The Days, Months and Years

'The days, 
months and years
succeed one another, 
and nothing remains 
but God 
and what we do 
for Him.'

Dom Marmion









Painting: George Hitchcock, The Christening

Let Yourself be Led

'Let yourself be led 
by God's hand 
without looking too much 
where He is leading you, 
provided that you remain 
quite submissive and 
in His hands.'

Dom Marmion








Painting: Alessandro Turch, 
detail of Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery

So That By His Birth

'Christ is born, 

so that by His birth

He might restore your nature.'

St. Peter Chrysologus

Painting: Julian Alden Weir, The Christmas Tree, 1890

Welcome Holy Child

  Painting: Jacob Jordaens, Adoration of the Shepherds

Come, My Light

'Come, my Light,
and illumine my darkness.
Come, my Life,
and revive me from death.
Come, my Physician,
and heal my wounds.
Come, Flame of Divine Love,
and burn up the thorns of my sins,
kindling my heart with the flame of Your love.'

St. Dimitrii










Painting: 'Young Boy Singing,' in US public domain due to age

For Our Sakes, He

       

                   'He so loved us that for our sakes, He
                   through Whom time was made, was made in time...
                   He Who made man, was made man.
                   He was given existence by a mother whom He had brought into existence.'

St. Augustine

Painting: Alice Havers, 'But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart'

All the Paths of the Lord

'Good and upright is the Lord.... 

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches them His way. 

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness 

for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.'

Psalm 25:8-10

Painting: Юлий Юльевич Клевер - Дорога домой через зимний лес, from Wikimedia

Make Him Welcome in Your Heart

'Behold the most lovable Jesus, Who is about to be born in our commemoration of the 
forthcoming feast... 
caress Him, 
make Him welcome in your heart, 
adore Him frequently, 
imitate His humility, 
His poverty, 
His obedience 
and His gentleness.'

St. Francis de Sales




Painting: Décoration du sapin de Noël

Sanctify the Moment

'Do you really want to be a saint? 

Carry out the little duty 
of each moment. 

Do what you ought 
and concentrate 
on what you are doing.'

St. Josemaria Escriva

Painting: Edgar Degas

Make Good Use of This Headache, That Cold

'Offer up 
these trifling injuries, 
those petty inconveniences, 
that daily befall you. 
This toothache,
this headache,
this cold, 
this contempt
or scorn.'

St. Francis de Sales






Painting: Frederick Childe Hassam 

In This Time of Preparation

'Silence is so lacking 
in this world 
which is often too noisy, 
which is not favorable 
to recollection and listening 
to the voice of God.  
In this time 
of preparation for Christmas, 
let us cultivate 
interior recollection, 
so as to receive and keep 
Jesus in our lives.'

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

    




Painting: Samuel Halpert, Through the Window

Really Pretty Simple, Isn't It?

'Prayer is conversation with God.'

Clement of Alexandria

Painting: Walter Moras

Advent's Intention

'Advent is concerned with 
that very connection 
between memory and hope 
which is so necessary to man. 
Advent's intention is to awaken 
the most profound and emotional 
memory within us; namely, 
the memory of the God Who became a child. 
This is a healing memory; 
it brings hope.... 
It is the beautiful task of Advent 
to awaken in all of us 
memories of goodness 
and thus to open doors of hope.'

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI





Painting: Carl Ernst von Stetten

A Song of Gratitude

I have shared and 'featured' an older story in several places this Advent, but that's because I'm increasingly grateful to have lived it. My gratitude is actually beyond description as I think back on that one life-altering season.

I hope you will forgive yet another repetition.

I hope this story being shared, on two blogs, under two slightly different titles, is not TOO confusing!

I hope you will join in thanking God for His wondrous mercy to us all.

Click this line to reopen 'The Christmas Window'..... 








Painting at top: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, A Christmas Carol
Painting at bottom: Franz Skarbina Berliner Junge vom Weihnachtsmarkt, digitally lettered

In Our Hour of Darkness

'The most beautiful Credo is the one we pronounce in our hour of darkness.'

St. Padre Pio

Painting: Arthur Hacker Seated Girl, in US  public domain due to age {{PD-1923}}

In all Our Delights

'In God alone 
is there 
primordial 
and true
delight, 
and in all our delights 
it is this delight 
that we are 
seeking.'

St. Bonaventure













Painting: Henry Sandham, Tobogganing, in US public domain due to age