There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. [Henry James]
Therese taught me many years ago there are year round bargains to be had in the post Christmas sales, like the time she acquired full sets of red, gold, and white napkins for a song.
Wine is traditionally blessed on St John's day, commemorating the destruction of a poisoned bottle when the evangelist made the sign of the cross over it. The blessing for St John's wine can be found in the Roman Ritual. Have an extra bottle blessed for any couples that will be married in the next year. Make tags with an appropriate Scripture verse; the pictured bottle's tag says: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God." [i Jn 4, 7]
A Set of Bride's Tree Ornaments (from a fellow Church Lady)
A lamb cake pan, to celebrate Christ, the Paschal Lamb at Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, St John the Baptist, St Perpetua & Felicity, St Agnes, and much more!
The TAN Saints Calendar:
Holy Toast:
O come, Desire of nations, bind
Even a custom like Christmas baking, apparently such an external activity, has its roots in the Church’s Advent liturgy, which makes its own the glorious words of the Old Testament in these days of the declining year: “In that day, the mountains will drip sweetness, and the rivers will flow with milk and honey.” People of old found in such words the embodiment of their hopes for a world redeemed. And once again, our ancestors celebrated Christmas as the day on which God truly came. When he comes at Christmas, he distributes his honey (so to speak).Truly, the earth must flow with this honey on that day: where he is present, all bitterness disappears, and there is harmony between heaven and earth, between God and man. The honey and the sweets are a sign of this peace, of concord and of joy.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Behind her the virgins of her train are brought to the King;
Obviously the gift will depend on how close a friend the recipient is, how much money you're willing to spend and whether or not you're pooling with a bunch of people.
Now, the obvious gift for an ordination is a vestment of some sort... If you know the ordinand's taste well then this can be a very much appreciated gift. If you don't mind it not being a surprise, then I'd strongly recommend you consult with the ordinand first. He may already have enough stoles, etc... or he might want one in a particular colour. It'd be annoying to receive 4 white stoles and to have to go out and buy a purple stole after ordination. Another nice gift for an ordinand to receive is a liturgical book. Again, consult with the recipient. A considerate priest-friend gave me 'Pastoral Care for the Sick' (the rite for Communion for the Sick, Viaticum, Anointing, etc...) when I was made a deacon and it's obviously something which I've used a huge amount. Likewise, my copy of The Order of Christian Funerals and The Rite of Penance were gifts, and I'm reminded of the donors when I use them. Fr Sean Finegan's 'Consecrations, Blessings and Prayers' is an excellent resource, and I think any priest would appreciate it. A gift token for a liturgical/theological bookshop might be appropriate too.
I wouldn't recommend getting a pyx. I got one when I was ordained deacon, and another 4 or 5 when I was ordained priest. I think most newly ordained priests probably have several pyxes. Anyway, liturgical gifts are ideal... practical and very meaningful, but I'd strongly recommend consulting the recipient first. Newly ordained priests also probably receive enough nice pens to last them a lifetime.
Moving away from the liturgical, probably the most practical gift I received in my first year of ministry was the GPS my brother gave me. Parish ministry involves a lot of driving, sometimes in unfamiliar areas, and there are lots of addresses to remember. Other useful bits and pieces that I've received - black shoulder bag suitable for an alb and stole, leather folder for documents and a number of pieces of art to decorate my rooms in the parochial house. In terms of clothing, a warm cap, gloves or scarf might be appreciated by a priest for the winter.
I have been asked to serve as a confirmation sponsor for a fellow Christian who will be received into the Church in a few weeks, making his First Communion and being confirmed. I am looking forward to sharing his faith journey.
