CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS

I sought crystal clarity , but got abstract beauty in this picture of our Christmas Tree

The sights and sounds that surround us tell a consistent story - we, as a family, are fully engaged in the celebration of Christmas, whether actually or in preparations. 

From childhood we have learned how it is done, and now we see that our children have well prepared their children to do the same. The Church of course has well prepared us all in her normal way, with the Season of Advent and its carefully chosen  and designed Readings and Prayers and Homilies, as we would expect. And the Schools , with varying degrees of completeness have done their part despite the press of end of year exams, The world of commerce has its own manufactured "Christmas spirit"but we won't bother about that. 

No, it is certainly at the personal level of family and Church and friends and School that Christmas is truly celebrated.

VENITE ADOREMUS!

The Nativity Scene at the entrance to our Unit definitively sets the scene and keeps our attention focused on the Child born unto us, and on  the Holy Family He drew about Him. The hymn reminds us "From God our Heavenly Father the blessed  Angels came" and they are represented about the scene,  and the Three Wise Men with their gifts symbolising Kingship, Divinity and His saving Death and Resurrection, and the humble shepherds adoring - could there be better forerunners for our lowly selves? 

The Joy of Christmas Celebrated and Symbolised

To symbolise the fullness of our Joy, we have the Christmas Tree . It is fitting that this custom was brought to the English speaking world by Queen Victoria's Consort, the German Prince Albert- "Albert the Good" . By all accounts he was someone it would have been a pleasure and a privilege to know.However late it came to the Anglophone world, it has been adopted with delight , and even though, in our shrunken home unit life - no longer house dwellers- we have a smaller more appropriate tree ,it enjoys the best of the decorations, collected over 41 years of Marriage, which our former tree shared with others.

We can then, look to more preparations that delight or promise to delight , the palate. The Christmas Pudding and Christmas Cakes are made with my wife Robyn's consummate skill - (just as her cooking brilliance is heavenly, we ought to pity and feel for those men married to wives who are bad cooks - life must be a foretaste(!) of Hell).

We have a marvellous collection of 12 yrs of Panettone Tins, to which this will be added in due course.

 In addition we have assistance from bella Italia in the shape of our annual Tinned Panettone    ( this year from the ovens of SARONNO in Milano)which provides us with Breakfast in the week before Christmas!(Thanks to the Norton St. Grocer for stocking the Tinned versions!

From the Vatican Museums...

Our Celebrations have a Sacred character,and also a profane character.

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...and from Villeroy & Boch

We look forward to the key celebrations on 
Christmas Day with family and friends to perfect the great Celebration ! Let us try , by the authentic joy we share, to do our bit to remind the world about us  what Christmas is truly about.Nothing less than our Salvation and the hope of Eternal Life with God!

So, yes, we are fully engaged in the celebration of the Birth of the Divine Child - God made Man - born with a purpose, to die on a Cross to save us from our sins and reconcile us to the Father.