Saint Bridget's vision of the Nativity...

     As we wrap up these 12 days of Christmas, I have taken some time to reflect upon that first day of Christmas, and the birth of Jesus.
     I just found a site called The Clay Rosary Girl (thanks Amy), and there I found a post called Vision of the Nativity. I had chills.
     According to Clay Rosary Girl, the background story is that Saint Bridget of Sweden made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. When she reached the birthplace of Jesus, she knelt down to kiss the very spot where Jesus was born. This was when the room disappeared and she had this vision...
     "When all things were now ready, the Maiden knelt down with great awe and began to pray.  She turned Her back to the manger, but lifted Her face towards Heaven and looked to the East.  And with hands uplifted and Her eyes towards Heaven she knelt without moving, wrapped in divine sweetness.
     "While She was thus absorbed in prayer, I saw That which was in Her womb move, and in a moment She gave birth to Her Son.

     On other accounts of her vision, it has been written that Saint Bridget saw a light pass through Mary's womb at the moment Jesus was born. He lay on the ground pure and clean, free of any soil. 
     Saint Bridget's vision continues...
     "And so much light went from Him that the taper in the stone wall no longer gave any light...
     "But when the Maiden felt that She delivered, She bent Her head and folded Her hands, and with great awe She adored the Child and said to Him: 'Welcome, my God, my Lord, and my Son!"
     "Then the Boy wept and trembled with cold on the hard floor, and stretched out His little hands to His Mother, and She took Him up and laid His cheek against Hers, and Him to her breast with joy and great compassion.
     "And She sat down on the floor and laid Him on Her knees and began to swathe Him first with the linen cloths and then with the woolen pieces, and at last, wound the whole about His little body, legs and arms in one swaddling cloth, and swathed His head in the two woolen pieces that She had brought with Her.
     "St. Joseph threw himself upon his knees, adoring the Child and weeping for joy.  And in the Virgin there was no weakness as in other women when they are delivered.  She stood up with the Child in Her arms, and She and Joseph laid Him in the manger and adored Him with great joy.  And then I heard wonderful sweet singing of many Angels.

     May your Christmas joy and adoration last the whole year through.

Cute nativity video...

This is very cute... from Creative Minority Report...

Zechariah's Canticle...

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 1:67-69

The Magnificat...

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Andy Williams... A Song and a Christmas Tree... Twelve Days of Christmas...

     Here's another "oldie, but goodie" that lets me know Christmas is nearly here. Andy Williams never disappoints.

Linus explains the true meaning of Christmas...

Adoration...

     I have been going to Adoration on Sunday mornings before Mass.
     Alone in a room, face to face with Almighty God. Aside from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, it is my favorite hour of my week.
     Sometimes I sit there and stare at the Blessed Sacrament, trying so hard to see with my eyes something that my soul knows is there. Maybe I will see a swirling of majesty. The Risen Jesus, glorified, surrounded by the Heavenly Hosts. Maybe I will see and feel a warm light.
     A few weeks ago, I read something that changed my perspective. I had been so focused on what I could see when I look at Him, that I never stopped to think about what the Lord sees when He looks at me. Does He see a light? Does He see Himself?
     When I am there, part of me wants to approach the Lord Jesus, and hold the Monstrance close to me, as like a hug. To have God close. So close.
     The other part of me says, Don't you dare touch God. I am not worthy. He is perfect, and holy, and pure, beyond my human understanding. I don't dare disturb Him.
     But still, I want to be closer. Physically closer.
     Then I meditated on what I would see, if I could. And He wasn't a swirl of majesty. And He wasn't just a glow. Or the Man Jesus.
     He was a baby. The baby Jesus.
     In my mind and in my heart, I approached the manger of that first Christmas night, and I picked up that Baby. And I held Him close. And He was in my arms. And I kept Him warm.
     Jesus, the infant Savior. My infant Savior.
     For all the times in my life when I need Him... when He alone is my utmost joy... He holds me.
     But in that hour of uninterrupted quiet with the Lord, He needed me, and I held Him. I want to always hold Him close to me. And keep Him warm.... as He needed that first night in that stable. There, with His Mother and Father protecting Him and loving Him, it was safe and warm. But beyond those walls, it was dark and cold. And although there were some people who couldn't wait to meet Him, there were also those who wanted to kill Him.
     Lord, I pray that I can always hold you close. Especially when it is dark and cold out there.

Emmanuel... God with us...

     This Advent season, you will hear the word, Emmanuel, many times. Have you meditated lately on what that single word means for us?
     God. With. Us.
     Please read this article, from Catholic Online.
     "We hold in our hands during these weeks of Advent the treasure of all treasures.  The season beckons us to once again contemplate something truly astonishing.  It will pass us by if we are not careful.  In the stillness, as the earth is falling asleep for the winter comes a message, spoken with a single word."
     Emmanuel.

Switching gears...

     When I started you are mine, my goal was to provide information and reflection about American history, current events, faith and simple living. It was going to be a helpful, hopeful one-stop-shop for people who see the need for God in their lives... and who fear for our republic.
     In that time, I have tried to ring the bell about the trouble America is in. And perhaps you have shared the information with your friends. But I am about to switch gears a little bit for the remainder of the year. I urge you to go to The Blaze and Romantic Poet, as well as other sites in my sidebar for the latest news and information.
     And when you read the news, please remember to watch for what the other hand is up to. And always follow the money. Look for the connections, because they are there.
     Consider some recent stories...
     The Wikileaks story? George Soros's Open Society, Code Pink, Bill Ayers, and Movement for a Democratic Society are all involved. See the motives and connections, here.
     The TSA story? It has been the goal of this administration since the beginning to unionize the TSA. All the trouble started right on the heels of the president giving them the nod to unionize. The 24/7 media attention. The not-so-suitable-for-humans scanners. The naked images. The invasive pat downs for those passengers opting out. More media hype about TSA bad behavior. The public outrage. No wonder morale is sketchy.
     The unions to the rescue. Why does the TSA need the unions? Why do any federal bureaucrats, for that matter? Why can't the TSA just improve the working conditions themselves? Because this administration wants them unionized. Remember top down, bottom up, inside out. Anarchy. Chaos. Then government control.
     How about the Food Safety Bill that was pushed through the Senate in a hurried lame duck vote. Control of the food supply. Monsanto stands to profit, and who do you suppose is a huge Monsanto investor... George Soros.
     And despite their Obamacare waiver, SEIU has dropped children from their insurance plans, and put them on the path to a single payer healthcare system. They say the system is overloaded. Remember Cloward & Piven?
     And what a coincidence that UAW is the biggest winner in the GM stock sales. Union payoff. Workers of the world unite. These things are all connected. And once you know what to look for, you can see it all, plain as day.
     Stay awake, and do what you can to protect your remaining freedoms.
     As for me, I will be posting more faith meditations throughout Advent. For where my treasure is, there my heart also will be. More simple living too. It is time to look ahead toward self sufficiency, with an ever-deeper reliance on God's providence. So look for more posts about preparing my heart for Christmas. And preparing my home for the year ahead.
     May God bless you abundantly. And may the peace of Christ be always in your heart and in your home.

Advent... a time of preparation...

     Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, marking the first day of the new liturgical year. Our pastor spoke about the messages of the end of one Church year and the beginning of another. He said that during the previous day's Mass... the very last words of the year... the closing message in the Gospel reading was... "Be vigilant at all times."
     He went on to say that the message for the first day of the new Church year, this Sunday, was the same, "Stay awake. Be prepared."
     We may get swept along in the anxieties and trials of our days. But we must never become so preoccupied as to forget about the Lord.
     Jesus is very clear. We are to stay alert. Be vigilant. Be ready. And stay close to the Lord.
     I leaned over and whispered to my son, Matthew, and reminded him of what we had talked about in the car on the way to church. The Gospel mentioned that in the days before Noah and the flood, the people went about their business, eating and drinking, unaware of what was about to hit them.
     I had reminded the kids that in the storms of our lives, we should already be on God's ark. We should live close to God, always under his protection. And we will be safe from any storm. And we will be prepared for whatever comes.
     How appropriate that we begin Advent with a message of preparedness and readiness.
     Stay awake. Be vigilant at all times. And prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord.

My Soul in Stillness Waits

This is one of my favorite Advent meditations...
My Soul in Stillness Waits

Refrain: For you, O lord, my soul in stillness waits. Truly my hope is in you.
1. O Lord of Light, our only hope of glory, your radiance shines in all who look to you. Come light the hearts of all in dark and shadow.
2. O Spring of Joy, rain down upon our spirits. Our thirsty hearts are yearning for your Word. Come, make us whole; be comfort to our hearts.
3. O Root of Life, implant your seed within us, and in your advent draw us all to you, our hope reborn in dying and in rising.
4. O Key of Knowledge, guide us in our pilgrimage, We ever seek, yet unfulfilled remain. Open to us the pathway of your peace.
5. Come, let us bow before the God who made us. Let every heart be opened to the Lord, for we are all the people of his hand.
6. Here we shall meet the makers of the heavens, creator of the mountains and the seas, Lord of the stars and present to us now.
Marty Haugen © GIA Music