On the Ninth Day of Christmas Friday, Jan 2 2009 

Christmas and Feast days and Prayers and Family Life , Fran 11:02 am

We celebrate the Feast of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen.  The link tells you about St. Basil but not about St. Gregory Nazianzen.  St. Gregory was born in 330 and loved learning, so much that he traveled from place to place seeking out good teachers.  He joined St. Basil as a hermit and was subsequently ordained a priest and then elected bishop of Constantinople.  He was a renown teacher, being called Theologus due to his eloquence in teaching about God.  These two saints are honored in the universal Church and are two of the many saints from the Eastern Catholic Church which comprises many rites.

Today I pray for my friend Mike as he follows the vocation that God is calling him to.

 

On the Eighth Day of Christmas Friday, Jan 2 2009 

Christmas and Feast days and Prayers and Family Life Fran 10:53 am

The day was so full that I didn’t get to post this, so I am day late.  Today was the Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; in the old rite it was the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord.  We had a very challenging homily from our good priest, who wished us not a ‘Happy” New Year but a “Holy” New Year.  His challenge was to be holy as we are called to be and to let go of the superficial that seems to define happiness today. 

Being the first day of January 2009, we served Navajo tacos (thank you Karman) and were blessed to fill three tables with 23 people.  Resolution number 1–strive for holiness in all things.  Resolution number 2–pray more.  Resolution number 3–be more faithful about reaching out to friends.  Resolution number 4–spend less, make do with what I have.

I should be able to keep at least one of those resolutions–right? :)