ADVENT REFLECTION
FR TONY UPDATE
ONLINE PETITION- Please help do your part
THINGS DO HAPPEN IN THREES
ADVENT MEDITATION:
Today's meditation is one we can all enjoy, which doesn't require much in the way of soul searching, but does offer an opportunity to share with children how to prepare for the 12 glorious days that lie ahead. This is the day we honor and celebrate our beloved St. Nicholas.
Almighty God, in your love you gave your servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea: Grant, we pray, that your Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
DID YOU KNOW?
Early in the Advent season we celebrate a feast that has been popular for centuries in Christian countries, especially in Northern Europe. In our over-commercialized society, this holiday gives us a good "teaching moment" to remind children that Jolly Santa Claus, is, in fact, Saint Nicholas, a fourth century bishop of the city of Myra, in what is now Turkey.
Saint Nicholas was renowned for his great kindness and his generous aid to those in distress. Among the kind and miraculous acts attributed to him are saving three young girls from prostitution by secretly providing them with dowries, raising three murdered boys from the dead, and saving sailors caught in stormy seas. For these reasons, he is considered the patron saint of children, unmarried girls, and sailors, among others.
Traditional celebrations of Saint Nicholas Day in Northern Europe included gifts left in children's shoes (the origin of our American Christmas stockings). Good children receive treats - candies, cookies, apples and nuts, while naughty children receive switches or lumps of coal. Sometimes coins were left in the shoes, reminiscent of the the life-saving doweries the saint provided. Today - especially in families of German extraction - children still put a shoe outside their bedroom doors on the eve of Saint Nicholas Day, and expect to find candy and coins or small gifts in their shoe on December 6th.
In some households the father of the family may dress up as Saint Nicholas on the eve of his feast. He comes in, sometimes with his sidekick, Krampus or Black Peter, and helps each child examine his conscience. He admonishes the bad and rewards the good. If your family enjoys theatrics, this is a wonderful opportunity early in Advent to inspire children to amend their ways in preparation for the coming King.
Excerpted from the Pages of Women for Faith and Family
While living in France, we had the opportunity to meet up with our Megan in Brussels. It was frightfully cold, but the seasons for Christmas markets and the celebration of St. Nicholas. There were colorful parades of jesters, men on tall stilts, and rag tag bands, meandering the narrow city streets lined with shops brimming with folks in the holiday spirit. There too was the smell of glorious chocolates, Belgian waffles, and mulled ciders wafting through the air, as millions of lights were strong across the busy little streets in the old village. This is one of the cherished memories I have, and hope to never forget.
FR TONY UPDATE
I suspect the wonder drugs given to perform surgery are beginning to taper off. Tony's beginning to feel twinges of pain, off and on, throughout the day. The scar that wraps around his entire side, and over to the middle of his back, although it looks great, is beginning to bother him. We shall see over the coming days how the twinges, aches and minor pains subside.
I recall after my hysterectomy... feeling almost like a new person, as I entered the 2nd week following surgery, then whamo.... I felt like crud by the end of the 2nd week. Some of my "hyster-sisters" warned me about hitting the "brick wall" as they called it, and explained this was most likely due to the anesthesia finally wearing off. I also learned something very interesting. Some insurance companies will not cover you in the event of an accident, within a month of having major surgery! Why? The anesthesia, they say, impairs your reaction time. Interesting, aye?
So, we'll try some of "Daloris" this evening, and see if she helps our Tony rest a bit. He's not been sleeping well the past couple of days. His tummy was bothering him today, so appetite is down.
ONLINE PETITION- Please help do your part
For those of you who don't catch the BBC or CNN International News, you may not have heard about the 19 year old Saudi girl who was gang raped, and now faces a prison term of 6 months AND 200 lashes!!! You can read full details by CLICKING HERE. When done reading the article, you'll need to click your back button to return to the blog. Please do return. While you're there, post a comment. All comments will be forwarded on to the Saudi govt.
A dear friend, Grace, in South Dakota has been working diligently to get our government to hear the cries of anyone wishing to do something about this injustice. Please, help spread the word, and do your part.
Please help me get messages of protest to your senators in Congress. I just received an update from one of my senators Wash. D.C. office. The rape victim has just been found guilty of being with a man other than a relative!!! She received a sentence of six months in prison and 200 lashes. After being raped by seven men......who were found guilty of rape and sentenced from two to nine years. Please phone your senators office and explain your outrage and grief for the victim. Also please include Senator Joseph Biden.....Tel. 1-202-224-4651. He is the Chairman of The International Affairs Committee. In addition to Sen. Biden, please include Sen. Lugar at 1-202-224-6797. Sen. Biden is the Majority Leader of the committee and Sen. Lugar is the Minority Leader. Please pass this message on to any friend who you think will help us create a "huge protest" The area code in Washington, D.C. is 202. If you have the e-mail address of your senator, please try to do both-------a phone call and an e-mail. GVH- Watertown, SD
Click on the link above to view the petition currently at petitiononline.com. There have only been 580 signers to the petition thus far. Certainly there are more people then this in our country who see this as a travesty, especially during this Advent season?
THINGS DO HAPPEN IN THREES
Oh deary me, the joys of owning 10+ year old cars. Morgantown was covered in snow a couple of days ago, which gave me an opportunity to drive my Green Jeep a mile or so up to the service station... on that pancake flat tire! Was hoping with a bit of snow on the road, I'd not damage the rim any more then necessary. I loaded up the spare set of tires and hobbled down the road, leaving my trusty green friend in the hands of the mechanic.
Having rescued Toyota from being hauled off, after sitting too long on a side street a few blocks away, the plan was to deliver it to mechanic next.
Today I waited for the 14 degree temperature to rise a bit, then headed out in the pile of white fluff to brush the mass of snow covering the Blue Jeep..... so I could run errands. Got the BJ started to warm up, brushed off the snow... jumped back in and noticed a funny smell. Hmmmm... can't be good. Checked all my gauges and saw the temperature gauge sitting WAY up in THE RED ZONE! OY!!!! NOT---GOOD! Moved BJ down to the other drive, and had to de-snow the Toyota. Fortunately the Toyota, reliable creature that it is, started and ran just fine.
Not long after I departed our mechanic called to say the Green Jeep was ready.... following a new muffler and tail-pipe! Who knew those things were so expensive?!! I dropped off the Toyota to have headlight replaced (post NC deer collision) and ready the car for an inspection, then headed on to run my errands. Little did I know I gave the mechanic the wrong set of keys!
Spoke with young mechanic later today about BJ smell and temp. gauge... and he got "that look" mechanics get.... like, "Oh, dear-- this is not good". BJ will be next in line for a visit to the service station. All being well I've not FRIED the engine!
