...And hate to see the season come to end?
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO!
Every day of your life can be Christmas morning. Just go to daily Mass. It's a time machine taking you back to the stable. The beginning of the Mass is Advent, pointing the way to the coming of Christ at the Consecration when he is laid in the manger of the altar by the priest. We come, shepherds and kings, the lowly and the powerful together to worship. We bring Him gifts like the shepherds and the magi did, the gifts of ourselves: our prayers and sacrifices, our acts of charity. We know the gifts of the magi: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We can imagine the gifts of the shepherd:, a woolly fleece to keep the baby warm and protect Him from the scratchy straw, perhaps goat milk and cheese for Mary and Joseph. Yes, the shepherds, despite their littleness, would have come bearing gifts for the King of Kings.
The Mass is Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter all compressed into a short space of time that contains eternity. We see Christ at His birth; we hear His preaching in the Gospel; we sit at the banquet table of the Last Supper; we kneel at the foot of the Cross and share in His suffering and death. And we are there at the Resurrection and that moment Easter evening when He says, "Peace be with you; my peace I give you."
How can you stay away from daily Mass when God Himself calls you there and desires to feed you with His own Body and Blood? Let your New Year's resolution be to attend Mass as often as possible. It is the closest we will ever come to heaven on this earth.
I struggle so with going to daily Mass. I'm a long-time Traditional Catholic but am recovering from surgery and can't drive now so I'm unable to get to my parish, which is some distance away. My only option when I'm feeling okay is to walk to the nearby Novus Ordo church. I do go on Sundays and I WANT to want to go to daily Mass but I can't seem to get myself to do it.
ReplyDeleteIt's like a different religion from what I'm accustomed to ~ traditional full-blown orthodox Catholicism. The traditional Holy Mass, silence, prayer, reverence, sound and profound sermons, holy priests, confession lines before every Mass....But I find myself in the situation where I no longer have access to that.
I'm still struggling with it.
The pain you feel at the Novus Ordo can be among the gifts you bring to the altar. There are certainly holy priests even there. I know several as a matter of fact, some who are learning the traditional Mass and say both.
ReplyDeleteI certainly relate to your longing for reverence and silence, but don't cheat yourself of "our daily bread" and remember that sometimes perfection can be the enemy of the good. I'm adding your intentions to my rosary journal and I wish you a speedy recovery from surgery.
Yes , I am blessed to have the blessing of going to St. Francis de Sales oratory for the Traditional Latin Mass ...the nost beautiful thing this side of heaven! But I agree with you Mary Ann and everything you stated above . I cannot always get to daily Mass becuase of my work schedule but I do go as often as possible ...and that is truly a GIFT to me . To God be the Glory!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post thanks so much!
Can I ask a question?
ReplyDeleteFrom what date to what date is the Christmas Season according to the Holy Catholic Church ???
The Christmas season lasts from 12 to 40 days depending on the tradition. The 12 days of Christmas begin with midnight Mass on Christmas eve and go through the Epiphany on January 6th. That is the feast of Christmas. But the Christmas season continues until the baptism of the Lord on the octave of Epiphany. Some people, however, continue the season until Candlemas Day on February 2nd. The longer the better in my opinion! If you want more information Google the Catholic liturgical year.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Mary Ann!
ReplyDeleteI agree the longer the better for sure.
God Bless you and this wonderful blog.
I so enjoy coming here to be nourished .
You are so sweet, Jeanne. Thank you and Happy New Year! May it be richly blessed for you and your family.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you also.
ReplyDeleteI think I put up my Christmas Tree to early and took it down to fast .
Have to remember this for Christmas of 2013.
At St. Francis de Sales Oratory they keep all the beautiful decorations and Christmas tree's up to Febrauary 2 !
Thanks be to God!