feast of st.
stephen-Kwanzaa
But what exactly are the Twelve
Days of Christmas? They are the days between Christmas and the Feast
of the Epiphany that constitute an unbroken period of joy and celebration.
Epiphany is considered the twelfth day of Christmas (in fact it is sometimes
called "Twelfth Day") while the Eve of Epiphany is called
"Twelfth Night." Shakespeare's play, "Twelfth Night,"
takes its name from the Vigil because during this period festivals (such as the
Feast
of Fools or the Feast of the Ass) used to be held
in which everything was turned upside-down -- a little like the reversed
identities of the characters in the play. These "preposterous"
observances, incidentally, were a joyful mimicry of the inversion of
almighty God becoming a lowly man, of the King appearing as a humble infant.
The twelve nights of Christmas were primarily a time of rest from unnecessary labor and
joyful prayer. On each of these nights the Christmas tree lights and the Christmas candle would be lit, while the family
would gather around the manger to recite prayers and sing carols
and hymns. Similar services are held in some churches during these nights as
well. Several saints' days which fall within the Octave of Christmas are
also a part of the Twelve Days.
1) Shisa nyama (meat cooked over a hot wood fire).
2) Kapenta with sadza (kapenta is a freshwater fish and sadza is a maize porridge).
3) Nyama na irio (mashed potatoes, peas, corn and onion served with spicy roast meat).
Proverbs, Chapter 24,
Verse 21-22
21 My son, fear the LORD and the king; have nothing
to do with those who hate them; 22
for disaster will issue suddenly, and calamity from them both, who knows when?
Proverbs chapter 24 comments on the fates of the
wicked and foolish—it begins with a warning not to take the foolish as role
models. The faithful are encouraged “to be jealous, zealous; to emulate.”
Christ; for—the wicked have no future.[1]
If Christ is real to you every day of your life then rendering to God what is
God's is not a sacrifice. No, we are compelled by the Holy Spirit and we must give ourselves up entirely to Him;
as did the first martyr Steven.
Feast of Saint
Stephen[2]
THE epistle of to-day contains a
short account of the life and sufferings of this saint. It only remains to be
added that, on account of his virtues, his wisdom, and his zeal for the faith,
the apostles thought him worthy to be chosen the first of the seven deacons,
whose office it was, in addition to the preaching of the word of God, to serve
the poor, and properly to dis tribute the alms of the faithful. The Introit says:
Princes sat and spoke against me, and the wicked persecuted me; help me, O Lord
my God, for Thy servant was employed in Thy justifications. Blessed are the undefiled
in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
Prayer.
Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
to imitate what we honor, that we also may learn to love our neighbors, as we
celebrate the feast of Him Who knew how to beseech even for His persecutors. Amen.
EPISTLE. Acts vi. 8-10; vii. 54-59.
In those days: Stephen full of
grace and fortitude did great wonders and signs among the people. Now there
arose some of that which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the
Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia,
disputing with Stephen. Arid they were not able to resist the wisdom and the
spirit that spoke. Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and
they gnashed with their teeth at him. But he being full of the Holy Ghost,
looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on
the right hand of God. And he said: Be hold I see the heavens opened, and the
Son of man standing on the right hand of God. And they crying out with a loud
voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him. And
casting him forth without the city, they stoned him: and the witnesses laid
down their garments at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul. And they
stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And
falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this
sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.
Instruction.
Stephen is unjustly persecuted; yet
he prays for his persecutors. Can we excuse ourselves if we do not love our
enemies? Were not Stephen, and others who have imitated him, men like ourselves?
With the grace of God, could not we do what they have done? Could we call
ourselves Christians were we not to do this? No; for the love of our neighbor,
and of our enemy also, is the chief token of the Christian; since it is only by
this love that we become like Christ, and resemble our heavenly Father, Who
makes His sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and sendeth rains upon the
just and upon the unjust (Matt. v. 45). Let us, therefore, imitate the love of
God, of Christ, and of St. Stephen, and then we may one day be able to give up
our souls with calmness into the hands of our Maker.
GOSPEL. Matt, xxiii. 34-39.
At
that time Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees: Behold I send to you
prophets, and wise men, and scribes : and some of them you will put to death
and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from
city to city: that upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed
upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of
Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the
altar. Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are
sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the
hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not! Behold your
house shall be left to you desolate. For I say to you, you shall not see Me
henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Those in our days who stone and kill the prophets and preachers are those who,
by their evil backbiting, defame their pastors, who mock at and despise
preachers and sermons; for to the servants of God this is a great torment and
source of grief; it destroys their courage and paralyzes their efficiency. On
this account it provokes the anger of God, as through the prophets He often
told the Jews.
Supplication to St. Stephen.
O
St. Stephen, first of the martyrs, who wast filled with fortitude, grace, and
love, whose guiltless face shone like the face of a pure angel, I beseech thee,
by the grace which rendered thee worthy to see heaven opened and Jesus sitting
at the right hand of the Father, that thou wouldst, by thy prayers, procure for
me from God a pure conscience, and a holy, meek love, that like thee I may
readily forgive those who injure me; may pray for them; may not only desire for
them whatever is good, but may do them good indeed, and thereby merit the grace
of a happy death. Amen.
Though
there is no historical connection, St. Stephen is considered the patron
saint of horses. Scholars speculate that this has something to do
with the relief from work that domestic animal enjoyed during Twelfth night; in
any case, horse parades or horse races were always held on
this day. One custom in rural areas was for the horses to be decorated and
taken to the church, where the priest would bless them. Afterwards, they would
be ridden around the church three times. Horse's food (hay or oats)
is also blessed on this day.
NOTA BENE:
In
the eleventh century, the Church instituted special feast days during the
Christmas Octave for various ecclesiastical ranks. Today, on
the day in which one of the first seven deacons was martyred, was the festival
for deacons.
Two
Turtle Doves
Today
is the second day of Christmas: Two Turtle Doves from the song the 12 days of Christmas
represent the two parts of the Sacred Scriptures: the old and new testament.
Feast
of St. Stephen - Day Two[5]
Saint
Stephen is the first martyr of the Church, and is the patron of stonemasons,
masons, bricklayers, deacons, headaches, and horses. His story comes from the
Acts of the Apostles. He is usually pictured in deacon's vestments, holding the
symbol of martyrdom, a palm branch. Sometimes he has a stone in his left hand,
to indicate his death by stoning. He is depicted in many images wearing a
wreath, which refers to the origin of his name, the Greek word Stephanos
meaning "wreath."
"If
you know what witness means, you understand why God brings St. Stephen, St.
John, and the Holy Innocents to the crib in the cave as soon as Christ is born
liturgically. To be a witness is to be a martyr. Holy Mother Church wishes
us to realize that we were born in baptism to become Christ — He who was the world's outstanding
Martyr." — Love Does Such Things, by Rev. M. Raymond, O.C.S.O.
·
Day Two activity (Boxing Day) (Christmas Drama)
·
Day Two recipe (St. Stephen's Horns)
Kwanzaa
is an African-American and Pan-African celebration of family, community and
culture. Kwanzaa, a week-long cultural festival from the 26th of December to
the 1st of January that climaxes in feasts and gift giving, was initially
established to unite African-Americans with their African roots and heritage.
Nguzo Saba, the seven principles that guide the holiday, is central to
Kwanzaa as a different principle is emphasized every day during the
celebration. Celebrants often dress in traditional Pan-African clothing and
decorate their homes in African artwork. Kwanzaa was created in 1965 by Dr.
Maulana Karenga, a major figure in the Black Power movement, with the intention
of providing African Americans with a link to their ancestral heritage. Karenga
aimed to bring together African-Americans as a community through the
combination of various aspects of other celebrations such as Thanksgiving,
Christmas and African Yam Festivals. Since Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a
religious one; it can be celebrated by Africans from all religious backgrounds.
Kwanzaa Facts
& Quotes
·
The
name Kwanzaa is derived from Matunda ya kwanza, which in Swahili means first
fruits. Kwanzaa is based on the Ashanti and Zulu traditions of first
fruit harvest celebrations.
·
Each
day of Kwanzaa celebrates one of 7 principles, known as Nguzo Saba. These
include Unity, Self-determination, Collective work and responsibility,
Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith. The colors of Kwanzaa are
black, red and green. Each color carries an important meaning to unify
those of African descent. Black is for the people, red for the noble blood
that unites all people of African descent and green for the land of Africa. A
candle holder, called a Kinara, holds the seven candles that represent the
seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa Top Events
and Things to Do
·
Read
about the seven principles of Kwanzaa with your family. These principles
teach about working together, learning from the past and strengthening bonds.
·
Attend
a Kwanzaa celebration event.
·
Prepare
a festive Kwanzaa dinner. Include Kwanzaa foods include:
1) Shisa nyama (meat cooked over a hot wood fire).
2) Kapenta with sadza (kapenta is a freshwater fish and sadza is a maize porridge).
3) Nyama na irio (mashed potatoes, peas, corn and onion served with spicy roast meat).
·
Give
festive Kwanzaa gifts to your friends and family. Some traditional gifts
include a food basket, kinara candle holder, books about African culture and
handwoven items like gloves and scarves.
·
Watch
“The Black Candle” (2008). This is a vibrant and powerful
documentary that illuminates the African American experience from the
perspective of Kwanzaa. Narrated by Dr. Maya Angelou (poet), the
documentary won the award for best full-length documentary at the Africa World
Documentary Film Festival in 2009.
Daily
Devotions
[1]http://www.usccb.org/bible/proverbs/24
[5]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-12-26
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