Tag Archives: Christmas

Holy Family Sunday: a Snapshot of Chaos and Joy! Reply

by • Art and Culture, Liturgical Logic • Tags: , , , ,

Reflection for the First Sunday of Christmas, Feast of the Holy Family, Year A

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The time for waiting is over! Now it’s time for Joy! Kid’s are here to remind us what Christmas is all about.

If we could sum up the logic of the liturgical calendar in one word, the word would be Christ. It makes sense then that Christmas is the season of Joy, because we celebrate Jesus’ new born presence in the here-and-now of our lives.

It can be a great downer when Christmas comes and we’re not finding that joy, here and now. We may just find the opposite. We might even find chaos, instead of joy. What does the liturgy for the first Sunday of Christmas offer to console us?

Chaos! More…

Advent Tip: Your Soul is the Manger 8

by • Advent, Spiritual Lights (Fr Jason Smith) • Tags: , , ,

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There are many profound reasons why the newborn Jesus was laid in a manger, or better said, a feeding trough. It shows that right from the first moment of his life he is the bread of life, giving himself to us as food. Even the name Bethlehem means, “house of bread”. It also shows that Jesus has embraced poverty and so he identifies with all the poor of the world. It also shows that he is not afraid of humbling himself in order to dwell in an imperfect place. More…

Advent Tip: We’re Expecting More Than Christmas 1

by • Advent, Spiritual Lights (Fr Jason Smith) • Tags: , , ,

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If we’ve been living Advent with interest, we’ve probably prepared the nativity scene (minus the Christ child), prepared Advent candles, listened attentively to the readings and beautiful liturgical prayers at Mass, and perhaps taken a little extra time for spiritual reading and retreat, in order to prepare ourselves to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas.

Today’s second Advent tip is simply to More…

Still Not Seeing the Reason for the Season? Here’s Why. 15

by • Advent, Cultural Conversion, New Evangelization • Tags: , , ,

I have nothing against supporting companies that support Christmas and I have nothing against boycotts. But I have to ask, in doing so, what are we supporting / boycotting?

naugty niceCould it not just be the commercialization of Christmas?
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The Eucharistic Message of the Child in the Manger 1

by • Spiritual Lights (Fr Jason Smith) • Tags:

BETHLEHEM: HOUSE OF BREAD

It’s remarkable that even though the infant Jesus couldn’t speak, from the first moment of his birth, he was proclaiming that he is the Bread of Life. It’s as if is impatient to institute the Eucharist.

The word Bethlehem in Hebrew means “house of bread” and it’s also no coincidence that Jesus rested in a feeding trough—a “manger” sounds much more quaint, but that’s what it was.

So let’s take a moment to pause and reflect on Jesus, the Bread of Life.

IF YOU BELIEVE AND EAT THIS BREAD… More…