It’s time to pull out those well thumbed cookbooks and faded old hand written recipes and share the best. We all have old family favorites, new treats we just discovered, and treasured family recipes handed down from mother to daughter, or in my case, to daughter in law, for generations.
I always look forward to getting a taste of regional favorites here too. It’s fascinating to see how different each area of the country is, and get to see some recipes for things I never have cooked before, and to hear the stories told of how families have shared this food for so long.
We hope you and yours are enjoying your best holiday season ever as you prepare to celebrate Christmas. In the midst of all the preparations, remember to choose to take time to enjoy and savor the wonder too.
 

Post your Christmas stories, videos, pictures and memes here. Let’s have a little holiday fun!

The Latin word Gaudete means rejoice.  Rejoice Sunday, as we prepare for the birth of the Christ Child in our hearts.

Reading 1IS 61:1-2A, 10-11

Please respect the nature and intent of this post. If you are not Christian, pass by, no comment necessary. Absolutely no tolerance will be given to any political or off topic posts. Future posts will be closed to comments or eliminated if we can’t all be respectful. Each week we have had an increasing number of off topic comments. Please don’t make me have to discontinue our Christmas posts for everyone else! Thank you, Menagerie

Stella observes the beginning of Hanukkah.
I will spend a moment in prayer today, for our Jewish brothers and sisters, and for Israel. May God bless them as they celebrate the Festival Of Lights, and the rededication of the Second Temple.
She also has great Christmas posts daily. I am enjoying them a great deal.

Reading 1 is 40:1-5, 9-11

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This post is for your favorite Christmas treats. That could be cookies, cakes, chex mixes, cheese balls, drinks, or any old party food or dessert favorite. There will be a regular recipe thread in a week or so. Here are a couple of ideas to get us started. This is an example of what we hope you are eating this holiday season, and will share your recipes for.
Here is your Don’t Bother example! See how easy this is?

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 is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7

Stella does excellent job on Gift week posts. I just have to share today’s post because most of us have such wonderful memories of gifts from our pasts. You guys should pop over to her place and share yours.

The First Sunday of Advent is this weekend, December 3^rd. In the Catholic Church, we tend to think of Advent as the four Sundays when we light the candles in the wreath at mass, and perhaps even at home as well.
It is the liturgical season when we rightly prepare for two comings of Christ. As we are all well aware, it is a joyous time of remembrance and observance of the birth of Christ, the Incarnation, when our God loved us so very much that He took on human flesh for the sole purpose of drawing us back to Him. He came on a rescue mission, and from the first breath he drew as a babe, His divine love established Him firmly on that course.
Less well known is the second purpose of Advent. We remind ourselves that there will be a second coming of our Lord. We prepare for that day and time, knowing not the hour or the day. Our readings at mass, as the liturgical year of the Church comes to an end, last Sunday being the final Sunday of the year, have been much about the wise virgins who awaited the Bridegroom with lamps full of oil. (more…)

A few prayers from St. Basil.

On Giving Thanks to the Creator:
“As thou takest thy seat at table, pray. As thou liftest the loaf, offer thanks to the Giver. When thou sustainest thy bodily weakness with wine, remember Him Who supplies thee with this gift, to make thy heart glad and to comfort thy infirmity. Has thy need for taking food passed away? Let not the thought of thy Benefactor pass away too.

As thou art putting on thy tunic, thank the Giver of it. As thou wrappest thy cloak about thee, feel yet greater love to God, Who alike in summer and in winter has given us coverings convenient for us, at once to preserve our life, and to cover what is unseemly. Is the day done? Give thanks to Him Who has given us the sun for our daily work, and has provided for us a fire to light up the night and to serve the rest of the needs of life…”

On Eating:

“When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you. If you drink wine, be mindful of Him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a relief in sickness. When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator.”

On Worldly Troubles:

“Troubles are usually the brooms and shovels that smooth the road to a good man’s fortune; and many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away hunger.”