Whenever a child is born, we see the fulfillment of love’s desire to share life. At Christmas we celebrate God’s desire to share our life, and to share divine life with us. This December that message came home to me more tangibly that usual in a visit from two of my cousins, elderly brothers who are both being treated for cancer. They came bringing a large flower pot containing shoots from their deceased mother’s Christmas cactus. They told me their mother had received the plant from her mother, our grandmother who died before we were born.
I was touched by their desire to share this heirloom, and with the expert help of Sister Johnita, I was able to give each of my siblings a shoot from this precious plant. More than ever, the meaning of Christmas was clear to me. Christmas is about God sharing life with us, and about our calling to share life with others. It sounds so simple, but simple isn’t necessarily easy!
Delores Dufner, OSB
This Christmas Eve, the monastery schola sang a variety of beautiful carols for Christmas. Below is "Of the Father's Love," by Aurelius Prudentius (4th century) as arranged by Sister Christine Manderfeld. (Sister Delores Dufner on organ.)
Mystery, Beauty, Adventure
12 years ago
This is one of my favorite Christmas hymns and I rarely hear it so to find it on the blog touches my heart. The a capella verses sung in the chapel make me really appreciate this hymn that must have sounded very similar to this when it was sung for the first time in the 300's. Isn't it amazing that this song has endured so long! Thank you and bless you.
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