People love the sight of the nativity scene. The rich robes of the magi, the strength of the shepherd, the holiness of the little family, the cuteness of Jesus, God made man call us to meditate on the the profound mysteries of faith draw us in. We see the stars and the angels, the houses, and the light. Maybe we taste and enjoy sweet cookies or rich hot chocolate while contemplating the simplicity and transformation of God's love in holy silence or to the sounds of beautiful and nostalgic Christmas hymns. One such hymn is Silent Night, which demonstrates the spiritual beauty of that holy time.
I would like to propose an additional verse to Silent Night, reflecting on the physical reality not of the sights, sounds, or tastes, but on the smells of Christmas Night.
Smelly night, stinky night
yon donkeys are not polite.
In the manger, there's soggy, wet hay.
The cave smells like a place where cows stay.
God right there in the mess,
God in the midst of our mess.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for holiness - qadesh- means to be set apart, to not be a part of the common use, nor of the common mess. There were people who were clean and holy, and people who were not, places where God could be worshipped, and everywhere else, a holy language and the vulgar common tongues. The king who deserves gold, frankincense, the glories of heaven, and the purity of Mary's womb chose to enter into a place fit only for animals.
No matter what our mess, no matter what problems we have in our families, our relationships, our hearts, our jobs, and our lives. Jesus came to bring his holiness into our mess.
- Christmas novena continues December 23 Sunday after both liturgies. December 24th at 11:40 pm.
- Giving tree- support foster children, underprivileged babies, and the homeless- please return by December 23.
- Christmas liturgies Midnight mass and 11 am
- Feast of the Circumcision feast day January 1 at 7pm.
- St. Vincent dePaul First Saturday of Every month 6:30 pm - 8 pm serving meal at men's Gettysburg shelter 1921 S Gettysburg Ave, Dayton, OH 45417.
- Pilgrimage to Washington, DC for March for Life, Church tours, and tour of the capital. January, Thursday the 17th - Saturday the 19th.
- Reviewing the parish feedback has begun. More information forthcoming. We will go over the gathered feedback, meet for negative feedback and diagnosis, meet for positive feedback, and have a meeting to reach out to past parishioners. - Initiatives- To what is God calling you? What are your hopes, dreams, and ideas for our parish? What do you want to do? Mission, charity, prayers, work, fundraisers, or maintenance? How can we support you?
- Bible Study every Sunday at 10 am.
- Sunday liturgies 9 am and 11 am
- Confessions immediately before and after daily liturgies or by appointment.
Merry Christmas
St. Ignatius of Antioch Genealogy Sunday and Christmas December 23, 2018
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