Dear John, This week, we invite you to join our friars in five video meditations on the holiness of Advent and the joyous birth of Christ! Merry Christmas to all! In today's video, Clifford Hennings, OFM, shares how the Gospels connect Jesus' birth to a specific time and place, allowing us to relate to him at that very human level. Enjoy Father Cliff's video by clicking here. ▫️▫️▫️ If you are encouraged by our daily messages, consider donating here. God's peace to you! |
Saint of the Day for December 25:
Nativity of the Lord
Listen to the Story of the Nativity of the Lord Here
On this day, the Church focuses especially on the newborn Child, God become human, who embodies for us all the hope and peace we seek. We need no other special saint today to lead us to Christ in the manger, although his mother Mary and Joseph, caring for his foster-son, help round out the scene. But if we were to select a patron for today, perhaps it might be appropriate for us to imagine an anonymous shepherd, summoned to the birthplace by a wondrous and even disturbing vision in the night, a summons from an angelic choir, promising peace and goodwill. A shepherd willing to seek out something that might just be too unbelievable to chase after, and yet compelling enough to leave behind the flocks in the field and search for a mystery. On the day of the Lord’s birth, let’s let an unnamed, “non-celebrity” at the edge of the crowd model for us the way to discover Christ in our own hearts—somewhere between skepticism and wonder, between mystery and faith. And like Mary and the shepherds, let’s treasure that discovery in our hearts. Reflection The precise dating in the Scripture readings for today sounds like a textbook on creationism. If we focus on the time frame, however, we miss the point. It lays out the story of a love affair: creation, the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, the rise of Israel under David. It climaxes with the birth of Jesus. Some scholars insist that from the beginning God intended to enter the world as one of us, the beloved people. Praise God!
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Communion Call Stand in the winter’s cold Where the warmth of animals surrounds the mother’s
love,
And distant calls of shepherds,
Fresh from angels’ songs
Echo ancient stories of promise.
Unseen observer,
You are circled by centuries of saints,
Companion to martyrs on Rome’s bloody sands,
Wise teachers who shaped eloquent creeds,
Kings, queens, commoners, hermits, preachers,
Brave women who crossed seas,
Popes, too—shy now in the encircling darkness.
Beyond them in the shadows
Stand nomads with leathered faces full of fidelity,
The brooding prophets satisfied and smiling,
And the sinner-king, robed in ancestral pride.
They all come home tonight
And take one deep, ageless breath
As the great story’s relentless pace
Pauses
In the pinpoint moment
Of God born into our world. —adapted from the book Advent with the Saints: Daily Reflections
by Greg Friedman, OFM |
Rediscover the spirit of Christmas with New York Times best-selling author Thomas Moore who turns his attention to the most enduring story of them all: the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. The Soul of Christmas |
A Prayer for Those Who Work on Holidays Reflect For most of us, we are able to enjoy the peace and happiness of celebrating the holiday season around a table with our closest loved ones. On Thanksgiving or Christmas, we don’t have to worry about missing a day of work to be with our family. We can be fully present to the time in front of us. Yet, many American workers have to work on the holidays that many of us are able to enjoy. Perhaps this year around the table, we can remember those who will spend this holiday season working. Pray Giver of Grace,
We pray for those people who will be working this holiday season—
for those who will gather in break rooms, nurses stations, patient rooms,
waiting rooms, fast food lobbies. We honor their labors and the work required by those hands.
We pray for those who will feel lonely, who go unappreciated, or not seen by others.
Help us to think of these souls around our table.
Amen. Act Is there a creative way you might be able to bless people working this holiday season? Perhaps bake holiday cookies for retail workers or thank the person who bags your groceries by name each time you checkout. Make a point to truly see those who will be working throughout this holiday season. Today's Pause+Pray was written by Patricia Breen. Learn more here! |
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