Christmas memories

An Origami Christmas Nativity I created in 1983 in my first parish in New Hyde Park, NY. It features Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, the three kings and three camels, a donkey and a cow, a deer, some pine trees, some colorful boxes and a large star, besides a number of colorful cranes hanging on the tree, the symbol of peace.

As you can imagine, I have quite a collection of Christmas memories, mainly through photos of sights and sounds I experienced over the years, both in Malta, in New York and here in Oregon. Going back in time, these are some Christmas memories I will always cherish.

Atypical lighted plastic Nativity display popular in the United States.  This particular one was in Baker City at the Colvin residence.

A cute Nativity displayed only by labrador retrievers and a horse.

A Playmobil Nativity from my nephews in Malta. These plastic characters are made in Malta, or at least assembled in a large German factory in Malta which makes thousands of figurines of all kinds. This nativity is complete with a few rabbits, three Kings and Santa Claus.

A flutist statue in New York City

Nativities from around the world

An elaborate Nativity from Italy

After sharing with you some Nativities from my home country of Malta, today I present a few others from various countries around the world. Each one of them has its own identity and style. I' will have more for you tomorrow.

Hand-carved Nativity from Kenya

Another hand-carved Nativity from the Philippines

A simple Nativity from Vietnam

A Hummel Nativity in the form of a wreath from Germany

Some Maltese Nativities

Many people in Malta create an elaborate Nativity every Christmas, some of which include the whole town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. They use all kinds of materials, mostly paper-mache, cardboard, and other inventive objects to give a rugged look to the countryside. 

A typical exhibition was displayed back in 2010, my last visit to Malta before Christmas time, and these are just a few of the over 100 Nativities on show. The last photo shows the entire hall with the exhibits encased in glass.

Christmas Joy

This is time to receive Joy, but also time to share it, certainly not to keep it to yourself.
- Christmas Joy is in the fact that you can make people forget about the past with a present.
- Christmas Joy is seeing our children singing their heart out during their Christmas program.
- Christmas Joy is seeing parishioners cooperate and collaborate to see our parish thrive and move forward with many projects, plans and dreams.
- Christmas Joy is reading a message from a young girl that all she wants for Christmas is “some time from daddy to stay at home with us.”
- Christmas joy is seeing the beautiful nativity being built up slowly slowly, awaiting the arrival of Jesus.
- Christmas Joy is seeing our young children placing a piece of straw in the manger for Jesus, whenever they do a good deed.
- Christmas Joy is experiencing the generosity of our people in all of our appeals to help our church.

- Christmas Joy is seeing the entire Latino community celebrating with Our Lady of Guadalupe, proud of their heritage and sharing the richness of their faith.
- Christmas Joy is seeing people checking my blog every morning, and informing me that I was late when I did not post my daily entry by 5:30 AM.
- Christmas Joy is sharing a reflection every day, especially sharing memories of how other people celebrate Christmas.
- Christmas joy is when I receive e-mails from our college students, especially after I share with them some photos of parish events.
- Christmas joy is when someone calls with a wrong number and then spend 10 minutes talking to them, just because they like your accent (which I’ve been trying to hide for the past 33 years.)

 

- Christmas Joy is seeing a very attentive congregation every time I preach and when I celebrate Mass.
- Christmas Joy is seeing more people giving me CDs to burn them my collection of Christmas music or photos.
- Christmas Joy is seeing long lines of people coming for confession.
- Christmas Joy is hearing someone tell me “Thanks Father for praying for me - the doctor says I’m gonna be fine.”
- Christmas Joy is seeing all children on their best behavior, and their behavior gets even nicer the closer we come to Christmas.
- Christmas Joy is seeing someone shoveling some snow or chopping icy pavements without being asked.
- Christmas Joy is is knowing that St Francis actually created the first Nativity, and in his honor we create another one right in our church in front of the altar for everyone to admire.
- Christmas Joy is being able to smile, hold a warm hand, hug a friend and be happy that you lived through another year.

St Francis and the first Nativity

A Giotto fresco showing St Francis with baby Jesus

The narrative below of Francis' creche is drawn from the writings of his first biographer, Thomas of Celano.....
"It was mid December of the year 1223. Christmas was coming and the monk, Francis, wanted all people to share in the wonder of the miracle of the birth of Christ. He sent a message to his friend, Giovanni Velita, a nobleman from the nearby town of Greccio: "If you want us to celebrate the present feast of our Lord at Greccio, go with haste and diligently prepare what I tell you. For I wish to do something that will recall to memory the little Child who was born in Bethlehem and set before our bodily eyes in some way the inconveniences of his infant needs, how he lay in a manger, how, with an ox and an ass standing by, he lay upon the hay where he had been placed."

On Christmas eve, people from all over the countryside came to Greccio to see and hear Brother Francis assist in the Mass. They came dressed in their holiday best, walking, riding on donkeys, or crowding into little carts drawn by oxen. As the winter darkness fell, the light of the candles and torches lit the way, and their singing warmed the frosty air.
When the faithful arrived at the appointed place, they saw that in a natural cave, Francis had prepared a manger filled with hay. Alongside were an ox and an ass. As the service began, the good brothers sang songs of praise for God. Then Francis spoke about the Nativity and the Child of Bethlehem, and placed the infant in the manger. 

The crypt in Greccio where the first Nativity was displayed

At the end of the "solemn night of celebration," the people left and "each one returned to his home with holy joy." It was claimed that many wonderful things happened that night. One of the onlookers said he saw a little child lying in the manger lifeless, and then Francis went up to it and "roused the child as if from a deep sleep." In other parts of the region, people and animals that had been sick got well, women in difficult childbirth were delivered safely."
Ever since, thousands of nativities have been created, but this was the very first time that a living nativity was set up, by our dear St. Francis of Assisi. Over the next few days, I will show you a few special nativities from around the world.

Saint Lucy

Saint Lucy (283-304 AD)

Lucy's name means "light", with the same root as "lucid" which means "clear, radiant, understandable." Unfortunately for us, Lucy's history does not match her name. Shrouded in the darkness of time, all we really know for certain is that this brave woman was born in 283 AD in Syracuse, Sicily and lived in Syracuse all her short life, but lost her life in the persecution of Christians in the early fourth century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century the whole Church recognized her courage in defense of the faith.
At a very young age, Lucy had vowed her life to the service of Christ. Her mother tried to arrange a marriage for her with a pagan. Lucy apparently knew that her mother would not be convinced by a young girl's vow so she devised a plan to convince her mother that Christ was a much more powerful partner for life. Through prayers at the tomb of Saint Agatha, her mother's long illness was cured miraculously. The grateful mother was now ready to listen to Lucy's desire to give her money to the poor and commit her life to God.

Unfortunately, legend has it, the rejected bridegroom did not see the same light and he betrayed Lucy to the governor as a Christian. This governor tried to send her into prostitution but the guards who came to take her way found her stiff and heavy as a mountain. Finally she was killed in 3014 AD. As much as the facts of Lucy's specific case are unknown, we know that many Christians suffered incredible torture and a painful death for their faith during Diocletian's reign. Lucy may not have been burned or had a sword thrust through her throat but many Christians did and we can be sure her faith withstood tests we can barely imagine. Lucy's name is probably also connected to statues of Lucy holding a dish with two eyes on it. This refers to another legend in which Lucy's eyes were put out by Diocletian as part of his torture. The legend concludes with God restoring Lucy's eyes. Lucy's name also played a large part in naming Lucy as a patron saint of the blind and those with eye-trouble.

This feast is very popular in Scandinavian countries, as well as Italy. In Sweden, a young girl dressed in a white dress and a red sash (as the symbol of martyrdom) carries palms and wears a crown or wreath of candles on her head. In both Norway and Sweden, girls dressed as Lucy carry rolls and cookies in procession as songs are sung. It is said that to vividly celebrate St. Lucy's Day will help one live the long winter days with enough light.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most treasured among Mexicans and Catholics alike. It all started in 1531 when an Aztec indian named Juan Diego was walking through the Tepayac hill country in central Mexico. Near Tepayac Hill he encountered a beautiful woman surrounded by a ball of light as bright as the sun. Speaking in his native tongue, the beautiful lady identified herself: "My dear little son, I love you. I desire you to know who I am. I am the ever-virgin Mary, Mother of the true God who gives life and maintains its existence. I desire a church in this place where your people may experience my compassion. Here I will see their tears; I will console them and they will be at peace. So run now to Tenochtitlan and tell the Bishop all that you have seen and heard."
Juan, age 57, and who had never been to Tenochtitlan, nonetheless immediately responded to Mary's request. He went to the palace of the Bishop-elect Fray Juan de Zumarraga and requested to meet immediately with the bishop. The bishop's servants, who were suspicious of the rural peasant, kept him waiting for hours. The bishop-elect told Juan that he would consider the request of the Lady and told him he could visit him again if he so desired. Juan was disappointed by the bishop's response and felt himself unworthy to persuade someone as important as a bishop. He returned to the hill where he had first met Mary and found her there waiting for him. Imploring her to send someone else, she responded:"My little son, there are many I could send. But you are the one I have chosen." She then told him to return the next day to the bishop and repeat the request. On Sunday, after again waiting for hours, Juan met with the bishop who, on re-hearing his story, asked him to ask the Lady to provide a sign as a proof of who she was. Juan dutifully returned to the hill and told Mary, who was again waiting for him there, of the bishop's request. Mary responded: "My little son, am I not your Mother? Do not fear. The Bishop shall have his sign. Come back to this place tomorrow. Only peace, my little son." Unfortunately, Juan was not able to return to the hill the next day. His uncle had become mortally ill and Juan stayed with him to care for him. After two days, with his uncle near death, Juan left his side to find a priest. Juan had to pass Tepayac Hill to get to the priest. As he was passing, he found Mary waiting for him. She spoke: "Do not be distressed, my littlest son. Your uncle will not die at this time. There is no reason for you to engage a priest, for his health is restored at this moment. He is quite well. Go to the top of the hill and cut the flowers that are growing there. Bring them then to me." While it was freezing on the hillside, Juan obeyed Mary's instructions and went to the top of the hill where he found a full bloom of Castilian roses. 

St Juan Diego

Removing his tilma, a poncho-like cape made of cactus fiber, he cut the roses and carried them back to Mary. She rearranged the roses and told him:"My little son, this is the sign I am sending to the Bishop. Tell him that with this sign I request his greatest efforts to complete the church I desire in this place. Show these flowers to no one else but the Bishop. You are my trusted ambassador. This time the Bishop will believe all you tell him." At the palace, Juan once again came before the bishop and several of his advisors. He told the bishop his story and opened the tilma letting the flowers fall out. But it wasn't the beautiful roses that caused the bishop and his advisors to fall to their knees; for there, on the tilma, was a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary precisely as Juan had described her. The next day, after showing the Tilma at the Cathedral, Juan took the bishop to the spot where he first met Mary. He then returned to his village where he met his uncle who was completely cured. His uncle told him he had met a young woman, surrounded by a soft light, who told him that she had just sent his nephew to Tenochtitlan with a picture of herself. She told his uncle: "Call me and call my image Santa Maria de Guadalupe".

The original tilma at the Guadalupe Cathedral in Mexico

It's believed that the word Guadalupe was actually a Spanish mis-translation of the local Aztec dialect. The word that Mary probably used was Coatlallope which means "one who treads on snakes"! Within six years of this apparition, six million Aztecs had converted to Catholicism. The tilma shows Mary as the God-bearer - she is pregnant with her Divine Son. Since the time the tilma was first impressed with a picture of the Mother of God, it has been subject to a variety of environmental hazards including smoke from fires and candles, water from floods and torrential downpours and, in 1921, a bomb which was planted by anti-clerical forces on an altar under it. There was also a cast-iron cross next to the tilma and when the bomb exploded, the cross was twisted out of shape, the marble altar rail was heavily damaged and the tilma was...untouched! Indeed, no one was injured in the Church despite the damage that occurred to a large part of the altar structure.
In 1977, the tilma was examined using infrared photography and digital enhancement techniques. Unlike any painting, the tilma shows no sketching or any sign of outline drawn to permit an artist to produce a painting. Further, the very method used to create the image is still unknown. The image is inexplicable in its longevity and method of production. It can be seen today in a large cathedral built to house up to ten thousand worshipers. It is, by far, the most popular religious pilgrimage site in the Western Hemisphere.

Museum of Baby Jesus

I share with you a stunning display of images of Baby Jesus, set up as a permanent exhibition in a private house in Birkirkara, Malta. I first was introduced to this exhibition in 2002, and visited it with my father, incidentally just 3 days before he died. Four years ago, the exhibition was set up as a permanent display with over 1500 different images of Baby Jesus in various postures as you can see from these few photos.

Most of them represent the infant Jesus as he lies in his manger, but others represent the Infant of Prague and others showing Jesus as a toddler. Mr. Paul Pace is the owner of this vast collection, now a Museum of various Statues of Baby Jesus. His life passion of collecting these statues gives him the greatest pleasure and satisfaction to present them to the general public, Maltese and tourist alike. The number of these statues are now around 1,500 are made of various materials such as wax, paper-mache’, wood, clay, lead, resin, chalk, and even porcelain, stone and pottery. 

Their sizes vary from a tiny one of a few millimeters, to some over 3 feet. Some present the Baby Jesus in his sleep, others just lying down, while others in a sitting position sometimes with open arms, folded arm or in other instances seen blessing the world.

Christmas decorations from Malta

Street decorations in Malta

Scenes from Malta - Christmas decorations from 2010. Much of the decorations in my home country of Malta are religious of nature, with the Nativity the main attraction, as you will see over the next few days. But today I share some photos I took 4 years ago of different street lights.

Street lights next to the Cathedral in Valletta

The facade of one of the local marching band clubs

Christmas lights on one of the buildings

A masterpiece at the Vatican

The top part of this huge painting by Podesti

When I visited Rome in May of 2012, I took close to 3,000 photos all around Rome, especially in churches, paintings and other sacred art I discovered around the Eternal City. But none surprised me more than a majestic painting inside the Vatican Museums, close to the Raphael’s famous “School of Athens” and the “Disputation on the Eucharist.” It was a room entirely dedicated to the Blessed Mother, and in particular to the Immaculate Conception, whose feast we celebrated yesterday. Dominating this room was a huge painting commemorating the event of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854. It is so huge that I could not photograph the whole painting, which is divided into two sections. The top part shows the Blessed Mother surrounded by Jesus and God the Father, as well as St. Peter and St. Paul and a group of other saints, all in heaven. The bottom part shows the Pope, flanked by several Cardinals, Bishops and other prelates and priests as he is officially declaring the dogma at the Vatican. The work was done by Francesco Podesti, who was present during the actual ceremony, and was later commissioned by the Vatican to reproduce this historic event. 

The massive painting "Immaculate Conception" by Franceso Podesti

During the eleven years it took to paint the room, he had a few clashes with the curia, who wanted to delete the depiction of one disgraced priest. Podesti however, was adamant, referring to the obligation of fidelity to historical reality. One monsignor said, "That picture there is now an indignity, for the Pope's sake, remove that face!" "No, I can not Monsignor, remember that while Judas betrayed Christ, in the representations of the Last Supper, no one has ever required that he not be represented!" The argument was compelling enough to silence the prelate. Enjoy this beautiful masterpiece, and if you are ever in Rome, please make sure to visit the Vatican Museums - you need one full day to really appreciate everything there is to see, including this masterpiece by Podesti, which was restored in 2007.

Immaculate Conception

Esteban Bartolome Murillo - Immaculate Conception

Just imagine the millions of Christmas cards being exchanged right now, going across the globe, many of which are images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, frequently with baby Jesus and St Joseph. Just imagine the thousands upon thousands of nativities being set up and displayed around the world with the Holy Family taking center stage for the Advent and Christmas season.
The 260 million links and articles to the word ‘Our Lady’ produced by Google, and the many other images produced when you type the words ‘Blessed Mother’ are proof of how dominant she still is in the Catholic church and in Christian culture around the world. And when I think that more than half of the parishes in my home country of Malta are dedicated to the Blessed Mother, it shows the devotion people still have towards her.
Many were also the classical works written in sacred music, starting with various Gregorian chants melodies and continuing with the Magnificat, Salve Regina, Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and so much more by many great composers. They all get their inspiration from the image of Mary, conceived without sin, a privilege that was only granted to her and no one else. Just as Jesus was considered the new Adam, so Mary is considered the new Eve.
In 1760, Pope Clement XIII authorized the celebration of the Immaculate Conception in the Catholic church.
But it was only in 1854 that Pope Pius IX, after consulting with all the bishops of the world, pronounced and proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. This was a rare event and it took another 96 years to have another Dogma proclaimed, this time the Assumption of Mary in 1950. Then another event happened that affirmed the Immaculate Conception of Mary, only 4 years later, when in 1858, the apparition at Lourdes took place, Mary revealing herself to Bernadette Soubirous as the Immaculate Conception.

A Murillo stained glass in St Basil's, Eastern Pennsylvania

The Encyclical Ineffabilis Deus that proclaimed the Dogma proclaims that the Blessed Virgin Mary, “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.”
A massive painting depicting this event is in the Vatican Museums, by Francesco Podesti, and I'll share information about this tomorrow.

My parents' masterpiece

Over the years my parents have always decorated our home with Christmas symbols, including a large presepio, a Nativity display that my father created for us, the whole town of Bethlehem. They also set up a canopy with baby Jesus and two angels in the entrance of our house, something which I refer to as a masterpiece, because they put so much love, detail and attention to it. The above photos shows my parents next to it, back in the 1990s, and after my mother died in 2010, in their memory I painted the scene of both of them decorating it, a ritual they enjoyed doing every Christmas. Surrounding baby Jesus are pots of grown vetch, (gulbiena in Maltese) a seed that grows very white, as long as it is grown in the dark. It is usually planted in early December and watered every few days, until a few days before Christmas. It may look similar to alfalfa, but it’s used frequently by many families and churches for the Christmas season. 

A watercolor impression I did to remember my parents' masterpiece

In memory of my father every year I still build a small nativity with pape-mache and a few figurines, which in Maltese we call pasturi, including of course the main nativity characters. plus a few folks people and shepherds.

My small nativity, from 2 years ago, and which I will build again in a few days

Saint Nicholas

St Nicholas distributing toys to children

St. Nicholas was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man, and became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors.
Perhaps the best-known story about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters of marriageable age. Rather than see them forced into prostitution, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man’s window on three separate occasions, thus enabling the daughters to be married. Over the centuries, this particular legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint’s feast. And so in the English-speaking countries, St. Nicholas became, by a twist of the tongue, Santa Claus.

Under the ruthless Emperor Diocletian, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, the same Council that devised the Nicene Creed we recite during Sunday Mass. He died December 6, 343 in Myra and was buried in his Cathedral church.
In the spring of 1087, sailors from Bari, afraid of the Muslim invasion, succeeded in spiriting away the relics from that Cathedral, bringing them to Bari, a seaport on the southeast coast of Italy. An impressive church was built over St. Nicholas' crypt and many faithful journeyed to honor the saint who had rescued children, prisoners, sailors, famine victims, and many others through his compassion, generosity, and the countless miracles. To this day pilgrims and tourists visit Bari's great Basilica di San Nicola. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him, and it is claimed that, after the Blessed Virgin, he is the saint most pictured by Christian artists.

December Prayer

Dear God, deliver me from the phony Christmas; the one that reaches its materialistic tentacles out to capture me and rob me of the real thing.  Deliver me from the mania and madness of harried schedules, from frantic shopping... the acquiring of goods for people who don't need them, don't want them, won't wear them and can't use them. Save me from the folly of mood changes brought on by holly, mistletoe, wreathes, boughs and eggnog. For once, O God, clear my ears of the ringing of the cash register and the clanging of bells and in their place let me hear the angel's song.  For once let me fill my soul with the reading of the Christ-child, the wise men, the angels, and the star, instead of feeding my body on fruitcakes and caloried candies and cakes.  

O Lord, don't let me fall prey again to all the trappings of the season to the point that I miss the real event.  Lord, deliver me from over fondness of food, a yearn to party, the urge to spend with the plastic cards, the temptation to spend hundreds of dollars in on-line spending. And Lord, in the giving and exchanging of myriads of gifts, let me not forget to give a worthy gift to Him whose birthday it really is. Amen.

Christmas Cards

 Christmas Cards with personal photos sent in the 1990s

Billions of Christmas cards are exchanged every December. I am grateful that I receive close to 60 cards, most of them with a religious theme. When I send cards myself, I have  the custom of making my own cards with a different photo every year. Above you will see a collection of various cards I used over the years. In this digital age, people are sending less Christmas cards, but opt for the electronic cards, which are cleverly done, and meaningful nonetheless. 

First Christmas card ever designed by John Callcott Horsley in 1843

The first Christmas card was sent in 1843 from England, and I share it here with readers and visitors of this blog. Over 2050 copies were printed that first year, for the cost of a shilling each, maybe valued at 25 cents. Original cards were designed and sent as postcards, but by 1920, most cards were sent in an envelope. A United Kingdom auction in 2001 fetched a record breaking £22,250 for this first original card!

From the Crib to the Cross

One of the most meaningful Christmas photos I took was back in 1993, when I was stationed at St Anthony of Padua parish in Rocky Point, New York. I was preparing my Christmas cards for that year and thought of connecting the nativity with the crucifixion, the beginning and the end of Christ’s life. So I placed the figures of Mary and Joseph in the foreground with the crucifix out of focus in the middle, set at a distance. The result was very meaningful and I share this photo with you today as we meditate on the journey Jesus was prepared to take, from the crib in the stable at Bethlehem to the Cross on Calvary, 33 years later. This was also foreshadowed by the words of Simeon the at the Presentation of Jesus, when he told Mary..."A sword shall pierce your heart," referring to the cruel death Jesus was to suffer on the cross.

Christmas Time

Christmas in Rockefeller Plaza, New York City

It's a time when our eyes reflect the beauty of the season, when the lines of age are softened by smiles, when children's laughter heals our pain.
It's a time when we stretch a helping hand a little further and reach a little deeper into our pockets for those in need.
It's a time when we truly enjoy the gift of friendship and treasure the touch of family ties.
It's a time when we forget our prejudices, our jealousies and our discontent, looking to the future with a renewal of hope.
It's a time when the tiny flame of just one candle can cast away the shadows of darkness, making fear flee in its wake.
It's a magical time of the year that has no bounds, it just continues on from one generation to another, adding new traditions to old, savoring the joy and spreading the love that touches our hearts . . . magically.

 

And Congratulations to Jill and Pete Wimer as they are now proud parents of a baby boy, Marek Vincent, born December 1, 2014. Jill is the Pastoral Associate of our parish.

An Advent bedtime blessing for your child

May the Lord bless you, †† my little one, as you sleep, with dreams your heart will keep.
Do not fear, my child, for Mary and Joseph are near and Christmas will soon be here.
Think of the stars so bright that guided the shepherds on that holy night.
Before you wake from your slumber may the choirs of angels fill you with wonder.
May you receive precious gifts as baby Jesus did from the three Kings.
But remember always that you are our most priceless gift received from God.

May you stay warm just the infant Jesus stayed warm with the sheep and lambs near him, brought over by the nearby shepherds.
May you wake up refreshed, and enjoy a pleasant day, while letting us do our chores.
So again, my little one, close your eyes tight.
May Jesus, the Lord, bless you †† and hold you this night. Amen.