David

Summer Magazine

Sitting together as a family for dinner is one of the most important things you can do each day. With Christmas fast approaching when families traditionally gather for a festive feast, here are some mealtime prayers aimed at bringing you closer together as a family and to God.

My wonderful aunt Sylv was born on Christmas Day but often felt her birthday got lost in the festivities. If family and friends did remember, they would often package Christmas and her birthday into one card, one gift, and one celebration: “Merry Christmas! Happy Birthday!” Christmas was a bittersweet experience for her, and a frequent saying of hers was, “Don’t expect anything, and you won’t be disappointed.”

In a year which has brought more sorrow and pain to the people of Ukraine who are fighting Russian aggression; disastrous wildfires in Europe and Canada; an earthquake in Morocco, floods in parts of Europe and Libya, and the terrorist attack on Israel, it is easy to forget God’s loving presence in the world. This reflection from David Hore CSsR reminds us that despite the horrors we read and hear on the daily news, God is always with us.

Some countries have unusual Christmas traditions to say the least. Here are a few cultural oddities from around the globe.

Christmas is first and foremost a true story about the love of God leading to the most selfless act of sending his Son into our world to become one of us. The story itself is so simple and humble that without reflection it is easy to miss the depth of meaning and love demonstrated through the Incarnation.