Blessing of Calendars on the Feast of the Epiphany

This prayer by Diana Macalintal originally appeared in Today's Parish Minister, Vol. 40, No. 1, January, 2008

Blessing of Calendars on the Feast of the Epiphany

In every age, O God,
you have been our help.
To the wise men of the East,
your star rose at the appointed time to lead them to your Son.
To those at the Jordan, your Spirit descended upon Jesus
to show us that indeed the time of your kingdom had come.
And at the wedding banquet of Cana,
time stood still as the guests drank fully
from the bottomless cup of joy Christ provided.

You created all time and set the stars in motion,
and yet not one second of our life goes by without your care.

Bless then our time-keepers—
our calendars and clocks, watches and daytimers,
computers and cell phones, notepads and notebooks.
Help us not be slaves to them
or to fill them so much that we miss your presence here and now.
But let us use them to help us be in the right place at the right time
where we can do your will and witness you at work in our world.
May we remember each moment and never forget
that you are with us until the end of time.

This we pray in the name of Christ, yesterday and today,
the beginning and the end, Alpha and Omega.
To him be glory and power
through every age for ever and ever. Amen.

The Parish Staff’s Prayer for the New Year

This prayer by Diana Macalintal originally appeared in Today's Parish Minister, Vol. 40, No. 1, January, 2008

The Parish Staff’s Prayer for the New Year

God of every time and season,
you give us another year to fill with new beginnings.
We have so many dreams for our parish this year,
so many promises we want to keep,
so many new habits we want to learn.
Yet so much from last year is still left undone.

Erase our failings of the old year,
clear away the decay left by our complacency,
and wipe clean the slate of broken covenants from the year gone by.

As the calendar changes and the old gives way to the new,
help us not to dwell on the past
but to use its memory to move us ever forward to your kingdom.

Renew our hope and strengthen our resolve
to keep our new year’s promises to this parish
so that we may serve your people faithfully through every season
and walk joyfully with them each day of the year.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Proclamation of the date of Easter on Epiphany, 2008

The Solemnity of the Epiphany is a traditional time to announce the major feasts and celebrations of the Church for the upcoming year. Before the advent of online calendars, Blackberries, perpetual calendars, and handheld organizers, the formal announcement at Epiphany was the usual way the Church made known the date of Easter and all the celebrations that are dependent upon its date.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the date of Easter moves each year because it is affected by the lunar and solar cycles. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) determined that Easter would be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox, or first day of spring (in the northern hemisphere). (The Orthodox Churches use a different calendar system, and so their date for Easter is different. You can read about the difference in Easter calendaring here.)

The Sacramentary Supplement, in which you can find the proclamation, states: “Although calendars now give the date of Easter and the other feasts in the liturgical year for many years in advance, the Epiphany proclamation still has value. It is a reminder of the centrality of the resurrection of the Lord in the liturgical year and the importance of the great mysteries of faith which are celebrated each year” (#2).

The proclamation can be sung (a cappella) or spoken by a deacon, cantor, or reader at the ambo after the gospel, after the homily, or after the prayer after Communion.

The text of the proclamation remains fixed except for the dates for that year which must be inserted for the proclamation. Below are the dates for 2008 (in red).


Proclamation of the Date of Easter on Epiphany

Dear brothers and sisters,
the glory of the Lord has shone upon us,
and shall ever be manifest among us,
until the day of his return.

Through the rhythms of times and seasons
let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation.

Let us recall the year’s culmination, the Easter Triduum of the Lord:
his last supper, his crucifixion, his burial, and his rising,
celebrated between the evening of the twentieth of March
and the evening of the twenty-third of March.

Each Easter—as on each Sunday—
the Holy Church makes present the great and saving deed
by which Christ has for ever conquered sin and death.
From Easter are reckoned all the days we keep holy.

Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent,
will occur on the sixth of February.
The Ascension of the Lord will be commemorated
on the fourth of May*.
Pentecost, the joyful conclusion of the season of Easter,
will be celebrated on the eleventh of May.
And this year the First Sunday of Advent
will be on the thirtieth of November.

Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims the Passover of Christ
in the feasts of the holy Mother of God,
in the feasts of the Apostles and Saints,
and in the commemoration of the faithful departed.

To Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come,
Lord of time and history,
be endless praise, for ever and ever. Amen.

*In the western dioceses of the United States, the celebration of the Ascension is moved to the seventh Sunday of Easter.

How does our diocese celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe?

The Diocese of San Jose has a special way of celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was one of the first diocesan celebrations I experienced when I began working for this diocese. Read my vivid description of this celebration here.

A prayer before preparing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner

This prayer by Diana Macalintal originally appeared in Today's Parish Minister, Vol. 39, No. 7, November/December, 2007.

A prayer before preparing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner
(based on Luke 10:27, 38-42)

Lord, you know all the things that still need to be done—
the cooking and cleaning, the preparation and anticipation,
the anxiety and worry that everything will be just right.
As I prepare this meal, help me also to prepare myself
that I may not be distracted by all these concerns.
And when you enter this home and sit at this table,
may I sit beside you and remember that only one thing is needed:
to love you with all my heart, with all my being,
with all my strength, and with all my mind,
and to love my neighbor as myself. Amen.

A Prayer Before Family Reunions

This prayer by Diana Macalintal originally appeared in Today's Parish Minister, Vol. 39, No. 7, November/December, 2007.

A Prayer Before Family Reunions

God, I will be seeing my family soon,
and it has been so long since I have been with them.
I am a different person now, and I am sure that they are too.
Yet I still feel the same hurts that never went away,
the same wounds that never healed,
the same grudges that were never settled,
and the same anxiety of falling into old habits.
Fill me, Lord, with your peace, forgive my faults as I forgive theirs,
and help me love my family as I know you love them.
With the Holy Family as our companion,
bless our time together and strengthen the bonds between us
that we may grow more in love with each other
until we are perfectly united forever in your kingdom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christmas Hospitality ideas from Saint Lucy

Fr. Dave Mercer, Parochial Vicar at Saint Lucy Parish, sent me the following ideas based on what they have done at Saint Lucy's Parish during the Christmas season. Kudos to the parishioners and staff of Saint Lucy for welcoming Christ in all who seek him!

For the second year in a row, we surrounded the Christmas liturgies with a strong focus on hospitality, especially for the alienated/inactive Catholic and for the visitor. We did this in various ways:

Special Christmas Greeters

1. Like last year, we recruited “Special Christmas Greeters,” using recruitment cards in the church during the weeks prior to Christmas and last year’s list of Christmas Greeters. We held two short training sessions for the special greeters.



2. In total, we had 61 greeters spread out over 7 Masses, with a “captain” at each Mass to help facilitate. Greeters had special name badges, were at the doors before and after Mass, and distributed special prayer cards to everyone after Communion.



3. Using the list of Christmas Greeters, we anticipate recruiting greeters for every Sunday. We hope they will serve as “spotters” of visitors and newcomers as part of a ramped up Newcomer Ministry.

Prayer Cards

1. Like last year, we designed a special prayer card. In October, we posted in the parish office four pages of prayers that are ascribed to saints, plus a few from the Bible. Staff members commented on which ones they liked, until we decided upon words by St. Thomas More. We did not look for a Christmas prayer and did not consider writing our own prayer, but looked for words that tie people to our spiritual heritage.



2. We then recruited a parishioner with computer and graphic layout skills to design the card before taking it to a print shop for reproduction.



3. When distributing the cards at Christmas, we strove to get as close as we could to a personal presentation to each person in attendance. Rather than hand them out as people left or have them on tables at the doors to be picked up, we distributed them right after Communion, with the special Christmas Greeters passing them down each pew and to people standing in the back. The priest said that the cards were a gift from the parish and explained the significance of St. Thomas More.



4. We produced 6,000 cards in English and 1,500 in Spanish, so we have many left over for distribution throughout the year (e.g., by visitors to the jails, mailings). We hope a prayer card in people’s homes will be a reminder of the parish, that they were at Church on Christmas, and serve as a subtle invitation to return.



5. This year’s prayer: Father in heaven, you have given us a mind to know you, a will to serve you, and a heart to love you. Be with us today to in all that we do, so that your light may shine out in our lives. (In Spanish: Padre Nuestro que estas en el cielo, Tú que siempre nos has dado la capacidad para conocerte, la voluntad para servirte, y un corazón para amarte. Acompáñanos en nuestras labores, y que tu luz brille en nuestras vidas para siempre.)

Children’s Gift

1. We distributed a simple craft-style gift to all the children at the Children’s Mass and at the Spanish Mass. This year, it was an angel and fashioned as an ornament.



2. They were made by a team of parishioners and labeled with the parish name and year.



3. At both the Children’s Mass and the Spanish Mass, children joined the priest in front of the altar for a dialog homily, after which the priest let the children know that we had a special gift for them. Several parishioners then stepped forward and gave each child a gift.



4. We hope the gift serves as a subtle reminder that they were at Church on Christmas and as an invitation to return.

Words of Welcome

1. In the introductory rites, we welcomed all visitors using words by Fr. Joseph Champlin, who uses them at the beginning of his Christmas and Easter homilies:



2. “Most of you are here today (tonight) (this evening) because you are believers. You have faith that the child called Jesus is really the Savior, the Messiah, the Son the Father sent into the world and that he would go to the cross and save us. You’re here to express your faith with others and to deepen it.
   
   “I also know that some of you are here, not because you believe this, but because someone you love wanted you to come—someone: your spouse, your children, a friend. I call you lovers.
   
   “Whether you are believers or lovers, we’re delighted you are here.”



3. We discussed the above words beforehand, wondering if they would appear natural to the priest. However, what is more important is how the words sound to people in the pews. The feedback has been very positive.

Request for Forgiveness

1. Because some people come to Christmas Mass reluctantly due to having been hurt by someone in the Church, we also incorporated into the penitential rite a request for forgiveness. Again, the words come from Fr. Joseph Champlin, who uses them at the beginning of his Christmas and Easter homilies:



2. “There may be someone here who hasn’t been here for a long time, and, sometime in the past, you perceived that you were hurt by someone in the Church—by a lay person or a priest. In the name of our Church, I ask for your forgiveness.”

Brochure in the pews.

1. Given that many people at Christmas Mass are not familiar with Liturgy and can find it confusing, we placed in the pews a simple brochure that explains the Mass. Drafted by a parishioner and entitled “Understanding the Mass,” it always disappears quickly.

I’ll be happy to forward to anyone any of the above materials: greeter recruitment cards, prayer cards, brochures, instructions to greeters, etc. (Unfortunately, I cannot forward the gifts we gave to children, because we need the few remaining angels for future reference.)

Contact Fr. Dave Mercer at Saint Lucy Parish for more information.

January 9: A post-Christmas warning

The Days After Christmas

As we pack away Christmas,
let's not pack away the change it has made in us
and the challenge it leaves us....

The real work of Christmas begins now.

Today's message

Well, so that is that. Now we must dismantle the tree,
Putting the decorations back into their cardboard boxes --
Some have got broken -- and carrying them up to the attic.
The holly and the mistletoe must be taken down and burnt,
And the children got ready for school. There are enough
Left-overs to do, warmed-up, for the rest of the week --
Not that we have much appetite, having drunk such a lot,
Stayed up so late, attempted -- quite unsuccessfully --
To love all of our relatives, and in general
Grossly overestimated our powers. Once again
As in previous years we have seen the actual Vision and failed
To do more than entertain it as an agreeable
Possibility, once again we have sent Him away,
Begging though to remain His disobedient servant,
The promising child who cannot keep His word for long.
The Christmas Feast is already a fading memory,
And already the mind begins to be vaguely aware
Of an unpleasant whiff of apprehension at the thought
Of Lent and Good Friday which cannot, after all, now
Be very far off. But, for the time being, here we all are,
Back in the moderate Aristotelian city
Of darning and the Eight-Fifteen, where Euclid's geometry
And Newton's mechanics would account for our experience,
And the kitchen table exists because I scrub it.
It seems to have shrunk during the holidays. The streets
Are much narrower than we remembered; we had forgotten
The office was as depressing as this. To those who have seen
The Child, however dimly, however incredulously,
The Time Being is, in a sense, the most trying time of all.
For the innocent children who whispered so excitedly
Outside the locked door where they knew the presents to be
Grew up when it opened. Now, recollecting that moment
We can repress the joy, but the guilt remains conscious;
Remembering the stable where for once in our lives
Everything became a You and nothing was an It.
And craving the sensation but ignoring the cause,
We look round for something, no matter what, to inhibit
Our self-reflection, and the obvious thing for that purpose
Would be some great suffering. So, once we have met the Son,
We are tempted ever after to pray to the Father;
"Lead us into temptation and evil for our sake."
They will come, all right, don't worry; probably in a form
That we do not expect, and certainly with a force
More dreadful than we can imagine. In the meantime
There are bills to be paid, machines to keep in repair,
Irregular verbs to learn, the Time Being to redeem
From insignificance. The happy morning is over,
The night of agony still to come; the time is noon:
When the Spirit must practice his scales of rejoicing
Without even a hostile audience, and the Soul endure
A silence that is neither for nor against her faith
That God's Will will be done, That, in spite of her prayers,
God will cheat no one, not even the world of its triumph.

Christmas Oratio, W.H. Auden

January 6: Memorial of Blessed Andre Bessette

The Twelfth Day of Christmas + one

Read about Blessed Andre Bessette, CSC.

Today's song

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, Text: Li­tur­gy of St. James, 4th Cen­tu­ry, trans­lat­ed from Greek to Eng­lish by Gerard Moultrie, 1864.

January 5: Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop

The Twelfth Day of Christmas

Where in the world is Saint John Neumann?

Today's song

Gabriel's message does away
Satan's curse and Satan's sway,
out of darkness brings our Day:
so, behold, all the gates of heaven unfold.

He that comes despised shall reign;
he that cannot die, be slain;
death by death its death shall gain:
so, behold, all the gates of heaven unfold.

Weakness shall the strong confound;
by the hands, in grave clothes wound,
Adam's chains shall be unbound:
so, behold, all the gates of heaven unfold.

Art by art shall be assailed;
to the cross shall Life be nailed;
from the grave shall hope be hailed:
so, behold, all the gates of heaven unfold.

The Annunciation; Words: Piae Cantiones, 1582; tr. John Mason Neale (1818-1866).

January 4: Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

The Eleventh Day of Christmas

Read more about Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Today's prayer

Lord,
I could use your help.

Prayer of an American teenager

January 3: Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

The Tenth Day of Christmas

Read more about the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.

Today's message

The sweet name of Jesus produces in us holy thoughts, fills the soul with noble sentiments, strengthens virtue, begets good works, and nourishes pure affections. All spiritual food leaves the soul dry, if it contain not that penetrating oil, the name Jesus. When you take your pen, write the name Jesus: if you write books, let the name of Jesus be contained in them, else they will possess no charm or attraction for me; you may speak, or you may reply, but if the name of Jesus sounds not from your lips, you are without unction and without charm. Jesus is honey in our mouth, light in our eyes, a flame in our heart. This name is the cure for all diseases of the soul.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, 12th century

Epiphany Blessing of the Home and Household

The Christmas season, especially the feast of the Epiphany, is a traditional time to bless homes. The Book of Blessings has an official rite which may be used by a priest, deacon, or lay person (Chapter 50). The book of Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers has a short simple rite that may be led by a family member. An interesting rubric in the Book of Blessings says that “a home should not be blessed unless those who live in it are present” (#1599).

Often related to these blessings is a ritual of “chalking” the front door of the home with the numbers of the year separated by the initials, CMB. The letters traditionally refer to the legendary names of the three kings: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar (Scripture neither names them nor says there were three of them). Another tradition refers to it as the abbreviation of the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat, translated as “May Christ bless this house.”

To chalk the door for Epiphany, one would write in chalk on the outside lintel above the front door (or any where on the posts of the doors): 20 + C + M + B 07.

Another tradition that I had learned as a college student was to take the first Christmas card I received that season which had the image of the Three Kings and tape it above the inside horizontal lintel of the front door. Both rituals are meant to remind the household to gladly welcome everyone who comes to your door and to eagerly seek out Christ every time you leave home.

Below is an adapted ritual by Diana Macalintal that you may use at Epiphany in your home.

What you’ll need:

• some chalk of any color
• a family Bible
• candles for each person (small tea lights in plastic or glass containers are best)
• matches to light candles
• the words to three Christmas carols
• a Christmas card with the image of the Three Kings and some adhesive tape
• A bowl of holy water
• A leader
• A person to proclaim the Scripture
• The oldest and the youngest members of the household to chalk the door
• Another household member to place the Epiphany card over the door
• A person to read the litany

Introductory Rites
The family and their friends gather at the front door of the home as a suitable song is sung by all, for example, “O Come All Ye Faithful.”

The leader greets those present.

In the name of the Father, (+) and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.

Peace be with this house and with all who live here.
Blessed be God for ever.
All: Blessed be God for ever.

Today we gather in this holy place
to recognize that Christ dwells here.
As the Three Kings followed the light of the star,
we too follow the light of Christ to be a place of welcome,
a people of generosity, and a dwelling place for God.

The home is called the domestic church.
It is where we first learn to pray and search for Christ,
to forgive and receive forgiveness,
to offer our gifts, and to bless each other.

Let us then ask God to open our hearts
so that, as the doors of this home
are opened to neighbor and traveler,
this family may be a source of welcome for all in need
and a place where Christ is found.

Chalking the Door
The leader continues.

As the words of the Gospel of John are proclaimed, let us consecrate this door and the home it protects to Christ who is the sheepgate. Let this door be the threshold that leads both ways to the blessings and goodness of God.

As the Scripture below is proclaimed, the oldest and the youngest persons of the household may take turns inscribing “20 + C + M + B 07” on the outside lintel of the front door.

Reading of the Word of God
A reader may slowly read the following text of sacred Scripture from the family Bible as the inscription is written over the door – John 1:13-14.

In the beginning was the Word, (inscribe 2)
and the Word was with God, (inscribe 0)
and the Word was God. (inscribe +)
He was in the beginning with God. (inscribe C)
All things came to be through him, (inscribe +)
and without him nothing came to be. (inscribe M)
And the Word became flesh (inscribe +)
and made his dwelling among us, (inscribe B)
and we saw his glory, (inscribe 0)
the glory as of the Father’s only Son, (inscribe 7)
full of grace and truth.

The gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Placing of the Epiphany Card over the Door
As the following Scripture passage is proclaimed, another family member places an Epiphany card over the front door on the inside of the house.

The reader continues as the card is placed (Matthew 2:9-11).

And behold,
the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Procession into the Home
Those gathered sing an appropriate song, such as “We Three Kings,” as they each receive a lit candle and follow the family into the main gathering space of the home where a bowl of holy water has been prepared.

Litany
The leader continues.

As this household has been given the light of Christ through baptism, let us pray that this home shines radiantly with the love of God to be a shelter of peace for all who visit and dwell in it.

A reader leads the litany.

Our response is: Make us your dwelling place, Lord.

With Mary, and Joseph: Make us your dwelling place, Lord.
With Anne and Joachim:...
With Elizabeth and Zechariah:
With Anna and Simeon:
With the shepherds and the kings:
With all the angels and saints:
With all holy men and women:
For the sick and the hungry:
For the homeless and the lonely:
For friend and stranger:
For neighbor and traveler:
In our hopes and dreams:
In our faults and failings:
In times of joy and peace:
In times of sadness and grief:
When anger and fear confuse us:
When pride and pain confound us:
When the plans we make must change:
When you call us home by a different way:
In all things, great and small:

The leader continues.

Christ taught us to call upon the Father, and so we pray:
Our Father…

Prayer of Blessing
Those gathered may place a hand on the shoulder of the person near them as the leader says the following prayer.

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation,
for through your goodness
you have given us shelter from the cold
and the light of your Word to brighten the darkness of night.
We come to you bearing no gifts
for everything we have is a gift from you.
All we can offer is our love for each other
and our faith in your Son.
Transform, then, these humble gifts into an epiphany,
a revelation of your divine presence,
and bless this house and all who come to it.
May this home and this family be a light
for all who are lost and afraid,
a place of peace and hospitality for those in need,
and a sign that you are indeed God with us.
And when our long journey has ended,
lead us all by the star of your mercy
that we may come home to you
to the dwelling place you have prepared for us in heaven.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

All may sign themselves with holy water. If desired, those present may go to various rooms of the home to sprinkle them with holy water.

Concluding Blessing
The leader says the following, making the sign of the cross.

May God bless us and keep us. (+)
May his face shine upon us and be gracious to us.
May God look upon us kindly and give us peace.
All: Amen.

All sing an appropriate song, such as “Joy to the World.”

Sample Intercessions for January 7, 2007 - Epiphany

Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord, Year ABC
January 7, 2007

Things, events, and news items to keep in mind:

• Click here for the day's readings.
• Over 3000 US soldiers have died in Iraq.
• January 7 to 13, 2007 is National Migration Week.
• January 7, 2007, is the Solemnity of the Epiphany, or "Little Christmas." It is a traditional time to bless homes.
• Ordinary Time begins after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on January 8, 2007.
• An airplane carrying 102 people crashed in Indonesia on January 1, 2007. Only 12 survivors so far have been found.
• Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging on December 29, 2006, just before Eid al-Adha, the most important feast of the Muslim calendar, was to begin. The feast commemorates Abraham's obedience to God as he was willing to sacrifice his own son.
• Thosands of homes are still without electricity in Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma after winter blizzards. Helicopters are trying to airlift food to snowbound persons and cattle.
• The Christmas season calls for more solemnity. Consider using a sung response and having your deacon, cantor, or reader chant the intercessions.

The following are just samples meant to inspire your work. Use them as ideas for your own assembly's intercessions. Read 10 Principles for Writing Intercessions and How To Write Intercessions to help you write your own.

Presider:
Emmanuel has come, the hope of all the peoples.
Let us lift our voices in prayer with the saints
and cry out with the angels: Glory to God in the highest!

Reader:
For the Church to whom a promise has been given;
for the members of the Body of Christ
to whom a mystery has been made known: [pause]
May we be a light for all the nations
and co-partners in the the gospel's promise of peace.
We pray to the Lord.

For the world upon whom light has shone;
for all the ends of the earth
that have seen the saving power of God: [pause]
May places overshadowed by war, tragedy, and violence—
especially Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan,
Indonesia, Colorado, and most especially our homes—
be raised up in splendor and radiant with peace.
We pray to the Lord.

For all those far from home;
for our sons and daughters, mothers and fathers in the military;
for migrants and refugees searching for a dwelling place: [pause]
May they continue to walk by the light of Christ
and find the star that will lead them safely home.
We pray to the Lord.

For this new year filled with expectation;
for all who hope in God’s promise;
for those who must go a different path than they planned: [pause]
May this year be filled with God’s favor and light,
especially for those shadowed by the clouds
of homelessness, depression, illness, loneliness, and unemployment.
We pray to the Lord.

For the catechumens and all who seek Christ;
for those darkened by doubt who have given up their search: [pause]
May they find in us the joy of the Gospel
to make their hearts throb and overflow with the praises of God.
We pray to the Lord.

For loved ones ill or close to death,
for those in need of our forgiveness,
for those who have asked us to pray for them,
including those we now name…: [pause]
May they be clothed with God's healing power.
We pray to the Lord.

For our deceased loved ones whom we miss this season,
for those who died alone,
for innocent victims of violence,
including those we now name…: [pause]
May the glory of the Lord shine upon them
and gather us all into the arms of God.
We pray to the Lord.

Presider:
God our Father, Source of Everlasting Light,
shine your mercy upon us and hear our prayers.
Do not let us grow weary in our journey to find the Christ-child
or allow the shadow of death to lead us astray,
but part the dark clouds that cover us
that we may see the splendor of your Son
and walk by his undying Light.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, the Morningstar,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
Emmanuel, God with us, for ever and ever. Amen.

January 2: Memorial of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops, doctors of the Church

The Ninth Day of Christmas

How, then, shall we repay the Lord for all his goodness to us? He is so good that he asks no recompense except our love: that is the only payment he desires. To confess my personal feelings, when I reflect on all these blessing I am overcome by a kind of dread and numbness at the very possibility of ceasing to love God and of bringing shame upon Christ because of my lack of recollection and my preoccupation with trivialities. (Saint Basil the Great, Detailed Rules for Monks)



Today's message

Christ is bathed in light; let us also be bathed in light. Christ is baptized; let us also go down with him, and rise with him.

Jesus rises from the waters; the world rises with him. The heavens like Paradise with its flaming sword, closed by Adam for himself and his descendants, are rent open. The Spirit comes to him as an equal, bearing witness to his Godhead. A voice bears witness to him from heaven, his place of origin. The Spirit descends in bodily form like the dove that so long ago announced the ending of the flood and so gives honor to the body that is one with God.

...God wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the glory of him who is the light of heaven. You are to enjoy more and more the pure and dazzling light of the Trinity, as now you have received--though not in its fullness--a ray of its splendor, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

Gregory of Nazianzen: Sermon, Baptism of the Lord

January 1: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

The Eighth Day of Christmas

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
(Galatians 4:4-7)

Today's message

All people who have studied birth and the infant in the birth processes have concluded that it is indeed often a trauma and a frightful thing to be born. To come from the waters and safety and security of the womb into the new element of the world in which one breathes air and is severed from contact and warmth seems to be a journey which is violent and difficult for the new organism. So, too, our death is a birth into another element, another dimension, a separation from the womb of this life and the concrete ways of knowing what the earth has given us. Mother earth is hard to leave. The earliest remains of graves of primitve man reveal bodies put into the earth in the fetal position. So, too, some of the earliest religious stirrings and beliefs turned to a mother goddess to ease the transition from life to death. We may know God as mother and Christ as mother and the Spirit as mother, but the sense of Mary as mother is easier for us to grasp, having each had a mother in the flesh. Her exaltation as mother gives us hope and helps us to bear the approach of death.

Sidney Callahan, The Magnificat

December 31: Feast of the Holy Family

The Seventh Day of Christmas

"After they had completed the days of Passover,
as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it." (Luke 2:41-52)

Today's prayer

In the course of our spiritual journey, it often happenes that we think Jesus is still at our side when actually he hasn't been walking with us for some time. And far more than once, when we have gone seeking him with hurt feelings, his response has been, "How is it that you have sought me?" But we have never understood his words, because we do not understand his heart.

We are also going to Jerusalem, but we only go at the appointed times, following the rules. We make the sacrifice, we keep our "Passover," but when we have done what is required, we return to our own path, assuming that Christ will be with us on the way we have laid out for ourselves. The result is that day by day, year after year, we walk without God.

O Lord, help us to understand what is in your heart, to follow in your footsteps. Save us from our own stupidity, in which we expect you to follow us. Amen.

Prayer from China

December 30: The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

The Sixth Day of Christmas
“Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!” (Easter Exsultet)

Today’s song

The lost verses of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!”

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.

Now display thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface;
Stamp Thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the life, the inner Man:
O! to all thyself impart,
Form’d in each believing heart.

Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739.

December 29: Memorial of Saint Thomas Becket (Thomas of Canterbury)

The Fifth Day of Christmas

Read more about Saint Thomas Becket.

Today's song

Seynt Thomas honour we...Al holy chyrch

Seynt Thomas honour we,
Thorgh whos blod Holy Chyrch ys made fre.

Al Holy Chyrch was bot a thrall
Thorgh kyng and temperal lordys all,
To he was slane in Cristys hall
And set all thing in unite:
Hys deth hath such auctorite.

Seynt Thomas honour we...

The kyng bot lytyl whyl hym sparyd:
Knyghtes in chyrch hys crown of paryd;
Thus the corner-ston was squaryd
Betwen clergy and temperalte,
To knytt pes and unite.

Seynt Thomas honour we...

(translation)
Saint Thomas honor we,
Through whose blood Holy Church is made free.

All Holy Church was but a thrall
Through king and temporal lords all,
Till he was slain in Christ’s hall
And set all things in unity:
His death hath such authority.

Saint Thomas honor we...

The king but little while him spared:
Knights in church his crown off pared;
Thus the cornerstone was squared
Between clergy and temporality,
To knit peace and unity.

Saint Thomas honor we...

Is the Feast of the Holy Family a good time to bless families?

The Church recognizes the family as “the Church of the household, [which] has the duty of upholding clearly before all people the values of the kingdom of God in this world and hope in the life to come by fulfilling its divinely appointed mission and carrying out its proper apostolate” (cf. Lumen gentium, #11 and #35, and Gaudium et spes, #47-52). Therefore, the family can make use of sacramentals, such as blessings, “that in particular situations enrich the life of the family” (Book of Blessings, #41).

The Book of Blessings offers an official order for the blessing of a family (Chapter 1) which may be celebrated outside of (first option) or within Mass and can be led by a priest, deacon, or lay person. The rite gives no particular suggestion as to when the rite should be used except that it is suitable “whenever a blessing is requested by the family or suggested by pastoral considerations” (#42). The book of Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers also offers a similar rite which it recommends “be used annually on a day of special significance to a family, or at times when members of the family who live far apart have come together, or at times when the family experiences special difficulties or special joys” (p. 206).

Recently, there has been some debate among parish circles whether or not the Feast of the Holy Family is an appropriate time to bless families. With divorce, single-parenting, children being raised by grandparents, and different kinds of family arrangements, more and more families do not reflect the idealistic image of family—married mother and father with their children. The holiday season also amplifies any rift in these relationships, often making the Christmas season one of increased depression and anxiety.

For some communities, a blessing of families within Sunday Mass on the Feast of the Holy Family may be beneficial. But I suspect that for most parishes, this will be a delicate subject. The rite should always be adapted “to the circumstances of the place and the people involved” (#43). Therefore, if you decide to celebrate a blessing of families on the Feast of the Holy Family, make sure you know who you are inviting to be blessed, who may feel left out, and be very attentive to the words you use in the invitation and in the rite itself.

Another, perhaps more pastoral, option is to distribute a copy of the blessing and invite families to use it in their own homes at their own family gatherings, or use the blessing at other times when parish families gather together, such as infant baptism or marriage preparation sessions. Such a blessing would also be very appropriate whenever a new family joins the parish.

Another option is to move the blessing of families to a celebration that is more focused on “households” rather than “families,” a subtle but significant distinction for those who may feel anxiety over their own family situation. The solemnity of the Epiphany is one such traditional time to bless homes and households.