Thursday, December 30, 2021

Thursday in the Octave of Christmas

Sirach, Chapter 2, Verse 7-10

⁷ You that FEAR the Lord, wait for his mercy, do not stray lest you fall. ⁸ You that fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not be lost. ⁹ You that fear the Lord, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy. ¹⁰ Consider the generations long past and see: has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken? Has anyone called upon him and been ignored?

Serving the Lord is not without its trials; but no matter what happens, the genuine believer will remain sincere, steadfast, and faithful. Misfortune and humiliation are means of purification to prove one’s worth. Ben Sira believed that patience and unwavering trust in God are ultimately rewarded with the benefits of God’s mercy and of lasting joy.

Sixth Day of Christmas-Six Geese a-Laying = the six days of creation[1]

1st Day: Creation of light and its separation from darkness

2nd Day: Creation of the firmament and division of the waters

3rd Day: Collection of waters (sea) and formation of dry land (earth); creation of plants according to their own likeness

4th Day: Creation of heavenly bodies in the firmament (sun, moon, and stars)

5th Day: Creation of sea creatures and winged fowl from the waters

6th Day: Creation of cattle, creeping things, and beasts from the dry land; creation of mankind, male and female

December 30, Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas - Day Six[2]

God is your beatitude. The things of time are toys. You are eternity's child, and your eternity has already begun! There is a compelling urgency to every day and every hour of the day. In it we are to witness to the truth — that God greeted and gifted us at Christmas.

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 Sixth activity (Gingerbread Bowls)

· Day Sixth recipe (Lamb's Wool)

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: The lonely and destitute.

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· "Faith cannot save without virtue"

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Iceman’s 40 devotion

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary