What a beautiful but cold morning it was. I had the majority of the wrapping done beforehand, but stayed up until after midnight sorting the stocking loot. My daughter couldn't sleep, so made sure I couldn't sleep. My youngest son woke up around 2 AM soaking wet and I had to help him change his clothes. Of course, the older kids got up in the wee hours of the morning. Consequently, I got very little sleep.
We let the kids open their presents before Mass, since their was plenty of time. My third son signed on to serve at the Christ Mass, so we all went this morning. I, too, volunteered to participate afterwards, and read the second of the readings. However, I practiced the readings for Christmas Day. As the first reader read, I realized that we were reading the Christmas Eve Mass readings. Well, I whipped out my hymal/Mass book and looked up the second reading and rehearsed under my breath. I was actually kind of glad because the reading from Titus was much shorter than the one from Hebrews and didn't include the word refulgence in it. I had never heard the word before and spent a lot of time last night saying it over and over--that you Merriam-Webster online. The reading went well; I didn't embarrass myself.
After Mass, it was a rush home to get back to serious play. Of course that means for me, picking up boxes, wrappings, bows, ribbons, cutting toys out of boxes, loading batteries into various devices, reading instructions and game rules, stopping fights, keeping the dog from eating things (we have one that eats litterally everything; the other day we found a half eaten aluminum can in the back. One of her favorite snacks is charcoal), helping my daughter sew her Hello Kitty pillow together, looking at videos online that my husband thinks are funny, and generally being talked to like I'm 5 by everyone who is talking at me all at the same time. Dinner is cooking. The kitchen is half-way clean. The dishwasher is running. All is well at the moment.
We missed our friends from the other side of town at Mass this morning. They called last night to ask if one of our other sons could substitute for theirs at the altar if they didn't make it. Many in their family are sick this weekend and they didn't know if they could make. If The Mom sees this, it is okay, it was covered. I hope all are doing well.
Today's readings from our Mass (the first 2 and the Psalm from the Christmas Midnight Mass readings and the Gospel for today): Isaiah 9:1-6, Psalm 96, and Titus 2:11-14
The Gospel was John 1:1-18
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through Him, and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came to be through Him, but the world did not know Him.
He came to what was His own, but His own people did not accept Him.
But to those who did accept Him He gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in His name, who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.
And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘The One who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because He existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed Him."
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