Resurrection Magazine Christmas 2024 Vol 5:3

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION | LANSING, MICHIGAN

RE SU RRE C TI O N MA G AZINE CHRISTMAS 2024 VOL 5:3

IN THIS ISSUE

TRADITIONS OF THE AGES Resurrection parishioners share their time-honored family Christmas celebrations & traditions

THE BLOSSOMING OF FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE

A high school parishioner's journey of discovery

REMOVING OBSTACLES TO HOLINESS A look into the Healing Prayer ministry at Resurrection

RESURRECTION MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2024 VOL 5:3 PASTOR FR. STEVE MATTSON EDITOR SEAN O'NEILL MANAGING EDITOR MARY GATES ART DIRECTOR SARAH FINK

IN THIS

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FR. STEVE MATTSON

DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN!

AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS SPALDING

THE BLOSSOMING OF FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE

AN INTERVIEW WITH ALLIANCE UWAMAHORO

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REFLECTIONS ON THE RESURRECTION LIFE

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Located in the heart of the city of Lansing, the Church of the Resurrection exists to help everyone in our parish family live in the light and hope of the resurrection.

THE GOOD, THE TRUE, AND THE BEAUTIFUL

REMOVING OBSTACLES TO HOLINESS

WE'RE ALSO ONLINE! Visit our website to read all previous issues of Resurrection Magazine!

ISSUE

MARISOL HENNIG & KARA SCHNEIBLE

JACOB & SIOBHANN ALLSTOTT, PAUL & MARIA HEDEMARK

TRADITIONS OF THE AGES VARIOUS PARISH FAMILIES

GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY | AN ART MEDITATION

MARY GATES

RING OUT, WILD BELLS | A POEM ALFRED LORD TENNYSON

Welcome to Resurrection Magazine!

We have created this magazine to bear witness to what the Lord is doing in our midst. Our Risen Lord is blessing us richly, and we want to take this opportunity to share some of those blessings with you. Read and learn more about our parish and our rich Catholic faith! Please visit our website to read our past issues.

ON THE COVER Benjamin Gerritsz Cuyp's The Annunciation to the Shepherds (c. 1633), oil on panel. For a meditation on the painting, see page 15.

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FROM THE

Merry Christmas to all of our readers! This time of year, many of us have a creche in our homes where we can sit and contemplate the Christ child and celebrate his coming into the world. We may say a silent prayer to Jesus, asking him to bless our family and, looking forward to the year ahead, ask for his protection and blessing on all that we undertake.

But this is not just a time of year when our gaze is fixed on him. It is a period during which he looks at us. In our walk with the Lord, it is he who is the prime mover, the initiator of contact with our souls, and the one who is pursuing us. Why does he pursue us? Because, having come into the world and ultimately dying and rising to save us from eternal damnation, he is concerned that we benefit from this miraculous reprieve, and enter fully into our birthright as sons and daughters of his Father.

Our journey through that relationship with God is what prompted the development of the Waymarks Program. On page 10, Jacob and Siobhann Allstott and Paul and Maria Hededmark explain how sharing, discussing, and praying through the reflections contained in the course materials has helped their small group move forward in the relationship of love with God. It is God who draws us along that road to holiness and sainthood. This is borne out, on page 6, by the testimony of Alliance Uwamahoro, a Resurrection parishioner and recent graduate of Lansing Catholic High School. She shares her remarkable story, which began in Rwanda and, after a tortuous journey, ended up with her becoming Catholic here at the Church of the Resurrection, in Lansing Michigan.

EDITOR

One of the obstacles to moving forward in the spiritual life is our brokenness. All of us have been wounded by life in one way or another and all of us need to be healed of those past hurts before we can find the freedom we need to move forward. And this is where the parish healing ministry comes in. On page 8, Marisol Hennig and Kara Schneible explain how they have benefited from this key ministry.

Of course, entering into a relationship with God involves worship, sacraments, and the traditions of the Church. The renovations that have taken place within the church building have provided an environment that enhances our worship and, hopefully, a space where we can better offer God our sacrifice of praise. We have already covered the renovations in a previous issue, but did you know that embellishing the worship space was a project so dear to the hearts of the Spalding family that they undertook the work twice? On page 5, Mary Gates, our managing editor, interviews Chris Spalding who explains how that took place.

Tradition, without a doubt, is a major part of Christmas, and on page 12 we delve into what traditions have stood the test of time among our parishioners, from the 1940s onwards. Perhaps, there you will find some traditions that you might like to adopt in your own home this year.

God is love and the only thing that can come from him is love. The Lord’s eye is upon us, with encouragement, healing, and affection. Let us, this Christmas, give in to what he wants to do in our lives to transform us into saints, and share his love with those around us.

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FR. STEVE MATTSON

THE GOOD, THE TRUE, & THE BEAUTIFUL

OUR CHURCH BECOMES AN ASTOUNDING SPACE OF WORSHIP & CONFIRMS FOR US THE MYSTERY OF REDEMPTIOM

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erry Christmas, everyone! Each year, we celebrate with great pomp and circumstance the joyous arrival of our savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and laid in a manger, because there was no room for them at the Inn. Thankfully, we have room for Jesus in our hearts, and we know well that Jesus dwells in the tabernacle. Thanks to your generosity, this year, after long anticipation, we celebrate the Incarnation in our newly renovated (but not yet completed) church. Thank you all for your ongoing support of our ministries and your gifts that made possible the renovation of our church. A beautiful church is a gift to us and a worthy context within which to worship God who took on flesh for us.

The church has always been beautiful, but I think that the renovation fulfills in a more powerful way the “promise” of the exterior of the church. Some would say that the old sanctuary looked like a stage, and many wondered if the church had originally been the gym. Of course, that wasn’t the case. But now, it seems to me, and to many of you, I trust, that we are invited into the heavenly liturgy more clearly. The grandeur of the pillars and the coffered ceiling that serves as a window to the heavens, and the presence to our vision of the icons of saints of the Resurrection, the beautiful crucifix and the grieving icons of our Mother Mary and John the Beloved Disciple, all of that, and the repainted statues of the saints, transport us into the heavenly court. The beauty of the church confirms for us the mystery of redemption made possible because God the Son chose to come among us as a little, helpless baby. Each time we celebrate the

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Mass, heaven comes to earth and we are caught up to heaven.

The poignancy of this mystery is made manifest especially at Christmas.

Redemption was made possible because “God’s infinity Dwindled to infancy,” as Gerard Manley Hopkins famously put it in a poem in which he compared Mary to the air we breathe: This air, which, by life’s law, My lung must draw and draw Now but to breathe its praise, Minds me in many ways Of her who not only Gave God’s infinity Dwindled to infancy Welcome in womb and breast, Birth, milk, and all the rest But mothers each new grace That does now reach our race— Mary Immaculate, Merely a woman, yet Whose presence, power is Great as no goddess’s Was deemèd, dreamèd; who This one work has to do— Let all God’s glory through, God’s glory which would go Through her and from her flow Off, and no way but so.

Jesus, God!, came, thanks to Mary’s yes, among us. He was laid in a manger and served early and throughout his life as a sign of contradiction, of love of enemies, and peace to all. May we emulate His love, and Mary’s too, this Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Father Steve

AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS SPALDING

DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN! THE SPALDING FAMILY’S CONTRIBUTION TO RENOVATING THE CHURCH

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hris Spalding, longtime parishioner and employee of Resurrection, was happy to take on the role of general contractor in the recent church renovation. Chris’s willingness to use his gifts, talents, and experience for the good of the parish was a reflection of the same yes his dad gave to take on the last church renovation in 1980.

In a work of divine providence, father and son, two ‘Mr. Spaldings’, have now led teams of tradesmen in beautifying the church for the people of Resurrection Parish.

Jack Spalding grew up in Portland as the youngest of eleven children. After serving in WWII, Chris says Jack “worked for the dairy and then Granger Construction, and then in the late 1950’s he started Spalding Brothers Construction with his brother Ralph and a friend.” In 1964, the company started building the parish rectory as well as a rectory at St. Mary’s, and “he had a good relationship with Fr. Martin, our second pastor, so he did a lot of work around the parish.”

When the church was ready for a renovation (it’s second at the time) in 1980, Jack was asked to be the general contractor for the job. “They carpeted over everything, did some lighting, put the pews in the curved pattern facing the altar, and as my dad said, ‘put the potato sack (burlap panels) on the back wall,’” Chris says. As a parishioner himself, Jack was used to pitching in, he had built the games and stands for the Ox Roast and was a regular volunteer.

Contracting the renovation was another way Jack could contribute.

Chris took over his dad’s business in 1984. “I took over when Teresa and I got married, and slowed it down the last several years but officially ran the business until just this year.” In 2016. Fr. Steve approached Chris about leading the facilities team

at the parish. “I went into the church to pray about it and had thought maybe I should wait until later, but I opened the bulletin and there was a CS Lewis quote in there that Fr. Steve had used in his homily. The quote reads: ‘the present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.’ Taking the job was a blessing all around.”

"I knew I could help on this. I could save the parish money and lead the way, that is what I was hoping to do."

When the parish was ready for the 2024 renovation, Chris says “I knew I could help on this. I could save the parish money and lead the way, that is what I was hoping to do.” Highlights of the project were many, Chris says. “Uncovering the original stairway from when they first built, and, and during demolition, finding certain nails my dad used.” Chris also came to find out he wasn’t the only second generation worker on the job. “The electrical contractor that did the work in 1980 with my dad, now his son is running their company and was here. My dad was a mentor for him and had given him inspiration to keep working when he was an apprentice.”

While “digging back through history” was a great gift to Chris during the project, ultimately he looks forward to seeing how God will use the space in the future. “I think it will bring people into encounters in a worship place that is now beautiful. I believe the changes fulfill the church’s potential.”

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Giotto | The Nativity | c. 1310s | fresco

AN INTERVIEW WITH ALLIANCE UWAMAHORO

THE BLOSSOMING OF FAITH, HOPE & LOVE

A HIGH SCHOOL PARISHIONER'S JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

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lliance Uwamahoro is a Resurrection parishioner, recent graduate of Lansing Catholic High School, and current Lansing Community College nursing student, yet one role is most important to her: child of God. Having been on a lifelong journey of hardships and blessings, Alliance is grateful for it all as she recognizes the Lord’s hand in leading her to Himself.

"I had to pay my own tuition so I would walk every day to school, then afterwards I would walk to work at Brody Hall."

“I was born in Rwanda and I was raised at a refugee camp because my parents were refugees from the DRC (Congo). They had moved to Rwanda because

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there was a war so they moved during the genocide.

My biological mother has a lot of troubles because she has been through a lot of trauma so I was raised by my grandma in the camp but I mostly had to fend for myself. When I was eight, my mother saw an opportunity and came back to the camp to bring me to the United States.”

By the time she started high school, Alliance had lost interest in school. “I was having troubles with school and as a freshman going through a lot with a lot of responsibilities I was extremely depressed and lost a sense of myself. I didn’t think school was important because I had life to deal with.” Having started high school at Everett and then experiencing online classes during Covid, Alliance’s troubles continued when she was moved into foster care. After living in three homes in a short period of time, Alliance says God’s providence landed her in a loving home.

“I moved into a home in Pinckney and that's where I first experienced the love of God. People were so nice that, in a way, I didn’t understand why they were so nice. The teachers understood me and I started

to see God.” Another move in foster care would take Alliance’s healing a step further. “I had to move to a different home and Mrs. Susan was Catholic, she was an eye opener for me, she let me foster my own puppy and she invited me to pray and go to Mass.

Mrs. Susan was a parent I was longing to have. I wasn’t Catholic, I didn’t know a single thing, but I had never experienced a bad thing from a Catholic my whole life. And a little crack of my heart opened.”

That summer, Alliance was sent home to again live with her mother. “It was still not a good situation, but when I came back I was looking for a Christian school because of Mrs. Susan. I googled ‘Catholic schools’ and the first thing that came up was Lansing Catholic, so I walked to the school and met Mrs. Renee Fischman.” Determined to attend LCHS, Alliance was persistent in finding a way. “Someone convinced my mother to show up because I needed her to sign the papers. She didn’t really care but it was the one thing she could do in the world for me.

I had to pay my own tuition so I would walk every day to school, then afterwards I would walk to work at Brody Hall.”

When Lansing Catholic announced RCIA classes available at the school, Alliance signed up, completed the classes, and ultimately received her sacraments at Resurrection at the 2024 Easter Vigil.

Looking back with gratitude and forward with hope, Alliance isn’t bitter because of what she’s experienced but rather sees God’s hand on it all. “If I would have never been through all of that maybe I wouldn’t have been baptized. My goal is to become a nurse. I want to use my skills for good. All that I’ve been through, this is God calling me to help people.”

Ultimately, Alliance’s perspective on her past and her future is one of faith. “All of my experiences I see as God moments.”

It didn’t take long for Alliance to realize why God had led her to the school. “The first day I came here I had a desire to become Catholic. I was amazed. I had the crack open in my heart and then every time we had Mass I would try to participate. Every time I participated I felt joy, it brought me happiness.

Mrs. Renee invited me to go to Mass with her at Resurrection and that's when I made the decision to become Catholic to be baptized.”

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MARISOL HENNIG & KARA SCHNEIBLE

REMOVING OBSTACLES TO HOLINESS A LOOK INTO THE HEALING PRAYER MINISTRY AT RESURRECTION

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s human beings, we carry around so many wounds, both physical and spiritual. In our faith journey, as we grow in virtue and holiness, these wounds can become obstacles. The Healing Prayer Ministry at Church of the Resurrection is an important tool to help people identify, pray through, and work through some of our wounds. We are always a work in progress but this ministry can be a powerful ally in our faith journey. Marisol Hennig and Kara Schneible, two parishioners, share their own experiences with Healing Prayer.

believe needs healing, but that you don’t have to name a particular issue. Jesus knows why you are there for prayer and if you aren’t 100% sure, part of your prayer session can be asking Him to reveal to you areas that need healing. After I responded, Sean and Liz asked me to join them in a silent prayer asking Jesus to show me where I needed Him most at this time. Sean and Liz received words in their hearts that they shared with me. This process opened up my heart and mind to a deeper sense of where I needed healing.

MARISOL: Signing up for a healing prayer session can be the first and hardest step toward healing. Completing a simple online form is all you need to do to sign up, so you wouldn’t think it would be that hard, but when it is your first time and you don’t know what to expect, just clicking the button can be difficult. I was very nervous when I came to my first healing prayer session. I was greeted by Liz O’Neill and her warm smile. She walked me to the small conference room where we would be praying. Liz and her husband, Sean, are just one of the prayer teams. Each team consists of a man and a woman.

"Through healing prayer and praying with the prayer teams, I have seen and felt Jesus working within me more and more."

They made sure I knew that they were happy that I was there for prayer and asked me if there were specific things I wanted prayer for. Liz reassured me that healing prayer can be for any particular issue you

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-Marisol Hennig The prayer team guides you through the entire time of prayer with them. They have a few different handouts with prayers on them that are specific to different wounds and sins. The team prays with you and for you during the session. At the end of the session, there is a sealing prayer. If you want to, you can take

the handouts home with you to continue praying through the suggested prayers while you continue to work on identifying and healing your wounds.

Coming to healing prayer has really helped me to peel away the layers of my wounds to get to the root of them, and to bring Jesus with me through each layer. Even in those areas where I wasn’t aware of Jesus’s presence, healing prayer helped to remind me that He is present in every aspect of my life. Jesus is the healer! Through healing prayer and praying with the prayer teams, I have seen and felt Jesus working within me more and more.

When I first started, I didn’t get any visions or words and I thought that maybe I was doing it wrong. I was invited to make an appointment for another session.

Each time I came back, I could feel my heart opening up more and more and becoming more aware of Jesus’ presence. I had a better sense of where he wanted to heal me. I learned how to use those prayers on the handouts whenever I needed them.

KARA: I had thought about participating in a healing prayer session for quite a while before I actually took the plunge. I was facing a recurring issue in my life, and felt that the Lord had revealed to me that if I was to find success and peace in addressing this issue, I would need to include Him in the process and find what His will truly was for me. I needed to do something different, to get some help in praying into and about this issue. Like Marisol, I was nervous when I first arrived, and unsure of what to expect. I met with Chris Spalding and Deb McPherson for two different sessions over a month or so. The prayer team was compassionate and kind to me, they spoke with me about my goals for the session and prayed with me and for me, both as relates to the particular issue and relating to other issues affected by my struggles.

Praying out loud with the prayer team was helpful to me in identifying the specific challenges facing me in my faith journey. I felt peace during the prayer session, and was grateful to the team for supporting me and reassuring me of God’s love and care for me as I faced this challenge.

My healing prayer sessions were not “miraculous,” in that I did not experience immediate or drastic healing as a result of them. I also did not receive specific words or images in my mind during the prayer sessions, but just generally felt a sense of peace, and the words that the prayer team gave me resonated in my heart.

As I look back now at that time in my life and what God has done for me, I can see changes in myself, in my perspective on life, and in the particular issue I brought to healing prayer. God has indeed brought healing to my life, slowly and surely, as I was ready to accept and work with His grace.

I can confidently say that participating in Healing Prayer allowed me to experience God’s healing grace.

"I needed to do something different, to get some help in praying into and about this issue."

-Kara Schneible I have continued to work on the issue on my own, but I hope to participate in additional healing prayer sessions in the future, to help me continue to open my heart to the healing Christ wants for me.

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Master of the Antwerp Adoration | Epiphany | c. 1520 | oil on wood

JACOB & SIOBHANN ALLSTOTT, PAUL & MARIA HEDEMARK

REFLECTIONS ON THE RESURRECTION LIFE WAYMARKS PROGRAM PROVIDES POINTERS ON THE ROAD TO HOLINESS

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fter hearing about Sean O’Neill’s Waymarks program from Father Steve at a mass back in February of 2023, and his encouragement to join with others who live in close proximity to each other, it was something we mutually decided we would like to try. It was a true gift that Fr. Steve generously provided us with the books.

Living within a few miles of each other and having an already established friendship, it was comfortable and convenient for our two families to meet. Sunday evenings were our chosen meeting time and we alternated homes. Some Sundays we enjoyed a meal together first. Our children also enjoyed this time together, finding fun things to do as the adults shared the Waymarks program.

The Waymarks chapters were very well written and laid out in an organized and good sequence. Although the chapters and modules are all related, they were independent enough to occasionally add another

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family, which we did, or take weeks off when needed, and then easily start back up.

"We found that it encouraged us to make God the focal point of the following days."

Because it was self-guided, we felt zero pressure to complete the program in a specific time. Although very structured, it felt relaxed, which made it easy to share. We preferred the small group. It brought the benefits of a retreat but with a very intimate setting.

When we gathered, we read each chapter aloud

together, watched the related videos, prayed the included prayers, and had discussions based on the thought-provoking questions. The process was helpful in understanding and deepening our faith and we all agreed that we left each evening feeling a little more “raw” but more importantly, closer to Christ. We found that it encouraged us to make God the focal point of the following days. During weeks when we

got caught up in the busyness of our daily routines, coming together again on Sunday evenings was a helpful reset.

We truly enjoyed (and are still periodically enjoying) the Waymarks program, and the four of us strongly agree we would recommend this to everyone, regardless of where they are in their faith journeys.

(L) Jacob & Siobhann Allstott, Paul & Maria Hedemark; (R) the Waymarks series.

WAYMARKS AUDIO & VIDEO REFLECTIONS ONLINE! Visit our website to find out more about The Waymarks Program. Simply follow the link below or QR code. There you will find audio of the chapters and videos reflections discussing each topic. You'll also find more info about books two and three of the program, Signposts and Travel Maps, as well as the corresponding multimedia for these books.

CORLANSING.ORG/WAYMARKS

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VARIOUS PARISH FAMILIES

TRADITIONS OF THE AGES RESURRECTION PARISHIONERS SHARE THEIR TIME-HONORED FAMILY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS & TRADITIONS

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n the hustle of the Advent and Christmas seasons, the faithful strive to prepare for and celebrate worthily and well the birth of Christ. These efforts bear fruit in the traditions that are established and the lifelong memories made. Oftentimes, very simple acts become profoundly impactful, as children are formed by practices of fun, family, and faith. Resurrection Life Magazine asked some parishioners to share their fondest Christmas memories and traditions born of the season.

Judy Edwards' Family

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hristmas in the 40's and 50's, growing up on a farm brought wonder and anticipation of the birth of Jesus. My parents lived the gospel and when I think about it, the verse Matthew 6:33, ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added on to you’, fits their lifestyle. Christmas Mass took priority, and we looked forward to the beauty and wonder of the birth of Christ. My wonder was always the angels singing on high to announce the birth. We realized as kids that the budget was limited so we appreciated whatever we were gifted. Two memories come to mind: 1. We wanted snow on our Christmas tree, so we took laundry soap and whipped it until it was thick and looked like snow and would spread it on the tree branches. As children, we were delighted with our accomplishment. 2. Under the tree each year, we would find a large container with the most beautifully decorated Christmas cookies. My parents stayed up many nights after we were in bed and baked, cut and decorated cookies. One cookie stood out, it was a church building with a steeple, windows and doors and it was picture-sperfect. Santa Claus always came with a loud bang as he entered our home. We were praying for his safe arrival and after he departed, my parents would give us a call and the stampede from upstairs began.

Dan & Lou Ann Dowsett's Family

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hen the children were growing up, we got our Christmas tree on the first Sunday of Advent. We enjoyed hot cocoa and cookies while the decorations

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went up. Household decorations would follow in the next few days. Our Advent wreath came out of the attic and on good nights we would remember to light the appropriate candles. Our Nativity was always displayed prominently, stable, star, trees, manger, animals, though no characters showed up until the 4th Sunday when Mary and Joseph would arrive.

On Christmas Eve we would attend the Christmas Vigil.

The children loved being in the pageant and through the years we had one Wise Man, one Angel Gabriel, one Mary, and many shepherds and townspeople. After Mass we would get our pj’s on and watch “A Christmas Story” with the tree lights blazing.

Christmas morning started about 5am. We would coax them back to bed till 6 then everyone gathered downstairs. Miraculously, during the night Baby Jesus appeared on our dining room table in the center of the Advent Wreath that was now all white candles wrapped with gold foil and stars.

No gifts were opened until after breakfast which consisted of strada, fruit salad, and coffee cake. We sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesus and wore our homemade wire and bead crowns that reminded us we are heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Craig & Jenn Galer's Family

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aving come from very different traditions (growing up, Craig’s family put their tree up on Thanksgiving weekend and took it down December 26th while Jenn and her siblings didn’t see the tree until Christmas morning), we knew we needed our own traditions. When we were married and began having children of our own, we wanted to have a Catholic observance of Advent and Christmas. We got an Advent wreath, and made our way through the weeks of Advent in an anticipatory spirit, singing ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ when we said grace before meals. We put up our tree on Gaudete Sunday, but didn’t decorate it until Christmas Eve, and kept it up until Epiphany.

Clockwise from top left: the vonGaler Family Singers, a shortlived Galer Christmas tradition; the Platte family (Judy Edwards and her parents and siblings); the Kuch children gather around the Christmas tree; the Galer family after midnight Mass; the Kuch family after Christmas Mass; the Dowsett family partakes in a Christmas nativity play.

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Our Christmas celebration was centered on Christmas Eve. We would gather for a special meal which we only had on Christmas Eve. After dinner, one of the churches in town put on a Live Nativity, so we would go and watch that. Then we’d come back home and read O. Henry’s ‘Gift of the Magi’, after which we opened presents. Those of the children who’d had their First Communion would go to Midnight Mass with us (we arranged babysitting for the youngsters), then after Mass, we’d gather back at the house for celebratory treats.

Paul & Katie Kuch's Family

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aul: One thing I remember from childhood is, as a family, we would hide baby Jesus from the nativity scene during Advent and then on Christmas morning we would sing Away in a Manger as we laid baby Jesus in his manger. Our family does a version of this in our home as well now.

Katie: As a child, I remember taking turns lighting the Advent candles during dinner and arranging my mom’s hand-painted Nativity scene.

Our family has come to love praying the St. Andrew Novena and the O Antiphons. The kids also love getting up early and driving in the dark to the Rorate Mass. And some years we adopt a child’s wish list from St. Vincent Catholic Charities and shop together. Something that we started last year and plan to continue is a guided meditation during Advent to help ready our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’s birth. Our kids take turns lighting the Advent wreath, reading the Jesse tree reflection book, and placing

(L) the Budd family; (R) The Dowsett family participates in a Christmas nativity play.

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the ornament on a small tree. Lately we’ve switched to an “Advent Tree” which is bare except for Names of Jesus ornaments added each day of Advent, and we all look forward to a day just before Christmas when we decorate.

Rich & Maureen Budd's Family

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e both grew up in homes that took the practice of the faith seriously. We observed Advent, celebrated feast days, and marked the entire Christmas season. When it came to our own home, we adopted a new tradition.

On the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent, we purchase our tree and put it up in the house. However, we leave it bare. Every night, as part of our nighttime prayers, we tell a different story from the Old Testament.

We explain that God created us to be happy with him, but Adam and Eve lost that gift. God promised to restore what they lost, and the stories of the Old Testament are God making good on that promise. When we get to Christmas Eve, we tell the story of Jesus’ birth since he himself was the fulfillment of that promise.

As we tell these stories every night, we hang simple wooden ornaments on the tree which depict the story.

Slowly, as the days go by, the tree is filled with these simple decorations, and we get a sense that Jesus comes at the fullness of time. On Christmas Eve, after the children have gone to bed, we decorate the tree with lights and beautiful glass bulbs. Thus, on Christmas morning, the tree stands as a kind of sacramental, revealing that this morning is not like any that came before. Jesus has made all things new.

Benjamin Gerritsz Cuyp | The Annunciation to the Shepherds | c. 1633 | oil on panel

MARY GATES

GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!

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truck with great fear as the angels approach, shepherds ponder what news this might be. What opens heaven to earth? What word is sent by such messengers?

It is good news of great joy. Angelic hosts proclaim it, that the prophets' words have come to be. God among us, He has come. The Word made flesh, a baby who is Messiah and Lord.

An infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, He has come.

us - He who is the humble servant, the King of kings. He comes for us.

He has not left us orphaned, He has not abandoned or forsaken or forgotten. No, He comes. He runs to meet us - us who are the prodigal sons, the women at the well, the broken and the blind. He longs to love us, to heal us, to redeem us. And so He comes, a baby in a manger.

Let us go in haste, too. Let us not waste time in seeking Him who never stops pursuing us, who comes to us. Let us return always to the manger, to the baby, to the Lord, allowing ourselves to be found, embraced, forgiven and healed. Let our voices and our lives join the angelic hosts in proclaiming the song of salvation forever: ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace to those on whom his favor rests.’

The infant comes among us. He is born like

So the shepherds rise, going in haste to meet the baby. They go to see what has taken place, what the Lord has made known, what the angelic hosts proclaimed. They go to find a child lying in a manger. To find a promise come true, the Word made flesh, the God who is love incarnate.

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ALFRED LORD TENNYSON

RING OUT, WILD BELLS Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light; The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the want, the care the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes, But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind, For those that here we see no more, Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease, Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.

ABOUT ALFRED LORD TENNYSON Alfred Tennyson, was Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. He published his first collection of poems, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, in 1830. Some may have thought of his poetry as excessively sentimental, but in the end his poems proved popular, such that he became noticed by some famous writers of the day, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Tennyson's early poetry, with its medieval themes and powerful imagery, made a considerable impact on the Pre-Raphaelite movement.

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