Have a Blessed Christmas

 

The Nativity, 1440, Fra Angelico

Have a Blessed Christmas!

Dawn Pisturino

Merry Christmas

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dawn Pisturino

The Nativity

 

If Mary had not agreed to become the mother of Jesus, there would be no Christmas today. If Joseph had not agreed to become the stepfather of Jesus, who knows what would have happened? Mary and her son would have been vulnerable and unprotected. But the story of Jesus and his mission here on earth unfolded exactly as God intended. It is the choice of human beings whether they accept it or not. Have you opened your heart to the Christ Child? Have you accepted his humility and peace? It is easy to become discouraged in a fast-paced world that has no regard for spiritual or moral values. But Mary was a virtuous woman who brought the Light of God into the world. Let's remember his teachings as we celebrate with family and friends.

Merry Christmas!

Dawn Pisturino

December 23, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

The Nativity of Christ, the Feast of the Holy Family, and the Solemnity of Mary

 

On December 25th, we celebrate the Nativity of Christ and rejoice that the Messiah has come! He is waiting for us in His Father's house. We celebrate Mary's YES! to God and Joseph's fearless and tender care of Mary and her child.

On December 26th, we honor the Holy Family and look to them for guidance in these troubled and confusing times. May they intercede for us in our prayer intentions. May they serve as a model for the ideal family. May their peace, love, faith, and hope fill our hearts. May their graces shine down upon us and renew our courage and strength.

Prayer to the Holy Family/A Prayer for Families

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,

In you we contemplate

The splendor of true Love.

To you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

May families never again

Experience violence,

Rejection, and division.

And may all who have

Been hurt find ready

Comfort and healing.

Amen.

"Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt . . ." Matthew 2:13

Dear Lord,

Please protect us from the politicians who continue to lie and mislead the American people. Please protect us from self-serving corporate leaders who harm American workers. Please protect our children, our elderly, and our families from criminal violence. Please end the COVID plague that has infested the world and expose the truth behind the outbreak. Please expose the lies and corruption of our political leaders, who have forgotten that they are the servants of the people, and not the other way around. Please bring America back to God and his holy commandments. Please strengthen our churches and help us in the fight against Evil. Please help us to restore law and order, strengthen family ties, and bless our children with good teachers and role models. Please renew our faith in the face of adversity. Please help the Catholic Church become a temple of faith for the whole world. Please save her from corruption, sexual degeneracy, and politics. Please bring light and hope to all of your faithful servants.

Amen.

The Feast of the Solemnity of Mary

January 1st marks not only the beginning of the New Year but has been set aside as a day to honor Mary as the Blessed Virgin and the Mother of God. Born without sin, she was chosen by God to bring His Son into the corrupt world and to be a witness to his miracles and message to all the people of the earth. As such, she is considered to be the greatest of all the saints and worthy of honor, respect, and adoration.

God our Father, 

May we always profit by the prayers of the Virgin Mother Mary, for you bring us life and salvation through Jesus Christ her Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dawn Pisturino

December 21, 2021

Winds Through the Olive Trees

I sang this Christmas carol in choir when I was a child, and its haunting melody never left me. I recently looked up the lyrics because it's a carol that's not very often heard.

Winds Through the Olive Trees

Winds through the olive trees,
Softly did blow.
Round little Bethlehem,
Long, long ago.

Sheep on the hillside lay
Whiter than snow,
Shepherds were watching them,
Long, long ago.

Then from the happy skies
Angels bent low,
Singing their songs of joy;
Long, long ago.

For in a manger bed
Cradled we know,
Christ came to Bethlehem
Long, long ago.

* * *
Such a beautiful pastoral scene! Peace, comfort, and joy abound in this simple song. We can easily envision the parental happiness of Joseph and Mary with their newborn baby boy. Their simple faith and profound trust in God's will laid the groundwork for Christ's mission later on: to bring God's all-embracing love into the world.

On January 6, 2020, we remembered the visit of the Three Wise Men to the baby Jesus. These learned men, bearing magnificent and meaningful gifts, humbled themselves before an innocent babe. In their wisdom, they saw the great sacrifice this child would make for the entire world. They foresaw Mary's great burden of grief. But they also saw the hope and salvation that future generations would receive. They protected the Holy Child from Herod's greedy grasp, fully understanding that the world would never be the same again.

Dawn Pisturino
Copyright 2020 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Meditations on the Joyful Mysteries

 

by Dawn Pisturino

 

 

 

THE FIRST JOYFUL MYSTERY: The Annunciation

 

 

There would be no Christmas without Mary and Joseph.

 

Mary answered the call to serve God by agreeing to become the mother of Jesus.  She supported Jesus throughout his ministry, suffering as He suffered, and growing in her faith, despite the terrible death of her son. 

 

Joseph overcame his doubts and fears and accepted the responsibility of becoming a stepfather to Mary's son. He loved and protected the blessed infant and his mother. He stands as a role model for all men everywhere. 

 

THE SECOND JOYFUL MYSTERY: The Visitation

 

 

What joy Elizabeth felt when she recognized the special gift growing in Mary's womb! What joy she felt when her own son, John, leapt in her own womb!  Both women, blessed by God, helped to change the world. This is the special gift of all mothers, that their children have the power to create a better world for all God's children.

 

 

THE THIRD JOYFUL MYSTERY: The Nativity

 

The King arrives as a simple child, guileless, innocent, and vulnerable. His complete purity of mind, heart, and body reminds us that we, too, were born innocent. The world takes away that innocence, and it is in worshipping the small, innocent child that we regain our own purity. Kneel down to the King and worship Him.

 

KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS

 

THE FOURTH JOYFUL MYSTERY: The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

 

Mary fulfilled her duties and presented her child to the Temple and to God, his father. So, too, can we fulfill our duties by attending Mass and presenting ourselves to God, our father.

 

THE FIFTH JOYFUL MYSTERY: The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

 

Just as Jesus got about His father's business in the Temple, so, too, must we educate ourselves, be familiar with the Gospels and the teachings of the Catholic Church, and be about our Father's business.

 

PRAY THE ROSARY DAILY

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Dawn Pisturino

 

copyright 2014 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.