The Christmas season ends with the Feast of the Epiphany. The celebration takes place on January 6th. It is time to reflect on the journey of the Three Wise Men, bearing gifts for the Christ-child…Jesus.
Are we searching for Jesus? We will have difficulty finding God if we look for him as a scientist would…through a microscope or a telescope. We can find him in creation, but I have found that letting God know I am open to the truth and asking Him to reveal the truth to me has helped me on my journey towards God. God is Truth. God is Love. God is mercy. Let Him lead you.
What gifts do we give to Our Lord? The wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts symbolize the importance of the gifts of time, talent and treasure. Do we spend time in prayer? Do we offer God the gift of our life? If our talents are given to us by God, do we use our talent to serve Him?
The three gifts also symbolize the royal priesthood of Jesus. Gold symbolizes a kingdom. Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. Frankincense is considered a symbol of prayer. (Let my prayer rise like incense!)
Life is a journey…a pilgrimage. The wise men followed a star. They knew it would lead them to God. How are we letting God lead us? Do we have the wisdom to know that we need help? Do we have the wisdom to ask for help in making decisions on our pilgrimage? What does God want us to do for Him? How Does God want us to serve Him?
The answer to these questions are different for everyone. God is a personal God. He knows us by name and wants to speak to us. Listen!
The feast of the Holy Family is celebrated the first Sunday after Christmas. It is a time to reflect on the love and tenderness Jesus, Mary and Joseph had for one another. How can we improve our own family lives to be more loving?
One way to celebrate the Feast Day of the Holy Family is to make an act of consecration. An act of consecration is a sacred act and should be done in a very prayerful way. It needs to be prayed deeply. and slowly..from the heart.
Consecration to the Holy Family Prayer
O Lord Jesus, you lived in the home of Mary and Joseph in Nazareth. There you grew in age, wisdom and grace as you prepared to fulfill your mission as our Redeemer. We entrust our family to you.
O Blessed Mary, you are the Mother of our Savior. At Nazareth you cared for Jesus and nurtured him in the peace and joy of your home. We entrust our family to you.
O Saint Joseph, you provided a secure and loving home for Jesus and Mary, and gave us a model of fatherhood while showing us the dignity of work. We entrust our family to you.
Holy Family, we consecrate ourselves and our family to you. May we be completely united in a love that is lasting, faithful and open to the gift of new life. Help us to grow in virtue, to forgive one another from our hearts, and to live in peace all our days.
Keep us strong in faith, persevering in prayer, diligent in our work, and generous toward those in need.
our home, O Holy Family, truly become a domestic church where we reflect your example in our daily life. Amen.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us!
Short Prayer to the Holy Family
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul; Jesus Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony; Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.
“If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family.”
The feast of the Holy Family is celebrated the first Sunday after Christmas. It is a time to reflect on the love and tenderness Jesus, Mary and Joseph had for one another. How can we improve our own family lives to be more loving?
One way to celebrate the Feast Day of the Holy Family is to make an act of consecration. An act of consecration is a sacred act and should be done in a very prayerful way. It needs to be prayed deeply. and slowly..from the heart.
Consecration to the Holy Family Prayer
O Lord Jesus, you lived in the home of Mary and Joseph in Nazareth. There you grew in age, wisdom and grace as you prepared to fulfill your mission as our Redeemer. We entrust our family to you.
O Blessed Mary, you are the Mother of our Savior. At Nazareth you cared for Jesus and nurtured him in the peace and joy of your home. We entrust our family to you.
O Saint Joseph, you provided a secure and loving home for Jesus and Mary, and gave us a model of fatherhood while showing us the dignity of work. We entrust our family to you.
Holy Family, we consecrate ourselves and our family to you. May we be completely united in a love that is lasting, faithful and open to the gift of new life. Help us to grow in virtue, to forgive one another from our hearts, and to live in peace all our days.
Keep us strong in faith, persevering in prayer, diligent in our work, and generous toward those in need.
our home, O Holy Family, truly become a domestic church where we reflect your example in our daily life. Amen.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us!
Short Prayer to the Holy Family
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul; Jesus Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony; Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.
“If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family.”
The Catholic Church celebrates Christmas for twelve days.
While the Nativity of Our Lord is celebrated Dec. 25, the Twelve days of Christmas begins on Christmas Day, Dec. 25(beginning at sundown), and ends at sunrise on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. During the Christmas season the priest’s vestments are gold to symbolize the sacredness of the Christmas season. The change in the color of vestments indicates that Advent is over. During Advent, the priest’s vestments are purple to symbolize the holy season of waiting and prayer.
According to legend, the song The Twelve Days of Christmas was actually written by Jesuit priests in England during the sixteenth century. It was a time of persecution and the song was used to secretly teach basic facts regarding the Catholic faith. If someone studied all the items represented in the song they knew the basics of the catholic faith.
Each number had a secret meaning:
Twelve represented the twelve teachings mentioned in the Apostles Creed;
Five represented the first books of the Old Testament;
Four represented the four gospels;
Three represented the Trinity;
Two represented the two natures of Christ…human and divine;
and One represented Jesus himself, our Lord and our God.
The Pear Tree represented the cross we must carry when we follow Christ.
The Apostles’ Creed is a summary of the faith taught by the Apostles. When we pray the Apostles Creed we are professing our faith in the church begun by the Apostles.
The Apostles’ Creed
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The resurrection of the body
and life everlasting. Amen
The Catholic Church has feast days throughout the year. Many of its feast days are in honor of the saints. The feast day given to a saint is usually the day he or she died and entered heaven.
Take a small amount of time each day during the twelve days of Christmas to meditate on the actual feast day we are celebrating.
The Holy Innocents are the innocent children murdered by King Herod after the Magi told him about birth of the new King of the Jews, called the Christ child. The little children were murdered in an attempt to find and murder Christ, “The King of the Jews”.
St. Anysia was a martyr in Greece. She lived from 284-309. She was killed with a sword after being accosted by a soldier. She used her wealth to help the poor.
The prayer of a good innocent,and obedient child is like dew from heaven falling upon his whole family.
St. Sylvester I was the Bishop of Rome. He died in the year 335 after helping to define doctrine at the Council of Nicea which proclaimed the Nicean Creed.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first native born American to be canonized. She lived in New York, dying in 1821. She is the Founder and first Superior of the Sister of Charity in the U.S.
“Be attentive to the voice of Grace.”
Quote of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
St. John N. Neumann
St. John N. Neumann; Feast Day January 5
St. John N. Neumann was born in Bohemia. He emigrated to the U.S. becoming a Redemptorist priest and the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia. He is the first American bishop to be canonized.
The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the Three Kings following the star to visit Jesus. They brought the King of the Jews gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The period of four weeks before Christmas is called Advent. It is a period of anticipation and hope. In today’s culture it is a busy time, filled with shopping and socializing. However, in ages past, it was a quiet and sacred time of prayer and waiting… anticipating the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflecting on the birth of Jesus, we look with hope to our salvation. Jesus was born of Mary. He became man to redeem us. By the cross, we are saved from our sins and have the hope of eternal life. What a tremendous mystery! How can a little baby be both human and divine?
The omnipotence of God is shown by his humbling himself and becoming a man. His humble beginnings, being born in a manger, tells us of his connection to the poor and lowly. He was not the type of king the Jewish people were expecting. The kingdom of God is an important thing to reflect on during the Christmas Season. Are we trying to follow the teachings of Jesus…to love not only our neighbor but our enemies? Are we helping the poor and downtrodden?
God is love. When we look at a little baby it is easy to define love. However, we need to be loving our neighbor at all times. Celebrating the incarnation (God becoming Man) this year, let’s try not to lose sight of the spiritual nature of Christmas. Waiting helps us to slow down. Hopefully, we will be spending time in prayer… sharing with God our hopes, difficulties, fears and love.
A soul enkindled with love is a gentle, meek, humble, and patient soul.
Unlike Easter which has always been celebrated by the Church, the feast day of Christmas was not firmly established until the fourth century. Because the birthday of Jesus was unknown, it was decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. This would also coincide with the winter solstice festivals. The date symbolizes that Jesus is the Light of the World. In the Gospel of John 8:12 Jesus said;
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.
Christmas also focuses on the two natures of Jesus Christ. He is both full divine and fully human. It states in Luke 2:9:
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for see…I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you; you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying;
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another;
“Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, but Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
