I hope all of you are enjoying a blessed Christmastide, and now that the rush and busyness that attends on Christmas Day #1 is past, you are able to enjoy how the Church suspends time, makes it stand still, so that we can bask in this feast and marvel at its mysteries,
It's good to have the time to actually pay attention to the readings and psalms, since I'm not wrapping gifts, baking cookies, or planning a sit down dinner for ten this week. It's well and good to be Martha the week before Christmas, and on Christmas day there's no choice for many busy mothers. But this week and more after Christmas allows one to be Mary.
There is also a little more time this week to figure out one's place in the breviary: Christmastide is one of the trickiest liturgical seasons for us ribbon-flippers, in part because English (or at least, USA) breviaries, actually have errors in them. More about that in another post. For now, my best advice is--if you get confused, stick with ibreviary or divineoffice.org until it's over.
December 31st is the feast of St. Sylvester. An early pope, non-martyr, he saw the Church go from persecuted minority to favored status after the Edict of Milan. Today's second reading in the OOR reflects wonder and joy at that amazing before and after.
It is traditional to serve "Sylvester Punch" on New Years eve. There are some recipes on the internet if you wish to try it, and have time to get the ingredients. Here is one of them. Enjoy!
Anyone have a question about the the Liturgy of the Hours? Anyone receive a new breviary or a commentary on the psalms as a Christmas gift? I'd be happy to hear about it in the comments.
Remember to start with Evening Prayer I for Mary, Mother of God tonight. Happy New Year.
It's good to have the time to actually pay attention to the readings and psalms, since I'm not wrapping gifts, baking cookies, or planning a sit down dinner for ten this week. It's well and good to be Martha the week before Christmas, and on Christmas day there's no choice for many busy mothers. But this week and more after Christmas allows one to be Mary.
There is also a little more time this week to figure out one's place in the breviary: Christmastide is one of the trickiest liturgical seasons for us ribbon-flippers, in part because English (or at least, USA) breviaries, actually have errors in them. More about that in another post. For now, my best advice is--if you get confused, stick with ibreviary or divineoffice.org until it's over.
December 31st is the feast of St. Sylvester. An early pope, non-martyr, he saw the Church go from persecuted minority to favored status after the Edict of Milan. Today's second reading in the OOR reflects wonder and joy at that amazing before and after.
It is traditional to serve "Sylvester Punch" on New Years eve. There are some recipes on the internet if you wish to try it, and have time to get the ingredients. Here is one of them. Enjoy!
Anyone have a question about the the Liturgy of the Hours? Anyone receive a new breviary or a commentary on the psalms as a Christmas gift? I'd be happy to hear about it in the comments.
Remember to start with Evening Prayer I for Mary, Mother of God tonight. Happy New Year.
