpected overnight company last night…son has cold and sore throat and is supposed to read at the Mass this evening…and where oh where did I hide the stocking stuffers…

I’ve got a couple of more items to buy, and the groceries to get for Christmas dinner (will be serving ten at last count) but at least I have the turkey (hope it fits in the roasting pan; always a concern, isn’t it…)

And here are a few photos from around the house…

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha….

Son will have the rest of the popcorn strings finished soon!

A paper ornament just received from our sweet sponsor child in the Ukraine. He loves drawing and is very artistic.

Away in a manger…

Fireplace in the family room.

Those are little Christmas ornaments with the pinecones, not candy! They came out funny with my digital, but they’re really very pretty.

My “artistic” arrangement of fake Christmas greens with berries.

Madonna and Child made by the monks of the abbey of Saint-Martin-de-Cuxa which I got last time I was in France in 2001. At that time there were less than a handful of monks still at the abbey. The Madonna and Child stay on our sideboard year-round.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Do you remember “Grandpa” from The Waltons t.v. show? Well here’s Will Geer with a beautiful Christmas message he wrote many years ago, which will touch hearts in any country: 

Direct to YouTube for this video is here.

NOEL NOUVELET
(Traditional French)

1
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.
Dévotes gens disons à Dieu merci.
Chantons Noël, pour le roi nouvelet
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

2
Quand je m’éveillai et eus assez dormi.
Ouvris les yeux, vis un arbre fleuri.
Dont il sortait un bouton merveilleux,
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

3
Quand je le vis, mon coeur fut réjoui,
Car grand’ beauté resplendissait en lui.
Comme un soleil qui luit au matinet.
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

4
D’un oiselet bientôt le chant ouïs,
Qui aux pasteurs disait: Partez d’ici.
En Bethleem trouverez l’agnelet
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

5
En Bethleem, Marie et Joseph vis.
L’âne et le boeuf, l’enfant couché au lit.
La crèche était au lieu d’un bercelet.
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

6
L’étoile y vis qui la nuit éclaircit.
Qui d’Orient dont elle était sortie
En Bethleem les trois Rois amenait,
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

7
L’un portait l’or, l’autre la myrrhe aussi,
L’autre l’encens qu’il faisait bon sentir.
Du Paradis semblait le jardinet,
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

8
Quarante jours la nourrice attendit
Entre les bras de Siméon le rendit,
Deux tourterelles dedans un paneret.
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

9
Un prêtre vint dont je fus ébloui,
Qui les paroles hautement entendit,
Qui les mussa dans un petit livret.
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

10
Et si me dit: Berger, crois-tu ceci ?
Si tu y crois au Ciel seras ravi,
Si tu n’y crois, va d’enfer au gibet.
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

11
Quand Siméon le vit, fit un haut cri:
Voici mon Dieu, mon sauveur Jésus-Christ,
Voici celui qui gloire au peuple met.
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

12
En trente jours fut Noël accompli,
Par douze vers sera mon chant fini,
Par chacun jour j’en ai fait un couplet.
Noël nouvelet, Noël chantons ici.

532     After Holy Communion, I saw the Lord Jesus, who said these words to me:  Today, penetrate into the spirit of My poverty and arrange everything in such a way that the most destitute will have no reason to envy you.  I find pleasure, not in large buildings and magnificent structures, but in a pure and humble heart.

533     When I was by myself, I began to reflect on the spirit of poverty.  I clearly saw that Jesus, although He is Lord of all things, possessed nothing.  From a borrowed manger He went through life doing good to all, but Himself having no place to lay His head.  And on the Cross, I see the summit of His poverty, for He does not even have a garment on Himself.

Child of the Poor / What Child is This?

Direct to YouTube for this video is here.

[From:  The Life and Revelations of St. Gertrude the Great, 1256-1302]

“In Nazareth the concrete relationship between the Christian and God is created.  From there all Christians, particularly all the saints, draw the measure of their relationship to God.  The Son as God, Mary as the Immaculate Conception, and Joseph as Saint, participate as much in the grace of heaven as they do in earthly realities.  They could, if they wanted to, live as if in heaven while still here below.  But their mission puts them on earth, and only with great discretion do they make use of their heavenly life.  They themselves give earth the preponderance.  For the mission wills it so.  Therefore they do not live in Nazareth simply a life of pleasure and joy in one another.  They live there already for the Christians to come, for us.  The house at Nazareth is no closed house, nor a closed paradise; it has doors and windows that open out into the Church.  From this we ourselves learn first to order our lives behind closed doors and windows, until we, too, open them and place ourselves at the Church’s disposal.” 

[Excerpt from:  "Handmaid of the Lord", by Adrienne von Speyr]  

After the birth, Mary and Joseph had to open their temporary shelter to visitors of all kinds – shepherds, the Magi, curious passersby - and very likely at all hours of the day and night. 

During this week between Christmas and New Year’s, many of us will be visiting others or receiving visitors.  The pre-Christmas preparations and the activities of Christmas Eve/Christmas Day may have left us exhausted.  Although we dearly wish to spend time with people we love, some of whom  we only see at this time of year, we wonder sometimes how we will manage - how will we get through the afternoon or the evening without our fatigue showing?  And on a deeper level, how will we get beyond the conversation of “catch-up and chit-chat” and be really present to our hosts/guests, in a way that will allow the light of the Christ-child to shine?

In “Fresh Bread and Other Gifts of Spiritual Nourishment“, author Joyce Rupp gives us the following prayer, inspired by the Blessed Virgin’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth after the Annunciation.  I hope it will be a source of strength and inspiration to any readers who may be battling fatigue, yet dearly wish to make themselves available to friends/family/strangers during this Christmas season: 

A Prayer for Hospitality to the Mother of Jesus  

“Mary, the quality of your visit to Elizabeth draws me to prayer.  You teach me so much about welcoming others and of being other-centered.  You hurried quickly to where the need was.  You thought of Elizabeth.  You gave her joy, hope and promise, or rather, you allowed the Lord to do all of that through you.  You believed in the promise made to you by your God.  Is that why you could give and share, and visit the way you did?  You touched Elizabeth’s spirit and she felt the goodness of God in her life.  Mary, you understood so well God’s great love for you.  You trusted him so totally.  Your welcoming presence met Elizabeth and she cried out in recognition of the fulness of God within you.

Mary, dear woman of God pray for us, that we can be spiritual people of quality, of promise, of welcoming presence.  Help us to be full of hospitality, welcoming the Christ in all and allowing the Christ within us to be met and visited.  Amen.”   

When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all
But high from God’s heaven, a star’s light did fall
And the promise of ages it then did recall

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing
Or all of God’s Angels in heaven for to sing
He surely could have it, ’cause he was the King

A Performance of this Christmas Hymn provided by the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity:

Direct to YouTube for this video is here.

Direct to YouTube for this video is here.