Starlight Cookies for Advent

 We found this recipe for a gift mix online a few years ago and adapted it to use as special Advent cookies. They would make lovely pre-Christmas gifts, made into mix kits, with the following instructions printed out and tied on with a ribbon. You could also commemorate the journey of St. Joseph and Mary with your own family by making these the last week of Advent.

* To print out for the tags:

Starlight Cookies

To be made on or for Christmas Eve

in Honor of our Blessed Mother's and St. Joseph's

Journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem

Contained in this jar:

Chopped Walnuts to represent the rocky road the little family traveled on

White chocolate chips for the stars in the sky

Dried cranberries whose tartness symbolize the doors shut to Mary and Joseph

Sugar to represent the snow

Brown sugar for the brown hills of Bethlehem

Rolled oats to symbolize the animals in the stable where they found shelter

Flour for the simple goodness of the shepherds in the fields they passed

To make the cookies:

Think of the preparation St. Joseph and Our Blessed Mother must have made for this journey to Bethlehem: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.

For the light of Heaven that shined down on them: In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 tsp of vanilla until fluffy.

Consider the difficulties of the journey: Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets

Imagine the long trek across the barren desert: Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until edges brown.

Remember the Holy Family's arrival at the stable; anticipate Jesus' coming: Cool on baking sheets or remove to cool on wire racks.

Appreciate the joy and promise of His birth: Enjoy eating them!

Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

(Makes app. 18 cookies.)

* To prepare the jar ingredients:

layer the following..

1 C plus 2 T all-purpose flour

mixed thoroughly with

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

*followed by*

1/2 C rolled oats

1/3 C packed brown sugar

1/3 C sugar1/2 C dried cranberries

1/2 C white chocolate chips

1/2 C chopped pecans

Here's how they looked when we were all done. We capped with a square of Christmas fabric and tied with a bit of ribbon and a scrap of garland, then added our instruction card, like so:

But the possibilities for decorating are only limited by your imagination!

Happy last week of Advent!  May all your preparations for the birth of our Savior be filled with the sweetness of that starlit night.

* First posted in 2009 -- about due for another share!

* I'm hoping to include a pdf of the tag with the instructions, but I need to borrow a techie kid to help me. Stay tuned.

'Merica -- Home of the Fat, Happy, and Wonderfully Stubborn

 So... This is more than Two Cents worth of thoughts. Maybe Two Euros...

But bear with me. Like Flannery O'Connor, I don't know what I think about things until I write about them.

Germany vs America vs 2021

Out Kevvy and Ina's back door. Bavaria is the most 
beautiful place I have ever visited.

Two months in Germany taught me many things. First, there are many ways to do a thing -- and some are better than others. I found out that German groceries, are better, cheaper, and healthier, for one thing. German plumbing, doors, and windows are, for the most part, better than ours. The towns and the countryside I saw (specifically in Bavaria) have a beautiful sense of historic preservation and tidiness that America lacks. Germany is a beautiful country and its people are keen to keep it that way, because Germans, as a people, are orderly -- wonderfully, maddeningly orderly! Bless them! (Don't get me started on the recycling obsession over there! )

I think it's a fact that different nations have different national characters, no one of them being any better or worse than another -- any more than one child's inborn character is better or worse than another's -- but still, I really believe it's an observable phenomenon. It doesn't take much traveling to see that the national character of Germany is different than the character of Italy, for instance. Canadians and Mexicans, likewise, are worlds apart. Swedes and Brazilians wouldn't know what to do about one another. You see what I mean.

The trick with temperaments, though -- whether they're individual's or nation's -- is understanding the
strengths and the weaknesses that come with them. Just like raising children, you try to counteract the down-sides, nip them in the bud if at all possible, or at the least, understand the tendencies they can lead to and take measures to prevent the worst of them.

Like the American Founding Fathers tried to do by writing our Constitution, adding our Amendments, and providing the checks and balances between the moving parts of our government. If the gears of American government were allowed to work as designed, we'd be golden, wouldn't we?

But, back to national temperaments. Germany, in my estimation, is a choleric melancholic country. I bet you're not surprised, huh? Don't jump to unfavorable conclusions, though; some of my favorite people are choleric-melancholic! There are a lot of good things about this temperament! (Man are they organized!) But, in the case of a world crisis involving health concerns, it can be a pesky character to have to deal with.

Discussing this with Kevvy and Ina, we've concluded that part of the German problem is, ironically, that they tend to be rule followers. Germans are generally more health conscious as a nation than America. (You should have heard the German clerk at the Munich customs lecturing me about the 'garbage in the gut' Nutella I was bringing back! ) Put the health consciousness and the rule-following together with the dearth of true education regarding world history (for goodness' sake, their OWN history of totalitarian authoritarianism) -- and a tendency toward self-righteousness -- and you get the debacle we see today in this once proud and intelligent nation.

To wit, if you haven't seen it on the news, the German people are suffering massive lockdowns; you have to carry your "papers" with you everywhere to prove you are vaxxed or have 'recovered immunity,' and Germans are mask crazy. No one dares rebel against the muzzles like we do in America. They just accept it all. Outside of Church and my own family, I barely saw a single person's whole face during these last two months in Germany. Indoors, particularly, not a single smile to be seen anywhere. Seriously, out in public, no smiles. No pleasant exchanges. No joking around.

Granted, a German is less likely than some to banter with a stranger in the best of times -- but, goodness, if I didn't have personal friends and family over there, I would have come home thinking Germany a particularly dour and curmudgeonly country. Not normally true; the German people can be as welcoming and jolly as anyone, but lockdown, mandates and masks are likely to make the most sanguine among us grumpy! And force a melancholeric through all this... Yikes. They believe they are doing the right thing, mind you, following the rules to the letter, all the German "Karens" over there. And the 'experts' agree they are doing the right thing -- which makes it incontrovertible -- so there! -- but, by my observations, the German people are perfectly miserable these days. And if they are miserable, you should be, too.

Forward. I am home in America now.

After FOUR checkpoints to get out of the Munich airport, showing my "papers" repeatedly and having my picture taken twice (I felt like a convict! Like, 'should I have sewn a star on my sleeve, y'all?'). Anyway... Finally, I landed in America Thursday afternoon, blew through two quick customs gates at DIA -- wherein we were told, "put away all the paperwork; we just need to see your passport," and, thank God Almighty (and I don't mean that flippantly), I was free. There were mask rules in the Denver airport, but on the way through the concourse, Dan and I took ours off and no one said a word. Didn't even look at us funny.

Fast Forward again, to yesterday afternoon. I had to go grocery shopping, because it seems my husband was content to live off of tortillas and lunch meat while I was gone... Of course I went to the most economical and, incidentally, closest grocery store. You can guess where.

Free to be Brave and shop at Walmart!
Whether you like the politics or practices of this big box store
 or not, it is a unique fact of American life. Most regular people
do their shopping here, because it is economical and we have
families to feed. We do not apologize for that. And to be perfectly
clear, not all W-Marts are patronized by oddly-dressed asylum escapees.
The inner-city stores generally produce that anomaly. Fairly normal
folks at our friendly neighborhood W-mart!

Yep. People make fun of Walmart. I've made fun of Wal-Mart. I will never make fun of Wal-Mart again. Oh my. (I tear up thinking about it.) All those beautiful, homespun American faces!! And smiles!! And folks talking too loud!! (Europeans hate that!) And laughing!! And fussing at their kids!! It was BEAUTIFUL.

As I walked down an aisle (I was shopping by myself), hunting for Christmas wrapping paper, a random employee (with her mask pulled down to her chin, as all the employees' were -- corporate requirement, my guess, with a manager who doesn't feel convicted about it)... Anyway, the girl looked over at me as she passed and cheerily called out, "How ya doing?!" Be still my heart. That beautiful dear American! That just would not happen in Germany. Not a random greeting like that.

Then, I had a basket full of food that I self- checked (unlike a lot of folks I love self check! It's a great option -- one that doesn't exist in Germany!). I finished checking, paid, and pulled my cart back a few feet to put on my coat and get out my keys -- and realized I'd forgotten to check out a package of bottled waters I'd stowed underneath my buggy. (Doggone it! I hate when I do that!) But, at least I caught it before I got all the way out to the car and would have had to come all the way back!

As I was coming to this realization, though, a young man had taken my place at my checkout. Maybe 19 or 20 years old, he'd obviously just come from a day's work (looked like a farmhand, bless his heart!), and he had just one grocery item, a 12 pack of Budweiser. So I just stood there, waiting -- and after a minute, noticed that he'd noticed me hovering behind him. I told him I was just waiting to pay for the waters I'd missed when I was checking. And, you know what that dear sweet American lad did? He offered to buy my waters for me! (Where else but in America, I ask you?) I, of course, demurred, but we chatted for a minute while he finished his transaction, and as he left, he called out over his shoulder, "Now you have a blessed evening, ma'am!" (Channeling John Wayne, I tell you. Don't you love it? Where else but America?)

So, then, as I left the store, it was drizzling rain and chilly, verging on cold. I stood on the sidewalk outside the doors for a moment, orienting myself (trying to remember where my car was!) and couldn't help but overhear the jovial conversation between the Salvation Army bell-ringer (the guy was in a wheelchair and had a voice like Satchmo) and a grizzled elderly guy who asked him if he was staying warm and dry and mentioned that it was a miserable night to be sitting outside, ringing a bell. The bell ringer's response as I walked away: "Are you kidding? It's a BEAUTIFUL evening!" Sigh... My America.

But that's not all! I thought I was being such a smarty, buying a storage bin (because I wanted a new one to pack the fall decorations still up in the RV when I got home). I'd loaded all my bags of groceries inside the bin in my buggy, thinking that would make it easier to get it all into the car and then into the house when I got home... Ha! I'm such a dummy. It would have worked great if I were Captain America maybe... It was super heavy! But, as it turns out, I met Captain America in the parking lot. In a manner of speaking. The guy getting out of his car in the parking space next to mine saw my struggle and immediately hopped over to help. Smiling and chatting like it was a normal course of events. Because it was.

Because: America.

We have our faults. Good heavens, don't we, though? (Who doesn't?) But we are a choleric sanguine nation, as I see it. Generous to a fault and genial, we may seem embarrassingly redneck and loud at times, but true courtesy runs strong in our veins. We would give you the shirt off our backs if we thought you were in need, and that's not just talk. We are the most generous nation in the world, based on private donations of citizens -- and aid provided by our government. (See below* )Americans are inclined to be polite, too, in our own gregarious way -- out of consideration of others, yes, but also because, like any true sanguine, we want to be liked. It hurts us that Europeans are so snobbish toward us. (A little. Not enough to change our ways, mind you.) And, seriously, don't push us too far in your disregard, whether you are another nation or our own. That Choleric temperament will come right to the top.

Once we have realized the rules are taking advantage of us, or controverting our constitution in any way, we will kick those rules to the curb. And we will kick YOU to the curb, too, if you think you can force them on us against our will. You and your masks and your mandates.

Americans are waking up to the false-reality being force fed them by the government and media who will profit thereby. And you can see it plainly. We are DONE with the covid hysteria here in the red states -- where real America lives.

Having been in locked- down, sad and angry Europe for a couple months, the contrast is stark. There is backlash in Europe, but no real action (that I've seen) taking place to change things. They march. They kibitz over cigarettes and beer. But that's all that's obvious. It's kind of crazy. At least here, we have litigation, votes in the senate, and red-state governors who are sincerely trying to do what's best for their constituents! I'm so proud to be an American! There are fewer protests here in the states, but there's more actually being done!

I am very hopeful that we will soon pull out of this reset stupidity. Watch for the midterms next year and the red wave -- and pray that the distractions planned by the left aren't too painful to bear. But you watch: we're on our way out of the whirlpool. God willing, the rest of the world will follow!

In the meantime, please pray for our family, friends, and sister parishes overseas who are faced with mandatory vaccines this spring. Pray it doesn't come to that. Not everyone has family in the US to escape to -- and even those that do may be prevented because mandatory vax on the airlines could limit travel.

But this, too, while you're praying: thank God every day that you are an American. Gosh, I love the American people, the silly stubborn redneck patriots that they are. I miss my family in Bavaria, but, goodness sakes, I'm so glad to be home and see all your smiling faces!

* The annual private philanthropy in the United States represents 1.44% of the country’s GDP. This is almost twice as high as the 0.77% recorded in Canada. Next on the list come the UK (0.54%), Korea (0.50%), Singapore (0.39%), and Italy (0.30%). China’s private philanthropy makes for only 0.03% of the country’s GDP. Australia, Japan, and Germany have annual private philanthropy levels of 0.23%, 0.12%, and 0.17%, respectively. Find more stats on American giving here.
** Information on the Four Temperaments here.

Another Heads Up, Mommas: The Feast of St. Nicholas is on Monday!

Since today is the 4th of December and a Saturday and because we like to keep the Sabbath Day holy by avoiding unnecessary shopping, this is the day to make your excuses to Dad and kids and run out for any treats you might want to fit into the shoes that will be lined up waiting on St. Nicholas Day, Monday morning! To that end, I scrambled around a bit this morning (while you are were sound asleep, over there in the States) to find some quick and easy, but meaningful...

Ideas for St. Nicholas Day

The enduring tradition as I have found it over the years, is that the children line up their shoes somewhere obvious (on the hearth or outside their bedroom doors or by the back door -- whatever works best!). In the morning on the feast of St. Nick, the children wake to find them filled with certain traditional goodies: either gold coins or oranges to symbolize the story of the dowry provided by the Bishop of Myra (St. Nicholas) for a poor family of several daughters; candy canes to symbolize St. Nicholas' Holy Orders as a Bishop of the Church; a holy card of St. Nicholas (see below), and then maybe a trinket, a new pair of socks, and perhaps another piece of chocolate or other sweets. If you haven't already made a simple shrine for St. Nicholas, just a printed picture off the internet will do fine, decorated appropriately with a candle nearby, perhaps, and some greenery. These little observations set off the day so nicely for the children's benefit (and our own!) and without a lot of fuss! This day should be a simple one to prepare for, not one that Mom has to stress about!

If the kids' shoes are just too gross... 😬😅 Or if you are having
a party, these St. Nicholas gift bags would be simple to put
together. The link for this photo is no longer available, but I think
they'd be pretty easy to figure out, right?

❅ If you're inclined to make sure this is clearly a Religious Feast Day and not just an excuse for candy, you'll surely want to make some of these! They're pretty simple. Maybe pour a glass of wine and have hubby help put a few together tonight after the kids go to bed! (Another tutorial here!) Only things needed: chocolate Santas (any variety), bit of gold pipe cleaner, red construction paper (doesn't have to be foil!). You can get fancy if you want, but, seriously, the kids don't care -- the fact that it's St. Nick and not Santa is the point. Except, of course, the point being that it's chocolate!

One wonders why they didn't choose a Santa/
St. Nick without the goofy eyes...

❅ If you can't find the little Santas and want something equally simple -- that can be wrapped around a standard candy bar, go here.

If anyone asks, I'll take a dark dark chocolate,
salted caramel, thank-you.

❅ Instructions for these super cool chocolate-covered 'croziers' can be found here. Only need melting chocolate and candy canes. 

If you have teenagers in your house, they might really enjoy helping make these!

❅ These chocolate "coins" do double duty at out house, showing up on the Feast of St. Nicholas -- and then again on the Feast of the Epiphany. Here's an easy way to make them fit the feast day this week! And another (with just the face of St. Nick.) Only need the coins themselves, which are pretty easy to find this time of year -- plus a printer with colored ink.

Aren't they especially classy?

The fact that he is a bishop may be more obvious on this one.

❅ This book can go with the gift of the coins (above). Perhaps a little late to get it this year, but maybe order one now to enjoy through Advent and pull out on the Feast of St. Nicholas next year. It explains the tradition of the coins. You can find it on Amazon. You can also find it on Thriftbooks and Abe books.

❅ A Grown-up book I want to get: The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas, by William J. Bennett (famously of The Book of Virtues, a great favorite of ours!) At Amazon. Thrift Books.  AbeBooks

❅ Neat St. Nicholas Day PDF printout of the story of St. Nicholas and how his day is celebrated throughout the world -- as well as some nice little gift tags here.

❅ My favorite blogger, Mary, over at Joyfully Domestic has a fabulous post with ideas, links, and awesome PDFs for St. Nicholas Day and Advent. Make sure and run over for some inspiration! I pretty much feel redundant posting anything after Mary has covered it!

❅ SO many scrumptious ideas for celebrating the feast of St. Nicholas edibly over at Catholic Cuisine! Go have a look! Plenty of recipes to choose from, simple to elaborate!

❅ A nice readable edition of the story of St. Nicholas for children can be found here. Maybe start the day with the real story of St. Nick before opening goodies -- or at night prayers.

❅ Ten Easy Crafts for the kids to do on St. Nicholas Day can be found here.

❅ The St. Nicholas Center has about a dozen beautifully traditional coloring pages to choose from for the feast of St. Nicholas!

❅ Best idea: I have heard of families using this feast day, in the spirit of St. Nicholas' charity to the poor, to bring gifts of canned goods, warm coats, gloves, scarves, hats, and socks. Socks are the least donated and the most needed donation at charitable centers! And so appropriate for this feast day! Maybe the best way to honor St. Nicholas on his day! Make sure the children are involved in buying and bringing the donations! They remember these kinds of things and wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone grew up with the true spirit of St. Nicholas a happy memory in their hearts and a burning ember in their souls?

❅ Holy Cards as promised: Here are some images of St. Nicholas if you don't have a Catholic gift store nearby. If you've got colored ink and card stock or photo paper, they're easy enough to make yourself. Just click, copy, save, and print

Interestingly enough, this icon is actually modeled
after the real St. Nicholas! See link below.

My favorite. Isn't this lovely?

❅ We actually do have a pretty good idea of what the real St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, looked like! Follow this link to see!

. 

The Christmas Crib Prayers for Children

Begin on December 1st

The following prayers were taken from a small pamphlet I inherited from a dear pious old lady (Mrs. Fitzgerald, kids, God rest her soul). We prayed these together many Advents through the years with our morning prayers, and though they are designed for children, I benefitted as much as the kids did -- maybe more -- from these little reminders. One year we made a felt board and cut out little figures to go with each day -- which was a little labor intensive the first go-around, but was worth it. The children loved taking turns adding the visual reminders of the day's prayer.

I wish I still had the little pamphlet, as there were more devotions included -- but, alas, it disappeared somewhere along the way. I'm glad, at least, that I happened to type these prayers out here on the blog back in 2009, so I can still share it! 

Here's the original attribution:  Devotions in Preparation for the Coming of the Christ Child and at the Crib from Christmas to Purification" by Rev. Frederic Nelson, published by Marian House, Powers Lake, ND 58773

 A Spiritual Christmas Crib

The following directions show you how to build a spiritual crib in your heart for Christ. Use it to put Christ into your Christmas in a real, living way.

Start on December 1. Read the thought indicated about Christ's first crib.

Practice it during the day.

Do this daily during December and make your heart a worthy crib for Christ on Christmas Day.

DEC. 1 - THE STABLE

Frequently during the day offer your heart to the little Infant Jesus. Ask Him to make it His home.

--Sweet Jesus, take my heart and make it meek and pure.

DEC. 2 - THE ROOF

See that the roof of the stable is in good condition, so that the Infant Jesus is protected from rain and snow. This you will do by carefully avoiding every uncharitable remark.

--Jesus, teach me to love my neighbor as myself.

DEC. 3 - CREVICES

Carefully stop every crevice in the walls of the stable, so that the wind and cold may not enter there. Guard your senses against temptations. Guard especially your ears against sinful conversations.

--Jesus, help me to keep temptations out of my heart.

DEC. 4 - COBWEBS

Clean the cobwebs from your spiritual crib. Diligently remove from your heart every inordinate desire of being praised. Renew this intention at least three times today.

--My Jesus, I want to please You in all I do today.

DEC. 5 - FENCE

Build a fence about the crib of your heart by keeping a strict watch over your eyes, especially at prayer.

--Sweet Jesus, I long to see You.

DEC. 6 - MANGER

Fix the best and warmest corner of your heart for the manger of Jesus. You will do so by abstaining from what you like most in the line of comfort and amusement.

--Dear Mother Mary, use these sacrifices to prepare my heart for Jesus in Holy Communion.

DEC. 7 - HAY

Supply the manger of your heart with hay, by overcoming all feelings of pride, anger or envy.

--Jesus, teach me to know and correct my greatest sins.

DEC. 8 - SOFT STRAW

Also provide your manger with soft straw by performing little acts of mortification; for instance, bear the cold without complaints; or sit and stand erect.

--Dear Jesus, Who suffered so much for me, let me suffer for love of You.

DEC. 9 - SWADDLING CLOTHES

Prepare these for the Divine Infant by folding your hands when you pray, and praying slowly and thoughtfully.

--Jesus, help me love you more and more.

DEC. 10 - BLANKETS

Provide the manger of your crib with soft warm blankets. Avoid harsh and angry words; be kind and gentle to all.

--Jesus, help me to be meek and humble like You.

DEC. 11 - FUEL

Bring fuel to the crib of Jesus. Give up your own will; obey your superiors cheerfully and promptly.

--Jesus, help me do Your will in all things.

DEC. 12 - WATER

Bring fresh, clean water to the crib. Avoid every untruthful word and every deceitful act.

--Dearest Mary, obtain for me true contrition for my sins.

DEC. 13 - PROVISIONS

Bring a supply of food to the crib. Deprive yourself of some food at mealtime or candy as a treat.

--Jesus, be my strength and nourishment.

DEC. 14 - LIGHT

See that the crib has sufficient light. Be neat and orderly about your person; keep everything in its place in your room.

--Jesus, be the life and light of my soul.

DEC. 15 - FIRE

Take care to have the crib of your heart warmed by a cozy fire. Be grateful to God for the love He has shown us in becoming man; behave with grateful respect towards your parents and relatives.

--Jesus, how can I return Your love; how can I show my gratitude to You?

DEC. 16 - THE OX

Lead the ox to the crib. Obey cheerfully without making excuses and without asking "why."

--I will obey for love of You, Jesus.

DEC. 17 - THE DONKEY

Bring the donkey to the crib. Offer to the Divine Infant your bodily strength; use it in the service of others.

--Jesus, accept my service of love; I offer it for those who do not love You.

DEC. 18 - GIFTS

Gather some presents for the Divine Infant and His Blessed Mother. Give alms for the poor and say an extra decade of the rosary.

--Come, Jesus, to accept my gifts and to take possession of my heart.

DEC. 19 - LAMBS

Strive to bring some little lambs, meek and patient. Do not murmur or complain.

--Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.

DEC. 20 - SHEPHERDS

Invite the shepherds to pay homage to our newborn King. Imitate their watchfulness; stress in your speech and thoughts the idea that Christmas is important because Jesus will be born again in you.

--Jesus, teach me to love You above all things.

DEC. 21 - THE KEY

Provide the stable with a key to keep out thieves. Exclude from your heart every sinful thought, every rash judgment.

-- Dear Jesus, close my heart to all that hurts You.

DEC. 22 - ANGELS

Invite the angels to adore God with you. Cheerfully obey the inspirations of your guardian angel and of your conscience.

--Holy Guardian Angel, never let me forget that you are with me always.

DEC. 23 - ST. JOSEPH

Accompany Saint Joseph from door to door. Learn from him silently and patiently to bear refusals and disappointments. Open wide your heart and beg him to enter with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

--Saint Joseph, help me to prepare for a worthy Christmas Communion.

DEC. 24 - THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Go meet your Blessed Mother. Lead her to the manger of your heart and beg her to lay the Divine Infant in it. Shorten your chats and telephone conversations and spend more time today thinking of Jesus and Mary and Joseph.

--Come, dear Jesus, Come; my heart belongs to You."

Printable PDF file here.

Heads Up: St. Andrew Novena for Christmas Begins Tomorrow

St. Andrew,  the first Apostle, patron saint
of fisherman, singers, textile workers,
miners, brides,and pregnant women

The actual origins of this Christmas "novena" are murky, and to tell you the truth, everything about it has always been a little quirky and confusing to me. It's a beautiful prayer, don't get me wrong -- and one I love praying! These beautiful words are as much a part of Advent to me as the Advent Wreath! Its benefit of Advent mindfulness cannot be denied, even outside of the promise of having our requests fulfilled -- but I've always wondered about it. Where did it come from? How old is it? What does a Christmas novena have to do with St. Andrew? And why do we call a twenty-five day prayer a "novena," seeing as a novena, by definition, should last only nine days?

The best information I can find, claims that this prayer appears to be well over one hundred years old, dating it by the earliest record of its being found in a prayer book, and it is given an Irish origin, with no real explanation. The imprimatur reads: "Michael Augustine, Archbishop of New York, February 1, 1897." The sentiment and graceful wording, though, you have to admit, sounds like something the Irish would pray. (Try saying it with an Irish accent and you'll see what I mean.)

Why begin a Christmas prayer with St. Andrew, though? He's not even mentioned in the prayer; it is addressed to God, Himself! You won't be surprised, I'm sure, to know there's a lovely explanation, and one that I think makes perfect sense. St. Andrew was the "first-called" of Our Lord's apostles -- and it was he who led St. Peter, our first pope, to Jesus. It is appropriate, then, that one of the first saint's feast days of the brand new liturgical year should be that of the first-called of Christ's bishops, and that the apostle who led Peter to Jesus at the docks by the Sea of Galilee should also lead us to Jesus at the manger in Bethlehem. Beginning on his feast day does also, of course, carry us through the Advent season.

Why is it called a novena if it carries us through all of Advent? There is speculation that this prayer was originally an actual nine-day novena, beginning on the Feast of St. Andrew and ending on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8th. It seems that it did not originally begin with the repetition of the prayer fifteen times daily, either. But, over the last century or so (or however much time, we don't know), by popular practice, the pious faithful, it seems, desired to work harder for this Christmas grace. Somewhere along the line, folks decided to extend the prayers all the way to Christmas Eve -- and, mirroring the mysteries of the rosary, added the fifteen repetitions. All right and good.

The St. Andrews Prayers are often called miraculous, and I've heard of at least one miracle, in which the petitioners, a couple who had hitherto been considered infertile, prayed the St. Andrew Novena faithfully, and went on to have three children in four years. I, personally, have prayed it many times for the spiritual health and well-being of our extended family, and have been edified by God's grace for our children. This year, when the world is so upside-down, the temptation is to broaden the scope of the prayers, and I thought about ways of wording that... but nothing seemed quite fitting, so I've decided to keep the same petition as always. It seems every sermon I hear, every book or article I read lately has been coming around to the same point of Godly wisdom over and over again: we sanctify the world by sanctifying ourselves. So, beginning on the Feast of St. Andrew, November 30th, for all our family, friends and benefactors. -- and myself, as well...

* One chief source here and bits and pieces of about a half dozen other sites -- with very little additional information with real sources. This was a hard one to find facts about -- just lots of speculation.

* Biography and thoughts on St. Andrew here.

* A tutorial and PDF prayer card and instructions for for the St. Andrew's Novena chaplet below!