Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Go Caroling Day

Tuesday in the Fourth week of Advent

GO CARROLLING DAY

¹⁷ This I command you: LOVE one another. ¹⁸ “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.

Rejoice if you love and no one loves you in return; for He has chosen you! Yet, there is also the danger that you may have so much love for yourself: that there is no room to love anyone, but yourself, and people are avoiding you out of respect for the love affair you have with yourself. Remember the story of the Grinch are you more like the Grinch or Cindy Lou Who.

The model of love for all true discipleship is extreme, limitless life for your friends as Jesus modeled, the price of discipleship will be high. Just as Christ was hated so it will be for those of us who follow Him. You will be hated, persecuted, unaccepted. Yet, know that the deep-down crime is that the secular world, the culture of death, has seen the evidence and refused to believe. Jesus has spoken to them, he has performed works never done before and they really know nothing about the Father who sent Jesus and in hating Him they hate the Father also.[1]

Who are hypocrites?

Those who, in order to deceive their neighbors, show themselves outwardly pious, while within they are full of evil dispositions and malice; who have honey on the tongue, but gall in the heart; who, like scorpions, sting when one least expects it. Such men are cursed by God (Mai. i. 14). The Lord hateth a mouth with a double tongue (Prov. viii. 13). “Assumed sanctity, says St. Jerome, “is a double maliciousness.”[2]

God’s Handiwork[3]

Every Christmas although the same in many ways is always new for each Christmas expresses a hope learned from a lifetime of praising God. For every Christmas if we open our eyes to truth, we will see the handiwork of God, the rock of our salvation. Perhaps in these final days of anticipation it would do us well to reflect on the virtues of Mary Christ’s very own mother and in these final days in some way reflect them in our own lives.

Generosity[4] the mode of Our Lady’s soul

Our Lady puts all she has at God’s disposal. In an instant, all her personal plans – and no doubt she had many – were discarded so that she could do everything God wanted her to. She made no excuses, had no reservations. From the very first moment, Jesus is the one great ideal of her life. Throughout her life on earth Our Lady showed limitless generosity. Among the few episodes of the Gospel that refer to her, two of them speak directly of her attention to the wants of others. She generously gave of her time to look after her cousin St Elizabeth until the birth of her son, John, and she was solicitous for the well-being of the young couple and their guests at the wedding reception in Cana of Galilee. Such attitudes were second nature to her. Her neighbors in Nazareth would have much to tell us about Mary’s innumerable little services to them in their everyday lives. The Blessed Virgin never thought of herself, but of others. She did her household chores with the greatest simplicity and happiness while maintaining the deepest interior recollection, for she knew that God was within her. In Elizabeth’s house everything was sanctified by Our Lady and the Child she carried in her womb. In Mary we confirm the truth that generosity is a virtue of great souls, who know how to find their reward in the act of giving: you received without pay, give without pay. A generous person knows how to be loving and understanding and how to give material help without demanding love, understanding or help in return. He gives and forgets he has given, and in this lies his riches. He has understood that it is better to give than to receive. He realizes that to love is in its essence to give oneself to others. Far from being an instinctive inclination, love is a conscious decision of the will to draw close to other people. To be able to love truly it is important to be detached from everything and, especially, from self, to give gratuitously … This detachment from self is the source of a balanced personality. It is the secret of happiness.

Christmas gift suggestions

· to your enemy, forgiveness.

· To an opponent, tolerance.

· To a friend, your heart.

· To a customer, service.

· To all, charity.

· To every child, a good example.

· To yourself, respect.”

— Oren Arnold

Go Caroling Day[5]

Any fan of old classic movies knows that carolers were one of the hallmarks of any Christmas themed movie. Whether it was “It’s a Wonderful Life” or Charles Dickens “Christmas Carol”, you could be certain at some point some warmly bedecked singers would arrive at someone’s door belting out the traditional songs for Christmas. While Caroling is slowly falling out of style, there’s still time to preserve this time-honored tradition, and Go Caroling Day is your call to arms. Caroling has a long history in the world, potentially existing longer than Christmas itself and having moved into that religious practice from much older roots. This is no surprise, given that the act of singing has long been a form of religious observance, and religious hymns are certainly not a new way of honoring one’s faith. Caroling itself, however, is specifically used to reference those songs and traditions of Christmas, and for many years was a heavily practiced tradition that many people eagerly took part in, whether by joining the carolers or by avidly awaiting their arrival at their doorstep as avatars of Christmas cheer. Wassailing was another tradition that was quite similar in many ways but was actually used to travel to the orchards and other places where cider was produced. It was believed that singing to the trees would promote a good harvest for the year and was almost exclusively practiced in England.

How to Celebrate Go Caroling Day

Well, one might suppose that the answer is right there in the name, might they? The best way to celebrate Go Caroling Day is to organize a group of friends and relations and get out there and get your songbird on for this holiday! All of the songs you might want to sing have to be familiar after all these years, you’ve sung them growing up, as part of your school choir, and they’re on the radio in multitudinous variations starting from before Thanksgiving. (That’s another issue, don’t get me started). However, if you are more of the non-traditional sort, you can still get your songster on each year by learning the many variations of these holiday songs. The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society has released three albums all dedicated to Lovecraftian rewrites of the holidays, and they are nothing short of fantastic. The point of Go Caroling Day is to get out and share the spirit of the season, however, you celebrate it, with everyone.

Now get singing!

Spiritual Crib[6]

A special devotion that can be performed during Advent to prepare for the coming of the Infant Savior. It can be adapted for adults and/or children and applied as is appropriate to your state in life.

· 10th day, December 20th: THE SHEPHERDS—Works of Mercy These are so pleasing to our Lord, and we must therefore practice them corporally as well as spiritually. Pray much for poor sinners and for God's dear missionaries who are trying to convert them.

Evening Antiphon

Come, and bring forth the captive from his prison.

O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts, and no man opens; Come and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

“Beware the Pogonip”

Definition: The word pogonip is a meteorological term used to describe an uncommon occurrence: frozen fog. The word was coined by Native Americans to describe the frozen fogs of fine ice needles that occur in the mountain valleys of the western United States in December. According to Indian tradition, breathing the fog is injurious to the lungs.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

CHAPTER ONE-YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND

2083 Jesus summed up man's duties toward God in this saying: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." This immediately echoes the solemn call: "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD."

God has loved us first. the love of the One God is recalled in the first of the "ten words." the commandments then make explicit the response of love that man is called to give to his God.

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Conversion of Sinners

· Jesse Tree ornament: Jesus is Flower of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3 Symbols: flower, plant with flower

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Monday: Litany of Humility

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Christmas Novena

· Rosary

December 20, 2019 US Space Force