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CHRIST in Christmas

by Filed Under: Advent, Christmas 8 Comments

I’m participating in the Keeping Christ in Christmas Blog Carnival, hosted by Arma Dei/Equipping Catholic Families, Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom. We’ll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Jesus as the Reason for the Christmas season. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.

greatest-nativity

Keeping our eyes on Christ is my family’s daily goal.  During Advent it becomes even more important for us to work on keeping Christ in Christmas.

Our primary objective for keeping Christ in Christmas is to observe each liturgical season in it’s entirety.

Here are a few examples on how we try to keep the focus on Him during Advent & Christmas.

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The focus of Advent is preparation for the coming of the Lord — both in commemoration of His Nativity and His coming again at the end of time… The Christmas season does not begin until the first Mass at Christmas Eve, and doesn’t end liturgically until the Octave of the Epiphany on January 14. It goes on in the spiritual sense until Candlemas on February 2, when all celebrations of Christ’s Childhood give way to Septuagesima and Lent.

Sole focus is on preparing our hearts for Jesus.

      • Simple practices that help us keep this a penitential season.
      • Limited celebratory events.  No extracurriculars.  Similar to our Lenten practices.
      • Advent List, Christkindl, Jesse Tree, Christmas, Novena, and more.
      • We take a mock pilgrimage, Journey to Bethlehem.  Journey To Bethlehem is an interactive walking tour from the recreated town of Nazareth to Bethlehem.  The journey Gloria Holy Reflectionsrecreates the events that happened on the evening of Christ’s birth. 
      • Decorations are focused on Christ, only.  Nativities are the primary décor.  The lights must wait for Christmas.
      • Christmas music is limited (to the best of our ability) until Christmas day.
      • Gift giving is not emphasized.  That means no wish lists or presents stuffed under the tree.  Instead, acts of charity are discussed and encouraged.
          • Absolutely no Santa Claus.
      • All family members receive the sacrament of Confession during the Third and Fourth Sunday of Advent.
      • All family members present their hearts (gifts) during the Third and Fourth Sunday of Advent.  This is done by way of Adoration.  Each leaves a wooden heart at the nativity manager in Church.  The heart symbolizes their offering for Jesus. Our hearts are with Christ at His time of birth.  The hearts are picked up during the Christmas season and placed on the family altar as a reminder of our offering.

40 days after giving birth, Mary goes to the Temple to be purified and to “redeem” Jesus per the Old Testament Law of the firstborn. Christmas truly ends as a Season with Candlemas and the beginning of Septuagesima.

      • Put a small offering of gifts under the tree for the children on Christmas Eve.
      • Visit Our Lord and Savior at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Christmas Day.14820268-brussels--june-24-nativity-paint-on-the-wood-from-saint-antoine-church-on-march-2012-in-brussels
        • We visit Him before we ever turn towards a present. No opening any gifts on Christmas eve or Christmas morning – CHRIST IS FIRST!
      • Have a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas morning.
        • Happy birthday, cake, and the works.
      • Keep the Christmas decor up for the entire span of the Christmas season.  (Many think we’re nuts or lazy but it’s done all for His glory!)
      • REJOICE!!! Sing and play Christmas music all season!
      • Increase daily Mass attendance.

It is, that, from the day itself of our Saviour’s Birth even to the day of our Lady’s Purification, there is, in the Calendar,an extraordinary richness of Saints’ Feasts, doing homage to the master feast of Bethlehem, and clustering in adoring love round the Crib of the Infant-God. ~ “The Mystery of Christmas” from Dom Gueranger’s “The Liturgical Year”

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Keeping Christ in Christmas Blog Carnival Entries:

Please take the time to visit other blog carnival participants and leave a comment on their posts! The list will be updated throughout the day, so please do come back and check on them.  ALL FOR!

Solemn Rorate Mass

by Filed Under: Advent, Marian, Rorate 2 Comments

 

Solemn Rorate Mass from December 15th, 2012, at St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish. The Rorate Mass is a special votive mass for Our Lady during Advent, traditionally celebrated by candlelight in the early morning. St. Stephen’s is a parish run by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.


The piece is "Gabriel’s Message," a traditional Basque Advent carol, sung by the Choir and Choristers of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish on the album "The Little Road to Bethlehem.”

This video was created by a talented parishioner, Jennifer Rego.

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More on the Rorate Mass can be found here.

EROCRAS

by Filed Under: Advent, O Antiphons

The seven “O Antiphons” (also called the “Greater Antiphons” or “Major Antiphons”) are prayers that come from the Breviary’s Vespers during the Octave before Christmas Eve, a time which is called the “Golden Nights.”
Each Antiphon begins with “O” and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isaias and Micheas (Micah), and whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin “Ero Cras” which means “Tomorrow I come.”  ~ FisheatersO-Antiphons_02

17 Dec. O Sapientia – Wisdom

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodidisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come, and teach us the way of prudence.

18 Dec. O Adonai – Lord

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento..

O Lord and Ruler the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come, and redeem us with outstretched arms.

19 Dec. O Radix Jesse – Root o anitphons

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.

O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not.

20 Dec. O Clavis David – Key

O clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris.

O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: come, and lead forth the captive who sits in the shadows from his prison.

21 Dec. O Oriens – Dawn

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.

O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

22 Dec. O Rex Gentium – King

O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

O King of the gentiles and their desired One, the cornerstone that makes both one: come, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth.

23 Dec. O Emmanuel – Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: come to save us, O Lord our God.

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Ero Cras

Take the first letters of each of the titles, starting with the last and working back to the first. You spell: EROCRAS or “ero cras… I will be (there) tomorrow”.

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Resources:

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O Antiphons Playlist

Rorate Mass

by Filed Under: 12 December, Advent, Marian, Rorate

 

The "Rorate Mass," so called because it begins with the words of Isaiah 45:8,  "Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum…" (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One…), is a votive Mass offered within the season of Advent in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated by candlelight, and traditionally held before dawn.

As the Mass ends the sky is just starting to glow with the new day and we journey from darkness to light and the coming of the Word Made Flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mother is upon us.

mass for our lady in advent

Will we be the darkness who receive Him not or will we be children of the light?

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Resources:

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Making a List…

by Filed Under: Advent, St. Nicholas

Many of the legends concerning St. Nicholas had to do with his abounding charity and extraordinary miracles, and particularly his Christ-like love for children, so that in Catholic countries he is said to make an annual visit on his feast day to bring presents to little ones.

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Once again, my Advent is not according to plan.  This includes this lovely feast day of St. Nicholas. 

No gifts for the kids but we did manage to give a special something in thanksgiving for my husband’s well-being & His grace, united with the intercession of St. Nicolas & Our Blessed Mother.

All praise and thanksgiving to the good Lord who leads me and my family and provides us the necessary grace to persevere. Advent Checklist - JOYfiledfamily

Lastly, in honor of this blessed feast day I’m sharing our Advent list.  This list mimics that from our Lenten program. 

Our days are not perfect but we seek to persevere in daily prayers, spiritual readings, and almsgiving – all in joyful waiting and desire to prepare our hearts for JESUS CHRIST.

Below are links to versions of our Advent list.  It’s a simple list that helps keep us accountable.  ALL FOR!

 

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“Let us pray that we shall be able to welcome Jesus at Christmas not in the cold manger of a selfish heart, but in a heart full of love, compassion, joy and peace, a heart warm with love for one another.”

~Bl. Teresa of Calcutta

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