A Christmas Gift

As a child, I fell in love with Midnight Mass.  I fell in love with celebrating the miracle of Christ's Nativity in the best way possible.  Last night, I fell in love all over again.

We arrived at our parish around 10:45.  Prior to Mass, I said my usual prayers, but I added, "Dear God, please let me remain in the church.  Mary, please comfort my little children and help them to sleep."  Shortly before the Lessons and Carols began,  Patrick lay down on one side and Finnian lay down on the other side of me.  Elizabeth fussed as the First Lesson began and I repeated my prayer.  She started to nurse and soon fell asleep.  I sat silently listening to the Lessons and Carols, thankful for the silence around me.  After the last lesson, the Infant Jesus was placed in the manger and the faithful joined the choir in singing my favorite hymn, Silent Night.  As we sang, tears started to stream down my cheeks.  My eldest son asked, "Why are you crying?"  I could not respond.  I saw Bernadette wiping her eyes and I realized that she understood.

The Lessons and Carols were followed by a Mass in which I could fully assist.  Theresa eventually crawled under the pew, put her head on a coat, and fell asleep.  I continued to follow along, respond, and listen.  The homily was awe-inspiring, focusing everyone's attention on the Christ Child.  Elizabeth continued to sleep as I received Communion.  I returned to the pew and knelt in silence, thanking God for the blessings that he has bestowed on us.  After Mass, I knelt again and said a few prayers before putting coats on the children.  We made a little stop to see the Baby Jesus in the manger and then we headed to the van.  As we drove home, a little after 2:00 a.m., I couldn't help but think that the Traditional Latin Rite Midnight Mass is truly one of the most beautiful things this side of Heaven.

Thank you, God, for blessing my family and me with the best possible Christmas gift, celebrating the birth of Your Divine Son at Midnight Mass.

Merry Christmas

Come to Bethlehem, and see

Him whose birth the angels sing:

Come Adore on bended knee,

Christ the Lord, the new-born King!

Gaudete Christus est natus!

We hope that everyone has a happy, holy, and blessed Christmastide!

For Where Your Treasure Is...

The Ballad of Befana

by Phyllis McGinley

Befana the Housewife, scrubbing her pane,

Saw three old sages ride down the lane,

Saw three gray travelers pass her door--

Gaspar, Balthazar, Melchior.

"Where journey you, sirs?" she asked of them.

Balthazar answered, "To Bethlehem,

For we have news of a marvelous thing.

Born in a stable is Christ the King."

"Give Him my welcome!"

Then Gaspar smiled,

"Come with us, mistress, to greet the Child."

"Oh, happily, happily would I fare,

Were my dusting through and I'd polished the stair."

Old Melchior leaned on his saddle horn.

"Then send but a gift to the small Newborn."

"Oh, gladly, gladly I'd send Him one,

Were the hearthstone swept and my weaving done.

"As soon as ever I've baked my bread,

I'll fetch Him a pillow for His head,

And a coverlet too, "Befana said.

"When the rooms are aired and the linen dry,

I'll look at the Babe."

But the Three rode by.

She worked for a day and a night and a day,

Then, gifts in her hands, took up her way.

But she never could find where the Christ Child lay.

And still she wanders at Christmastide,

Houseless, whose house was all her pride,

Whose heart was tardy, whose gifts were late;

Wanders, and knocks at every gate,

Crying, "Good people, the bells begin?

Put off your toiling and let love in."

Confirmation

For the past couple of years, my two eldest have wanted to be confirmed.  After hearing our pastor say that our parish's first Confirmation would take place on December 17, Bernadette told my father-in-law that she would be confirmed in December.  I told her that she would need to wait a couple more years.  She was upset and shared, among other things, that she needed to be confirmed, so that she could be a soldier of Christ and defend the Faith.  I signed her and her sister up for our parish's Confirmation class.

The Processional

Each Friday, since September, Catherine and Bernadette have been going to a Confirmation class taught by our pastor and completing Baltimore Catechism lessons at home.  On December 11, our pastor gave them an oral exam.  On Wednesday, December 16, they spent the evening at our parish, eating dinner, attending their first evening of recollection, assisting at Mass and Benediction, and participating in the rehearsal.  They arrived home very excited about their Confirmation.

Grandpa and his Granddaughters

Last night, my father-in-law drove 3 hours to meet us at our house and go to his granddaughters' Confirmation.  Bernadette's godparents were both present (her godmother made an incredible effort to come), and so were Finnian's and Elizabeth's godparents.  It was the first Tridentine Rite Confirmation in the Archdiocese of Seattle in over 40 years.

Bernadette with her Sponsor and Godmother, Maria

Catherine with her Sponsor, Elena

Bernadette with her Godparents

Bernadette with her Godfather and his Wife

(The first time that I met Sarah, I told my husband,

"Sarah and Jeff would make a great couple."

The rest is history.)

2009 North American Martyrs Confirmandi

As my father-in-law wrote to Catherine and Bernadette in their cards, she and her sister are soldiers of Christ.

Bernadette with His Excellency the Most Reverend Alexander Brunett

Catherine with His Excellency the Most Reverend Alexander Brunett

Congratulations Catherine and Bernadette! 

As you know, I cannot stop smiling.

Additional photos can be seen here.  Yes, that is my little boy eating from the pie pan in the last photo.

Prayers Needed

A very good friend from college, Avi, just sent the prayer request below:

I haven't had a chance to let you know yet, but my dad was diagnosed last Thursday with liver cancer up at OHSU and was waiting for more information. He was back in Bend when his tumor on his liver ruptured, causing severe pain and internal bleeding. St. Charles hospital airlifted him up to OHSU, where he is doing fine now. He is going to have (non-emergency) surgery today! Please keep him in your prayers.

Please keep Avi's dad and her whole family in your prayers.

Christmas Books 2009

As I shared last year, each of our children receives a Christmas book from us on December 25. This year's books, in no particular order, are:

The Little Boy's Christmas Gift by John Speirs

This is a cute story about a young boy who gives a recognizable gift to the Christ Child. The pictures are exquisite.

The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke

I have never read this book, but have been told that it is very good.  Hopefully, my child who receives it will think so, too.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Arthur Rackham

This was my book when I was a child.  I always liked the pictures in this edition of this classic poem and I hope that my child who receives this will do the same.

An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco

Patricia Polacco's story about her uncle and his family brings tears to my eyes each time that I read it.  We have checked this book out from the library numerous times; it is about time that it made its way onto our shelves.

Poor Souls Novena

I received this from a friend whose sister, Helen, died yesterday morning.  Please join me in praying this novena, and in praying for the repose of Helen's soul and my friend's entire family.

Today is the day to start your Poor Souls (in purgatory) novena (9 days before Christmas): Our Lord told St. Gertrude the Great that the following prayer would release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners, which would alleviate the indebtedness accrued to them during their lives. Please remember my sister, Helen, deceased, in this prayer:

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the World today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family, Amen."

Homemade Christmas Tree Ornaments

Please don't tell my children. On Friday, we are going to make some delicious smelling Christmas tree ornaments, using our Nativity Cookie Cutter Set that my parents gave us the year we moved into our house. We still have some of the figures that we made that year and a couple of years later, but I know that the children will delight in making more. Plus, they make our house smell so good. Hopefully, the ornaments will be fully dry just in time to hang them on our Christmas tree on December 24.

Applesauce and Cinnamon CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS

Ingredients and Materials:

• 1 ½ cups ground cinnamon
  
• 1 cup applesauce
  
• ¼ cup white non-toxic school glue (optional; if you decide not to use glue, then increase the applesauce by ¼ cup)
  
• Bowl
  
• Saran wrap
  
• Rolling pins
  
• Wax paper
  
• Nativity Cookie cutters
  
• Ribbon, fishing line, thread, etc. for hanging
  
• Straws
  

Directions:

1. Mix cinnamon, applesauce, and glue together in a bowl. The dough should be as thick as cookie dough. If the dough isn’t thick enough, add a little more cinnamon. If it is too stiff, add a little water.
   
2. Remove dough from bowl and knead. Put it back in the bowl, cover with saran wrap and let it sit for a half hour.
   
3. Remove the dough, knead again until it is smooth (the smoother the dough, the better the ornaments look). Roll the dough between wax paper so that it is ¼ to ⅛ inch thick.
   
4. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. Use a straw to punch a hole for the ribbon to hang.
   
5. Carefully place the shapes on a piece of clean wax paper. Turn the ornaments over regularly in order to prevent the ends from curling up and help them dry evenly. They will take about 5 days to dry.
   

Notes:

The ornaments will get smaller during the drying process.

Once the ornaments are dry, acrylic or fabric paints may be applied, if desired. We leave our ornaments plain.

I am sorry that I don't have photos, but all of our ornaments are still packed away.  I will try to add some next week.

Teacher In-Service Day

My husband gave me a much needed teacher in-service day, today.  Our six oldest have accompanied him to the Museum of Flight, taking advantage of the "Free Youth Days" which run through December 20.  The children were looking forward to going on the flight simulator. I am looking forward to hearing what they thought about their excursion and seeing the video that my husband is taking.  Hopefully, they are all enjoying themselves and my two youngest sons aren't wandering off to look at things.

While they are having fun, I am getting some very necessary December things accomplished on my day off.  I have gotten so much finished that I might even be able to join my family on their annual Christmas light car tour this month.  I hope that I find a "Family Day at the Museum of Flight" video under the Christmas tree this year (it would be the next best thing to having a Mass said for me).  Yes, those are hints for my husband who already gave me a much needed gift today, a quiet, productive day at home.

Breakfast in Bed

Our eldest daughter surprised us this morning with breakfast in bed.  She came up with the delicious menu on her own, making scrambled egg, french toast, and orange juice.  Our St. Lucia even took the time to decorate the trays.  It was a wonderful and relaxing way to begin a Sunday morning.  She is such a blessing to us.

Happy Feast of St. Lucia!