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   7th Day of Christmas - 31st Dec 2021 The last post of 2021.  We go into 2022 with renewed hope.  In the meantime it's still the Christmas season , the season of hope. Yes, I'm keeping my crib up - probably till the 2nd Feb, the feast of the "Presentation of the Lord", when the Christmastide is definitely over. I'll keep my tree and cards up until after the feast of the Kings, The Epiphany, on 6th Jan. I invite you to join me in keeping Christmas.  So, again    Happy Christmas  Alleluia, alleluia. The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him he gave power to become the children of God. Gospel:  John 1:  1-18  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in d...

    Adoration of the Shepherds Jacopo Bassano [Web Gallery of Art] Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord This is a Holyday of Obligation in the Philippines, the USA and some other countries. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)   Gospel   Luke 2:16-21  (E nglish Standard Version Anglicised: India)     The Shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And ...

  6th Day of Christmas- 30th Dec2021  Happy Christmas Yes, OK, you've noticed, I'm a day behind in my twelve day journey. I hope to catch up today.  Gospel Luke 2:36-40 Anna speaks of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem There was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him. Comment: Jesus went back with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth and grew to...

I was watching the recording of the funeral of a beloved sacristan from our former church, when I heard something I have never heard before at a funeral. In his homily, the priest conveyed the request that she be forgiven "if she may have wronged you in any way and let her go in peace and be free."  He continued, asking that any grudges be let go of as well. I shouldn't be surprised.  She was a humble servant of God and lived out her call as a secular Franciscan to the benefit of all who knew her.  If you know me, you, too, shouldn't be surprised to learn that when I hear something I like at a funeral, I ask my family to use it.  This day was no different.  I told my husband that I would like a statement made like that at my funeral. Over the years, I am confident--and saddened--that I have undoubtedly hurt people, so this is a statement that would be necessary, I think. Anyway, my husband's response, understandably, was, "How am I going to remem...

  5th Day of Christmas       Happy Christmas Today is the Feast of St Thomas of Canterbury. Gospel Luke 22:24-30 I confer a kingdom on you, just as the Father conferred one on me A dispute arose between the disciples about which should be reckoned the greatest, but Jesus said to them: ‘Among pagans it is the kings who lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are given the title Benefactor. This must not happen with you. No; the greatest among you must behave as if he were the youngest, the leader as if he were the one who serves. For who is the greater: the one at table or the one who serves? The one at table, surely? Yet here am I among you as one who serves! ‘You are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trials; and now I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me: you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.’ Comment: St Thomas was a loyal serva...

  4th Day of Christmas         Happy Christmas                                  The Feast of the Holy Innocents G OSPEL            Matthew 2:13-18 W hen the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son. When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi....

While preparing for a formation session for one of our inquirers who is studying to become a Lay Dominican, I was reviewing a section of one of the Church's documents from Vatican II ( Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World ,  Gaudium et Spes ). The section I was reading was about Marriage and the Family (Part II, Chapter I).   Stay with me.  The point about marriage is one that is mostly overlooked, but is definitely profound. As human beings, we not only exist as physical beings, but we are spiritual as well.  We are created in God's image. God modeled marriage on his own union with the Church.  He so loved the Church that he handed himself over on her behalf (remember Jesus!).  In a similar way, this happens through a spouse's self-giving, and like God's covenant with his people, perpetual fidelity. "Authentic married love is caught up into divine love and is governed and enriched by Christ's redeeming power and the saving...

 27th Dec 2021 3rd Day of Christmas                    Happy Christmas Today is the Feast of John, Apostle and Evangelist. In the Gospel we have those words : "On the first day of the week Mary of Magdala cam running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved."  They tell us how John felt, they are his own words, about the  deep relationship he had with The Lord.  I too, am the one Jesus loves. Do I really believe it?  I want to, that's for sure.  Jesus, you love me just as I am. Teach me your Love. I want to be in Love with you - Always 🙏  

  2nd Day of Christmas.                The Feast of the Holy Family              HAPPY CHRISTMAS “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Today the Gospel gives us the story of Jesus being lost when He was twelve years old.  After three days of looking for Him  and travelling all the way back to Jerusalem Mary and Joseph find Him in the temple. As a mother I know I would be beside myself if one of my children went missing for even a short time, but three days?  We are told:   "They were overcome when they saw Him and His mother said to Him, "My child, why have you done this to us? See  how worried your father and I have been, looking for you."" Jesus was born into a family, with a mother and father ( albeit foster father) , and, for me this episode in their family life gives us a peak int...

  1 st  Day of Christmas       H A P P Y  C H R I S T M A S “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah   Wishing all my faithful readers the Peace, and the Joy and the love of Christmas.

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(From James Tissot; via European Art Collection, Wikimedia Commons; used w/o permission.) ("Adoration of the Shepherds," James Tissot. (ca. 1890)) We're celebrating the birth of Jesus this weekend. Saturday night's Gospel reading starts with "...a decree went out from Caesar Augustus...." About halfway along, we hear that Joseph finally found a place to stay in Bethlehem: but not exactly five-star accommodations. When Jesus was born, Mary laid our Lord in a manger. Two millennia later, in my language, "manger" sounds a bit classy. But it's a feeding trough. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I'm working on a "Christmas" post that should be ready by tomorrow morning. But in case it's not, here's something seasonal and slightly silly. Pip's Christmas 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the shop Nothing was stirring, you could hear a pin drop. The sleigh was not ready, the toys were not packed, Santa was fuming, quite lacking in tact.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  The Holy Family Heinrich Meyring [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 2:41-52  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)     Now the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.   And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.   And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,   but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,   and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.   After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them a...

Sometimes, when we are going through challenging stretches, I think about whether God is refining us, or if life just happens. I knew someone years ago who was having difficulty with a priest, and for a few weeks, she grumbled and complained about his behavior.  Then one day, everything seemed to turn and I asked her what changed. "I realized," she said, "that maybe God figured I needed some pruning." That always stuck with me, because from then on, her perspective toward the priest changed.  In her humility, she was able to see beyond how he irritated her and recognized God's presence in the situation.  Of course, that always leads to the question as to whether God brings us these challenges.  I was thinking about all of this because I was reflecting on today's reading, which comes from the Book of Malachi in the Old Testament.  In Chapter 3 we are reminded that a messenger shall come who "will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like go...

  Adoration of the Shepherds Murillo [ Web Gallery of Art ] Christmas Day, Years ABC The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord  has four different Mass formularies, each with its own prayers and readings. Any of the four fulfils our obligation to attend Mass. These are: Vigil Mass , celebrated 'either before or after First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Nativity'; that means starting between 5pm and 7pm. Mass During the Night , known before as 'Midnight Mass'. Mass at Dawn .   Mass During the Day . The readings from the Jerusalem Bible for the four Masses are all on one page but with links to each individual Mass. When you click on 'Readings' below from the New American Bible you will find links to the readings for each of the four Masses.   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   (Mass During the Night)  Luke 2:...

Scientists in Sweden, taking part in 2019's BEAST program that used SPHERE on the VLT discovered an 'it might be an exoplanet.' In 2021, they got confirmation. They'd spotted an exoplanet. And SPHERE on the VLT 1 has an picture of the newly-discovered world. I'd planned on talking about BEAST, SPHERE, VLT; comparing ground-based and space observatories; and whatever else came to mind. Then, on Tuesday, I started running a fever. It was of the 'nothing serious' variety, but quite enough to slow me down. After that, the household got a brief visit from number-two daughter, son-in law and granddaughter: a happy occasion. Which also didn't help me do what I'd planned. So I trimmed my plans back to what was possible, and this is the result. b Centauri(AB)b, AKA HD 129116 b: Big Bright Stars and a Big Mystery Planet (From ESO, used w/o permission.) (Binary star HD 129116 and HD 129116 b, its huge exoplanet.)... More at A Catholic Citizen in...

Visitation Luca della Robbio [ Web Gallery of Art ]   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, [England & Wales], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 1:39-45  (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,   and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.   And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,   and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!     And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?   For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.   And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfil...

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(From Thomas Cole, via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston & Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) ("Expulsion from the Garden of Eden," Thomas Cole. (1828)) We celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary this Wednesday. It's a big deal — a Holy Day of Obligation — because Mary is our Lord's mother. And because Mary is the only one of us born without original sin. Original sin is not the notion that humans are utterly depraved, bad to the core. We're still "very good" and made "in the image of God." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

St John the Baptist with Saints Cima da Conegliano [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, [England & Wales], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  Luke 3:10-18  (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) The crowds asked John, “What then shall we do?”   And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”   Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”   And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”   Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.” As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether h...