When do you open your Christmas gifts?

Feast of Saint Olympias

There was a discussion amongst some Catholic moms I am friends with, about when we celebrate by opening gifts. I am one of those who opens gifts on the Epiphany (rather, my children open my gifts to them on that day, they get gifts from the rest of the family on Christmas Day). I do this because that is when Jesus gets his gifts (and they only get 3, just like He did). It is a tradition I started in my family. Also, I don't really decorate until the Christmas season starts on Christmas Day, & it stays up until it ends - this way we remember when the Christmas season really is.

I think it is important families have their own family traditions, as long as they are in keeping with the Faith of course. Whatever day gifts are opened does not matter - only that we know WHY we do it.

One of my friends had an excellent post on this subject, which she gave me permission to share

It seems that there has been a lot of discussion about WHEN we should be celebrating Christmas...at least the present part of it (at least I hope that's the only part that is meant....I hope that there is SOMETHING being done in the way of celebration). I admire those of you who are trying to get away from the consumerism and keep the focus on Our Lord. It's very hard to do on a regular basis, let alone this time of year. But I don't think it's correct to make it seem that this can be the ONLY way to do things.

I think that no matter WHEN you open presents, it's very difficult in this world to keep sight of what is right and true. In most cases, even if you decide to open those presents on a different day, that act in of itself will not force a child (or anyone else for that matter) to focus on the Incarnation. This is something that we, as parents, MUST teach first. And this is an ongoing process....my three year old doesn't have a full understanding of WHY we celebrate Christmas entirely. He DOES think an awful lot about toys and presents and food, etc. But this is HUMAN. Sure, I could transfer it to another day, but he is still going to think very much in human terms until he is actually able to put things into the perspective it needs to be in. This is how people learn. Christmas needs to be taught that it's a special day (and I know that everyone here wants to do that). But the *specialness* of the day comes first, because they really don't understand the WHY when they are little. You can't really teach a 2 or 3 year old what the Incarnation is and have their full understanding...you can talk about it, and how Baby Jesus is God and became a baby for us, but at that age they really are not going to comprehend it's meaning entirely (and before anyone jumps down my throat for this, I DO teach my children about this and consider it to be absolutely crucial, but I DON'T expect them to GET it. It's like teaching the Hail Mary...my 2 year old can say it almost flawlessly, but he really doesn't get what the whole thing means, kwim?). But a small child, despite the fact that he or she can tell me Who's birthday it is, doesn't really care as much about that as the doll or drum they are going to open up on Christmas or Epiphany morning. And the fact of the matter is if I changed the externals to a differing day, my smaller children will associate THAT day with the presents and other wonderful things. This is why I never transferred our gift giving to Epiphany...not because *I* was into the consumerism, but because I didn't want my children to think that Epiphany was more important than Christmas. You have to understand that small children especially (and beyond, unfortunately, when the Faith is not ever taught) judge things by the externals. If there's a fun game on a certain day, or a special type of food, or presents to open, that ends up being their reasoning behind whether or not a day is special.

With small children, they DO focus on the presents, because THAT is the thing they can see. Of course, we as Catholics tell them from infancy about the Incarnation, and how wonderful that is. But in the end, their little minds can't always comprehend that part because it's not necessarily something they can see or touch. But if you have externals that set that day aside, making it something out of the ordinary, that shows them that there is something more about this day. At first it may be about the presents, or the games, or the cookies, but later on, when they take a really good look at the creche and see what's going on at Mass, they KNOW there is something more. It's not wrong, per se, for them to think like this, it really just shows their humanity. For example, my children don't look at the last day of the week as "Saturday"....in OUR house, it's "French Toast Day" because it's a special time of the week that we do something extra for breakfast. They also know that the REASON why we have this special extra is because it's Our Lady's day (Saturday traditionally has always been for Our Lady, like Friday is for the Passion, Tuesday for the Eucharist, etc.)> But while most of hem could tell you that it's Our Lady's day, really, they're way more excited that we're having french toast. The flip side to this would be those that don't have the Faith at all...it wouldn't matter WHEN they celebrate because they NEVER focus on Jesus anyway. It all has to do with Faith in the end. If you teach your child from the beginning what Christmas truly means, it won't really matter when you celebrate because they'll know WHY despite it all. If you've ALWAYS made Jesus the focus, then it will just come as second nature for them when they are old enough to understand why He is the focus. And yes, I do really believe that they can do this after a full day of opening presents (although I think what's being forgotten here is that Christmas isn't really a DAY but a season, which STARTS on December 25th, not on January 6th).

Fr. Feeney, when he would talk to ANY child, could almost always count on the fact that he would think Dec. 25th was the greatest day of the year, whether he knew about Christ or not. And starting from THAT point, it was easy to get into the REAL greatness of that day.

But if it wasn't for the presents and feasting on Christmas day, it would be much harder to get across the REAL greatness. Because Christmas is celebrated the way it is, the entire world STOPS on this day, and that in of itself is a GREAT grace, because eventually someone of good will will ask WHY does the world stop on this day.

Think of the graces that one receives for just WONDERING, let alone the graces they receive when they ask WHY. So when relatives decide to celebrate by giving presents on Christmas, couldn't that instead be used as a tool? To give to THEM in return, the WHY?

This got really long, and I apologize for that. I'm not trying to go off on all of you who celebrate on Epiphany...as I said at the beginning, I admire you for the reasons you are doing it. But I've felt quite a bit since this topic has been started that many here feel it is almost impossible to keep Christmas centered upon Christ when you open presents and do other things that may not be "Christ centered" on Christmas day. That those of us who do things this way are somehow doing it wrong. You can look at many secular families and this more than likely is true, but I'd wager to bet that if THEY transferred Christmas to Epiphany, it wouldn't make them think of Jesus any more than they did on Christmas to begin with. Those that are filled with consumerism most often are not religious anyway, and could care less why they are getting presents. But I know for a fact that if you were to talk to any Catholic family that is TRULY living their Faith that opens presents on Christmas, they would know exactly WHY Christmas is special. I know my children know, and we've always done things in the way we do now. Finbar may not get it entirely, and he may be really excited about those presents, but I keep plugging away knowing that one day he WILL get it. And one day the presents and other externals won't matter quite as much, as his Faith matures and he has a better understanding of that tiny baby who is God. Until then, I'm happy that he at least understands that there is something special about Christmas day (or Epiphany day, or whatever), even if that something special has quite a bit to do with presents.

Do you ever feel like doing this to someone? :p

Voting Results

Memorial of Blessed George Napper

We prayed, we fasted, but we still lost. Not only did the stem cell issue pass (51.1%), but the so-called "Catholic" senator who supported this horrible amendment, abortion, etc has won for the US Senate (by 2%). I am very sad... we all are.

I was feeling disheartened until I read an email from a dear friend, Candice. I am still disappointed, but the scriptures she shared really hit home. Thank you Candice! Here is a snip of her email:

Thanks for all the prayers, sacrifices, and fasting -- especially offered by the children! We are not ashamed to serve a God of righteousness. We live on in the hope to which we are called.

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ..." (2 Cor. 4:8)

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12)

The vote in South Dakota against abortion also failed.

But I am happy for all of the states who passed the ban on homosexual marriage!

Another friend commented on how surprised she was to hear the stem cell issue had passed. She had always considered Missouri as one of the most conservative states. Well, that's exactly why they chose MO to do this. They think that if they can get MO, then the rest will be easier - they had to work hard, pouring in millions of dollars (along with millions of lies), but they got us. It was very close - many went to bed thinking it would not pass. I heard they have already started the process in other states, in anticipation this would pass.

I wanted to add, there are good things that have come out of this. My son & I worked the polls. He was quite good at it, not shying away at all, and very polite. I think he handed out more literature than all of the rest of us put together. He wanted to stay up last night to see the results, I finally sent him to bed at midnight. The first thing he wanted to know when he woke up, was the results. He was unhappy, of course. While we were at the polls, we got a chance to speak to other people - those who were also working the polls, some voters, even a candidate. We got to share our views on Pro-life, and hopefully made a difference. As for me, I got what I consider a gift from God. I got a glimpse of the man my son will become.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for us! Please continue your prayers as we fight to have this removed. And please pray this is not repeated in other states.

Feast of Saint Gwen

(Lucky you, 3 posts from me in one day! LOL)

Here is just another reason why you should know what you are voting on. Missouri has another amendment up for vote, that is well worth mentioning - Amendment 3, the Tobacco Tax Initiative. I have seen the "Vote No ads", but all they mention is the higher tax on tobacco, and that people will just get their tobacco out of state, therefore lost revenue for the State. But there is much more to this! What the following article does not mention, is that some of this money could go to cloning (or what the proponents term as SCNT - same thing).

Here is more info from Missouri Right to Life -

Vote “NO” on the Tobacco Tax Initiative (Amendment 3)

For pro-life reasons, social justice, and moral common sense, the tobacco tax initiative should be defeated.

The proposed constitutional amendment to tax tobacco products in order to raise money for health care poses significant problems for pro-life citizens. The most serious is that the initiative fails to contain any language preventing the money from being used for abortion and abortion referrals.

It is expected that the Tobacco Tax Initiative will raise as much as $500 million per year in new funds. The funds will be split among several categories of uses, including a large percentage for “medically necessary health care services for individuals with incomes that are 200% or less of the federal poverty guidelines.” The federal courts have ruled that all “medically necessary” procedures, including abortion, that are performed within a given practice setting funded by Medicaid (e.g., outpatient services, inpatient surgeries, ambulatory surgeries), must be paid for unless the Hyde Amendment prohibits them. Missouri courts often follow federal interpretations of a legal term. The Initiative says that its funds shall pay, among other things, for “medically necessary services” for eligible persons. Planned Parenthood may well see an opportunity and apply to get some of that money.

Not surprisingly, abortionists always consider abortion to be “medically necessary.” In 1997, Dr. Warren Hern, the abortionist who wrote the leading medical textbook on abortion procedures, stated, “I will certify that any pregnancy is a threat to a woman’s life and could cause grievous injury to her physical health.” Once a procedure is certified as “medically necessary” by the abortion doctor, it may become practically impossible to challenge its eligibility for payment by the state government. Missouri courts are likely to hold that the Initiative money must pay Planned Parenthood for all “medically necessary” abortions.

If the initiative passes but citizens are lucky, the state will apply to have the tobacco tax revenues approved by the federal government for the state’s Medicaid plan. If the money becomes Medicaid money, then the long-standing Hyde Amendment will apply, and most abortions will no longer be covered by the tobacco taxes. How many lives will be lost until such federal approval is sought and obtained?How long will it take? Will approval ever be granted? No one knows.

Furthermore, it is not just abortion that is a problem here. Other moral principles are offended by the initiative.

The tobacco tax would be a regressive tax that would hurt ordinary folks far more than other people because the cost of cigarettes is proportionally a greater part of their monthly budget. Even worse, the health care system of the state would become dependent on Tobacco Tax revenues. Funding health care would appear to be the main goal of the initiative, since 17.5% of the money is earmarked for programs to reduce the use of tobacco, while 82.5% goes to health care. Either the state is serious about reducing tobacco use, or it is not. If it is, is it sensible to make the health care system dependent on a major source of revenue that will dry up if anti-smoking efforts are successful? And if the state is not serious about anti-smoking efforts, then it will be forced to become a hypocrite. Obviously, no matter how much the State officially discourages tobacco use, the last thing it will actually want is for tobacco use, and the money it generates for the health care system, to be substantially reduced. It is wrong to enact hypocrisy as official state policy.

Victory! An Update

Feast of Saint Luke the Apostle

I just wanted to give an update on a past post. My son informed his great grandmother, that the signs should be removed, and why. She immediatly had him remove the signs! I wanted to add that my grandmother was on the fence on the stem cell issue. She was going by what she had heard on the news & ads. Once she was told what the FULL ammendment really says (which is NOT what will be on the ballot) , she changed her mind. Keep praying!!!!

Food for Thought

Feast of Saint Justus of Beauvais

This was sent to me by a friend (Thanks Jack!)

The Stranger

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger...he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home... not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush.My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... and NEVER asked to leave.More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name?....

We just call him, "TV." He has a younger sister now. We call her "Computer."

I wrote Jack back to thank him for this reminder. He replied, "A lot of food for thought. I however am not of the "no TV in my house" school of thought. A TV set like a computer, like a machine gun, is an INanimate object. It cannot do ANYTHING by itself, and it can be used for good or evil. TEACH your children to THINK for themselves and only BAN something when they can't abide." I agree. In fact, we do not have cable, but do have a TV and watch it (we are LOST fans). But, I will admit I get lazy at times, and this is a nice reminder. Thanks again Jack!

South Dakota's Pro-Life Vote

Looks like Missouri has a comrade in arms. Let's not forget about our friends up north. This came in my inbox this morning.

-----------------------------------------------------
Let's pray for the people of South Dakota up over the next several weeks as the November 7th vote on the state's 100% pro-life law approaches. Polls are polls, but God can change hearts. Please pass this on to others and ask them to pray specifically for South Dakota in the coming weeks in preparation for November 7th's vote.

For those who can help in other ways: www.voteyesforlife.com (They have quite a nice campaign going on. Only if this passes in SD do any of the others states remotely have a chance of their own.

Lord, pray for the people of South Dakota up to you as they prepare to vote on the state's abortion law. Please soften their hearts so that they may receive the pro-life message in the next few weeks. Help them understand that You are the Author of Life, at all times, in every circumstance. Convict their hearts so that as they enter the voting booth on November 7th they cast their votes for life.

For those who have closed their minds and hearts to the Truth, place people in their lives as witnesses. Let the stories of the women exploited by abortion, the voices of the children spared death at the hands of an abortionist, and the testimony of those who have seen the destruction of abortion firsthand move them. Give them the courage to change their minds and vote YES on November 7.

Finally, we ask for abundant blessings on our pro-life friends in South Dakota.
Give them inestimable strength, endurance and wisdom in the coming weeks.
Let their light shine bright. Let their message of hope and love draw their fellow residents to them. Bless each one for their selfless efforts to protect the least of these---the preborn.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

-----------------------------------------------------