31 Dec – Feast of the Holy Family; Sunday in the Octave of Christmas The Holy Family We celebrate that Holy Family of Nazareth which is the model for all who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. – the Sunday Missal ____________________ A Mother’s Paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 by Mrs Mervin Seashore [...]
30 Dec – Sixth Day within the Octave of Christmas Conquer Weakness Anonymous Lord Nelson, England’s famous naval hero, suffered from seasickness throughout his entire life. Needless to say, the man who destroyed Napoleon’s fleet did not let it interfere with his career and duties. he not only learned to live with this personal weakness, [...]
29 Dec – Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas Night and Day Anonymous Late one night the Teacher sat around a blazing fire with a small number of disciples. Their conversation was broken by periods of silence when they gazed at the stars or stared into the glowing embers. Suddenly the Teacher posed a [...]
27 Dec – Feast of St. John, apostle, evangelist St. John, also known as the “beloved disciple” of Jesus’ was the son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of St. James the Great, and was called one of the Sons of Thunder. Before becoming Jesus’ disciple, he was already a disciple of St. John the Baptist, [...]
26 Dec – Feast of St. Stephen, First Martyr St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. A deacon and a preacher, all we know of him is related in the Acts of the Apostles. While preaching the gospel in the streets, angry Jews who believed his message to be blasphemy dragged him outside the city, [...]
25 Dec – The Nativity of our Lord Meaning of Christmas Anonymous Once upon a cold Christmas Eve, a man sat in reflective silence before the flames flickering in the fireplace, thinking about the meaning of Christmas. “There is no point to a God who became human,” he mused. “Why would an all-powerful God want [...]
24 Dec – Fourth Sunday in Advent Mary’s Child: The Prince of Peace From the least of the clans of Judah, from Mary his lowly handmaid, God prepared a body for his Christ, who comes to fill the world with his spirit of peace. – the Sunday Missal ____________________ We’ve Lost Sight of Christmas by [...]
23 Dec – Memorial for St. John Kanty John Kanty (1390-1473) was a Polish country lad and a brilliant student at the University of Cracow in Poland. He became a priest and a professor of theology in that university, but was falsely accused and ousted by university rivals. At the age of 41, he was [...]
22 Dec Giving or Keeping Author Unknown I read somewhere that the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are formed by the same water supply. It flows down, clear and cool, from Mount Hermon. The Sea of Galilee makes beauty of its water, for the sea has an outlet. It gets to give. It [...]
21 Dec – Memorial for St. Peter Canisius, priest, doctor Peter Canisius (1521-1597) was known as the Hammer of Protestantism. He was educated in Cologne, Germany. An excellent student, he received a master’s degree by the age of 19. He became a Jesuit after attending a retreat conducted by Blessed Peter Faber. He was a [...]
