The Days of Christmastide -- more than twelve!

CatholicCulture.org ^ | not given | Catholic Culture.org

[Salvation]

The purest of Virgins gave us our God, who was this day born of her, clothed in the flesh of a Babe, and she was found worthy to feed him at her Breast: let us all adore Christ, who came to save us.

Ye faithful people, let us all rejoice, for our Savior is born in our world: this Day there has been born the Son of the great Mother, and she yet a pure Virgin.

O Queen of the world, and Daughter of a kingly race! Christ has risen from thy womb, as a Bridegroom coming from the bride-chamber: He that rules the stars lies in a Crib. — Antiphon from the ancient Church of Gaul

• Day One activity (Christmas Drama)
• Day One recipe (Breton Nut Bread)

[Salvation]

Follow along for 17 days.

[Salvation]

Fun ping — liturgy ping — saint ping — recipe ping — and more!

[rbosque]

Bump!

[Salvation]

Felix dies Nativitatis

Merry Christmas - Glædelig Jul - Veselé Vánoce - Vrolijk Kerstfeest - Häid Jõule - Hyvää Joulua - Joyeux Noël - Fröhliche Weihnachten - Boldog Karácsonyt - Gleðileg Jól - Nollaig Shona - Buon Natale - Il-milied It-tajjeb - God Jul - Wesołych Świąt - Feliz Natal - Un Crăciun Fericit - C Pождеством Xристовом - Nollaig Chridheil - Vesele Vanoce - Feliz Navidad - Noeliniz Kutlu Olsun

 

[Bigg Red]

Beautiful!

[Salvation]

Christmastide Thoughts and Suggestions

Christmastide - Christmas Eve

An excellent introduction to the Christmas season and celebrations in the "Domestic Church" is found in the following excerpts from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (on theVatican web site). Links to resources on our web site are provided.

Christmastide 
106. During Christmastide, the Church celebrates the mystery of the Lord's manifestation: His humble birth in Bethlehem which was made known to the shepherds, the first of Israel to welcome the Savior; the Epiphany to the three wise men who had "come from the East" (Mt 2:1), the first of the Gentiles who recognized and adored Christ the Messiah in the child of Bethlehem; the theophany at the river Jordan in which the Father declares that Jesus is His "well-beloved Son" (Mt 3:17) at the outset of His messianic mission; the miracle of Cana in which Jesus "manifested His glory and His disciples believed in Him" (John 2:11).

107. In addition to these celebrations recalling the primary meaning of Christmas, there are also other celebrations closely connected with the mystery of the Lord's manifestation: the martyrdom of the Holy Innocents (December 28) whose blood was shed because of hatred for Jesus and because of Herod's rejection of His lordship; the memorial of the Holy Name of Jesus, January 13; the feast of the Holy Family (Sunday in the octave of Christmas) celebrating the holy family in which Jesus "grew in wisdom and grace before God and men" (Lk 2:52); the solemnity of January 1, which recalls the divine, virginal and salvific motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and, although outside of Christmastide, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2), celebrating the encounter between the Messiah and His people, represented by Simeon and Anna, and the prophecy of Simeon.

108. Much of the richness and complexity of the mystery of the Lord's manifestation is reflected in displays of popular piety, which is especially sensitive to the childhood of Christ which reveals His love for us. Popular piety intuitively grasps:

• the importance of the "spirituality of gift", which is proper to Christmas: "a child is born for us, a son is given to us" (cf. Is 9:5), a gift expressing the infinite love of God, who "so loved the world that He gave His only Son" (John 3:16);
  
• the message of solidarity conveyed by the event of Christmas: solidarity with sinful man, for whom, in Christ, God became man "for us men and for our salvation"(118); solidarity with the poor, because the Son of God "who" was rich but became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of your poverty" (II Cor 8:9);
  
• the sacredness of human life and the wonderful event that is every birth, since the Word of life came amongst men and was made visible through his birth of the Virgin Mary (cf. I John 1:2);
  
• the messianic joy and peace to which man has aspired in every age: the Angels announce the birth of the Savior of the world to the shepherds, the "Prince of Peace (Is 9:5) and proclaim "peace on earth to men of good will" (Lk 2:14);
  
• the spirit of simplicity and poverty, humility and trust in God, suggested by the events surrounding the birth of Christ.

Popular piety, precisely because it can intuit the values inherent in the mystery of Christ's birth, is called upon to cooperate in preserving the memory of the manifestation of the Lord, so as to ensure that the strong religious tradition surrounding Christmas is not secularized by consumerism or the infiltration of various forms of neopaganism.

Christmas Eve
109. In the space of time between the first Vespers of Christmas and Midnight Mass, both the tradition of Christmas carols, which are potent means of conveying the Christmas message of peace and joy, and popular piety propose certain forms of prayers, differing from country to country, which should be cherished and, where necessary, made consonant with the celebration of the Liturgy: These would include:

• "Live cribs" and the inauguration of the crib in the homes of the faithful which is an opportunity for family prayer: this prayer should include a reading of St. Luke's account of the birth of Christ, the typical Christmas carols, as well as prayers of petition and praise, especially those of children who are the protagonists in such family moments;
  
• the inauguration of the Christmas tree. This event also offers an opportunity for family prayer. Apart from its historical origins, the Christmas tree has become a potent symbol today and is very diffuse amongst Christians; it evokes both the tree planted in the center of Eden (Gen 2:9), and the tree of the Cross, which lends it a Christological significance: Christ is the true tree of life, born of human stock, of the Virgin Mary, the tree which is always green and productive. In the Nordic countries, the tree is decorated with apples and hosts. "Gifts" can be added; but among the gifts placed under the tree, something should be included for the poor since they belong to every Christian family;
  
• the Christmas supper. The Christian family, which traditionally blesses the table and gives thanks to the Lord for the gift of food, performs this ceremony with greater intensity at the Christmas supper, which gives potent concrete expression to the joy of family ties.

110. Where possible, the Church desires that the faithful should prepare for the celebration of Midnight Mass on December 24 with the Office of Readings. Where such is not possible, it may be opportune to arrange a vigil of hymns, readings, and elements drawn from popular piety.

111. At Midnight Mass, an event of major liturgical significance and of strong resonance in popular piety, the following could be given prominence:

• at the beginning of Mass, the proclamation of the Savior's birth according the formula contained in the Roman Martyrology could be made in song;
  
• the prayer of the faithful should really be universal, and where appropriate, use several languages; and the poor should always be remembered in the presentation of the gifts;
  
• at the end of Mass, the faithful could be invited to kiss the image of the Child Jesus, which is then placed in a crib erected in the church or somewhere nearby.

See also Christmas Eve: Blessings for Tree and Crib - Mealtime Prayers for the Christmas Season

[Salvation]

The Second Day of Christmastide

December 26, Feast of St. Stephen

Saint Stephen is the first martyr of the Church, and is the patron of stonemasons, masons, bricklayers, deacons, headaches, and horses. His story comes from the Acts of the Apostles. He is usually pictured in deacon's vestments, holding the symbol of martyrdom, a palm branch. Sometimes he has a stone in his left hand, to indicate his death by stoning. He is depicted in many images wearing a wreath, which refers to the origin of his name, the Greek word Stephanos meaning "wreath."

"If you know what witness means, you understand why God brings St. Stephen, St. John, and the Holy Innocents to the crib in the cave as soon as Christ is born liturgically. To be a witness is to be a martyr. Holy Mother Church wishes us to realize that we were born in baptism to become Christ — He who was the world's outstanding Martyr." — Love Does Such Things, by Rev. M. Raymond, O.C.S.O.

• Day Two activity (Boxing Day)
• Day Two recipe (St. Stephen's Horns)

[Litany]

Thank you.
Christmas Blessings.

[Salvation]

A blessed Christmastide to you.

Someone tried to wish me Happy New Year today and I replied that it was still Christmastide.

They looked at me like they did not understand.......oh, well.

[SuziQ]

Ah, the Feast of Stephen. One of my favorite Christmas Carols is “Good King Wenceslas”.

[Tax-chick]

40 days to the Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas). I don’t think we’ll keep the tree up that long, what with the catz, and the baby about to crawl.

[Tax-chick]

My oldest son’s Confirmation name is Vaclav (Wenceslaus). He was a young soldier-prince, sort of a Prince Caspian figure.

[Salvation]

The Third Day of Christmastide

December 27, Feast of the Holy Family

Today is the feast day of the Holy Family, but also every family's feast day, since the Holy Family is the patron and model of all Christian families. Today should be a huge family feast, since it is devoted entirely to the Holy Family as a model for the Christian family life. As Rev. Edward Sutfin states:

"The children must learn to see in their father the foster-father St. Joseph, and the Blessed Mother as the perfect model for their own mother. The lesson to be learned is both practical and theoretical, in that the children must learn how to obey and to love their parents in thought, word and action, just as Christ was obedient to Mary and Joseph. Helping mother in the kitchen and in the house work, and helping father in his odd jobs about the home thus take on a new significance by being performed in a Christ-like spirit." (True Christmas Spirit, ©1955, St. Meinrad Archabbey, Inc.)

• Day Three activity (Holy Family Celebration)
• Day Three recipe (Popcorn Balls)

[Salvation]

Did you Know?

The Advent Wreath: circle of the wreath symbolizes life without end… evergreen symbolizes life amidst the darkness/death of winter… candles represent Jesus, the Light of the world.

 

The Poinsettia: comes to us from Mexico where it is called “Flor de la Noche Buena” – “Flower of the Holy Night”. It is thought to resemble the star of Bethlehem. It was brought into the United States in 1828 by Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. minister to Mexico.

 

 The Christmas Tree:  was brought into this country by the Pennsylvania Germans. An early legend attributes the custom of the Christmas tree to St. Boniface who was a missionary to the Germanic Druids. He is said to have pointed to a small evergreen and told the Druids to accept it as the tree of the Christ child. Boniface told them that it was the wood of peace because their homes were built of it. And it was the sign of everlasting life because its leaves were always green. Whenever they looked upon it they were to think of God’s loving gifts and to remember to do acts of kindness.

 

Mistletoe: it is considered a plant of peace. Enemies who met under it would not fight but would call a truce for the day. Today it is connected with the symbolism of affection.

 

Holly: the red berries are a reminder of the drops of blood that Jesus shed and the pointed leaves are a symbol of the crown of thorns. 

Gift-giving: Christians offer each other gifts to express their joy over the coming of Jesus who is God’s gift to humanity and to express the love they have for one another.

Las Posadas: is a traditional Hispanic observance of the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. The purpose of the ritual is to prepare for the spiritual significance of the Feast of Christmas.

 

Jesse Tree: a tree or branch on which to hang symbols tracing the genealogy of Christ. Different symbols can be designed or decorated using the many different books that have scriptural verses and suggested symbols.

 

Advent Calendar: a calendar defining daily actions/prayers in preparation for the coming of Jesus.

 

 

Christmas Lights: represent Christ who brought light and joy into the world.

[SuziQ]

I didn’t even know that Vaclav was a version of Wenceslas!

[Tax-chick]

I didn’t, either, until I read a piece in the “Voice of the Martyrs” newsletter at the time Bill was looking for a Confirmation name. He’d said he wanted a military figure, and it seemed like a good choice, a gallant young man not much older than 15. And we were able to bring in Vaclav Havel and Vaclav Klaus, the founders of the post-Communist Czech Republic.

Of course, St. Vaclav ended up losing - killed by his stepmother and half-brother - but life is like that sometimes.

[Salvation]

The Fourth Day of Christmastide

December 28, Feast of the Holy Innocents

The Holy Innocents saved the Child Jesus from death by King Herod by the shedding of their own blood. The Holy Innocents are the special patrons of small children, who can please the Christ Child by being obedient and helpful to parents, and by sharing their toys and loving their siblings and playmates.

The feast of the Holy Innocents is an excellent time for parents to inaugurate the custom of blessing their children. From the Ritual comes the form which we use on solemn occasions, such as First Communion. But parents can simply sign a cross on the child's forehead with the right thumb dipped in holy water and say: May God bless you, and may He be the Guardian of your heart and mind—the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

• Day Four activity (Holy Innocents)
• Day Four recipe (Blanc Mange)

[Salvation]

The Fifth Day of Christmastide

December 29, Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Given the tempo of the liturgical season with its feasts it is easy to overlook that one saint who for many centuries was, after Mary and Joseph, the most venerated person in European Christendom.

St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury was assassinated in his cathedral on December 29, 1170 because of his opposition to his former friend, King Henry II of England, who was encroaching on the liberties of the English Church.

Devotion to him spread like wildfire. He was enshrined in the hearts of men, and in their arts. In statues and stained glass, in song and story this good bishop was everywhere to be found: France, Italy, Spain, Sweden. Many miracles were attributed to his heavenly advocacy. — Excerpted from Days of the Lord

• Day Five activity (Caroling)
• Day Five recipe (Popcorn Balls)

[Tax-chick]

Great guy, St. Thomas, in his way. The movie makes it much more political than I think is realistic.

The Catholic homeschool group here did caroling at nursing homes before Christmas. We couldn’t participate because we were too busy with choir work in our parish. I’m going to suggest, next year, that we do it in the season of Christmas. They might get more participation, since most families don’t hold school between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

[Salvation]

That sounds like a great suggestion — and the residents of the nursing homes would still love it.