Joyeaux Noel

The Christmas decorations are up here at DNC. The crib is ready (well, almost). The afternoons are taken up with carol practice for the Christmas Mass. Some groups of scholastics have already been out carolling in neighbouring parishes.

I won't be blogging on Christmas day itself; so I'll leave you with an adaptation of St. Ignatius's Contemplation of the Nativity (Spiritual Exercises [110-117]):

Take a moment to be still and realise that you are in the presence of God.

Visualise, in the mind's eye of the imagination, the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem. How long is it? How wide? Is it level, or does it wind through valleys and hills? Imagine also the cave or manger where the birth of our Lord is to take place. How big or small is it?

Now imagine Our Lady, St. Joseph and the infant Jesus after his birth. Imagine yourself a poor, little servant, gazing at them, contemplating them, and serving them in their needs just as if you were there. Freely interact and converse with either the Holy Family or anyone else who happens to be there.

After a while, when you feel satisfied, take a moment to take stock of what has just been happening.

End with an Our Father.

Have a very Merry Christmas!