A Carpe Diem Snapshot:
Home for Christmas! We had our first Carpe Diem moment of the day before the sun even came up, one of the few benefits of jet lag. That, combined with general Christmas day excitement and wonder, brought us to the Christmas tree for morning tea and a read-aloud book that I just discovered right before bedtime last night, The Church Mouse of St. Nicholas. It is the story of the first performance of "Silent Night" in 1818, which was mentioned in Calendar Class yesterday, as well as in the homily of the Mass we attended yesterday. The author, Charles A. Brady, wrote an inscription to my parents in 1967. Another Calendar Class coincidence... Merry Christmas, dear readers!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Jn 1:1-18
Bishop Barron's Gospel reflections today.
Sanctoral: The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Anastasia of Sirmium (d. 304). St. Anastasia is commemorated in the second Mass of Christmas at Dawn (the Station Church is the Roman church named after her) and the first eucharistic prayer. Nothing much is known factually about St. Anastasia except that she was she was martyred in the persecution of the emperor Diocletian, and that this happened at the city of Sirmium which one of the imperial capitals of the later Roman Empire, now Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia.
St. Albert Chmielowski (1845-1916) of Poland is also commemorated. He founded the Brothers of the Third Order of Saint Francis, Servants to the Poor, who worked primarily with the homeless, depending completely on alms while serving the needy regardless of age, religion, or politics. A community of Albertine sisters was established later. Pope St. John Paul II beatified Albert in 1983, and canonized him six years later.
Human: Christmas Day AND Hanukkah are celebrated on the same day this year!
The Writer's Almanac edition today.
Natural: All about the Star of Bethlehem!
Italian: Impacchettare (to wrap)
Quote: "Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime." – Laura Ingalls Wilder
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