Christmas Novena, Day 9

"God is important, by far the most important matter in our lives. The shepherds teach us this priority. From them we should learn not to be crushed by all the pressing issues in our daily lives. From them we should learn the inner freedom to put other tasks in second place--however important they may be--so as to make our way towards God, to allow him into our lives and into our time. Time given to God and, in his name, to our neighbor is never time lost. It is the time when we are most truly alive, when we live our humanity to the full."
Benedict XVI (2009)

Christmas Novena, Day 8

"God's sign is that he makes himself small" (Benedict XVI).

Christmas Novena, Day 7

"I saw that for us He is everything that is good, comforting and helpful; He is our clothing, who, for love, wraps us up, holds us close; He entirely encloses us for tender love, so that He may never leave us, since He is the source of all good things for us."
Julian of Norwich

Christmas Novena, Day 6

Today is in some ways the high point of the Advent season. The Mass readings, focusing on the Visitation, make the reality and the effectiveness of Christ's coming almost palpable. The first reading is one of the few times a selection from the Song of Songs is in the Lectionary at all (most often, this book is read from at weddings, but not typically in a Sunday or daily Mass). That alone makes today's liturgy distinctive!


 

Christmas Novena, Day 5

It's hard to make a novena! At least, that's what my several years' worth of stats on the Christmas Novena are telling me. Days 1, 2 and 9 have the most hits; Day 5 doesn't even make the list on the analytics page. So if you are making today's novena, you are part of a rare breed!

What do you think is the secret to sticking with a novena, or any other spiritual commitment?



   

Christmas Novena, Day 9

At the Easter Vigil, the Deacon sings, "This is the Night!"
We can sing the same thing today, Christmas Eve! This last moment of the Christmas Novena caps our Advent waiting. Will the angels find us "watching by night" with the shepherds?

Christmas Novena, Day 8