Starting Off the New Year

1) It was sad singing The First Nowell (that's how it was spelled) at the end of Mass today because the Christmas season is ending. I thought I was going to cry.
2) I liked seeing the little children go up to the manger at the front of the church.
3) Still not a communion minister due to paperwork snafu about pervert awareness training, which I attended.

4) Attended last BIG holiday party yesterday. There was a white elephant gift exchange. When your name was picked you got to open a new gift or steal a gift from someone else. Then that someone else could choose or steal a new gift. I didn't like the stealing from children. I thought that was mean.
5) No one ate the food I brought. Why bother? There were other food contributions that went uneaten because there was so much food.
6) A baby was dropped on her head with a thud on the tile floor that brought conversation to a halt. The baby was silent at first, cried a little, and seemed fine. I thought ice should've been put on her head or more concern shown, but I guess not. Young mother said baby is fine.  What if the baby had a concussion?

7) As a Christmas present to all parish families, my pastor ordered thousands of copies of the CD "Seven Pillars of Faith" by Matthew Kelly. Now would be a good time to listen to it if I could find it. Who let all this paperwork into my home?? Tell me, who?

8) Following a lead from a fellow blogger, I requested a new patron saint for this year. Request went into black hole. I've decided to let St. Ulrich be my patron saint. You never know what could happen. Maybe another blogger is right and St. Ulrich does have a light case load and is ready to help work miracles for me.

9) Went on crazy (for me) plant food diet last week, so I could get back into my pants (which shrunk after attending too many Christmas parties). Cheated on diet at yesterday's party and woke up feeling a bit sick and like I had some kind of food hangover. Ugh. Maybe there is something to all that talk about sugar levels spiking and crashing and nutrients for energy and whatnot.

10) At Mass last week (New Year's Day), the lights seemed kind of dim as if they wanted to accommodate people with a hangover.
11) Mass today was extra smokey with all the incense.
12) The first thing I saw upon entering the church today was a person in a cow costume with a creepy plastic cow mask. The cow was to  promote the Heifer Project. The cow was petting the real dog. I hope the cow had the proper paperwork in accordance with the diocese. The dog had the proper service-puppy-in-training vest on. The dog is a regular animal at Mass.
13) Did I just write about a cow at church?

14) I'm lonely. I kind of feel like calling up my ex-boyfriend. He's not the best boyfriend. Smart me vs. lonely me.

Shepherds Hear News, Seek, Find and Tell

The gospel at today's Mass was the same gospel from Luke, with the exception of the beginning and ending verse, that was read at the Christmas Day Mass.

It's a lovely gospel.

Letting Christmas Unfold

I think I'll let the 12 days of Christmas unfold and not worry about a formal way to celebrate. As long as I keep my eyes and heart open, God's light will shine.

Searching the 12 Days of Christmas - Need Ideas

I am looking for some kind of activity or a tradition for the 12 days of Christmas. I like to bask in the Christmas glow and want to continue to celebrate or practice Christmas cheer for the 12 days. Any ideas? Do I close a door on Advent calendar each day? That seems kind of sad. Besides there are 25 days on an Advent calendar, and only 12 days of Christmas. I can't exactly send a true love 10 lords of leaping or some such thing.

In the Spirit

I decorated my Christmas tree, and have started going to parties. All of a sudden I have an active social life. And I was SO lonely this past summer. I'm not looking forward to the actual Christmas Day with apathetic relatives. I will miss having a mate, having children, but I am enjoying the now of the season. I will enjoy Christmas Mass.

I like my tree with my pretty ornaments that are meaningful to me. I wrapped some small gifts to give to relatives who will probably not give me any presents. Sigh. But I like giving gifts. Honestly, I like receiving them too. I learned that I may not receive from the expected sources, but I do receive.

I even wrote a Christmas letter and in some cards I'm including a picture of myself.

To some of you who are struggling with infertility, let me be the one to tell you that it's okay to write a Christmas letter. Look, I have no job, no Mr. Romantic, no children, no siblings, and I still found a few things to write about. Sure, it was a short letter, but who wants to read a long, bragging letter anyway? It's okay to send a picture of self or yourself and hubby. You are people too. I like seeing pictures of my friends. Usually, I am MORE interested in seeing pictures of my friends than their children (who all seem to be gifted brain surgeons even though they're ten). Besides, Christmas isn't about ourselves. Christmas is about Mary, Jesus, and Joseph.

Just think of God's Chosen People who waited hundreds and hundreds of years for the Messiah. They lived and died without Jesus. Then He came, and the angels sang. We are living post-Bethlehem. We HAVE Jesus. We have Jesus EVERY WEEK when we go to Mass. Actually if I got up early I could have Jesus EVERY DAY at morning Mass.

Jesus did not have a mate, siblings, children, and I bet he didn't have an income while He was doing His ministry. But Jesus had friends, and I have friends. (Of course Jesus is God, and I don't mean to say we're alike. But it just hit me that Jesus was single and an only child.)

Rushing to the Next Big Day

Today is the 12th day of Christmas. Do I have to say good-bye to this season?

I noticed that stores are already selling cards and gifts and decorations for Valentine's Day. I hate the rushing of the seasons. I like to enjoy the present (unless it's a bad day). The only stores that should be allowed (if I were in charge) to sell items WAY AHEAD of a holiday or season are craft stores because it takes time for consumers to buy the supplies and hand make something. For people who are not going to craft, they can buy something at Walgreen's the night before.

How about we think of Jesus as a Valentine? God loved all of us in the world so much that He gave his only Son. I say come February 14, tie a big red ribbon around Jesus.

I celebrate Christmas - St. Stephen

I'm still hung up on Christmas, and why not?

I wonder what non-Christians think they are celebrating when they are celebrating Christmas? I know non-Christians who do the whole tree, gifts, family, decorations, Santa thing.

(Look! I learned to insert pictures from the Internet.)

I was glad to see that some homes in my neighborhood still has Christmas lights shining brightly, and lit trees were shining through the windows.

Next year when people say, "Happy Holidays," to me, I will say, "Thank you. I'll be celebrating Christmas." Do you think I should say that?

Will I even remember? I just want my Christmas Holy Day back. I don't want Christmas to be lost in the holidays. Of course the word holidays comes from the word Holy Days. I read that somewhere, and I don't know where

Why is Kwanzaa on printed calendars? .I don't celebrate that. I don't even know it is. It wasn't a holiday when I was growing up. I don't even know what is that. I did learn what Boxing Day in England.

The feast of St. Stephen on December 26 is celebrated as "Boxing Day" in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and in other commonwealth countries and is a national holiday there.   The name refers to the practice, as legend has it, of nobles and other wealthy Britons "boxing up" and distributing food and other gifts to their servants and to the poor on the day after Christmas.   Boxing Day was traditionally when the alms box at every English church was opened and the contents distributed to the poor.  Servants by custom were also given the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families.

- From this link, which is about St. Stephen.

You may notice that is web page is from an Episcopal church. Well, Catholics are the ones who canonize saints. That's my disclaimer.

 

  Merry Christmas. It's Day 11!

Merry Christmas

Going along with my pastor, Father G., I am still celebrating Christmas because Christmas starts December 25 and ends on the Eiphaney (sp?).

Didn't like your gifts? Don't worry; you can't take them with you anyway. What you can take with you is Jesus and Everlasting Life. Thank God literally for sending His Only Son, through Mary, to earth. If you stick close to Jesus, he'll stick close to you.

Advent - Time for Preparation

It's really difficult to get into the Christmas spirit sometimes.If someone dies, or if there's family conflict, or if I am just not feeling jolly, I can't really get into the whole jingle, jingle of it. (Someone told me that he hates the whole "forced merriment" of the season. I love that phrase). Usually it takes me most of Advent to get into the Christmas mood, and that's why I've sent out Christmas cards on December 26, 27, 28, and so on.

My pastor Father G. reminded us that Advent is to prepare for the coming of the Lord. It's not Christmas until December 25, and then it's Christmas for twelve entire days (until January 6).

No wonder, I'm not in the Christmas mood yet. I am just preparing, so I am not even expected to be in the Christmas spirit now .Hmm, I thought I was being humbugg-y all these years.We Catholics are suppose to be preparing during these the next few weeks. Hey if you're already in the Christmas Spirit then glad tidings to you. I'll just prepare for and proceed towards Christmas day by day at my usual slow place because I really do need every day of Advent. I have been normal and fine all these years.

By the way, did I mention I have an awesome collection of Advent calendars? One of my dear aunts gave me an Advent calendar every year when I was growing up, and I saved them all. Many of them were made in West Germany (before the wall came down).

First Sunday of Advent

Yesterday I passed out Advent Calendars to a group of friends at lunch. Most of them are not Christian, but readily accepted them. Do they know what Advent is? The calendar had to be explained to a few of them. However, they do celebrate Christmas. Someone suggested we do a Secret Santa, so we drew names. I am glad that Christ's name is part of Christmas. They seem to like getting into the spirit of it all. Since I made the Advent calendars, I'm glad they were happy to receive them. I like sharing the Christmas spirit with them.

The closing song at today's Mass was the rousing "City of God."