Merry Christmas!

It's awesome being Catholic, while everyone else is tired from celebrating Christmas for the last month and a half, we are just getting started after the preparation period of Advent. :)

Seriously though, my prayers remain with you all. May God's blessings and peace be with you this Christmas season!

An aweome video, h/t to the Ironic Catholic:

Christmas

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:8-14 From the Midnight Mass for the Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas)

After reading this passage, I attempted to write about the Nativity of Our Lord. But I find myself at a loss for words. What is there that I can write that would do this wondrous moment in history justice? When God Himself became man! That alone would be enough to show how much He loved us. But then to take it so far as to die on the cross thirty-three years later…

Our Lord, Jesus Christ became man for us. He died for us. He wants us to be with him. All we must do is to accept his love into our hearts. Hopefully the scene of that small child in the manger, born bereft of wealth and power, will help us realize just how much He cares for His creation.

People talk of the meaning of Christmas, something that is lost quite often in the current age. The true meaning, is the birth of the creator of the universe as a man, a human being, just like you and I. Whatever your plans for today and tomorrow, we need to remember the true reason for the season. The fact that Our Lord is with us, now and forever. We just need to turn to him, trust in His mercy and love, and pray for His will to be done in our lives…

So I leave you with the above passage. May his humility and love be an example for all of us.

For the family and friends that I will not see today and tomorrow, you are missed greatly. I pray for a safe and blessed holiday.

For anyone who is reading, may our Lord’s grace and light be with you all this Holy Day, and may His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the one who unequivocally said “Yes!” to the will of God, and put her trust in Him so that He may be born through her, pray for us, and be an example for how we can follow His will in our lives.

Merry Christmas, and God Bless.

-Dean

Nicholas

Nicholas was born in a small village, called Patara, in what is now known as Turkey. However, not much is known about his early life. He is known to have been very devoted to his faith, and born to a fairly well-off family.

It is said that he was involved in some way with fishermen and sailors, although in what capacity, it is not known. He seems to have eventually left his former life, eventually giving away his wealth, and becoming a priest, at a time when Christians were heavily persecuted. To give one's life in this way, at a time when Christianity was not exactly favored was heroic indeed!

After Christianity began to be tolerated in the East, it is said that Nicholas was raised to the honor of Bishop in the town of Myra. It is then that we hear of most of his deeds...

There is one tale that when Nicholas was on a voyage from Myra, he saved a sailor single-handedly from being lost in a terrible storm.

Another tells of a butcher who, hoping to make money during a famine, murdered several small children, hoping to sell them as meat. But Nicholas realized what had happened, and not only discovered the crime, but managed to resurrect the children.

One of the more famous stories deals directly with charity. There was a poor peasant that was unable to provide a dowry for his three daughters, so it seemed that they would never be able to marry. But Nicholas, knowing the man's situation and not wanting the daughters to be forced into prostitution, decided to take action. Over three nights, he threw a bag of gold into the man's window, one for each daughter. This way, he had the dowry, and his daughters could get married. Some say that the man eventually confronted Nicholas, and he replied to the man that he should not thank him, but God alone.

He was always faithful to God, at one time even being imprisoned for his beliefs.

Nicholas became well known for his generosity throughout his life. There were many more instances of anonymous giving attributed to him throughout the region. Even after he passed, people who were inspired by his spirit of generosity, continued to give to those in need anonymously, often giving Nicholas the credit.

Throughout the centuries, his story grew, and people continued to look to his example. They saw in him the true spirit of Christian charity and love. Eventually, he became so popular, people began looking to him to pray on their behalf to God, in other words, he was now known as Saint Nicholas. He would become the Patron Saint (amongst many causes) against imprisonment, for sailors, for the poor, and most notably, the Patron Saint for children.

His feast day on the traditional calendar is today, December 6th.

Saint Nicholas' story and legend would eventually grow and change to what we now know as Santa Claus here in the United States. While the story has changed a good deal, his original spirit of generosity still lives on in the person of that jolly old elf that we look for on Christmas Eve, spreading joy to children of the world everywhere.

Saint Nicholas truly embodied the spirit of Christmas.

I hope and pray that we can all remember his example during this Christmas season, during a time in our history where so many people are focused inward, perhaps the good Saint Nicholas can be an example to look outward in love and charity...

Blessings to you and your families,
DJ