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A Mary Christmas
A Mary Christmas completes a trilogy of books about the Catholic customs and traditions surrounding the celebration of Christmas, including A Franciscan Christmas and A Catholic Christmas . This book focuses on the Marian aspects of the Advent and Christmas seasons of Christmas, using the theme of the Seven Joys of the annunciation, the visitation, the nativity of our Lord, the adoration of the magi, the finding of the child Jesus in the temple, the appearance of risen Christ to his mother, and the assumption and coronation of Mary as queen of heaven. A Mary Christmas will provide inspiration and faith formation for parishes, schools and the general reader interested in a Catholic Christian approach to celebrating Christmas, in particular, illuminating Mary’s role in the Christmas story.
94 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2012
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December 27, 2023
MEDITATIONS ON MARY AND THE ROSARY AS PREPARATION FOR ADVENT
Author Kathleen M. Carroll wrote in the Introduction to this 2012 book, “At every Mass we assert that we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is not a better time to reflect in joyful waiting than the quiet season of Advent… And there is no greater model of joy for us than Our Blessed Mother, Mary… Since the rosary is by its nature a meditation on the central mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary, it makes a good introduction to our preparation for Advent and Christmas. The unique flavor of these meditations is a focus on the joy with which Mary embraced these important moments in her life. We will see that she did not passively deign to hear the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation or even grudgingly murmur her assent, but that she listened with joy and anticipation for that voice, received it with joy, and responded with a joy so profound that her song of praise, the Magnificat, is remembered to this day.”
She explains, “Scripture tells us very little about Mary before the Annunciation, but tradition and the custom of the time suggest that she was thirteen or fourteen years old. We know that she was ‘betrothed’ to Joseph, the carpenter---a situation similar to the engagement period we practice today, though one in which parents’ preferences often carried more weight than those of the future spouses. We know that she lived in a culture that could be very dangerous, even lethal, for unmarried [women] who became pregnant. The most essential thing we know about Mary comes from the words addressed to her at the Annunciation.” (Pg. 5-6)
She observes, “Many people have difficulty rising to the challenges of the Christmas season (or the Christian life in general) because they feel a lack of love. Whether due to one of the countless tragedies of childhood, a failed friendship, marriage ended by death or divorce, this perceived deficit can make it hard to participate in the season of giving with enthusiasm. You can’t give away what you don’t have. Our faith has the remedy. Whatever failings our parents, siblings, or partners may have had, we have an alternate source for the love we so desperately crave. The Nativity is a concrete demonstration of God’s love for us… Christmas is the perfect time to watch this principle in action. The most cherished gifts are rarely the most expensive, but often those that are more creative or that best express the unique relationship of the given and the recipient.” (Pg. 39-40)
She notes, “Christmas is a holy day of obligation for Catholics. Behind Easter, it is the most solemn celebration of the year. While Mass was once THE thing you did for Christmas, it sometimes gets shoehorned between the morning gift frenzy and dinner at Grandma’s as some trifling inconvenience… Somehow we’ve managed to hold on to the components of this Christmas story while missing the point altogether. There is some gift-giving here, but they are gifts given to Jesus… And those gifts aren’t being given to Jesus because he’s a baby… but because he’s … the newborn king, the Messiah, the Savior of the world…they are symbols of the worship we are called to offer him at Mass… This Christmas, follow the example of the wise men and make Jesus the center of your attention.” (Pg. 52-53)
She suggests, “As in all things, Jesus is our role model… His example becomes even bolder in his public ministry. He defies convention by healing on the Sabbath. He clashes repeatedly with the religious authorities … When this conflict threatens his life, he willingly lays it down, leaving his Mother and closest friends to contemplate life without him. We know that he was no callous idealist so bent on his own way of doing things that he disregarded the feelings of others… Yet, even the fierce love he bore them had to be set arise when it conflicted with his mission. This Christmas, embrace your faith, even if it means leaving friends and family behind. Just be sure to leave a note.” (Pg. 64)
She states, “For those who have lost loved ones… Christmas can be a time of bittersweet memories… Mary, too, lost those closest to her. For her, it wasn’t the more common passing of parents that summed her loss… nor ever that greatest heartbreak of all, the death of a child. She weathered all these losses. Once Jesus had left her for good, she was to [be so] utterly alone that she depended on one of her Son’s friends---St. John---for support, Few of us will be tested by such grief. Still, Scripture never records tears from Mary… Mary confronts challenging moments with faith, joyful moments with song, and life’s darkest moments with waiting, watching, and prayer.” (Pg. 74-75)
She says, “The names of St. Anne and St. Joachim do not appear in the Gospels, but they have long been held to be Mary’s parents. The Bible does not record the death of St. Joseph, but tradition suggests that he died somewhere in that long silence between the finding in the temple and Jesus’s public ministry. The reason he is venerated as the patron of a happy death is that understanding that he died in the arms of Jesus and Mary, quite literally.” (Pg. 83)
This book may appeal to Catholics.
Author Kathleen M. Carroll wrote in the Introduction to this 2012 book, “At every Mass we assert that we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is not a better time to reflect in joyful waiting than the quiet season of Advent… And there is no greater model of joy for us than Our Blessed Mother, Mary… Since the rosary is by its nature a meditation on the central mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary, it makes a good introduction to our preparation for Advent and Christmas. The unique flavor of these meditations is a focus on the joy with which Mary embraced these important moments in her life. We will see that she did not passively deign to hear the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation or even grudgingly murmur her assent, but that she listened with joy and anticipation for that voice, received it with joy, and responded with a joy so profound that her song of praise, the Magnificat, is remembered to this day.”
She explains, “Scripture tells us very little about Mary before the Annunciation, but tradition and the custom of the time suggest that she was thirteen or fourteen years old. We know that she was ‘betrothed’ to Joseph, the carpenter---a situation similar to the engagement period we practice today, though one in which parents’ preferences often carried more weight than those of the future spouses. We know that she lived in a culture that could be very dangerous, even lethal, for unmarried [women] who became pregnant. The most essential thing we know about Mary comes from the words addressed to her at the Annunciation.” (Pg. 5-6)
She observes, “Many people have difficulty rising to the challenges of the Christmas season (or the Christian life in general) because they feel a lack of love. Whether due to one of the countless tragedies of childhood, a failed friendship, marriage ended by death or divorce, this perceived deficit can make it hard to participate in the season of giving with enthusiasm. You can’t give away what you don’t have. Our faith has the remedy. Whatever failings our parents, siblings, or partners may have had, we have an alternate source for the love we so desperately crave. The Nativity is a concrete demonstration of God’s love for us… Christmas is the perfect time to watch this principle in action. The most cherished gifts are rarely the most expensive, but often those that are more creative or that best express the unique relationship of the given and the recipient.” (Pg. 39-40)
She notes, “Christmas is a holy day of obligation for Catholics. Behind Easter, it is the most solemn celebration of the year. While Mass was once THE thing you did for Christmas, it sometimes gets shoehorned between the morning gift frenzy and dinner at Grandma’s as some trifling inconvenience… Somehow we’ve managed to hold on to the components of this Christmas story while missing the point altogether. There is some gift-giving here, but they are gifts given to Jesus… And those gifts aren’t being given to Jesus because he’s a baby… but because he’s … the newborn king, the Messiah, the Savior of the world…they are symbols of the worship we are called to offer him at Mass… This Christmas, follow the example of the wise men and make Jesus the center of your attention.” (Pg. 52-53)
She suggests, “As in all things, Jesus is our role model… His example becomes even bolder in his public ministry. He defies convention by healing on the Sabbath. He clashes repeatedly with the religious authorities … When this conflict threatens his life, he willingly lays it down, leaving his Mother and closest friends to contemplate life without him. We know that he was no callous idealist so bent on his own way of doing things that he disregarded the feelings of others… Yet, even the fierce love he bore them had to be set arise when it conflicted with his mission. This Christmas, embrace your faith, even if it means leaving friends and family behind. Just be sure to leave a note.” (Pg. 64)
She states, “For those who have lost loved ones… Christmas can be a time of bittersweet memories… Mary, too, lost those closest to her. For her, it wasn’t the more common passing of parents that summed her loss… nor ever that greatest heartbreak of all, the death of a child. She weathered all these losses. Once Jesus had left her for good, she was to [be so] utterly alone that she depended on one of her Son’s friends---St. John---for support, Few of us will be tested by such grief. Still, Scripture never records tears from Mary… Mary confronts challenging moments with faith, joyful moments with song, and life’s darkest moments with waiting, watching, and prayer.” (Pg. 74-75)
She says, “The names of St. Anne and St. Joachim do not appear in the Gospels, but they have long been held to be Mary’s parents. The Bible does not record the death of St. Joseph, but tradition suggests that he died somewhere in that long silence between the finding in the temple and Jesus’s public ministry. The reason he is venerated as the patron of a happy death is that understanding that he died in the arms of Jesus and Mary, quite literally.” (Pg. 83)
This book may appeal to Catholics.
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