The Feast of Christmas

The following is a reflection on Luke 2:1-20.

It surprised me when I recently opened the place in Scripture concerning the birth of Jesus. So much of the Christmas Story in Luke's gospel deals with the shepherds. Only two verses briefly describe Mary:

"She gave birth to a son...wrapped him in swaddling clothes...laid him in a manger."

I wondered why the author paid so much attention to the shepherd. But, more than that, what could I learn and better understand about my life? What does this passage mean for me in my everyday life?

As I began to reflect on Luke's story, my eyes caught on the phrase that the shepherds were:

"in the fields keeping guard over their sheep."

It seemed to me that the shepherds were doing what they were supposed to be doing. Of course they were! The shepherds were living in the present moment, watching their flock. I asked myself, am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing? I felt the desire to look more closely at whether I was attentively engaged in what was before me. Am I attentive to the persons, the circumstances, the events, the conversations taking place in my here and now? Or do I find my attention zooming forward to something in the future or mulling over things in the past? And when questions come into my life, how will I know whether what I want to do or where I want to go is truly pleasing God?

As I read further into the passage from Luke, the shepherds were afraid at first, but the angel of the Lord spoke with them. He brought them:

"news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people."

While they were tending their sheep, they were given news of great joy. Their experience of joy was a gift. Joy is not something that can be planned or prepared for. It seems to me that I cannot say that, "Today, I will prepare to have JOY!" The gift of joy and the surprise of joy, happens as a result of doing what I am supposed to be doing: living in the present moment.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, let us take time to focus our thoughts and energies on being especially attentive to the present moment, attentive to the presence of each person before us. May we be surprised with the joy that was experienced by the shepherds in Bethlehem!

Written by Sister Helen Brewer, D.C.

Christmas Novena

As I was watching the news on October 25, I was shocked to see a Christmas shopping commercial. "It's not even Halloween yet!" I said aloud. And I was grateful to recall that as Daughters of Charity, we sing the Christmas Novena each year during the nine days preceding the feast. I sighed and wished that everyone could approach Christmas Eve humming, "The Lord, the King who is to come! Come let us adore Him!"

The Christmas Novena has been a tradition within the Vincentian and Daughters of Charity communities since 1720 when an Italian priest, Carlo Antonio Vachetta, arranged the music for it based on a novena that had been prayed in Italy for many centuries. Originally sung in Latin, the novena was translated to English in the United States around 1964.

I personally love the Christmas Novena and the opportunity to reflect on the ancient prophecies pointing to God's promised Savior. Singing/praying helps to keep the meaning of Advent and Christmas in perspective. Some of its magic is pensive, highlighting the waiting and the longing for the Savior. Other pieces are joyful, giving expression to the hope, the love, the expectation of the season. The Christmas Novena is just one of the blessings of being a Daughter of Charity. There is so much about living in commit that helps keep the distractions of the secular culture in perspective.

Please understand that I am not a Grinch. I do not want to steal the toys, gifts, and external trimmings of Christmas that bring such joy to children of all ages. I just want to remind myself and help other to remember and appreciate the most important joy of Christmas: Jesus, our Lord and King!

This year, we invite you to join us in the Christmas Novena! You can prepare for Day 1 here.

Written by Sister Mary Frate, D.C. and Sister Elizabeth Riddell, D.C.

A Gift from a Friend

by Sister Catherine Madigan, D.C.

Daughters of Charity and staff working at the leprosarium in Carville.
(Photo Courtesy of the Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives)

Years ago, the Daughters of Charity staffed the leprosarium in Carville, La. Sister Catherine Sullivan was a Sister-nurse on staff. She shared this story I have never forgotten.

A generous donor every year gave money at Christmas so every patient would receive a Christmas present he/she had chosen. Sister Catherine went to each patient to ask which gift each of them would like. One older woman—let's call her Mary—who had been at Carville for a long time wanted a beautiful flowering plant. Sister Catherine was puzzled at the request because Mary was blind. She asked her, "Mary, why do you want a beautiful flowering plant you cannot see?"

Mary replied, "Sister, when people tell me what a beautiful plant I have, I can tell them a friend gave it to me."

Advent and Discernment: How Are You Being Called to Discern?

by Father Tom McKenna, C.M.

Father Tom, left, leads discussion at a Daughters of Charity
Advent Discernment Retreat in St. Louis.

In a conversation with someone who was trying to figure out what she wanted to do in life, I asked, "What is it you're doing to find out?"

She answered, "I'm listening for something, something my insides sense is there but hasn't quite come." Not a bad depiction of the inner moods of both the season of Advent and the process of discernment.

Advent, because it features expectancy. All its images cluster around the experience of waiting for something to happen—maybe better, someone to come. The star calling the travelers ahead in the night, the Baptist's insistent "prepare ye," Mary's deep pondering of what's ahead, Joseph pulled into the future by his dream—stories filled with prompts to be alert to what's out there and coming toward us. There's something real arriving, but it's not here yet. It's on the way, and all strain to hear its first stirrings.

Discernment, because it too tilts a person's attention toward the future. Picturing radio waves traveling across a dark ocean, the discerner is like someone sitting in an off-shore tower trying to tune into those signals just about to arrive. The listener is confident they are coming, but doesn't quite know the right frequency on which the reliable ones will come. She also has to work to discriminate the sounds from the static. Like Advent, it features a certain "listening forward," an expectancy of something good and solid on the way. And like Advent, it needs a particular discipline to learn to listen better and better.

The Advent/discernment disciplines? First, a trust something solid and fulfilling is coming. Not knowing exactly what it is, the discerner and the Magi sense the goodness and promise it contains. Second, attention. The searcher and Joseph learn not to slough off signals they previously tended to ignore. They tune in. Third, a patient willingness to engage that still cloudy intuition. The discerner and Mary ponder. They sit with it in the dark, give the message time to arrive and prepare the space into which it can enter.

And so the Advent and discernment moods. There's something coming over the horizon and I want to be ready for it when it comes. In the Scriptures, Zechariah's song puts lyrics to this very thing: "The dawn from on high shall break upon us." The discerner tries to stand in the kind of space that catches that first pink glimmer as it pushes through the dark.

A Tale of Two Marillacs: A Christmas Story

by Sister Catherine Madigan, D.C.

Once upon a time there were two Marillacs: Marillac High School in Northfield, Ill. (which closed in 1995), and Marillac House in westside Chicago (continuing after 100 years). Daughters of Charity staffed both Marillacs. The high school was an all-girls school, and Marillac House staff served all the people in their neighborhood and beyond.

Christmastime was a time for the united effort of both institutions. Marillac House Sisters prepared a list of families in need, noting the names, ages, sizes and gift wishes of each member of the family. These lists they gave to the Sisters at Marillac High School. Each homeroom class was given a family for whom they would purchase the items on the gift wish list. Needless to say, procuring these gifts made the girls conscious of others and zealous in getting every item on the list and even more.

When the time came to gather gifts for every member of more than 30 families, a huge truck was needed. There was excitement in stocking the truck (made available by a Marillac father) and even more in unloading the truck. This tradition continued for many years, enriching both the givers and receivers. The high school girls made celebrating Christmas a reality for the families, and families knew there were people who were mindful of them. Both the givers and receivers thanked God.

It is now 20 years since Marillac High School closed, but the "girls" of these years are now the women who have banded together to remember not only Marillac House,  but have expanded their vision and mission to include also St. Vincent de Paul Center and St. Joseph's Services, all in Chicago. They learned a lot at Marillac High School and now use their wisdom, life experience and remembrance of Christmas sharing to commit themselves to make a difference in the 21st century.

A Community at the Manger

Sister Mary Frate, D.C., serves at St. Jude Parish in Tuba City, Ariz., on the Navajo Reservation. Sister shares her thoughts about the nativity scene.

Like the silhouette at the left, most nativity scenes picture Mary, Joseph and the newborn Jesus alone in the Bethlehem stable. But recently I read a conference (by Patrick Griffin, CM) that posed this question: Would Mary and Joseph have been the only poor family traveling to Bethlehem that night for whom there was no room in the inn? Might that stable have been crowded with other poor families coming to Bethlehem to register who had nowhere else to stay?

Picture the scene with a community of poor people sharing their meager resources with each other and being among the first to be blessed by Jesus! This is a powerful image that underscores the importance of community, whether it be friends helping friends or strangers reaching out to each other.

Here at St. Jude's we are aware that we are blessed as a community: a community of Navajo, Hopi, Anglo, Filipino, Hispanic people who gather each Sunday around the Eucharist, and find many ways to reach out to the poor among and around us. We are also blessed by a wider community that stretches in all directions across the United States. A community–many of whom we have never met–reaching out to us to share time, talent and treasure with us so we, in turn, can continue to reach out the poor among and around us.

Sing the Christmas Novena with Us!

Christmas is almost here! As we continue to prepare our hearts for this special celebration, join us in listening to and singing the Christmas Novena!

What is the Novena and why is it important to us? Sister Lisa explains:


Last year we shared clips from each day to listen to and reflect on each day, starting Dec. 16 and concluding Christmas Eve. Follow along again this year and know that we are all united in this song and prayer this Advent!

• December 16 and 17
• December 18
• December 19
• December 20
• December 21
• December 22
• December 23
• December 24

Share your Advent reflections with us on our Facebook Page!

The Christmas Novena: Dec. 24

Follow daughtersofcharityus on Instagram for more Advent and Christmas photos.

It is a tradition of the Daughters of Charity to sing a special novena (nine-day prayer) in preparation for Christmas. This is done at our evening prayer time. Each day is the same except the antiphon for the Magnificat. Each audio clip has the entire novena for a particular day before Christmas.

We've shared a post each day through Christmas Eve with the day's sound clip. Listen, pray, sing along with us!



December 24 (click title "O'Antiphon24_0001" to play):

Listen to previous clips:

• Dec. 23
• Dec. 22
• Dec. 21
• Dec. 20
• Dec. 19
• Dec. 18
• Dec. 16-17

Share your Advent reflections in the comments. 

The Christmas Novena: Dec. 23

Follow daughtersofcharityus on Instagram for more Advent and Christmas photos.

It is a tradition of the Daughters of Charity to sing a special novena (nine-day prayer) in preparation for Christmas. This is done at our evening prayer time. Each day is the same except the antiphon for the Magnificat. Each audio clip has the entire novena for a particular day before Christmas.

We'll share a post each day through Christmas Eve with the day's sound clip. Listen, pray, sing along with us!



December 23 (click title "O'Antiphon23_0001" to play):

Listen to previous clips:

• Dec. 22
• Dec. 21
• Dec. 20
• Dec. 19
• Dec. 18
• Dec. 16-17

Share your Advent reflections in the comments. 

The Christmas Novena: Dec. 22

Follow daughtersofcharityus on Instagram for more Advent and Christmas photos.

It is a tradition of the Daughters of Charity to sing a special novena (nine-day prayer) in preparation for Christmas.  This is done at our evening prayer time.  Each day is the same except the antiphon for the Magnificat. Each audio clip has the entire novena for a particular day before Christmas.

We'll share a post each day through Christmas Eve with the day's sound clip. Listen, pray, sing along with us!



December 22 (click title "O'Antiphon22_0001" to play):

Listen to previous clips:

• Dec. 21
• Dec. 20
• Dec. 19
• Dec. 18
• Dec. 16-17

Share your Advent reflections in the comments. 

The Christmas Novena: Dec. 21

Follow daughtersofcharityus on Instagram for more Advent and Christmas photos.

It is a tradition of the Daughters of Charity to sing a special novena (nine-day prayer) in preparation for Christmas.  This is done at our evening prayer time.  Each day is the same except the antiphon for the Magnificat. Each audio clip has the entire novena for a particular day before Christmas.

We'll share a post each day through Christmas Eve with the day's sound clip. Listen, pray, sing along with us!


December 21 (Click title "O'Antiphon21_0001" to play):

Listen to previous clips:

• Dec. 20
• Dec. 19
• Dec. 18
• Dec. 16-17

Share your Advent reflections in the comments. 

The Christmas Novena: Dec. 20

It is a tradition of the Daughters of Charity to sing a special novena (nine-day prayer) in preparation for Christmas.  This is done at our evening prayer time.  Each day is the same except the antiphon for the Magnificat. Each audio clip has the entire novena for a particular day before Christmas.

We'll share a post each day through Christmas Eve with the day's sound clip. Listen, pray, sing along with us!



December 20 (click title "O'Antiphon20_0001" to play):

Listen to previous clips:

• Dec. 19
• Dec. 18
• Dec. 16-17

Share your Advent reflections in the comments.

The Christmas Novena: Dec. 19

Follow daughtersofcharityus on Instagram for more Advent and Christmas photos.

It is a tradition of the Daughters of Charity to sing a special novena (nine-day prayer) in preparation for Christmas.  This is done at our evening prayer time.  Each day is the same except the antiphon for the Magnificat. Each audio clip has the entire novena for a particular day before Christmas.

We'll share a post each day through Christmas Eve with the day's sound clip. Listen, pray, sing along with us!



December 19:

Listen to previous clips:

• Dec. 18
• Dec. 16-17

Share your Advent reflections in the comments.

The Christmas Novena: Dec. 18

Follow daughtersofcharityus on Instagram for more Advent and Christmas photos.

It is a tradition of the Daughters of Charity to sing a special novena (nine-day prayer) in preparation for Christmas.  This is done at our evening prayer time.  Each day is the same except the antiphon for the Magnificat. Each audio clip has the entire novena for a particular day before Christmas.

We'll share a post each day through Christmas Eve with the day's sound clip. Listen, pray, sing along with us!

December 18 (click title "O'Antiphon18_0001" to play):

Listen to previous clips:

Dec. 16-17

Share your Advent reflections in the comments.

Listen to and Sing the Christmas Novena with Us [Dec. 16-17]

It is a tradition of the Daughters of Charity to sing a special novena (nine-day prayer) in preparation for Christmas.  This is done at our evening prayer time.  Each day is the same except the antiphon for the Magnificat. Each audio clip has the entire novena for a particular day before Christmas.

We'll share a post each day through Christmas Eve with the day's sound clip. Listen, pray, sing along with us!

December 16 sound clip (click here the title "O'Antiphon16_0001" to play):

December 17 sound clip (click title "O'Antiphon17_0001 to play):

Share your reflections with us in the comments.

Celebrate Advent with Daughters of Charity

'Tis the season...and we're getting in the spirit!

With more than 17,000 Daughters of Charity around the world, we're connecting our family in a small way by sharing photos of our Advent wreaths on a new Pinterest map. You are welcome to join in our Advent celebration by sharing a photo of your wreath or Christmas tree with us! We'll add it to the map and see how many different places are represented through the season.

Check out our Advent 2013 Pinterest Board.

Just add a photo to our Facebook Page Timeline or mention us in a Tweet or Instagram upload of your picture. You can also use #docadvent to post.

Upcoming Vocations Events:
Register by Dec. 4 to spend a day Sisters in Farmington Hills, Mich., this Sunday, Dec. 8. Join the Sisters to reflect on Mary this Advent season and share a meal together. The event is free. Contact sistertheresa.sullivan@doc.org for more information.

Did you give or receive this Christmas?

How was your Christmas?  What stands out for you from these days?

Sunday night, our 10 year old neighbor came over with her brother.  These children aren't familar with "Miss Manner"' since it was 9pm already when they rang the door bell.  We didn't get there fast enough so they rang it again. I got to the door and found the girl and her brother both without coats in the below 40 degree weather.  As a matter of fact, she had super short sleeves on her shirt and had obviously outgrown her pants. 

The cold and their lack of warm against the cold was of no concern for them because they were on a mission!  The boy held the small wrapped package in the palm of his hand which he handed me.  Meanwhile his sister read the special note she wrote for us-- "To: The Nouns"  also translated as nuns. Check out her beautiful handwriting!

 

Then I was urged on by their great excitement to open our Christmas package. Below is the heart key ornament. You can't see the dollar store gems sparkling in the photo, but they do!  It was like receiving the widow's mite.  I was touched that this girl with so little would want so much to give us a gift and to get it to us before she left to spend Christmas with her relatives.  

 

Someone shared an article with me recently about Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay in Bethlehem.  The point of it was--if Mary and Joseph had come to you for help what would you have done?  It is easy to say, "Oh of course I would have helped them!"  But would you have REALLY?  The reality is that we treat so many people as invisible when we don't consider them worth our time or effort. 

So, how does this relate back to our neighbors?  The experience made me pause and reflect on how we interact with these children and the rest of our neighbors.  We received a box of already popped popcorn in single serving packets of various flavors.  We put some aside by the door for these neighbor children and their cousins who come around.  When they came over that night it was our chance to give our gift.  So we filled up their grocery bag with the popcorn packets that they could eat on the way to their relatives' house the next day.  It seemed so mutual...yes, mutual.  We not only reach out to them, but we are able to receive also. 

Christ gave us the example of being able to give and receive.  Can you name anyone who only wants to receive?  How about someone who can only give and won't receive from anyone?  So where do we each stand in giving and receiving?

As someone once said to me, you can't give what you have not received.  Do I receive God's blessing and love? Am I open to God's presence in my life?  Do I accept the gift of faith?  In turn do I share God's blessings and love?  Do I invite others to experience God's presence in their lives? Do I share the gift of faith?  Well, this is good material for New Year's resolutions!

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and that you have a blessed New Year!  Daughters of Charity around the world will have our end of year retreat on Dec. 31st.  Do you have any special intentions?

Christmas in Bethlehem at the Creche



Nativity Icon in Magadan ,Russia where the Daughters of Charity serve.

Christmas is a challenging time for so many people.  How do I keep focused on the spiritual when I am surrounded by consumerism?  What about dealing with such a variety of expectations individuals have about Christmas and how feelings can easily be hurt?  Then there are people who carry a burden connected to Christmas or that rises to the surface at times like that when family is accentuated.  It can be easy for us to push being merry when it is an opportunity for healing through the mourning of what is/was missing.

The Nativity is the cornerstone for the Crucifixion--the joy and the suffering closely linked.  Yet, we are Resurrection people of faith.  It is healing and salvation at the conclusion.  Jesus came to proclaim the Good News--something which can be manifested here on earth. 

Below is a link to an article about a work of the Daughters of Charity in Bethlehem who run an orphanage in a non-Christian area and culture.  It is sad to think of how the children suffer being separated from family.  It is also admirable how the mothers chose life despite the personal cost.  Check it out:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1682227.php/Bethlehem-s-manger-for-outcast-Palestinian-children-Jan-Uwe-Ronneburger

We have missionary Sisters in Magadan, Russia.  One is from here in the U.S. and the others are from Poland (the languages have more similarities).  The Sisters minister to the people of the area left behind from the labor camps that had been there.  Did you ever read With God in Russia?  On the website of the parish are some of the stories of survivors of the labor camps.  Just go to the link below.
http://magadancatholic.org/englishpages/repressed.html

The human spirit can be very resilient when it finds love--love at the Creche Orphangae in Bethlehem, love at the Catholic Church in Magadan.  Can we include love in your presence?

Merry Christmas

Today we celebrate Christmas and tomorrow the feast of the Holy Family. We have the great gift of Jesus Christ coming into the world and the gift and model His family is to us. We could reflect on this as being chronological, but I think there is something else here. Christmas is "the most wonderful time of the year" as the song goes. We praise God for the gift of Jesus Christ and we have spend many hours with family and friends celebrating, wrapping and giving gifts.

The season has such high expectations of joy while so many people mourn the loss of loved ones and others grieve the suffering they experienced within their families. I find it ironic that this joyous time is also one which surfaces so much personal pain for individuals. Maybe that really is a gift of Christmas--I know that sounds terrible. But maybe celebrating the gift of Christ is an opportunity for healing in our lives. Maybe it is a chance to have great compassion with those we know have lost loved ones and to be sensitive to those whose families have been a cross to them. Jesus came to heal us from all our sufferings and to save us from sin--the pain we cause one another through our sinfulness. Yes, Christmas is a great time to reach out in love to others!

Then there is the Holy Family piece. Yes, it would have been nice to have had Blessed Mother and St. Joseph for our parents! Yet, only Jesus got that blessing. On the cross Jesus told John "Behold your mother." The love of the Holy Family is not limited to their immediate family, but offered to each of us. As Church, we are called to be family to one another in love and compassion to bring Christ's healing and forgiveness--to follow the model of the Holy Family. We often forget the sufferings they endured and glamorize the life of Jesus' family.

So, while we spend time having fun this holiday season, let us keep our hearts open and attentive to those in God's family (and probably our own) who are in need of healing and forgiveness--including ourselves.

FYI the painting above is by Sr. Lucialam Nguyen, a Daughter of Charity on mission in CA.