-
Christmas is filled with symbols, many of which have lost their Christian symbolism in a secular world. Here you will find the Christian meaning of Christmas symbols. Let us pray, Lord, the symbolism of Christmas is replete with many secular symbols, all of which point to You. You are the Beginning and the End, the Word made flesh, God in a manger. Help me, Lord, to imitate Your lowliness so that I can serve You well. Amen. HOLLY: Holly is an extremely hardy shrub that can be grown most places, making it one of the few plants that can withstand temperatures from 110 degrees F to – 40 degrees F. Holly plants are noted for their attractive red berries and glossy, sharp-toothed green leaves which remain on the plant year round. The holly bush represents immortality, a trait that God has given to each human being. We are all destined to live forever, either with the Lord or separated from Him. The sharp-toothed edge of the holly leaf reminds Christians of the crown of thorns with which the soldiers mocked Our Lord during His Passion. As a Christmas symbol, the red holly berry represents Christ's blood, shed for all people including those who reject Him. GIFTS: For many people, gifts define Christmas. They focus on the giving and receiving of gifts instead of on our greatest Gift Jesus Who gave Himself to us at Christmas. The wise men who brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the infant King in Bethlehem's manger have inspired the concept of gift giving at Christmas. God also gives us the gifts of the Holy Spirit which help us to follow God's direction in our lives. The seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Piety, Fortitude, and Fear of the Lord (Awe of God's Greatness and Power). FRUIT: People give fruit baskets as gifts. At the turn of the last century, good children would receive their only orange of the year as a Christmas gift. As a Christmas symbol, fruit recalls the twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits result from the activity of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit are: Charity (Love), Joy, Peace, Patience, Benignity (Kindness), Goodness, Long-Suffering (Patiently Bearing Suffering over a Long Period of Time), Mildness, Faith, Modesty, Continency (Purity), Chastity. MISTLETOE: Mistletoe is an aerial parasite that has no roots of its own. It lives off the tree to which it attaches itself and, without that tree, it would die. Mistletoe is a Christmas symbol of our love which derives from and exists only because God loves us. God, Who is Love, created us in love and caused us to be able to love. EVERGREENS: In cool climates, many plants are deciduous. That is, they lose their leaves in the fall, remain dead-looking all winter, and begin to sprout new growth in the spring. Evergreens are, broadly speaking, any type of plant that retains its green leaves or needles all year round. As Christian Christmas symbols, evergreens symbolize perseverance and resiliency to adversity. They remind us of Jesus' words, "The ones who persevere to the end shall be saved." Our faith must remain vibrant in all spiritual, economic, political, and social environments. CHRISTMAS TREE: In the early 700’s, Saint Boniface, who converted the German people to Christianity, demolished the Oak of Thor, the mighty sacred tree worshipped by the Saxons. From its roots grew a fir tree which Boniface took as a sign of the Christian faith. About the year 1500, inspired by a snow covered fir tree, a small tree was brought indoors and decorated with candles in honor of Christ’s birth. By the 18th century, the custom of decorating a Christmas tree was well established in France, Germany, and Austria. Thus, the Christmas tree represents the original Tree of Paradise, the burning bush which spoke to Moses, the branch of Jesse from which Jesus was born, the life-giving tree of the cross of Christ, and the tree which St. John the Apostle saw in the Book of Revelations whose leaves have medicine for the people and which yields fruit each month for the healing of the nations. Because it is green year-round, the evergreen tree represents hope. Its needles and its narrow crest point upward, turning our thoughts to heaven. Because the tree is cut down and then erected again, it is a symbol of Christ’s resurrection. TINSEL: Tinsel are the thin, metallic strands that are used in Christmas decorations. A legend tells of a poor, faithful family who wished to decorate a Christmas tree in honor of the Christ Child but who had no money for decorations. In the night, spiders came and spun webs across the tree. Then the Christ Child, honoring the family's faith, turned the threads into silver. CANDLES AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Candles and Christmas lights represent Christ, the Light of the World. Candles and Christmas lights also remind us that we are to be light to others, to show them the way to Christ. BELLS: Bells were part of the Jewish high priest's garb. Christmas bells not only symbolize the joy of Christmas; they also remind us that Christ is the High Priest. CANDY CANE: The candy cane is shaped like a shepherd's crook, reminding us that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, came into our world at Christmas. The red stripe symbolizes Christ's sacrifice and the white background His purity. Candy canes have a peppermint flavor, reminiscent of hyssop which had medicinal purposes. The peppermint flavor reminds us that our healing came at the price of Christ's life. The candy cane is meant to be broken and shared, just as Jesus' Body is broken and shared at every Eucharist. SANTA CLAUS: Santa Claus is an alteration of Saint Nicholas, fourth Bishop of Myra (located in modern Turkey) whose feast day is December 6. Saint Nicholas was known for taking to heart Jesus' words about almsgiving being very generous to the poor, but most often anonymously. The most famous story concerns three young women whose destitute father was going to force them into prostitution in order to survive. To prevent this heinous crime, Nicholas, on three different nights, anonymously went to their father's house and threw a bag of gold though an open window. The bishop's miter and fur trimmed red winter garments were corrupted into Santa's outfit, while Saint Nicholas's generosity was transferred to the "jolly old man" who delivers gifts anonymously on Christmas Eve. WREATH: Wreaths combine several Christmas symbols including holly, fruit, mistletoe, evergreens, tinsel, and so on, all of which retain their symbolism on the wreath. The word wreath comes from an old English word, meaning to writhe or twist. Greens twisted into a circle made "crowns" for kings, military leaders, and athletes. Because wreaths, due to their circular shape, symbolize eternity, the circle of life, and endless hope, they began to be used at Christmas and hung. Because a wreath has neither beginning nor end, but is a continuous circle, it symbolized God Himself. CHRISTMAS COOKIES, BREADS, PASTRIES: Christmas pastries are made with flour and remind us of the many uses of bread in Scripture. The Jewish people offered cakes made with oil to the Lord. The Israelites took their unleavened loaves with them when they fled Egypt. They recalled this event yearly in the feast of Unleavened Bread. The manna in the desert tasted like wafers made with honey. Elijah performed a miracle in which a widow's flour did not run out during a time of famine. When David brought the Ark of God back to Jerusalem, he gave each person in Israel a loaf of bread, a cut of meat, and a raisin cake. Jesus multiplied loaves twice in Scripture and came as the Bread of Life. He comes to us in every Mass under the form of Eucharistic bread and wine. This rich history is present to us with every taste of Christmas pastries. STOCKING: The tradition of placing gifts into Christmas stockings come from another tradition regarding Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra. In this tradition, the three women who needed dowries in order to be kept from a life of prostitution had hung their stockings by the fireplace to dry. When the saint came by to help them, the money that he threw into their house fortuitously landed in the stockings. CHRISTMAS CAROLS: Christmas carols remind us of the angels who announced the birth of Christ by singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth!" Song has been a part of worship since the beginning. Miriam composed and sang a hymn of Thanksgiving when God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians. David sang and danced before the Ark of the Lord when he was accompanying back to Jerusalem after having rescued it from the Philistines. He composed the Psalms, all of which are to be sung. Many of the Psalms mention times when the Jewish people sang, some of which are: bringing in the harvest, going up to the temple, success over one's enemies. Jesus mentioned funeral songs in one of His exhortations. People use song as an expression of highest emotion. How fitting that we sing about the birth of Christ! XMAS: While Xmas is seen by some as a secular way to "cross Christ out of Christmas," the word actually is an abbreviation for Christmas. Christ was often written as "XP" or "XT" and the Greek letter Chi X stood for Christ in the ancient Greek symbol for Christians. ANGEL: Angels are God's messengers. They appear several times in Scripture and continue to protect us today as each person has his or her own guardian angel. The angel Gabriel announced the birth of Christ and also told St. Joseph to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to escape Herod's plan to kill the Christ Child. Angels appeared to the shepherds when Christ was born, singing and praising God and instructing the shepherds to hurry to Bethlehem to see the newborn King. Angels symbolize God's presence, and remind us of obedience to Him and praise of Him.
Read More
-
Remember to bless your Christmas Tree when you put it up
Read More
-
Blessing of a Christmas Manger or Nativity Scene The custom of displaying figures depicting the bisth of Jesus Christ owes its origin to st. Francis of Assisi.In its present form the custom of displaying figures depicting the birth of Jesus Christ owes its origin to St. Francis of Assisi, who made the Christmas crèche or manger for Christmas Eve of 1223. The blessing of the Christmas manger or nativity scene may take place on the Vigil of Christmas or at another suitable time. When the manger is set up in the home, it is appropriate that it be blessed by a parent or another family member. All make the sign of the cross as the leader says: Our help is in the name of the Lord. R/. Who made heaven and earth. One of those present or the leader reads a text of sacred Scripture, for example, Luke 2:1 (lines 1-8) or Isaiah 7:10 (lines 10-15, the birth of Emmanuel). Reader: The Gospel of the Lord. R/. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. The leader prays with hands joined: God of every nation and people, from the very beginning of creation you have made manifest your love: when our need for a Savior was great you sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary. To our lives he brings joy and peace, justice, mercy, and love. Lord, bless all who look upon this manger; may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus, and raise our thoughts to him, who is God-with-us and Savior of all, and who lives and reigns forever and ever. R/. Amen. —From Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers
Read More
-
Our Trinity Group -- the lovely ladies that hold our raffle in the back of the Church --- raised $4000 in this last raffle. We give thanks to them for their hard work and we thank all who purchased tickets that made this such a great success. We are slowly getting to our goal for the Restoration Project. Restoration begins early next year -- after the Christmas Holidays.
Read More
-
As the first-ever online giving day created to celebrate our unique Catholic heritage, the #iGiveCatholic Giving Day inspires faithful stewards to "Give Catholic" on #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving. The goal of the #iGiveCatholic Giving Day is to rally our Catholic communities across the country in support of the organizations that shape our souls: Our parishes, schools, and nonprofit ministries. We know that, for Catholics, generosity and giving have a profound meaning. As children of God, giving is the ultimate expression of mercy as we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, and preserve our Catholic heritage for future generations. Compelled to action by our shared faith, Catholics are energized to give back knowing that little is much when God is in it.
Read More
-
St Anthony School hosted two Parenting Sessions to help parents in raising their children. The first session on "Parenting for School Success" had a whopping 36 people in attendance. The second session on "Responsibility & Discipline, Part I" had 13 in attendance. Because of the busyness of the last part of the year, it was decided to postpone the last 5 sessions until the beginning of next year, 2019. Please join us again when we host the next parenting sessions at St Anthony School.
Read More
-
November 10
- Helen Williams
In October 2017, the Restoration Committee was formed to raise an estimated $500,000 to remove and re-apply the protective sealant over the stucco on the church’s exterior, with a paint job to follow and to repair old termite damage in the auditorium. The Restoration Committee, which also serves as the Parish Finance Committee included, Mary Helen Williams as Chairman, Belinda Constant, Kim Enger, Linda LaBorde, Mary Grace Orsag and Bill Swiler. After Bill’s untimely death, James Rolf III was invited to serve. Father Gary and Deacon Jerry are included. To date an estimated $340,000 has been raised that includes money from Major Sponsors, generous donations from the parishioners and local residents, several raffles and special events that started with selling hot dogs at Gretna’s Lundi Gras and a School Reunion chaired by Toni Hollis in May. Chairman Debbie Swiler began the Rummage Sale in June to be a part of the annual Gretna Citywide Yard Sale on Oct. 13. On Wednesdays, two Women’s Club members accepted donations and every Monday, a group of mostly non-parishioner volunteers sorted and packed. Collections were stopped at the end of August. With generous furniture donations and the hard work of everyone involved, the Rummage Sale made a phenomenal $16,000. There were three major events in three weeks. Slated to become an annual fundraiser for St. Joseph’s, Chili Cookoff on the River, set for Oct. 27 got hit with a big blow two days before the event when the river flooded the batture! Thanks to Mayor Constant and Police Capt. Russell Lloyd, Chili Cookoff NEAR the River was moved to the largest parking lot in Gretna which turned out to be a blessing. Over 400 people attended to enjoy chili cooked by 16 teams, 40 volunteers helped and the Chili Poker Run had 50 bikers and riders. Chili Cookoff made over $20,000. Winners were 1st Place-Brett’s Jambalaya Company, 2nd Place-NOLA Gold Rugby, 3rd Place-Entergy Lineman. Trosclair Electric was Honorable Mention. Thanks to our own parishioners: Mayor Belinda Constant, Linda LaBorde, Geri Mayville, James Rolf, Glenn Esteve, Garry Vedros, Jill DeBroeck, Peter DeBroeck, Ray Markase, Paul Coles, Leon Cuccia, Debbie Morse, Val Coles, the St. Joseph office staff and the Women’s Club members who stepped up. Judging was in a blind method by 15 Judges that included real judges and community leaders. Gratitude to Holly Williams and her committee that volunteered from Gretna Historical Society to handle all phases of judging and our own Darrell Hollis, CPA to keep everything orderly. Then there was Neal Vaught, everything from Weigh-in guru to a Final Judge and countless outsiders like Ryan Templet, Jeff Parish Councilman Ricky Templet, Gretna Councilmen Mike Hinyub, Tony Buckley, David Crockett Fire Company, Academy of Our Lady students and West Jeff ROTC. On Nov. 2, the $10,000 Raffle/Gala, chaired by Darnell LeBlanc was a huge success earning $24,000. The 300 - $100 raffle tickets were all sold and the pick-a- prizes, silent auctions and 50/50 split raffles were very successful. Charlotte Roussell was the winner of the $10,000 Grand Prize. But, the constant in the Restoration Campaign has been the steady sales of our Mother Church Cookbook. We took delivery of 1,000 cookbooks on the Thursday before St. Joseph’s Day, March 2018. One week later we ordered a second 1,000. We are now promoting cookbook sales as “gifts you can give for Christmas!” Cookbook sales so far is $33,000. Projected costs to restore the church are greater than the original estimate. A contractor will be selected shortly and work will commence. It is important to keep up the efforts so we can pay for the repairs without burdening the budget with monthly payments. Thanks to all of you that have been so generous. Please continue to keep the Restoration Fund in mind with your donations and prayers for success.
Read More
-
Think About Life… We often hear people argue that women need legal abortion in order to achieve success in their lives. By this, they usually mean that having an abortion will make it easier for women to finish school, get ahead in their careers, or earn a comfortable salary. But this claim contains a very skewed notion of “success.” People who are willing to sacrifice their own dreams for the sake of another human being often feel MORE successful than when they were pursuing their own educational or career goals, or spending money on things they wanted. Christians believe that true “success” is about making a difference to other people and allowing God’s unconditional Love into our lives. If you agree with that, then success cannot be defined by how many things you own, or by how smart, talented, beautiful, or able-bodied you are. Abortion advocates frequently claim that if abortion becomes illegal, women will lose opportunities for success. But this ignores the fact that most parents believe the greatest accomplishment they’ve ever had was giving life to their children and raising them. It also ignores the fact that there are many ways to pursue your dreams without having to kill your own child. Sometimes when people use the success argument to support abortion, they aren’t talking about the success of the mother or the father. They’re talking about the baby’s chances of success in life. Some people believe that abortion should be legal if, during the pregnancy, the unborn baby is diagnosed with a disability, a serious illness, or a defect. They claim these children can never be successful. The first major problem with this attitude is that these diagnoses are frequently wrong – which means that the abortion would kill a healthy baby. Secondly, and more importantly, it isn’t true that people cannot be successful just because they are disabled. We wouldn’t say that to an adult person with a disability, so why is it okay to say it about someone who is unborn with a disability? Just because people can’t do things in the same way that others can doesn’t mean they can’t have a successful life. The composer Ludwig van Beethoven was deaf; the famous physicist Stephen Hawking is quadriplegic, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (the 32nd President of the United States of America) had polio and was confined to a wheelchair his entire life; the Hollywood actor Tom Cruise is severely dyslexic. These people accomplished amazing things with their lives, despite their disabilities. In extreme cases, there are some people born with disabilities that are so severe that they actually cannot do many physical or mental activities like walking, talking, and responding to others. But Christians believe that true success does not come from our physical or mental abilities. It comes from making a positive difference to other people, and surrendering to God’s Love. The more we make a positive difference to others and the more we surrender to God, the more free we are to find true success. Who says that a person with severe physical or mental disabilities cannot make a positive difference to other people? Who says she cannot surrender everything to God? In fact, many disabled people find that it is easier to focus on what’s really important in life – like family, friends, love, generosity, patience, and putting their faith in God – because of their disability. By Camille Pauley © 2015 Healing the Culture Reprinted with permission Visit www.healingtheculture.com, or visit our Facebook page to comment.
Read More
-
CatholicJourneys.com is the premier provider of Catholic Pilgrimages to Medjugorje. They provide pilgrims with the opportunity to increase one's spirituality, grow in faith and better understand God's presence in our lives. May 2 - 10, 2019 Special Pilgrimage_____ Fr. Gary Copping+++ St. Joseph Church & Shrine in Gretna, LA =====$2439 From New York=====$2699 From New Orleans^^^ Double Occupancy
Read More
-
September 17
- Helen Williams, Writer for the Times Picayune
West Bankers, and people from all over the metro area, will have the opportunity to meet and hear Frank Kelly, a man of faith and wisdom, who by all normal possibilities should not even be still on this earth to tell his tale. There will be Mass first and then a Healing Service on Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. at St. Joseph Church and Shrine on the West Bank, 610 Sixth St., Gretna. Kelly will speak about his journey and offer a healing prayer with each individual. The public is invited to hear this incredible story of this humble man. All are welcome.
Read More
