December 24
She…wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid
Him in a manger.
She knelt and held Him close against her heart,
And in the midnight, adoration fused
With human love, and was not separate.
And very near, the man named Joseph came.
He was the first
To find her thus, the first of all the world.
And when her faint smile called for him to take
Him for a breathless moment, he was first
To know there is no other blessedness.
(Excerpted from A Woman Wrapped in Silence By John W. Lynch)
December 23
There was no room for them within the inn.
And Joseph turned away.
To find again,
A woman wrapped in silence. Had she heard?
No sign appeared, nor stir of tranquil veil
To tell of it.
But Joseph knew. And silence and the glance
That smiled at him could not shut out the need
For shelter that was yet unsaid. He knew!
And suddenly it rose in him again
What it was he knew, and what was here
Beseeching in the night. An innocence
That had been burnished flawless to return
All brightness, till the Inexhaustible
Had searched for her this last and utter grace
That left no more to give.
… Like blessedness that had not been before…
And he was guardian. Guardian!
Whose task to fear not, but to throw his life
About her as a cloak. To be a strength
Between her and the world’s uncertainties.
To fend, and guard, and break the fall of harsh
Rejection…
He had not thought refusal was a word
Remaining in a language that had held
Her name.
(Excerpted from A Woman Wrapped in Silence By John W. Lynch)
Enjoy some photo highlights from our recent pilgrimage to Mexico City for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!
December 22
A little while,
And then the day was slipping down behind
The dark, and clung there, like a crystal drop…
O, was there here some haste
That pushed the light more hurriedly, as if
This were an ending era, and the last
Of days? …
Then suddenly, the road
Was turning, and ahead, some clustered roofs…
He turned,
And called to her: “Mary. It is here.
This is Bethlehem.
So now he pulled the bridle on a path
Well worn, ahead of him.
…A fire and feel that there were others near.
A kind of courtyard, square, but with a roof
Around the edges, and a gate to close…
Joseph’s eyes were hopeful as he stood
To wait an answer. Then he heard them say,
There was no room for them within the inn.
(Excerpted from A Woman Wrapped in Silence By John W. Lynch)
CH writes: “My son who is in 8th grade just told me about a horrible Demonic thing some kids are doing called ‘Gate of Hades’. I don’t know if you ever heard of this, but I Googled it and was disgusted by what I saw. I would like to share this with you so you can warn other parents about this.”
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The issuing of the declaration entitled, Fiducia supplicans, by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith (DDF) on December 18 was meant to open the door to allow same-sex couples to receive a form of blessing in the Church, but many experts say it is opening the door to a great deal of confusion and controversy as well.
December 20
“No one could ever say more truly than Mary: ‘I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me.’”
-Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, OCD
We have had numerous questions about a Dominican priest named Father Nathan Castle who claims to minister to souls who get “stuck” after death and are unable to adjust to the afterlife. Is this even possible?
Chapel of the first live nativity in Greccio, Italy (Photo courtesty of Wikicommons Images , Fiat500e, CC BY 4.0 DEED)
by Theresa Cavicchio, OFS
For the many Franciscans around the world of the First, Second, and Third Orders – clerical, religious, and lay – the year 2023 inaugurated a series of important 8th-centenaries which will culminate in 2026. For our purposes, the timeliest of these has a deep spiritual significance as we approach Christmas this year.
