Handmaids Family
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Daughters of Mary, e Canticle of Simeon Now dismiss y servant, Mother of Israel’s Hope O Lord, in peace, according to y word: For mine own eyes have seen y salvation, which OF seen y salvation, which Messengers“ OF Hope… ou hast prepared in the sight of all the peoples, a Handmaids…TO ALL WHO ARE LONGING FOR THE A SIGN OF GOD ’S MERCY ” light to reveal ee to the nations and the glory of Family y people Israel. — His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke y people Israel. Christmas 2020 Newsletter Twenty-Eight 466 S. 79th East Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74112 ~ (918) 576-7607 ~ www.motherofisraelshope.org Christmas 2020 Page 2 Beloved, I am so happy to be sending you this Christmas let- “The Jewish Roots of Mary,” by Dr. Brant Pitre, that ter. There is so much more I contains and reveals more about wanted to include – mostly, our Blessed Mother than per- the entire history of salva- haps most have realized. Feel tion through the Mother that free to pass it on to a friend, God gave us – the one whom even a Jewish friend who has all generations would called yet to know our “Jewish Moth- Blessed, in and through whom er”, the Mother of the Jewish God sent His Son to be the Messiah who bore the Savior of Savior of the world. the world – the very meaning of It is so very common for chil- Christmas. dren to grow up knowing and We are also reprinting in this loving their earthly mother and, newsletter two of our most be- in a sense, taking her for granted loved Christmas stories. They – not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way that, un- come with instructions: (1) Gather the family togeth- intentionally, limits their knowledge and experience of er, (2) Roast some smores, chestnuts, or other special her. They naturally are limited by what was transmitted Christmas treats, (3) Have Papa, Mama or someone in to them as children, which may be the whole of what the family read the stories out loud slowly – taking in they learn of their mother throughout their lives, includ- their meaning, imagining the scenes they invoke, and ing their adult lives. But every so often, a son or daugh- thanking God for such beauty, love, forgiveness and ter might say, “Mom, tell us about your life. Where hope. were you born? How were you raised? What was your Beloved, this is a time of new beginnings – our God life like? Were you always Catholic? And your parents, is faithful who “is not slow about His promise as some were they Catholic?” It can be quite eye-opening, even count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wish- life-changing, for each generation to know and, more, to ing that any should perish, but that all should reach re- experience their true history. pentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) And so it is with the Blessed Mother. No doubt, Mary had the most unusual background of any human be- ing ever created. As her beloved children, do we know He wants us all home where she came from, how she was raised, and how it for Christmas, whether came about that she alone was destined to bear the Sav- on earth or in Heaven. ior of the world? With all the evil, confusion, scandal, and uncertainty we are facing in the world today, both within and with- We are with you daily in prayer, dear family, and can- out the Church, I believe it will be surprisingly comfort- not thank God enough for your prayers and every man- ing, strengthening and encouraging to learn about our ner of support throughout the past year. We very much Blessed Mother, to know what she lived through – the look forward to the New Year, believing that, regardless uncertainty, the danger, the unknown, to know of her of what lies ahead, Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart will courage, trust and heroic obedience in the midst of what triumph! might well have held the possibility of sure death. With love from our hearts to your hearts and homes, I’ll not go into these details in this newsletter, but Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God, O.S.B. rather have enclosed a most excellent and worthy book, and Sisters Newsletter Twenty-Eight Page 3 Waiting for the Christ Child Michael J. Matt, Editor, The Remnant This will be the fourth Christmas since Christmas, we don’t become Puritanical my father passed away. I suppose every- agents working towards the same dia- one misses deceased family members bolical end! most this time of year; I know I do. Many Catholics oppose the cus- My father loved Christmas! I some- tom of Santa Claus—that some- times wonder, in fact, what impact what off-putting caricature of the his larger-than-life celebrations of great St. Nicholas. Admittedly, the the birth of Christ had on the faith red suit, the corpulent figure and the of his nine children, each of whom stocking cap bare strikingly slim re- continues to practice the old Faith to semblance to the 4th century bishop of this day. He believed that, just as Advent— Myra; and the flying sleigh and reindeer are the “mini-Lent”—was to be kept well, with plenty more reminiscent of pagan myth than Christian Truth. of spiritual and corporal works of mercy, so too should But few have thought to provide a good alternative to the Christmas be fêted with all the merrymaking and gusto jolly old elf. So I’d like to offer one now by reintroduc- a Catholic family can muster ing readers to the old Catholic Christmas custom that He knew that children are not born theologians who the Germans called Christkind, or Christ Child, and that can grasp the intricacies of the great mysteries of Faith at American children of European immigrants would call, an early age. The Faith needed to be lovingly spoon-fed simply, the Baby Jesus. Here is what I remember… to them, and so the childlike customs of Christmas were for him tailor-made to instill love for the Faith before Looking Back children were old enough to even begin to understand it. It all began in Advent, when my sev- What a shame it is, then, to see well-meaning tradi- en sisters and brother were expected tional Catholic parents discarding those customs alto- to prepare for the coming of Christ- gether in a misguided effort to counter the commercial- kind (pronounced Kris-Kint). Under ization of Christmas. No gift giving, no merry making, Mother’s watchful eye, we’d fashion a no feasting on Christmas. Alas, the baby is being thrown small, makeshift manger that would out with the bathwater. remain unoccupied until Christmas In a dreary world where pessimism and cynicism— Day. As Advent progressed, good rather than righteousness and peace— have kissed each deeds were encouraged on a daily basis; and each time other, we must guard against robbing our children of it was determined that a good deed had been done, one the wonder and joy of Christmas—the seedbed for a piece of straw was placed in the empty manger, the idea child’s Faith. being that Advent was a time to prepare a bed on which Our poor children may live long enough to see Christ- the Baby Jesus could sleep when He arrived. Under the mas outlawed altogether in our brave new world, even as rules of the old custom, the practice of virtue was an es- it was once before by the Pilgrims who invented Thanks- sential part of a child’s preparation for Christmas. giving out of contempt for Each night after supper, the lights would be turned the “popish” feast of Christ- down while Advent Wreath candles were lit. The haunt- mas. Anti-Catholics have ing strains of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel would be long sought to destroy our lifted (somewhat awkwardly, I suppose) on the voices of great Feast, which is why children. Shadows and flickering flames played on faces we must be certain that in across the dining room table, making it easy for a child our eagerness to oppose to imagine that he sat with the Israelites of old waiting the commercialization of for the Messiah to come. Christmas 2020 Page 4 As the four weeks passed seemingly as slowly as those the back room to the living room, singing the words of four thousand years, one question became constant: the old German carol as we went: Ihr Kinderlein, kom- “Have my sacrifices been enough to pleaseChristkind ?” met, O kommet doch all! Zur Krippe her kommet in And thus the weeks of Advent were spent in preparation Bethlehems Stall. and waiting...as they should be. We’d gather ‘round my father, who now was kneeling in Gradually, the empty manger would fill with straw as front of the nativity scene. We’d do our best not to crane the stage was set for a celestial Visitor. On the evening our necks and look at the darkened Christmas tree or of December 23rd, my father would hang a curtain over whatever might be lying beneath it. Each child placed a the doorway of our living room, which, if that straw crib figure into the crèche, and the youngest put the Baby was piled high enough, was to be transformed into the in His manger. Then, prayers were said, Christmas carols “Christmas room” by the Baby Jesus Himself in the mid- were quietly sung, deceased family were remembered, and dle of the night.