December 23: O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver,

desire of the nations, Savior of all people:

Come and set us free, Lord our God.

A 'mighty wind', the breath or Spirit of God swept over the waters
at the creation of the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
Women are coached in their breathing as they labor to give birth.
You may be feeling out of breath from the last minute baking, housecleaning and gift-wrapping that leads up to the Christmas celebration... if so, please take a minute, and just breathe.

That breath is a gift to you from God. So is the next one. And so on... you are being re-created throughout your life by every breath that God gives you. There's a certain freedom in knowing that at each moment, we can make a choice to break old patterns, establish new ones, repair a relationship, or nurture a new one. Our past may form us, but it does not bind us.

You as parent are the most important influence in your child's faith. Children learn through stories and songs, and by example. So, what better way to celebrate Christmas than to tell your child the story of Jesus' birth (Luke 2: 1-20), sing a few Christmas carols (e.g. Silent Night and Joy to the World, not Frosty the Snowman or Santa Claus is Coming to Town), and emphasize the great gift of love over the quantity of presents?  And don't forget to bring your family to celebrate with your family of faith: here again is the link to the mass times at St. Andrew (and a reminder to arrive early for the Christmas eve services).

May you know the breathless joy of Christmas- 

the reality of Emmanuel, "God With Us"!

December 22: O Rex Gentium, O King of all the Nations

O King of all the nations, 

the only joy of every human heart;

O Keystone of the mighty arch of humanity:

Come and save the creature 

you fashioned from the dust.

We live in an area with a lot of subdivisions. Developers get to design a lifestyle for people. How much are we defined by where we choose to live (if we are fortunate enough to have the resources for such a home)? Am I the 'golf course lifestyle' person, or the 'pool and playground lifestyle' person or perhaps the 'secluded woods and large lots lifestyle' person? But think of that word subdivisions. Even in something as probably benign as planned neighborhoods, we've created boundaries, distinctions, and accentuated differences... divisions.

God created us, all of us, male and female, Christian and Jew and Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist, agnostic and even atheist, in God's image. And every time we separate ourselves from one another, emphasizing our differences in religion or economic status, race or culture, language or gender, we fundamentally ignore the deep-down truth of Who we all belong to, and for Whom we long at the very center of our being.

Our world is groaning, weighted down with discord, violence and prejudice. We pray for the ultimate unity and peace which only the One who created all can provide.

• What if you and your child played a game today, taking at least 10 minutes amongst the crowds on the highway or in the mall or wherever, and making sure to recognize in your own heart and mind every person you see as made in God's image? Every person is your sister, your brother- since we ARE all children of God? (And don't forget your own sisters and brothers, they count, too!)
• What do you learn from doing this?
• In your own words, or the words posted above, pray today's antiphon with your child, asking God to help us be governed by a desire for getting along in peace with each other.

December 21: O Oriens, O Radiant Dawn

O Radiant Dawn, 
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:

Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death.

Today is the shortest day of the year (as in: hours of daylight) in the northern hemisphere, the Winter Solstice, marked by ancient agrarian cultures as a time of new birth - the moment when the sun begins again to overcome the darkness.

Have you ever woken up too early, alone with your thoughts in the darkness, and unable to go back to sleep? Has your child been frightened by the shadows from the streetlight that turn tree limbs into monster's arms? When the electricity goes out, have you banged your shin on an otherwise familiar coffee table or found a simple flight of stairs to hold new and daunting challenges? Without the light that reveals reality, fear (reasonable or otherwise) holds sway.

Many people decorate their homes this time of year with lots of lights. It's fun to drive around and look at the displays! They make us happy, and create a mood of celebration. (And deep in our DNA, perhaps it's a way to keep the long nights of winter darkness from 'winning'!)

• "I am the light of the world," says Jesus. You and your child could ask Jesus to be your light when you are feeling afraid or dark inside or really very tired.
• Don't forget to pray today's Antiphon with your child- in the words here, or by making up your own!

December 20: O Clavis David, O Key of David

O Key of David, o royal Power of Israel,

controlling at your will the gate of heaven:

Come, break down the prison walls of death

for those who dwell in darkness 
and the shadow of death;

and lead your captive people into freedom.

Why are we  praying to a piece of metal? We're not, we're using symbolic language... let's think about some of the uses of a key. 

• To whom do you give or lend the keys to your car or home? Someone you trust, right? 

  • What do you look at to find the right responses to a test? The answer key.

• What do they call the middle block in a stone arch, the one that keeps all the others in place by accepting the most pressure? The keystone.

Thinking about those examples, what might we mean when we call Jesus  "Key of David"? What power does he hold, what answers can he give us, and is he someone in whom we could safely entrust our lives?

Most of us are not in prison. Some of us HAVE been in time-out (or the proverbial dog house). What kind of freedom do we pine for: escape from the consequences of our actions, or making better choices in the first place, which then lead to better results? How can Jesus help us make better choices?

In your own words or using the words of the antiphon at the top of this post, pray with your child for God to lead you to make good choices and break bad habits.

December 19: O Radix Jesse, O Flower of Jesse's Stem

O Flower of Jesse's stem,

you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples;

kings stand silent in your presence;

the nations bow down in worship before you.

Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

Jesse was the father of King David, by whom Jesus is connected (through Joseph) in the genealogy offered by Matthew at the very beginning of his Gospel. Here in the South, an important question upon meeting a stranger had traditionally been 'who are your people'?  Looking back at Jesus' family tree, we find good and bad kings, men and women of strong or weak faith, and others whose story is unknown beyond their names.

 

In Jesus' time, you really were defined by your family and its place in society. Remember when people thought Jesus was getting 'above his raising' (Matthew 13: 54-58) they said, 'isn't he the carpenter's son?' He couldn't be effective in his hometown, because people had their narrow definition of what he should be about. Have you ever felt pressured to choose a major or a job or make some other major decision just to live up to family expectations? Did that energize you or make you feel powerless, or something in between?

 

What expectations do you have for your children, reasonable or otherwise?

 

The antiphon today speaks of our longing for life in all its fullness, for the power of our heritage of faith from countless generations of our ancestors... whether related by blood or the waters of baptism. The life promised by God in Jesus is eternal and effective, empowering us to proudly carry on our true family name, "Christian".

 

• As you talk with your child today, you might use the example of the winter bulbs (paperwhites, amaryllis, etc) that almost magically provide color in the midst of the grayness of winter.... from an ordinary looking bulb comes great beauty, with the help of water and God's creative power! Jesus' birth is kind of like that, in a way: something beautiful and extraordinary came, through God's power, from regular people.
• What stories of your ancestors could you tell your child today? What can you tell them of their grandparents that will make them proud and happy to be related? Do you know relatives who immigrated to America, or made it through the Great Depression, or otherwise persevered under difficult circumstances, whose strength, patience or other virtue could be a good example?
• And what good qualities do you see in your child? Tell them a good story about themselves!
• And- you've got the time, ask them if they have a story about when you did something they really appreciated. "Accentuate the positive" goes the old song- we long for that, and there's deep and authentic power in such a simple action.
• Don't forget to pray today's Antiphon with your child- in the words here, or by making up your own!

December 18: O Adonai, O Lord

O Sacred Lord of Ancient Israel,
who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,
who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:
Come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free. 

Moses Before the Burning Bush, bas relief plaque by Scott Sullivan, 2004.

 Look at just a part of the story of Moses in the Old Testament, Exodus 3: 1-17. What can you tell your children about what is going on there? While we know that God is so much stronger and wiser and better (and any other good superlative we can think of!) than us, isn't it amazing that God loves us so much to always want to help us?

God helped our ancestors and helps us in many ways: inspiring people to take on leadership when times were tough, providing that wisdom and guidance and vision to figure out how to make things better, and giving us laws to set us free. 

Giving us laws? That's not freedom!!! Oh, but if you look at the Ten Commandments (Exodus Chapter 20), they really are basic laws that help people get along with each other. It's hard to trust people who steal and lie and covet what doesn't belong to them, isn't it?

You could list with your child some of the laws in your family, and why they exist. (E.g., Not touching hot stoves, being home or in bed by a certain time both are matters of safety or good health, picking up after yourself is a sign of respect for everybody else who lives there, etc.)  Good rules help us feel more secure and free us from constantly trying to figure out what's right. (Bad or silly rules are just annoying, aren't they?!)

In what ways can your child name that Jesus 'stretched out his mighty hand to set us free', by his actions or words? What laws did he give us? (for ideas, see: Matthew 25: 31-40; Luke 6: 27-38; John 13: 34-35)

In your own words or using the words of the antiphon at the top of this post, pray with your child for God to lead you along the paths of safety and goodness.

December 17: O Sapientia, O Wisdom

O Wisdom, O holy Word of God,
you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care:
Come and show your people the way to salvation.

Figure of Wisdom by John LaFarge, 1901

Questions to ponder with your child...

• What's the difference between being smart and being wise? (one simple thought: A smart person knows the correct answers, a wise person looks for the best outcome)
• Go to the Old Testament and read Wisdom 7:22-8:1. Maybe you can pick out a few verses to share with your child, and talk about wisdom.
• If we were to be 'wise', what would that look like, how would we act, how would we make choices?

Using the words of today's antiphon or your own words,

pray with your child and ask God for the gift of wisdom.

(You are always welcome to post comments: yours or your child's thoughts on the topic!)

Holiday Mass Schedule

You can find the mass schedule for the next couple of weekends posted here.

Please remember that the Christmas Eve services get very crowded, and will begin as soon as the Church is full. Since these services tend to draw in our brothers and sisters who may not pray with us regularly, please take it upon yourself to be extra welcoming to unfamiliar faces. YOU may be reason they might decide to come back another week!!

O Antiphons

As we reach the latter part of Advent, we encounter seven traditional and ancient antiphons (responses) in the Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. You may recall that in Jewish practice the day begins at sundown, so praying these antiphons during the vespers of December 17-23 takes us to the beginning of Christmas Eve. Each of these prayers is a plea for Jesus' coming, addressing him by an ancient Scriptural name, and petitioning for a particular act of salvation from him.

Here's an interesting bit of information, found at catholic-resources.org:

In the traditional arrangement, when viewed from Christmas Eve backward, the first letters of the Latin texts (Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia) spell out the phrase ero cras ("I come tomorrow").

Please come back each day this week, as we bring our Advent preparation to its joyful conclusion!

A Holy Day

Wednesday, December 8 is an important day for us as Catholics. We call it a 'Solemnity'- that means it's a really big feast day, in fact, it is one of our "Holy Days of Obligation". Holy Days are those special times- in addition to every Sunday -when we as Catholics are called to come together in Mass and celebrate or commemorate something significant.

December 8 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. I invite you to look at the readings for this day. The Gospel talks about the Annunciation to Mary about Jesus, not about HER conception... no wonder some Catholics get confused about who this feast is about! (If it helps to remember, we celebrate the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel to Mary of God's special plan for her on March 25- exactly 9 months before Christmas!)

I can think of three good reasons to use this Gospel:
1) Mary's role as the mother of Jesus, which she embraced at the Annunciation, was an acceptance that required all the strength and grace a human could muster ... a gift God gave Mary at her own conception to keep her from sin ('full of grace') throughout her life. Of course, since she had free will like every human being, she still could have said 'no' to God's invitation to bear Jesus, but because of this special gift from first instant of her life, she had enough love, courage and strength to say 'yes'!
2) From the 'it is fitting' school of thought - if God was to become human, God would deserve nothing but the best (e.g., would you really want to drink fine wine from paper cups?!), and to use old terminology, the 'stainless vessel' of Mary, sinless from the first instant of her life, was the most fitting means of the Incarnation.
3) Compare the Gospel with the first reading - a Genesis version of sin entering the world through Eve (AND Adam) succumbing to the temptation of the serpent. Through previously sinless Eve sin entered the world, and through the miraculously sinless Mary, the 'new Eve', the means of salvation from sin was born into our world.
oh, and
4) not so good a reason, but a practical one: there really is no Scriptural evidence for the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception beyond the angel's brief reference to Mary as "full of grace", and her cousin Elizabeth's later greeting her as "blessed among women".

But let's put this a bit more simply: every time we honor Mary, what we say about her is both a reflection of what we believe about Jesus, and what we hope for or anticipate for ourselves. So in this case, we celebrate the redemptive power of God through Jesus Christ to save us from the power of sin, enabling Mary physically and us spiritually to freely say 'yes' to God's invitation to carry Jesus in our lives.

So, please come and celebrate how much God loves us! Mass times at St. Andrew the Apostle are 6:30am, 9:00 am and 7:30pm.

Check out the new link!

Look over to the right side of the page, under the link for St. Andrew parish website. If you click on that link "Lectionary Readings for Children" , it will take you to a page which links to the upcoming Sunday readings, but using wording that is easier for children to understand. To tell you the truth, sometimes it makes it much easier for adults to understand the message, too!

Enjoy!

Feast of St. Nicholas

December 6 is the feast of St. Nicholas.
Click to read a little information about this 4th Century Bishop from the area that is now Turkey.

A tradition in my family, and for many families, is for children to leave their shoes out overnight when going to bed December 5, and finding them filled with small gifts and/or candy upon awakening (we put our shoes in the hall, rather than outside - St. Nicholas always found them okay!). As adaptations happen over time and across cultures, that's not a far stretch to hanging one's sock (stocking) by the fireplace for Santa Claus, eh?!

Maybe a few gold candy coins in a sneaker this year could open an opportunity to talk about how St. Nicholas was concerned about caring for those in need, and how fun it can be to do good deeds in secret, just to be nice, not to be recognized!