   The Twelve Days of Christmas are the days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 6th). On the updated calendar — since Ephiphany is celebrated on a Sunday — these days may be more or less. We have 16 days on the tree this year because the Christmas season extends until the feast of the Baptism of Christ and we have decided to include them all.The origin of the Twelve Days is complicated, and is related to differences in calendars, church traditions, and ways to observe this holy day in various cultures. In the Western church, Epiphany is traditionally celebrated as the time the three Wise Men or Magi arrived to present gifts to the young Jesus. In some cultures Epiphany is observed as Three Kings Day, or simply the Day of the Kings. Even though December 25th is celebrated as Christmas in these cultures, Epiphany is often the day for giving gifts. In some places it is traditional to give Christmas gifts for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  Catholic Culture invites you try out some of our suggested activities as you gather around the Christmas tree. We hope you will find some ideas that will enhance your family's celebration of this holy season. |
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Christmastide meditations and activities...
Life moves so fast for me, and sometimes it is only after the fact that I become aware of the rich treasures just waiting for my discovery. So I will tuck this link away for next year... and I will make the very most of Christmastide from now on.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Funny Guy Friday... The Greatest Christmas Gift Ever...
I must admit that I have had very little time to think about writing a FGF this week. Unfortunately, the everyday things do not stop just because Christmas is around the corner. Since I am a bit pressed for time, I thought that I would retell a story that I have told several times about the greatest Christmas gift ever given.
About five years ago, Matthew and I went out to buy a gift for Cheryl. I had planned on buying her a pearl bracelet, so our first stop was a jewelry store owned by a woman that we knew through some friends. Matthew was very specific about what he wanted to get his mother--- a piece of jewelry that had three hearts on it, the three hearts representing the three kids. Very thoughtful. Even more so, considering that I wanted to get her a pearl bracelet because I had no clue what to buy her, and since I had bought her a pearl necklace the year before, this was as good as anything.
When we got to the store, I got the bracelet and one other smaller piece of jewelry, and then Matthew began his search for the perfect gift. He told the woman what he wanted and she showed him a nice ring that had three hearts. Very nice and very much within budget.
He seemed to like it, but then she showed him a very beautiful necklace that had three hearts, each inside of the other. Two were formed from small diamonds and one was made from red rubies. Think of the Grinch's heart as it grows. Wow, he loved it and knew that this was the one. I must admit, I loved it too, but thought this may be out of our price range. I asked how much this necklace cost, and let's just say that if the ring was in our price range, the necklace was ten times over our price range.
I politely told the woman that this was a bit more than my five year old (and his dad) wanted to spend. At this point, Matthew asked if he could talk to me. For some reason, he always starts off every comment to me by saying, "Dad," even if we are the only two in the room. "Dad, can I talk to you for a second?" Sure, no problem. "No, dad, I need to talk to you in private." We walked over to a corner of the store and he told me that he really, really, really wanted to buy that necklace. I explained to him that it was really, really, really, really over the budget (I threw in an extra really). The owner of the store was amused by the exchange. We settled on the ring.
Matthew was very disappointed, so I thought a trip to the ice cream parlor was warranted, but after ten minutes of his moping, I had had enough. It was time for him to get over it. Although he got more and more upset about the situation, he told me he had to get all of his disappointment out before we went home because he did not want his mother asking him what was wrong.
I again explained that it was a lot of money and that since we planned to go skiing for a week, money was tight. At this point, I realized two things: one... I was negotiating with a very cute, lovable terrorist; and two... I was going to go back to the store to see if they could hold the necklace until after the holidays, perhaps for an anniversary gift in April. I explained my plan to Matthew, but he was still not moved and wondered out loud why HE would buy an anniversary gift for MY wife. He had no problem with ME buying a Christmas gift for HIS mother, but I digress.
I went back into the store and asked if she could hold the necklace and she told me that she could not. She mentioned how cute she thought our "man to man" talk was, but apparently, not cute enough for her to hold the necklace for three or four months. I understood and I told her that she only saw part of Matthew's act because even Coldstone Creamery was not cheering my boy up.
A few days later, I went back to the store to pick up the three items that we purchased and when I did, she handed me a bag with four items. I told the woman that there was a mistake and that I only got three pieces of jewelry. She told me that she was so impressed and moved by Matthew's reaction that she included the necklace, and that I could come back and pay for it whenever I got the chance... and whenever I got the money. What a great gesture and it only came with one small catch... I had to promise to come back and tell her about Matthew's reaction. She was so moved by the things that Matthew had said, and how much he wanted to get that necklace for his mom that she had to know "the rest of the story."
I thanked her and told her how excited Matthew would be and as we talked, I decided that I would not tell him and just let him be surprised on Christmas morning. I put the necklace in the corner behind the tree where it went unnoticed. On Christmas morning, typically Cheryl opens her gifts last, and so, after she was done opening all of her gifts, I told Matthew that there might be one more gift for mom. I asked him to grab it and to stand by her as she opened it up.
When she opened the box, she was very impressed as she placed the necklace around her neck. Her reaction, however, was nothing compared to Matthew's. His eyes lit up, and got as big as saucers, and he immediately ran over to me and jumped into my arms and just kept saying "Thank You, Dad. Thank You so much, Dad."
Later I told Cheryl the story and told her if she did not like it, we could take it back. She looked at me like I was crazy because she loved it and after Matthew's reaction, she did not care if it cost a million dollars, it was not going back. By the way, the necklace was just shy of a million.
The greatest gift ever given was not the necklace that Matthew gave to his mom. As nice as that was, it was a distant second. The greatest Christmas gift ever given was the gift that Matthew gave to his dad. Thank you Matthew, Thank you so much Matthew!
Have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas.
About five years ago, Matthew and I went out to buy a gift for Cheryl. I had planned on buying her a pearl bracelet, so our first stop was a jewelry store owned by a woman that we knew through some friends. Matthew was very specific about what he wanted to get his mother--- a piece of jewelry that had three hearts on it, the three hearts representing the three kids. Very thoughtful. Even more so, considering that I wanted to get her a pearl bracelet because I had no clue what to buy her, and since I had bought her a pearl necklace the year before, this was as good as anything.
When we got to the store, I got the bracelet and one other smaller piece of jewelry, and then Matthew began his search for the perfect gift. He told the woman what he wanted and she showed him a nice ring that had three hearts. Very nice and very much within budget.
He seemed to like it, but then she showed him a very beautiful necklace that had three hearts, each inside of the other. Two were formed from small diamonds and one was made from red rubies. Think of the Grinch's heart as it grows. Wow, he loved it and knew that this was the one. I must admit, I loved it too, but thought this may be out of our price range. I asked how much this necklace cost, and let's just say that if the ring was in our price range, the necklace was ten times over our price range.
I politely told the woman that this was a bit more than my five year old (and his dad) wanted to spend. At this point, Matthew asked if he could talk to me. For some reason, he always starts off every comment to me by saying, "Dad," even if we are the only two in the room. "Dad, can I talk to you for a second?" Sure, no problem. "No, dad, I need to talk to you in private." We walked over to a corner of the store and he told me that he really, really, really wanted to buy that necklace. I explained to him that it was really, really, really, really over the budget (I threw in an extra really). The owner of the store was amused by the exchange. We settled on the ring.
Matthew was very disappointed, so I thought a trip to the ice cream parlor was warranted, but after ten minutes of his moping, I had had enough. It was time for him to get over it. Although he got more and more upset about the situation, he told me he had to get all of his disappointment out before we went home because he did not want his mother asking him what was wrong.
I again explained that it was a lot of money and that since we planned to go skiing for a week, money was tight. At this point, I realized two things: one... I was negotiating with a very cute, lovable terrorist; and two... I was going to go back to the store to see if they could hold the necklace until after the holidays, perhaps for an anniversary gift in April. I explained my plan to Matthew, but he was still not moved and wondered out loud why HE would buy an anniversary gift for MY wife. He had no problem with ME buying a Christmas gift for HIS mother, but I digress.
I went back into the store and asked if she could hold the necklace and she told me that she could not. She mentioned how cute she thought our "man to man" talk was, but apparently, not cute enough for her to hold the necklace for three or four months. I understood and I told her that she only saw part of Matthew's act because even Coldstone Creamery was not cheering my boy up.
A few days later, I went back to the store to pick up the three items that we purchased and when I did, she handed me a bag with four items. I told the woman that there was a mistake and that I only got three pieces of jewelry. She told me that she was so impressed and moved by Matthew's reaction that she included the necklace, and that I could come back and pay for it whenever I got the chance... and whenever I got the money. What a great gesture and it only came with one small catch... I had to promise to come back and tell her about Matthew's reaction. She was so moved by the things that Matthew had said, and how much he wanted to get that necklace for his mom that she had to know "the rest of the story."
I thanked her and told her how excited Matthew would be and as we talked, I decided that I would not tell him and just let him be surprised on Christmas morning. I put the necklace in the corner behind the tree where it went unnoticed. On Christmas morning, typically Cheryl opens her gifts last, and so, after she was done opening all of her gifts, I told Matthew that there might be one more gift for mom. I asked him to grab it and to stand by her as she opened it up.
When she opened the box, she was very impressed as she placed the necklace around her neck. Her reaction, however, was nothing compared to Matthew's. His eyes lit up, and got as big as saucers, and he immediately ran over to me and jumped into my arms and just kept saying "Thank You, Dad. Thank You so much, Dad."
Later I told Cheryl the story and told her if she did not like it, we could take it back. She looked at me like I was crazy because she loved it and after Matthew's reaction, she did not care if it cost a million dollars, it was not going back. By the way, the necklace was just shy of a million.
The greatest gift ever given was not the necklace that Matthew gave to his mom. As nice as that was, it was a distant second. The greatest Christmas gift ever given was the gift that Matthew gave to his dad. Thank you Matthew, Thank you so much Matthew!
Have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas.
Monday, December 20, 2010
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