Kindness

"An act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted."

--Aesop, The Lion And The Mouse

Pope Benedict XVI's beautiful words on Advent

Please follow this link to read some of them: http://insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2009/11/benedict-xvi-advent-invites-us-to-remain-silent-as-we-come-to-appreciate-a-presence.html

(Thank you, Carl Olson.)

Joy

"There are souls in this world which have the gift of finding joy everywhere and leaving it behind when they go."

--Father Frederick Faber

The Feast of Saint Andrew

And so begins "the Christmas novena", as it is known:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother.

Amen.

Imprimatur: +MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York, New York, February 6, 1897.

(It is piously believed that whoever recites this prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of Saint Andrew on November 30th until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

Saint Andrew, pray for us.