REFLECTIONS

Reflections this Christmas

A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.

ROBERT FROST

There are times when I do well to be angry, but I have mistaken the times.

GEORGE MATHESON

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.

LARRY WILDE

Women are requested not to have children in the cocktail lounge.

NOTICE IN TURKISH HOTEL

An elderly woman walked into the local church. “Where would you like to sit?” an usher asked politely. “The front row, please,” she announced. “You really don’t want to do that,” the usher said, trying to be helpful. “The priest is really boring.” “Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired. “No,” he said. “I’m the priest’s mother,” she replied, indignantly. “Do you know who I am?” the usher asked. “No,” she said. “Good,” he answered. “Let me show you to the front pew.” Christmas is the time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell government what they want and their kids pay for it.

RICHARD LAMM

Friends of ours who recently bought a larger deep freeze decided to buy a side of beef from the local butcher’s and joint it themselves. They cleared the kitchen table and set to work with saw, knives and cleaver. They were still wrestling with the huge carcass when there was a knock on the kitchen door and the new curate peered in. “I was just calling to introduce myself,” he said, “but I see I’m interrupting your tea, so I’ll call again.”

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?

G. K. CHESTERTON

Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.

CHARLES DICKENS, A CHRISTMAS CAROL I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.

TAYLOR CALDWELL

After becoming born again in the late 1960s, Jimmy Carter went on trips throughout America as a missionary. One of his companions – they went out in two – was a Cuban called Eloy Cruz. In sermons and speeches in the years afterwards, Carter often quoted a line from Cruz: “A man needs only two loves in his heart: one is a love of God; the other is a love for the person who happens to be in front of you at any particular time.” Carter interpreted that to mean that it’s easy to love nameless innocent people far away in a foreign country, but “the difficulty comes when you try to love someone right in front of you - on the elevator, across the desk from you, whom you might be inclined to hate.”

JONATHAN ALTER HIS VERY BEST: JIMMY CARTER, A LIFE

The way you spend Christmas is far more important than how much.

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Advent Resources from Redemptorist Communications

A helping hand in this time of expectant waiting

Diary 2021 Through the year with The Saints Fr Denis McBride CSsR This stunning hardback diary features a beautiful painting each month and a thought-provoking reflection that accompanies the saints throughout the year. Our 2022 diary is A5 in size and has a practical full week to view across a double page spread; each week includes either a prayer, quotation, insight into the artwork for the month or a detail of the beautiful image that will help you to see it in a different way. Included in the diary is an introduction from Fr Denis, year planners for both 2022 and 2023, key dates and feast days, notes pages, and a ribbon page marker. All of these features make it the ideal faith companion, appointment organiser and thoughtful gift. €8.95 plus P+P

Advent Extra Your journey to Christmas We’ve all known dark and light moments during 2021. We’ve longed for an end to face masks, social distancing and Covid tests. We’ve loved sunshine, meeting friends and family, freedom after lockdown… Advent Extra, with its theme “From darkness to light”, celebrates the Light of the World, who transforms even the darkest moments. Through articles and daily reflections, a famous painting reveals the birth of that light; birds and the world’s biggest choir sing through Covid. London’s rough sleepers find hope. A retired Royal Navy Commander watches for dawn whilst at sea. A Jesuit astronomer stargazes and finds God. Katie Piper supports others through presenting Songs of Praise… Advent Extra celebrates unquenchable light!

€3.00

plus P+P

Celebrate: Advent Follow the Star to Christmas A magazine for Catholic kids full of cool activities and fun quizzes. Perfect for 7-12 year olds it will encourage them to think about and grow in their faith while they have loads of fun! Twenty-two pages jam-packed with puzzles and facts – adults might learn something too! Celebrate: Advent comes with our bestselling Advent calendar and activity sheet for even more things to do. This year there’s an easy way to refocus on the real meaning of Christmas as we Celebrate: Advent.

Journeying towards Jesus in Advent

Fr Denis McBride CSsR In this insightful and inspiring book, Fr Denis McBride guides us through the Advent season towards the celebration of the birth of Christ. Suitable for private reading or for use in groups, this book invites us to journey together towards a deeper appreciation of the true meaning of Christmas. Advent calendar

€2.50

plus P+P

€12.95

plus P+P

Christmas Day Message

Christmas Day Message is a full colour A3 sheet containing the Mass text for Midnight Mass, Dawn Mass and Mass during the day. An original exposition of the Gospel is provided, along with a short reflection encouraging the reader to relate it to their life; learning points, suggestions for action and original prayer material are also included.

€7.60

per 100 sheets plus P+P

Christmas Card Pack

A pack of twelve cards and envelopes, six designs produced and printed in Ireland.

€5.00

plus P+P

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