We’re at home. One daughter arrived and is ill (not seriously), and the other will arrive this weekend. So this Christmas has been quiet, focused on church, including a spoken service this morning, with the gift exchange postponed until the weekend. It’s been lovely!
We’re at home. Christmas Eve 3 pm to see granddaughter sing, Christmas Day morning with daughter and grandchildren, Christmas afternoon and lunch with friends, Christmas evening meeting and talk with son in next state. St. Stephen’s Day back to computer.
At home – an aged cousin (91) unexpectedly nearing death; children and grandchildren (10 total, grands from 2 to 21) arriving Saturday, but it’s still Christ’s birthday celebration, with Lessons and Carols Sunday. Our tiny congregation will be swollen with families coming in from all over.
We’ll have highs and lows…the way of the Christian world.
Christ is King!
We managed to get all three children home safely, Abigail, Nathaniel and Selimah, the first two from Vancouver BC and NYC. It is so great to have the whole fivesome together especially for the glorious occasion of celebrating Christ’s birth.
Drove our travel trailer from WA state down to Burbank CA to celebrate Christmas and New Years Eve with son Nicholas wife and granddaughter age 7. In-laws have *lots* of relatives. Great fun. Praise the Lord for $2.50 gasoline.
In the Faith,
NW Bob
Our immediate family (three of us) are at home – all ill. Two have upper respiratory infections, I have that, Type A flu, and a fainting spell thanks to the latter which left me with a gash over one eye (five stitches needed) and a cracked rib. Thank God for 21st century medicine.
We have had such a lovely Christmas. It has been a quiet one uninterrupted by the usual overly commercial aspects of Christmas. I discovered having arthroscopic knee surgery at the beginning of the month slowed the pace of shopping in a very positive way! We enjoyed the season at our beloved church. The sermons at each service were masterpieces. The sermon on the Incarnation on the Sunday after Christmas was the best explanation of the Incarnation I had ever heard. The music; the beauty of the altar, poinsettias, and wreaths; the packed Church with young and old, the sparkle of candlelight, and the powerful message of the liturgy made for one of the best Christmas’ ever. One of the beauties of aging is that things calm down and Christmas can be filtered down to the deepest riches of the festival. Life is good!
My wife and I live by ourselves and had a quiet but pleasant Christmas morning. In the afternoon we took communion to a member of our parish who is hospitalized in a nearby town, a good hour’s drive away. Our rector needed the break, and since I currently have a general permit, I was happy to do it since I celebrate and visit quite infrequently. Our parish friend had recently lost his legs due to complications of diabetes, and while regrettable it meant an improvement in his condition, since he would have died otherwise. We celebrated the eucharist with him and another friend who was visiting, and for the gospel my wife read the nativity story from Luke. It was a quiet and peaceful moment, and we felt blessed on the drive home. I hope all readers had a blessed and joyous Christmastide.
As a parish priest we had a wonderful Christmas at home. 10 family members, in addition to the 6 in our immediate family, came Christmas Eve and spent the night. I had the great grace to have 4 Christmas Masses. Children’s and Solemn High Mass on Christmas Eve, a Low Mass at the church Christmas Day, and Low Mass at a retirement village in the afternoon.
Video of 3 of the 4 services can be found here http://www.youtube.com/stjohnspriest
We’re at home. One daughter arrived and is ill (not seriously), and the other will arrive this weekend. So this Christmas has been quiet, focused on church, including a spoken service this morning, with the gift exchange postponed until the weekend. It’s been lovely!
We’re at home. Christmas Eve 3 pm to see granddaughter sing, Christmas Day morning with daughter and grandchildren, Christmas afternoon and lunch with friends, Christmas evening meeting and talk with son in next state. St. Stephen’s Day back to computer.
At home – an aged cousin (91) unexpectedly nearing death; children and grandchildren (10 total, grands from 2 to 21) arriving Saturday, but it’s still Christ’s birthday celebration, with Lessons and Carols Sunday. Our tiny congregation will be swollen with families coming in from all over.
We’ll have highs and lows…the way of the Christian world.
Christ is King!
We managed to get all three children home safely, Abigail, Nathaniel and Selimah, the first two from Vancouver BC and NYC. It is so great to have the whole fivesome together especially for the glorious occasion of celebrating Christ’s birth.
Drove our travel trailer from WA state down to Burbank CA to celebrate Christmas and New Years Eve with son Nicholas wife and granddaughter age 7. In-laws have *lots* of relatives. Great fun. Praise the Lord for $2.50 gasoline.
In the Faith,
NW Bob
Our immediate family (three of us) are at home – all ill. Two have upper respiratory infections, I have that, Type A flu, and a fainting spell thanks to the latter which left me with a gash over one eye (five stitches needed) and a cracked rib. Thank God for 21st century medicine.
We have had such a lovely Christmas. It has been a quiet one uninterrupted by the usual overly commercial aspects of Christmas. I discovered having arthroscopic knee surgery at the beginning of the month slowed the pace of shopping in a very positive way! We enjoyed the season at our beloved church. The sermons at each service were masterpieces. The sermon on the Incarnation on the Sunday after Christmas was the best explanation of the Incarnation I had ever heard. The music; the beauty of the altar, poinsettias, and wreaths; the packed Church with young and old, the sparkle of candlelight, and the powerful message of the liturgy made for one of the best Christmas’ ever. One of the beauties of aging is that things calm down and Christmas can be filtered down to the deepest riches of the festival. Life is good!
My wife and I live by ourselves and had a quiet but pleasant Christmas morning. In the afternoon we took communion to a member of our parish who is hospitalized in a nearby town, a good hour’s drive away. Our rector needed the break, and since I currently have a general permit, I was happy to do it since I celebrate and visit quite infrequently. Our parish friend had recently lost his legs due to complications of diabetes, and while regrettable it meant an improvement in his condition, since he would have died otherwise. We celebrated the eucharist with him and another friend who was visiting, and for the gospel my wife read the nativity story from Luke. It was a quiet and peaceful moment, and we felt blessed on the drive home. I hope all readers had a blessed and joyous Christmastide.
As a parish priest we had a wonderful Christmas at home. 10 family members, in addition to the 6 in our immediate family, came Christmas Eve and spent the night. I had the great grace to have 4 Christmas Masses. Children’s and Solemn High Mass on Christmas Eve, a Low Mass at the church Christmas Day, and Low Mass at a retirement village in the afternoon.
Video of 3 of the 4 services can be found here http://www.youtube.com/stjohnspriest