Thoughts and Prayers for Christmas and Advent
In an 1898 letter written a week before Christmas, Blessed Charles de Foucauld, the French penitent, priest, and desert hermit, asks his sister to remember the Christmases they shared together as children. He then urges her to give her own children a Christmas they will always remember:“I hope you have made a crib and a Christmas tree for your children, for they are two of the memories that do one good all one’s life… do all you possibly can to make their Christmas happy, that it may leave indelibly a sweet memory for them." He adds that family Christmas customs interweave the love of Christ with the love of family, in joyful preparation for “Christmas in heaven.”
- - from Magnificat Christmas 2006
Christmas Prayer
O God, our loving Father,help us rightly to remember
the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in
the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and the worship of wise men…
May Christmas morning
make us happy to be thy children
and the Christmas evening
bring us to our beds
with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven,
for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Robert Louis Stevenson
- - from Mission: Year B by Mark Link, S.J.
Advent is a time of waiting. There are opportunities to be a “good waiter”.
- Waiting in line at a store
- Waiting for someone to go with me
- Waiting for a ride
- Waiting for a phone call
- Waiting for something to dry
- Waiting for someone to be in a better mood
- Waiting to feel better
- Waiting for a meal
- Waiting to get home
- Waiting for something to get over
- Waiting for a letter
- Waiting for a package to come
- Waiting to use something we have to share (TV, etc.)
- Waiting for a friend to come over
- Waiting for someone to get well
- Waiting to get over being angry
- Waiting for the courage to say something
- - from The Gift of Time by Margaret Ehlen-Miller et al.
At Christmas, we might be thankful for firsts.
Baby’s first ChristmasFirst time we had roast duck
First time we made dough ornaments
First time we sang at Christmas
First time we held a candle ceremony
First time Dad didn’t have to work
First time we got extra vacation from school
First time everybody was well at Christmas
First time we didn’t have homework over the holidays
We are thankful for family members.
v I’m thankful for my sister because she helped me finish my gift for Mom.
I’m thankful for Dad because he spoke gently to me when I was tired and upset.
I’m thankful for Mom because she gave us such special hugs this Christmas.
I’m thankful for my brother because he took me shopping.
- - from The Gift of Time by Margaret Ehlen-Miller et al.