FATHER JIM'S JOTS - Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 24, 2023

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 24, 2023

FATHER JIM'S JOTS

Christmas Greetings!!

Allow me to reflect and share some personal memories of special Christmases in my past.

I was blessed to grow up in a loving family.  My parents went to our local Catholic Highschool, Saint Patrick's, in Wyandotte, MI.  My Dad worked as a beer truck driver salesman.  My mom stayed home and only went to work part-time when we reached Highschool.  My sister, Lori, my brother, Tom and I loved Christmas.

Dad made homemade fudge each year and sometimes homemade Kahlua.

We always had two Christmas trees:  one was in the formal living room, where everything was perfect each year.  My mom would pick a special color for this tree, most often red or gold.  The other tree was in our family room.  This tree we were allowed to decorate with multicolored lights and mismatched ornaments.

After Mass on Christmas morning, we would have breakfast in the dining room; both Mom and Dad shared in all the cooking on Christmas.  Next we would go around, starting with my brother and take turns opening the special gifts from Santa.

Christmas dinner was special with good China, silver and glassware.  All the table leaves were used and we made name tags for any visiting grandparents, aunts and uncles.  A turkey with all the trimmings was the main course.  We would not be allowed to leave the dining room without asking for permission.  "May I please be excused?"

The gifts that were given were often a need, such as underwear and socks, but the best gift was time together as a family.

Blessings to you and yours,

Christmas Blessings

Fr. Jim, Pastor

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