2019 Christmas Traditions magazine

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ChristmasTraditions MAGAZINE

The Promise | Feel the Love w w w. p i ttsb urghcatho l i c.org

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Christmas Traditions 2019

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Catholic MAGAZINE — Celebrating 175 years • 1844-2019 —

4 | Uplifting musical: pg

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More than 65 kids from 15 area churches help tell the Christmas story in Etna.

6 | Family activities: Participating in religious events during Advent will grow us closer to Christ, columnist says.

8 | B.E. Taylor tribute:

On the cover...

Photographs of Nativity scenes were sent in from parishes from around the Diocese of Pittsburgh. From left to right, Assumption in Bellevue, Most Holy Name of Jesus on Pittsburgh’s North Side, and St. Thomas More in Bethel Park. Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first Nativity scene in the year 1223 in Italy, as an attempt to place the emphasis of Christmas upon the worship of Christ rather than upon secular materialism.

Cover design by E. Denise Shean.

Son of the late local rock star carries on a beloved seasonal tradition at Heinz Hall.

10 | Pittsburgh lights up: Bobby Cherry takes readers on a tour of the many things happening in the Steel City this December.

12 | The O Antiphons: Precious jewels of the Catholic Liturgy build anticipation in the days before Christmas comes.

14 | Christmas in the car: Seeing family and friends often means spending an extended time on the road to get there.

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Christmas Traditions 2019

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Vol. 11, No. 4 Publisher | Bishop David A. Zubik General Manager | Ann Rodgers Editor | William Cone Operations Manager | Carmella Weismantle Christmas Traditions Magazine Project Editor Matthew Peaslee Associate Editor Matthew Peaslee Staff Writer | John W. Franko Graphic Designer E. Denise Shean Advertising Director Carmella Weismantle Account Executives Michael A. Check | Paul Crowe Michael Wire Circulation Mgr./Parish News Coord.

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PHOTO BY MEGAN CUDA

Shepherds visit Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the stable.

Youth theater production tells Christmas story in Etna Every year at Christmas, in churches all across the world, children dress in white dresses, their parents bathrobes, and the like as they sing beautiful carols and hold pageants to honor the birth of our savior, Jesus.

At All Saints Parish in Etna though, things have started to look a little different.

In November 2016, Bernadette Calvino chose to start a new Catholic youth theater program as an extension of the parish faith formation program.

Why? As Catholics, we need to know our faith and as humans, the arts have a way of connecting with us and moving us. The focus of this new youth theater was to use the arts to educate and inspire particularly the young people of the church but also the entirety of the community.

It has provided a place for Catholic youth to get to know each other, Christ, and his church all while fulfilling St. John Paul II’s call to a new evangelization.

Now, three years later, All Saints Youth Theater is producing its fifth show and has worked with more than 65 kids from 15 churches in both the Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Diocese of Greensburg.

While All Saints Youth Theater has also

produced “A Lily in Winter” (the story of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha) and “Little Nellie” (the true story of a young Irish orphan with a deep love of Jesus in the Eucharist), their most popular production remains “The Promise, a Christmas Musical.” This is the third year for the production, with performancesplanned Dec. 13-15 in the activities building of All Saints Parish.

The Promise is an uplifting Christmas musical written by Bernadette Calvino with music by Michael Card, Amy Grant, Bernie Herms, and Nichole Nordeman.

This year, Matthew Hoffman and Marla Piccolino join Bernadette in directing the performance.

Following the Christmas story through the eyes of Mary and Joseph, Bethlehem, the Shepherds, and the Magi, “The Promise” not only shares the wonder of Christmas through the birth of Christ but, more particularly, it imparts the lasting impression his birth had on those who witnessed it.

With nearly 40 cast members and a growing cast every year, The Promise brings young people together from all over western Pennsylvania.

All Saints Youth Theater invites you to join this journey with them as they bring the first Christmas to life.

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PHOTO BY CARSON WILLIAMS

The song “What Her Heart Remembered” is performed during the 2018 production of “The Promise, a Christmas musical” at All Saints Parish in Etna.

“The Promise, a Christmas musical” Location: All Saints Church, activities building 19 Wilson St., Etna, PA, 15223.

Performances: Friday, Dec.13, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 15, 3:30 p.m.

Run time: 2 hours.

Suggested donation at the door: $7 per person or $30 per family.

Christmas Traditions 2019

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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 5

Nativities from around the world

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Nativities from around the world will be on display during Advent at the St. Anthony Chapel store and the Mollinger Museum in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood. The decorating committee of Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish, led by Deacon Greg Jelinek, has used these nativity scenes for decades.

How can families better live the spirit of Advent and Christmas in their homes?

By MICHAELANN MARTIN The Catholic Church has designated the four weeks preceding Christmas as Advent, a time to prepare the way of the Lord for his coming as our king and savior. In addition, the church teaches that: “[w]hen the church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Saviors first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating [John the Baptist’s] birth and martyrdom, the church unites herself to his desire: He must increase, but I must decrease” Catechism, no.

524; original emphasis).

By participating in various time-honored traditions, such as making Jesse Trees or putting on a Christmas play at home, Catholic families can engage more fruitfully in the seasons of Advent and Christmas.

Either we live the liturgical year with its varying seasons of joy and sorrow, work and rest, or we follow the pattern of the world, writes Helen McLoughlin in Advent and Christmas in a Catholic Home, commenting on the challenge Catholics have of being in the world but not of the world throughout the year.

She wrote these profound words in the 1950s, but they are even more important today because of the general decline in Catholic family life during the last 40 years. With two parents working in many households, there is less time to devote to the spiritual life of the family. As Catholic parents, we must readjust our priorities and teach our children by living

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our faith, both inside and outside the home.

It seems fitting that Advent is the beginning of the liturgical calendar, for it is a season of spiritual preparation marked by an eager longing for the birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ.

There are age-old Advent practices which will help our children and families live closer to Christ. The practices are time-tested and proven. They teach the doctrine of redemption and develop a sense of generosity toward God. A family’s strong and living faith will become their heritage and a mode to reinforce the religious practices centered in the liturgy.

Children love to anticipate, writes McLoughlin. When there are empty mangers to fill with straw for small sacrifices, when the Mary candle is a daily reminder on the dinner table, when Advent hymns are sung in the candlelight of a graceful Advent wreath, children are not anxious to celebrate Christmas before time. That would offend their sense of honor. Older children who make Nativity sets, cut Old Testament symbols to decorate a Jesse Tree, or prepare costumes for a Christmas play will find Advent all too short a time to prepare for the coming of Christ the King.

These are hopeful thoughts as we prepare to incorporate some of these liturgical activities into our home life during Advent to enable us to truly celebrate Christmas. It is a shame that many do not fast during Advent, because without a fast there can really be no feast at Christmas. Fasting and other forms of penance, such as prayer and almsgiving, help to purify our hearts and prepare us for the celebration of Christmas. The Church especially encourages participation at

weekday Masses during Advent, because in the Eucharist we find the source and goal of our Advent preparation: Christ Himself, whose sacrifice reconciles us with God. The church primarily celebrates Christmas from Christmas Day until the Solemnity of the Epiphany, which commemorates the manifestation of Christ as the Savior of the whole world. The church has also traditionally celebrated Christmas for 40 days, culminating on the Feast of the Presentation (Feb. 2). During this time, the birth of Christ is celebrated as one continuous festival. It is just as important to celebrate during the Christmas season as it is to prepare for Christ during Advent.

There are more stories and blessings included in McLoughlins Advent and Christmas in a Catholic Home. A family can also participate in Advent through daily Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, or at least by following the weekday Mass readings at home, as the Church anticipates her Saviors coming, and then His early life following Christmas. A family that participates together in Mass and other activities during the Advent and Christmas seasons will grow closer in Christ The Reason for the Season and give a great witness to friends and relatives.

Martin is a former columnist for New Covenant magazine. In 2010, with her husband Curtis, she formed Made for More Inc. for the sole purpose of sharing God’s vision for greatness with young people. The family, with nine children, resides in Westminster, Colorado.

Christmas Traditions 2019

Christmas Traditions 2019

Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 7

Feel the Love of Christmas: B.E. Taylor’s legacy to live on at Heinz Hall Pittsburgh Catholic Staff Report The B.E. Taylor Christmas tradition will return to Heinz Hall in December with the 2019 Feel the Love — Celebrating a B.E. Taylor Christmas Concert.

B.C. Taylor, the band’s drummer, vocalist, and tour leader, is building a new tradition that carries on the legacy his father left.

“We’ll have some wrinkles and surprises that we think fans will like, but most of all we will have the full cast of musicians and vocalists that performed with Dad,” B.C. said.

This is the third season of tribute concerts put on by B.C. Taylor and other popular performers who shared the stage with B.E. Taylor for nearly 20 years around the tri-state area. Taylor’s Christmas shows were a beloved family tradition, until his death in summer of 2016 due to complications from an inoperable brain tumor.

In 2017, B.C. Taylor came up with the idea to carry on his father’s legacy with the first tribute concert, “I Will Remember — B.E. Taylor Christmas” at the Capitol Theatre in Wheeling, West Virginia. The show sold out in just a few hours and a second was added to fill the demand. In 2018, the concert was brought back to Heinz Hall in Downtown Pittsburgh, one of B.E.’s favorite places to play. There are two shows at Heinz Hall this year, Monday, Dec. 16 and Tuesday, Dec. 17. The tour kicks off Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in New Castle.

The show also has dates scheduled in Indiana, Pennsylvania (Dec. 21) and will wrap up in Wheeling on Dec. 23 — the traditional end stop and date of the tour for almost two decades.

“I believe many fans remember Jeff Jimerson, Rick Witkowski, Hermie Granati, and they will all be there,” B.C. Taylor said. “However, we will be bringing back some band members that performed with us through the years.

These guys were all my dad’s best friends, and now they are mine too, and we embrace that.”

Born William Edward in Aliquippa, he

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Above: B.E. Taylor and his son, B.C., perform during a Christmas concert. B.E. Taylor’s annual Christmas shows were a beloved tradition for nearly 20 years before his death in 2016. B.C. is now carrying on his father’s legacy with tribute shows around the tri-state area.

Right: A drum head with lyrics from the B.E. Taylor song, “Feel the Love of Christmas.”

was called “Billy Eddie” by his mother, which he eventually shortened to B.E. While in high school, he formed B.E. Taylor and The Establishment. Taylor eventually recorded five solo albums and became a mainstay in the Billboard Hot 100’s adult contemporary market with the B.E. Taylor Group.

Taylor worked as the music director for Nickelodeon and performed with groups such as Chicago and the Beach Boys. Around Pittsburgh, Taylor worked with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and he regularly performed the national anthem at Steelers games and sang his Christmas songs while marching in the annual WPXI-TV Holiday Parade.

In 2008, Taylor was awarded the Duquesne University Lifetime Achievement Award.

He resided in Wheeling, with his wife Veronica and two children, B.C. and Tahnee.

In 1991, he became known as “the voice of Christmas” when he released his version of Silent Night, which turned into a full album of other Christian favorites in 1994. His

most famous version of a Christmas song, “Mary’s Boy Child” is still heard on radio stations each Christmas season.

Taylor put out three Christmas albums and was working on a fourth until his death.

“It’s important for us to focus on what he stood for and what he believed — which is love, fellowship, family and positivity” B.C. Taylor said. “To do anything other than that would be honoring the man that he is and the legacy that he leaves.”

Dan Taylor, B.E.’s brother and his daughters make appearances on stage in the tribute concert showing off the family talent, too. Another brother, David, also helps in the show’s production.

“I can tell you that I, along with the entire band and crew, can’t wait to return to Heinz Hall,” B.C. Taylor said.

Christmas Traditions 2019

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Oh, there’s no place like Pittsburgh for the holidays

By BOBBY CHERRY Pittsburgh is a great place, isn’t it? Rich with history, pride, work ethic and love.

And as inspiring as the city and region are throughout the year, the magic of Pittsburgh seems to sparkle during the holidays.

While I love Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and while I spend much of the year thinking about the holiday season, it is Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night that gets me into the spirit.

Though Horne’s, Gimbels and Kaufmann’s

The greatest gift

By BOBBY CHERRY It’s no secret I love Christmas — with all of the twinkling lights, festive music, decorated trees and joy felt among family, friends and total strangers.

With the build up of the holiday season, there is one thing I dread each season.

It’s one simple question that, as a kid, seemed very easy to answer after Santa asked, “What do you want for Christmas?”

Back then, the answer was easy: the latest Nintendo system equipped with all of the “Super Mario” games or whatever the top toy of the year was.

As I’ve grown, though, the answer to

are long gone, I’ve continued making it a tradition to ring in the holiday season with Light Up Night.

Light Up Night is, of course, a very unique tradition to Pittsburgh. The city’s first “Light Up” night took place April 9, 1959, to celebrate the start of the Pittsburgh Pirates season.

Our first holiday season Light Up Night took place the following year and is credited, in part, to the department store owners of the time — Kaufmann’s, Horne’s, Gimbels, etc. — for wanting to create holiday shopping season excitement. Of course, traditions inside the department stores varied.

Light Up Night took a nine-year break beginning in 1973 in an effort to conserve energy, and returned in 1982 to help lift morale as the steel industry collapsed. (By the way, a few years later, Gimbels closed.)

Kaufmann’s windows always had me in awe, excited to see the new season’s theme.

As Pittsburgh’s iconic store transformed into Macy’s, the traditions continued, including the windows.

Perhaps, one of my favorite windows displays was the story of “Yes, Virginia” — the story of young Virginia O’Hanlon writing to the New York Sun newspaper to ask about the legitimacy of Santa Claus. that question has changed.

The reality is that I never truly want anything. That is, I never really care about the physical gifts I’m opening.

Yes, it’s great to get tech gadgets, gift cards and even Nintendo games still, but I could do without any of it. Honestly.

We love our family and friends, so we show them our appreciation through buying gifts.

For me, the greatest gift I could give or receive is that of time spent with loved ones.

But the idea of stressing over not only what to get someone, but what to tell someone what you’d like, is too much.

As I deck the halls in October, others freak as the impending “Buy-Anything-ToGive-Someone-A-Gift” season approaches.

They panic, thinking of crowded malls and

The windows, sadly, are no more, as the building has been transformed — though I’m holding out hope for a magnificent return to holiday window displays one of these years. I’d always grab a Kaufmann’s thumbprint cookie (you know, the ones with the mile-high icing!) and await the unveiling.

I loved trekking through the department store seeking out carolers and entertainers, climbing the wooden escalators to make my way to Bradley’s Books to see WQED’s Rick Sebak, and then navigating down to Santaland. The store buzzed with holiday excitement inside and out.

For several years, I had the honor of helping to light the tree at the ice rink at PPG Place with the American Cancer Society. I was always brought to tears when standing on stage with a young cancer patient who had the best responsibility of the night: push the button to light the tree! In a night full of excitement, the tree lighting helps us to remember loved ones no longer here to celebrate the holidays with us.

There was one year, before helping with the PPG Place tree lighting, that I tried to make it to every major lighting/unveiling of the night.

How fun it was bopping through town getting to each of the big events. store parking lots. They fear long lines at checkouts and out-of-stock items.

I’m guilty of being part of the gift-buying craze, too. While I budget and plan and try to think of special items — not just something from a store shelf — I find myself worrying too much about the perfect gift.

But I tend to think often of what — of all creatures — the Grinch said when he realized he couldn’t stop Christmas from coming: “It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ‘till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?”

PHOTOS BY BOBBY CHERRY

Items from former department store window displays were featured as part of a Heinz History Center holiday exhibit.

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Christmas Traditions 2019

I don’t necessarily recommend that if you’re with a large group of people! That particular year, I went alone but met up at different times with various friends.

Seeing the faces of kids when the trees go from dark to bright sparkly lights brings out the best in anybody.

Speaking of sparkly lights, a more recent tradition in the area offers the best of them at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin. At Kennywood Holiday Lights, nearly two million twinkling lights adorn various attractions in America’s Finest Traditional Amusement Park. Highlighted by the tallest Christmas tree in the state of Pennsylvania, this is certainly a can’t-miss family event.

And, if Light Up Night or Kennywood seems too hectic for you, the Holiday Market at Market Square is a place I like to hang out during the season to shop, browse and just take it all in. Like a great Hallmark Channel Christmas

movie, I’ll grab my hot chocolate, stroll the chalets filled with local, national and international vendors, and enjoy the entertainment.

Those nights usually consisted of a walk through PPG Place’s Wintergarden, but that tradition ended with last year. The popular gingerbread houses tradition continues inside City Hall this year, and the life-size Santa displays from around the world will now be located inside the lobbies of PPG One and PPG Two. Light Up Night and the holiday magic of Pittsburgh brings out the kid in me — energized by the festive sights and sounds, by continuing great traditions and finding new ways to celebrate the season.

Cherry is a Pittsburgh-based digital journalist; former editor of the Sewickley Herald, The Signal Item (Bridgeville/ Carnegie) and South Hills Record; and editor of ItsChristmas365.com.

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Musing on the O Antiphons

By JENNIFER GREGORY MILLER Although not highlighted on most calendars, Dec.17 is a red letter day. This date marks the second part of Advent, the beginning of the O Antiphons. The O Antiphons are seven precious jewels of our Catholic Liturgy, counting down the last seven days before Christmas with building anticipation. The title O Antiphons is simply because each phrase begins with an “O”.

Dating back to the fourth century, these antiphons address Christ with seven magnificent Messianic titles: O Sapientia (Wisdom), O Adonai (Lord and Ruler), O Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (Key of David), O Oriens (Dawn of the East), O Rex Gentium (King of the Gentiles), and O Emmanuel (God With Us) that are based on the Old Testament prophecies and types of Christ. Put in reverse order: Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, and Sapienta, the first letters of these Messianic titles spell out the Latin words ERO CRAS, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” The antiphons sum up in excellence the longing of our Redeemer, and we echo the prayers of the Old Testament faithful by also begging Him to “Come!”

I’m very fond of this time of Advent.

This is a little “pick-me-up” that helps us refocus on the two-fold coming of Christ at Christmas, as described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “524 When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Saviour’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming.”

The outward preparations for Christmas can be distracting, and by this time, I often have lost focus on the true meaning of Advent preparation. Our Advent endeavors and resolutions haven’t always come to fruition. The O Antiphons remind

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me that Christ comes in seven days, and although the outward preparations can cause a frenzy, the O Antiphons beckon me to relax and invite Christ to come into my heart. The urgent “Come!” reminds me of a child’s eager and impatient waiting for Christmas Eve. If we try to make our own the thought of these antiphons on their proper days, letting their ardent aspirations dominate our prayer life, our minds and hearts will surely be more closely attuned to the mind and heart of the Church as she prepares for the coming of her King. (“With Christ Through the Year,” Rev. Bernard Strasser, O.S.B., 1947).

The repeated and urgent “Come!” reminds me of a child’s eager and impatient waiting for Christmas Eve, but the antiphons and their symbolism and meaning are not always easy to relate to children. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, but it is quite helpful to find various ways to present the O Antiphons that touch many of the senses. (There are many creative and crafty ideas on the Internet or books.). Our family’s Jesse Tree ornaments incorporate the O Antiphons for the last seven days of Advent. But no matter how I decide to present the O Antiphons, my main intention is to unite our family’s prayers with the universal Church and her Liturgy.

The antiphons can be found in the Vespers, and also the Alleluia verse at Mass. The “O” Antiphons are the verses for the ancient hymn O Come, O

Come Emmanuel. The first letter of the Messianic titles: Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia — all spell out Latin words ERO CRAS, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” (The translations below are the traditional antiphons; they do not match exactly with the current Divine Office or Alleluia verse.)

Keeping this in mind, we are adding to our prayers the Antiphon, Magnificat, and singing the corresponding verse of the O Come Emmanuel. Adding elements to our meals is another aspect of incorporating the O Antiphons. One way is reviving the old custom of monasteries of different monks furnishing extra treats on these days to the members of the community.

As Florence Berger describes: The gardener gave the community some of his finest dried or preserved fruits on Dec. 19 when he called on Christ: ‘O Root of Jesse, come to deliver us and tarry not.’ The cellarer unlocked the best wine for his treat as he called: ‘O Key of David, come, and come quickly.’ Finally, on Dec 23, the abbot gave his extra gift to the brothers. Expense accounts which are still extant show how generous and extensive a list of foods were used on the abbot’s ‘O day.’” — Cooking for Christ, 1949 One of my favorite childhood Advent memories is when my family practiced this tradition, especially when each member was involved in a surprise. We adjusted according to ages and size of our family, assigning a day to a family member, usually going from the youngest (who had help) to oldest, so that they can provide a special treat for that O Antiphon day. The surprise usually revolved around dinner, but it was never too fancy or nor always a food treat. The best part was leaving it up to the family member to keep it a secret until dinner time. An alternative or additional idea I’ve incorporated over the last years is to serve foods that remind the family of the symbols of the O Antiphons.

The ideas are plentiful, but all depend on time and energy, which can be lacking especially during this busy time of year.

My aim for our domestic church is keep things simple, and for the O Antiphons the basic plan is making sure we incorporate the antiphons in prayer and song.

Miller is the original creator and developer of the Liturgical Year section on Catholicculture.org. She blogs at familyfeastandferia.com.

Christmas Traditions 2019

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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 13

Meaning of Jingle all Christmas the way around the tri-state

By FATHER EDWARD DOWLING

I am sure you are familiar with the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Many people think it is a song to count down the days until Christmas but it was written to educate the faithful in the doctrines of the faith and yet not be obvious to the persecutors. The numbers are simply a mnemonic to help Catholics remember some basic facts.

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” celebrates the official season of Christmas.

Liturgically the season starts on Christmas Day and goes twelve days later on the Feast of the Epiphany and continues to the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.

This is the meaning of the song: • “My true love” refers to God, “me” is the individual Catholic.

• The “twelve lords a leaping” are the twelve basic beliefs of the Catholic Church as outlined in the Apostles Creed.

• The “eleven pipers piping” are the eleven Apostles who remained faithful after the treachery of Judas.

• The “ten ladies dancing” are the Ten Commandments.

• The “nine drummers drumming” are the nine choirs of angels, in those days of class distinction were thought important.

• The “eight maids a milking” are the Eight Beatitudes.

• The “seven swans a swimming” are the Seven Sacraments.

• The “six geese a laying” are the Six Commandments of the Church or the six days of creation.

• The “five golden rings” are the first five books of the Old Testament called the Torah. These books are generally considered the most sacred and important of all the Old Testament.

• The “four calling birds” are the Four Gospels.

• The “three French hens” are the Three Persons in God or the three gifts of the Wise Men. • The “two turtle doves” represent the two natures in Jesus: human and divine or the two Testaments, Old and New. • The “partridge” is the piece de resistance, Jesus himself, and the “pear tree” is the Cross.

Father Dowling, 1868-1960, was a beloved Irish-Catholic Jesuit priest from St. Louis, Missouri.

14 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

BY MATTHEW PEASLEE Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house (both sets) — and mother’s house, mother-in-law’s house, cousin’s house, aunt’s house and neighbor’s house — we go.

That’s how my Christmases have been spent for the last four-plus years. My wife and I turn Christmas into a caravan around Pittsburgh, Ohio and West Virginia. It’s a regular tri-state grand prix.

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

We’re lucky in the fact that we don’t have to travel to a different time zone or fly across the country to visit family around the holidays, like some friends we know have to do each year.

Everybody, for us, is centrally located in this little corner of the world.

But when you live in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, you may just as well be in South Dakota as far as some people are concerned.

It doesn’t bother us to travel to see as many family members and friends as we can, especially now that we have a new Nissan Rogue to get us around. In a few weeks we will pack it up with presents, food and our little Morkie puppy to see my grandparents (in West Virginia), my parents and best friend

T

hrough these trips and with this journey of marriage I have come to love the experience of establishing new traditions.

(in northeast Ohio), my wife’s aunt and uncle (in southeast Ohio), my wife’s mother (in Ambridge) and my wife’s cousins (in Hopewell and Robinson townships).

Now, we don’t get around to do this in one day. That would be ridiculous. We’ve been able to accomplish this feat in two days.

Some Christmases are situated around a weekend, which makes things easier, and sometimes we can push one dinner or celebration ahead by a couple days — it is the Christmas season after all.

Through these trips and with this journey of marriage I have come to love the experience of establishing new traditions and learning how different families do different things to celebrate the same holiday. For example, my wife’s family has always gone to Midnight (or 11 p.m.) Mass. In my family, we were in bed by 9:30 p.m. each Christmas Eve. Turkey and ham were the big Christmas Eve feasts when I grew up. But in Ambridge, I get cod, crab cakes, shrimp and scallops. With this marriage, I smell a new, live pine tree in the living room and pass around Oplatki to the entire house of people. Then, before we know it, we hop in the car and head to the next place where we know we’ll be greeted with the same warmth and love.

Over the miles and through interstates, it’s worth every minute on the road.

Peaslee is the associate editor of the Pittsburgh Catholic.

Christmas at the cathedral

PHOTO BY CHUCK AUSTIN

Bishop David Zubik places the Christ Child figure in the creche during midnight Mass at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.

Christmas Traditions 2019

Very Reverend Kris D. Stubna, S.T.D., Administrator and Rector, together with Reverend Daniel L. Walsh, C.S.Sp., Parochial Vicar, Reverend Adam C. Potter, S.T.L., Parochial Vicar, and Deacon Thomas J. Berna, Ph.D., Deacon, and the faithful of Saint Paul Cathedral Parish, Saint Regis Parish, Saint Rosalia Parish and Saint Stephen Parish

extend our prayers and best wishes for a joyous Christmas and blessed New Year.

Please see the Pittsburgh Catholic for a complete list of our Advent and Christmas Mass schedules.

Christmas Traditions 2019

Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 15

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a New Year of Peace and Happiness 16 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

Christmas Traditions 2019