Pope Francis: Christmas Urbi et Orbi Blessing 2021

"The Word of God, who created the world and who gives meaning to history and to humanity's journey, became flesh and came to dwell among us. He came like a whisper, like the murmur of a gentle breeze, to fill with wonder the heart of every man and woman who is open to this mystery.

"The Word became flesh in order to dialogue with us. God does not desire to carry on a monologue, but a dialogue. For God himself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is dialogue, an eternal and infinite communion of love and life.

"By the coming of Jesus, the Person of the Word made flesh, into our world, God showed us the way of encounter and dialogue. Indeed, he made that way incarnate in himself, so that we might know it and follow it, in trust and hope. . . ."

A Catholic News Agency report offered the full text of Pope Francis' Christmas Urbi et Orbi blessing for 2021. To access this report, please visit:

Catholic News Agency: Full text: Pope Francis’ Christmas Urbi et Orbi blessing 2021

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of our families.

Msgr. Pope on Lessons in Humility from the First Christmas

"The Christmas Gospel from Luke provides us with many teachings. One thing that surely stands out, however, is the permeating theme of humility. Throughout the account, God confounds our prideful expectations and insists on being found in the lowest of places.

"The newborn Christ is not found where we expect Him to be nor does His birth conform to any script we would design. Right from the start, He gives us many lessons in humility and begins His saving work of healing our wound of pride. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected  on some of these lessons in humility (including our lives not being just about us: "You and I are part of something far larger. Just as millions were set on the move at the birth of Christ, so you and I are part of the larger plan and providence of God involving billions of people now living, countless others who have lived, and still others who will live in the future. God sees the bigger picture, yet not one detail is lost to Him. Humility! God has more in mind than our comfort and personal agendas. We are part of something bigger as well.").

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: Lessons in Humility from The First Christmas (25 DEC 21)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"The mystery of Christmas is the mystery of God who enters the world by the path of humility." - Pope Francis

"Joy to the World"

As we continue our Christmas celebration, I offer this version of the George Fox University Music Department presenting "Joy to the World"

 

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas). The assigned readings for the Mass at dawn are Isaiah 62:11-12, Titus 3:4-7, and Luke 2: 15-20. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 97 (Psalm 97: 1, 6, 11-12).

The Gospel reading is as follows:

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

Reflections on solemnity:

Crossroads Initiative: The Deeper Meaning of Christmas

Denver Catholic: George Weigel: The sacred earthiness of Christmas (22 DEC 21)

Deacon Keith Fournier: Merry Christmas - A Letter From Deacon Keith

Christmas Tweet from Bishop Tobin

"A blessed and merry Christmas to all! May the love, peace and joy of the Christ Child fill our hearts and homes in this holy season, throughout the New Year, and always!" - Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, of the Diocese of Providence (RI)

Birthday Blessings, Robin!!!

Birthday greetings to Myrna's daughter Robin, whose birthday is today!!! May this day, and each day of the upcoming year, be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Thank You, Lord

Thank You, Lord, for coming to us as a little child and for all that this means.

Pope Francis Christmas Homily

"In the darkness, a light shines. An angel appears, the glory of the Lord shines around the shepherds and finally the message awaited for centuries is heard: 'To you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord' (Lk 2:11). The angel goes on to say something surprising. He tells the shepherds how to find the God who has come down to earth: 'This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger' (v. 12). That is the sign: a child, a baby lying in the dire poverty of a manger. No more bright lights or choirs of angels. Only a child. Nothing else, even as Isaiah had foretold: 'unto us a child is born' (Is 9:6).

"The Gospel emphasizes this contrast. It relates the birth of Jesus beginning with Caesar Augustus, who orders the census of the whole world: it presents the first Emperor in all his grandeur. Yet immediately thereafter it brings us to Bethlehem, where there is no grandeur at all: just a poor child wrapped in swaddling clothes, with shepherds standing by. That is where God is, in littleness. This is the message: God does not rise up in grandeur, but lowers himself into littleness. Littleness is the path that he chose to draw near to us, to touch our hearts, to save us and to bring us back to what really matters."

A Catholic News Agency report offered the full text of Pope Francis' homily for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. To access this report, please visit:

Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis' Christmas homily for Midnight Mass at the Vatican 2021

Reflection Starter from C. S. Lewis

"Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world." - C. S. Lewis

Mariah Carey: "O Holy Night"

As we celebrate the eve of Christmas and enter into our Christmas celebration, I offer this version of Mariah Carey presenting "O Holy Night":