The Nativity of the Lord

Let the just rejoice,
for their Justifier is born.

Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
for their Savior is born.

Let the captives rejoice,
for their Redeemer is born.

Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.

Let free men rejoice,
for their Liberator is born.

Let all Christians rejoice,
for Jesus Christ is born.
[St Augustine]

Image: El Greco, The Nativity. 1603

Collect for December 24

Come quickly, we pray, Lord Jesus, and do not delay, that those who trust in your compassion may find solace and relief in your coming.

Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for December 23

Almighty ever-living God, as we see how the Nativity of your Son according to the flesh draws near, we pray that to us, your unworthy servants, mercy may flow from your Word, who chose to become flesh of the Virgin Mary and establish among us his dwelling, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for December 22

O God, who, seeing the human race fallen into death, willed to redeem it by the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervor may merit his company as their Redeemer.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for December 21

Hear in kindness, O Lord, the prayers of your people, that those who rejoice at the coming of your Only Begotten Son in our flesh may, when at last he comes in glory, gain the reward of eternal life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for December 20

O God, eternal majesty, whose ineffable Word the immaculate Virgin received through the message of an Angel and so became the dwelling-place of divinity, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant, we pray, that by her example we may in humility hold fast to your will.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Collect

O God, who through the child-bearing of the holy Virgin graciously revealed the radiance of your glory to the world, grant, we pray, that we may venerate with integrity of faith the mystery of so wondrous an Incarnation and always celebrate it with due reverence.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

CL Tip of the Day

Today I am packing tins of Christmas cookies and hit upon an easy, inexpensive solution for separating layers of cookies- the humble and coffee filter. Best of all, no cutting is needed, as you would have to for waxed paper! I found the 8-12 cup size to be the best fit for my tins.

Image source

Collect from the Third Saturday of Advent

O God, Creator and Redeemer of human nature, who willed that your Word should take flesh in an ever-virgin womb, look with favor on our prayers, that your Only Begotten Son, having taken to himself our humanity, may be pleased to grant us a share in his divinity.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Christmas Cookie Recipe - New Translation!

Fr. Z. just posted an ineffable cookie recipe!

I hope that all the Pious Church Ladies will enjoy:

A reader shared this new, corrected translation of an old cookie recipe. I believe it was developed by some seminarians.

By using this new version, your cookies will be more enjoyable and more fattening than ever:

Christmas Cookie Recipe
(New, Corrected Translation)

Serves: you and many.

Cream these ingredients, that by their comingling you may begin to make the dough:
1 chalice butter, 2/3 chalice sugar

In a similar way, when the butter is consubstantial with the sugar, beat in:
1 egg

Gather these dry ingredients to yourself and combine them, so that you may add them to the dough which you have already begun to make:
2 1/2 chalices sifted all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the precious dough with your venerable hands.

Into the refrigerator graciously place the dough so that it may be chilled, for the duration of 3 or 4 hours, before the rolling and cutting of the cookies.

When, in the fullness of time, you are ready to bake these spotless cookies, these delicious cookies, these Christmas cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out the dough and, taking up a cookie cutter or stencil of your choosing, fashion the cookies into pleasing forms.

Sprinkle colorful adornments over cookies like the dewfall.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies have just begun to manifest the brownness that is vouchsafed to them by the oven’s heat.

May these cookies be found acceptable in your sight, and be borne to a place of refreshment at your table, there to be served with milk or hot chocolate, or with your spirits.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookie Recipe (New, Corrected Translation)

Today's Collect

May your grace, almighty God, always go before us and follow after, so that we, who await with heartfelt desire the coming of your Only Begotten Son, may receive your help both now and in the life to come.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for the Third Thursday of Advent

Unworthy servants that we are, O lord, grieved by the guilt of our deeds, we pray that you may gladden us by the saving advent of your Only Begotten Son.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for the Feast of Saint John of the Cross

O God, who gave the Priest Saint John an outstanding dedication to perfect self-denial and love of the Cross, grant that, by imitating him closely at all times, we may come to contemplate eternally your glory.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for the Feast of Saint Lucy

May the glorious intercession of the Virgin and Martyr Saint Lucy give us new heart, we pray, O Lord, so that we may celebrate her heavenly birthday in this present age and so behold things eternal.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

O God, Father of mercies, who placed your people under the singular protection of your Son's most holy Mother, grant that all who invoke the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe, may seek with ever more lively faith the progress of peoples in the ways of justice and peace.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent

O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord's Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Collect

May the splendor of your glory dawn in our hearts, we pray, almighty God, that all shadows of the night may be scattered and we may be shown to be children of light by the advent of your Only Begotten Son.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for the Second Friday of Advent

Grant that your people, we pray, almighty God, may be ever watchful for the coming of your Only Begotten Son, that, as the author of our salvation himself has taught us, we may hasten, alert and with lighted lamps, to meet him when he comes.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Feastday dinner for Immaculate Conception?

White Chili.

Yeah, it's a groaner, but it still doesn't beat Annunciation waffles.

Collect for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son, grant, we pray, that as you preserved her from every stain by virtue of the Death of your Son, which you foresaw, so, through her intercession, we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to your presence.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for the feast of Saint Ambrose

O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a model of apostolic courage, raise up in your Church men after your own heart to govern her with courage and wisdom.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Christmas baking

This will be my first year contributing my husband's family's Christmas cookie bonanza, and I am really looking forward to it.

Apartment Therapy and Epicurious have some great tips for holiday baking, including tips for cutting out, freezing, and decorating cookies.

To compliment my mother and sister in law's offerings, I am planning to make gingerbread and sugar cookies. What are your family's Christmas favorites?

Image source

Collects for Advent

O God, who have shown forth your salvation to all the ends of the earth, grant, we pray, that we may look forward in joy to the glorious Nativity of Christ.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Public Service Announcement

Don't forget to put out your shoes for St Nicholas!

Image source

Today's Collect

May our prayer of petition rise before you, we pray, O Lord, that, with purity unblemished, we, your servants, may come, as we desire, to celebrate the great mystery of the Incarnation of your Only Begotten Son.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent

Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet your Son, but may our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us admittance to his company.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Collect for Saturday

O God, who through the preaching of Saint Francis Xavier won may peoples to yourself, grant that the hearts of the faithful may burn with the same zeal for the faith and that Holy Church may everywhere rejoice in an abundance of offspring.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Chestnuts roasting...

Source: flickr user GimmeFood :)

It's a classic almost to the point of cliché, but one of my favorite winter activites is to sit by the fire with family and a nutcracker. The extra effort turns snacking into a truly social activity, and it's a wonderful opportunity to catch up at the end of a blustery day.

Nuts take center stage in baking this time of year as well, and with that in mind, Epicurious has put together a visual guide to different nut varieties. Have a look you might find something new to try.

Friday's Collect

Stir up your power, we pray, O Lord, and come, that with you to protect us, we may find rescue from the pressing dangers of our sins, and with you to set us free, we may be found worthy of salvation.

Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Advent Collects

Stir up your power, O Lord, and come to our help with mighty strength, that what our sins impede the grace of your mercy may hasten.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for December, 2011

General Intention: That the nations of the earth, through knowledge and mutual respect, may grow in harmony and peace.

Missionary Intention: That children and young people may be messengers of the Gospel and that their dignity may always be respected and preserved from all violence and exploitation.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

I offer You all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day

for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart,

in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

throughout the world,

in reparation for my sins,

for the intentions of all our associates,

and in particular for the intentions

of the Holy Father for this month.

Amen.