Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Reading With Lily
Stopped at Lily's for coffee one afternoon. She is so wonderful to my kids, a real blessing in our lives.
Sleeping Peacefully
I couldn't resist snapping these pictures one night. They were sleeping so peacefully. Rita put her princess crown on her big bear. Not sure how Anthony managed to fall asleep in that position, but he didn't wake up when I put his leg back in the bed.
Silly Things
Top row: Rita and Paul (hockey brother), goofing around. Rita was using the garbage can as her "hockey helmet" and then found the purple ear plugs and decided they were her horns. Rita got some socks in a white elephant present at the hockey family Christmas party. They are obviously adult size knee socks, but she insisted that they were hers and wore them to bed one night.
Middle: Paul being smothered by his little hockey siblings.
Bottom: Close up of Rita and the garbage can helmet. Anthony eating dinner one night with his Spider Man gloves on.
I love children!
Shame on Lily
Our child care provider (that's what we call them these days instead of babysitter), Lily, is on the naughty list. She is worse than the kids when it comes to waiting for Christmas. One morning the kids weren't getting dressed and ready and she plied them by saying "I have a Christmas present at my house for you." I gave her "the look" but knew it was a done deal. You've never seen kids get ready so fast! As you can see, Rita didn't even get her coat off at Lily's before she got the present in her hot little hands! Thanks for loving and spoiling them Lily!
Night of Lights Parade
On a chilly Friday night we met Jeanne and her girls, Teigen, Stacia and Zoe, in Columbia Falls for the annual night of lights parade. It was very enjoyable as there was no snow! Some years we have had to dress in multiple layers and wade through deep snow to watch the parade. "Let It Snow" is a nice idea until it happens. Then it doesn't quit! So while some are dreaming of a white Christmas, I am hoping to eek out a few more sunny days before winter sets in for good!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Received this e-mail today and thought I would post it.
The O Antiphons developed during the Church’s very first centuries. The writer Boethius (+525) mentions them. By the 8th century they were in use in Rome. There are seven of these special antiphons, and their texts spring from the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures, the Prophetic and Wisdom Books. They are found in the Liturgy of the Hours or older Roman Breviary, which clerics, religious, consecrated virgins, and others use for daily prayer.
The O Antiphons are short prayers sung before and after the Magnificat, the great prayer of Mary in Luke 1:46-55 when coming visit to Elizabeth her cousin the Virgin praised God for His favor wondrous deeds. The Magnificat is sung during Vespers, evening prayer. The O Antiphons begin on 17 December, seven days before the Vigil of Christmas (24 December). The seventh and last antiphon is sung at Vespers on 23 December. They are called the “O Antiphons” because they all begin with the letter-word “O”: they address Jesus by one of His Old Testament titles. They are fervent prayers asking Our Lord to come to us.
Advent is about the many ways in which the Lord comes. He came historically at Bethlehem in the fullness of time. In the liturgical year he comes to us sacramentally. He will come again at the end of the world as Judge of the living and the dead. Christ comes to us also in the two-fold consecration of the Body and Blood of Christ by the priest at Holy Mass and, in a special way in a good Holy Communion. He comes in the person of the priest, who is alter Christus, another Christ. He comes in the words of Holy Scripture. He also comes in the person of our neighbor, especially those who are in need of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
During Advent, John the Baptist has been reminding us in the liturgy to “make straight His paths”. When we come to the Lord in death, or He comes to us in His Second Coming, He will make straight the path whether we have during our earthly lives done our best to straighten it ahead of time or not. Let us now, while we may, make straight the paths by which Christ Jesus comes.
Here are two additional notes about these O Antiphons.
The first is not apparent in English, but it can be seen clearly in the official language of the Roman Catholic Church: Latin. The Latin versions of each of the titles of the Messiah are: Sapientia (Wisdom), Adonai (Lord), Radix (Root), Clavis (Key), Oriens (Dawn), Rex (King), and Emmanuel (Emmanuel). Take the first letters of each of the titles, starting with the last and working back to the first. You spell: EROCRAS or “ero cras… I will be (there) tomorrow”.
The song “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is simply a reworking of the seven O Antiphons. When you sing it, you are joining yourself to a vast throng of Christians stretching back across centuries and spanning the whole of the earth who prayed as all Christians do, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20)
Fr. Zuhlsdorf
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Feast of Saint Nicholas
"Christian faith acknowledges not a nostalgic dream, but a real human presence. As we celebrate today the feast of St. Nicholas, let us see past the sentimental myth, the nostalgic dream we call Santa Claus, and let us give thanks for the real life of a holy bishop of the fourth century,a holy man whose life was lived in recognition of the real presence of Jesus Christ. Let us follow St. Nicholas in witnessing to the Presence of Christ,which is not a seasonal sentiment, but an event which we encounter and live today and forever." --Fr. Richard Veras
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Playing Games with Our Hockey Brother
Rita and Anthony's new favorite game is Kerplunk. Paul joined them one day and the were thrilled! Of course, them miss the point of the game, which is to have no marbles come down. They think it's thrilling when the get a "kapunk".
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