Feast of The Epiphany - SatNav playing up again! . . .

It doesn't matter to me what reasons are given for celebrating the Solemnity of the Epiphany on the nearest Sunday to 6th January, it just doesn't feel right.

As for the poor Kings in our Nativity set, they are thoroughly confused.

There they are, making their usual gradual, slow progress 'from the East' towards the crib and the infant Jesus, nicely timed to arrived on 6th January when someone decided to change the date of the celebration! Do they carry on as normal and arrive 'late' or put a spurt on to arrive in time to join the Shepherds in their adoration of the Saviour on Sunday 3rd January?

I don't think they've got over the shock of last year's change to their schedule . . . I mean to say, their SatNav (AKA the Star in the East) indicated an ETA of 6th January!

Bank Holidays . . .

Today had all the ingredients for a very enjoyable Bank Holiday . . . Does anyone else find it hard not to say 'Bank Holiday Monday'? I've been confused all week as to what day of the week it is. Because of Christmas and New Year falling they way they have done this year, I've actually ended up working alternate days which is very disorientating.

The day started in the best possible way with a little lie-in as Mass was not until midday today - a real luxury. The Pater Familias had dropped Number One Son at the station to catch the train to Victoria and then on to St James', Spanish Place for the LMS Mass so we were on our own most of the day.

After a lovely Mass in the parish which was very well attended we went for a walk across The Downs stopping for coffee and cakes before making the return trip home.

A very relaxed late afternoon; a spot of ironing so now the basket is empty for a while (hooray!) and time for a spot of blogging before settling down in front of the TV for Agatha Christie - an ideal way to wind down after a lovely day.

The photo above shows how how cold it was - the greens on the golf course we passed were still frozen.

Happy New Year and Happy Feast Day . . .

Happy New Year to one and all and every blessing in 2010 and thereafter!

Reading up on the Solemnity, I've only just discovered that today's Feast Day is a relatively new one, Portugal being the first place that the Feast was officially celebrated on 11th October in 1914 and extending to the entire Latin Church in 1931. The rearrangement of the date to 1st January only dates from the Second Vatican Council. (Ah, well, I suppose they can't tell you everything when you're receiving instruction to be received into the Church!) Relatively new, the date of the Solemnity may be, but as long as I've been a Catholic it's always been celebrated on New Year's Day.

Here is what Pope Paul VI had to say about the feast when explaining his decision to change the feast of Jesus' Circumcision to the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God:

"In the revised arrangement of the Christmas season, we should all turn with one mind to the restored solemnity of the Mother of God. This feast was entered into the calendar in the liturgy of the city of Rome for the first day of January. The purpose of the celebration is to honour the role of Mary in the mystery of salvation and at the same time to sing the praises of the unique dignity thus coming to "the Holy Mother...through whom we have been given the gift of the Author of life." This same solemnity also offers an excellent opportunity to renew the adoration rightfully to be shown to the newborn Prince of Peace, as we once again hear the good tidings of great joy and pray to God, through the intercession of the Queen of Peace, for the priceless gift of peace. Because of these considerations and the fact that the octave of Christmas coincides with a day of hope, New Year's Day, we have assigned to it the observance of the World Day of Peace" (Paul VI, Marialis Cultus, Feb. 2, 1974, no.5).

So, you see, it makes a lot of sense - naturally! Linking the Feast of Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, just one week later at the end of the Christmas Octave when we honour His mother - The Queen of Peace.

It's also World Day for Peace - Clever, eh?

Tempus fugit . . .

Apologies for the long silence - caused both by Christmas 'busy-ness' and lack of inspiration!

We always joke about time seeming to go faster as we get older. Another 'old chestnut' is that once the Christmas Sales have finished, the shops start putting out Easter eggs.

This was brought home to me yesterday. After having had my hair cut, I went to make an appointment for my next visit, a week later than usual this time, and was told it would therefore be 17th February. Looking in my diary, I found it was Ash Wednesday. I couldn't believe that Lent is just 'one hair cut' away from Christmas. I think I've found a new way of measuring time!

Easter is just '2 hair cuts' away from Christmas.

Almost there . . .

Our crib's been blessed, the shopping's done, the presents wrapped and we're just off to have a drink with our neighbours followed by an hour's peace and quiet before we go to Midnight Mass, so there's only one thing left to do . . .

I wish you all a very Happy, Holy and Blessed Christmas.

Our Crib is up! . . .

Yay! Our crib is out of it's wrappings and displayed in pride of place in our sitting room - all ready for the big day - or should I say the big night, as we always place the infant Jesus in the crib as soon as we get back from Midnight Mass.

We had a lovely Sunday again today. We enjoyed a delicious meal with friends last night in their home which was beautifully decorated for Christmas which really set the scene for us. This combined with the very seasonal weather and the fact that we'll all be together again shortly as a family really makes it a Super Sunday.

This morning's Mass was great with a very good homily and the children's nativity play at the end of Mass which is always guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye. We spent a relaxed afternoon decorating the tree and putting up a few decorations. I was going to say 'tasteful decorations' but then they're not really. We still tend to belong to the school of putting the same up things every year which have become part of our family tradition. When it comes to the tree, it's a case of 'pile it all on' with no regard for colour scheme, or any other scheme come to that!

Maybe one year, we'll have an adult tree with a tasteful theme which will be echoed in the other decorations but I've a feeling that day is quite a long way off.

Finally, Number One Son and I lit the fourth candle on our Advent wreath at 6pm and prayed the Angelus together - it doesn't get much better than this! God is very good!

'Snow on snow' . . .

The view from our front door this morning . . . Very pretty but a very hazardous journey to the main road which luckily was clear. When you get to the 'slopey bit' at the end of our road before it joins another quiet un-gritted road, the power of prayer really comes into its own!

When I got back from work this afternoon, I found the Pater Familias up a ladder putting up the outside lights, aided and abetted by Number One Son and the tree had been brought inside from the back garden where it had been resting for a few days. With a CD of carols playing in the background, I'm finally feeling a little bit more 'Ho! Ho! Ho!' and less 'Bah, humbug!'

Number Two son is expected home tomorrow and hopefully we'll be able to decorate the tree together and put up a few decorations around the house here and there.

More importantly the crib has been unpacked and is now in situ (minus the infant Jesus of course and the Kings). All ready to blessed in the next few days, I hope.