Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath given rise to the light of knowledge in the world; for they that worshiped the stars did learn there from to worship thee, O Sun of justice, and to know that from the east of the Highest thou didst come O Lord, glory to thee.

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

This is the first day of Christmas, the day when the Eternal intersected with the temporal, when the One who created time entered it to reconcile us to Himself. The Incarnation is so important, and can be forgotten or misunderstood when we only see this as Jesus' birthday. He doesn't somehow turn 2000 some years today, and He didn't come to exist on that day 2000 years ago. He is. He was. He always will be. The Son, the second person of the Trinity has always existed, but He became Incarnate of the Virgin Mary in a specific place and time, and that is what we remember.


We will not be fasting at all for the next 12 days. I'll be making different cookies and cakes each day. This week is full of feasts and commemorations, including our 20th wedding anniversary. Since there was the possibility of us going to Paris in 2017, we kind of scrapped our original plan for our anniversary, which was to go to a resort our friend runs in Mexico. We still aren't sure what we're doing, though. There have been more low key years, and years where we planned big parties or trips, but this is the first time we just can't really decide. A few ideas have been floated, so we will try to get that figured out after today. For now, we worship in joy, we celebrate in hope.

Blessed feast! May the Light who entered the world enlighten your heart and mind the whole year! Glory to God in the highest!

• Sunday - Feast of the Nativity of Christ
  Breakfast: Christmas Bread and Butter, Hard Boiled Eggs, Bacon, Pomegranates, Hot Chocolate and Coffee
  Dinner: Standing Rib Roast of Beef, Horseradish Sauce, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Bacon, Goat Cheese and Herb Stuffed Potatoes, Salad, Sparkling Cider and Red Wine, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake, Candy Cane Ice Cream
• Monday - Feast of Saint Stephen
  Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers, Eggnog, Christmas Cherry Nut Cake
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint John
  Breakfast: French Toast with Leftover Eggnog and Christmas Bread, Oranges, Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Chinese Take Out, Leftover Cheesecake
• Wednesday - Feast of the Holy Innocents
  Breakfast: Biscuits, Sausage Gravy, Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Mustard Baked Chicken, Creamed Spinach with Jalapenos, Pan Roasted Potatoes, Christmas Cookies
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Sausage, Cheese and Egg Scramble, Home Fries, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Fresh Ham with Rosemary and Lemon, Steam Sauteed Carrots, Christmas Cookies (other dishes brought by guests)
• Friday - Feast of the Holy Family
  Breakfast: Fried Ham and Red Eye Gravy, Biscuits, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Greek Style Lamb Wraps, Simple Rice Pilaf, Middle Eastern Chopped Salad
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Chorizo Breakfast Casserole, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Wicked Shrimp, Garlic Pasta, Salad

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up.

Labels: Christmas, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Nativity, Romance and Relationship, Tales from the Kitchen