The Twelve Days of Christmas

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Manger at Bethlehem: 12 Days of Christmas Icon.

DAY 7: TAKE IN THIS MOMENT

Look around. take in this moment.

It will never come again.

Accept the blessing, wrap yourself in its embrace

Glimpse the glory of the Giver

in the wonder near at hand

Celebrate, for God is in this time and place.

We all have had our own individual experience of 2009.

Mine has been a tumultuous year with my dad's long illness and his death during the year and its aftermath. I have also celebrated a milestone birthday- the first birthday and Christmas without dad were not easy.   God provided the giftedness of other supportive people who encouraged me during these moments.  In the many months of physical, emotional and spiritual darkness, God gave me the strength to keep my faith alive and carried me in the palm of His Hand. As 2009 comes to a close I thank God for the many blessings given.

Let us rejoice together as we remember

' Jesus is the reason for the season'.

May God stir you today and give your heart and soul a voice

to sing of His boundless love for YOU.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Manger at Bethlehem: 12 Days of Christmas Icon.

DAY 6: GIVE MY HEART A VOICE.

Give my heart a voice

To tell all the world about my Saviour-

Give my soul a song that will ring across the years,

A song that sings Your boundless love

In sunshine or in shadow

A Psalm of praise for all my days

through happiness or tears.

May God stir you today and give your heart and soul a voice

to sing of His boundless love for YOU.

Spirituality In Action (SIA) no 2 -Christmastide.

SIA WITH CHRISTMAS CARDS

MANGER SCENE 

HOW TO REPURPOSE  CHRISTMAS CARDS/

What do you do with your Christmas Cards after Christmastide is over?

For many years,  I have scanned the pictures for use, updated the Christmas card list and kept the cards in a drawer we have called 'the Christmas drawer'.

However, I felt I could do something more with these cards and  have decided to:

• Use the Christmas Cards as my SIA during Christmastide by dividing the number of people on my card list by 12 (for the 12 days of Christmas), and then are praying for these people each day.
• Contact my Christmas card friends throughout the year- dividing the number of people by each month makes it simple enough to pray for them for that month and to stay in contact.
• Send the cards to a friend who recreates new Christmas cards from these cards. The proceeds of the sale of the recycled cards go to the missions.

Will YOUR Christmas Cards be a SIA for YOU?

The Twelve Days of Christmas

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Manger at Bethlehem: 12 Days of Christmas Icon. 

DAY 5: 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

BE IN THE SEASON OF PEACE.

Let us be in this season 

With hope in our hearts-

Let us gather together and bring

A new prayer for peace

And goodwill for all people

As gifts for our Saviour and King.

May the Lord give strength to you and bless you with peace today.

-The Twelve Days of Christmas

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Manger at Bethlehem: 12 Days of Christmas Icon.

DAY 4:12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

God spoke...
and Light broke through the darkness.
God came...
Love broke through the Light.
God be praised 
For the Light and Love of Jesus.

May the Joy and peace that life in Jesus brings be yours

in this season of Christmastide. 

Opening Prayer-Feast of the Holy Family.

OPENING PRAYER SERIES

THE MASS : OPENING PRAYERS SERIES ICON

OPENING PRAYER

The Opening Prayer of the Mass for the feast of the Holy Family reads as follows:

Let us pray

( as the family of God, who share in His life)

Father in Heaven, creator of all,

You ordered the earth to bring forth life

and crowned its goodness by creating the family of man.

In history's moment when all was ready,

You sent Your Son to dwell in time,

obedient to the laws of life in our world.

Teach us the sanctity of human love,

show us the value of family life,

and help us to live in peace with all men

that we may share in Your life for ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for my life during this week, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. Thinking of my relationship with my Father in Heaven at this present time, how might I improve it during this week?

2 How might I appreciate my Father in Heaven as Creator (eg: open my eyes and take a leisurely reflective walk to value the magnificence of nature).

3 How might I crown my fellow human being as Father God has crowned me? (eg :listen attentively, express gratitude).

4.What laws of the world do I find difficult to uphold? ( eg: how is my driving)

5. What is my attitude towards the sanctity of human love- what steps can I make this week to improve it?

6.Do I really value family life and what shape does living in peace with all men take this week? (eg: try to visit the crib each day to reflect with the Holy Family).

Spirituality In Action: This Christmas

SPIRITUALITY IN ACTION (SIA) FOR THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

With the preparations during Advent and the celebration of Christmas itself, it usually takes me a couple of days to wind down enough to be able to reflect on how I might be able to bring to birth the progress made during Advent into the liturgical season of Christmastide in my life.

Manger at Bethlehem

The reflection poem "This Christmas" offers me a SIA challenge.

THIS CHRISTMAS

Mend a quarrel

seek out a forgotten friend

share some treasure

give a soft answer

encourage others

keep a promise

find time

listen

apologise if you were wrong

be gentle

laugh a little

laugh a little more

express your gratitude

welcome a stranger

gladden the heart of a friend

take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of our earth

speak your love

speak it again

speak it still once more

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Manger At Bethlehem: 12 Days of Christmas series icon.

DAY 3:  12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Jesus the Christ

Proclaimed by prophets

acclaimed by angels,

He has come, just as foretold

Beloved Son

Anointed One

In Him God's glory is revealed.

His name is Emmanuel -God is with us.

May you experience His presence in your life today.

The Twelve days of Christmas

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Manger at Bethlehem: 12 Days of Christmas Series Icon.

 DAY 2: 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Christmas

Hymns have tried to capture all its wonder.
Books of wisdom leave it unexplained.
Paintings have attempted to portray it,
But its meaning will forever be contained
In the words a mother whispered by a manger
A Word she heard God's angel first proclaim:
JESUS 
all the shining glory of Christmas
Is found within that holy precious name.

How will you reflect on the season of Christmas in your life today? 

The Twelve Days of Christmas

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Manger at Bethlehem: 12 Days of Christmas Series Icon.

   Day 1: 12 DAYS CHRISTMAS SERIES.

How many times have you heard it said ' Christmas is only one day'?

As we know this is correct if we think of Christmas day only. Liturgically however, the season of Christmas commences on Christmas Day and closes with the feast of the Epiphany. Christmastide is the second most important feast of the liturgical year, with the Pascal mystery celebrated at Easter being the number one place. However, Christmas is vital, because Christ took on our flesh and came into the world to save us- that is what Jesus means- God saves.

In this series, the Twelve Days of Christmas, I will offer a Christmas reflection and I hope that you will experience the season of Christmas both liturgically and in your life.

CHRISTMAS REFLECTION

A CHRISTMAS BLESSING.

May you hear the wonder of angels

in the conversations of 'shepherds'

May the bright star light illuminate your quest,

may wise people gift you from their treasure.

May your trust be as convinced as was Mary's

and your faithfulness be as sure as Joseph's.

May love enfold you as an infant's wrap

and smile upon you in every endeavour

And stretch to reach out

to uphold you in all that life brings.

May you know the strength of joy

The serenity of Peace

The possibilities of Hope

ADVENT IN REVIEW

ADVENT IN REVIEW

Well here in my part of the world, it is Christmas Eve, so the season of Advent is drawing to a close. There is always those last-minute things to be done on Christmas Eve. I know I can get caught up in the busyness of it all, that the opportunity to review my Advent slips past me.

It is now around 11pm and now I can spend this precious quiet time considering this beautiful season of Advent.

ADVENT WREATH

THEMES OF ADVENT

Let us consider some of the themes of Advent- a season of

• hope and joy and expectancy with a desire to be ready to meet Christ
• needing to prepare the way for Lord- the building a highway in the desert places for my God is essential to spiritual growth.
• opening my heart to God and looking at my hindrances which prevent me from receiving Christ with joy
• integrating- putting my spirituality into action in my life during this season in practical ways.

As I compare my previous Advents to this Advent, I feel that this Advent has been different and that God has blessed it as I journeyed towards Him to Bethlehem. I know that there are areas of the highway that still need more work- I am a work in progress and my building a highway in the desert places of my life is ongoing. I thank God that Advent is the start of the liturgical year and that the themes of Advent which the Church encourages us to consider can be carried into remaining liturgical seasons.

I hope that as you make your final preparations for Christmas, that you too can review your Advent and take courage to continue the spiritual journey as you pray from the heart 'Come Lord Jesus'.

May your Advent review fill you with hope, love, joy and peace as you prepare the way for the Lord.

 .

Bible Reading Methods Part 4

Bible Reading Methods Part 3

HOW TO READ THE BIBLE IN A YEAR: PART 4.

The Bible : Bible Reading Methods Icon.

 Welcome to my final post on Bible Reading Methods.

‘It’s a cold, stormy night. 

You run across the car park to your car 

as the wind and rain beat against your face. 

You grope in your pockets for your keys and

…nothing. 

It takes a few seconds for you to admit to yourself 

that you locked your keys inside the car.

      Your frustration mounts.

Less than three feet away 
lies the key to your escape from the storm  
yet you might as well be a thousand miles away.

This is the frustration many people experience when they try to understand the Word of God.  They know the answers to their problems must be there within the pages of the Scripture, but they can’t find the key that will help them unlock its truths. 

In this series, I have considered bible reading methods- reading it in a day with four focus questions in mind, or for those who like a more leisurely approach with input from another person, a more detailed approach was offered last week.  This week, I recommend 'how to read the Bible in a year'.  All approaches have their benefits of course, so it is a matter of finding one that suits you. There are a variety of choices available, of which a couple I have included in my post here.   

ADVANTAGES OF READING THE BIBLE

How to Read the Bible in a year is advantageous because:

1. There is a plan already established for each day, so getting started is made easy and staying with the plan is more likely.

  2. A passage is taken from both Old and New Testaments each day.

  3. There is often a link between the passages given, so it provides further food for thought for reflection.

  

  4. The Bible is read in a year, which provides us with the opportunity to hear the Scripture proclaimed at Mass in context.

God’s Word is confronting and challenging  but He promises also to walk at our side as our light for the journey, our Friend and our Guide.  

May the Spirit help you find YOUR KEY.

SIA week 4 of Advent

SPIRITUALITY IN ACTION ADVENT SERIES.

SIA- Coming to me at Mass and on Catholic Television.

Advent Wreath

Yesterday, at Mass, after listening to the Opening Prayer (Collect) said by the Priest, my mind recalled the reflection questions that had emerged whilst writing my post on the Opening Prayer. (Check out Week 4 Opening Prayer Post). As I was at Mass, I tried to refocus, deciding to reflect later in the day.

However, whilst reciting the Nicene Creed, the words ' for us men and our salvation' jumped out at me and echoed in my mind to such an extent that the rest of the creed washed over me as I heard the congregation reciting it. I was stopped in my tracks.

As I thought of this experience later in the day, I felt that this is indeed the answer to why the Opening Prayer on the Fourth Sunday of Advent refers to the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.

I realised that the Holy Spirit was inspiring me to remember that as we come to celebrate the birth of Christ, with all the beautiful sounds of the carols at Mass, the sight of the crib and our own Christmas celebrations, it is also timely to remember why Christ came:

' for us men and for our salvation'.

Naturally, the term 'men' is inclusive as it refers to species not gender. 

Both the Compendium of the Catholic Church and the Catechism of the Catholic Church are wonderful resources, and explore the Nicene Creed in depth.

I will be exploring these two great resources with you in my faith nurturing series in 2010.

 As I was watching a programme on Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) last night, I heard the following comment:

' Jesus was the first Christmas present'.

You might like to check out their website here.

My SIA today is to reflect on these two phrases in their immensity mentioned above, so that I will be ready to give my gifts with these thoughts in my heart.

I hope that by sharing these two experiences with you, it may provide food for thought as you make your final spiritual and practical preparations for Christmas.