Last week, the Cape Ann Symphony Singers performed a Christmas concert at Fuller Auditorium in Gloucester. We sang in the second half of the show and we provided a fairly good rendition of the Alfred Burt Carols, a Hebrew song that yearns for good fortune in the new year, a musicological survey of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and the Hallelujah Chorus. All went well except very few people stood up for Handel's Tribute to Christ our Lord.
Singing is part of Christmas and it puts me in a light mood. I like listening to Pandora.com. You can listend to over twenty plus genres of Christmas music. Today, I listened to the peaceful Christmas tunes. Lovely. Outside the U.S., Pandora is not available, but New Age on Sky.fm does the same thing. It makes radios almost obsolete.
It is getting colder in the Northeast and very dark. The sun sets around 4:15 p.m. and it looks so bleak outside. The skies are often grey and I feel like it is time to hibernate.
Anyways, we just completed a six-day retreat for priests. I was inspired by their commitment to prayer and their devotion to their priestly ministry. They represent much of what is good with the church. I wish more will come next year - even though we had a full house. I feel strengthened by their faithfulness to their prayer.
Today, I set up many of my Christmas decorations. I cut down some pine branches and lined them in my fireplace so that I get a healthy scent of pine each day. I placed some miniature lights on the pine which makes it look like a fire is radiating in the fireplace. I hung my stockings and a few Santa hats and I placed some decorations at the base of the fireplace. It looks fun.
I set up my Fontanini Creche too. The purists will chastise me for having the infant Jesus in the crib already, but I see the matter differently than them. If I followed their method, poor Joseph and Mary would be looking at an empty manger until December 24th. Then, miraculously, the infant will appear - as if it came down trascendently from heaven rather than from Mary's womb.
I figure Mary is pregnant at this time. If she and Joseph are in the creche, it is because she just gave birth to Jesus. He shouldn't be separated from the scene. He doesn't magically appear, but Mary bears him from her flesh. I like to contemplate the Nativity with the child in it - even if it is only Advent. His birth is what makes the season make sense so I won't hide him. I'll gaze upon him each day.
I attended my sister's wedding yesterday. She is in her early 40's and this is her second marriage. I wish her all the best. She looked beautful and she was so happy. I've never seen her be at such ease with her friends before. I'm happy for her.
I gave the last of my Australia gifts to my friends and family yesterday. I'm glad to have them all delivered. I bought a bunch of small stuffed animals. They added such space to my luggage, I had such a hard time getting everything delivered.
We begin another retreat on Tuesday. It is a lovely time for retreat as we are in the thick of Advent. Prayers and liturgies take on greater meaning for people during these fast-paced weeks leading up to Christmas.
Retreats make me pray much more thoroughly for others.
Advent peace!
No comments:
Post a Comment