The Family Foundation School Catholic Community Bulletin
Pauca Verba (a few words)
It is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The season of waiting draws to its close. At Mass on Christmas Eve we’ll each be given a handful of straw to place tenderly near the Infant Christ and his dear Mother. But the little straw, which doesn’t seem like much, can indeed become a very great gift when I fill it with the thoughts of my heart: my love, humble thanks, praise, tears for the past and tears for the joy of forgiveness, my desire for goodness….
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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) composed a marvelous piece of music entitled Christmas Oratorio. One of the choruses sings:
Oh, little Jesu, my heart’s love,
Make Thyself a clean soft little bed,
In which to rest in my hearts inmost shrine,
That I may never forget Thee.
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“As you grow, you have still to learn. I’m still learning though I am fifty-three years in the convent. I am learning from you. We have to learn from each other. Jesus took a little child and put him in front of the apostles. Love begins here. That little kindness, care, compassion, that is the hidden treasure, the growth in holiness. We know where it is, let us go for it!”
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
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There are Christmas Trees around the house. “Then shall all the trees of the forest exalt…” the psalm sings. Even the plants rejoice, Christ is Born! And of course, I cannot help but think, that when Jesus grows up he will go to the cross – the tree – and raised up, he will look out over all the earth and see me in a most tender love. And when Jesus loves, he loves by forgiving. Do I feel that?
At Christmas Eve Mass pray, pray from a deep inner silence for your family, for the world-family, for the poor, the children, the people who live where there’s terrible war. Pray for those who have no joy – even here! Pray that as a young Christian you would welcome Jesus into your life more generously, more warmly. Did you hear some of the graduates reflect in their speeches a most alive love for Christ?
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Did you hear Anna C’s speech? Her prayer-life seems to be deeply rooted in the psalms. The psalms are the ancient poem-prayers of the Hebrew people. Christians embrace them and fill them with new meaning as we know Jesus and his teaching. Want to mature in your own prayer-life? Begin with the psalms. There are 150 of them and they are found in about the middle of the Old Testament. Monks know them by heart! Some of the language is dense or hard to grasp without study, but every psalm has lines that any of us can readily understand and appreciate in our hearts. Try Psalm 1 and you’ll see what I mean. Promise!
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Christmas time: What better time to begin a daily systematic reading of the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How can I claim to be a Christian and not know the words and deeds of Jesus, even in their details. Let’s never complain, I don’t understand. Read the gospels faithfully, in a little bit or section (called a pericope – per-ich-oh-pea) Then, Shhh, be still – image the scene, see if I have the words of Jesus firmly in my mind, enter the scene (you’re meditating!!!!) Shhh. No lights and whistles. The gospel is simple. Jesus is simple. His teaching is there for me. Listen for some word that seems to whisper something new for you. Thank Jesus! Pleasant dreams!
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And the Angel said to them: Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: for this day is born to you a Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord in the city of David. And this shall be a sign for you: you shall find the Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. (Luke 2:1-14)
